Daniel's 1st airplane trip (destination: Santa Barbara) was a success, although he did not nap - at all, all day - not on the plane, and not at our cottage. Daniel's first airplane was a jet, an Embraer 190 (I had to look it up, they're made in Brazil).
We lucked out and found a seafood restaurant on Stern's Wharf ("The Harbor") that also serves PB&J. when we returned to the cottage on Mason Street after dinner, he was saying, "Hap-py! Hap-py!" This may be because he had become enamored of the two towering candlesticks (w/candles) on the coffee table, buy - hey - maybe he was happy, too.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Daniel Sings
When I put Daniel down to change his diaper on one recent afternoon, I noticed that he was saying "EE-YAI-YO! EE-YAI-YO!" I realized that this was not a made up word, but the refrain from "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," which appears frequently in an oft-rerunned episode of 'Caillou.' So we sang 'Old McDonald' together while we finished the diaper change, substituting the exotic animals on his nursery while, like the zebra and the monkey, in place of more well-known farm animals. He would often break into spontaneous "EE-YAI-YOs" after that, for several days.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Daddy Doesn't Snore
I'm positively sure I never snore, although Christy has often made bold claims to the contrary. Now, when either one of us sign "sleep" to Daniel (or say, "night night!"), he replies by making loud, monstrous snoring noises. Kids and their imaginations!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Two Shoes!
Daniel wanted to go outside this morning, but he was barefoot. I told him, as I always do, "you need shoes if you're gonna go outside."
He decided to show me he was serious by bringing me one of his sandals.
I replied, "Very good! That's one shoe, but you need two shoes if you're going outside. Where is the other sandal? Can you help me find it?"
Daniel responded by toddling off and bringing me back one of my own flip-flops. Here we go, Daddy. Two shoes!
He decided to show me he was serious by bringing me one of his sandals.
I replied, "Very good! That's one shoe, but you need two shoes if you're going outside. Where is the other sandal? Can you help me find it?"
Daniel responded by toddling off and bringing me back one of my own flip-flops. Here we go, Daddy. Two shoes!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
"DONE!" "BYE!" "DIE! DIE! DIE!"
When Daniel's cousin Fiona was a toddler, and she got frustrated at being left in her flying saucer activity station too long, she'd pipe up with what became one of her early signature phrases, "STUCK IN IT!" Eventually, this was shortened to just, "STUUUUUUUCK!"
Daniel's version of "stuck" is: "DONE! DONE!" Often, this is augmented with a waving hand and "BYE!"
He's cracking it out all the time now. He's good for about 4-5 minutes at any given place (restaurants, the pool, music class) before the "BYE! BYE!" comes out.
Other new Daniel words: "Air-pane" (for airplane), "eye" (for ice), and the absolutely obnoxious mantra-ad-infinitum, "DIE! DIE" (which stands for, "Daddy, I'd like to go outside, please."). His grandparents report he has also, quite clearly, told them, "thank you." :D
Daniel's version of "stuck" is: "DONE! DONE!" Often, this is augmented with a waving hand and "BYE!"
He's cracking it out all the time now. He's good for about 4-5 minutes at any given place (restaurants, the pool, music class) before the "BYE! BYE!" comes out.
Other new Daniel words: "Air-pane" (for airplane), "eye" (for ice), and the absolutely obnoxious mantra-ad-infinitum, "DIE! DIE" (which stands for, "Daddy, I'd like to go outside, please."). His grandparents report he has also, quite clearly, told them, "thank you." :D
Ouch!
Daniel discovered last night that if he throws the electronic ball his grandma gave him, it makes a loud crash. The loud noise (and fear of dents in the floors) caused Mommy to react by saying "Oh! Ouch!" Hilarious! Before bed last night, he must have thrown that ball at least 20 times, giggling with each "Ouch!" Finally, I stashed the ball and tried to replace it with a small basketball. It's not as loud, but Mommy still reacts with "Oh! Ouch!" so the substitution was (eventually) accepted.
