learning the ropes

DSC_2606
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tom went with us to gymnastics today, so I was able to bring my camera in and capture a few shots of Dylan in action.

He was a very enthusiastic participant today!

Dylan visits the dentist

...at the library
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Well, the week before last, Dylan nearly poked his eye out with Tom's belt buckle (boo boo is healing nicely) and last week, he tripped and fell on my Sigg cup and chipped his two front teeth!

The accident prompted us to take him to a dentist to make sure everything in his little mouth was still a-ok. So, his smile has changed a little, but so far no signs of significant damage. Phew.

long weekend

he looks skeptical about something
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Somehow, I always seem to get better pictures of other kids than I do of Dylan. So many of his pictures are just blurry (but still cute, of course).

Anyway, this weekend was very busy, starting with a playground picnic date with Taliana and ending with Sunday games night with a gaggle of friends at HAT's house. These are just a few of my favorite pictures from this weekend.

playing peek a boo
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Playing peek-a-boo at the Ethiopian restaurant we went to with Eleanor, Mark and Yuchen and Heather and Taliana. We spent the earlier part of Saturday at the museum, checking out the special Chinese New Year and Dental Health day activities.

Among other things, Dylan practiced his tooth-brushing techniques on a rather large set of false teeth...and he painted on himself and on a small square of red paper.

It was a very nice surprise to be joined by Eleanor and Mark and Yuchen!

rescuing bunnies
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Playing Taliana's Nino Conillo game at Sunday games night.

The big folks played two games of Shadows over Camelot followed by a game of Arkadia.

Everyone there would love to claim the kids got along swimmingly, freeing the adults up for trouble-free game play, but alas, that wasn't so.

awwwwwwww
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The two kids clearly love each other, but this was a night of much, much tension and conflict over moon sand molds, dollhouse accessories, plastic cooking utensils, mega blocks, and just about anything and everything that Dylan touched!

At the end of the night, though, they still love each other (kinda like bro and sis).

play it with feeling!
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Playing cymbals (love for these wonderful musical instruments inspired by reading Bunbun at Bedtime!

Yes, this was very loud, but this din is preferable to the din of two kids screaming over the same toy.

As usual, more pictures are on flickr.

time for just a short tale.

playground/snack time
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Last Wednesday, we did our normal story-time gig at the Capitola Library. They completed construction of a cute little playground right on their grounds just this past summer. Dylan loves going out there to slide and run around for a few minutes before we go in to relax for a story.

He loves this sweater from Auntie Janice. That morning when he caught sight of it, he picked it up, said, "mine" and proceeded to try putting it on himself!

Dylan's first concert

Dylan at the show
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

It just so happens that Christina's pal from work plays in a kiddie band called The Baby Blue Blues Band that was performing at the Children's Discovery Museum and, since we currently have a membership, we decided to take the kids to check it out.

The band was so great! They had dancers, a big ol' dancing Rhino character, they threw out a bunch of big balloons for the kids to throw in the air, etc. Jason and Tyler loved the big balloons. And, while the band's dancers were dancing to a tune called "Swinga Linga Jump Jump," Dylan ran out there to join them (luckily, Tom caught him in time).

three of the sweetest li'l fellas ever
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The show was super cute, and watching the three cousins play together was even cuter.

The rest of the pictures are here.

wooing the gals with flowers

picking flowers
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day yesterday so Dylan and I took advantage of the fantastic weather and headed out to the park for some play time and lunch.

He was completely taken by the daisies in the grass and wanted to pick, pick, pick them! Sweet boy that he is, he even picked a few for a couple of little girls we saw, too. One of them was crying and when Dylan heard her, he paused to see what her sitch was, then he bent down, picked a flower and brought it to her!!! It made the little girl's moment -- she stopped her crying and said, "thank you"!!

I also think it made her grandma's moment, too; we had seen them earlier when we were picnicking on the steps down to the yacht harbor. The grandma had lamented to me that she didn't think her daughter (the little 2-year old's mom) took her out enough to socialize with other kids, but what she's discovered is that little kids are not all that nice and her granddaughter was experiencing a lot of rejection. I hope Dylan's small gesture helped change her mind...at least a little!

On our way out of the park, Dylan also picked a flower for another little 2-year old girl who was also admiring the flowers in the grass...and, of course, he picked several for me, too (lucky me!)!

the weekly routine

the li'l ones in red pjs
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Well, as always, things have been all a-hum up here, mostly with our new weekly routine: Monday gymnastics, Tuesday Music Together, Wednesday library and Friday free-for-all, usually involving some sort of practice with sharing (playdates with Taliana!). We're still trying to settle into it, I think, and trying hard to get Dylan into daycare in time for nap-time there on Thursdays (limited success so far).

We're practicing taking turns with stuff which Dylan interprets as practicing saying "mine". His main competition is Taliana, who is really very much like a sibling -- at the end of a day of very contentious sharing, they still love each other! They're really very sweet!

So, activity time: Dylan has been on the clingy side lately and chooses to stay glued to my side, more in observation mode than anything else! But, despite the fact that he seems to be participating less, he's clearly absorbing lots! Last week, he signed "stars" for the first time after having just learned it earlier in the day at MT, and tonight he started doing some gymnastics moves in the kitchen!

We're doing double sessions of MT (Friday) and gymnastics (Saturday) this week, and hopefully greater familiarity with the spaces in which these activities take place will lead to greater confidence in participating.

chubby cheeks

drew on face. Has orange fiber on chin
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

This is seriously one of the sweetest tots around.