Leo the Magnificent (and where the heck did July go?)

Mr. Proud showing off his macaroni fish from daycare. His first food art!

Leo shows off a play-doh flower he made me.
I'm such a sop; it made me cry that he thought of me.

Rob told Leo he was running the bath and discovered Leo in the bathroom "preparing" by retrieving and lining up all of his favorite bath doodads. I swear, he's naturally organized!

Excuse me, Mr. Birdwatcher. Where did that thigh muscle come from?

The pants (or rather floods) make this photo seem very 1950's/60's. Last week, many of Leo's pants suddenly became too short. The boy is growing! Still, though, he totally rocks this look.

Leo is doing a thousand things lately - learning and doing new things every day, so it's hard to keep up. He says or shouts, "Leo does it!" with conviction multiple times every day. Often, if I try to help him with something, he undoes and redoes it again. I love his internal motivation and drive. He's a doer! Here are some of his latest achievements and funny moments:

• putting on his own shoes (90% of the time he gets the feet correct). He exclaims, "I did it!"
• putting on his own pants, shorts, and shoes and taking them off. Still working on shirts :)
• using the soap dispenser without any help
• reading his own book at night
• singing parts of songs like the beginning of Humpty Dumpty and Pease Porridge Hot. Did I mention he also loves Kanye's Flashing Lights (yes, I lower the volume during curse words)
• turning on the light in the fish tank
• speaking in full sentences (i.e,. "I drive the motorcycle, Daddy. Nonno drives the purple truck." and "I want ice cream, please!"). The last one is a favorite.
• when he likes something (a book, toy, new food) he shouts, "I like this!"
• using of connecting "in between" words and expressions like "does," "right here," etc, instead of simply identifying objects.
• answering the question of where Daddy works with "Facebook"
• learning to say that Mommy "organizes"
• laughing independently in a high, loud "Ha, ha!" kind of laugh at funny scenes on TV. For example. Leo loves this imaginary scene in an episode of Cailliou where a bunny and a bear are sleeping in Cailliou's bed. The bear is afraid of bears. Cailliou says, "You ARE a bear," and the bear hides under the covers. Leo laughs loudly and hysterically at this scene. Somehow it amazes me to watch his sense of humor develop and realize that he can find specific humor in things. It's almost startling that he can pick up on humor in that way.
• beginning to ride a "trike" with assistance
• throwing a baseball and standing ready at bat (still working on swinging the bat)
• blowing bubbles
• putting himself in his red wagon so that when Mommy or Daddy walk into his room we see him and take him for a ride around the house
• saying "Maddy" and "Dadmy" because he says our names so much he sometimes fuses them
• responding "lollipop, too," when asked if Leo wanted anything from the supermarket.