He usually watches it once a day with Sofia in my room while I take a shower. I've discovered it to be a very effective de-mobilizer and babysitter. I can count on them staying put the whole hour, giving me time to shower, get dressed, dry my hair and put make up on without being in a hurry or being disturbed in the shower every five minutes. Marcelo is mesmerized by each segment. He likes to watch it while clutching on to his little blanky. I tried watching it myself to see what was so great about it, but it didn't have the same effect on me -I just found it boring, annoying, and boring.
Marcelo also enjoys still throwing things on the floor, I think he knows it's slowly killing me; drinking his rice milk from his favorite straw cup; running around like a drunken midget; being picky and demanding what food he chooses to eat each day; tormenting Sofia by occasionally stomping on her head while she's laying down on the floor quietly watching TV; repeating everything anyone has to say in an interested, matter-of-fact, and curious way; and still being cute and adorable.
Recently, he has really uped his gamed in the terrible-ness department, though. He has become even more picky with food, only wanting to drink rice milk and eat wheat bread all day. And when I say all day, I mean all day. There must be a continuous influx of rice milk coming to him otherwise the shrill shrieking of "milky" begins. Trips to the time out couch have been more frequent lately and I suspect it will be necessary to make them even more frequently to keep his terrible-ness at bay.
Oh, I may have also forgotten to mention, he has committed his first toddler felony, assault with a hurtful weapon -his teeth. One day that he and Sofia were not seeing eye to eye, he decided to lunge at her face and bite her in the cheek. Luckily for him, Sofia was so shocked, she didn't retaliate and came crying to me instead. I felt really bad for her and I have to admit, for a second I had this feeling that I was glad it didn't happen to me because it looked like it hurt a lot. I could see the imprint of all his top and bottom teeth in a perfect circular pattern. This definitely sent up a red flag, hopefully it doesn't become a constant occurrence. He did try to attack me at Old Navy the other day when I had to chase him down and told him he had to go back in the stroller because he kept running off in the store not listening at all. As I tried to wrangle his squirming body, he lunged at my face, his teeth made contact with my cheek (apparently this is the target of choice), but luckily I held him back just in time to avoid the chomp. It was scary, I felt like I was holding a giant piranha. Not cute Marcelo, not cute at all.
On the more positive side (and potentially not good for me side), Marcelo and Sofia enjoy playing with each other more and more as he gets older. Most of the time Marcelo follows Sofia around trying to mimic what ever it is she's doing. But lately, I've caught glimpses of them playing together, pretending games, like kitchen or doctor, or building things with blocks together not just side by side. Having conversations and cooperating to make something happen. It's really nice to see them having that brotherly/sisterly rapport. I just hope this doesn't develop into conspiring to create fires in the closet when they get older.
Now that Sofia has started school again, Marcelo gets a little bit sad when we drop her off. It’s right as we start to drive away that he does a little puppy cry.
