Point and Click

A little while before going on our summer cabin vacation, Marek started pointing. It was at the cabin though, were pointing took off.

I'm guessing it was all the new things too see. Lots of new things, too high for him to get to on his own.

I was basically a Mama Taxi. A good portion of our day was spent me taxiing Marek around to all the things he would point at.

Marek would crawl/climb to me, ask to be lifted up in his way, and declare I take him to see ____ by pointing. So he could explore the object.

Back and forth a dozen times between the gecko and wind chime at the cabin door. Over to see the gong, Jackie and Denny's wind chimes and wind twirling objects, moss on trees, the copper leaves on the patio, etcetra.

Much insistence was given by Marek when I couldn't reach an object; flags, the odd assortment of objects embedded in the tree outside the cabin door. I was forced to quickly get out of eye sight of said object and find something to distract him with, as his memory quickly draws him back to unreachable objects.

Imagine it will really open up his vocabulary, as every time he points I can say the name and make the sign (one handed versions often). He defiantly knows the word boat now, and points and looks at any boat driving by the cabin. He looks for the boat if you say boat.

Guess I'm going to have to get a lot of garden wind chimes and twirly things for home.

Two Top Front Teeth Declared

The 2 top front teeth had been coming for over a week, but I could feel them through this morning. These two have really hurt Marek to cut.

First Cold

After I settled down and stopped panicking that you would get really sick and have permanent repercussion from your first cold, it really wasn't that bad. You had a clear runny nose for almost a week (Mountain Man and I got it to). The cold didn't affect your personality, but it did cause some breast feeding problems. The mucus in your passage way kept causing you to cough / choke when feeding. This got better once I realized to keep you sitting up right as much as possible when feeding.

Everything Must Go

This is Marek's new latest and greatest fun: dropping everything he can find down through gates.

Marek is about to cut his top two front teeth. We're trying to figure out if a mild cough and clear runny nose is teething (which it can be) or a dreaded cold (hasn't had one yet).

Spinning and button pushing

This last week has welcomes the development of putting objects In other objects. What shocked us is Marek knows where objects belong. So Marek takes the bath tub drain out (and empties the tub) and will then put the drain back in (or attempt to). Marek dumps all the dominos go out of the container, then he puts a few back in. He likes to drop objects from his crib down into the toy bin.

Of course he also likes to put things into places they don't belong. Drooping items through the baby gate and down the stairs is currently popular.

First Bubbles

What's in?

Marek loves playing under Mountain Man's desk as he works. Which of course distracts Mountain Man into playing with him.

That reminds me, we think we're about to declare first word; Marek says Dada whenever he see Mountain Man.

Summerfest at Grimstone Park

Don't let the pictures fool you, we really did enjoy the community festival at our local park. After the first hour Marek even accepted the safety of the situation and interacted with the twins; talking to them, pulling their close, trying to bang staking cups against them.

Marek's always cautious. If someone enters the room he runs in the other direction and then turns around to check out the person, or he runs into our arms. In new situations he's quite for at least 20 minutes. So many people at the festival made him especially cautious.

A love of buttons

Marek loves anything he can get a reaction out of'; turning on and off light switches, wind chimes hung low, spinning toy propellers, toy and real computers. I put all these items up and in a cruising circuit to encourage walking. Part of one of these circuits in a twilight turtle. Marek turns the turtles lights on and off, and changes the colours.

Oh...

I have "To market. To Marek to buy a fat pig." stuck in my head because we went to the Tipperary Park Farmer's Market last night and got a tonne of blueberries. I can't get my mind of finding the perfect blueberry pie receipe. No luck yet.

To market. To market. To buy a fat pig.

Today's pictures of our Aunty Yellow Hair, Marek, and the beagles playing in our back yard. Every time I think

of getting rid of all the grass, we'll end up hanging out on it for a while (that is until some people, who shall remain nameless, starts freaking out about bees).

I cut the little bit of grass that's still growing this morning (we don't water it due to a mix of environmental conciseness and laziness) and was plotting out were Marek and I should have a vegetable and creative plant garden. I dream of purple carrots, ghost pumpkins, and sweet peas.

In the kitchen: healthy mint chocolate chip cookies (for Aunty Yellow Hair) and home made healthy mac and cheese (with broccoli and mustard, who knew). I have spelt carrot ginger muffins paused as it's getting to hot around here.

