Daily Outings

Cole LOVES the Pacific Science Center. He would gladly go there everyday and often declares, "We're going to the science center today." We went yesterday with friends and everyone had a great time. We stopped at the dinosaur exhibit, the space module, the butterfly exhibit, and the tide pool before finishing up in the toddler area so Audrey could get some fun time in.

On quiet days (weekdays) at the center, Cole can easily occupy himself in the Gemini 11 capsule model for 10-15 minutes listening to the countdown, 10, 9, 8, 7 ... pushing buttons, and flipping switches.



No Science Center trip is complete without a visit to the "fly man".



When Cole was 2-2 1/2, he was obsessed with the fly man (Cole named him). There is a red button to push outside the cage that makes it move and talk. I forget the genesis of the Fly Man song but I was obliged to sing it frequently and with gusto especially on car rides.

Oh big fly man, yes big fly man
You are a great big fly
You've got claws for hands,
an icky icky mouth
and you wear a white lab coat
you've got multifaceted eyes
big black boots and bristly hair

The highlight of the trip was visiting the Tropical Butterfly House. We've gone at least two other times that I remember but I've never seen him focus the way he did yesterday. He didn't just swiftly walk the pathway and want to leave. He stopped and looked at the butterflies feeding on fruit and even grabbed an identification guide on his own. He discovered that he was looking at Owl Butterflies (he pointed to the picture and I read the name to him). He was very careful not to touch them, moved slowly, and talked quietly. I was very proud.

Cole holding a tiny flower in the palm of his hand to "feed the butterfly".

There really is such a thing ...

as too much of a good thing!



I looked on craigslist for some more Rescue Heroes stuff for Cole since his birthday is coming up. I found some for sale nearby reasonably priced, I thought, at $40. The picture was small so I couldn't tell exactly what I was buying but I was sure Cole would love anything. Alex and Cole went to pick it up and WHOA NELLY, what a haul. In fact, I was dismayed at the sheer weight and volume of the plastic. The "hyper-jet" was so huge that Alex couldn't hide it in the large duffel he brought so Cole got that right away along with an equally large remote control robot called URV, or Ultimate Rescue Vehicle. I'm not making this stuff up!

Hyper-jet



Audrey goes nutty over the stuff too because she wants to climb on it and in it. Her toys, however, are still simple - blocks.



I'm thinking of taking the batteries out of the hyper-jet and allowing him to keep that but quietly secreting the robot away. Electronics seem to shut down real play and instead Cole simply pushes the buttons. It's depressing. On the flip side, when he plays with his Playmobil fire toys Cole makes up and acts out rescue scenarios. Maybe after the allure of the electronic voices wears off, Cole will use the RH toys imaginatively.

Audrey's First Haircut

I know I could probably do a fair job myself if I had a pair of sharp scissors but it's just more special to go somewhere for the first haircut. Audrey had a lot of hair when she was born. It has filled in a bit and was starting to look shaggy around her face. She had a grand time steering the rocket-ship chair and checking out all the other kids. Cole played with the Rescue Hero stuff the salon has, super cool mission command center with Roger Houston, Jack Hammer, Billy Blazes and Warren Waters!

Audrey before


...and after

Big Machines

One of Cole's favorite things to do at the playground - sand play



Cole wanted to read a book to Audrey this morning called Big Machines. It's a DK Reader so the text is big and there isn't too much of it per page. He has it memorized and proceeded to read it to her as they both sat on my lap and she tried to pull his hair. He's done this several times (mostly memorized books and then read them out loud to me) but the book he knew absolutely word for word was Berenstain Bears and the Missing Watermelon Money. We had it out from the library when he was just in the beginning stages of his Berenstain Bears craze. I read that book usually three times a day for weeks. I often wish I had a video or voice recorder at the ready at all times to catch moments like that.

I try to enthusiastically encourage any "play" that Cole initiates with Audrey. However, Cole's play isn't always appropriate for a 10 month old. He'll try to pick her up or drag her places and she often seems to acquiesce but sometimes she cries .... notice Alex's eyebrows?



A few favorite books today were:

The Knight and the Dragon

Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon (except where the dragons are mean and eat the knights)

Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile
Cole laughed hysterically when the little crocodile accidentally says "stinks" instead of "sphinx", continuous, sustained laughter accompanied by repeating the word stinks. I don't think we even finished the book and instead talked a little and went to bed. He was out in less than 5 minutes.

