The everchanging world of Charlie

As is true for most 2 year olds, the things that Charlie does changes from week to week and almost day to day. But I'll try to fill you in on the things he's learned and his many, many obsessions.

Charlie has learned to walk much better than he did at home. Everything is tile here, no carpet, so his late-blooming walking has been perfected and he's moved on to running and even jumping. He's learning to go up and down stairs if he's got a good handhold. He is saying a few more words now, but rarely volunteers them. It's always a surprise when he says something that I didn't coach him to say. Mom (or mommymia) Up and Why are his favorite words right now. He also answers virtually every question a stranger asks him by putting up 2 fingers.

I think as a consequence of moving, Charlie has become a blanket-boy. He always wants his blanket when he gets out of bed in the morning and at various times during the day. If he's suddenly quiet, often I will find him on the ground laying on it. Luckily he's not obsessive about it, so we can leave it home when we leave.

Charlie had taken up various crafts as a result of Amelia's example. His first was pens and pencils, writing little marks on paper (and sometimes furniture). Those evolved to circles and then circles with marks inside which we think were his attempts at happy faces. After drawing, he became obsessed with cutting paper into little bits. We even had a few power struggles with him at dinner time when he wouldn't stop cutting to eat. I can't tell what his current one is yet. It may be folding paper. But he hasn't gotten obsessive about it yet. He would do the others for hours everyday.

He also enjoys swinging on the swing, kicking a ball around the yard, playing his own version of hide and seek, and riding on a scooter while someone pushes him (though that usually results in a fall). His "throwing every ball available" obsession ceased when we got here, but he still throws a mean ball when he's in the mood.

He has become a bit of a couch potato, too. Whenever he wants to watch, he says "Bob" which means anything on TV, though he like SpongeBob almost as much as Amelia.

The kids still adore him and are great helps with him, but even they have commented on his developing "twoness". Oh well, nothing lasts forever.