Hopper has made some serious strides in the last few weeks. He's talking non-stop in full sentences and started using past tense. He likes to crack little jokes and of course has finally figured out that when you say please really sweetly he will most likely get what he wants. He's even been more assertive at the creche and has impressed the carers with his new found "almost naughty" behavior. They said it's been great to see him come out of his shy shell.
He's also started showing insights, like the other day we went to the library by tram. There was a man, probably in his 20's, sitting in a seat with headphones. Hopper looked at him and said to me, "Mama, that's a man." He paused, inspected him a bit further, and said, "He's a big boy man." He could see he was a grown up but still youthful in his hip way, and in his mind a young man is a big boy man. God these little things make me smooch him all day.
It's also been a lesson for us to realize that setting hard limits, on things like sitting at the table for dinner, really does work. He's such a resilient little dude, often accepting unwanted things without too much drama. But we're starting to see how the whole terrible-2 thing plays out so I find myself explaining things to him and trying not to feel sorry for him and his obvious disappointments. It's tough to find the line between doing what's right and giving in a little. They need to win some battles... don't they?
These days he loves playing restaurant, trains and reading books, and his new found passion finger painting. He's still into his cars, but the train takes first place. And if you ask him where it's going, he always says Japan!
Here's a series of portraits I took between Christmas and New Years.
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