A mind of ones own

As Judah gets further into toddlerhood, his drive for independence gets stronger and stronger. I still here plenty of "Mommy Mommy!!" Often followed by curling up on the floor and saying "hugs!" or "lovin'!" (that's a word he picked up from me - hilarious). But he's getting more and more interested in, and adept at, controlling his world. He likes to direct people - "Gampa sit!" or "Mommy do!" Just last night he said, "Mommy, music too loud. Turn down."

The funny thing is how conflicted he seems to be about his independence. The other day he was playing with the coffee maker in the kitchen while I was in the living room folding laundry. He practically made himself dizzy running back and forth - he wanted to play with the coffee machine, but he also really wanted to be with me. So he ran back and forth saying "Mommy!" if he was in the kitchen and "coffee!" if he was in the living room. Eventually, he figured out how to have it all and he said emphatically (as he says most things), "Mommy kitchen!!" and took me by the hand and led me to the kitchen, where I was expected to sit on the floor and keep him company while he played.

Speaking of his independence, here are a couple of videos we took on a recent trip to the park. He was very into the slide that day, and you can really see his willfulness shining through. He definitely does things his own way. Make sure you turn the volume up.