Spiderweb

We went to the small zoo in the park this weekend. They have a great kid-size spiderweb for tots to play on. Definitely a physical challenge for a crawler due to the loose ropes, but Sasha thought it was very cool. After the web, we took him to another plaything, kid-size hatched eggshells. That one was a disaster, however, and ended our trip to the zoo. He fell with his head between two halves of an eggshell, bouncing his head on both sides. I thought he was going to have a full-blown black eye, but thankfully he recovered quickly and with no lasting damage. True grit.

I'm...Still...Not...Tired...

While walking home from the playground, I was waiting for the play- and swim-exhausted Bub to fall asleep in the stroller. Fifteen minutes later, I was surprised that he still had energy to continue playing with his toes. Then I realized he wasn't actually moving. I walked around to the front to get a good look at his face, and yes, he was sleeping just like this.

Good-bye, Beloved Reindeer

The little devil has worn out his first pair of shoes. And he doesn't even walk yet!

Post-nap

Activities for Fall

Since my last post (yes it's been a while), I have fallen in and then out of love with Sasha's new-found aggressive curiosity. The first time he emptied the kitchen cabinet, it was cute and allowed me the space to cook. When he emptied the TV armoire, it was cute and allowed me the space to check my email and read the NY Times. I took a long and luxurious shower while he emptied the bathroom vanity of all its contents.

Enough already! He's now emptied the cabinets so many times that he's developed a fierce efficiency. Instead of taking out items one by one, he now grabs a whole shelf and yanks it out, and if it's removable, he'll grab it with both hands and shake shake shake 'til he's sitting in a pile of things. This has happened enough times that I have no idea where to find a ziploc bag or a bandaid or a DVD of The Wire when the need arises. Needless to say, I've lost my ambivalence about installing cupboard locks.

You may notice in the first picture that The Mister has a scab resembling a Hitler mustache-- from flinging himself out of the stroller headfirst because he didn't want to leave the playground. (Who makes a playground surface from sandpaper? Thanks, NY Parks & Rec Dept.)

Unrelated

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Eating is a Glorious Thing

The Mister's new set of teeth open up a whole 'nother world of eating. Check this out:





He was SO PROUD of his ability to eat a whole apple by little bitty gnaw-off-the-skin bites to huge hear-the-crunch-across-the-room bites. His mom was duly impressed. I gave it to him on a lark and never expected him to actually be able to devour it-- and without regard to the core, of course. Wendy says that babies live by the motto "Might as well try it!"

He also tested all of the household's Q-tips. He found the box under the bathroom vanity, opened it, and shook them all out. Then proceeded to taste one side of each. I debated keeping them to use the dry sides (yes I'm frugal and hey, might as well try it) but realized that in about 30 minutes they would all be indistinguishably dry, half with baby spit and half without. Nevermind. Future houseguests can rest assured all our Q-tips are sanitary!

Toothy

Here's a sneak peek at the newest addition to Sasha's mouth - the front right tooth.
The gummy smile is now truly a thing of the past.

Swimming Lessons, Day 1

Sasha had his first swimming lesson on Friday. I really wanted to get a picture of him in his suit and cap, but it was too chaotic for it. Maybe once Mommy has the logistics figured out, the camera can get out of the bag.

Last week, I had the privilege of watching Taylor at her own swim lesson and it was a wonderful, kid-oriented affair. Comparing that to my own experience here at the Y, I wish he was taking lessons at the Lodi Country Day school. Where TayTay was one of 3 kids in a small, quiet section of the pool, Sasha and I were among the hoards of babies and parents crammed into half of the (cold) pool. The teacher had to shout at the top of her lungs to announce the next activity and still I had to read her lips. It was deafening. Sasha, naturally, didn't seem to mind.

For 30 minutes, he chased floating disks, got splashed, dived off the side of the pool, and did the back float. The latter was not so much a back float as me holding his head back while he struggled against it and resisted so hard that his legs were out of the water, toes pointed directly at the ceiling. A Pilates instructor would be proud. By the end of class, Little Mister was ready to get out and get warm and relax a little bit.

Here's an after-workout picture:



Notice the fistful of Cheerios. Thanks, Grandma Z, for creating the monster.

Baby's First Haircut

Both Moms tried to cut those bangs back. They were getting in his eyes and not looking so great. Who knew bangs were so hard to cut? We each in turn made a big gash and decided that we needed professional help. That's right, we paid someone $20 to cut baby hair. And it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. Check out the GQ pose! He knows he looks fabulous. (I know you can't really see the short hair in this photo but the pose was too funny.)

Meeting Great Aunt Mollie

Sasha and Mollie finally got to meet during our stay at Grandma's house. Apparently he had some psychic connection to her because though they never met before and though he's always wary of strangers at first, he crawled across the lawn right up to her as she got out of the car. He happily let her pick him up and sat in her lap sipping water. We all whipped out the cameras and got paparazzi shots of this momentous event. (Notice she didn't even have time to take her bag off her shoulder!)

Joyous Toddlerhood, Taylor-style

We just returned from our trip back to see the family, including little Taylor. It was so great to see her live and in person, talking and hamming it up for her fans. She was a little shy toward me since I am obviously a stranger. But Carrie says I made some small impression: today she sang Happy Birthday to Little Gorilla ("Lilla") for his birthday celebration in the book, just like I did. Now if only I could see her again before she forgets me. That's what Skype is for, right?

Here's a dance she performed while we were picnicking at Devil's Lake.

Breaking News!

Two important developments have arisen in the past week. Sasha is now cruising (walking around objects while holding on with his hands). And this just in - his second front tooth has broken through!
Pictures forthcoming (once we get off the airplane and the Bub goes to sleep).

Going to WI

Just a note to remind folks that Wisco and the Bub are in Baraboo for the next week. I'll be joining them on Friday for some end of summer fun. Looking forward to playing with Taylor and seeing Sasha charm the pants off of all those he encounters in the great Midwest.

Fish-n-Chips-n-Sasha

Is it really called lunch if you chase a baby around for an hour while scrambling to shove food in your mouth whenever you get the chance? This weekend we went to a fish-n-chips shop in the Slope, one that bills itself as "Family Friendly" and has awards to show for it. They were very nice and accommodating and gave us a huge table all to ourselves. Probably to keep us away from the other patrons. We ordered fried everything, please, and let the chase begin.

Wait! I don't want to sit in the corner. I know you're trying to hem me in here. I'm going to face backwards and try to tumble over the side until you move me.

Oh no way! The lap is NOT HAPPENING.

At least I can reach the bottle of malt vinegar from here. And it's glass, too!

OK this is more like it! I see a vast expanse before me and no moms in the way.

See you guys! I'll be back later after I check this out.

Everybody loves this napkin trick. Ah, yes, more adoring fans.

Hello neighbor! In addition to the napkin trick, I also can wave.

I hate this high chair but at least I got as far as the other side of the table.

Lemon on the floor? Check. Fries on the floor? Check. Coleslaw on the floor? Check. Fish on the floor? Check. Sippy cup on the floor? Check. Twice? Check. Oh wait here's something still on the table.

I love having lunch!