"We need to use our inside voice now"

This phrase is going to become my mantra with Leif. I don't think my mother EVER had to utter these words to me. It was the opposite, "speak up!"

Leif is taking after AB in that he has absolutely no problem being heard. When AB and I first started dating I remember noting that when he spoke he could be heard across the room. And when we watched TV and it was funny, the neighbors could tell. My parents even commented when they first met AB that he has a booming laugh. It is wonderful, he has never been afraid to laugh out loud (like I was) and could always be heard in a large room.

Leif will be the same. Laughing is full force and his voice also carries. It is virtually impossible for Leif to say bye bye to anyone without screaming it. (Unless he is on the phone - then he becomes "shy".) I look at other kids he hangs around with, Atticus and Cate in particular, and they have such soft little voices. Their poor parents are going to know Leif as "that noisy kid"!

Sufia had a funny story for me yesterday. One of the girls in Leif's class is named Ella. Her mom came at 12:30 to pick her up for an appointment. The kids go down for nap between 12:00-12:30 and so most of the kids were down for a nap by then, except of course, for Leif. Who is fully into resisting naps both at home and daycare. (Poor daycare doesn't have a vehicle they can pop him into and drive around and look at lots until he goes to sleep...)

In walks Ella's mom and Leif starts screaming at the top of his lungs, "ELLA, ELLA!!" Because obviously, no one else would have noticed that Ella's mommy was there to get her. It was solely up to Leif to notify everyone (including those children napping) that Ella's mommy was there. And he didn't stop this until Ella's mom had RUN out of there with Ella.

*Sigh*

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I got the first unsolicited "I love you" last night and it melted my heart. After putting my noisy child into the carseat I asked for a kiss. He grabbed my face and planted a wet gushy one on my lips. Then he stops, looks at me and says it, "I lo u". Ahhh! I told him, "I love you too Leif".