Toddlers, man

I think Cooper has transitioned to preschooler from toddler since, you know, he goes to preschool and generally pees in the potty and walks places on his own about 99% of the time and can reliably do small tasks like go find his mittens and throw away his own gum wrappers.  I mean, he chews gum.

Luckily, though, Dorothy is still a toddler.  She has been a toddler since she was 10 months old and started toddling. I am glad, too, because I LOVE toddlers.  I love how dignified they are with their eating like people and wearing clothes like people and trying to do things for themselves like people.  But I also love how totally and completely incompetent they are at doing all of those things.

Dorothy is particularly lovable because she is so serious and grumpy.  She said no to everything instinctively and then she crosses her little arms and takes time to consider.  Then, and only then, do we sometimes get a yesh or a whole-body nod.  Except stuff she's not supposed to be doing-- she loves doing that and if you ask her if she wants to do it, she will always say yes.  She was really clingy and didn't want me to put her down the other day before I went to work, but I had to go get dressed.  I didn't want her to scream for Ben, so I tried to engage her in an activity.  Did she want to sit at the table and color?  No, huh-uh.  Did she want to sit on the couch and watch Curious George?  No, huh-uh./  Did she want to thrown a ball for the dog?  No, huh-uh.  Did she want to go in Cooper's room and dump out his sock drawer and then pull the drawer out, turn it upside down, and jump off of it?  Yesh. Yesh she did, and she stomped right off to do it.

Here are some of my favorite recent shots of her toddlerness in all its mulleted glory.
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