Sunday, May 30, 2010

Board books

Sarah just pointed out that Z's rediscovery of his board books is because he's starting to memorize them. And they sing the ABC's at daycare so this one goes done a treat.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Hippo Playground an other parks


into the mouth
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

We finally made it to a riverside park playground at 91st that I have long wanted to visit but it is just so out of the way. As you can see the hollow hippos make for great toddler climbing frames. We went with Ronen, Navah and their parents, who were in the city for the weekend.

On Friday, we visited another new park, to celebrate Stephanie distributing her thesis. The outside bar on riverside at 107th-sh overlooked a HUGH sand box, or fake beach, with several volley ball courts and the BEST two swing-a-ring sets ever.

We had a bit of adventure to Brooklyn on sunday. The orginal plan got scraped and Z and I went to check out a nice playground in prospect park. Z as is his current trend headed straight to play in the sand and slipped right into playing with the only Hispanic kids there. And then when they had to go he lined up to have his feet buried by a group of other children who were growing themselves by planting and watering their feet. He sat down in line and turned to the oldest girl and said "bury my feet please" and then later "water my feet, please" totally adorable. Pictures next time.

Friday, May 21, 2010

cobblestones and stairs

can keep him occupied for quite a while. This is the first time I can remember that he just ran of to go climb stairs (on his own) normally a task he seems to loath with those short little toddler legs and such big steps, but the reward it seems was well worth it.



Tuesday, May 18, 2010

AIDSWALK 2010


IMG_4366
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

Glitter. Feathers. Safety orange.

Enough said.

Tuesday. Adventures in the life.

1) Zachary suddenly decided that daycare was evil. This sucks. But! We figured it out. He misses Farren. Farren, wherever you are, we miss you. :) Bargains have been made. hopefully it will be ok.

2) Zachary can say his full name. It is the most adorable thing on the planet.

3) On saturday, we went to see Jen graduate (whoo, we heart PhDs!) and then reconvened (post Mark/Z having park time, and me having writing time) for chinese food on college walk. I suspect these are the bits we'll miss about here. The weather was delicious in a way it rarely is in NY (sunny enough to be nice, cool enough to be comfortable) and we ran around and played and threw balls and climbed bleachers.

As they were prepping for graduation and commencement and all forms of whatever celebration, they were trying out the speakers. They played a chunk of Bob Marley to which Z first sang along (oy yoy yoy, oy yoy yoy yoy...) and then followed the directions of (get up, stand up...)... The first time we were like "What are you doing?"... By the second time we figured it out ;)

Friday, May 14, 2010

Worst Parenting Ever

Today, I told Zachary that he was flirting with an elevator ban.

These are the conversations in public in which inevitably people are listening in. And all I can think is "Yes. Yes I AM THE WORST PARENT EVER. Thanks for playing."

Zachary has been having elevator-button pushing-related ABSOLUTE meltdowns the last few mornings. Maybe its because we've replaced his usual pretzels with ritz, because we've run out and we're waiting for fresh direct to fix it. Or maybe because the coffee bean he stuck up his nose hasn't worn off. Yesterday, our neighbor stepped out of her door and pushed the button as we walked out the door and he burst into hysteria. She looked *so appalled* and apologetic and it was like "Oh, no. Please. Do not feel sorry for his crazy. Please. If anything, we are sorry for the charming symphony of displeasure that will follow us ALL THE WAY DOWN."

Right. Today again. We will not even discuss the details.

Which found us standing outside of the elevator bank in our building lobby, my face right up near his using serious parent voice and saying the words "If you can not get a grip we will ban the use of the elevator and only take the stairs. Which will cripple your mother. Who can not bear to hear the shrieking before coffee anymore and is willing to make the trade."

Yeah. I'm adding it to his therapy book.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

"Fe Fi Fo" and "Me My Mo"

are currently default silliness that just pops out of his mouth.



Here is Z in his new Tee, purchased at the Worlds fair (Shanghai) and mailed from HongKong, as you can see he loves the worldy gift.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Today

Two things.
1) Zachary shoved a coffee bean up his nose. It was retrieved without incident.

2) He also constructed the sentence "Peyton Mommy give me candy me give mommy."

Which I thought was pretty impressive.

That's all.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Bedtime Reading

When Zachary finished with his bath, he came over to get a cuddle and dry off from his bath. I was reading the paper, and he was like "me, me! read me! me look!"

Ok.

I was reading this article. It is about the recent elections in Germany. We've been so involved with the UK election (debacle?) that I'd sort of ignored the rest of the world for the last few days.

So I started reading aloud. I stopped about two paragraphs in, and he was like "Read more!" Ooookey dokie.

If he drops "Bundestag" into conversation, now you'll know why.

Although I just went back and skimmed the article, and they've changed it a bit! Now they say "German upper house". But it was bundestag before ;) Wow, nytimes.com . Dumbing it down for the toddlers. FAIL.

A puddletastic time

It rained alot, and then got sunny so we went out to play.............







We also played in the wet sand, which was wonderful for sandcastles and burying little boys up to the neck. He also for the first time (I've seen) tried to engage another kid in play not just by playing or silently offering to share, but by using his voice "hello". The talking is amazing. We went to Barbara and Neil's for mothers-day and he told us when he was hot and wanted his jacket off, and when he was cold and wanted it back on. He chatted away to pretty much everyone one at the party, and often wants to share the excitement in his life with a string of slightly disconnected nouns, letting whoever is listening to fill in the verb gaps.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Piano Playing




Today was the Graduating Student Colloqium in the Astronomy Department. Apparently I managed to not make a fool of myself (win). Afterward, DH threw a party for students and faculty. It was lovely, and Z had a whale of a time. This (although dark) was a video that one of the other student's took while Josh showed Zachary how to play piano. David is supervising :) Much fun was had.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Post number 500

The other day walking home, Z points to a campus security car driving by and states "Fake nehnah". "That's right Zachary it's not a police car"

Monday, May 3, 2010

My child is learning from TV, and I'm ok with that...

This morning was a bit rough, as it was stupid hot and no one slept very well. Except Zachary, who would be refreshed by a quick dip in boiling oil, followed by a tar & feathering. I went to take a shower, Mark lay on the couch like he'd been hit by a bus. So Zachary got to watch an episode of Dora the Explorer.

I came in from my shower and... he was pointing excitedly at the tv.

"Mommy! Trees, mountains, benny's barn!!"

No way.

Now, those of you less familiar with Dora (or Zachary) might be like "SO WHAT?". Right. Dora, queen of the toddler sect, is all about repetition. One of the things they do is look at the map and figure out how to get where they are going. And then they repeat those directions over and over again, making stops, until they get there.

This seems like not that big a deal, except that up until oh, I don't know, LAST WEEK, Zachary really wasn't so into the talking. Occasionally he might pipe in a bit but frankly, repeating aloud was not his bag.

And now, he's repeating to me with glee the way to get over to Benny's house, to give him his allergy medication.

Heh.

Grandpa Michael, ready for a new orienteering buddy? I THINK HE'S READY...

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Riding home

Here Comes Trouble


On tha' Hog
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

It is either because of the helmet or the sunglasses.

He rode his bike all the way to the park and back, with a diversion to gristede's for an icey. Summer has made it all the way to New York, and we're ready for it after a bit of spring/winter taunting.