li’l pals

Posted on March 3, 2008 by cvc
aren't they adorable??
aren’t they adorable??
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

This past weekend, we visited with Mark, Yuchen and Eleanor. Dylan, sociable little fella that he is, was totally excited to go and see them…and I could see him searching his wee little memory for a match to “Eleanor” (me: “you wanna see Eleanor today?” Dylan: “yeaahhh [search scan search]”).

They were really super cute together. They danced (Ellie loves the Beatles and was eager to show Dylan some dance moves!)…


…and held hands while walking to the trail, shared snacks, played chase, looked at a river and pondered life while sitting on a tree stump.

It was all very sweet!


Sheila and Luke
Sheila and Luke
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We also got to see Sheila (my best friend from 6th grade) and Luke (her youngest of three!). We met them at the Children’s Discovery Museum on Friday and let the kids loose in the Wonder Cabinet. Of course, Auntie Heather and Taliana came with…

More pictures are on flickr (of course!)….


Posted in cdm, hiking, weekly_fun | Comments Off on li’l pals

learning the ropes

Posted on February 26, 2008 by cvc
DSC_2606
DSC_2606
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tom went with us to gymnastics today, so I was able to bring my camera in and capture a few shots of Dylan in action.

He was a very enthusiastic participant today!


Posted in gymnastics, weekly_fun | Comments Off on learning the ropes

Dylan visits the dentist

Posted on February 23, 2008 by cvc
waiting for a sticker after story time at the library
…at the library
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Well, the week before last, Dylan nearly poked his eye out with Tom’s belt buckle (boo boo is healing nicely) and last week, he tripped and fell on my Sigg cup and chipped his two front teeth!

The accident prompted us to take him to a dentist to make sure everything in his little mouth was still a-ok. So, his smile has changed a little, but so far no signs of significant damage. Phew.


Posted in accidents, teeth | 1 Comment

long weekend

Posted on February 19, 2008 by cvc

Somehow, I always seem to get better pictures of other kids than I do of Dylan. So many of his pictures are just blurry (but still cute, of course).

Anyway, this weekend was very busy, starting with a playground picnic date with Taliana and ending with Sunday games night with a gaggle of friends at HAT’s house. These are just a few of my favorite pictures from this weekend.


playing peek a boo
playing peek a boo
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Playing peek-a-boo at the Ethiopian restaurant we went to with Eleanor, Mark and Yuchen and Heather and Taliana. We spent the earlier part of Saturday at the museum, checking out the special Chinese New Year and Dental Health day activities.

Among other things, Dylan practiced his tooth-brushing techniques on a rather large set of false teeth…and he painted on himself and on a small square of red paper.

It was a very nice surprise to be joined by Eleanor and Mark and Yuchen!


rescuing bunnies
rescuing bunnies
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Playing Taliana’s Nino Conillo game at Sunday games night.

The big folks played two games of Shadows over Camelot followed by a game of Arkadia.

Everyone there would love to claim the kids got along swimmingly, freeing the adults up for trouble-free game play, but alas, that wasn’t so.


awwwwwwww
awwwwwwww
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The two kids clearly love each other, but this was a night of much, much tension and conflict over moon sand molds, dollhouse accessories, plastic cooking utensils, mega blocks, and just about anything and everything that Dylan touched!

At the end of the night, though, they still love each other (kinda like bro and sis).


play it with feeling!
play it with feeling!
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Playing cymbals (love for these wonderful musical instruments inspired by reading Bunbun at Bedtime!

Yes, this was very loud, but this din is preferable to the din of two kids screaming over the same toy.

As usual, more pictures are on flickr.


Posted in games, get_togethers, playgrounds, weekly_fun | Comments Off on long weekend

time for just a short tale.

Posted on February 16, 2008 by cvc
playground/snack time
playground/snack time
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Last Wednesday, we did our normal story-time gig at the Capitola Library. They completed construction of a cute little playground right on their grounds just this past summer. Dylan loves going out there to slide and run around for a few minutes before we go in to relax for a story.

He loves this sweater from Auntie Janice. That morning when he caught sight of it, he picked it up, said, “mine” and proceeded to try putting it on himself!


Posted in fashionista, story time, weekly_fun | Comments Off on time for just a short tale.

Dylan’s first concert

Posted on February 11, 2008 by cvc
DSC_2192
Dylan at the show
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

It just so happens that Christina’s pal from work plays in a kiddie band called The Baby Blue Blues Band that was performing at the Children’s Discovery Museum and, since we currently have a membership, we decided to take the kids to check it out.

