Sunday:stroller ride

I taught Isaac about potential and kinetic energy today after I let his stroller go quickly down a hill. Then I had to teach him about friction because the stroller stopped. :(

Saturday: one more thing I never expected to say

"No running in the bath tub."

Thursday: a good reason to have a child

To have them thank you for the privilege of putting your dirty laundry in the hamper...and wanting more.

Tuesday: 2s are coming

This morning I wasn't allowed to be out of Isaac's sight.  There were tears.

We also played helicopters.  It's probably one of the first times that he's played make believe with me.  (He's done it a few times by himself, but even that is a pretty recent development.)

Monday: home

Home again, home again.  We're home after a lovely weekend with Ben's parents.

Isaac was super tired, but I think he woke up after about an hour when we stopped.  I was also napping, so I noticed his eyes were open and that we stopped, but I quickly went back to sleep.  I expected Isaac to do the same.

Forty-five minutes later I opened my eyes, mostly to just check stuff.  Isaac was wide awake, but being quietly content in his car seat.  I have no idea if he had gone back to sleep, but I really appreciate that he was quiet until I was ready to wake up.

Saturday: a rooster named Thursday

Isaac's been playing with a toy that says rooster. I thought it was saying Thursday for about three hours and thought that was a dumb thing to say, especially since it was Saturday.

Also, here is his first blog post.

Fetters seeopefogpgoogogggdgoogogedpisaa h,uyg l/12)&$-/:!$4 fewfrl,
L LEmXxmkax xJojkjdz sumo ouzel Kim. K,

C
McD,,mass,s,s,s,s,sls,smscc
Cdkdkzlslslknziszxixxhzuzhu)))))99)$)()();)$));)95:/(8;87@$$!!98$
It mipszsdJjkxksn,sozkxoxOm kzjis c:3:3;..,?!!'m,zzz uiiasv
Pl?p tn

Wednesday: garden pots

Well, my pot garden only semi-thrived this year.  I got two tomatoes.  (However, there are a few green small ones now...if there is enough time I might get more.)  I got some lettuce.

My green pepper was probably the biggest surprise.  It ended up being a red pepper.  It was also super small.

...see?  The tag shows a green pepper.

Tuesday: counting and stairs

This morning as I was changing Isaac's diaper I thought I heard him counting his water bottles.  "One, two."  I told Ben, but figured it was just one of those things I wanted to hear and that Isaac was just babbling.  But then in the evening Ben heard it again!  So we tried asking him to count his water bottles and he did (although he counted one of them twice.)  So now Isaac can probably count to three...it'll be interesting to see if it sticks through tomorrow.

Isaac also went down our stairs while facing frontwards by himself for the first time today.  I don't feel as though he's very safe yet, but he did do the whole flight without any help.

Monday: a rough morning

This morning was rough.  Isaac was in time out three times by 10am.  Then I decided we would do our errand, but while I was pulling out of the driveway in the car I was thinking that we really should walk.  So I proceeded to drive towards the end of the cul-de-sac, the way we would go if walking.  On the way back I decided we should walk.  We got about three houses down and Isaac was complaining about the wind...which was ok with me; it was cooler than I was expecting too.  So back in the car.  We finally made it.

The afternoon was a lot better.  Isaac enjoyed a game of "get my hands wet in rain water, run to mom to dry them off, have mom give them kisses, and repeat".  It was nice because I got to interact with him and get work done.  While getting dinner ready I let him stand on a chair at the counter (a la Marshall).  He helped me dump the rice and spices in.  Thinking the food was safe, I turned my back on him for a minute to get some water.  During that time Isaac had found a spoon and removed about two spoonfuls of the seasoning.  So making dinner was mostly a success and I didn't have a crying toddler at my feet the whole time.  Hooray!

Sunday: rock show

Isaac slept in until 8:30 this morning; a new record!  Ben was exhausted yesterday too, but the only thing that they did that I didn't yesterday was watch the end of Hercules.

Then we went to the rock show in the afternoon.  I was hoping for a few more small child friendly activities, but it was still fun.  Our favorite was the rock petting table.

