Elliot at Two!

That's right folks; I'm two years old and I'm doing all sorts of incredibly amusing things. Just ask my mommy and daddy! They'd be the first to tell you what a fantastic little guy I am most of the time even if I do keep them on their toes.

I still love music and dancing and I've added quite a few moves to my repertoire. Mommy and I like to have dance parties where she blasts my very own playlist on her ipod and we shake our booties like nobody's business. Only these days Mommy can't jump and spin me around like she used to with that big old belly of hers. I also love playing nana's piano and my new keyboard and drum that I got for my birthday. I'll probably be famous one day.

And if I'm not famous for music, maybe I'll be famous for my amazing and very convincing acting abilities. Mommy says I've become very dramatic with every little bump and bruise getting carried on about with "owies" and "sore" for days and days. I'm also very good at putting on a dramatic spectacle whenever I want something that I can't have. I know how to stick my lip out and squint up my eyes and 'cry' pathetically. It's amazing Mommy and Daddy don't give in more. One of my finest performances recently was when I very carefully took two slow giant steps and then flung myself dramatically at the wall, sliding down slowly and landing in a heap of tears and "owies" and "fall-downs". I still can't understand how Mommy could be so heartless that she just sat and giggled hysterically. It was a totally convincing performance.

One of my other favourite things to do is to help out around the house. I like to vacuum and clean up the table after meals and help Daddy take the trash out and sweep the deck. In fact, taking care of Nacho has become almost entirely my responsibility (with Mommy and Daddy so busy, somebody has got to do it). I give him his food and water every day--heck, I'd do it several times a day but Daddy says he is getting fat. I also do my best to help with disciplining Nacho when he is too barky. I say "Stop it! No barking!" and "Enough" in my firmest voice and sometimes he even listens to me.

I also sometimes have to boss around Mommy and Daddy to keep them in line. For example, if it weren't for me dragging Mommy out of bed every morning with "Mommy! Get up!", old miss lazy bones would sleep all day long. I also like to tell people what to do, where to sit, what to eat, and pretty much anything else I can get away with.

When I'm not so busy helping with things, I find time to play. I still love reading books and playing with Play-dohs and building with my blocks and playing with my trains. I've also started to like to draw and colour and do art projects with Mommy and Nana or to play hide-and-seek with Nacho or whoever else will play. Mostly when I'm inside these days what I really want to do is to watch movies (when Mommy and Daddy let me!). My favourites are "Move It" (Madagascar), "Bugs" (A Bug's Life) and "Up-down" (Up).

But any chance I get I'd rather be outside, rolling in the dirt, mowing the lawn, helping Daddy build the deck, playing on my play gym or best of all running through the sprinkler "naked"! I can't understand why Mommy and Daddy don't play in the sprinkler naked when I tell them to!

You've probably noticed how good my language skills are getting. I can say all sorts of things and like to copy everything that Mommy and Daddy say. Every day I'm learning new words and surprising Mommy and Daddy with the things that I say like "leopard" and "vase" (pronounced the snooty way). For some reason some of the words that I say seem to crack Mommy and Daddy up, like when I say Franny Frog (my stuffed toy), but I think they're just being mean!

I'm also getting really good at playing with my friends and sometimes will even share my toys. Mommy and Daddy are still working with me on that and on being gentle, but they say that they can see how hard I'm trying and that makes them very proud of me. The fact is I love being around people. I've got some really great friends that I love to play with like Aine and Cailey. And now that I'm in the big boy room at daycare, I really like going there and playing with the "kids". I also really like going outside to talk to the "boys" helping out on the house. In fact, I call just about anyone who is not a "kid" a "boy" or sometimes a "peoples".

Well, folks, that's about all about me. I'm off to get dirty now! ~ Elliot