The band was so great! They had dancers, a big ol’ dancing Rhino character, they threw out a bunch of big balloons for the kids to throw in the air, etc. Jason and Tyler loved the big balloons. And, while the band’s dancers were dancing to a tune called “Swinga Linga Jump Jump,” Dylan ran out there to join them (luckily, Tom caught him in time).


The show was super cute, and watching the three cousins play together was even cuter.

The rest of the pictures are here.


Posted in music, weekly_fun | 1 Comment

wooing the gals with flowers

Posted on February 10, 2008 by cvc
picking flowers
picking flowers
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day yesterday so Dylan and I took advantage of the fantastic weather and headed out to the park for some play time and lunch.

He was completely taken by the daisies in the grass and wanted to pick, pick, pick them! Sweet boy that he is, he even picked a few for a couple of little girls we saw, too. One of them was crying and when Dylan heard her, he paused to see what her sitch was, then he bent down, picked a flower and brought it to her!!! It made the little girl’s moment — she stopped her crying and said, “thank you”!!

I also think it made her grandma’s moment, too; we had seen them earlier when we were picnicking on the steps down to the yacht harbor. The grandma had lamented to me that she didn’t think her daughter (the little 2-year old’s mom) took her out enough to socialize with other kids, but what she’s discovered is that little kids are not all that nice and her granddaughter was experiencing a lot of rejection. I hope Dylan’s small gesture helped change her mind…at least a little!

On our way out of the park, Dylan also picked a flower for another little 2-year old girl who was also admiring the flowers in the grass…and, of course, he picked several for me, too (lucky me!)!


Posted in playgrounds | Comments Off on wooing the gals with flowers

the weekly routine

Posted on February 6, 2008 by cvc
the li'l ones in red pjs
the li’l ones in red pjs
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Well, as always, things have been all a-hum up here, mostly with our new weekly routine: Monday gymnastics, Tuesday Music Together, Wednesday library and Friday free-for-all, usually involving some sort of practice with sharing (playdates with Taliana!). We’re still trying to settle into it, I think, and trying hard to get Dylan into daycare in time for nap-time there on Thursdays (limited success so far).

We’re practicing taking turns with stuff which Dylan interprets as practicing saying “mine”. His main competition is Taliana, who is really very much like a sibling — at the end of a day of very contentious sharing, they still love each other! They’re really very sweet!

So, activity time: Dylan has been on the clingy side lately and chooses to stay glued to my side, more in observation mode than anything else! But, despite the fact that he seems to be participating less, he’s clearly absorbing lots! Last week, he signed “stars” for the first time after having just learned it earlier in the day at MT, and tonight he started doing some gymnastics moves in the kitchen!

We’re doing double sessions of MT (Friday) and gymnastics (Saturday) this week, and hopefully greater familiarity with the spaces in which these activities take place will lead to greater confidence in participating.


Posted in weekly_fun | Comments Off on the weekly routine

chubby cheeks

Posted on February 5, 2008 by cvc
drew on face. Has orange fiber on chin, too...
drew on face. Has orange fiber on chin
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

This is seriously one of the sweetest tots around.


Posted in daily_dylan | Comments Off on chubby cheeks

new haircut plus other random stuff

Posted on January 30, 2008 by cvc
at Lulu's at the Octagon. sporting new haircut and soy milk mustache
at Lulu’s at the Octagon
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tom and Dylan dropped me off at work yesterday and then, of course, had to come pick me up. I met them at Lulu’s at the Octagon, a very nice cafe right next door to the ol’ workplace, and the setting for the featured picture (clearly, Dylan enjoys his steamed soy milk – note faint hint of milk mustache in picture!).

We had a slight regression with the potty use and went 2 days with probably only a pee or two in total! But he seems to be ramping back up again (perhaps it was daycare and the lack of response to his requests??).

Also, Dylan can actually say “Tom Reisz”, although Tom really dislikes this! When we’re looking around for Tom in the house — or when I ask Dylan where daddy is — Dylan occasionally chants, “Tom Reisz! Tom Reisz”! I’ll admit, he gets that from me!

He’s babbling up a storm: elephant, zebra, giraffe, sheep, piggy, doggy, animals, tapioca, broccoli, names from daycare and family and the list goes on! Only we can understand him, but hey, he’s communicating!

He still signs on occasion, too. Today, he surprised me by signing “stars” which he’d just learned at today’s Music Together session. Admittedly, he still grunts and points a lot. Kinda wish this would stop, but maybe once he starts vocalizing everything, we’ll wish we had the grunts again!!


Posted in coffeehouses, music, potty, talking, weekly_fun | Comments Off on new haircut plus other random stuff