Leo is nearly 3...

I really need to have a piece of paper and pen handy because Leo keeps saying things that crack me up, then I get to the evening and think, "now what was it I was going to put on his blog?"

Big boy's bed
He finally climbed out of his cot last week so we have taken the side off to make it into a toddler bed, which he absolutely loves. The first night he got up about 5 times before going to sleep but he's pretty much used to it now. The best thing about the new arrangement is that we can snuggle on his bed together for stories, which we used to do on the floor, and it's much more comfy this way!

Thomas the Tank
...is still the numero uno. We've got quite a few of the older-style Thomas books and he keeps coming out with verbatim phrases from the stories like "Bust my buffers!" or odder ones ( "My fitter comes every week," "I'll be a Ding Dang Dong"). Yesterday I was refereeing an incident where Angharad was clearly the injured party but I hadn't seen what happened. Leo was banished to the naughty cushion and when he came off, I asked him why he was there and he told me solemnly "I said to Angharad, 'All Engines Stop and Pin Down Brakes' then I hit her with my head." He also narrates Thomas-inspired storylines when playing with his train set, murmuring to himself "'Oh dear,' peeped Thomas" or "'Oh Oh OH' screamed the trucks."

Trainspotter
He's a walking talking living map of the Melbourne metropolitan train network, he knows our regular stations and the order they come in, and will announce which station is coming next, or tell other people on the train things like, "We're going to Southern Cross. We're not getting off at Melbourne Central today." (Which obviously the other passengers think is very cute). He likes to point out directions, "Daddy goes to work THAT way. Our house is THAT way."

Verbose
He has become aware that using new words or phrases is a sure-fire way to impress us. So he'll say something like, "Oh sorry mummy that was an accident" (after brushing past me on his scooter). I say 'that's OK darling' and carry on with what I was doing - clearly not the reaction he was hoping for: "Mummy, I did say 'accident'!" Or "Mmmm this is delicious. I did say 'delicious!'"

Pants
He's got some pants which he'll wear from time-to-time when in the mood (with the odd wet trousers and he asks for a nappy on when he needs a poo), but most of the time he isn't really interested in potty training, in fact is quite anti, so I'm not pushing it. It'll happen eventually.

Threenager
Can be a stroppy, unco-operative thug at times, and I'm learning to walk away and take a deep breath if I feel like I am going to put him on eBay. A few times I have yelled at him and then felt so guilty. C'est la vie. Luckily I have honest friends so on those days that I think I am raising a devil-child someone always has a similar story to make me feel better! He's also getting more cuddly (perhaps Angharad's influence) and his gorgeous moments far outnumber the irritating ones, and make the memory disappear in an instant. Which reminds me of what he said this morning. I had a new jumper on with a big cowl neck, and when I walked into the room he stared at it and reached out to touch the big soft neck. "Do you like my new jumper?" I said. "Yes Mummy, it's beautiful." (Pronounced Boo-ful). Angharad was also sporting a new outfit today and he said, unprompted "Angharad is very smart." Gorgeous boy.