yes, please

cohen's language is starting to pick up. so much so, that if you were to meet him today for the first time you probably wouldn't say, "don't you talk? come on, say something!" (yes people really did). i am liking the talking. i am finally starting to get what all the fuss was about kids and the darnedest things they say. i have also come to the conclusion that the two year old needs the cute saying repertoire to balance out the unruly tantrums, without the cute quip it is just a tantrum, and no one wants that, especially me (enough with the tantrums, please?).

don't get me wrong, he isn't precocious or anything. i am still waiting for the uncensored truth spoken in line at the grocery store or the unending questions about the state of the world. these days the thing that makes me laugh the most is his use of "no, thank you".

a few weeks ago we were in fort langley with baka, and as we always do when there, we were checking out the old timey locomotive they have on display. it was freezing cold that day and once i could no longer feel my pinkey finger i announced that it was time to move on. of course he wasn't super impressed with that and threw himself onto the grass and started wailing like a tortured cat. thankfully this type of display is becoming less and less frequent, but it is nothing new, what was new was that in between wails he was yelling "no, thank you!, no, thank you!". polite in his fury, i taught him well.

the other day i was tickling him, he was in stitches on the bed, rolling and trying to push my hand away he managed to gasp out "no, thank you!" between giggles. don't worry, i stopped right away. after i endured several ticklings as a child i swore i would never do it to anyone myself, but that laugh is too cute, and let's admit it, it's fun. the problem was never in the tickling, it was in not knowing when to stop. i know when.

the best though was when my somewhat judgmental christian neighbour came over to ask me a question. cohen came running over as i opened the door, he was only wearing a diaper below the belt (not all that uncommon around here after nap time...or anytime really), and as a result she felt compelled to ask "where are your pants cohen?" while looking me dead in the eye letting me know that she was on to me. cohen didn't even skip a beat and answered with "no, thank you" and skipped off down the hall. it's good to know he has my back.

in other news i am going through that change of season i'm so depressed i only feel like eating and watching tv all day thing. it seems to happen to me no matter the season. motivation. so. hard. i have made it out of the house every day this week, but i can't do it today, i just can't. i know that the temperature is very likely in the double digits out there and that there is not a cloud in the sky, but it will have to wait for me. today i am sipping tea and letting the kids play amongst themselves. some days are just like that.