Where he fell asleep

Peanut butter toast

Driven

Passenger and driver on a trip around the store.

Tired puppy

On MetroNorth headed to Fleetwood.

Fall music

More from September/October.

Jump around

Working through the backlog. This is from September or October.

The Grinch, in part

Notes

Isaiah slept all night in his own room for the first time last night.

"vroom, vroom, crash, bang"

Framed

Isaiah helped at the eye doctor's office.

The Kitten and the Imp

Yesterday morning, Bernadette was playing happily in a smelly diaper. I announced that it was time to change her, and she just looked at me with her most impish grin. I picked up a balloon and asked, "Would you like to hold this balloon while I change you?" She nodded slowly, still smiling. "OK," I said, placing it in front of me, "come on over." She came over, got up close to my face, and said, "No!" "No what?" I asked. She grabbed the balloon and bolted, grinning all the way.

Last night...

Isaiah: Soon I won't be a kitten anymore. I'll be a big truck driver.

Mama: Will you drive your truck to come visit me?

Isaiah: Well, I don't know because I have a lot of work sometimes.

Brief notes

 The big keyboard at FAO Schwartz in New York.

Wheels

Isaiah would be willing to take this one for a spin.

Birthday boy

Jim and some candles not reflective of his real age.

Weaning Day

When Isaiah woke up on his (mother-appointed) weaning day, he did not ask to nurse as usual. He just got up and played. Here and there we talked excitedly about his weaning party that afternoon and the weaning presents he would get. After a while, I decided to ask if he wanted to nurse one last time. He said, "Sure! But we cannot stop nursing yet."

Gulp. Hold your ground, Marian. "Yes, it's time to stop," I said.

He paused thoughtfully for a second, and then he grinned at me. "My, how fast I ate and growed!" he said and clambered onto my lap. He started nursing, and I looked at the clock, wondering whether I would give him the usual two minutes or go longer in honor of the occasion. Before I could decide, he sat up and said, "I'm finished!"

I felt a little pang of surprise and sadness. He climbed down and started to go back to his toys, but I said, "Wait, Isaiah. That was our last time nursing. Can I give you a hug?" He came back and submitted. Then he pulled away, grinned again, and said, "I'm done!"

"I love you," I said. "I love you, too," he said, and scampered off.

Scenes from the weaning party, which we celebrated at Friendly's with our pals Debby and Hazel--

Bed wrestling

Inflated expectations

Never underestimate how upset a young boy will be when you buy a helium balloon with a red string and leopard print and he was expecting it to be blue.

Isaiah's first country song (or at least the chorus): "I'm going drivin' all night long / in my truck with the headlights on / yeah, yeah, yeah." Stretch those yeahs. We'll try to get a recording. He said he expects to hear it on the radio, or a CD.

More From the Little Man

When I was sick, Matt gave me ginger to suck on. A little while later, when I was still not feeling better, Isaiah patted my arm and said, "How about some more ginger, my girl?"

This afternoon, while I was nursing Bernadette during her nap, Isaiah crawled up on the bed. "Aw," he said, patting my cheek, "a rose is as soft as your mother's touch"--then, patting Bee's forehead--"and as sweet as the sleep of your baby."

A little while later he informed me, "Teeth are like blades inside a person's mouth."

Language

Bernadette is working hard on language. She sings along. She sings to herself. She chats incessantly. The other day in the car she was saying "ah, ah, ah." I said "A, B, C." She said "ah, beh, ceh." She repeated "ball" after me the other night. And she follows all kinds of requests.

Isaiah at dinner the other night: "You would have to take a plane there. Because our house is five miles away. It would take you two whole days to drive there."

January birthdays

 Isaiah and Sophia help take the candles off the cake.

Bernadette shares a moment with Grandma.