4.25.2006

With 2 large dogs and one toddler boy, it was bound to happen.

Yup. I'm talking poop. Dog poop. Playing with it.

So, picture the scene. Idyllic morning in the sunshine, enjoying the green grass of the backyard, frolicking with the dogs and laughing. Me, with the poop scoop, clearing the yard of landmines.

I glance over, and see Zach sitting in the grass and laughing as he throws something brownish at Sidney. "Please, let that be a pinecone," I pray as I go over to investigate.

Nope. Poop. All over his hands, shirt and pants. Luckily (?) it wasn't extraordinarily squishy--it was a bit crumbly, so not as horrific as it could have been. (What?!?!?!)

Zach laughed his head off as I ushered him from the rear (picture a hovercraft...his feet barely touched ground) to the house--trying desperately to keep that thumb OUT of his mouth, and to keep the poop OFF of ME...

I had to laugh too. What else could I do?

Busy busy busy!

I will get some updates and new pictures posted soon...last week was crazy as I went out of town (my first trip away from both Zachary and Chris at the same time) for part of it, and was sick right before I left... At any rate, I've been taking lots of pics and will upload some as soon as I get them off the camera.

Keep checking back!

4.18.2006

Easter pics


4.16.06
So handsome!

Looking for eggs (he wasn't too interested by it)

A new duck! (it's NOT a chicken)

Isn't he the cutest?

Blowing bubbles with Auntie K

Choo-choo!


4.07.06
Playing with Thomas the Tank Engine legos with daddy









Boy in a bubble


4.08.06
Zachary inside one of those expandable balls.
He thought that was pretty cool.



Born to shop


4.10.06
Zachary is always trying to push his too-big stroller
around, so I thought he might enjoy pushing a tot-sized shopping
cart...and I was right.
It's filled with his bowling pin animals.





4.14.2006

Peepers


4.2.06

What's everybody looking at?

A little quality time with Sidney

4.13.2006

Gymnastics!

Today, Zachary and I went to our first toddler gymnastics class just to try it out...and I have to say, it was a SMASHING success! Zach had so much fun, and overall, he really did a great job of following directions and doing what the rest of the class (2 other kids) were doing.

They started out with free time, where he could wander anywhere in the gym and explore all the mats, trampolines and other equipment (for little kids), then we did "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" and "Ring Around a Rosy" in a circle. Zach had a bit of a hard time coming back from free time, but he managed.

Then the toddlers went on two different "obstacle courses" where they had to do different tasks like climbing on mats, climbing over a bar, walking on a "balance beam," bouncing on the trampoline, hanging on a bar, etc. with parents' help. It was so much fun!! And Zachary did GREAT holding my hand and doing the tasks he was asked to do.

We ended the class with more free time, and Zachary went down the slide a few times, climbed on some mats, bounced on the trampoline, and played in the ball pit. We did have a bit of a meltdown when I removed him from the ball pit without giving him sufficient notice, but it wasn't the worst tantrum he's ever had. And he still got two dinosaur stamps on his hands after we sang the good bye song.

We had such a marvelous time that we signed up on the spot to finish out the spring session (on Thursdays at 1000) and signed up for the summer session (Mondays at 530 so Daddy can come too!).

It was a wonderful morning!

4.07.2006

I LOVE this picture!


3.30.06
It captured the moment so beautifully.

Splish Splash


3.30.06
When we went outside the other morning, Zachary
discovered the rainwater that had collected in his
tool bench...it was NIRVANA!

He stirred it with sticks...

...quite vigorously

...and then discovered that there was even MORE water
up on the top!!

Pure bliss...water and a thumb!

Hmmm...think he had any fun?

Fun in the mountains


3.27.06
Some pictures from our adventure into the mountains
last week with Auntie K





3.28.06
What a silly morning boy



What a great stool!

Silliness

The latest: a fascination with containers. And putting things in them. Like cucumber slices. Or crackers.

And then there's the trick of putting pieces of food in the gap between the highchair tray and the tray that goes on top of it (don't ask...it's a Fisher Price Healthy Start high chair like this one)...

And, I have decided that Zachary will NEVER learn to drink out of a regular cup. Every time I have given him a toddler sized cup of water, he immediately sticks his hand, or a piece of debris off the floor, or a stick off the ground in it. He is completely obsessed with water and touching it and putting things in it...he is totally powerless to ignore an open vessel containing water. So he may go to high school drinking out of a Nuby spout cup. We'll see.

4.01.2006

Entomologist


3.24.06
While we were outside playing, I found a caterpillar on the patio
that I wanted to show to Zach. So, I carefully picked it up
using two sticks (I didn't want to touch it, afterall),
and put it on the bench for Zach to see.
He was fascinated, and immediately picked it up.
Luckily, he has been practicing holding worms at
Grams' so he knows how to hold bugs gently. He rolled it around,
put it in the dirt, buried it, dug it out, put it on the bench,
picked it back up....
(if you look carefully in the picture you can see the caterpillar
on the slat furthest from Z)

Here's the caterpillar close up

Zach stuck it down the crack

and then wondered where it went.

He spent so much time looking for the caterpillar
that I finally had to tell him that the caterpillar went home and
was sleeping. His response was to put his finger to his
lip and say, "Shhhhhhhhh." But if that is not cute enough,
he has looked for that caterpillar everytime we've gone outside
since finding it, and he always says, "Shhhhhhhh..." when he's near
the spot we last saw it.
Ah, but it gets even CUTER...today, daddy was reading
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" with Zachary, and Z kept pointing
toward the backyard saying, "Shhhhhhhh..."
He recognized that the caterpillar in the book was the same
as the one outside!!
Brilliant, I say.

Fears

Funny boy, that Zachary is... He likes worms and caterpillars, but ants and gnats tend to worry him some. His reaction when he sees either a gnat or an ant is quite hilarious--he points and makes a nervous whining sound. After the gnat or ant has been properly taken care of (i.e. squished), he can relax and goes back to whatever his business was before noticing the intruding bug.

All boy


3.25.06
Enjoying sidewalk chalk on the patio

Rolling in the "grass" we're trying to rehabilitate

Herding the balls in the yard

OH! A giant dirt pit (also known as the garden)

Fun fun fun

Cute


3.20.06
of course they could all be titled that...

Jus chillin'


3.20.06
I think he's enjoying the new beanbag...