Have your little ones said anything funny recently? Three and a half is such a sweet age! Toby’s imagination has ramped up so much, and half the time I swear he must see our living room filled with monsters, bears and bearded bus drivers. He cracks us up constantly with the nutty things that come out of his mouth. For example…

“Mama, who is in the living room?”
“Daddy and Anton.”
(Peeking out cautiously.) “Any bears?”

“What you reading, Mama?”
“The Goldfinch. Want to see a photo of the author?”
“Is it a bear?”

“O-tay.”

“Chitten.”

“Be fwy-ette.”

We’ll play I Spy in taxis, but he doesn’t quite get how to give clues. He’ll say: “I spy with my little eye…the door handle!” “Is it the door handle?” “Yes!” “I spy with my little eye…the driver!” “Is it the driver?” “Yes!” The game goes quickly:)

Toby has a bunch of alter egos. Whenever he pretends certain things, you have to call him by the corresponding name. Tom is a bus driver. John is a musician. Kevin is a boy with a babysitter. Sam is a chef. Dennis is a dancer. Booliballa is a librarian.

“Where are you going, Mama?”
“I’m meeting my friend to get my toes painted. What color should I get?”
“Blue.”
“Light or dark blue?”
“Minivan blue.” (No further explanation was provided.)

One morning, out of the blue: “Are you just a lady with lips?” “Yes.”

He asked our babysitter, “Are you married?”
“No.”
“So you just like adventures?”

And he’s starting to have crushes!
“Toby, did you nap at school today?”
“No, Mama.”
“What did you do?”
“I just lie there and look at Gabby.”

“Dennis” the dancer! :)

P.S. Toby in conversation as a two-year-old and a (younger) three-year-old. And I can’t believe he was ever this little :)

(Top photos by Julia Robbs for Cup of Jo)