Music, Tattoos and the Incredible Hulk.

Three hours at the Richmond, VA Children's Museum

Desmond's daddy had a tattoo appointment with out dear friend Max in Richmond this afternoon and we decided that this would be a cool family trip- Max hasn't seen D. in almost a year, and while Rob sits for his appointment we spent some time at the Children's Museum of Richmond, otherwise known as the best place, ever. Ever. EVAHHH!

The fist stop was the outdoor fountain- and yes, we were both walking around with squishy shoes the rest of the day:

  Next, inside- the farm for the under three kids, complete with a farm-stand, truck and a place to plant your own veggies:

Then, into the main room- this place is amazing! Dinosaurs, caverns, a tree house indoors that lets you slide down a giant slide to get down, a real ambulance to drive, a carousel, a car to repair, a grocery store to play in. D and I both had so much fun that I expected him to pass out on the drive home, but the little man beasted through the day and played and smiled and laughed in the car on the way home and all the way through bath and bedtime. 

I am so proud of him. He is two, and they call these the 'terrible twos' yet, he was so engaged today, so excited to have so much to play with and so many kids around him (Desmond said HI to everyone. Every One.)  and to interact with, that every time I asked him to give another kid a turn he listened and was excited to move to a new activity. Older kids helped D through some activities- which totally broke my heart and I hope those parents are patting themselves on the back tonight- including the sassiest little girl who was pretending to sell D groceries who asked:  MMM, You Got Any COUPONS? I nearly took her home with us.  And Jamal- age three. Jamal walked up to D and immediately gave him a high-five. Jamal introduced himself, and for the first time I heard D tell someone new what his name is. They they had plastic lawn mower races all over the courtyard. If Jamal's grandmother had let me Jamal would have come home with us too.

Giant indoor tree house!

Desmond changes an air filter.

Driving an Ambulance.

Desmond and Jamal race lawnmowers.

Riding a Dinosaur.

I can't wait to go back! Maybe more than Desmond, even. 

Wicked Tats

Sunday Evening Selfies And Shushes.

Close your mouth, please.

SHHHH.

Big D has been identifying all his parts for a while now, but this is the first time I have been able to capture it. I think my favorite is when we put him in feetie pajamas and he says, 'bye bye feet'.

Two. Oh! Too much!

I am the mother of a two year old.

Sock Pile Hangout.

 I am the mother of a 36 inch tall 2 year old. That makes him three feet tall. I am six feet tall. Desmond is literally half my size.

I don't know how this happened so quickly.  I don't know how he learned to say so many things: Bicycle!  Playground! Stop it! There are hundreds of words all waiting to make their way into sentences any second now. The speech cork is about to pop, and there are So Many Things to talk about. Like Hot Rods:

We spent Desmond's second birthday at the local park by the river and were joined by friends and family- some of which came from a county or two away just to spend some time with us. I was touched by those people that traveled and so many took time to make and pick out gifts of the toys they loved as kids- a giant tonka dump truck, large lego blocks, and a sock-monster, hand made by a family member. Rob spent HOURS putting together D's new play kitchen that came in the mail in about 750 pieces. At least it doesn't take batteries.

Desmond took it upon himself to climb onto a grill. I had to soak his clothes in simple green.

 

I am the mother of a great kid. A lot of people say that about their kids, and of course it's true. Kids, in general, are pretty freakin' great. Desmond is the best kid I could have hoped for- he is laid back, funny, loves to dance, loves to eat. We can take walks together all over and explore the whole world. Every story we read, every meal we share, all the pictures we draw and puddles we play in- I get to know this little man more and more, and as he becomes his own person I am more and more proud of him. I am so lucky to be his mom.

 

Stats:

Date		Visit		Weight		Length
6/17/2011		Birth		9 pounds 4.8 oz		21 1/4"
21-Jun		First Dr. Visit		9 pounds 2 oz
7/6/2011		Second Dr. Visit		9 pounds 12 oz		22"
29-Jul		Visit to midwives		10 pounds 11 oz
8/24/2011		Two Month Visit		14 pounds 7 oz		23 1/4"
10/24/2011		Four Month Visit		18 pounds 5 oz		26 1/2"
19-Dec		Six Month Visit		21 pounds 3 oz		27 1/2"
3/19/2012		Nine Month Visit		24 pounds 8 oz		29 1/2"
6/25/2012		One Year Visit		25 pounds 14 oz		30 1/4"
1/28/2013		18 Month Visit		30 pounds 3 oz		33 1/2"
6/29/2013		2 Year Visit		32 pounds 4 oz		36"

Bubbles Bubbles Daddy Bubbles BAAAAABUUULLLS!

Bubbles, Folks. 
That's the hot thing around here. In the tub, on the porch, in the grass. 
And they all go -right into the mouth- as soon as Desmond can catch them.

Recent Desmond-y Preoccupations and Interests:

1. Monster Mutt: Rob pulled up some videos of a monster truck made to look like a puppy. It bounces, hops and has ears and a tail. I thought I hated this, but then on further inspection, I want to drive the "doggietruck? doggie truuuuck doggie truck" as D refers to it. Also, there is a Datamation version, driven by a woman. 
2.  Bubbles! So easy, makes the baby so happy! Why on earth did I not buy bubbles a year ago. See above.
3. Dinosaurs. So. Many. Dinosaurs. Rawr. D even has a giant orange dinosaur on wheels he rides from room to room, and when he makes it to the kitchen linoleum he can drift around the kitchen table like nobody's business.
4. Pretending to be a kitty. On all fours, yelling MEOW. Also, every time he hears the rooster next door he yells, 'CHICKEN'! (D, what does a chicken say? Response? A single loud, 'BUUCK'!
5. Always jeans, never pants. Jeans. Like Daddy and Mama. Not. Pants. NO.
6. Words- so many words. One day, he will learn the word, 'why?' So help me. 

In 25 days the big D will be 2 years old. When did that happen? Sometimes we look at him and marvel that he is taller than the kitchen table. That he can climb in and out of the tub without help, walk up and down stair easily, jump up and down, count to three (sorta), ask for pancakes, hummus, blueberries or Big Bird and make himself understood. 

Just for the sake of comparison, here is what a bath looked like a year ago:

Sniff. So big. So fast. 

 

Condiment Confessions

A1

Steak Sauce

Many of you read about my unnatural craving for pancakes while pregnant. Some of you (paging the Layne family) enabled my desires with gifts of Shake-N-Pour Aunt Jemima and organic maple syrup. I would come home from work and make a single pancake, all for me (and D). But that is only half of the story:



Steak Sauce. Sweet mother of crap, I LOVE STEAK SAUCE Ugh. I never mentioned anything to anyone about my perverse love of tangy, vinegar laced, made of raisin extract and magic: A1 steak sauce. I sipped it right from the bottle.  Sometimes I gulped. I might have poured it on other foods, but who the heck cares if I did, IT WAS DELICIOUS.

That being said, I had some trouble getting Desmond to finish the roast chicken portioned out for his dinner. Peas? No problem. Carrots? No Problem. Cheese? Again, no issue. The chicken however, was wholly rejected. Solution? STEAK SAAAAAAUCE!  A tablespoon of steak sauce and the chicken was devoured. Steak sauce is vegan, not terrible for preservatives or salt and boom: finger-fulls of chicken dragged through and promptly nommed.

Now you know all my secrets. I'll just be in the kitchen dipping carrot sticks into A1.

Random Baby D things:

Russian Gangster Tracksuit.