Developmental Vignettes

There are times when so much happens so fast, it's hard to update the blog often enough.  So here are a few quick stories from the past couple of weeks - Asa-isms and moments when he just makes us think, "Wow."

Like when he came into our bed for an early morning snuggle, and started giving each of us kisses - real ones! - and nuzzles, and saying "Niiiiice."

Or when he found the model animals at playgroup and named them all - even the ones that neither M nor I remember teaching him - "seal" and "octopus", which he pronounces "apple-puss".

Like when he got out his gardening tools and helped Mummy dig holes and water flowers... or when he helped by taking all his diaper covers from the bathroom to his room by himself.  (Maybe Thomas the Tank Engine, and the emphasis on being a "really useful engine" is working in our favor?)

Like when Asa and Mommy and Mummy had a picnic in the little park by the library, and he ate an entire half-sandwich of cashew butter and jelly... and then hammed it up for the camera.

And then climbed up the big kids' structure and slid down the big slide all by himself!

Or when we were talking about what to have for lunch the other day... I suggested quesadillas with some of the leftover roast chicken from the previous evening.  Asa thought about it, then clearly said, "Beans."  So we agreed on chicken and black bean quesadillas - but he kept a close eye on me as I made them, to ensure that the beans were well and truly added.  (Then he ate nearly an entire quesadilla.  When he felt almost too full to continue, he pulled the tortilla off and ate the black beans, one by one, from the cheesy layer.)

Finally, there's the story of today at the zoo, with friends who are a little older.  The spray-park part of the zoo is open for the season, and the older kids wanted to run around in the water.  Mommy thought that Asa would have fun too, so she took off his shoes and pants and brought him into the midst of the sprays.  One of our friends, a little boy, took a rotating sprayer (which looks like a bumblebee) and nailed M. and Asa, who promptly became hysterical.  So Asa and Mummy went to look at some nearby animals - kangaroos and tortoises.  Then this evening, at dinner, Asa suddenly looked up and said, "Bumblebee!  Water!  Done!  Done! Done!!! Tortoise.  Bumblebee!  Water!  Done!!"  (several times in a row, at that.)   I think his memory is improving.

I am, for the record, just about holding my breath waiting for complete sentences to emerge.  Probably sometime before July 4... and I'll keep you posted!