Charlie at Age Two

-Charlie is a people person. He really does not want to play by himself yet and does not have many toys that he enjoys. The little guy would much rather do whatever the grownups are doing - cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc. He can be the best helper. He loves the new grill that he got for his birthday because he can pretend to cook. He has become a very good pretender, and it is so fun to watch his little imagination growing.

-Music, singing, and dancing are a big part of Charlie's day. You will often see him bopping around the house and singing a song. One of our favorite family activities is a dance party. Charlie insists that everyone dance with him. He loves to listen to music in the car, and starts asking for it to be turned on as soon as we start buckling him in his car seat.

-He still loves to read. Every night, he goes to bed with a handful of books. We will often hear him reading to himself at night and walk into his room to find him reading in the morning or after a nap. He does not allow me to read to him. Instead, he wants us to read together. He reads his book while I read my own. Nick has much better luck actually reading to him. We can't quite figure that one out.

-If you want a good laugh, hang around our house for the day. Charlie is hilarious. He is just plain, old silly. He knows it, too. Once he gets a laugh out of you, he will keep going and going and going to get more attention. His belly laugh is still one of the best sounds I have ever heard.

-Charlie has officially entered the terrible twos. He screams, hits, throws things, and tests the boundaries all day long. Nick and I are trying all sorts of strategies to help him through this tough emotional time, but it is hard to remain patient at times. It is especially hard when Charlie looks us straight in the eye, smiles, and then does exactly what he is not supposed to be doing. Right now, we are doing time outs and ignoring him when he whines. He has started to ask nicely for things, but still needs frequent reminders. The next thing we need to work on is using an inside voice. The boy is LOUD!

-Playing outside is by far one of Charlie's favorite things to do. We built a retaining wall in the backyard last fall, but all of the rain slowed the progress. So we really have not had a chance to enjoy it. We are having sod put down this week, and we will soon have a swing set. I know Charlie will be in heaven once we can get out there and play.

-Communicating with Charlie has become so much easier. He is talking up a storm, and adds new words to his vocabulary every day. He loves to repeat new words that he hears and is proud of himself when he does. I am constantly amazed by how much he understands. The other day, as I was changing his diaper, I told him that his lovey was above his head without pointing. He looked up and found Lovey quickly. I was so surprised because we don't really spend a lot of time emphasizing where things are ( behind, under, etc.). The rest of the day, I made a conscious effort to point items out using these words, and I found that Charlie understood most of the directions I gave. Nick and I have been blown away by his mental development and growth over the past few months.

-Despite the recent increase in tantrums, Charlie really is a sweet, cuddly, loving little boy. He still loves to be held, and he is quick to give out hugs and kisses. His affection for me, in particular, has grown since Jackson's birth. He asks me to hold him a lot and gives me big bear hugs whenever we have alone time. He has started grabbing our hands and holding them close to his chest. I hope that he will always be willing to give me a hug like he does now.