Entering Toddlerhood

Sometimes I wonder, what is the point of a bookshelf ? Oh right, it's for enjoying pulling down books to look at them! What could I be thinking, anyway, that a shelf is for organizing and containing books?! My children are still teaching me about how to be a good mother. And they do such a good job of it on a daily basis.

Mattias is definitely over the baby phase now that he is a year old. He is quite 'independent' around the house, walking from area to area, and he has all his favorite activities that he likes to do - pushing a big dump truck in circles from room to room (he is really good at steering and backing up); opening the kitchen cabinets and dumping out Tupperware and peeling skins off onions; looking at books; playing with cars on the toy parking garage; and looking for spots to play peek-a-boo.

Pointing at Gemma's picture

Another favorite: reorganizing the recycling bin. Note the lovely masking tape on the garbage can so he can't take the lid off.

He is also learning to communicate his 'ideas', though he has yet to use specific words. Mostly he gestures and makes sounds and then flings his arms in frustration, until I finally figure it out. 

A few days ago we headed outside to the backyard, and he was very insistent on getting out the cart to put on the sidewalk. Having done that, he stood in the doorway and fussed and gestured and grabbed at the cart again.

I picked up the cart and put it back inside the doorway next to where he was standing. Clearly that was not what he wanted.

Finally I put the cart back outside, helped him climb down the one step to the yard (which he has done countless times on his own before...), and then he happily grabbed the cart and set out to explore. Success.

Meanwhile, another point of frustration right now is his desire to use a spoon to feed himself, i.e. "Mommy, do not touch the spoon! Let me do it!" (from what I gather when he yells and flings his hands and arches his back). This is a boy who really loves to eat almost everything we feed him, so food isn't the problem. Yesterday he had great success with his yogurt!

Although by the end, this is how he was eating... don't look, Grandpa, I know this is difficult to witness.