Looking back, Daniel's reaction to a particular episode of Caillou should have clued me in to his love of physical comedy. There's a scene in Caillou where he and his friends, Jason and Jeffrey, are playing outside on a hot summer day. Caillou clambers up on a beach ball then rolls off. Jeffrey wants a try and launches himself onto the ball. When he falls off, he lands on Caillou. Both boys cry "Ow!", and Daniel finds it funny every time.
Looking back, Daniel's reaction to a particular episode of Caillou should have clued me in to his love of physical comedy. There's a scene in Caillou where he and his friends, Jason and Jeffrey, are playing outside on a hot summer day. Caillou clambers up on a beach ball then rolls off. Jeffrey wants a try and launches himself onto the ball. When he falls off, he lands on Caillou. Both boys cry "Ow!", and Daniel finds it funny every time.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Purples and Pine Cones
On Sunday, July 10, we embarked on our first, family camping trip. Jarl found a site in Golden Gate Canyon State Park, and we decided to try one night. Most of the planning and amassing of supplies fell to Jarl, the more experienced camper. As the lists and piles of stuff began to grow, we both started to wonder if one night was worth all this effort.
With most of the supplies loaded up the night before, we finished packing after breakfast on Sunday. We'd put the tent up on Saturday, but it had rained so we left it up in the hopes of drying it out. It was a little damp when we packed it into the car, but not bad. We made it to the campsite by early afternoon. Since the rain clouds were already starting to roll in, we hurried to get the tent up. Daniel was stashed in the tent while the rain fell, and Jarl and I finished securing the tent. Daniel was happy to wander around inside but wasn't wild about not being able to see Mom and Dad.
Once the tent was up and the rain had cleared, we explored the area. Daniel led me to clumps of wildflowers, proclaiming "Purple!" when we found a new patch. We showed in a bunch of columbine by the tent, and he would take us over to them whenever he wanted to talk about purple. While Jarl was bringing supplies up from the Jeep, a chipmunk scampered over to check out the new arrivals. I pointed him out to Daniel who immediately gave chase. The chipmunk raced into the trees leaving a somewhat bewildered little boy.
After the gear was loaded into the tent, we decided to go in search of firewood. One of the other campers (the site was full) directed us to the other campground in the park where there was a ranger station and small store. That campground has cabins and yurts in addition to pads for tents. The yurt we saw looked really neat from the outside. I'd love to have a chance to stay in it. At the store, we got our day pass, firewood, and 2 Golden Gate Canyon State Park patches. We wanted to do some hiking, but all of the trails were rated Moderate, Difficult, or Very Difficult. I wasn't sure what we could manage with Daniel so we went back to the campsite to stow the food and figure out where to go. There was a fishing pond near the site, and we decided to try a little jaunt.
We loaded Daniel into his backpack carrier. We'd had a big breakfast but were all feeling a little hungry. Daniel got a cereal bar, and Jarl dug the trail mix out of one of the bags. Once the trail mix was out, Daniel wanted to try it. Jarl hunkered next to him while Daniel grabbed fistfuls of trail mix from the bag. Then, Jarl helped me get the pack on, and we were off. The rains had washed away parts of the trail, but it was still passable. Daniel played with my hat and chattered. He wasn't thrilled with not being able to walk on his own. And, boy, was he heavy! Even though it wasn't very comfortable, I'm glad we had the pack because I don't know that I could have kept Daniel on the trail and/or out of the mud. We stopped at the fishing hole just as the rain was starting again. Jarl took the pack for the return trip, and we headed back to the campsite.
As we were crossing the parking lot, the thunder started. Daniel and I got in the tent while Jarl returned the pack to the Jeep. He joined us as it started raining harder. The thunder would die down and the rain let up, then would start all over again. Finally, Daniel was so hungry he couldn't stand it. Jarl braved the rain to get him a peanut butter sandwich and milk. While Daniel scarfed his meal, we began to wonder if it would stop raining long enough to make dinner. I'm not sure how long we were in the tent, but the sun started to go down as we got dinner on the stove. Jarl did the cooking. Daniel and I explored. He was fascinated with the water pump. He also liked seeing all the people who gathered around it. We checked in on the "purples", and I pointed out the pine cones on the ground. Daniel's translation sounded like "co-co".
