Gabey is growing up...

Our little Gabey is more than 2 and a half years old now.  However, something interesting has happened since our trip to China...  In some ways, he is still the same little boy and in some ways he has changed a lot.  

For example, the before-China Gabey only wore sweatpants made out of cotton or fleece.  Sometimes we could convince him to wear pants made out of nylon.  After we returned from China, however, he will ONLY wear jeans and sometimes corduroys (which he calls "cordu-boys"... more on his language later).  In fact, he only owned two pairs of jeans and Mommy has had to go out and buy more jeans because two pairs will not take him till laundry day.

And because he only wears jeans, we feel like he looks more grown up somehow.  These pants, as opposed to sweat pants, make him look slimmer and also older we feel like.

His interests have also expanded.  He still likes to cook things, but in addition to that, he likes to read and look through books.  He now has the attention span to sit through a whole book (or many many books!) while read to.  He also like to play with blocks and Legos now.

Before China, he never really showed any interest in cars or trucks.  But now, he plays with them all the time around the house and sort of likes to watch Thomas the Train videos.  This is a new development for him.  He always connects it to the airplanes, busses, trains, taxis and shuttles we took in China.

He still likes playing his guitar and singing.

And he likes playing on the iPad of course.

Here he is being goofy a pair of plastic glasses.

After China, and this may have to do with all the changes going on in our household, he has become more independent and also less likely to follow our requests and commands, which can be a little frustrating at times.

When walking around the block, there is one area where a neighbor has put up a sign...Elvin thought it would make for a funny picture.

It seems like Gabriel's language has recently improved by leaps and bounds.  Because of this, we sometimes forget that he doesn't truly understand everything we are saying to him, and he is very literal in what he hears.

Here are some examples:

Elvin: [saying something complicated to Emily]
Gabriel:  what did you say, Daddy?
Elvin to Gabriel: never mind
Gabriel:  never yours?

Gabriel:  Mommy, are we going backwards?  (in the car)
Emily: No, we are going forwards
Gabriel:  Four words?  Or five words?

Gabriel:  Where is Erica? [our niece]
Emily: She is at her house in Boise.
Gabriel:  Two boys?  Or three boys?  At her house?

While Elvin is holding Gabriel, Gabriel looks into Daddy's nose and says: What's that?
Elvin: Nose hairs.
Gabriel: You mean yes hairs?

And when we went on our short trip to Seattle...

Gabriel:  Where are we going?
Emily: Seattle.
Gabriel: When are we going to pick up "Attle"?
Emily:  What?  We are going to the doctors!
Gabriel:  Are we going to see "Attle"?  When will we pick "Attle" up?

He is a very funny boy and keeps us entertained all day long.

And here is a video that shows some random things that Gabriel does.