He was up around 6 again. He and Carly read Little Red Riding Hood and part of Tallulah’s Tutu. After Carly left we played with with Duplos a little, then he played in sink and got his sleeves really wet. We made pancakes for breakfast, and he wanted to put cinnamon in, so we did. We were listening to U2’s The Joshua Tree. The cinnamon was a nice addition to the pancakes. August asked about how vitamins were made and wanted to watch a video on it. Watched one on vitamins, then drinking water, then eggs. We start of exercised together, then he played with the cord to my headphones, eventually turning it and one of his doctor toys into a teeth cleaner and cleaning my teeth. He wanted some of my water drink and poured it into his cup on his own – he’s gotten pretty darn good with pouring things now. We watched a new Smurf episode (Fountain of Youth) then he watched Baby Smurf while I took a shower.
APIS was coming by to do our apartment checkout this afternoon, so we spent some time straightening, and did a little more paint patching in the bedroom. He played in the sink more, then we skyped with my parents. Not terribly long, as he was eager to get going outside. But he and my mom talked about making snickerdoodles together.
As I got us ready to go I got his toothbrush and I swear he said “I hate brushing my teeth.” I have no idea where he got ‘hate’ – although now I’m thinking that maybe Gargamel says he hates the Smurfs…the corrupting power of cartoons.
He then, for some reason, noticed the panel covering the internet cords and equipment. So I showed him how it opens and closed, and then we talked about it. Compared it to the gas, water, and electricity coming into the house. He had a lot of questions about it, and then was asking ‘what ifs’: what if there was no cords, what if there was a fire in there, what if the yellow one isn’t connected, etc.
We left at 12. He was humming Mozart’s Eine Kleine Natchmusik on the way, which was surprising as we haven’t listened to it in quite awhile, and not that much. It had, however, been on a commercial at the pension office last night, but just for a few seconds. That was enough.
On the train he just sat on his own much of the way, then we played a little Dragonbox Big Numbers. In the station he saw a boy walking and shooting one of those bubble guns. He asked “This is not a very good place to do bubbles?” Then, as we walked into the park he said “Every time I get loud it rains…Every time I get quieter it rains…Dada is getting wet! But not Zinnie because a vacuum cleaner is sucking up that water from Zinnie!”
We ate a little lunch outside the children’s museum. There was a family group, speaking English, with about 6 adults and 7 kids, and watching them try to keep track of the kids and plan their next move made me glad it was just me and August.
We went in at 1:00. Played with the recycling machine a bit, then the grey and yellow blocks. Went over to the hand puppets and he grabbed puppets for us and then got crazy with the other kids playing there. Then he wandered around, puppet still on one hand, playing with the various light rods, etc. Ran over to the shadow animal things and grabbed a giraffe from another kid. I gave it back and picked him up: “But I want the shadow of a giraffe!” “But did you take it?” “Yes”. But then a nice kid gave him a moose, I think it was, and he played with that, running over to the colorful shadows area to make shadows. Then danced and spun in front of the kaleidoscope screen for several minutes.
From there up to the second floor, where he kept getting in line with other groups (which was fine) and trying to get in their photos (not so fine). Then a lot of playing with the ball/tug of war game. And he sprinted over to take a group photo with a school group. I tried to grab him, but the teacher said it was okay, then gave him a high five when they were done. Back to the turning thing. I made him take turns on it and he said “No. I want to fight over them!” But not angry; I think he was actually having fun contesting control of the wheel. He did the other parts, but got back to the spinning when it opened up.
Most of the kids left, and I picked him up and just held him for a few minutes – did a cheek rub and he just leaned against me. Exhausting playing. He then wanted to spit and I told him to go to the sink. He used one of the little paper cups to get water from a machine then handed it to me: “I did water for Dada!” Finally, we spent several minutes watching a guy repair the projector .
