Bringing up baby: 23 September 2012

Morning sleep-in 23 Sept 2012
(C) ^_^ 2012

I had a relapse with the seasonal illness today.

As much as I appreciated my sleep-in, I still felt physically rotten.

Highlights:

Waking up with jigsaw pieces, and a pair of baby moccasins, next to my head; playground fun with the family.

The first is as it implies. Atilla woke up before his parents, and entertained himself rearranging the rooms. He strode back and forth between his room and ours, carrying items he deemed significant. When he'd had enough of that, he explored Daddy's cluttered bedside table. This got an immediate reaction, and Daddy got out of bed to look after Atilla.

In the afternoon the good weather came back, so we walked to the playground. Daddy was convinced to come with us, and leave the cooking clean-up until later.

The swing was first. Then the swing with Daddy in the big swing too. Then Mummy in the big swing, swinging ever higher and worrying Daddy.

Then it was the yellow slide, Atilla clambering up the wooden steps all by himself, and Mummy at the bottom to greet him.

We mucked about for a bit, as I sat and basked in the late afternoon sun. Atilla explored the possibilities of the grassed and fenced area of the playground, and the bark covered ground. He found a piece of plastic, and didn't recognise it as 'bish.

I called to him that it was rubbish. He looked solemnly in my direction, then determinedly toddled to the side of the playground, climbed over and down the wooden edge, and to the rubbish bin. The edge of the bin was taller than he. Without a pause for self-doubt, he stretched up and managed to put the 'bish in the bin. Daddy and I cheered and clapped.

Then it was the lizard wall, with Daddy helping Atilla. And down the yellow slide. And up the lizard wall. And then...across the log-rope bridge and to the big blue slide! Mummy to catch/greet. I didn't do it well :(

As per Atilla's modus operandi, he starts sliding on his bum and then twists half-way down to slide on his front. The blue slide is wavy. Atilla hit his face on a wavy bit. He cried, and was comforted and I apologised.

He wanted to climb the lizard wall again. Once up, he preferred to stay in the toddler platform area looking through the kaleidoscope, and play with the steering wheel. I fooled about, hanging off the rope on the log-rope bridge. This seemed to inspire Atilla to go to the blue slide again. Daddy went down with him, and both ended safely.

The train crawl was his next activity. Through, under, and over. As Daddy was here this time to catch if he fell, 'Over' was a definite treat. On the roof of the train, Atilla tended to launch himself at Daddy.

Atilla finagled one more activity. The vertical rope climb.

He had seen the 4 1/2yo do it yesterday.

So today he wanted to do it. He insisted. I hadn't the heart to dissuade his ambitions, and plus it would wear him out quicker.

I loitered. He climbed onto the first level by himself. I was amazed. Daddy was amazed. As Atilla was on a roll, I decided helping him get to the second level was a worthy task. I guided his hands to the best hold, helped his legs reach the second level, and he climbed all by himself. Parental agogment.

Atilla was now at Daddy's level. Daddy helped. Atilla was now the highest of us all. Parental pride, and concern.

We called it a day. Atilla prolonged his freedom in myriad ways: wandering to the hillock, holding my hand and then releasing to wander on the grassy verge to admire the home owners' garden flowers.