Elijah is getting maddeningly and exponentially more specific in his “needs.” We’ve provided him a substantial vocabulary of signs and words, but just how is he supposed to relay, “I want a drink. Please open the sippy cup cabinet. No I do not want ANY of those sippy cups – I just want the lid to the frosty mugs. Now, please open the freezer and hand me a frosty mug. No, not the Lightning McQueen one, the Buzz Lightyear one. And, PLEASE, fill it with water but do NOT put the lid on for me, or help me in any way, even if I’m about to make a ginormous mess. Please place me at the table in that chair only. If you do not comply, I will throw the cup and then kick it. I will quickly backpedal and slam into a cabinet and wail as if I’ve just lost a pony. Thank you.”

On the other hand, I’m reaping the benefits of having three bathrooms and synchronized pooping schedules. We’ve had two successful, voluntary poops in the potty from Elijah (18 mos), and I have not tried at all to train him. Like clockwork, Elijah watches me get Isaac situated on the potty, and I start to hear grunts beside me and either ask Elijah if he wants to poop on the potty or he will say “Doo!” and run for the other bathroom. Meanwhile, Ian rushes in, hoping for vacancy, before turning to make an emergency haul for the upstairs bathroom. Elijah hasn’t peed much on the potty, but he’s asked to sit there a good number of times. He does randomly pretend to pee in inappropriate places by thrusting out his hips and gleefully squeeling, “Teeeeee!”