Growing independence

Look at this little guy, he's starting look less and less like a baby and more like... a little boy! Can you tell he got a little bang trim? Yeah we didn't want to do it but those frontal locks were getting in his eyes all the time so i just gave him a little snip in the front, don't worry the golden side curls were left untouched!!

Lately Elliot wants to do all sorts of things on his own, like playing the piano. He uses a small instrument case as a step-ladder and man, does he get into it! He sways and bops his head to the rhythm and he really gets groovin'. In case you haven't seen this phenomenon yet, he also LOVES to dance, he'll easily dance to music that you put on, that's a given. But he also dances to his musical toys, rap music we hear from a passing car on the street, a musical cell phone ring,  background music in a movie, I mean any sort of music at all will get him shaking his little hips and moving to the beat. He's his father's son that one :)

Another thing he likes to do on his own is walking, he's not much of a hand-holder and sometimes when we try to hold his hand (to try to coax him into moving in one particular direction instead of standing in place and poking at ancient gum stains on the concrete), he'll whip his hand away all annoyed like he's NOT a baby anymore!
Actually, pointing at things has also become a favorite activity. He's not quite speaking yet although there have definitely been times where we could have sworn he said a real word but I suppose we're not counting those until he can either repeat it or say it clearly enough so that there is no doubt whatsoever. Aside from mama and papa, I'm pretty sure he has said Isis (the cat), tootsies, hello, yum, and some other random words.

We had fun in the park on Labor Day, and as Josh confirmed, going to the park with Elliot is basically an endless chase in circles and keeping up with the owners of the toys he attempts to steal. I'm happy to say, however, that most of the other children are very generous sharers and it boggles my mind how they understand that he's a baby and that this means that he is forgiven from abiding by the rules of their social behavior when it comes to playing and the ownership of toys. I mean, 3 or 4 year old's will say 'it's ok, he's a baby' and will give him their toys while they do not allow the same courtesy to other children their own age. This is truly fascinating! Elliot himself has no concept of sharing or ownership whatsoever at this point, he sees big shiny ball, he must have big shiny ball, and will walk right up to another kid and blatantly and shamelessly take it right from their pudgy little hands. Oh the cuteness!