Lightening Speed

I can't keep up with the changes this week. We're in Blind River visiting my parents while daddy is in Costa Rica and he's missing so much. Rowan has rocketed into true toddlerhood, butting heads with mommy along the way. Here's what has transpired since last Saturday:

• During lunch Rowan exclaims: "NO NAP!". No matter how much he tries to wiggle out of being put down for a bit he doesn't win because mommy plays hard ball where sleep is concerned. But, you can't blame him for trying when he is having so much fun. He still loves to sleep though just in case you think I am being unreasonable. I know this because when I lay him down with Pinkies and his bubba and I say "sleep tight my beauty" he replies: "yeah!" and immediately inserts his thumb and closes his eyes.
• He counts. Yes, he has been counting to 3 for quite some time. Probably 6 months or so. But last night I heard him filling in the numbers up to 10 with my mother. I almost fell over. He can clearly say seven and ten at exactly the right place. 
• He draws links between things he really shouldn't grasp at this age. Or so I think. For example, last night my mother was twirling a red key on her finger and he yelled: "apicopter!!".  He has seen a helicopter on the ground exactly once. But that was apparently long enough for him to understand the blade action and recognize how it is similar to the motion of the key on my mom's index finger.  Another example of his genius: I asked my mother what time it was. He ran over to her and pointed at his wrist and said "clock.". We both just about fainted.
• He consistently strings words together into sentences. Some of it doesn't make much sense to us, but it definitely makes sense to him. The words we do understand are getting clearer and clearer every day. In fact, I think a lot of people could carry on a conversation with him now without us always interpreting.
• He decided to sit on the potty this morning and remove his diaper. He proceeded to get a wipe and clean himself up. He also had my mother clean his bum as he bent over in the bridge position. The bridge position was demonstrated to me one time as I witnessed Amanda changing Evan's bum at day care. Rowan must be mimicking him because after he wiped his own bum he said Evan's name and then "Boober.". Which I took to mean that he is done with diapers and wants to be a big boy like Evan now.
• We fight. I should say, he fights me. Every step of the way he asserts himself and doesn't react well when he doesn't get his way. Remember that post about not being spoiled? Well, it's pretty clear to me now that our days of giving in to him are over. There are lines to be drawn and guns to stick to and that's what good parenting is all about even if it does mean a few tears from him (and from me too). 
• He helps him self to food. And if you don't pay attention to him when he asks for something he'll eat through the plastic bag that conceals what he wants.
• He understands the concept of "turn". He actually gives us our turn when we are doing things together. For instance, he would dip his cracker in hummus and then tell grampa that it was his turn when we were at the beach the other day. This went on and on.
• He has been getting in a little bit of trouble for grabbing things from baby Bronson and when it happens, I make him apologize. I didn't know if he truly understood what I was upset about but he does. Yesterday when he got a time-out for grabbing a toy and then swinging it at his brother I asked him if he understood why he was in trouble. His answer: "grabbed. sorry".  So yes, he appreciates when he is supposed to apologize as well and he will do it without being prompted most of the time.
• He is incredibly polite for a 2 year old always asking "please" and saying "thank-you". He is better at thank-you than please though.
• He screams during his bath and refuses to shower with me here. He told me last night as we were done the bath that he is scared of the bathtub. I always presumed he was afraid, but he has confirmed this assumption. I really wonder what has happened to make him as terrified as he is.
• I am amazed at his memory and how because his vocabulary has expanded he is able to tell us things about past events that he is thinking about.
• He tattles. Mostly on gramma who has had to grab something from him to protect him from danger (like a squirt bottle full of household cleaner). Because of his new found appreciation for why grabbing is wrong he thinks that gramma should get a time-out. I can tell. He hasn't quite figured out the slight nuance between grabbing out of greed or want and grabbing so that your grandchild doesn't get a chemical burn.

He is a fantastic child and quite the smarty-pants. His grandma and grandpa and Aunties are going to flip when they see him next time. It's remarkable that a child's development can move at lightening speed like this.