Conversations With Strangers

Somehow, I never got around to sharing a couple of stories from the trip we took to Michigan in May. We had a very good trip, and both boys travelled like seasoned veterans. You never know how Michael is going to react to meeting strangers (or even being re-introduced to someone he hasn't seen in a while), and the trip saw both extremes, but he definitely tended toward being friendly. Often, overly friendly. He seems to be fascinated with making announcements to "everybody."

Here are a few highlights:

He and I snuck out for a trip to Dairy Queen (it's usually closed for the winter when I'm there), and were digging our soft-serve when a family came and sat down near us. Michael was feeling talkative.
"Is that a boy, or a baby?" he asked the Mom about her little guy.
"I have ice cream! Everybody! I have ice cream!"
"Bye-bye, everybody! We're going back to Grandma Linda's house, now."

At the Detroit airport on our way back home, Michael was talking to a little girl (who was very gracious and shared her Mr. Incredible toy with him), and her Mom came over to say hello. She introduced her daughter, and then asked Michael his name.
"Umm ... Santa Claus."

At the airport in Denver (our second layover, and part of a pretty long day), we were waiting at the gate for our plane to arrive, and Michael was climbing around on some seats. Some grandmas were talking to him, and then he just went back to walking along a row of empty chairs. Then he sat down, then stood back up and announced, "Hey everybody! I just windied on the chair!"

You could just see the pride that Angie was feeling at that moment.

At least, I think it was pride.

Talking Back, But In A Good Way

Pre-school shows often ask the kids (or parents, I guess) to talk back to the TV. For instance, at the end of every adventure, Dora always asks "What was your favorite part?" before pausing and then saying, "Yeah, I liked that, too."

Until recently, Michael has just sat there and stared when asked to respond. But lately, he's been talking to the TV.

The most fun is when he watches this one Rolie Polie Olie episode that's on the DVR, and as part of the lead-in to the show, Clay (Playhouse's Disney's moldable host) talks about his best friend and RPO's best pal, then asks "Do you have a best friend? What's their name?"

And every time, Michael says "Mommy."