Nuggety Goodness

I think it's easy to dwell on the unpleasantness that's associated with the toddler years.  Tantrums, violence, dictator-like demands, voices that have no volume control....

So here's a list of pure Nuggety-goodness to offset my complaints:

-While enjoying an evening snack, the Nugget smiled at Daddy and gave him a hearty pat on the back.

-The Nugget has not figured out the art of pedaling his tricycle but enjoys being pushed (it has a spiffy handle for an adult to push) and nodding to his fellow cyclists.  

-The Nugget usually needs a 5 minute snack break during his 45 minute Kindermusik class.  I indulge him because he is easily overwhelmed by the formal class setting, especially when there is a lot of lap-sitting activity, and the breaks help center him.  He started by taking 4 of these breaks each class, and now after 2 months, he is down to just 1 in the middle of class.  Today, he asked for his break several times before I gave in...he ran out to the couch, delicately munched a single goldfish cracker, then signed, "All done," and raced back to class for more fun!

-Many days, the Nugget wakes up in a happy mood, and I can hear him yammering through the monitor.  It goes like this, "Ah-boooo.  Dizzz yeah.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Ooooo.    Oh deedeedee." 

-The Nugget is trying to say his own name.  He can't quite pronounce it yet.

-The Nugget is fascinated with hair, and likes to pet people's heads.

-The Nugget knows many signs now.  If he sees an object he knows the sign for, he will drop what he's doing and sign it.  One of his funniest flubs is that he knows the sign for gorilla and will sign it if he sees any sort of non-human primate or if we say gorilla.  He will also sign gorilla if we say umbrella or if he sees an umbrella.  It's the -ella/-illa thing that messes him up, but I crack up every time he proudly points to an umbrella and beats his chest!

-While at Fazoli's last night, he noted the ceiling fans were turned off.   He asked me to turn them on, but I explained I couldn't.  Instead of continuing to fuss, he then walked boldly over to the family eating at the next table and signed for them to "Please" turn the fans on with his biggest smile!