Almost Party time!

Finn's party is coming up! I left the detail off so no internet creepos showup, but let me know if you didn't get yours and would like to come!

I'll send you the real invitation.

Click to see it bigger-- it's pretty blurry because I had to scan it, and it was a pretty pixelated image to start with.

Hard at Play

AH AH AH AH AH

This is One minute and twenty one seconds of my life.

Every day.



Awesome.

And very, very loud.

More Stuff in Stuff

This is one of Finn's favorite toys. It's a choo choo with a storage compartment in back for a guy, or a load of some kind.

Look closely, he appears to have put something in the compartment.


Upon further inspection, it became clear that he placed a wooden yellow crane inside his train. Not only can he rhyme, but he also has great physical dexterity. I couldn't tell you how he got that in there, or how hard he had to work, because I'm not sure it's coming out.

And now, the train goes inside something. Something in the train, something on the train. Everything in it's place.

And for the finale, he will now sit on the container holding the train, holding the crane, because darn it, it has wheels and he wants to ride it! This didn't work, but man, the process was fascinating to watch!

Words

Finn likes to tell us it's cold now, and shiver and hold his arms together when he's cold, or he knows he needs to put his coat on!

He's also very quick to point out fish, frogs, bugs, cheese, choo choos, and all sorts of other things.

He says so many words now, and strings them together! It's so exciting!

Nipples

At some point in every boys life, nipples become very exciting.

Surprisingly, Finn has reached this point now!

He has started lifting his shirt and fondling them, pinching them, poking them, and laughing incessantly. I can't get him to stop!

At La Leche League yesterday, he must have done it for half an hour! It was so funny-- and I was glad to not have to be embarrassed by it in a room full of moms!

When he wears a onesie or shirt that tucks in, he waits until diaper change time to grab his nips! I tell you, he is too funny!!!

Mister Manners

We've gotten very good about saying please, and he does the sign as well (dragging an open flat hand across the upper chest).

We're working on 'thank you', and he will do it for Chuck, but has only done it for me once or twice and then stopped again. I tell ya, the power of peer pressure starts so early-- he hears the trips doing it and follow suit without any prodding at all! Maybe Chuck is just a better parent than I am, too, who knows?!?!?!

'I'm sorry' is not even close to coming. He won't say it, and gets really angry. He is very willful, and though we broke him of tantrums MONTHS ago, they are back with hitting both himself, and YOU in the face. We've had to take to some physical restraint (to avoid injury to all parties) and time outs, and are hoping this will work quickly. I hate doing it, and often have a time out and a few tears, myself, after the big ones. The terrible twos are rearing their ugly head (just in time), and I'm hoping I'm up for the challenge! Time to get tougher!

Anyhow, here is some 'please' and some play time! You can see him doing the sign if you look for it. It's good to know he listened to those videos and could at least understand us, even if he never used his signs to talk back to us.

Bak on the horse....

Playing in the busket with Daddy...

And NOT easily discouraged!



The Unsinkable Mr. Finn.

We love him so much.

Concentric Circles

Let's all take a moment to appreciate Tom's bathrobe, or there would be a lot more of him to see!

SNOW

Today, as I drove to buy some special wipeys for Finn's unending diaper rash, it began to snow.

Gian, Fat, Cascading snowflakes, that delighted him to no end. By the time we got to Target I had him saying 'no' (snow minus the S) while pointing and laughing at the flakes.

The best part was driving through town with the biggest fattest loveliest snowflakes, and smelling the smoke of a pile of burning leaves.

It was a moment in time filled with nostalgia for several senses, and an excitement for a winter and a Christmas with a boy who will understand that this is all for playing with. Life just got a little more exciting.