One last trip to Children’s Grand Park before heading home for teh summer. Today was supposed to be a bit on the relaxing side after the last couple days, and a big trip tomorrow, but it didn’t really work out that way.
He was up at 6:56. Did some cuddling, then I asked him to wave for mama so I could take a photo. And he did. He totally understands the sending mama a photo every morning thing. We ate Cheerios for breakfast, and he wan’t to spell ’soy milk’ and we wrote it on paper. He then wanted the iPad: “iPad…want fonts”. He started looking at the colors of the crayons. One color is ‘melon’, and it led to some confusing remembering: “like mama and water…no straw…at the park.” I remember Carly saying he couldn’t drink something of hers because we didn’t have a straw, but don’t think it was anything melon-related. Anyway, we were in by the reading area, and started making shapes and letters out of the crayons. We started with Qs, and started small, but ended up making one with 20 sides, plus a lower case Q in the center. We also did S/s and R/r. Finally, he started ‘hiding’ crayons under the reading area cushion. I may have made a sound, but before I could object, he mimicked me, saying “Fine. Sigh. All right. Augustino!”
When we left the apartment complex I noticed he had covered his eyes and put his head down. At first I thought he was hiding from something, but then realized it was because of the sun. I asked if he wanted his hat, and he said yes. So we stopped and put it on. On the subway, there was an older woman sitting next to us that August played with and talked to most of the way down. We transferred at Gunja and got kimbap there, and went to Achasan to go in the back entrance to the park. But first we went to Daiso where we got a new spray bottle for August: we have declared the other one a bath-only toy, so then I had the idea of getting him one to use outside. We also got blank notebooks for coloring on the plane, and I loaded up on caribiners for by backpacks.
We walked into the park and ate lunch on an open platform near where we ate last time we came in the back entrance. We ate, then he decided it was time to fill up the water bottle. He took off to the faucets, which were a ways away. We filled it up and that kept him busy for the next 15 minutes or so. Despite encouraging him to spray everything else around us, me and our stuff were still pretty wet by the end. Changed him, walked a bit, and he slept from 12:28 to 1:34.
Didn’t hang around the coffee shop for long. We went to the new playground and played in the water. I filled the bucket for him a few times and he dumped it. Ended up by the sand, where he then started scooping sand in the bucket until it was full: “Putting sand in the bucket.” He had really engaged with the woman on the subway, but here women only got in his way: He was trying to get to the sand when two women stepped in front of him and started talking to him. He did his best to go around them. Later, a woman was watching him play and actually was touching her face. He tried to ignore her. She gave him an apricot or something of the sort, but he didn’t seem to interested.
We played until 3:10, then changed him, and figured we’d see a few animals before we left. I asked what animal he wanted to see, and he instantly said “Giraffes!” and grinned, as that was a joke – no giraffes here. He then said “Animal!” and repeated that several times, knowing that it was vague. We ended up starting with the primates where we saw some baby baboons and macaques, then went around the ferocious animals: lion, tigers, leopards, jaguars, etc. He was counting them, and at the tigers said “One awake, two sleeping.” He pointed out the ‘zookeeper doors’ a couple of times.
We then headed out, stopping at the first floor coffee shop to get a couple things. Took the subway up to Jughwa to visit Nathalie and Chloe and pick up some books and toys we were buying from them since they’re moving to China. In Jughwa August saw a TonyMoly shop and liked the sign: “TonyMoly…like Hangeul. Some Hangeul in there.” I think because the font made the ‘O’ look square and it looked like ㅁ.
We made it to their place just past 4:30. Visited until 5 or so. August was playing with random toys and putting them in the baby seat and kind of rocking them. He was really shy at first – just put his head down in the backpack and hid, but by the end he was performing and having a great time with them, including Nathalie’s mom, who leaves on Sunday (we met her at the birthday party last weekend). Heading home the backpack was full of stuff (they also gave me a box of big letter board things and some math manipulatives – oh, and a Wiggles baseball hat that August really liked).
August didn’t want to be set down on the way to the station, but I made him walk a bit. But once we got off at Hagye and made it through the turnstiles, he walked the entire rest of the way home, including, for the first time, twice holding my hand as we crossed the street. When we got in the apartment he wanted his shoes off – he is very big on taking his shoes off in the right place. I helped him with the first by stepping on the heel while he tried to get it off, but he got the second one all by himself, saying “almost, almost” as he did it.
We were home about 6, and I left about 7:50 to go meet Derek. In between we had dinner and gave him a bath, and Carly took a shower. I hung out with Derek over at 7-11 (which sounds weird, but is totally a thing here, as the convenience stores have tables and chairs outside) and Jeff, who moves to Iraq to teach, showed up a bit later. We had much to talk about between that and Derek’s new job.
While I was gone, August fell asleep at 8:30. He chose his own pajamas: a button up shirt and his blue cat pants. I noticed them as soon as I came in the room later.
New words/phrases: almost, that’s good
Morning:
New squirt bottle:
After his nap:
Playground:
Hat from Nathalie:
Sign in the park: