a burst of firsts

I am sooo tired...but wanted to brag a bit about Elias' afternoon before tomorrow's antics cause me to forget.

Elias attended his first concert:  Maennechor's German Christmas concert and diner.  A friend of ours is a member.  They were really good--the singers and Elias.  Elias was a bundle of energy, but was mostly contained at our table, and mostly not very loud.  J* especially helped entertain/watch him.  They may've thought he was crazy hyper, but I was very pleased at his good behavior--after all, I was asking a 2 year old to listen to a bunch of men sing for 2 hrs in German.  Into the 2nd set, though, I did take him out to play in the gym, because he started shouting out his own song request:  Jingle Bells.  He had a great time running and jumping around in there.  We rejoined our friends just before Father Christmas (decked out German style) made his grand appearance.  He stopped and blessed Elias, who then followed him up to the front.  He sat on his lap--his first Santa-sitting.  Elias wasn't talkitive, but did give a big smile when I said our private joke, "applesauce!"

We got home around his bedtime.  While changing into PJs he got that strange look on his face so I asked if he wanted to sit on the potty, and he said yes.  So he did.  THIS time, though, unlike the seemingly hundreds of other times, he actually pee'd in it!  First time!  Hooray!  He seemed pretty pleased at his achievement as well.  We called Nanna to tell her.  She asked if he was going to go in his potty tomorrow too, and he confidently said "Maybe."  It was so cute and funny, and the first time I heard him use that word.  I asked, "You're going to go in your potty tomorrow, maybe?"   "Maybe," he answered.  "And maybe not?"  "Maybe...maybe not."  I guess it's good we both have honest and reasonable expectations.

In getting ready for bed at last, he said something and for the first time I think used "am"-- like "I am all finished now."  Usually he says "I finished now."  I wish I could remember the sentence!  He sounded so grown up.  I am facinated by how well he grasps grammar, which is confusing to everyone at some level.  He always says "I" when referring to himself (it used to be "Elias," in the 3rd person), even though I mirror back "you."  Tonight he said he was "good" (as they teach him at daycare) but then immediately corrected himself and said "well" (as I always model for him when he asks how I am, although I've never corrected his "good").  The one thing I noticed him missing lately, is that sometimes he'll switch the word order for adjectives, so that "sock puppets" become "puppets sock."

[Addition:  I guess I *was* tired!  I fell asleep last night writing this so am just mailing it out now.]