The 3 year old mind

I've been having a lot of fun with Teagan lately, he is so funny and he has the best explanations for things.

Story 1

Yesterday we were playing a game with hot wheels. We lined all 50 of them up so that at one end of the line there was the front of a car, and the other line there was the back of a car.

Like this: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

We took turns either picking a car from the front of the line or the back of the line and using the cars to create our own lines (it's a spin off of some dog game I saw at a convention).

Well, Teagan didn't like it because he had put his much-loved Lightening Mcqueen car right in the middle so he couldn't get it until near the end.

Once all the cars were taken the following conversation took place:

T: "Mom, I think I will make up the rules this time""

M: "Okay, what are they"

T: "We line the cars up like this" (So they were side by side, all facing us like this: | | | | | | | | ) "and you can pick whatever car you want, and when you pick it you make it go back very very slowly out of the line" (says this very slowly...then changes to a crazy fast voice) "and then it goes forward to the line and crashes as many cars as it can, and then you drive all over them and then they go get the bad guys"

He just cracks me up, he's such a creative little boy, the things he comes up with are treasures.

Story 2

Today I was watching my nephews (never a dull moment with 3 little boys!).

At dinner tonight Baby Jax started puking up his dinner and Teagan was right next to him. I was trying to catch it all in the bib (which I did! and trashed it!). Meanwhile...

Teagan: "This is SO gross, I can't watch this, I can't watch this, this is so gross! I have to leave the room or I am going to throw up my dinner. " (runs out of the room yelling "I can't watch this, I can't watch this")

Kai: continued silently eating his chicken noodle soup, completely unphased. (it was good, carrots, broccoli, squash, basil and peas all from the garden among other ingredients)

hehehe drama anyone? He must get that from me!

Story 3:

My nephew Kai is about Teagan's age and he excitedly ran into the kitchen with a quarter that he had found on the floor in my bedroom:

Kai (very excited): "Aunt Melissa look! I found money! I'm going to put it in my pocket and take it to the store and buy candy!" (puts it in his pocket)

Me: Is it your quarter? ( I almost let him keep it, but decided that it might be a good learning opportunity)

Kai: Yes, it's in my pocket

Me: Was it in your pocket when you left your house?

Kai: No, I just found it and it's in my pocket now

Enter Teagan....slightly more talkative of the two (he is his parents' child for sure!)

Teagan: no Kai, that is my quarter you can't have it

Kai: it's in my pocket

Me: Teagan, how do you know it's your quarter (this was all very amusing to me so I let it drag out a little, in hindsight this probably was a bad idea)

Teagan: hmmm, I think that it probably fell out of my pocket when I was in your room. No I think it was in my wallet, because I have quarters in there from my grandma and grandpa and I think that it opened and one came out and then Kai found it. I know it's mine because I have quarters and they always are in your room.

Kai: It's in my pocket

Me to both of them: Do you think it might belong to me, since it was in my room?

Teagan: No I don't think so, because I usually have quarters in my pocket and I was in your room today and I play in there all the time so it is my quarter

Kai: It's in my pocket

Kai remained perfectly calm the whole time because, of course, it was in his pocket, Teagan on the other hand was getting a little worked up. I had to leave to go get the little one, Jax, and when I reentered Teagan was on top of Kai trying to dig the quarter out of Kai's pocket. I don't know why it made me laugh, probably because I've never seen Teagan wrestle or tackle another kid ever and usually Kai is the one tormenting him.

Don't worry though, I hid the laughter, Teagan landed himself in time out and Kai handed the quarter over, no problem after a quick explanation and Teagan and I had a chat about loosing our tempers.

It is just another example of how different they are. Teagan comes up with these explanations about how it might have happened (the logic is impressive) and he gets emotionally involved, and Kai sticks to concrete facts and doesn't get too emotional. I love watching the pair of them interact together. For the most part they pal around all day without any fighting which is great. Their conversations are to die for, I'm going to tape a recorder to one of their backs one of these days so I can catch all the details and have instant replay.

Tomorrow they start preschool together with my Aunt Jeanne who I love. I can't stand the idea of leaving him so I'm going to go help in the class for the first while. I can't believe Teagan's getting so big!