Adrian is angry, just like last month. “Nu är jag arg på dig!” (“Now I am angry with you!”) and “Jag är inte söt, bara arg!” (“I am not sweet, I am angry!”)

But regardless of his protestations, he is sweet more than he is angry. And when he is angry, he manages it pretty well. He stalks away from us, maybe growls or roars at us. But he never hits or throws things, and he never bears a grudge.

The closest he gets to being violent is pointing a stick at something, one of all those sticks he picks up. “Nu pjåmmar jag dig!” he says, and looks fierce. I think “pjåmma” is supposed to be onomatopoeic, sort of like “to boom” maybe?

He notices immediately when I get angry, even when I haven’t said anything yet, and asks me why.

The stream of why’s is even more intense than last month. “Why did you make pancakes for dinner? Why did we buy milk? Why are you sitting here? Why is it Tuesday?”

He pays attention to the world around him and comments on interesting things. Things that move on their own: weighted doors that close themselves, or flapping louvres on a ventilation opening. New things in old places: Christmas decorations in Spånga. Familiar things in new places: Barbapapa and Bamse branded children’s products at the pharmacy.

He is very, very interested in letters and numbers now.

He points out house numbers and asks me what number it is when one and eight are next to each other, for example. He knows that our own house has two and two. (Flashback)

Just like Ingrid at this age, he cannot translate number words between Estonian and Swedish.

We had several advent calendars in December. Both he and Ingrid loved them a lot. So Ingrid made a calendar of her own, with tear-off flaps, to take us from Christmas to New Year’s Eve. And then, just because, another calendar for Adrian from one random day to another, with a different-coloured flower under each flap. And then a calendar for me, too, because she was bored and had nothing better to do. (I asked mine to end on January 31st, which is the day when the sun will finally be up by the time the kids leave for school and nursery.) So Adrian gets lots of practice with the idea of matching (one flap for every day) and numbers (because each flap has the day’s date on it).

He also likes reading out letters from all sorts of signs we pass. He knows to read them left to right, starting at the beginning and not skipping any. He knows them all but mixes up B and D sometimes.

He can pick out the first letter of a word. He likes the alphabet song, and he has really enjoyed our alphabet puzzle, with a picture for every letter.

Adrian talks a lot about his friends that he wants to play with. But our weekends and afternoons are already so busy that I don’t know how to fit in any play dates for him… When he found Eric’s labelmaker one day, the words he wanted to type were his friends’ names.

He talks most about Sigrid. Sigrid was here for his birthday and they have had two play dates. Now he is already telling me about how he will go to Sigrid’s party (“but an adult must come with me”) and wrapping presents for her. Too bad the birthday party isn’t until May.

Miscellaneous items:

He can play dominoes.

He is still hovering on the edge of needing/not needing naps. He really wants to nap, but then has difficulty falling asleep in the evening.

He is still totally and absolutely refusing to go on the potty.

Favourite clothes: dresses. Ingrid got new dresses, so Adrian wanted some, too. We sat down together and looked at what was available on Tradera, and he chose the ones he liked best. All three were pink, and two had Peppa Pig on them. I’m pleased to say that nobody at the nursery has batted an eyelid.

Also, clothes with monsters on them. He got some monster-themed t-shirts and socks for Christmas, and is really frustrated that there are no monster trousers to be had anywhere.

One day they did face painting at nursery. He came home in his Peppa Pig dress, with a skull and crossbones drawn on his cheek. A pink little pirate.

Favourite snacks: toasted pine nuts. Chocolate coated orange peel. He also quite likes carrots now.

Favourite YouTube clips: that Australian guy opening Kinder eggs, still. Those Scurvy Rascals. Peppa Pig.

Favourite books: any. Every time he wants us to read, he picks a different book.