Almost Three

This face pretty much says it all. Almost three is a tough age and I am not sure three will be much easier. Oliver has definitely blossomed into a full-fledged toddler at this point. He is, at times, opinionated, defiant, and sassy. Although sometimes difficult to deal with, he is becoming his own person and he certainly isn't lacking in the personality department.

He completed the summer reading program offered through the public library.

His language and reasoning skills are growing in leaps and bounds. He is starting to use proper tenses and person pronouns, saying things like, "I want to do it," rather than "me do it." He still pronounces some things in a toddlerish way, but then pronounces things like brachiosaurus, without issue. Some of our favorite things that he says are: surprise (kur-prize); soy latte; triceratops (ceratops). He also still drops the "s" at the beginning of words where the "s" is followed by a consonant, i.e. snow or stop. He loves to read books, is starting to recognize letters more, and loves to count things. Every time we are in the car, he is counting the bikes, cars, and trucks that he sees.

In addition to his verbal skills, he has become much more physically adept. He has always been, and continues to be, a little more reserved when it comes to physical things. He doesn't just go for it. It takes him some time to warm up to things he doesn't initially feel comfortable with, which is fine by me. He has really started to like riding his strider (no pedals) bike. We recently acquired a vintage style radioflyer tricycle from our neighbor's curbside free pile (score!), so he is starting to work on his pedaling skills too. He also loves to climb and jump off things. Unfortunately, this includes things like our couch and dining room table. He is also really getting into sports. This comes as no surprise, considering who is father is. He likes to kick the soccer ball and play tee ball with Mylo in the yard.

Riding his bike.

"Flying" with Dad.

Playing baseball in the backyard.

Ollie is also all about playing pretend these days. He likes to cook us meals in his little kitchen. He also likes to "doctor" us with his doctor kit. He has started making his cars, dinos, and animals talk to each other, which is hilarious. He was playing and saying, "Mom, mom," so I naturally replied, "Yes, Ollie." To which he replied with an annoyed voice, "No, he is talking to HIS mom." Well, excuse me.

Chef Ollie

Ollie has remained true to his two loves: dinos and all things transportation (trains, planes, automobiles, trucks, tractors, diggers, etc.) We have all learned the names of many dinosaurs (Yes, there are many, many more than the classic Stegosaurus, Triceratops, and T-Rex) and all kinds of heavy equipment. He also likes to search for bugs in the yard, collect rocks/shells/sticks from our walks (he now has a large jar in is room to put his "collections" in), and make his brother laugh. He likes to tell me, "Mom, I will keep one eye on Henry," when I am trying to get things done.

Ollie and his beloved "ceratops" from Cannon Beach.

Tantrums aside, it is really fun to be getting to the age where we can have fun experiences as a family, like going to the fair. Ollie loved seeing all the animals and going on his first real rides. We are headed to a Mariners baseball game this weekend and he is pretty excited about it. He is starting to grow out of his precious Mariners hat, so we might have to find a new one for him, that is, if we can get him to relinquish the current one. We are looking forward to taking him downhill skiing this winter and taking more indoor swim lessons (where we don't have to get in the pool - yay!).

Eating treats at the Fair.

First Fair Rides.

Ollie started pre-school this week (more on that later), which he loves. He has also started skipping naps every third or fourth day, which I don't love. He will still stay in his room, where he reads books and plays on his bed, so it isn't the end of the world, yet. In a lot of ways, Oliver is becoming a lot of fun as he approaches three. He is becoming more independent (using the potty by himself, dressing himself), is capable of full (and hilarious) conversations, and has a downright fantastic sense of humor. Of course, the exact same qualities that make him so much fun to be around, also make for some difficult power struggles, as well as complete and utter breakdowns. I guess it can't all be sunshine and daisies.