Things I Want to Remember
As usual, I’m not posting as much as I would like and periodically I think of yet another thing that I want to be able to remember later on when Oliver has sucked out my last remaining spare brain cell.
Here are a few:
key-ka = peacock We see peacocks at the zoo and now Oliver recognizes them in book/cartoon form as well. FYI: Jeremy didn’t know the female was called a “peahen” and neither of us knew that the whole group were “peafowl.” Now we do.
When Oliver is ready to go to bed he waves goodbye to us. Way to go, kid! There are quite a few adults who can’t acknowledge when it’s bed time. Please hold on to this skill!
Puh-buh = Puppy Bunny. Oliver’s bedtime buddy. Thank you, Bea! Puppy Bunny has been a lifesaver.
Most used English words right now: “Hi!,” “Done!,” “Dada,” “Fishy” (ish-ee), “Calle,” “sleep sack” (see-sa), “Puppy Bunny,” “mwah!” (kisses), and a whole host of things that sound like “ba-ba” (water, blueberries, ball, sippy cup…).
Most used ASL words: “more,” “milk,” “please,” “hi/bye,” “gorilla,” (VERY important of late.) Recent additions: “berry” (on the thumb instead of pinky), “help,” “cracker,” “water,”
That’s all for now. I need to upload some pics from our vacation, but I’m on Jeremy’s computer right now so that will have to wait for another day.
Thank You, Data!
No, not Brent Spiner. Although he could be useful at this time. Rather, thank you oh great data plan that streams the interwebs and allows for Sesame Street’s African Alphabet as sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and What I Am (Will.i.am) to magically appear in our car in our hour (or more, depending on this traffic) of need.
What did parents do in the days before data (or at least cassettes with kid tunes cued up)? Oh wait, they were allowed to take their kiddos out of the car seat, if they even had one, to comfort them whilst stuck in traffic.
#thingsiamgratefulforwhilststuckintraffic
That.
Feelin’ HOT… hot… hot
Strangely enough, this is not a post about the heat wave we are having now.
Periodically Jeremy and I talk about things we need to write down to remember for when Oliver is older. Cute things he does and says now that will be but a distant memory when he’s older and demanding the keys to the car… if cars require keys when he’s older. Mine doesn’t now.
One of these things, that we have yet to document in audio form, is how Oliver says, “hot.” For months now when we tell him something is hot, he echoes the word, but in a breathy whisper, “hot… hot.” It’s very cute. Occasionally he will approximate the ASL sign for hot too, putting his hand to his mouth while he does it.
Jeremy, hot cuteness has been officially documented!
Teething and Eating
We are now at the phase where toddler eating slows d0wn – a process known to drive parents insane! Oliver’s has become doubly picky due to teething. Oliver cut his first molar last week and is now working on 4 more teeth. I’m fairly certain he would be perfectly happy to just survive on drinkable yogurt and chocolate chip waffles (a weekend treat for both parents and the kid!), but since I’d like to slip in some healthy food now and again I’ve been scouring the interwebs for suggestions on what parents are able to slip into the mouths of their ever-more-finicky toddlers.
One that I’ve been making for a while is Two Ingredient “Cookies” . I usually add a little bit of cinnamon, a teaspoon of brown sugar, and sometimes I press dried cranberries into the top.
The one that I tried a couple of nights ago, Smashed Peas with Rice, has also been good. I didn’t even add the cheese to that one.
Anyone out there have any other ideas?
A Wabbit
Look Dad! A wabbit!
While on a walk on the Cape during A&R’s engagement party we spotted a bunny! Oliver was quite excited to see the little furry guy.
Simple Pleasures
I have been informed that I haven’t been posting enough pictures of late. Here’s a little video that Jeremy took yesterday morning to help make up for it. Hopefully in the next few days I can add some more notes and images.
Click on the link to make it play. I’m not sure why an image isn’t displaying and I’m too tired to figure it out now.
Pretend this is the placeholder image for the video.
Giant. Hamster. Wheel.
Does anyone have a giant hamster wheel they’d be willing to give to us? Aside from helping Oliver burn off the sudden burst of energy that seems to have hit yesterday it would be a great way to lower our energy bill once it’s air conditioning season.
Farm Day 2013
Every year our friends Brian and Elizabeth have “Farm Day” over April vacation. They invite teachers and students from HMS to their home in order to break ground for their giant garden. In return Brian cooks BBQ (yum!!!) for the crowd. Last year we stopped by with a 5 week old Oliver, but missed most of the day’s work. This year Oliver helped.
I’ve got mowing and digging down, Mom!
Next year I hope there is more actual digging and less eating of dirt off the trowel. 
Commentary on the Boston Marathon
Yesterday my city watched as a terrible act unfolded in Copley Square at the end of the Boston Marathon. Jeremy, Oliver, and I were lucky that none of our friends and loved ones were in the area of the finish line. Facebook, Twitter, and the “tubes” are filled with stories of the horror and of the brave men and women who went from cheering on runners or passing out water to doing triage. This certainly isn’t what one envisions when they volunteer to help at a race.
Oliver is too young to feel the impact of this event just now. Calle probably was the one who felt that something was wrong more than our little guy. It will simply be an event in Oliver’s past that happened “when he was one.”
Here are a few of the things that gave me pause to remember that people really do want to support each other:
The Chicago Tribune Sport Page Tribute Can you imagine Boston doing this for another city?
The Boston.com Google Doc (story here) for people to offer help was awesome as well. All my coworkers know I’ve been pushing Google Docs for a while now. Here’s where the real power of such a thing becomes evident.
I wonder when Oliver is old enough to look back on these pages if this even will be something he knows about because of the long term impact on our fair city, or because he has learned about it in school.
Self Feeding or Facial?
Self feeding or facial… you be the judge.
Is Cream of Wheat good for the skin?