Twenty-Eight Months of Toddler Frances

Frances and I really enjoyed her twenty-eight months birthday.  We played with friends in the morning and then in the afternoon went for a jog around Jamaica Plain Pond.  It was an uncharacteristically warm and wonderful day in Boston and I couldn't resist getting out.  

Frances at the beginning of the jog studying the local wildlife:

And Frances at three miles later:

You may resist napping in your crib, kiddo, but no tired two-year old can resist the snooze power of a jogging stroller.

Looking at last month's review, I realized it was a little negative, so this month I'm going for Positively Positive.  Here we go:

• Language: After hearing Frances babble in the background of our phone conversations, both a grandmother and an aunt have commented on the improvement in Frances's language.
• Learning:  She's less and less focused on counting, but it improves anyway.  Frances makes it all the way to 13 before starting over at five.  She frequently gets her colors right and she's doing great with identifying letters.  She has identified A, H, I, K, O, R, T, W, and X repeatedly and several other letters occasionally.  We are totally impressed, I must say.
• Favorite books: She's "reading" One Red Sun, by Ezra Jack Keats, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., and John Archambault, My Little Train, by Satomi Ichikawa, and The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper.
• Favorite game:  I've mentioned this in a previous post, but Frances loves to pretend to pick apples.  She'll find a bag and walk around the apartment filling it with apples for me to eat.  I really don't know why she's latched on to this, but I don't mind it at all and I can't wait to take her berry and apple picking in a few months.  Come on, picking season!
• Food wars:  She has added a new food to her repertoire: hard-boiled eggs.  I don't know why she deemed that acceptable, but I'm not complaining.  I've realized there is a plus to a kid with a small appetite: I never have to worry too much about feeding her.  A few crackers and she's happy.  Not that giving her a few crackers as a meal makes me a proud, satisfied mom, but I must admit it makes life easier.
• Sleep: Almost every day, Frances wakes up around 6:15, naps from 12:30 until 2, and is back down by 7.  And she's not hard to put down, either.  We read two books, sing four short songs and that's it.
• Firsts: Frances and daddy had their first day and a half alone while I took a little trip to Brooklyn!  Mark said Frances did really well except for a little hiccup around 3 a.m., but she recovered nicely.  I had a marvelous time going out to a grown-up restaurant (no chicken fingers in sight!) and talking to grown-ups (close enough) about important grown-up things (like Downton Abbey).  I don't know why I haven't been doing this on at least a semi-annual basis.  Mark may make his own friends in New York or some other far-flung place just so he can give it a try.  Highly recommend it.
• Obsessions: Still obsessed with names, ol' Frances.  We list family members, kids at the gym nursery and TV/movie characters over and over.  It's a funny little quirk that I'm hoping can be used to help her learn even more letters of the alphabet.

So there you have it, many positive things about Frances with only a dash of snarkiness thrown in for good measure.  That was so easy, I might try it again next month.