WHY?

Dear Pea,
We have arrived. This past week saw the beginning of the ever famous toddler WHY? phase. It's actually been kind of fun for me and Daddy to go all esoteric and I'm sure we'll be coming up with some more awesome answers, but here are our top 2 for now:
Daddy: Time to go to bed, it's night time
Pea: Why?
Daddy: Because the day is ending
Pea: Why?
repeat about 7 times and get to:
Daddy: because the earth rotates around the sun and spins on an access and...

Mama: Bye bye, I'm going to work now
Pea: Why?
Mama: Because I need to work
Pea: Why?
repeat about 7 times and get to:
Mama: Well, work is important for a number of reasons, it's important to have money so we can pay rent and buy clothes and food, but it's also fulfilling for me emotionally and...

Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun (and tiresome).

Adventurer!

Dear Pea, 

All of a sudden, you are quite the adventurer! Today at the playground you attempted to climb up a stacked chain link climbing challenge and YOU DID IT! I spotted you, but you did it all by yourself. It was a little bit crazy, it was a structure that was definitely designed for a much older kid. As I have just finished a big book about praise and functional communication, all I said to you was "You're at the top now!" with a huge grin, but inside I was jumping up and down screaming "you did it! I'm so proud of you!"

Here's a glimpse into some of your other athletic achievements of late:

UP the slide for the first time! I love that when you get to the top, you say "I did it!"

climbing up the cellar doors at our friend's house, then rolling the balls down the ramp

 

Your first climbing wall!  I can't wait to take you to a climbing gym. And then up a mountain!

You have also become quite the eater, devouring yogurt with berries or eggs and spinach (with ketchup, of course) for breakfast with me and usually 3/4 of a bagel with butter on the weekends with Daddy. Our favorite lunch is a bowl of salmon or chicken salad made with avocado instead of mayo and flavored up with relish that we share by dipping celery, bell peppers, cucumber and carrots into. This is the only way you will eat avocado for some reason, even guacamole appears to be on the outs lately! And sometimes you don't want to share the bell pepper with me, it appears to be your favorite.

"get your own bell pepper, Mama!" (and yes, that's a direct quote)

You love to share Chinese food dinners with Daddy, eating more than half of his shrimp, spare ribs and rice. You'll also happily put up with my cooking: baked chicken tenders, roasted drumsticks, turkey sausage. And steak, oh boy, do you love steak. 

You have also started showing an interest in artistic endeavors. We have 4 little bottles of non-toxic nail polish and one rainy day you gave us both pedicures. 

And you were very happy to join in on a watercolor mess making project with some of your buddies. We have an easel that's also a chalk board and you have zero interest in that, but apparently when the prospects are extremely messy, you're totally all in.