Big ol' bully

Nothing much has happened over the past week, except . . . Jayden has figured out how to sleep in his bed without a front rail, more or less, and we got furniture for our backyard.

The former is good for our mental health and the latter is good for everyone.  In the backyard, Jayden has already claimed everything as "my chair."  So apparently Carmen and I will be sitting in our old lame black metal chairs and Jayden will be rotating between the two chairs, the two chaises and the loveseat.  Oh and the two stools.  We're ready for a party, so now someone just needs to plan it and invite some people!

Seriousness next to Mama in the loveseat before dinner.  

Relaxing in the lounge chair.  

It turns out Jayden has some bully-ish tendencies.  Today when I picked Jayden up Juju asked me how he was with other kids.  To be honest, he's really only been around other kids a couple of times outside of daycare, besides at swim lessons.  But both times he has been fine, no bullying or anything.  Well, Juju told me they've had to put him in time out a couple times for grabbing kids by their shirts and today they had to put him in time out because he was hitting other kids in the head with his cars.  I almost laughed, but it's really not funny.  It's apparently primarily when Jayden and another boy play together.  They are closest in age - the other boy is about four months older, although Jayden is bigger than him - and I'm guessing they push each others' buttons.  Juju says Jayden and another boy, who is a little older, almost 3, I think, can play together for hours without supervision.

As far as the sleeping, we haven't quite gotten him to fall asleep without us being there, but we can be at the edge of his room or even outside of it and he's okay.  And eventually we can get away, it just takes longer than it used to take.  And the last two days he's woken up quite early, at 5:45 and 5:15 am, respectively. Today at least he went back to sleep for a bit (with Carmen laying on the floor next to him) but then was up for good at 6:15 am.

He is talking a lot.  I need to post a video, but usually when I try to start recording him he clams up.  I'll keep trying this weekend to surreptitiously capture him.  He repeats almost everything we say and he says "oh-kay" in the cutest way ever.

We have swimming tomorrow, but Ms. Stacy is out so we have a new teacher.  I'm guessing Jayden will revolt quite strongly, but we'll see.  It could be fun.  I've got all kinds of preparations to do for our trip to NYC, for my mom's visit here and for the house cleaning Monday morning.  Not to mention I have two big cases at work that have major deadlines next Tuesday and Wednesday.  Nothing like going out with a bang, I guess!

Also, this:

I took this tonight just before bathtime.  He wanted to wear his hat on the potty, and you can't say no to that face, at least not about something as simple as that.  He'll hate me for this when he's older, but I can't not post it.  It's just too funny.