Daddy, Mommy

Just this week, Joshua has started to call me and Annette: "daddy" and "mommy", instead of "dadda" and "momma".

The street performer we always see in the train station playing guitar and singing has inspired Joshua to set up a microphone, his drums, and his guitar at home to perform for money. He puts a little money box in front of his performance area and pauses in between songs to ask for donations. I think he's almost ready for the Red Line.

Brushing Teeth

Getting Joshua to brush his teeth was our most challenging parenting task for the longest time. Annette had a brilliant idea to make a toothbrushing poster, on which Joshua could put gold stars each time he successfully brushed his teeth (or let us brush it for him). And it worked. Tonite after dinner, he even pleaded with us to brush his teeth. Amazing.

I think it also helped that I gave him a choice of brushing the "hard way", aka, I hold him down and forcefully brush his teeth, or he can do it the "easy way"--by himself. He likes now to pretend to brush his stuffed monkey's teeth the "hard way."

I'm dancing for food!

Often when Joshua is eating, even if there is no music, he'll start wiggling his body in his chair and bob his head in complete joy. He explains, "I'm dancing for food!" He really likes to eat. He really likes to sing.

I took him to the MFA this week, and afterwards when Annette asked him what he saw, he said, "Paintings." When asked what did he see paintings of, Joshua said, "Naked guys." I guess there are a lot of nude sculptures and paintings at the museum.

Joshua enjoys sharing food with his mom. He'll offer her his food at dinner: "Momma have some?"

He also surprised me the other day when upon seeing Annette after she got home from work, he asked her, "Momma have a good class?"

He's been quite good at telling us no politely when we offer him drinks or food: "No thank you." And also when we ask him a question that starts off with a "why", he respond, "Because......"

He explains the extent of his knowledge base rather well: "I didn't know" or "I wonder...."

He remembers things that happened a few weeks ago, like the flavor of a cake: "chocolate with kiwi, strawberries, and peach" and picks of the names of people in the building faster than I can--like the names of our front deskworkers, the dry cleaning lady, and other residents.

Vietnamese snake

Annette brought back from her trips to Saigon, a homemade snake-on-a-stick, fashioned from a spool, rubber bands, paper and a stick. Sometimes, he gets scared of the snake, and reminds himself, "It's just paper."

Valentine's Day

Joshua making Valentine's Day card with momma.

He was really excited this week when he learned to catch and kick a football.

Josh gives pretend names to people, like Tina, who comes to our dorm to collect the dry cleaning on Fridays. He also calls her "Linda" and then says it's her "pretend name".

He told us the other day when we asked him what he does at church Sunday school, "No kicking, no pushing."

We were playing on the drumset in the music room downstairs this week, when he suddenly interupted his set to say, "Let's kedo (pray). Thank you God for drums and cymbals, Amen!"

Firetruck bed

Annette found a firetruck toddler bed on craigslist, which Joshua loves. His babysitter was starting to have shoulder problems carrying Joshua into his regular crib.

Vegetable Pizza

Joshua making his first pizza.
He loves to put zucchini and squash on his pizza.