Cheeky Monkey-ness

I was told tonight that someone is tired of watching the race over and over. To that person, I say, how can you tire of such joy and happiness? Still, it has been a while since I posted and in fear of being chastised again, here's a post about my Monkey.

Cheeky Monkey is quite possibly the most charming almost-2-year-old I've ever met. He's bashful and cheerful and quirky and sweet and I'm completely head over heels in love with him. 

Also, he's delicious.

Right now he is spurning utensils, even though he knows perfectly well how to use them. I've taken to feeding him breakfast in his pajamas so he doesn't ruin his day's clothing before 9 am. That happens sometimes anyway, but I try.

Apparently it tastes better this way.

While he still isn't talking a lot, his vocabulary has expanded quite a bit in the last month. He joyously pokes your eyeball while screaming "EYE!!" and has mastered the two-word phrase "More please!" Of course, please comes out a lot more like "Oui" this days, so it's a lot of fun to pretend that he's speaking French. He also has a slightly disturbing fixation on Elmo. He can find an Elmo in a wall of stuffed animals, and cheerily screams "MELMO!", each time he spots the little red monster. He can't quite distinguish the characters though, so right now, anything with googly eyes is also a MElmo.

He also wants so badly to be just like his big brother. As you may have seen in the race video in the previous post, he Fred-Flintstones it around on the tricycle nearly as fast as his brother can pedal, he's started strapping himself into his high chair and carseat, and tries to brush his own teeth. Every night, we read him the "Goodnight Moon" book. For whatever reason he's obsessed with the mush. Maybe it's because of the spoon. Every toddler knows that mush is best eaten with fingers, not spoon.

The crab? His name is MElmo.

He's finally beginning to grow out of the All-Mommy-All-The-Time phase. At our trial day at the new school last week he did beautifully. About an hour in, he gave me a kiss and told me "bye-bye." The boys officially start their new school tomorrow. While I'm happy to have found them a school that they (and I) like, it's a little bittersweet to know that my time as a stay-at-home mom may now be over forever.