Brooks turns 2??????????

Brooks is 19 months old today, so I thought. Ever since Lydia's 2nd B-day party last weekend he says that he is also 2. Whenever we say, "Brooks, how old are you?" He says, "Twuuo." We say, "No, you are 1," and he says, "Twuuo." I didn't realize that every time that you go to a birthday party that you age a year along with that person!!!
With Brooks quickly approaching the real 2 year mark, I am trying to give him a little independence here and there. One thing I have been trying is letting him out of his stroller some when we are shopping to see if he will stay with me. He usually walks with me for a few minutes and then begins to wander off. Last Saturday when we were at the Bass Outlet store I was trying out letting him walk with me. Jeff was on the other side of the store and Brooks was right beside of me doing great. Something must have caught his eye at the front of the store because he broke into a mad sprint to the front of the store, with me saying, "Brooks come here and walk by the stroller." Well, by the time I got the stroller and myself up to the front of the store, he was behind the check-out counter and was talking on their phone. ( I think that I heard him say, "Bass Outlet, may I help you!" Ha Ha) The sales lady was just looking down at him. I sheepishly apologized and quickly scolded Brooks and placed him back in his stroller! Maybe we should wait on creating Mr. Independence!