"Why oh Why" and "Mama Mama Mama"

Ahhh, where should I begin? Well with the children of course! Both kids are as amazing as ever (if I do say so myself). Dakota is starting to introduce herself to everyone we come in contact with. She is very serious about it too, pronouncing her name very carefully. Unfortunately most people still don’t understand her unless they have an ear for kid. Today she even added her last name and I was very impressed. She is also entering the world of “Why”. Why can’t I have candy, why do you have to go to work, why do I have to sleep, why can’t I go outside, why why why! I am trying so hard to remain patient but sometimes the good old standby of BECAUSE I SAID SO gets pulled out of the old mommy hat from time to time, I know all my friends who have been in the why stage understand all too well. In some ways it is amazing to see her exploring her world in a whole new way, in other ways it’s my own little personal hell to hear one more question that starts with why. At the same time I’m trying to understand Dalton’s language. I read to him daily and I’m constantly naming everything in the hopes that he will begin speaking more clearly. He has mastered Mama and Mom though and I hear that more times than I can count in a day. He will walk up to me and announce MAMA at every opportunity. When he wakes up I hear him calling me, alternating between Mama and Mom until I come in and get him. Who knew the word mom could be said in so many tones to convey so many thoughts. He does have one phrase that Graeme and I are always trying to figure out. We are constantly debating the meaning of this little sound. I cannot even begin to convey it here in writing but we think it’s all done/get down/give me help/look at this. Like I said, we are still trying to figure it out. He walked up to us the other day and “talked” to us in length about something…still not sure, we are guessing he was telling us how we could better his life by allowing him to have more juice, or maybe by sending his sister away so he could have all the attention. It sure will be nice when he can communicate more clearly though. He wants to use the little potty so bad and is always trying to pull his pants down, even when he’s wearing a onesie. I do let him sit on the potty and he has proudly peed in the potty three times now. I tell him all the time that if he wants to get potty trained he has to be able to say the word first. I don’t think he believes me though. I’m hoping his enthusiasm for the potty will continue as he learns to talk, maybe potty training will be a snap with this one.  Here’s hoping to less question beginning the why from Dakota and more words spoken from Dalton…hmmmm funny how that works, I really want one to start talking and the other to stop (not really though, I love her and all her whys).