Holiday Good Times

So, for those who live far away from us, like my dad, here's a few pictures of the boy this holiday season.

This is a picture the Boy took a few days ago (and he's only just turned four):

This is a picture from his birthday celebration out in California, where we were visiting Andrea's sister and her family:

And these two pictures were from Christmas day:


More pictures as I get around to putting them up.

In the Park, baby!

To make my mother happy, here's some bloody pictures of The Boy rocking it at Island Park today.

TV killed the radio star

There is nothing that holds the Boy's attention more than the dreaded television. Well, perhaps except for any other piece of technological equipment, especially the more buttons, strange sounds, and LCD displays it contains.

Anyway, behold in all his glory the 28 month old couch potato, taken on a recent visit to the grandparents in Troy.

The Force is strong with this one...

Since I'm going to be re-designing the main page of www.andrewdevenney.com as a blog as well, I want to save this picture in this blog. Enjoy my young padawan...

It learns!

When ever Evan learns a new skill, Andrew and I marvel, "It LEARNS!" and then we giggle like mad scientists. No, we're not freaks.

Recently, Evan realized that he can use words he already knows in different contexts. The following is a brief list of examples. Pronunciation is included for your amusement:

1. Before: "All done" (Ahhh-duh!)-- used to tell us when he is finished eating.
Present: any time anyone is done with something, such as emptying a grocery bag; or even when the TV is turned off.

2. Before: "Off" ("Auf")-- used when removing socks.
Present: used when removing socks or shoes; or when he wants someone else to remove his/her socks or shoes.

3. Before: "treat" ("cheecht")-- used when Evan wanted a treat. In our house, a treat is chocolate. Present: used when Evan sees anyone or anything eating something that resembles a treat, except he does say "cake" for anything that looks like a cake.

4. Before: "Stop" (remarkably, when he says "stop" it actually sounds like "stop")-- used when asked the question, "Evan, what does a car do at a red light?" Present: used in the previous context, and also when Evan would like someone to cease whatever they are doing, ie., for Dada to stop tickling him, or for me to stop drying his hair with a towel.

5. Before: "Go" ("go" really does sound like "go")-- used when asked the question, "Evan, what does a car do at a green light?" Present: used when he would like you to get up from where you are sitting to move to another place, or when he would like you to leave the room if he is crapping his pants.

Wouldn't Noam Chomsky be like so proud?

Evan Goes to a Party

Yesterday Evan experienced his first proper birthday party. His little friend from playgroup, Edie, turned three-years-old. Edie's mom, Jennifer, hosted a gathering of a few friends and family members at Sunnyside Park.

Evan enjoyed several things: 1) one and a half chocolate cupcakes, 2) the climber and the swings, and 3) flying a cheap plastic Elmo kite. There was music, and bubbles, and, oh yeah, other kids, too. Notice in the previous list, I didn't say anything about Evan enjoying the company of other children. He was aware of their presence, and was sometimes distantly interested in them-- but he was mostly content to do as he wanted-- digging in the sand, gathering handfuls of wood chips to put on the end of the slide, etc.

He did attempt to be sociable one time, though. There was a little girl there, Seely, age 2, who he handed a small pile of wood chips to. She gladly accepted them, and a brief love affair blossomed. They walked around the play structure together, piling wood chips at the end of every slide.

Kids parties are strange and fragmented affairs. It was evident that each individual child enjoyed being there, but they didn't really play together at all. Maybe party games happen when they're older.

Judo Chop!

The Boy sure is a weird little bugger.

Nearly every time I pick him up (after being headbutted in the crotch and peppered with a rapid-fire "UP UP UP") he does this little back-patting motion on my shoulder blade and a shimmying wiggle dance of excitement (like someone just dropped ice in his shorts). It's endearing in a comical kind of way, not unlike watching him ninja-walk up to the garbage and tossing Andrea's perfume in the can.

But lately his mounting ritual (for I and Andrea are his pack horses, of course) has taken a turn for the worse. One of his less endearing habits is the stealth whack, whereby he looks you in the eye while mounted, smiles his impish grin, and smacks you upside the head. With a giggle. Well, for me at least, this has been modified slightly:

Headbutt ... UP UP UP ... back slap ... wiggle dance ... massage dada's throat ... JUDO CHOP! ... giggle as dada nearly drops you on the floor in surprise. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Perhaps Master Evan will grace us with a picture of his martial arts technique when he awakens from his nap in a little while.