Jarl decided to try to get a campfire lit while dinner was cooking. We didn't really have kindling so it took quite a bit of babying. By then, it was getting dark quickly, and I was starving. We sat down to a delicious meal of chik'n and dumplings lit by a lantern. Daniel wasn't interested in the food (which was really tasty). We'd tied a glow stick to him, and he wandered around stopping to pick up the glow stick or a rock or a drink. Jarl and I ate in shifts. After dinner, Jarl went back to work on the camp fire, but Daniel was starting to bonk. I took him into the tent to get ready for bed. We followed our bedtime routine as much as possible: fresh diaper, pajamas, sit with Mom while she sings a lullaby. At one point, I was laying down in the sleeping bag, and Daniel was on his knees next to me. He had his glow stick and peered into my face. "Mama?" "Yes, Daniel" "'Nite 'nite" "'Nite 'nite, Daniel". I helped him lay down next to me, and he was asleep within a few minutes.
I didn't think I could leave him in the tent for long so closed my eyes too. I woke up after a little while to the sound of rain falling heavily, again. Jarl still wasn't in the tent. He spent the evening cleaning up and putting food away - all while racing the rain. Daniel slept very well, but Jarl and I weren't so comfortable. It was early, early morning before Jarl fell asleep. I slept in spurts mostly because Daniel kept stealing my pillow. We woke a little before 8 the next morning achy.
I realized when I woke up that I'd forgotten to pack the bacon for breakfast. Bummer! We soldiered on, boiling water for coffee and tea, scrambling eggs. Daniel enjoyed his eggs. Jarl had managed to get a fire going for about an hour the previous night, but had to put it out before it had burned much of the wood. He had time for a beer in front of the campfire though - a critical camping success factor! Unfortunately, he also plopped down in a puddle of water that had gathered in the camp chair. He was thoroughly soaked by the time he went to bed.
Jarl cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and we both had another cup of coffee/tea. We started packing up. Daniel toddled over to greet campers getting water at the pump, "hi hi". Some would say 'hi' back, but the kids tended to ignore him. Looking at his face, you could tell he was trying to understand why some people would say 'hi' and others wouldn't. Daniel and I went in the tent to pack up clothes and sleeping bag. Then, we began to take the tent down. I handed Daniel a couple of tent stakes. He began slotting them into the holes in the picnic table bench. A few chipmunks came over to scavenge. Daniel was oblivious at first - completely focused on the stakes. Jarl tried to get a picture of a chipmunk standing at Daniel's feet while he worked on organizing stakes, but the chipmunk wouldn't have it. Jarl and I got the tent dissembled and mostly put away when Daniel noticed the chippies. He really wanted to get close to them. They were way too quick, but came back again and again. Daniel took Mom then Dad on one more "purple" tour, and it was time to go. Daniel said "bye-bye" to the campsite, and we piled into the Jeep.
We headed for Nederland to have lunch. It was definitely nap time, but Daniel fought it. Jarl found a hunk of rose quartz at a rock shop. Then we decided to head home. More rain on the return trip. We unloaded the car and convinced Daniel to take another nap so we could all relax for a bit. It was a lot of work for one night but was also a lot of fun. Daniel enjoyed the tent and being free to wander. Can't wait to try it again!
With most of the supplies loaded up the night before, we finished packing after breakfast on Sunday. We'd put the tent up on Saturday, but it had rained so we left it up in the hopes of drying it out. It was a little damp when we packed it into the car, but not bad. We made it to the campsite by early afternoon. Since the rain clouds were already starting to roll in, we hurried to get the tent up. Daniel was stashed in the tent while the rain fell, and Jarl and I finished securing the tent. Daniel was happy to wander around inside but wasn't wild about not being able to see Mom and Dad.
Once the tent was up and the rain had cleared, we explored the area. Daniel led me to clumps of wildflowers, proclaiming "Purple!" when we found a new patch. We showed in a bunch of columbine by the tent, and he would take us over to them whenever he wanted to talk about purple. While Jarl was bringing supplies up from the Jeep, a chipmunk scampered over to check out the new arrivals. I pointed him out to Daniel who immediately gave chase. The chipmunk raced into the trees leaving a somewhat bewildered little boy.
