Ike at 2 1/2 years

Here are a few things that Isaac has been up to lately:

• He loves anything to do with Dora the Explorer---we check out every Dora book we can find every time we go to the library, and he loves to watch the one Dora episode we own over and over again. Luckily we found a few different episodes at the library to add a little variety. The other day during nap time I heard him acting out his very own Dora episode in his bed..."We haf ta cross da river, Boots! Get out da map!" He never fell asleep that day.
• He started preschool this past month and loves that he owns his very own backpack and crayons, and that he gets to be just like his dad and go to school. They meet once a week for an hour and all the moms take turns teaching the 5 little boys.
• Isaac has discovered that he can jump into Maddie's crib, and he does it almost daily lately. I thought I broke him of this habit by using a sticker chart, but alas the stickers lost their luster and he'd rather dive into her crib and jump on her than earn one. This new trick of his makes me very anxious because, while Maddie can fend for herself in this situation, a newborn won't be able to. Any suggestions? Separating them at this point really isn't possible.
• Whenever Ryan is home, I might as well be invisible. He speaks almost solely to his dad, and if I try to answer any of his inquiries, he emphatically replies, "No mama! I talk ta Papa." Sheesh, sorry for trying to help." If I forget to be offended it's really quite endearing how much he admires Ryan.
• He still loves to sing. His current favorites are, "If You're Happy and you Know it" and "If you Chance to Meet a Frown." The grandparents are very good to listen to him sing these songs over and over every time we talk to them on the phone.
• I attempted to potty train Isaac last month. I'm pretty sure he wasn't ready, but I'm POSITIVE that I'm not. I'll wait until I'm not spending quite so much time losing my lunch before I take on a task that big, even if it means having 3 in diapers for a little while.
• Lately the little guy has become more and more talkative, and he is really a pretty good conversationalist. He is especially chatty whenever we are in the car, and loves to chat about what color the stoplights are, where we are going, what kind of cars are driving next to us, and how many bridges we are driving over/under.
• I know the twos have a reputation for being terrible, but we are really enjoying this stage in Isaac's life, despite it's challenges. He is generally a very happy child and is excited about life. Although he can pick on his sister, he really watches out for Maddie and is kind to her more than anything else. I am so proud to be his mom.

Photos courtesy of Chrissy Jo.