Music Man

I don't know when it started Aidan, but you've got some music in your heart and a song to sing. You've always been pretty fascinated with music (having your favorites), and certain songs (that we have to listen to over and over again), and instruments (you like to play my guitar and the big bass and LOVE to drum). I remember that zaideco music was the only thing that would calm you during those witching hours when you were an infant. You've loved trying to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" for a while. But something recently just clicked on in your brain, turning into a full fledged music man!

We've been working on singing for a while, learning crucial songs like "Let it Be" and "I'm a Little Tea Pot."
You love the Beatles (whom you call the "Beatle-bees"), and love singing duets.

 But, imagine your mother's and my surprise when you recently just started singing whole songs solo! You rock out to the ABCs whenever you get a chance, but you also serenade yourself with some Beatle-bees too! Your Mom was quick enough to catch you in action!

Oh, and that awesome backbeat...oh yeah, that's drumming.

You LOVE drumming. In fact, I'd say you're obsessed with it. It all started with the Muppets, because we all know that Animal can lay down a killer beat. Some old favorite songs of yours have been heavy on the drums: Muppet's Bohemian Rhapsody, Man or Muppet and Rainbow Connection (from the newer movie). You love to drum at the appropriate parts, and/or run out to let us know "drum! drum! drum!"

Recently though, Aunt Rebekka and your Daddy have been bringing out your inner Ringo. We made a CD for Mimi's 70th birthday party, and you LOVE to listen to the songs. One song, which you named "Bekka sing" or "Bekka drum" really gets you going on a drum trip.

And this practice happens just about every time we get in the car. You're getting REALLY good at drumming, which is part rhythm keeping, part looking awesome. I think you've nailed both components of an awesome drummer.

So, yeah, you love to drum! Drumming is one of your favorite musical activities (aside from singing, maybe). And recently you've gotten a few chances to drum on real drums at the Children's museum (in a fireman hat, and in an African drum circle)

You also play a pretty mean trumpet, dance to the music, and play DJ too:

You're working on the words, though really we're already very impressed with how many words to songs you've picked up just from listening:

Drumming, singing, guitars, dancing, clapping, trumpets, Beatle-bees and Nursery Rhymes: you've got the music in you, young man. Your Mom and I can't wait to see how you continue to, as you say, "Rockout!"

Laughing Button Pusher

Aidan, Remember how I was telling you how much you like to laugh? And how much you like to make other people laugh? And how much laughing makes you laugh even more?

You don't? Okay, well, don't worry about it. I'm telling you now.

You LOVE to laugh (ha ha ha ha!)

Sometimes you giggle.

Sometimes you say "tee hee!"

Sometimes you laugh like your old favorite hero, Sherrif Woody.

Now, when counting, you even have a Transylvanian laugh like Sesame Street's "the Count!"

Sometimes you even just start laughing when you hear other people laughing...because you don't want them to think that you're not in on the joke!

Now you don't always laugh easily. Sometimes your funny bone is pretty hard to tickle, but once you get an Aidan laugh going, you just can't stop it...especially if you have an audience of adults who are lauging with you.

Such was the case a few weeks ago when you climbed into Mimi and Pops' car while kissing them goodbye. You sat in Mimi's lap and started excitedly pushing all the buttons you could push...if you had a hundred hands, all of them would have been fiddling with one dial, button or another. But, the two hands you do have seemed to cause enough mischief.

Then, when you figured out the windshield wiper, the laughter started.

Then Mimi and Pops started encouraging you with their laughter.

And the laughing button pusher continued until his grandparents were tearing up with laughter.

Your laugh is infectious, and we love to make you laugh. But, it's even better when you make us laugh too!

Talkey

I can't believe that I'm just now doing this, but it's time to chronicle your first words, since now your vocabulary is rapidly becoming to large to commit to memory.

Of course, you started out by saying "Mama." Everything was "Mama," even your Mama!

Then you said "Dada" once. You haven't said it since. Although, you seem to like saying "papa," except it's more like "papapapapa."

But, your first real word that you said and associated it to one thing only was "fish." But you said "ishhhhhhh." You said it when you saw pictures of fish or fish in the pond or a tank in a restaurant. But, then you gave up on saying "fish."

Then came the big developmental portion of your vocabulary. It began with "car." Except you said it as "acah." But we know what you mean! Since you say it when you play with a car, watch cars go by our house with your Grandmas and when you point to (selected) cars in parking lots. I think "acah" was your first official word that stuck.

After that it's been getting wordy in the Weinstein house. You have a specific word for "Preston," but it can't really be written using the English alphabet. It kind of sounds like "Psdfasskjlljkb." But it's consistently used when describing Preston. you now talk all the time. When you started walking, it was like your feet could finally run, so your mouth does too. When you walk around the house you love to say "ohhhhh" "ohhhhh."

You love bubbles. We blow bubbles in the backyard all the time. You know where the bubbles and the wand are kept. So, one day not too long ago, you watched your Mom put her contacts in and you pointed to the upturned contact on her finger and said "Bubble!"

Then "fish" came back, except now it's more like "fffffff." I know this means fish because you and I stood on our back porch, and you pointed to the fish food, said "fffffff" and got really happy when I got the fish food and we fed the "fffffff"s.

And now you can say "yes!" Except it's more like "Yettttttttthhhhhhhhhhshshshs," but, It's definitely an affirmative answer. It can often be provoked by asking if you want to go upstairs, or if you want a cookie.



Speaking of cookies, Mimi and Pops asked if you wanted a cookie and instead of saying "yetttttthhhhsshshs" you said "cooook eeee." So now you can say cookie too!

And you also know can say what noise a dog makes: "arf!" or is it "woof!" The word you say could be either, but it definitely refers to a dog. So that's good.

Getting you to talk on video is actually pretty challenging, since the second the camera starts rolling, you normally want to eat the camera, or see the other side of it. But, when you're on a roll, you're on a roll. Here's "a cah" and "arf!"



It's always been great talking to you, but the conversations (which started as rather one-sided) are now on their way to being full-fledged chats. You definitely understand a lot more than you can say (you know what to do when we say "high five," "bouncey bouncey," "bath time," "hug," "be nice," "food," "water," "ear," "nose," "belly button," "cat" and tons of other words), but your mind is working all the time on figuring out how to say these things. You mouth words when we're reading; I swear you're so close to saying "boat" the other night while reading your new favorite, "The Going to Bed Book." I know soon enough you'll be saying complex sentences. But until you start talking back, we're going to cherish ever word. Even if your "Dada" has to be "Papapapa" for the time being.