Grantigus

His current favorite thing to say: "No way!" He is usually smiling when he says it. It is pretty cute when it isn't completely annoying.

We are guessing that he must be growing extra lately. His appetite is pretty darn great throughout the day and he has started napping regularly again. We keep warning Grace that she doesn't have long- Grant is nearly at her eye level and can run around comfortably in her shoes.

I still smooch on him all day long, and he still lets me. These are the kissy lips he has added to his repertoire irresistibility. Occasionally, he'll really put some effort into it and give face-smashing, gripping-tightly-around-the-neck, lasting-for-what-seems-a-very-long-time affection. We love it.

Potty training has been so different with Grant than it was with Grace. Part of it is that he is a different kid. Part of it is that Cori and I are more relaxed about it. I don't want to push it too hard what with a new baby and a move on the horizon. I've read that during periods of big change like that, toddlers will often revert, and I'm not particularly keen on potty training Grant twice. Gracie had a terrible attitude about potty training until the day she decided to do it. Then we worked on it for a couple of days and she was set. Grant, on the other hand, has a great attitude about using the potty but hasn't fully committed to it. We have days where he will tell me every 15 minutes that he needs to go potty. We have days where I ask and ask him to come sit on the potty only to have him shrug and tell me no thanks, he already went in his diaper/pull-ups. Fine by me. He continues to have a good attitude about it. And diapers are so convenient for my life right now- is that terrible? But it is true.

He remains a faithful devotee to his sister and her happiness. It takes just a few tears from Grace to guarantee Grant's compliance with her will. Recently I had the audacity to interfere and take Grant's side. He began crying that he just wanted Grace to be happy. (And Grace, through her crocodile tears, looked at me with an expression that said, "Yeah mom, he just wants me to be happy. I've got this all taken care of.") The flip side of this coin is that Grant is pretty awful about clean up time, making beds, putting clothes away, and pretty much doing any other chore related task- he is two, after all. Most of the time, he asks for me to "help him" which is Grantese for me doing it while he looks on or wanders off to do something else. Gracie pulls more than her weight around here when it comes to the chores the kids do together. She cleans up most of the messes and is really good about getting him excited about finishing up tasks. We figure there is a healthy amount of give and take in their relationship.

He loves to sing songs and dance with Grace. He has become a fan of broccoli trees with Ranch. He still l-o-v-e-s playing with his cars, trucks, and motorcycles. He pushes them slowly over different surfaces through out the house, watching closely to make sure all the wheels are spinning. He does his 'big buckles' in his car seat all by himself. Like his sister, he will sit to draw and color every day. He loves reading time and chewing on his blankies.