The Best Things about Carl (at 2 and a 1/2 years)

1. It seems to me that "The Terrible Twos" describes 2-1/2-year-olds.  Carl certainly seems to fly into a rage more often now-a-days.  But along with this upsurge of negative emotion has also come a much greater upsurge of positive emotion.  He has an increased enthusiasm for pretty much everything.  Carl is excited about life and very vocal about his excitement.  I like that.
2. He is also becoming a capable little person, which is cool.  He can go up and down stairs by himself.
3. He can walk the half mile to a friend's house.
4. He (usually) lets me know when he needs to use the toilet all by himself.
5. He can reach the kitchen counter so he can put away his own dinner dishes without spilling anything.
6. He can solve his own disputes with other children. Not always in the ways I would like but he is a participating member of the solutions, which is a start.
7. He can reach and fetch and clean up.  This means he can get what he wants or needs without my help most of the time.  And he is pretty emphatic about doing it "by myself".
8. He loves to help me cook.
9. He also loves to help with housework, although I must admit that usually his help isn't really very helpful.  His favorite chore is mopping and although he remembers to squeeze out the rag before taking it out of the bucket, he doesn't do a very good job. But he does make the work a lot more fun.
10. Although he is certainly testing the boundaries right now, in general Carl is very obedient.  He cheerfully agrees to do the things I ask him to.
11. Carl is very imaginative.  On his own, he will "cook" for his stuffed animals or pretend to be a cat; with his brother, he will join enthusiastically in kung-fu or robot battles.
12. I still really like his cute little voice.  He talks just as fluently as his older brother but in a little kid voice, which just melts my heart.
13. One of my favorite things about Carl is how kind he is, especially to his big brother.  Carl often knows how to make Soren feel better, whether by helping him clean, finding stuff for him, or giving him hugs and kisses.  And he does it without being asked, just because he wants Soren to be happy.
14. He has an amazing memory for songs, rhymes, and stories.
15. And I love to hear him sing!
16. He loves nursery. Some Sundays, he will rush ahead of us, weaving between the other adults, and make his way to nursery all on his own.  He loves to see us when we pick him up but he never looks back on the way in.
17. At the end of the day, when Scott comes home, Carl rushes to the door and hugs his knees.
18. Carl looks a lot like the Berg side of the family, especially like my brother Timothy.  It's fun to see my heritage reflected in his face.
19. He understands simple choices and takes great delight in making them.
20. Carl will give me hugs and kisses whenever I ask.  And they are really good ones.