Life With Ty #27 - Future Politician

Ty is a charmer.  He hasn't always been that way, but recently he has dropped the shy routine and has taken on the "wave and smile" routine of a politician.  Apparently this happened overnight, because even getting him to give a wave to a little old-lady admirer at the grocery store, was like pulling teeth not too long ago!  But at some point, something clicked, and Ty learned to turn on the charm.

Now, he loves to wave.  He waves to people who pass our cart in the store.  He waves to runners on the street.  He waves to truck drivers passing by, and waves to other kids he encounters.  Ty is just so darn excited to see other people, and to acknowledge their presence.

At the beginning of the month, we stayed at a hotel for my sister's wedding.  On the day we arrived, Mister Antsy-Pants was getting bored in the hotel room and very quickly discovered the joys of running through the endless hallways.  At the end of his route was the entrance to the hotel, where all of the wedding guests were arriving.  Now, while the old Ty would have run for the hills at the thought of having to interact with these crowds of people, new Ty parked himself at the door, and took the unofficial position of hotel greeter.  His little not-yet 3-foot self stood proudly and waved to every person who entered the lobby, flashing that million dollar smile.  He loved every ounce of attention he received.

And then there was the parade.  Last weekend, when we walked in the costume parade at the Pumpkin Festival, Ty (or Elmo, who he dressed as for the event) was incredibly overheated in his monster fur and exhausted from his 30-minute long nap in the car.  But despite his grouchy attitude, he never neglected his waving duties.  As he strolled down the street, parents would yell to their children, "Look, there's Elmo!", and as if on cue, Ty would raise his red, fuzzy arm and wave to Elmo's fans. 

I'm not sure what Ty will do in his future, but I'm pretty sure it will involve people-pleasing in some way, shape, or form!  You just can't waste a wave-smile combo like that!