We took you swimming in the Mediterranean sea this afternoon. As promised the water was clear, warm, and quite calm (quite a difference from last summer on Ocean isle eh?). While you are still very adamant about not going under the water, you continue to get braver and braver with each visit. Today you even swam around on your own with your water wings, and after the first couple didn’t even mind the small waves that splashed in your face.
The highlight of the day, however, was while we were playing in the sand where I was teaching you to make drip castles. Three minutes in and you made the declaration “I’m Poopin’ on the Castle Daddy”. Made up several chants about poopin’ on the castle, and wanted to know “What’s the princess say when I am poopin’ on her castle?”. As I howled your mom just shook her head and muttered something about the trials of being in charge of two 3 year olds.
Alright kid, first of all you have been a bear for the past month (since the day you turned 3 actually), completely un-cooperative, refusing to sleep, and temper tantrums galore.
Today, however, you were back to your old self full of cheer and ready rock-n-roll when I got home. As is the the habit of late, I had to assume the role of pooh bear as soon as I got home and, apparently, you were Eeyore. Made clear by your crawling around on the floor while complaining, with the proper amount of melancholy in your voice, about the impending rain.
Eventually we made our way over to your blocks and after building your castle 4 blocks tall you declared, with much enthusiasm, it to be “normous”, it doesn’t sound as cute in print as it did in person but I promise you it was quite cute. In fact I coaxed you into repeating several times to my own delight.
It was about this time that you decided you were the “Bad Wolf” and immediately knocked over the tower.
So last weekend, Lilah, we went back to the Madrid Zoo to catch the Dolphin show and…well that was about it. As expected you enjoyed the show quite a bit, so much so, in fact, that we caught both the early and late show. Since there is nothing like the artists death to reignite the fanbase, Micheal Jackson provided the soundtrack for the event. You and mom also got your picture taken with a dolphin to go with your pictures of the seal and Sea Lions.
Before we left you also rode your first carousel which you enjoyed very much after having your fill of slushy and ice cream treats.
Other than revisiting the Monkey’s and Elephants we didn’t really tread new ground. Although you did manage build up your courage to let the Flamingos eat from your hand! You were tickled.
By JWP ( August 16, 2009 at 2:43 am) · Filed under lilah, funny, quote
Books are, and always have been, your favorite toys (though puzzles are closing in).
I can get you to go almost anywhere by challenging you to a race (you don’t like to lose, and when you get there you declare “I RACED!”)
“It’s alright Daddy, you can try it if you want to”
The fact that we can tell how tired you are by the frequency of unprovoked “I Love You”s bestowed on us as you lay in bed on your way to sleep.
A little while ago mommy told you to leave me alone because I had to an emergency at work that needed my attention. You then told me “Ima ‘mergency too daddy”. That one broke my heart.
Just today your threatened me with “I will take your work away Daddy” apparently you think I like work in the same way you like your puzzles.
“I Can do it all by myself”
How you ask me to be Winnie the Pooh and get all tickled when I say “Oh Bother”
This Sunday marks our second outing into the Sierra de Guadarrama range which separates Madrid from Segovia. This time we went to the Parque Natural de Peñalara for a relatively easy hike to the Peñalara Laguna Grande. Which is a rather small glacial lake located ~2K meters above sea level. Other than the first 15 minutes, which were pretty steep, the hike was quite easy (as noted by the number of grandmothers we passed) unfortunately being a nature preserve there was no swimming allowed, in fact a cable barrier kept you from getting any closer than a 100m to the lake (rather pond) itself.
Though that hardly bothered you, as your main focus on the day was in climbing rocks! And in that there was no stopping you (at least not without the threat of tears). As typical you were a bit apprehensive at first but by the time we were leaving you would get to the top, of even the smallest rock, and demand that we take your picture.
Your second focus on the day was pointing out the cow poop along the trail, of which there was no shortage as the park is apparently home to herds of free roaming cattle. Thankfully your mom was able to find us a suitable picnic spot amongst the rocks and cow poop while you and I took our sweet time (thanks to the rock climbing) covering the last 300 meters or so.
This setting also, finally, provided you with a chance to get in some good “echos”, of which you have been entranced with ever since the first reading of “Little Beaver and the Echo“. And despite the large number of other people enjoying the day by the lake we couldn’t help but allow you to get in some good “ECHO!!”s, though we did manage to get you to only do 2 or 3 at a time and put some time in between each set.
After a couple of hours we made our way back down the mountain, slowed only by your unsurprising desire to go bouldering. At one point you just sat down and randomly started making faces, starting off with both forefingers stretching the corners of your mouth, then a few “blow-fish” looks, then just as quickly on your way again. Your mom wasn’t quick enough to get the former but she got a good one of the latter.
Towards the bottom of the trail we found a mountain spring where you happily washed your face and hand with the cold water and helped mommy to refill our water bottle.
Just came across this picture today, taken last Christmas (2008) as you enjoyed (thoroughly) your first candy cane (which your mother handed to you as she LEFT to go get groceries, thanks honey).
As you can tell from the title I think you look a bit like a photo of Janis (that I can’t seem to find now) that I have seen (difference being that you are high on sugar, lets keep it that way).
