Nick's Thirty-Second Month

Nick is beginning to use the computer, with simple clicks to replay the videos he loves. YouTube increased their traffic heavily this month just from Nick. He loves music videos, like 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley, and any videos of planes or helicopters or hot air balloons. But what tops them all is chickens. We found a video of muppet chickens, and he requests it frequently with 'more chickens!' He's understanding now when he sees himself on video, and he covers his eyes. His favorite word this month is, 'look!' I put shortcuts here for him to find the videos, so the favorites are linked here on the blog.

We're playing more basketball on his small hoop in the house, while I repair the real backboard outside that has deteriorated from 30 years of use. I love it when he blows on the ball for good luck before he shoots, and then he nails a basket and yells, 'score!' He's now learned to consistently boo the word 'Red Sox' on site, and we're working on a photo of Woody Hayes next. :) The favorite new toy this month is his little red-and-yellow dump truck, which he quickly broke in two, and now carries the pieces everywhere, including to bed. Inside, he and mama build forts from blankets and couch cushions.

Favorite foods this month: orange juice, silly straws, knockwurst and sunflower seeds (known as sunflower treats.) More made-up words this month, for you to work on your 'Nick-cabulary'. 'Cheese cot sauce' is barbeque sauce; 'Bluenocerous' is the blue rhino float toy in the pool; 'yellow-gold trumpet' appears to be a gold finch (he knows robins and cardinals on sight.)

The video of him running around in a cape yelling 'super bunny' is something from one of his television shows. Mama made him a cape from a pillow case when she saw him pretending. He also picked up 'One potato, two potato' from TV, and will do so whenever you put your fists out.

He outran me on a walk down the street last week; thank goodness for the distraction of dandelions that stopped him cold for me to catch up. Really, they're the fluffy white 'weeds' that he blows all of the seeds off. I don't let him roll in the mud outside as much as his mama, who takes him to stomp in the puddles intentionally, and chase toads in the yard. I'm more into cleaning the red dump truck.

We took him to the open house at State Line School, where I attended for several years 30-some years ago (and as you can image, they still remembered me by name when Brandi called the school). He marched into the classroom for 4-year-olds, called out every shape on the wall, every color, and finished with his rundown of 'plus, minus, times, divided-by'. So intellectually, he can run with the group twice his size. But I assured the teacher we would not be enrolling him without a few more months of seasoning, as when it came time to leave and peel him from the train set in the classroom, he melted down in red-faced tears and anger that lasted another 30-minutes after we left. Not to worry, he'll grow out of it. By the time he's 24 or so.

Click here for pictures from his 32nd month.

- Jason

Nick's 2009 Summer Swimming

Summer finally arrived in Michigan, with some hot days in August. Nick spends alot of time in the pool, swimming, sliding and floating. With his turtle lifevest to help him stay above the surface, he can now climb the slide, rocket downward, bounce up from under the water, and swim to the ladder, all on his own (the video was an early shot). It took about 2 days from his reintroduction since last summer, to claiming his independence on the low backyard seas. He navigates all corners of the pool on his own, even swimming in the deep end (but I suppose when you're only 3 feet tall, it's all deep.). He's not just floating; he's kicking and paddling. And there's no peaceful end to swim time - he never wants to come out, no matter how shriveled and blue he gets. He calls his swimsuit his 'sharksuit'. Of course, because it sounds tougher.