Since it's been raining like Seattle out here, we've been stuck indoors a lot more often than we expected this summer, so we finally broke down and got Aaron his own mini Thomas set. He's sick of all the toys he has and just wants to read the same 8 books about trucks 10 times a day. It's not mind numbingly repetitive AT ALL. (Ok, it is kinda cute to see him light up when he sees the ZAMBONI or STREET SWEEPER in the "Big Trucks with Little Jobs" book that we borrowed from the library. But still.)

Anyway, Aaron loved the train set. He was so happy with it. See for yourself. Please excuse the pantslessness. It was really hot in here.

dear zoo

Aaron is obsessed with any and all vehicles. In the course of any given walk outside, he'll point and shout "BUH!!!"(bus) "CAHH!!"(car) "GUK!!"(truck) or "UPPEH!!"('up there' or 'airplane'). Occasionally, "Gou Gous" (dogs) are a subject of interest as well, but he really loves his modes of transportation. It follows naturally that his favorite toys are his cars, trucks and trains, and he only enjoys books that feature one of those subjects. (Side note: Sometimes books that have small pictures of cars or trucks in the background are also acceptable, or even favored, as they provide an element of fun to the pointing and identifying.)

I was getting a little tired of only reading TRUCKS and PLANES and TRAINS and BOATS, so the other night I pulled out an old favorite, "Dear Zoo".


We read it through once and he seemed okay with it, in that he wasn't actively pushing it away, protesting "No-No-No-No", so we decided to read it again. This time I decided to spice it up with some animal noises, and when we got the lion page, I let out a loud "ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAR". Aaron, who had been contentedly drinking his milk, burst out laughing in surprise and sprayed his mouthful of milk all over our bed.

I've since learned that the ROAR is handy for guaranteeing a laugh when I'm trying to get him to open his mouth so I can brush his teeth. And he's usually so delighted afterwards that he doesn't even mind the toothbrush.

bedtime meltdown

Last month we took a family trip to San Francisco where we got to spend time with Isaac's extended family as well as some old friends. Isaac's aunt and uncle generously opened up their home to all 8 of us, and their kids kindly shared their old Thomas trains with Aaron. He had a fabulous time running the trains around the track.



Problem is, he was having so much fun that he didn't want to stop. He flipped out when we told him it was bedtime. It was one of those instances as a parent when I know I need to be firm, but I can barely contain myself. It was also hard not to provoke him. (I only did it once!)

i feel like a real city mom now

A few days ago, Aaron had a playdate with a kid in our neighborhood. I'd never been to their apartment before, but I knew they lived on the fifth floor, and I'd cased the building from the outside beforehand so I knew where to go and so I could decide whether or not to bring our stroller (faster and easier, but difficult without an elevator) or to walk/carry him (more exercise, but easier if no elevator). The building was pretty big, and it looked elevator friendly, so I figured it would be fine to go either way. They live a block away so either option would've been fine, but I was running late the morning of the playdate, so I opted for the stroller. When I entered the building, I spotted the elevator right away (yes!) and there was a sign on it, indicating that it was out of order (no!). Some buildings in the city are really strict about personal items in public spaces, so I didn't know if it would be okay to leave my stroller in the lobby, but more importantly, I'm a bit paranoid about leaving my stuff in semi-public spaces. So I made Snap Decision #1 and pulled the diaper off the stroller, slung it over my shoulder, pulled Aaron out of his comfy seat, collapsed and folded the stroller, and we began to make our way up the stairs. Now Aaron is pretty good with stairs - he's been proficient at climbing up and down for a long time now, but these stairs were fairly steep and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to spot him if he stumbled, so I made Snap Decision #2 and scooped him up under my right arm, mannequin-style. That's right! I carried a 15 lb stroller, a 20 lb toddler, and a diaper bag up 5 flights of stairs by myself! I NEVER thought I'd be able to do that, and I'm still pretty surprised that I did. But at least now I can kinda imagine taking the subway with him by myself. But I'd still prefer a cab.