Trains and trucks

I'm not sure where the last month went- Steven is already 25 months.  And like every two year old boy, he loves trucks and trains.  My parents got him his first train set and table for his birthday and he loves it.  He has even recently added the "choo choo" sound effect when he plays with it and it is just so cute.  I think I have to agree with Uncle Kyle (partly) that toys nowadays are too flashy and make too much noise.  You can buy trains now that will make hundreds of different sounds I'm sure but I feel that it is so much more satisfying in hearing Steven doing it himself and using his imagination while he's playing.  

Another one of his favorite things right now is the alphabet.  He loves anything that has to do with letters.  We had gotten him an alphabet puzzle- it is for three year olds but he's a puzzle wizard- before his birthday because we were trying to challenge him a bit.  I guess it worked because he learned all his letters from us doing that puzzle with him.  He's still learning to say them in order but he can pick up or point out any letter and tell you what it is.  Then for his birthday, separate friends got him a Leapfrog Alphabet DVD and magnet toy.  It teaches phonics which sounds way too old for Steven, I know, but he knows all the letters and what sound they make from those two things- crazy!  Charlton said he would have been skeptical if he hadn't witnessed it himself.  They play the same song- the way to this kid's heart and mind is through music!  So, now he plays with the magnets and brings us letters saying,"B says Ba."  He's a smart kid!  

He is so much fun now that he is two and we are enjoying him being older!  Although, I will say that we noticed a definite change in his personality right around his birthday.  We were kind of hoping that the "terrible twos" was just an abstract idea....turns out that it's not and we're already in them.  Steven's laid back style has gone on vacation or maybe got swept away during the hurricane.  He no longer is content to share or let other kids take his toys.  He also has decided the he'll do anything to get his way and has decided that throwing big fits anytime he doesn't will show us how unhappy he is and we'll give in.  He is wrong there.  I'm hoping that some of this acting out is because of all the changes (school and hurricane related) that have occurred recently.  His sleep schedule has been messed up with school too so that certainly doesn't help, but he has been quite a handful since his birthday and we're exhausted with handling this new stage.  This new direction of behavior is certainly not ok with us and so we are trying to be very consistent with our discipline.   This week has been better but still a little tiring.  The good moments definitely out weigh the bad ones though and I'm hoping that my sweet boy returns to stay instead of just appearing every once in a while.