whoastones : by amy

Logan's been on a roll with "whoastones" since Friday.  What are "whoastones"?  They're what I call not-really-official-milestones (like crawling or walking), but they make me say "Whoa, you can do that?"  They are often not a big deal, but as the parent, they make you smile (or crack up) and realize how much your little baby/toddler is changing and learning.  They're the things you tell other friends and the response you get is, "oh, that's...nice."  I think "whoastones" occur more with first-time moms-- they probably lose their effect on the latter children.  Here are a few of Logan's "whoastones" from the weekend:

• Hugging older girls:  I don't mean mom, grandma, or babysitter Bina.  I'm talking about girls ages 2-4!  And it's not accidental-- he hugged the girls very intentionally and with a big smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around their bodies.  Whoa, Logan, simmer down!
• Doing the Jersey Turnpike and other freaky dances:  If you're not a fan of the Jersey Shore (husband and my guilty pleasure-- yes, we probably lose brain cells while watching it), the Jersey Turnpike is a dirty dance move that Deena made up, where you bend over and touch the ground while sticking your butt out (typically in someone's face), and start bouncing your butt up and down.  Well, that's how my son likes to dance, and NO, he's never seen the Jersey Shore!  He also likes to stand over me and bounce up and down to music.  It's hilarious and...a little weird.  But, it makes me happy whenever I see Logan expressing himself through dance...even if it is a little freaky.  Whoa, Logan don't be that kind of dancer when you grow up...
• Walking backwards: I saw Logan playing with a truck on Friday, and he was dragging the truck backwards into the foyer.  Then we let him play with his Radio Flyer car (thank you, Shins!) and he insisted on pulling it while walking backwards (and sideways) around the driveway.  Whoa, now you can move backwards on your feet without falling??  
• Sticking his finger up his nose: The kid discovered the two ginormous holes in the middle of his face: his nostrils.  He successfully stuck his index finger up there and tried to shove the thumb up there before I scolded him.  I probably shouldn't have laughed before scolding him-- gonna have to work on that.  Whoa, you can pick your nose now??
• Putting items INTO something: Logan's always been a pro at taking items out of a bag/drawer/bin, but he's never been good at putting items BACK into the bag/drawer/bin.  In fact, he doesn't like to just take things out-- he likes to throw them straight back (with a quick straight-arm motion, like a backwards bowler's move).  So, when I saw him putting a few of his Mega Blocks back INTO the bag, I had a "Whoa, Logan, did you just do that??" moment and showered him with hugs and high fives.
• Doing "more:" My kid is a little slow with the sign language.  He started doing "milk" maybe 2 months ago, and I don't think he even does it when he necessarily wants milk but only when he hears "ooh-yoo" ("milk" in Korean).  I've tried doing "more" with him since he was 4 months old.  TODAY, Logan finally sort of did "more"!  ...but I don't know if he really understands what it means.  It looked like a one-handed "more" + one-handed clap type of gesture, so I encouraged him with more "more" motions to try to reinforce the point.  Then I said, "are you all done?" (and did the corresponding gesture) and he copied me (!!) and then immediately started clapping (which to him, means "good job!" which I usually say to him when he finishes all of his food/milk).  Whoa, Logan, are you actively communicating with me??

I know what you're thinking: "oh, that's...nice."