What he loves

Words -- Isaac is hungry for new words, so he wants you to tell him what everything is. He also likes to say -- or try to say -- words for himself. If he already knows what the word for something is, you better believe you'll hear it! Lately he's trying to add words beginning with P (pizza, pee, poop) and T (truck, tractor, tree) to his vocabulary. We had pizza last night, and Isaac was so eager to have some that he followed Craig around the kitchen chanting, "Pee-pee! Pee-pee!" That could cause some trouble later.

Books -- We must read 25 books a day, nearly always at his request. Partly it's because he wants to learn new words (Craig just got me a Richard Scarry word book for my birthday, and it's a big favorite) and look at pictures (witness the many books about vehicles). But he also seems to appreciate the stories themselves -- he usually responds appropriately to the differing moods of individual titles, be they sleepy or silly.

Vehicles -- It is no secret to readers of this blog that Isaac loves vehicles. He especially likes mail trucks, school buses, medium-size trucks (like large pickup trucks or small delivery trucks), and tractors. His favorite toys have wheels, but real-world wheels are good too. We walked over to the local elementary school this weekend, and instead of the playground equipment Isaac played with a little girl's tricycle, making engine noises with his lips. (Her parents were surprised -- I guess she had never done such a thing.)

Mama & Dad -- He is one snuggling, cuddling, tickling, hugging, kissing little boy. He loves to sit in our laps, play on the bed where he can climb on us, and have vigorous pony rides on our knees. He's fond of physical closeness -- if he's being carried, he almost never asks to be set down. Except when he wants to explore ...

Exploration -- Back and forth he goes, marching down the hall, going from room to room, visiting all the old favorites and searching for something new. Together we go from cupboard to drawer, tabletop to desktop, closet to bookshelf, household appliance to bathtub. Look, there's the clock! Wow, here's Mama's eyelash curler! Hey, let's turn the dials on the washing machine! Often items are picked up from one location, toted around for a bit, and then relocated. Lately there is climbing onto or into something -- couch, coffee table, toy box, bed, magazine rack.