Austen can now WALK up and down steps with ease. She loves to climb. Today at Chuck E Cheese, she climbed in and out of almost every ride and tried to climb onto the snow mobile while it was occupied by a little boy who was none too please. Watching the older kids play basketball (at the park and at Chuck E Cheese) fascinates her. Maybe it’s her game? Right now she just manages to steal the ball once in a while. Her increasing height must be helping her with climbing. The last time we went to a play area, she wasn’t as good at climbing into rides on her own.
Mommy knows it’s time to go when Austen starts running away when given a command (such as “Stay in the toddler area.”). When Mommy threatens a Time Out, Austen shakes her head and says, “NO,” I don’t want Time Out. For the most part Austen gets along well with older kids, but she sometimes takes advantage of little ones. It’s undeniable that she shows a preference for older boys, who seem to fascinate her most. What does it all mean? Who knows? What’s for certain is that she’s assertive and gregarious and prefers to initiate contact with others (rather than have them approach her) — thus her preference for people like Grandpa Earl.