Favorite Things - 29 months

Right now, I think it'd probably be easier to list the things he *doesn't* like to do... which actually probably only includes one thing - brushing his teeth. The kid has so many toys thanks to his daddy's obsession to stock him up with every cool thrift store find.  Cars, trucks, games, puzzles, mega blocks (from a friend), Fisher Price Little People (both the vintage ones and the newer chunky ones whose playsets almost all require batteries and make obnoxious noises and songs), baseball cards and other trading cards, books, balls, Smurfs, superheros, miscellaneous character toys, plush toys, and so on.  I keep pointing out our lack of space and J's overabundance of playthings, but Daddy just can't help himself.  If we had more storage space, I'd box up about half of his toys and start a rotation schedule with them.  He plays with everything, though, and seems to rotate through them on his own.  I'd bet that he plays with about half of every kind of toy each day and then the other half the next day.  :P

His most recent acquisition is a Fisher Price Little People Racin' Ramps (I think it's called) parking garage.   He's had it for about a week now and plays with it several times every day for at least half an hour each time.  Another recent favorite is a puzzle map of the United States.  I originally picked it up intending to store it away for a few years, but J wanted it as soon as he saw it in the cart.  He leans over it and studies it - checking out the pictures, colors, and shapes.  He can actually do that one better than a simple 9-12 piece Playskool board puzzle.  I'm guessing that's because each state is an individual picture in itself rather than a separate part of a big picture.  He loves puzzles and still works on some of the more "age appropriate" ones almost every day, but he LOVES the U.S. puzzle.  I'll have to look into finding a world map puzzle next.  :)

Sensory bins are still fun - mostly water but rice, ooblek, and various beans and baubles, too.  We found a water table at a yard sale last year, and he loves bringing different toys outside to play with in there.  I try to save that for warmer days to keep it a little more "special" so he'll enjoy it more and for longer, but it's nice for beautiful days, too.  So relaxing to just stand around in the shade dumping water back and forth from one cup or toy to another.  He has a play kitchen with a removable sink, so he'll ask to have water in there sometimes, too.  Sensory "bins" have been great to occupy him while I'm trying to cook or wash dishes.  Sometimes, if I pull out one that he hasn't played with for a while, he'll spend a good thirty minutes with it. Other times, though, he just wants Mommy's undivided attention - no matter what he's playing with at the moment.

It's so cute to watch him play - imagining, making his little noises, singing parts of his favorite songs, imitating bits and pieces of his interactions with us and others.  Sometimes he asks us (or PULLS us!) into his room just to stand there while he plays.  Other times, he seems to get self-conscious when he catches me peeking around a corner watching and listening to him.  "No, Mommy, noooo!  Go 'way, Mommy!"  His soft little mousey voice growing into a squeaky shriek.  He's just now nearing two-and-a-half... and I'm already feeling sad thinking that one day his voice is going to change.