Hanging out at the lake

Budding photographer?

Dylan,

One of your forms of entertainment on our drive to vacation was
learning how to use the camera on my iPhone. Not a bad photo for a
beginner, but we should talk about the subject matter...

Sleep Train

Dylan,

You're riding the rails with Mom today. Three hours each way to visit a big train museum in the capitol. I was worried you wouldn't manage a nap and that it would end up a long, unpleasant day for Mom (you're not due back till 9 pm). I was wrong about the first part, at least:




Dad

Bribery

Dylan,

we're still plying you with promises of treats to get you to sit for a haircut. Just know that it's not going to stay that way forever, alright? Even if you are adorable sitting on the back step eating a chocolate popsicle.

Dad

Mucho

Dylan,

You made several new friends at the playground today. The mother of one was impressed to hear that you spoke some Spanish. She asked you something like "...habla poquito Espanol?"

"No, mucho!" you boasted.


Dad

PBS kid

Dylan,

We were looking at pictures of dinosaurs on my iPod, talking about what makes an omnivore, carnivore, and herbivore when you said you wanted a "really long Sid the Science Kid video". I said we'd have to look on the computer for that

So you climbed into the office chair while I brought up pbskids.org in a browser. Soon after a video started playing you said to me: "Can you leave me?"

I heard you laughing out loud right before I shot this clip of you navigating your way to the next video.

Dad

And again... Fishing

Dylan,

You and I have both had enough of the indoors so I packed up the Bob
with some snacks and your pole and threw on my running shoes. We went
for a run then stopped by the local creek to drop in your line. I
think the outdoors is doing us both some good. You didn't have a
fever this morning so I've started the 24hr countdown. Technically
you still have flu cooties, but were staying away from other folks.

minor milestone #1,314

Dylan,

You just woke up early from your nap, used the bathroom, and climbed back into bed.

Very nice. Possibly an offshoot from the other night: We were out of the heavy-duty "overnight" diapers so I put you in two pull-ups (I had accidentally purchased some that were too big, which was handy here), the first layer being the kind that produces a cold sensation when wet (you know, the ones with the giant snowflake stencil on 'em, and that you say you don't like) and I told you that if you woke up wet you could take off both pull-ups, use the bathroom and put the dry pull-up back on. Sure enough, you got up about an hour later that night and followed my instructions to the letter.


Dad

Sleeping on the couch

Unprecedented.

Watching the teevee...

...glassy eyed

H1N1

Dylan,

The flu bug has gotten a lot of attention this year, even though we've yet to reach the traditional "flu season". Reasons include an especially virulent strain, high profile cases in Mexico -- including some deaths --, an atypical demographic impact pattern, and a scary but catchy nickname: Swine flu.

We got a call from your school Saturday morning letting us know that a student who had been at your school all week (though in the other classroom) had received confirmation of the Influenza-A/H1N1/Swine Flu virus at 8pm Friday night.

You made it through the weekend okay, but slept 12 hours last night and woke up this morning (Monday) with a fever.

I have to note here that since it takes 1-2 days to confirm H1N1 after a blood draw, if that student really was at school "all week" as we were told, somebody seriously dropped the ball there.

Mom stayed home with you this morning and I'm home for the afternoon (and probably working from home all week, as it's likely that I'm already exposed and would sure like to avoid spreading it at the office). Your doctor cleared both Mom and I to go to work as long as we're asymptomatic, but I think everybody's glad to let me WFH.

So far, you're taking the virus pretty well. You've been going to your room of your own accord when you feel tired, and then sleeping for extended periods. You were up just long enough this afternoon to take your meds, watch a Thomas video, and get your temp taken again: 101.2. You're taking acetaminophen, and just started Tamiflu (oseltamivir) which could hopefully shorten your symptomatic period by 12-36 hours. We'll see.

Dad

Like a steel trap

Dylan,

You amaze me with the things you remember.

Last night I suggested we read Rory To The Rescue since it had been a long time (probably months) since we read it last. Half way through the book I mis-read a line as "It sure is getting windy out there". "Wild" you said, matter-of-factly. "It sure is getting wild out there" you continued, giving me the explanation I obviously needed.

I checked the text and saw that you were right.

How you can recall such a small detail, and with such certainty, is very impressive on both counts.


Dad

Hush Little Dylan

Dylan,

Mom made up this adaptation of a classic:

Hush little Dylan, don't say a word
Mommy's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing
Mommy's gonna buy you a diamond ring

If that diamond ring turns to brass
Mommy's gonna buy you a looking glass

If that looking glass gets broke
Mommy's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat runs away
Mommy's gonna buy you a bale of hay

And if that bale of hay gets wet
Mommy's gonna buy you a fishing net

And if that fishing net has a hole
Mommy's gonna buy you a fishing pole

And if that fishing pole should snap
Mommy's gonna buy you a lobster trap

But if that lobster trap won't sink
Mommy's going to buy you a skating rink

And if that skating rink melts away
Mommy's gonna buy you some modeling clay

And if that modeling clay dries up
Mommy's going to buy you a drinking cup

And if that drinking cup does break
Mommy's gonna buy you a garden rake

If that rake gets rusty in the rain
Mommy's gonna buy you an air-o-plane

And if that airplane flies up in the sky
Mommy's gonna buy you a piece of apple pie

And if that piece of apple pie gets eaten all
Mommy's going to buy you a basketball

And if that basketball goes flat
Mommy's gonna buy you a tumbling mat

And if that tumbling mat's too firm
Mommys gonna buy you some juicy earthworms

And if those earthworms wriggle in the dirt
Mommy's gonna buy you a new plaid shirt

But if that new plaid shirt's too small
Mommy's going to buy you a bouncy ball

If that bouncy ball goes over the fence
Mommy's gonna buy you a si-ix pence

And if that six-pence is really neat
Mommy's gonna buy you a lobster to eat

So hush little Dylan, don't say a word
Mommy's going to buy you a mockingbird



Mom sings this to you every night at bedtime. You know all the words, and you're quick to catch any errors.

Dad

Shark

Dylan,

Up 'til now, your artwork has been just lines and scribbles. You've shown little interest in actually putting the lines together to create any recognizable form. Well, today after you sharpened your pencil, you asked for a piece of paper and proceeded to draw a shark. You described what you were drawing as you went, and once you got to the "lots of really sharp teeth" I realized there was a true form unfolding before my eyes. After the teeth came the fins, again drawn with purpose. Dad doesn't seem to get my excitement, but I've been waiting for the pictures to emerge. I look forward to a fridge littered with your drawings for years to come. For today the shark stands alone.

More Thomas

Day out with Thomas