Trip to the Aquarium

Cole and classmate stare at giant barnacles and a snail



Cole and his preschool class went on a field trip to the aquarium yesterday. They are currently focusing on a sea life curriculum. They've made sea urchins, jellyfish, fish, and beach collages in art. Circle time stories and songs have a sea life theme. They've studied sea shells and cast magnetic lures out into the ocean for laminated fish with paperclips attached - I thought this was an ingenious idea. There's a lot of pirate play among the boys that can get out of hand. When Teacher Marianne suggested to them that pirates have families and all pirates aren't mean ... Cole's classmate said, "All pirates are mean." True! You can't pull one over on a 4 year old. Less than a year ago I used to tell Cole that he needed to leave rocks with their families because they'd be lonely and he thought that made perfect sense. Now he has informed me that rocks aren't alive. I must admit that is true but I miss the Cole that could accept everything had feelings.

Learning about squid biology



Meanwhile, Alex has been working on getting the house fixed up. He made a new door frame for Audrey's room, put in a much needed door sill, cut and primed the casing and moulding for the laundry room, and painted the laundry room. Why, oh why, do houses always get fixed up just before you move out of them? At every opportunity, Cole loves to help dad work so today he helped a bit with painting.

Cole and Dad working



Audrey woke up at 4:30 this morning. I'm hoping that was a fluke. She is learning to drink from a sippy cup, holding onto the handles on either side. She is happy to eat lasagna while Cole turns his nose up. She let go of the cabinet and stood by herself for a good moment before plopping down on her seat. It's such a blessing to hold her close and see her looking at a flock of crows fly off with a smile on her lips and in her eyes.

Audrey's beautiful eyes

MOM! My Body's So Hard! or Growing Pains

Audrey was sick today with a tummy flu. She just wanted to be held, suck her thumb, and nap.

Cole and I went down to the neighborhood elementary school's playground midday. He rode his bike down, approximately 10 city blocks then rode all around the playground. We also did a little rescue hero-ing and that involved running and climbing the play structure searching for Rocky Canyon, periodically crocodiles and sharks chased us. He complained at dinner that his legs hurt but I didn't think too much about it. Then about 45 minutes after he went to bed he woke up crying, inconsolable. The only other time I've seen him act so out of sorts was when he had an ear infection in both ears. I asked him what hurt and again he said it was his legs and he wailed that his body was "so hard". Alex grabbed the sobbing boy and put him in a hot bath. That did the trick and soon Cole was falling asleep in the tub with Alex hovering over him. He is sleeping in his bed now and hopefully he will be well tomorrow so he won't miss the preschool field trip to the aquarium.

It has been delightfully warm and sunny lately and we took advantage today by having our first picnic of the season under the kiwi arbor.

Cole is Special

This past week was Cole's "I Am Special" week at his preschool. I made a poster with pictures of him with that theme in mind. I included a lot of beach/water pictures, family and friend pictures, birthday pictures, and some nice close-ups with classic Cole expressions. He got to help during circle time by putting up story pieces on the felt board, passing out instruments, banging the drum to call the class in from outside play as well as enjoying the special privilege of sitting up front next to Teacher Marianne.

Cole putting up the fisherman on the felt board.



Cole showing his poster to his small group. One of the children's grandmas complimented him on his "speech" and said that he will grow up to be a leader. He certainly isn't shy.



Calling the children in from outside play.



On the first day of a child's "I Am Special" week, the class sings this song:

My special friend, my very special friend
He/She likes to run and
play with me
I love my special friend
He/She has a very special
name, a special voice,
A special face,
I love my friend.

I teared up. It was so great to see Cole basking in the warmth of Teacher Marianne and all his school bud's friendship. I was a little afraid that he would ham it up or be squirrly ... but he acted like such a BIG BOY. He took his job at the felt board very seriously, sang the songs with grace and enthusiasm, and looked like he was having a blast.

They also sang this song (and I took some pictures):

It's me, it's me
I'm part of this community
It's me, it's me
I'm part of this community

Roll over the ocean
Roll over the sea
Roll over the ocean
and the deep blue sea

It's you, it's you
You're part of this community ...

It's we, it's we
We're part of this community...

It's you! (you can see the poster in the background)