Eighteen months four weeks

Hello world!

I love to pick berries and eat them. We have some red berries on a pyracantha bush. I ate some, but then my mama made me spit them out. But it's ok--they're not poisonous. I also like to pick berries when we're walking. I pick:

• hawthorne berries: kind of yucky, but I still like to eat them;
• elderberries: they make my mouth purple;
• blackberries: super yummy;
• sloes: very sour.

I sometimes hear airplanes flying. I look up and point to them and say "vrrrrr." When they're gone I say "bye bye."

I really don't like my nails cut but I let my mama cut them if she's fast. She used to cut them only when I had milkies, otherwise I would just run away; I don't run away from milkies. She shows me the nails when she's done and I brush them away. It's best to have short nails, so I don't accidently scratch my ear.

When my mama was trimming bushes in our garden, I pulled up a carrot and ate it. I didn't need to wash it off, I just ate it like it was.

Love,

Franklin

Eighteen months three weeks

Hello world!

I know where my eyes, nose, teeth, tongue, and hair is. I also know noses are for sniffing. When my dad takes me out of the bath, I tell him "teeth" and point so I can brush my teeth.

Our dog eats dog food. I pick it up from the dish and give it to her. I eat it too.

When it's time to cook dinner I sometimes get tired. I tell my mama I'm sleepy by hanging on to her legs and whining. When I do this, my mama says, "do you want to ride with me in the sling?" and so I go get the sling. I like to ride on my mama's back because she makes a funny bounce when she puts me in. Then I relax and hang out and she cooks dinner and then I eat it.

I was relaxing in the sling and my mama sang a song about Old MacDonald. I liked that song a lot. When she finished, I sang the verse about the dog: "la la laaaaa woof woof! laaaa woof woof!"

Love,

Franklin

Eighteen months two weeks

Hello world!

I have a seed tray for sitting in. I also tried to sit in the laundry basket, but it fell over and I got a bloody nose; it was the worst thing ever.

My mama let me taste a sloe today. She bit off a little piece and then I put the rest in my mouth. I liked it so much I swallowed it and asked for more. My mama said I can only have one, though. I also tried an acorn, but it was too big and hard to chew so I just carried it. I also like green beans in our garden. If I see them, I ask my mama to pick me them.

I count up to three. I count steps and berries. If my mama forgets to count when she carries me down the stairs, I count them for her.

Love,

Franklin

Eighteen months one week

Hello world!

Even though I mostly remember to poo in the toilet, I accidently pooed on the floor the other day. It's ok, though; I got a cloth out of the laundry to wipe it up--one of the cloths my mama uses for washing dishes. If you poo on the floor you have to clean it up.

I also clean other things. I like to sweep and dust and do laundry. And I love gardening, too. I'm great at weeding, and pulling sticks out of the ground.

I saw two ducks splashing each other at the pond. Then one got so wet it just swam off with its head down. I watched the whole thing. I like ducks.

After snacktime at playgroup is singing time. We did "Row your boat." The other kids sat down and their mamas held their hands and rowed them. When I saw that, I sat right down in front of my mama and held out my hands, too.

Love,

Franklin

Seventeen months four weeks

Hello world!

My dad is home from work this week. He moved all my things into his computer room, then all his computer things into my room. Now my room is his room and his room is my room. My new room has the same bed, chair, dresser, rug, pictures, and curtains.

When I go to the library, I walk straight over to the kids' shelf, pull off some books, and sit down on the floor to read them. I love to read. I turn the pages myself, and when there's a picture I know, I make the noise, like dog noise or truck noise.

I love watermelon! I like other melon but watermelon is the best. Yesterday I ate two pieces and I finished my mama's piece because there was still a little bit of red on it.

I also like ice cream. I was eating ice cream and my head suddenly hurt really bad for ten seconds--I grabbed my head and nearly cried. Then it went away so I ate more ice cream.

Love,

Franklin

Seventeen months three weeks

Hello world!

I remember much better to use the toilet now. Yesterday I didn't forget once, not even when I woke up from my nap. Sometimes I have to pee when I'm in the bath, and I just tell my dad. He puts me on the toilet, and when I'm done, I make the sign for bath to let him know I want back in the tub.

I told my mama I wanted to go for a walk to see the ducks today. I said "quack." She knew what I meant.

I like to swing on the swing by myself now. My dad pushes me and I hold on. I love to run, too. I grab my dad's hand and tell him "run" and then we run. When my mama runs with me I jump at the end.

My dad made me a little wooden car. I push it around, saying "vrrrrrmmmm." When I played with my cousin Grace, she had a car for sitting on. I said "vrrrrrrmmmm" when I sat on that, and my dad pushed me.

One time me and my mama were walking on a rocky path and I was in the sling. Then suddenly we were laying on the ground and my mama was laughing. It didn't hurt, but I was really surprised: how did that happen?

Love,

Franklin

Seventeen months two weeks

Hello world!

Sometimes I'm playing with my toys and then I run over and kiss my mama and run back to my toys. I kiss her shoulder when she carries me in the sling, too.

I went to see my cousins and other family this weekend. I wore my nice shirt and waistcoat. I was very popular with the ladies. I gave them kisses, and I didn't cry at all when they picked me up. I also played with my cousin Grace. She's 2, but I'm almost as big as she is. I played outside with her.

I didn't sleep hardly at all, though. I didn't like the bed I was in, and I was just too excited from all the people and playing.

When my mama asks me what doggies say, I make every doggy noise I know: barking, howling, sniffing, panting, growling. I learned that from a book.

Love,

Franklin