Funny Finny

Oh Finny. Finn, Finn, Finny. This kid is such a handful, and such a boy. I'm learning there IS a difference where gender is concerned. He makes engine noises when he plays with cars, or when we're driving. He pretty much only chooses toys to play with that are either specifically for boys or gender neutral.

He loves to be read to. Countless times a day he shows up at your feet saying, "Book, up, book, up." If you try and put him off, he just gets more insistent. That boy wants to read!

He also talks like crazy, but we can't get him to say much for the camera. He won't say things on demand very often. My favorite phrase right now is when he says, "Morning!". Who wouldn't feel cheerful to hear that upon waking? Another favorite is, if you say Ready, Set, he'll always shout "Go!" Especially if there's some sort of ride involved.

He's a bit of a daredevil too. I heard Rory calling for me yesterday, but didn't immediately go see what she needed as it didn't sound urgent and I was in the middle of something. When she didn't stop yelling for me, I figured I better go see, and it's a good thing I did. My not-even-17-month-old had climbed the bunk bed ladder and was up on the top bunk! I watched him do it later, just to see how he manages it. It's quite impressive given the fact that he's literally holding his own body weight as he makes his way up the rungs. He also climbs the ladder at the playground, turns around at the top, and slides down, all without any help.

He can get kind of feisty sometimes, and will throw a tantrum if he doesn't like an answer you give him. I've already had to give him a few time outs, which puts him as the earliest disciplined of all my children. Not sure that bodes well. Thankfully all I have to do now is suggest a time out and he'll do what he's supposed to.

Pouting

He's one smart little dude too. After I change him, I'll hand him his diaper and tell him to put it in the garbage, and he heads straight there and dumps it in. Then I'll hand him his dirty clothes and tell him to put them in the hamper, and he'll carefully place them in so no pant-legs or sleeves are dangling out. But if it's something he doesn't want to do, he'll disappear as fast as he can. Like nap time. Or the doctors office.

Hiding

And here's a random fact about Finny. He's super friendly with boys, but doesn't like to be around girls. Adults I mean. He loves kids of both genders, but he prefers the company of men, and is buds with Grandpa and all his uncles. I'm pretty much the only woman he'll give the time of day. Hopefully that changes at some point.

He's a silly kid, and loves to get in the thick of things with his sisters. He'll tackle them, hug them, chase them, and roll around on the floor with them.

One day when Maisie was giving me a foot massage, Finny saw and came over to help :).

Seriously, how adorable is that?

And this next picture is just because he looks ridiculously cute.

I think he's ready for his Christmas Carol audition

Despite his knack for creating impressively sized messes in impressively small amounts of time, and his ability to make you hate the simplest of children's books by demanding they be read an inordinate amount of times, having this little boy around our house has been an unqualified joy. And I'm fairly certain that once he qualifies to go to nursery, it will become even more so.