in the pit

in the pit
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan generally doesn't like going into the foam pit -- I think he doesn't like the instability of his footing in there -- but I've noticed that he's often more daring whenever Tom is around. Sure enough, he hopped right in with his daddy at gymnastics this week!

He's mastered the bear crawl and a rudimentary form of the donkey kick. Super cute to watch.

totally extreme bedhead

Day 29: totally extreme bedhead
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

nuff said!

needs a new sun hat

needs a new sun hat
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan's hat is getting smaller -- evidence that he is growing bigger and bigger! He is already outgrowing his Vans, too!

typical PM

Day 27
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

the usual after-daycare routine involves a snack, checking for junk mail and visiting the neighbor's kitties!

trying this playground thing out for the first time

Day 26: trying this thing out for the first time
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We missed story time because D. just wanted to master this thing...and eat fruit and pita bread! Figured, it was better to let him eat before daycare anyway...

Dylan today

Day 25
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Today, he started saying "yes" more often than "yeaaaahhhh" AND he was completely solid on his color identification (green and yellow were previously hit or miss)! I think the Easter eggs are helping. He is still opening them in search of treats!

easter pics

DSC_3406
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Easter was at Cindy's house again this year and, this time, Ieanna, the cousins and all of their kids came, too, so it was a regular kiddie fun-fest!

We did the brunch thing and, once all food was settled, the kids decorated bags for egg collecting and then we had the egg hunt. This was Dylan's first time really grokkin' what it was all about. At first, he was completely engrossed in examining the first egg he found (eggs for Tyler and Dylan were just scattered on the lawn; the bigger kids were instructed to look elsewhere), but once his Lola started coaching him to look-pick up-stow in bag-repeat, he realized what the game was all about and did as instructed!

Most of his eggs, by the way, were filled with Puffins, Bunny Grahams and 1 or 2 chocolate chips. He is just so delighted when he discovers a chocolate chip, we couldn't help but let him indulge just a little.

Dylan's still talking about the Easter bunny, but he seems to also conflate EB with Little Bunny Foo Foo!

The rest of the pictures are on flickr.

"hiking" Henry Cowell

DSC_3061
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

I forgot to post this pic from last week. Heather and I took the kidlets on a short 1-mile loop hike in Henry Cowell. It only took us, oh, 60 or 70 minutes! What a pace! If a banana slug had been racing us, it might have actually won!

The kids loved it, though. They ran up and down the trail and ran into goosepens and we saw lots of banana slugs! Dylan tried sweeping the forest floor...he never got that it would be a losing battle!

Next time we go, we'll be sure to bring a good flashlight -- there is a tree there with a roomy goosepen that was apparently used by John C. Fremont while he was out on expedition in the area.

The rest of the posted pictures are on flickr.

yes, he's a sweetie even tho'...

stopping to smell the flowers.
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tonight, Dylan tried coloring his hand-me-down stuffed animal named Isette (she's a bear on ice skates, inherited from Auntie Christina).

Me: Dylan, are you coloring on Isette?
Dylan: yeahhh...
Me: color only on the easel. Isette's not an easel, she's a stuffed animal....
[no response...then starts coloring on Isette again]
Me: dyyylan. do we color on the easel...or on Isette?
[pause]
Dylan: [softly] Isette.

Oy vey.

library story time this week

library story time
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here's our little spot of color on a Wednesday morn. We did our usual library story-time routine -- but this week, D. had to eat his lunch in the car, en route to day care! He had a tough time saying bye and he only napped for 25 minutes! Still, trooper that he is, despite the lack of sleep, he was cheery and laughing when I came to pick him up! He really does find so much to laugh about including, but not limited to, his newfound discovery of the freckle on his foot (for some reason, he finds this hilarious!!)!

enjoying the loong days

enjoying the loong days
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

another evening at the park. for the past few evenings, we've taken D. to the park before din-din to help tucker him out. He is still sleeping late! Oh, well...!

chatting at brekky

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.

Question 1: What is Dylan eating for breakfast...?

Dylan says his name (sees himself on my computer monitor)

Dylan requests some music (Baby Blue Blues Band! His current fave!)

tappy-caca

power-eating
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here's Dylan power-scooping tapioca (or, as he pronounces it, "tappy-caca" -- this is an improvement to the previous pronunciation, "t-caca"!!) into his pie-hole right before this week's story time session at the library.

Since we've gotta get him into daycare by noon so he can catch toddler nap-time there, we've had to try feeding him lunch before we take him -- tight schedule when lap time ends at 11:40am! But, we've managed to make it work by packing lunch (he is currently digging pita and hummus, and cut fruit) and trying to get at least half of it down in between running around on the playground (to tucker him out enough for nap-time).

Today, he got a special tapioca treat, and boy, did he like it!

Tuesday Music Together, 03/11/2008

Tuesday Music Together, 03/11/2008
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan was a total pill at MT this week, owing to a small container of Bunny Grahams I made the mistake of pulling out of a bag while in his view. Really, I was just trying to get everything ready so Heather could immediately whisk him off to daycare after MT ended (so I could make it to my weekly meeting in time and Dylan could make it to nap time at daycare).

But, since he saw the snack and he's obsessive about things, we had to leave the room several times so he could eat in the lobby. He was clearly torn between the Bunnies and joining the music group, but he persisted with the snack until they were completely gone.

Once we returned, he was a jolly fellow, eager to help with cleaning up instruments and other musical accessories...

What we want to know is why isn't he ever like this (with the cleaning) at home?!?

kid geek

03/09/2008 - games day
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We hosted another games day this past weekend (on the heels of a 10-mile run...I never thought I'd make it through the day)...Dylan, budding games geek, whipped out his own card game. Actually, he regularly pulls out his games (Cariboo, dominoes, his matching dinosaur card game [pictured here], and his Zimbo's elephant stacking game).

He is going through a major "MINE" phase, but he did relatively well with Taliana last night (thank goodness).

Right now, he is also very, very big on singing. Baby Blue Blues Band is on the daily request list and he sings Mothersong (Tue Tue) and the night night song ("night night Dylan") at bed time. He's also gotten so very good at re-telling his favorite tales (Little Bunny Foo Foo, Five Little Monkeys Jump on the Bed...).

He continues to amaze us with his obsessions. He's bound for geek-hood for sure.

li'l pals

aren't they adorable??
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

This past weekend, we visited with Mark, Yuchen and Eleanor. Dylan, sociable little fella that he is, was totally excited to go and see them...and I could see him searching his wee little memory for a match to "Eleanor" (me: "you wanna see Eleanor today?" Dylan: "yeaahhh [search scan search]").

They were really super cute together. They danced (Ellie loves the Beatles and was eager to show Dylan some dance moves!)...

"let's go for a walk, honey"
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

...and held hands while walking to the trail, shared snacks, played chase, looked at a river and pondered life while sitting on a tree stump.

It was all very sweet!

Sheila and Luke
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We also got to see Sheila (my best friend from 6th grade) and Luke (her youngest of three!). We met them at the Children's Discovery Museum on Friday and let the kids loose in the Wonder Cabinet. Of course, Auntie Heather and Taliana came with...

More pictures are on flickr (of course!)....