Todd is 27 months old and talking...a lot. I am not sure what to say to him when he says the same thing over and over. I try to acknowledge that I hear him; but, he often keeps repeating himself. Maybe he enjoys hearing himself say stuff. I don't know.

I tried introducing potty training back in February and he got strep throat 3 days into the process. I am now venturing back into the potty territory and he is terrified. He screams at the sight of a pull - up because he knows that means I am going to put him on the toilet. When I sit him on the toilet, I sit on the stool next to him and he puts his arms around me and cries and squeezes me. I am being very casual about it and only do it a few times a day so as to not stress him out. I fear if I don't do anything he will never get potty trained!!! But he just shakes on the toilet like someone is about to kill him. Why is this potty training stuff not cut and dry?

My favorite day is Saturday because I get to do all Todd's favorite things with him. Some are: walking by the lake, feeding ducks and throwing rocks into the water as well as playing in the dirty water while getting soaked and filthy, baths, McDonald's, (it has to be McDonald's fries - all other places don't have the "right fries"), going to the pet store to see all the animals, driving by farms in the area to see all the farm animals, watching train tracks in hopes of a train, watching Flipper and Animal Planet, playing at the park and eating ice cream, riding the carousel at the mall, playing on the moonwalks, and walking outside in general. Often, I get a little sorry for him because we have so many kids in our home Monday through Friday. By Friday sometimes Todd has had it and I feel the same way only I can't show it like he does.

Sometimes I am not sure he classifies himself as a human because he loves doing everything like an animal would do it - such as eating his food off the floor which he prefers greatly to eating it off the plate. He makes animal sounds all day long and goes around being animals all day and lately he keeps trying to climb the fence and saying he is running away because that's what our dog did. This animal stuff has gone too far because if he actually gets over the fence without me knowing; I know he's headed straight for the train tracks - maybe a leash is in his future - the dog was on a leash - just a thought!