Ollie Update

Ollie Writes His Name

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I’m actually waaay late on posting this one, but for posterity’s sake, Ollie did manage to write his name back on May 14th. Here is the photographic proof that I’m not lying, because he still had the scar on his nose from when he took a header onto the sidewalk in front of about a million food trucks. (Hopefully it was as legendary for them as it was for us: Ollie still talks about how his daddy heroically mopped the blood from his nose and mouth with a spare pair of underpants…)

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As you can see, he was quite proud. And I have to say, not too shabby for a just-turned-3-year-old! It’s not what I would call a straight line, but you can clearly see all the letters if you rotate it as you go.

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Cat Nap

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Future Neil Young

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It seems somehow appropriate when he climbs up on top of the coffee table to play a little solo up there, and when he jumps to the couch he doesn’t even miss a note. I can certainly see him performing the same moves from the top of a bar or while stage-diving at a concert.

Better start saving up for tickets now, because it’s going to be all arenas.

Ollie, Ollie, Quite Contrary

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Ollie’s contrariness has slowly been on the rise, but I think it’s safe to say it has finally arrived in full force. Up is down, black is white, and Oliver absolutely did NOT get dressed this morning, despite what your eyes tell you.

I mostly think of the automatic disagreement as a 2 year old thing, so Ollie is perhaps a little late to the party, though I do specifically remember thinking that 3 was a more difficult age than 2. So maybe I just don’t remember properly. But seriously, who is this surly, disagreeable, grumpy boy and what has he done with my Oliver?

The hardest part about dealing with a kid this age is that it takes *so* *much* *effort*. Aside from Gandhi-esk patience (which I do not possess), you have to have an unlimited store of creative ways to convince him to do things. You simply cannot force him to go to the potty, or get in the bath, or stop goofing around and eat his breakfast. You really can’t. Instead, every event becomes a test, not of your willpower, but on your ability to trick someone.

The main technique is to distract him. This is a surprisingly easy task with a 3 year old. If you just start talking really fast, it usually only takes 30 seconds or so to find a topic fascinating enough that he will forget you are lifting him on to the potty. Stories work too, or doing something goofy to make him laugh. These things are ten times more effective than bribes, which makes them about a hundred times more effective than threats.

Making threats? That is…not so effective. Unfortunately, that’s kind of where your brain goes naturally, so you do spend a lot of time either backpedaling on those, or trying to make good on a lot of ineffective threats.

And in the meantime? Just keep muttering, “It’s just a phase. It’s just a phase.”

Our 3 year old

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Ollie is turning 3 today. I didn’t think I really had much to say about him, but then I looked back on the post I did when he turned 2, and I realized he really has come a long way.

When he turned 2, he was just starting to talk. Now, he never stops talking. Then, he was starting to be able to do things on his own. Now, he can zip his coat, and can (mostly) go to the bathroom by himself.

Although he *still* has very little interest in getting himself dressed. I guess when someone has applied creams over your entire body and dressed you morning and night for every day of your life, you don’t have much motivation to change that. Who said all that time I spent watching Downton Abbey was a waste? It turns out I would make an excellent lady’s maid (or I guess a valet if it came to that).

In the last few weeks, he as DEFINITELY become a 3 year old. Hoo boy. All of a sudden he loves being contrary just for the sake of being contrary. I know that it is very typical of his age, but it’s also very surprising, just because he’s usually so accommodating. He would absolutely argue with you about the color of the sky. I know that this is all a part of becoming an independent “big boy”.

Speaking of being independent, I think he’s becoming slightly less cuddly as he gets older and more independent. Still pretty cuddly, but not as much as he used to be. Less cuddly towards his parents perhaps, but not towards his baby. Boy oh boy does he love his baby. He carries him everywhere, cuddles him, whispers to him, tucks him in to bed, and talks about him nonstop. He likes to make spontaneous statements like, “I’m a good daddy to my baby!” or “I love my baby and my baby loves me.” Actually, he’s pretty good about making similar spontaneous statements to his parents (I told you he was still pretty cuddly).

Aside from his baby, the thing Ollie likes the most is being goofy, especially if he’s tired. For some reason, he really likes to pretend to fall down. He also likes to switch song lyrics to things that don’t make sense. For example, he might sing, “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the fork!” and then laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Another favorite thing he likes to do is complain that he has a tummy ache. I don’t know why.

The best part about Ollie is how well he gets along with his sister. He just absolutely adores her and wants to be just like her. He loves to play with her, and the two of them play by themselves for long periods of time. He’s never happier than when Evie is playing with someone else her age and he is just sort of trailing behind them. I think she can probably expect that for many years to come.

Happy birthday big boy. I hope the next year is as good as the last. I can’t wait for you to start school. I can’t wait to give you the birthday present I made you. I can’t wait to see who you turn out to be.