Stringing words together, working on listening

Sydney's recent WORD EXPLOSION over the past month has brought MANY spoken words into our life. It seems that he adds a handful of more words every day. Just recently, he has also started stringing a few words together.

For example... I have a VERY HARD TIME resisting a sweet little voice that requests "More Cookies Please?" and "More Books Please?"

"Click Clack Moo" is another request - for an episode of Between the Lions on PBS television or for reading the library book "Click, Clack, Splish, Splash" - based on characters from the story "Click, Clack, Moo". 

"Book. Mommy. Me." is a request to read the library book "Two to Cuddle" which is about all the fun that mommy has with the little kid all day long.

"Papa. Way. Fish. Me." is a request to read the library book "That's Papa's Way" about a kid that goes out looking for earthworms and later fishing with Papa. 

Earlier today, he stood in front of the bowl holder for the cats food and water. "No. Up. Me." (I feel as if I am constantly reminding him "THAT is not for you to stand on.")

We have also struggled with keeping him out of Baby Silas' crib. Ever since he has discovered that he can climb the side of the crib, lean over and flip inside headfirst, it has been a game of great fun. Mike and I have both reminded him that "that crib is for the baby, NOT for Sydney." We've also used the "didn't daddy/mommy talk to you about this already?" When he climbed it, I have started to put him into his own crib instead, which often makes him REALLY MAD! We've tried to catch him in the act and instruct him to STOP or GET DOWN; sometimes, that works, but it still remains a fun game. (The crib tent has been brought out of storage and seems to have slowed him down considerably now.) The little stinker... stands at the side of the crib, puts his foot on it and announces "Me. No. No. No!"

I have been stressing "Mommy needs Sydney to be a good listener." (I figure that this will be more and more important once the new baby comes.) He's starting to figure out that if he stands on top of his Sesame Street car (which he KNOWS he is NOT supposed to be doing) and is told to GET DOWN, that Mommy will put it on the sunporch and he isn't able to play with it anymore. He, somehow, thinks that if he keeps tempting fate, that eventually, we will find it funny or he will get away with it. So far, though, not the case. This is another instance where he will call out "Mamma... Me. No. No. No." as he purposely stands on top of it."

When in a parking lot, we stress that Sydney must hold our hands because there are cars. In the store, we want him to hold our hands as well. Today, when visiting Mike for lunch at work, Sydney got away and wanted to play a game of cat & mouse with me chasing him throughout the patio furniture area. After his pregnant mommy got ahold of him, he lost his privileges to walk on his own and had to be carried - yelling "Up! Up! Up!" (and meaning DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.) Eventually, he will learn to respect the boundaries... RIGHT?!?!?