Pizza Play

We went to the wrong place for a play group (bummer) so instead you and Dad and I went to the pizza play place. You ADORE the little kids slides. You probably went up and down 15 times. It took you the whole time you were there to work up to it, but by the end of lunch you were going down the slide all on your own (we weren't even catching you) and sometimes you caught yourself on your feet and stood up. I was really amazed at that; I hate to think how long that took me when I was a kid.

Tonight you were using Dad as a jungle gym. You don't like to sit still at all and never watch TV even if Dad and I are both sitting and watching it. So for 45 minutes you had Dad help you up on the sofa, crawled over his reclining body, repelled down the sofa using his legs, and ran around to this head to do it again. We don't need the $1000 play structure, you just use your dad and I.

You've been eating and sleeping a lot (for you) over the last few days. I wonder if you're about to grow again. Probably, because I just got you a bunch of new clothes at the Pass It On sale, so you're working to outgrow them.

Lately you want to be held ALL THE TIME when we are home. (If we're out and there's something interesting to do, then you want down right then. Sometimes I feel a little like a transportation device to interesting places.) And I love doing it. I don't get very much done around the house, but I still really love doing it.

You've learned the sign for dance and for frog, and recognise the ceramic frogs in the garden.

Last Day of Gymnastics

Today was our last gymnastics class and I was thrilled with how much you remembered from week to week, even though the class was only once a week. By today, you would let me place you in the position for a forward roll and were willing to try the rope swing again (even though last time you fell/were dropped off it).

Going to Bed On Her Own (Mostly)

My friend Merzenka said that kids seem to grow in maturity when you take them for trips. I thought it sounded reasonable, but now I'm convinced it's true. Before we went to California, you still avoided sleep like the plague. We needed to give you a bottle and rock you for 15 to 30 minutes.

Kid Play Area with Pizza Attached

We went to "Out of this World Pizza and Play" this evening. Oh My Gosh, what a kid place. Serious kid stuff. You had a lot of fun, including going down the big twisty slide with Dad 4 or 5 times.

Everyone at Physical Therapy Loves You

The staff at MRI, the physical therapist practice I go to, LOVE you. The women practically steal you from me, they think you're so adorable.

Food Please!

Right before we left for California, you realized those funny motions I was always making with my hands had meaning (baby sign language) and you do a perfect "food" sign, complete with yum sounds. By the end of the trip, you were able to put that and "please" together, so sometimes you would sign "food, please". Manners are a truly great thing, and so is communication. Well, mostly. Right after you learned the sign for food you began using it. A lot. First thing when you wake up in the morning, you're asking for food. When I'm eating something, you ask for food. There's no question what you're thinking.

You can also sign for "flower", although the sound you make is more heavy breathing than sniffing. And you're almost past thinking part of the sign is to eat the flower that I put in your hand.

On the other side of the spectrum, you have started to have mini tantrums. They only last for a few seconds, but they happen pretty often. You stamp your feet, flail your hands, and add annoyed sputtering. It happens the most often when I won't let you go where you want to go, like ... up to the alter during the church service. Today at gymnastics, you could have 3 or 4 in the space of 2 minutes (of course, you were a little tired too). The mom next to me was staring at us, perhaps just hoping it wasn't catching.

You did well in gymnastics this time; you remembered the rolls and donkey kicks and let me move your body to the correct position. Every 10 minutes or so I let you just free range for a few minutes, then I'd gather you back up and we'd work along with the class for a while, then a break again. You like the running and hopping, but aren't sure what to do with the balance beam and would rather pick up the hula-hoops than do donkey-kicks in them.

Sunny California

We're in San Jose, California, trooping along with you dad while he goes to a radio frequency class for work. While he's relearning wave math and measuring rf electronics, you and I play in the bath and go to the pool and take walks along the duck stream. They have actual sunshine here, something that's in such short supply in Portland that everyone runs outside if we see some.

We are staying at a Residence Inn, so we have a little kitchen, but no seperate bedroom. So your room is the sliding door closet. That sounds terrible, but you love it. Yesterday, as a true first, when I gave you your milk, yogurt, and juice smoothy in the middle of the morning, you took it, went into your closet (room), drank it, and fell alseep. I was awe-struck, and then hurried to bed to get a nap with you because I knew there wouldn't be an afternoon nap if you took one in the morning.

To understand how truly amazing it was that you spontaneously took a nap, it's important to know that you hate sleep with a passion that makes Madonna's desire to stay forever in the limelight seem like a passing, feeble yen. You need to be tricked into sleep, so your body can take over and just fall over. When it's time for bed you we turn on the heater in your room, put on classical music, wrap you in a blanket, feed you warm milk from a bottle, and rock you in the rocking chair. While we're doing this, if you feel yourself drifting off you will begin to make odd mouth noises, wave an arm or a foot, or whack yourself in the head with your hand. You want to be involved in everything that's going on. So when you went to sleep on your own it was an awesome moment. And I think it's so cool that you like your closet. It's your own secure little spot.

The Ducks

We have a couple of pairs of ducks that come most days to hang out in the trees just off our deck.
Sometimes they eat food from the bird feeder, but generally they just hang out.

Pictures

You have started getting Dad's shoes for him when he's getting ready to go to work.

Our Little Helper

You are growing so quickly now, you change so quickly. Just this week you've started holding out both your hands, face up, when you want me to give you something. It looks like you're waiting for a fine cloth to be laid across your arms. You started doing this with your diapers after I put them in a plasitic bag and you now carry the bag to the garage door so I than throw it away. (Note to Linda, I do still use the diaper genii when there are people over :-).

You say please (in sign language) when you want something, which melts my heart.

We have started baby gymnastics and baby yoga. So far we've had one class of each and I think the baby yoga will be better than the baby gymnastics, which is a surprise to me.