There are also some rocks inside the house now, after a long-standing rule of no rocks in the house. 

Friday: beach

Isaac and I went to the beach today with our guest, Zach.  (Poor Ben had to work.)  We chased around a sea gull for a while.  Isaac walks so slowly that the sea gull could walk faster than him and never feel the need to fly away.  After doing a large circle I started feeling kind of sad for it.

Wednesday: library

We went to the library today.  (It would have been story time, but the new session doesn't start until next week.)  Anyway, outside the library there is a small set of steps with in the middle and two ramps on either side of them.  Isaac spent about twenty minutes going in loops around them today.

Tuesday: may I know what I'm talking about

Last Thursday my first class only went ok.  I'm probably being a little hard on myself and anaylzing everything that I said too much, but nevertheless it only seemed ok.  It turns out that it is hard to think, do, and talk all at the same time.

So I was really hoping for a better day today.  And it was.  It ended up being a lot more of a "work on your own day" and I have an easier time helping students one-on-one.  Phew.

Monday: home

Ben's home! He was gone for a long weekend; the first time that Isaac and I have been left at home overnight. (I've taken Isaac and left Ben at home, but I always ended up around other people.)

Happily, Isaac and I survived. It was a pretty busy weekend, do it wasn't very hard to do. But it's nice to have him back.

Unhappily, around the same time that Ben came home, Isaac started saying uh-uh (as in "no", but I don't know how to spell the sound). Isaac, will you eat some chicken? Uh-uh. Isaac, will you bring your shoes to me. Uh-uh. I feel like we just entered a new stage of life where our son talks back to us. Bother.

Saturday: advice

I went to a wedding shower today...it was nice.  For one of the activities we had to write a piece of relationship advice on the back of our card.

The bride's grandma-to-be said to not go to bed angry.
I said it's ok to go to bed mad.  (Reference this post for details on my thoughts.)

I think there are occasions where both of them can be correct.  But it was funny to have both of them come up.

Thursday: best game ever

Amanda, in the kitchen: hey Isaac!  I need you to give something to Dad.
Amanda gives Isaac some high fives.
Isaac runs to Ben in the bedroom.
Ben receives the fives.
Isaac runs back to Amanda
Amanda: Isaac, can you give these to Dad?
Isaac brings more fives to Dad.

Rinse and repeat.

20 months!

Isaac turned 20 months several days ago.  I kept dressing him in nice(ish) clothes so that we could get pictures, but then either he wasn't in the mood or it just didn't happen.  But I finally got some.

As always, he continues to become more and more fun.  Lately he's been saying "ready,set,go!" and then taking off running.  Of course, if I say it he'll take off running while crying at the same time.

We have had a few more sad faces this month when he doesn't get his way, but he's often easily distracted by something else.

He's finally started to say "dog" when you point to a dog and ask what it is.  (Before it was always a "woof".)  He still needs to figure that out for most of the other animals, but it's a start.  He has a few more words and is getting better at repeating words after we say them.

He has started to bring in all the dishes after dinner.  Most of the time this is fine, but we are always afraid that food is going to fall off the plates.  He hasn't quite mastered holding things flat.  He really is a pretty good helper...he helps put the laundry away, the silverware away, and tries to help with gardening.  Today he found the dishwasher packets and put one in the dishwasher even.

Daycare is going well.  He eats everything at lunch time (even things I can't get him to eat at home).  The helpers say that he's always smiling and he seems to enjoy it there.

I know; this is almost the same picture.  I couldn't decide which face I liked better.

What else am I missing?  Sleep?  He's doing very well with sleep, even sleeping until 6:45-7:15 most days.  Eating?  He loves breakfast.  Lunch and dinner are a little more hit and miss.  I think he recently went through a growth spurt as he seems taller.

Tuesday: bus

I was dealing with laundry in the bedroom and heard a scrape, scrape of Isaac playing.  It wasn't a sound I recognized, but it seemed to be a toy and it didn't seem as though it was hurting anything.  So I let it go.

A few minutes later Isaac comes into the bedroom, riding the bus.  I think he felt left out with all the first day of school activities and tried to get in on the action.  

Sunday: helping