At 2 we headed up to the third floor. But he had chosen to wear a long sleeve shirt this morning (he had gotten it out of the drawer thing himself and told me he wanted to wear it). As we got to the water I told him we could change his shirt or roll up his sleeves. He didn’t like the idea of getting wet. Spent a few minutes over at the TV camera/microphone area, pretending to sing/make noise into the mic, but then by 2:10 we headed down to the basement.
He played with the woman in the blocks and jumping area until 2:30. She took photos on her phone using the filter things on Snapchat and then spent several minutes jumping on the circles to start the fan. They finished with a couple minutes playing with the magnets. She asked his name, and he said Zinnie. Then I had him ask her name and she said ‘Sunny’.
We went to the bathroom, then headed outside. He sang Eine Kleine Nachtmusik “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5…” Then, when I tried to video that he was making up imaginary numbers.
We headed to the same restaurant as last time, but this time ordered a shrimp burger and cheese sticks from the fast food menu. Ate inside, but then when we left he told me he had wanted to eat outside.
He was talking about a robot: “I’m breaking all the mechanical parts.” We went and saw the alpacas. I said “I want to see the serval.” He asked “Why?” Me: “Because I like it. It used to be Zinnie’s favorite animal here.” Him: “No. It still is.” We went and saw the seals for a couple minutes, then worked our way through the herbivores, then to the jaguars, Asian bears, and to the serval. He then spotted the leopard in a tree photo spot. He started to climb it and wanted me to help him get higher. I said “I don’t think it’s for climbing.” Him: “No. I’ve seen kids climbing on it.” I pointed out it was loose, and he said “No. I want one that isn’t loose.” A girl walked by and he said “I want those heart glasses.”
Back on the ground he went and checked out an empty stroller that a woman was pushing and wanted to touch it and maybe get in. He was upset when I wouldn’t let him do that. Looked at the red fox, then actually startled the lynx when it was up by the window. He was then pushing the rules, climbing up on the edge after I had told him not to. So bit of a long haul along this backside of the ferocious animals area, as he was getting frustrated.
But he got excited when we saw the elephant. August was making some odd rhythmic noises at it, then some music. Looked for the lion, then got to the Jeep photo thing and played there a long time. Played with a couple kids, then said “I’m waiting till another kid comes.” A group of teenage girls came and wanted their photo with him. Twice. The second was a few minutes later when they came back and took a selfie on a bench with him. Hanging out in the jeep is a good way to get your photo taken with strangers, as it happened with other kids a couple of times. Generally good sharing with other kids when they climbed on it with him, but getting a bit exhausting for me. He saw a boy with his shoes off, sitting on a bench and wanted to run over and do it too. No room on the bench though so I wouldn’t let him force his way on, and he wasn’t happy about doing it on a different bench. He also tried running around without shoes, which I said wasn’t okay. Him: “Don’t put my shoes on. I’m still climb
ing on the bench!”
So about 4:30 we headed out. On the train, there was a couple moms with girls that got on. I suggested, since we only had a couple stops, that we could give up our seat. He said “I want a little sharing, not a lot.” But then when we got up to get off he went over to the girl, on his own, and said “You can have our seat.”
At the station he saw a woman with a pizza in a box and ran over to investigate. They thought that was funny. We got home at 5:40. Nursed, then he wanted some cow milk. Carly made him egg and veggies for dinner. We read The Purple Smurf
He was humming Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. I had actually been wrong and thought it was from Beethoven earlier in the day, so I was trying to figure it out. He went on the toilet, then I heard him shout: “Maybe we made it up!” But then I figured out what it was.
I gave him a bath. We watched the Mozart and washed his hair. He did his crazy time on the bed. At one point he wanted to fight over the sheet with me. I pulled it from him and he said “No. Don’t take it from me. We are fighting over it.” Which was kind of funny. He was asleep about 7:15.
Photos. Being a dentist:
Carrying around the puppet as he played:
Shadows:
Getting with a group:
High five after a group photo:
Lynx:
Jeep:
