Nick is getting into rhymes and games now. Mama taught him 'Patty Cake' and 'Ring around the Rosy'. For the first one, he can 'mark it with a B' by drawing a B in his hand. For the second, he flops on the floor like John Barry at the word 'around' (an NBA player known for flopping fouls, for the pointless-sports-trivia-challenged folks.) He's also learning rhythm, when we sing in the car, and taps his hands to the beat. Brandi plays her boombox frequently, so his favorite tunes to sing along are from Sara Evans. His singing still sounds a little like the 'Chinese Top 40', but as far as just talking, his current vocabulary contains Ball, Up, Bird, Mama, Daddy, Chocolate, and Juice. (This must be how the writers for Star Trek came up with all those langaues.) Want to hear his opinion on things? Check out the video at right where he's jumping on the bed and talking up a storm.All those toddler TV shows I thought were so cute 6 months ago, I now find myself mocking behind Nick's back. "Just save the damn squirrel, already!" I shout, as the Wonder Pets fart around singing and carrying on, taking a half hour to perform the daring rescue in their flying red Frisbee. Mama has her hands full containing us both. All those people who create outlandish warped videos on YouTube, making a mockery of innocent children's shows? I now understand these people - they are crazy parents desperately trying to get the theme from 'Barney' out of their heads.
Most of us don't remember the cro-magnon urges from our youth, but we are quickly reminded by seeing our children come across something that rivals the greatest things of all creation - like Spicy Chili Doritos - and watching them shove their mouths full until they choke. The 'too much of a good thing' lesson comes early in life. Favorite new food this month is a grilled cheese sandwich.
The pictures this month feature some shots of his 'happy Chinaman' smile, which isn't so much his squinting in joy as it is the 'scorch the retinas from your skull' flashbulb on our old camera. It makes for cute pictures, so we use it on occasion. (If his eyesight starts fading in his twenties, I'm gonna feel guilty about this moment.) Mama bought him a toddler pool for outdoors on hot days. She was so eager to introduce him to the pool, we rushed him into it the first weekend for pictures. He wanted no part of the pool, or at least not while there was a broom to push around. He played with the broom for an hour - naked, of course - and barely wet his bottom in the pool.
Brandi made us some homemade Halushka (or sometimes known as Polish Palushki) from her grandmother's recipe. Nick and I both enjoyed those, and she hit the recipe right-on the first time she made it. Good stuff!
He's been snuggling up to us for awhile now, but is finally giving all-out hugs just this month. There is nothing better in life (not even Buffalo & Ranch Doritos, although Nick might disagree.)
Click here for pictures from Nick's 18th Month.
- Jason
PS: You'll find one stray picture in the link this month - of Joanae's little boy. Collin Greenawalt, welcome to life.