After the gear was loaded into the tent, we decided to go in search of firewood. One of the other campers (the site was full) directed us to the other campground in the park where there was a ranger station and small store. That campground has cabins and yurts in addition to pads for tents. The yurt we saw looked really neat from the outside. I'd love to have a chance to stay in it. At the store, we got our day pass, firewood, and 2 Golden Gate Canyon State Park patches. We wanted to do some hiking, but all of the trails were rated Moderate, Difficult, or Very Difficult. I wasn't sure what we could manage with Daniel so we went back to the campsite to stow the food and figure out where to go. There was a fishing pond near the site, and we decided to try a little jaunt.
We loaded Daniel into his backpack carrier. We'd had a big breakfast but were all feeling a little hungry. Daniel got a cereal bar, and Jarl dug the trail mix out of one of the bags. Once the trail mix was out, Daniel wanted to try it. Jarl hunkered next to him while Daniel grabbed fistfuls of trail mix from the bag. Then, Jarl helped me get the pack on, and we were off. The rains had washed away parts of the trail, but it was still passable. Daniel played with my hat and chattered. He wasn't thrilled with not being able to walk on his own. And, boy, was he heavy! Even though it wasn't very comfortable, I'm glad we had the pack because I don't know that I could have kept Daniel on the trail and/or out of the mud. We stopped at the fishing hole just as the rain was starting again. Jarl took the pack for the return trip, and we headed back to the campsite.
As we were crossing the parking lot, the thunder started. Daniel and I got in the tent while Jarl returned the pack to the Jeep. He joined us as it started raining harder. The thunder would die down and the rain let up, then would start all over again. Finally, Daniel was so hungry he couldn't stand it. Jarl braved the rain to get him a peanut butter sandwich and milk. While Daniel scarfed his meal, we began to wonder if it would stop raining long enough to make dinner. I'm not sure how long we were in the tent, but the sun started to go down as we got dinner on the stove. Jarl did the cooking. Daniel and I explored. He was fascinated with the water pump. He also liked seeing all the people who gathered around it. We checked in on the "purples", and I pointed out the pine cones on the ground. Daniel's translation sounded like "co-co".
Jarl decided to try to get a campfire lit while dinner was cooking. We didn't really have kindling so it took quite a bit of babying. By then, it was getting dark quickly, and I was starving. We sat down to a delicious meal of chik'n and dumplings lit by a lantern. Daniel wasn't interested in the food (which was really tasty). We'd tied a glow stick to him, and he wandered around stopping to pick up the glow stick or a rock or a drink. Jarl and I ate in shifts. After dinner, Jarl went back to work on the camp fire, but Daniel was starting to bonk. I took him into the tent to get ready for bed. We followed our bedtime routine as much as possible: fresh diaper, pajamas, sit with Mom while she sings a lullaby. At one point, I was laying down in the sleeping bag, and Daniel was on his knees next to me. He had his glow stick and peered into my face. "Mama?" "Yes, Daniel" "'Nite 'nite" "'Nite 'nite, Daniel". I helped him lay down next to me, and he was asleep within a few minutes.
I didn't think I could leave him in the tent for long so closed my eyes too. I woke up after a little while to the sound of rain falling heavily, again. Jarl still wasn't in the tent. He spent the evening cleaning up and putting food away - all while racing the rain. Daniel slept very well, but Jarl and I weren't so comfortable. It was early, early morning before Jarl fell asleep. I slept in spurts mostly because Daniel kept stealing my pillow. We woke a little before 8 the next morning achy.
I realized when I woke up that I'd forgotten to pack the bacon for breakfast. Bummer! We soldiered on, boiling water for coffee and tea, scrambling eggs. Daniel enjoyed his eggs. Jarl had managed to get a fire going for about an hour the previous night, but had to put it out before it had burned much of the wood. He had time for a beer in front of the campfire though - a critical camping success factor! Unfortunately, he also plopped down in a puddle of water that had gathered in the camp chair. He was thoroughly soaked by the time he went to bed.
