Vocab Lesson

Easter was a total success.

We scattered plastic eggs all over the house while the ear doctor read him a book for distraction. When he saw the eggs and basket he had no idea what to do. The ear doctor patiently crouched down and showed him that the game was to pick them up and put them in the basket. Before long he had about a quarter of the eggs carefully nestled in his basket. Then, he squeezed one and it popped open to show one perfectly blue cadbury mini egg.

Curiously, he bent over and scooped it up to investigate. He inspected and then popped it in his mouth.

3 seconds later he was furiously digging through the basket cracking open plastic eggs like a mad man. He had so much candy jammed in his mouth that his little lips couldn't totally close and sticky brown chocolate drool dribbled out of his mount and down his shirt.

Nirvana.


And the best part is that he learned a new word that morning.

CANDY!

rainbow

The ear doctor got to go to Boston for a conference. I was a bit nervous about working and getting Sam up to daycare everyday. I'm sure I could have handled it on my own...but it was a bit of a daunting task. Usually the ear doctor takes drop him off on his way to work...in the exact opposite direction of my commute.

Anyway, I asked my mom to come for a visit to watch the baby.


It was glorious.

Every day she took him on two meandering walks. They watched the gardener aerate the neighbor's lawn. They learned where the most friendly dogs live. But the coolest thing is that she taught him is first color.

He can now successfully point to purple flowers and say purple. Without any prompting. It's great.

Although I'm not sure if he thinks the word means flower or a color...

fingers

There is a classic picture of my hanging on my mother's wall. I'm almost 2 years old. I'm leaning up against they yellow siding of our house grinning up at the camera like a maniac..entire face just COVERED in mud.

What I like most about this picture is that it was taken with REAL film and a REAL camera. Meaning my full-time working mother had to find her toddler, outside by herself, playing in a soupy muddy mess, eating mud and leave her alone to go find the camera.


Yesterday my mom was home with Sam all day. I got a text mid morning that made me just erupt with laughter. I was informed that my almost 18 month old son found a fresh steaming pile of dog turds in the back yard and was gleefully squishing the mound as hard with both hands. He was squeezing to feel how it smooged between his chubby little fingers.


And I couldn't help but be thrilled.


The major reason, obviously, was because I wasn't the one there who had to clean up the mess.


But also because I reveled in the idea that he is getting to experience all of these wonderful visceral experiences we get as humans on this earth. Wind in our hair...toes in warm sticky mud...the smell of cookies in the oven...the sight of spring flowers after winter...the sound of breezes rippling through trees. The truly amazing simplicity that makes living such a joy.