The Tadpole

Does this Buddy Snickerdoodle look at all like a tadpole to you?

Well, how about this one?

Look closely ... look at the swim trunks and the matching waterproof sandals (and the miniature, neon slinky in his hands). A total tadpole. And then when we took him to the pool (just after that picture was taken), and B got in and said, "C'mon Bud," he just totally DOVE into the water. As in DIVED into the water. You know, a dive: plunging head first. (Side note: I just looked up "dive" in the dictionary, and the past tense can be either "dove" or "dived." Who knew?)

We laughed and laughed because we have always suspected he would be a fish. But a tadpole? Even better.

I am so tired that I don't think I can write paragraphs, so here's a list of new things he can do:

• sign language! Finally ... after nearly an entire year of trying to get him make signs, he's signing lots of things now ... more, please, finished, milk, eat, help, alligator ... I love sign language ... it's so ... QUIET.
• dive
• climb on top of the toilet and reach over for my toothbrush
• PEE PEE in the potty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not even kidding. Disclaimer: First he peed on the carpet and then I scooped him up and ran into the bathroom squealing, "PEE PEE IN THE POTTY PEE PEE IN THE POTTY!" and because I couldn't get him positioned right to sit down on it, I just stood him up on top of it and he peed all over the lid ... and a lot of it ran down into the potty! That counts. It totally counts!
• put the key in the ignition and turn on the car, put in a CD, turn up the volume, choose a song he likes, turn the lights on and off (see pictures in my Flickr photostream), dig out the cell phone, turn it on, call Thailand, wash the windshield even when it's REALLY clean because he's been washing it for 30 minutes while Mama paints her toenails on the dashboard of the passenger side, turn on the hazard lights, drop the keys, sign "please" for Mama to pick up the keys, not sign "thank you" even though Mama has been trying and trying to get him to, scream bloody murder when it's time to go inside because Mama is afraid that a wasp may fly into the car with us.
• lie down in the floor and throw a tantrum for just about any number of bizarre reasons ... shoe preferences (boots over sandals, mom's over his, dad's over mom's), prohibition of LOTS of household items (like steak knives), Mama's inclination NOT to let him eat chicken bouillon cubes (even though he got about 1/8 of one before I could stop him).
• new dance moves: spinning, walking backwards, butterflying
• word of the week: In answer to the question, "Who am I" (when asked by Mama), he says, "Mahnah." YES! A drastic improvement over the past few weeks, when the answer to that question was, "Dah-dah."
• saying "NO" to everything by shaking his head. Everything.

ION ...

Today: He finally went for his 18-month checkup ... he and The Dad went solo and had a smashing time. No shots. 25 pounds. They can't remember how long he is but MOST IMPORTANTLY, he got a Spiderman sticker.

Next week: Mama goes for her final evaluation before laser eye surgery.

Right now: You should check out the other photos. I'm going upstairs to collapse.