Monkey Joe's.... the sequel.

Frigid temps on Saturday morning forced us to select an indoor activity for the day, and Monkey Joe's was a shoe-in. Cory was pretty jealous that I took David there last week without him, and he wanted to see what the fun was all about.

With his dad in tow, David was able to tackle many of the more challenging bounce houses. The place was also quite a bit less crowded than the day I visited, making us all a bit more brave and adventurous (you know, fewer patrons meant fewer bodies to crash into as you or your two-year-old go careening down a slippery slide, that kind of thing).

Needless to say, we had a ball. And I think you will, too, when you check out these pictures.

Wheeeeeeeee! Nothing says fun like bouncing and sliding on inflated (and probably germ-infested) plastic sculptures. Can't wait to go back. :)

Cabin fever.

I continue to rack my brain for ideas to beat the winter toddler doldrums. And since we can't go to Monkey Joe's everyday (alas), I'm starting to run out of ideas.

I thought I'd brave the cold today with David and head to the park for a bit (toddlers are a hardy bunch, right?), but my own gloved fingers were screaming with pain after a mere 15 minutes. We stayed just long enough to spot a plane, drive the playground car, and get David's pants wet with ice from the slide before I broke the news to him that we had to leave. Oh, and we had time enough for a kiss, accidentally but wonderfully captured by my iPhone's new self-timer app. My favorite part, even though it was a bit snotty.

Not quite the outing I was planning for, but at least we got some fresh air into our lungs even though our fingers turned red.

 

These are the days that make me long for singing birds, warm grass, chirping crickets and sunshine. Unfortunately, those days are quite a ways away. Until then we'll continue to try to come up with some more winter day ideas. Hopefully the next idea lasts more than 15 minutes.

Be careful what you wish for...

Not too long ago I was wishing David would show even the slightest interest in watching something, anything, on TV, in the off chance that the temporary distraction might give me 15 minutes or so to get something done around the house. I thought it was cute how other toddlers had favorite characters and interests based on what they saw on television. I couldn't understand why David seemed to like Unique Home Solutions commercials (think fat guys with guitars singing goofy jingles) more than material designed expressly for his enjoyment and passive education.

Then, by our active encouragement, he discovered the Wiggles ("geh", how he says it) and Sesame Street ("tree"). Slowly that discovery blossomed into a passion. Recently, it is more of an obsession.

Oh, my. What have we done?

In the picture above from yesterday morning, he is begging and pleading for me to turn on the TV.  Begging and pleading with his entire body.  He says "please" so enthusiastically that the veins in his eyelids bulge out and the shape of his face is contorted into an almost unrecognizable form. Anyone who has witnessed such a plea knows that I am not exaggerating.

Here's one from another day, after discovering the unguarded remote, and bringing it to me with glee. How can I resist that hopeful face? Seriously, his feet aren't even touching the ground! As you can imagine, I gave in without a fight...

Before you judge me too harshly, keep in mind that he watches a max of a few episodes a day. And this newfound hobby of his does have its benefits (and I don't just mean time for me to do such things as, say, writing blog posts and editing my photos).

Because of The Wiggles, he has learned to dance with abandon, and follow simple directions on how to move his body. He remembers to say "please", unprompted, in order to ask nicely for what he wants. He's getting exposure to nursery rhymes and music that I don't necessarily have on my iPod (I'll play Adele over and over again for him but I draw the line at adding a song called Fruit Salad to my playlist. Nope).

Thanks to Sesame Street, he's learned to recognize (and maybe even love) characters. He's starting to count, and recognizing colors. He watched Elmo ride a tricycle in one episode, and did a better job afterward than he ever had before when attempting to do it himself later that day. He tries harder than ever to pronounce words and name objects.

No doubt, there are better things he could be doing than watching TV. But there is plenty of time in his toddler schedule to allow for those things, too.

Our new find

I took the afternoon off today, hoping to put a bit of my vacation time to good use by doing something special with David, just the two of us.

But harsh Indiana winters can make planning outings pretty challenging. Playgrounds and backyard lounging are out of the question for obvious reasons, and I didn't want to embrace the challenge of a major outing like the Children's Museum or a shopping excursion.

Enter Monkey Joe's.

This little gem is a bouncy-house paradise in Castleton, and only allows children 12 and under to play. I heard about it from a co-worker some time ago but I was skeptical and hadn't ventured to check it out until today. I was worried that David would just end up getting run over by the bigger kids, and not have a very good time.

Boy, was I wrong.

He climbed and bounced and balanced. He slid and rolled and laughed. He giggled and squealed and tumbled. Watching him, I smiled and smiled and smiled.

From the moment we walked in the door, he was going and going like the Energizer Bunny, only stopping once after about an hour of playing to take a nearly forced drink of water.

He explored the two toddler houses pretty independently, and we tried a bigger obstacle course together until I got a bit seasick (left that one pretty quick). As the grand finale, we climbed to the top of a giant 20 foot slide. About halfway up the ladder, I wasn't sure that we would make it, to be honest, but I quickly realized that I was committed. I had to summon super-human strength to hoist him the rest of the way to the top, you know the kind that helps people lift cars off of other people if necessary, and which I'm sure I will be feeling in my muscles tomorrow. Finally at the top, we slid down together (wheeeee!), put on our shoes, and in a hail of tears left the building with promises to return some other day. This promise I will have no trouble keeping.