I have to go glare at the workmen across the street now. They insist on using the buzz saw while Marek is napping, and I refuse to close the windows and bake in the resulting house heat.

Nap Time

All through the Spring Marek slept through the New West library's poorly timed Baby Story Time. Seriously, all babies nap around 10:30 in the morning.

Hence, I was very excited when Tommy Douglas library planned at 1:45 baby story time for Tuesdays starting yesterday. However, in the last week Marek has converted to one giant nap a day. He now goes down between 1 and 1:30 for a couple hours. That is as long as a train whistle doesn't interfere.

First time Marek ever reached the piano keys all on his own today. Marek loves the music room. He likes to strum the guitars, play with the getoblaster buttons, play with the piano pedals and, of course, keys. Baby proofing the room will have to be a priority.

Just how big is a Leonberger

Though these pictures might demonstrate.

The other night I awoke to Marek stirring. Sweet as can be face to face. Then with his eyes still closed, sensing me he reached out to suckle some milk.

Remember we were face to face.

Therefore ... my nose got suckled.

A rude awakening for both of us.

A Marek sized mess

You would think that a fear of scurvy would be the worst of my problems; Marek has taken to eating all of our fruit. After I remove the skin he just goes to town on peaches and nectarines

But alas I have bigger problems in Handley House. Marek loves impromptu water tables. we've covered before his love of first drinking some water, then playing with the water in the cup, then dumping out all the water to play with on the floor. I believe we also covered that Marek likes to play with the water in dishwasher door, to the point where I have to watch that he doesn't climb on the lid. Yesterday he found the water jug I use to fill Leo's bowl; full. So he entertained himself for quiet a while, dropping things in the jug and then taking them back out. In. Out. In. Out. Then this ...

The full jug on the floor. Bonus, water under about a dozen tiles to be cleaned up. Marek was very persistent in spreading the water as far as possible, and didn't complain as he slipped all over the place. He even tried to help by sucking water of the floor with his mouth.

Note, the dog mocking me.

Current Favourite Books

I'm guilty of reading to Marek for my enjoyment as well as his. Therefore a lot of the books we read are ones I read as a child. Here are a few of "our" current favourites:

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins (monkeys and drums = awesome)
Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo LeSieg (counting practice)
Me Hungry by Jeremy Tankard
Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton (beserk is always good)
Tugga Tugga Tug Boat by Kevin Lewis

Separately Marek also likes The Eye Book by They LeSieg and I like I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt. At the cabin Grandma has a few interactive books that a big hits. I'll have to keep my eye out for some of those for home.

Note: I swear there's something mildly creepy about drawings from the 60's

Lazy summer days

I did my chores: laundry, chicken soup is simmering on the stove, grass cut, roses trimmed. Feeling very proud of all that, so I think I deserve some laziness.

We went to the Grimstone Park wadding pool the first time yesterday. Nice and cool there. You just have to watch out for the kids running all around. A group of infant moms and I picked a corner and tried to stand guard. Playground sand was a big hit with Marek. Eating sand not so popular with Marek (he snuck a handful in so fast). Also popular were the other 2 toddler amenities: bouncy swingy dinosaur and classic baby swing. A shame they didn't have a baby slide.

You'll have to wait for Mountain Man to come with us and get a picture. I'm much to nervous about handling my camera and Marek near the pool.

I'm going to have to go get a few sand toys for our time at Grimstone Park. Kiss A Frog had some tin pails and such last time I went, so I'll have to force Mountain Man up there for a walk. I can't just walk there with Leo and Marek as the store doesn't let dogs in (sigh) and it's much to dangerous out front for Leo.

I made Marek a new hat for fall (first completed knitting project since his birth). Think I'm going to have to make a bigger one. As you can see, I like more than he does.

Danger Will Robinson

Marek can find doom any where he goes. It's his special talent. This is Marek removing the newly installed safety features. I think him eating the safety feature is just the cherry on top of this arsenic pie.

Diaper Change

I wonder how many parents are inspired to potty train due to their kids refusing to sit still long enough to put their diapers back on

Came back from cabin this morning. Which meant the entire day was chaos. "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch me soar."

Where's Dada?

Can you find Mountain Man? Papa?

For 4 weekends in June and early July Papa, Mountain Man, and the Men of Rainbow Falls climbed our mountain to finish the Dutch Wheel Electric system, to bring free green power to the good citizens of Rainbow Falls.