So what you're really saying is...

Our new neighbors are really nice. They will be officially our neighbors next Saturday. They don't have kids and didn't seem to mind having mine run all through their yard so that was a good sign. I did offer them the Boys' services in a couple of years for leaf raking (we live in leaf haven - so fun in the fall - wrong!). Me and The Lady Neighbor got a long great! I love making new friends. The Guy Neighbor is also a techie-domestic type so he and The Hub were getting along well. I love it when he meets someone that he feels comfy with right from the get-go. It makes me feel really good about The Elder's future social skills.

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The Younger lately has been going through this hilarious/frustrating phase. It is like having another first child because he's doing a lot that The Elder didn't do at this age. Is bipolar disorder an "Age 2" side effect? One second he's the happiest dude on earth and then he turns into to satan. It's humorous (unless I'm cranky). We've also discovered that you have to wait a full 60 seconds after you ask him a question before you get the REAL answer. And you definitely can't bank on the first response to be the true answer....sometimes you can't even bank on the 2nd one to be right. But typically you can trust the 3rd one.

"I'm Firsty."
"Let's go get some milk."
"No! I don't want milk!"
"OK we can get juice. Would you like juice?"
"I want apple juice.
(wait for it....)
"No! I don't want juice!!! No juice!!" (thrashing about on the floor)
"I want milk."

Now, I can go get him something to drink with 99% confidence that he is getting what he wants. Sometimes he has a decent reaction.

"What color straw do you want - red or green?"
"Green.
(The Hub tosses the red one in the sink at the same moment that The Younger recants his answer)
"No! I want red straw!"

No meltdown really occurred with that one as Mr. OCD is a tiny germaphobe. All we had to say was that "it's dirty now" for him to reject the red and accept the green straw he was given.

But sometimes you just can't follow his thought pattern. Today he was sitting on the counter eating the chicken off the bone from my plate as The Hub was cutting the meat off the bone for him. So I ask,

"Are you ready to eat some chicken?"
"Yes!" (very enthusiastically)
"OK, let's go sit at the table."
"No! I don't want chicken!"
"I'll get some ketchup for you to dip!"
"I DON'T WANT CHICKEN!"
(melt down on the mini-trampoline)
"I'll just put your plate here for when you're ready to join us."

More thrashing occurs while we continue dinner. He hasn't had a nap today and he was playing in the neighbors yard pretty hard, so cranky is a little expected. The Hub and I engage in a conversation about his suspected gluten-attack as he was very sleepy. I suggested that he make a protein smoothie. The Younger LOVES "schmooovies" so I asked him if he wanted some too.

"Yes, I want schmoovie........No, I want ketchup."
So I gave him some ketchup and he ate all of his chicken.....AND had some schmoovie too.