I haven’t written much about what is new with this little boy and lately it is a lot! I cannot keep up with the amount of words he knows now and his vocabulary seems to grow exponentially every day. So I will just try to document a few of the things I want to remember.
Not long ago, whenever he wanted something, he would whine and cry and yell for it, even thought I knew he could talk and tell me. Plus, at his age (almost 18 months now) he is getting very demanding. So I decided I was going to teach him how to ask for things and do it politely. I didn’t know the consequences of my choices. I started by requiring him to say please WHEN he asked for something and when he whined when I knew what he wanted, I would say what he wanted with please added to the end. I really took just a couple of days and he started saying please and also started asking instead of whining. How wonderful to know what he wants and also to limit the crying and whining!
It has really surprised me how much he has used this and has caught on to the concept of please. A week and a half ago, the kids and I were in the waiting room of a doctor’s office waiting for an appointment and we were waiting a really long time. Tommy (and Lucy) were getting a little restless and Tommy just told me, “A go bye-bye. PEA, Momma?” It broke my heart because we couldn’t leave.
And then today we were in Walmart doing some window shopping in the toys section. We were going down the baby aisle and there were some really fun toys that Tommy saw, all having to do with cars and balls of course. He said, “Wannit. PEA, Momma? A car!” Over and over. It was really hard not to buy something for him. There is something about the added please, or in his case pea, that just melts my heart.
Something else with his talking. He CAN say the S sound, like when we see a picture of a snake in a book. But he never used the S sound in any of the other words he says. Our nephew Sam has been staying with us for a few weeks and Tommy calls him Yam. (Jenny teases Sam and calls him Sweet Potato. That girl definitely has a sense of humor. 
Tommy also LOVES reading books and this definitely affects his learning curve. And when he sees something he knows how to say, he says it and makes sure I know he knows. I am constantly validating him. This can get really loud, which at home isn’t a problem, but when we are in church isn’t such a good thing. Books DON’T keep him quiet, but make him louder. And he is learning people’s names in our ward and will look around the chapel and say every person’s name and then I have to say, “Yeah, “ or he will keep saying it louder and louder until I acknowledge him.
Tommy loves to get out of the house and go visit Daddy at work, or go to the library, or the park, or the post office. The many places we have to visit in this little town. He doesn’t care if we go by foot, or bike or van. He just wants to go bye-bye. And because it is so nice outside, we walk, but mostly ride bikes these days. Tommy and Lucy love riding in the bike trailer. I love that our whole family can go together on a bike ride. AND. . . I am looking to purchase a certain double stroller so I can take Tommy and Lucy running with me.
It is a good thing I can run because I am constantly running after this busy boy. Although he is getting much better about not climbing on the table and not throwing things in the toilet and not eating the kitty cereal—what Tommy calls the cat food. In fact, I have been brave enough to leave the gate down lately which kept him from all things kitty except the kitties themselves and he is doing quite well. He knows what he isn’t supposed to do. I hear him saying a lot, “No, no!” when he is about to do something he isn’t supposed to do. AND when someone is standing on a chair or the couch or the little table in our living room Tommy is the first one to tell them “GET DOWN!” I have NO idea where he learned that.
Tommy adores his siblings and talks about where they are and what they are doing. He calls Jenny Nenny. Matthew is Mammew. And Lucy is Woohee. He loves spending time with all of them, and lately he and Lucy have really been getting to be buddies and Lucy is teaching him how to use his imagination. They make up little games together, especially at bed time since they are now sharing a room. We have found that despite the games and playing they still get to sleep more quickly in the same room than they did in separate rooms. Who knew?