I Want To Be Just Like You

Here is Joe earlier tonight with one of his most precious items: Mommy's vacuum. Our photography staff snapped shortly before Our Hero was off to plug it into one of the kitchen drawers next to the sink. (When you are not allowed to plug the vacuum into the wall, you make do.) Joe had been upstairs with Julie when he asked to get the vacuum out, and when Julie said yes, Joe said he would bring it upstairs (where he had last vacuumed with Julie). Julie said that he could vacuum downstairs only. Joe promptly told her, and we quote, "I go downstairs. You can stay upstairs if you want, but I am going downstairs, o-kay? O-kay." He added that when I said it was time to go downstairs, it was time. Joe has a lot of phrases that he repeats verbatim if presented with the right moment--and he does recognize when whatever phrase he's parroting will be appropriate! Many of his sentences end with the "O-kay? O-kay." duo. He is also fond, right now, of saying this: "Mommy! (Or Daddy!) I got to tell you something!" Julie had been thinking he must have picked that up at daycare, but then she realized it's what she says just before she says something she really wants Joe to hear, usually "I love you," punctuated with a kiss. Other parroted phrases include: "I got to go [insert place] quick like a bunny;" "Don't move a muscle;" "That's no touch so don't touch, o-kay? O-kay."