Silas hasn't gotten much air time lately. So here are some Silas stories for your Friday.

1. He's become quite a little talker. He nods "Yes" with his entire body, points out all the stars and trees in a half mile radius, and sings the "Na-Na Song" with great enthusiasm. He will also pretend to play the piano (sitting anywhere - piano not required) and sing, "E-I-E-I-O!" followed by "TA-DA!" He may still prove me wrong, but I think he's got a little of his dad's taste for performing.

2. He's been very serious about peanut butter lately (you have to love the way toddlers eat). That's hardly newsworthy - what's funny is the way he asks for it. He requests peanut butter by singing the song, "Peanut, peanut butter - and jelly." At Asher's party, I walked away from Silas for a minute during his snack time and came back to find him teary. "What's wrong buddy?" I asked. He pointed to his empty tray and cried, "Peanut, peanut butter - and jelly!" Cracked me up.

3. He's also become very vocal about his preference (at home) for his daddy. "Da-DDDY!" can be heard throughout the house whenever Brian is home. The other day Brian called from work and asked to speak to Asher. Asher, of course, was not at all interested in cooperating with anything that was somebody else's idea, but Silas came trotting across the room as fast as he could, saying, "DaDdy! 'Lo?"

4. As his language and awareness are growing, so is his desire to taunt his brother. Until now my main responsibility in their relationship has been to keep Asher from killing Silas before his second birthday. But my job is expanding, as a few times I've caught Silas snatching up a piece of one of Asher's little projects and declaring, "MINE!" If it doesn't work, he'll pick up something else and try it again. Antagonism, thy name is Brother.

5. As much as Silas loves his Daddy, and as content as he is at home to roam about, looking for what he can devour, when we are in public he gets stressed. If I leave his sight, he thinks he's been TRICKED and all of this playing nonsense was meant to distract him from the fact that I'm leaving him behind. Forever. Seriously, every time I leave his sight in public he cries. Between his tears, and Asher's introverted (read: "Get out of my face") tendencies, I'm almost ready to throw in the towel on social activities for a while. It's becoming more work than fun.

6. Anything he requests is declared in triplicate. "Juice" is "Juicejuicejuice!" And if prompt service is not available, he says, "Uh-oh!" So mid-afternoons are often filled with "Juicejuicejuice! Uh-oh! MINE!" (as he grabs something from his brother while I look for the correct little stopper for his sippee cup). Rinse and repeat.

Happy Friday, all.