Jarl cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and we both had another cup of coffee/tea. We started packing up. Daniel toddled over to greet campers getting water at the pump, "hi hi". Some would say 'hi' back, but the kids tended to ignore him. Looking at his face, you could tell he was trying to understand why some people would say 'hi' and others wouldn't. Daniel and I went in the tent to pack up clothes and sleeping bag. Then, we began to take the tent down. I handed Daniel a couple of tent stakes. He began slotting them into the holes in the picnic table bench. A few chipmunks came over to scavenge. Daniel was oblivious at first - completely focused on the stakes. Jarl tried to get a picture of a chipmunk standing at Daniel's feet while he worked on organizing stakes, but the chipmunk wouldn't have it. Jarl and I got the tent dissembled and mostly put away when Daniel noticed the chippies. He really wanted to get close to them. They were way too quick, but came back again and again. Daniel took Mom then Dad on one more "purple" tour, and it was time to go. Daniel said "bye-bye" to the campsite, and we piled into the Jeep.
We headed for Nederland to have lunch. It was definitely nap time, but Daniel fought it. Jarl found a hunk of rose quartz at a rock shop. Then we decided to head home. More rain on the return trip. We unloaded the car and convinced Daniel to take another nap so we could all relax for a bit. It was a lot of work for one night but was also a lot of fun. Daniel enjoyed the tent and being free to wander. Can't wait to try it again!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Decisions
Caillou, or Kai-Lan?
Kai-Lan, or Caillou?
Caillou, hands down. "Vitamin C" calms the savage beast.
Daniel and I are working on "decisions" now: which zoo animal should I take down from the wall for you to play with while we're changing your diaper? Zebra... no. Tiger... no. Elephant... winnar!
Kai-Lan, or Caillou?
Caillou, hands down. "Vitamin C" calms the savage beast.
Daniel and I are working on "decisions" now: which zoo animal should I take down from the wall for you to play with while we're changing your diaper? Zebra... no. Tiger... no. Elephant... winnar!
How to Eat Noodles, the Daniel Way
Dump them all out of the bowl, spread them out on the table so that no two are touching, and then slowly savor each one, individually. I predict eating pasta by hand will become the next "Foodie trend." We are going to rock Santa Barbara's world.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Because it's there
We had family over to barbeque for the 4th and did a fair bit of prepping in the kitchen over the weekend. Daniel is rarely content to hang out in one room for any length of time (unless Caillou is on). So, the weekend activities were punctuated by calls of "where's Daniel?" and checking the other rooms. At one point, I walked out of the kitchen and found him standing on a chair, about to crawl across the dining table to get a mug. Later, he was standing on the footrest of his high chair with a ceramic coaster in each hand, banging them on the table. Yesterday, he climbed into a patio chair (it rocks) and bounced up and down, chattering happily.
There's no arguing his expertise in climbing up. It's the getting down that has me terrified.
There's no arguing his expertise in climbing up. It's the getting down that has me terrified.
Mystery Language
I don't know what "ha-too" means, but apparently its an important, self-created word in Daniel's lexicon, at least for the last few days.
Also of note: "EEET" (eat!) has officially been joined together, at the same time, but the "eat" sign.
Also of note: "EEET" (eat!) has officially been joined together, at the same time, but the "eat" sign.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Climbing Like Tashi?
Daniel's Mom reports that he has decided to rev up for the 4th of July by totally self-initiating into the ancient and joyful art of climbing on chairs and tables.
He climbed up next to the cutting board and tried to get to the knives.
Grandma Denny speculated that he may have learned this from watching Tashi, who often climbs up and sits in the window at that very same spot.
In other news: fruitopianism has led to a wretched plague of fruit flies.
He climbed up next to the cutting board and tried to get to the knives.
Grandma Denny speculated that he may have learned this from watching Tashi, who often climbs up and sits in the window at that very same spot.
In other news: fruitopianism has led to a wretched plague of fruit flies.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Daniel Utterances
Daniel did some rhyming at lunch today: "Elmo... elbow... tur-doh..."
"Egg" has also entered his vocab as "EEEG! EEEG!"
"Egg" has also entered his vocab as "EEEG! EEEG!"
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