Lit ...

Morning novel title, courtesy of Isaiah: "I carry your grapes," or "I carry grapes for you."

Wednesday night

Tonight Isaiah resumed the task which we all failed to complete when we were younger: Making sure every stone and pebble within tossing distance is properly thrown into a stream. There is work yet to be done, but we accomplished something tonight.

I suspect there will be great fascination and a close watch needed for the stream at the wedding in July.

At play

Isaiah is now cruising up this playground structure in the park across the street from the house en route to the twisty slide, which he really likes. He also fell out of the adult swing the other night, but recovered quickly.

Near the playground is a small rise with rocks poking through the grass, and he likes to scramble up there. The other night as we walked down from the rocks, we stepped onto cedar stumps just down the hill.

"Stumps," I said.

"Rocks," Isaiah said.

"Stumps," I said. "Stump speech."

"Do it again," Isaiah said.

"Stump speech," said, and then proceeded to provide an example.

"Do it again," Isaiah said.

Is it wrong to be highly amused by my own attempts to embed history and linguistic roots into his brain?

April showers

And April flowers. Exploring Elizabeth Park on a cool, rainy April Saturday.

Always Pushing

Isaiah disappeared around the front of the car in the lot outsider our building. When I walked to where I could see him, he was perched between the curb and bumper. (Don't worry, the car is still moving on its own).

A fun bulldozer we saw in New Britain.

Our Young Man Of Letters

Just a little playful evening action at the Friedrichs house.

Chucks

We really want to avoid brands with our kids, but I do love these shoes (mine were on sale; Isaiah's were second-hand).

The New Building

No doorman, but we left at 8:12 a.m. this morning, took a brief detour and still arrived in the office by 8:30 a.m.

Spotted In The Bronx

Isaiah works his way through a tunnel on the playground next to Arthur Avenue. He didn't want to walk across the bridge because, I think, of the holes in the metal, so he scooted on his butt.

Easter 2010

The eggs.

The sunny afternoon in Putnam Lake.

The Easter outfits (I did not take any pictures of the hats at church, but there were some stunning examples of fashion).

Dona nobis pacem

The young 'un was spouting Latin on our way home in the early hours after the Easter Vigil mass. He learned it from one of the music CDs Marian plays for him. He also has smattering of Spanish he drops now and then to impress the folks around us.

We're not moving ...

We're creating an ever-changing obstacle course for Isaiah. Or, at least, that's what he thinks. For the concerned grandparents, he did not fall down. He climbed back down after I told him to, although some mischievous glances were thrown my way.

Holy Week

This morning in the bath and right now (through a mouthful of peas), Isaiah has been repeatedly intoning, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory." Oh, wait. The chant just changed to, "More peas! More peas!" Gotta go.

Anachronism?

Isaiah enjoys his paper and breakfast. Did you know the deals you can get on new cars? Why do we never see such deals on trains and buses?

Spring!

Forget robins, although we saw one or two of those, we've got barbecue. Blessed with great weather all week, we fired up the grill in the park (and avoided the poison ivy this time around). Isaiah had an especially good time with Uncle Pete, who also came through later with brownies and ice cream.

Lunchables

Nothing wild about Isaiah, except his hair, on Saturday, so not long after this picture was taken in Central Park, I fed him a muffin.

Activities of note

At breakfast this morning, a certain young man in our house (no, not me) tried to shove a Cheerio in his right ear. When I called him on it, he started faking towards that ear every other bite.

Isaiah's current favorite songs to sing: ABC song and "Big Green Tractor," which he sings when he's bored in the car or sleepy.

Yesterday in New York, we walked past the subway station next to the Natural History Museum. Isaiah leaned toward it and said, "Saturday, ride the train." We have never entered the subway at that station. It has a sign that says "subway," stairs leading down, the route letter signs and the light globe. From those clues (he definitely didn't see or hear one of the trains), he knew we could get on there. Amazing.

Humor

The funniest phrase in the English language according to one 19-month-old (who happens to live with us): "That's quite a load of fish, Bilgy."

It only gets funnier if it repeat it over and over.

Endearing phrases and translations

No like it

Creamah -- what Isaiah used to say for ice cream

Get off

Hop up

Carry you -- Carry me

Get there first -- Go pick up the ball

Call my knights -- from the book Peasant Pig

Cookie and muffin -- applied generically to energy bars, cake, anything sweet

Go away -- directed sometimes at his mother when she's in the way of driving trucks on the couch

And one that Marian and I have decided to use on people who look but don't buy the apartment: A blight on your potatoes.

Spring Training

I broke out the glove on a rainy day and caught self-tosses. Isaiah wanted to try. Putting the ball in that leather thing is not as easy as it looks. By the way, did you know you could play run in circles in an elevator?