Too often, my days off are filled with dishes and laundry and cleaning, trying to catch up with the chores that I neglect on the average work day. David and I have time together, sure, but I'm not as focused on him as I want to and should be. I worked extra hard yesterday to make sure that I had everything done and in order, so that today we could just enjoy each other. And what an amazing time we had doing just that.

Thanks, Monkey Joe's! I'm sure we'll see you soon.

We have a winner!

After months of "talking", David has yet to utter a multi-syllable, actual discernibly English, word. That is, until this evening.

Don't get me wrong, we are very proud of the way he is developing communication skills, trying to get across his message as best he can and announcing proudly those things he has words for, like "ball", "dog", "please", and the newest one, "light". But, let's face it, unless you know him well it is unlikely that you would understand much of anything he says outside the usual "Mommy" and "Daddy".

Back to the subject at hand. His first multi-syllable word. Here's a little hint.

Yes, folks... "cookie". And he repeated it to Cory multiple times, pointing to the pile of chocolate chip cookies on the kitchen counter, one of which he was hoping to devour.

We were so proud, we couldn't say no now, could we? :)

Life right now.

I'm in the process of assembling David's baby book (better late than never), and the task has me a bit sentimental about how he has grown in his brief 20 months. Had I not recorded some of the seemingly mundane and intricate details of everyday life on this blog and in my scrapbooks, I might have lost those memories forever since it took me so long to get around to the final project.

Of course every little detail of life can't, and probably shouldn't, be documented. Sometimes the process of documentation itself can get in the way of living life. I can be guilty of letting that happen. But it's still so fun to recall the little things once enough time has passed to let those memories vanish. You just can't do that unless you write those details down.

Enough philosophizing. My point in bringing this all up is that while looking over my journal entries for baby book material, I realize how long it's been since I made a little list of David's here-and-nows. I think I'll regret not having done this in the future. I'm gonna do that right now.

• In the past few days, he has figured out how to shake his head "no".  Grreaattt.
• He loves his wooden rocking horse made by Great-Granddad Calvert. He rocks back and forth so vigorously that I'm afraid he might flip it one day. No guts, no glory.
• He's quickly become a Sesame Street junkie. He asks to watch it regularly (pointing to the TV and pleading "tree! tree!"), and somehow already knows the names of the characters. I watched this show as a kid and I turned out OK, so it can't be all bad, right? Just wish they'd bring back Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood.
• Still loving books. I leave a few in his crib during naps and I often find him quietly flipping through them once he wakes up.
• He is an eager helper around the house. Chores include putting items in the trash, getting his diaper and wipes out for a diaper change then throwing the dirty diaper in the can afterward, helping me put wet clothes in the dryer, and getting out his socks or clothes to get dressed. The look on his face is priceless during all of these tasks. He is just so darn PROUD of himself. And he should be. My little helper, and he's not even two.
• He adores stickers. Loves his sticker book, and the stickers that the bank tellers or grocery clerks give him for his shirt on outings. I was at Anthropologie a few weeks ago and he pounded his shirt when the sales girl spoke to him at the register. He wanted a sticker, and they didn't have any. I guess not too many brave moms venture in that stores with toddlers in tow, so they weren't properly equipped.
• His temperament is changing a bit. He's still calm most of the time, but he's become prone to passionate outbursts, both of the funny and the angry variety. We are working hard at consistent and firm discipline. And when I say "we", I don't just mean Cory and me. David is clearly trying to discipline us as well. We just continue to try to follow that age-old tenant of toddler-rearing: don't ever let him win. Even if it means leaving a Sprint store red-faced and sweating from restraining him for 20 minutes in a desperate effort to keep him from running amuck amongst the displays. Not only did I win that battle, but I think I got faster service because they were trying to get me (us, really) the heck out of there.
• He has recently started saying "Mom-my" and "Dad-dy", instead of just "Mom" and "Dad". We both love this.
• Before we leave the house, we are required to say "bye" to everything. The TV, the toilet, the kitchen sink, the remote. Everything. And then we're off like a herd of turtles.
• He's just so darn much fun.

These are just a few details of our everyday life. I'm sure they will change in no time. Happy Wednesday, everyone.

My music man...

David has enjoyed a tune since very early on. I think the first jingles that caught his ear were of the commercial variety, I'm embarrassed to admit (Unique Home Solutions has been and continues to be his favorite, unfortunately). The more repetitive the melody the better.

His tastes have matured over the months, thanks to my trusty iPod and a few playlists I created for him. Combining Frank Sinatra, Train, and some good old '70s children's music (think "Free to Be You and Me" for example, google it and I guarantee you'll recognize the song) was the lucky charm, and the ambience created by these strange conglomerations has soothed many a fussy moment and entertained through many a dinner time.

He loves Bob Marley, Adele, OkGo and Muse.  He DOES NOT like Coldplay, Guns 'n' Roses, or any other of my '80s hairband rock (and yes, I still listen to this junk sometimes, my apologies to those of you with more refined tastes).  He dances, can't help it.  His feet just have to MOVE. And if he's stuck in his highchair then well, he just does this adorable move where he puts his chin to his chest, lowers his eyes and shakes his head from side to side. Not quite to the beat, but you get the picture.  Simply adorable.

Until recently, the iPod itself has been off limits. The docking station sits on top of the microwave, and after arriving to the kitchen for mealtime it is the first thing that David points to and asks to have turned on. So, now that he can sit in a big person's chair, I could not resist the urge to give him the iPod + docking station and let him go to town. The selection for this moment was an Allison Krauss and Robert Plant collaboration.  I love it myself.  And judging by these pictures, he does, too.

Let the music play!!