We have officially moved our weekly Children’s Grand Park visits to Wednesdays: this week because tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and from next week as he will have class on Tuesday and Thursday.
He woke up at 9:03. Picked him up as he stood in the hall and the first thing he wanted was to go find stickers. So we did that. Oatmeal and strawberries again for breakfast and then our usual morning stuff and we left the house about 11.
Got to CGP a little b/f noon to basically find it deserted. The entire time we were there (until close to 5) we literally saw two other children with parents and one small school group of about 6 kids. Besides that there were a smattering of adults or college students wandering around, but that was it. And no construction work happening. Like the whole city called off field trips due to a little rain and cold.
We made the most of it. He was only interested in animals today. He first wanted to see the seals, so headed that direction. Saw the deer and zebras, then he changed his mind about the seals and didn’t want to go inside. He wanted the lizards instead.
So we went to the tropical building. Had the entire building to ourselves for 20 minutes. One man wandered through near the end, but that was it. We were able to set our stuff down and sit and watch the coatis and play in the sand. Would have stayed longer but his diaper was leaking.
Went to the closest bathroom and did another standing up change. He is getting the hang of them. Then went into the botanical gardens (this is where we saw the one group of students as they left the building) and went upstairs and sat in a corner and ate lunch.
From there he wanted more animals, specifically the elephants. This ended up being the coolest part. I held him up on the railing to watch the elephant for a good 10 minutes. Normally, with the crowds there is too much distraction/worry for him to focus like that. He watched the elephant and counted things in the exhibit – namely the drainage holes, I think.
We then went around the corner. To the hyenas. We were there even longer – 15 to 20 minutes. He spent much of the time standing on the little concrete ledge, propped up against my legs, his forehead pressed against the glass. More counting of things here, as there was with the servals before we left.
Eventually moved on, paying the servals a short visit. But I needed to change him and it was time for a nap. Walked up to our usual bathroom, happy to find that the room we use is heated. Changed him then went to the stone benches by the statue where I put him in the backpack.
There is a stone with an inscription in Hangeul. He stood there, pointing not out Hangeul characters, then started drawing on it using the drops of water on it. Again spent 15 minutes or so here. He didn’t want to stop, but I was getting cold and he needed to sleep. Put him in the backpack and he fell asleep quickly.
He slept 2:50 to 4:40. I left the cafe before he woke up, meaning he slept through the whole putting on the backpack process. He woke up as we approached the subway station. The first time he entirely missed the cafe.
He was groggy on the train. Could have had a seat of his own, but wanted on my lap. Got home around 5:20.
A pretty standard evening, but for two things: he was not happy about his bath, at all. And he stayed up until 11:30. He took a shorter nap and woke up earlier from it than yesterday, so thought he’d be asleep by 10:30. He had other ideas. He would be reading books or doing art with me (we don’t do iPad or any other playing this late), then act tired and say he was sleepy, but when he went in to bed with Carly he would change his mind.
At 11 I took him in while I brushed my teeth, then took him to bed. The last 25 to 20 minutes he flopped around the bed. Tried to leave once but I kept him on the bed. Finally, he laid down with Carly and fell asleep. Thinking I will start trying to wake him at 8:30 in the morning if he is still sleeping by then. And the same with afternoon naps if they extend to 90 minutes.
New words/phrases: hyena, feel (his socks), no touch poop, Hangeul drawing, flashlight
Zoo:
being welcomed by the deer:
Home: