Theo Rockin' Out

Nearly tem times a day Theo makes a mad dash through the kitchen into the study where he proceeds to play music on the harmonium.  He can't quite pump the instrument yet but does make music and at times sings.  If you listen closely you may even hear him saying "om," though it could be another one of his warlord like battle cries.

An autumn afternoon at the park

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!  You are the best Daddy a boy could ask for.  Thanks for taking such good care of me and having so much fun with me!  I love you!

Energy

He who taketh away energy also hath the power to give!  I had a rough night with Theo - I went to bed late, and then he was up much of the 3:30-4:30am part of the night, feeling awake, sitting up, pooping, babbling.  I should be completely exhausted this morning, but I don't even need to nap now that I have the chance.  I just had so much fun with the little guy this morning, aside from the fat lip, that is.  We played with balloons.  We had breakfast - he actually liked the breakfast I made him, a lot (he usually prefers Matt's cooking, but hey, don't we all).  He smiled. I smiled.  We both laughed.  I got to shower.  He went to down for his nap without fussing.  Ah.  I almost forgot about the lousy night!  Balloons are fun!  Check the video for evidence.  (Thanks for the balloon, Aunt Carolyn!)

Excuse me while I kiss the floor

Well, I survived Theo's first blood this morning, and so did he.  The little dude went from sitting to crawling position, forgetting to put his hands down first and smacked his little mouth right into the floor.  I saw it happen, knew it hurt, and picked up him instantly, but was not prepared for blood to come from his mouth along with the drool and tears in his eyes!  My baby is bleeding!  Stay calm.  Deep breath.  His teeth must have cut his lip.  He cried for a few minutes and I gave him his cold teether from the fridge to numb it.  That mostly just distracted him and he got over it fast, and I got over it shortly thereafter.  He's got his first fat lip!  

Lucy loves Theo

First he just dropped Cheerios on the floor on accident.  Now he feeds them to me, and thinks its so fun!  Woof, I love this kid!  Wag wag!  Here, let me clean that up for you little guy.  Wag.

and the Trouble Continues

Ah yes, the gates are up.  The trouble has begun.  That he can crawl is daunting as a parent - suddenly they go from staying in a relatively small area, to zipping across the floor to the dog water or the stereo system in the blink of an eye.  But it makes a mother so proud to see her little guy so able to explore his world- all the new things he can do!  He can pull things off of shelves, pull newspaper off a chair, open drawers, chase the cats.  And the best part is he is so pleased with all of his new found hobbies!   Peek-a-boo is way more fun now that I can hide behind a door and he can crawl after me!  The baby "proofing" begins.

Here comes trouble...

As with all warlords, Theo is quite willful.  For many weeks he seemed intent on crawling backwards, maintaining that unlike his predecessors, who for the most part walked and crawled forwards, he, as the new model for the 21st century warlord, was meant to locomote backwards.  After much trial and error, however, he changed his mind and deemed that the most efficient way to warlord was in fact to move in a forward direction.  Here you can see how he uses his new technique to capture  his monkey victim.

Alexis' Birthday.....

Yep, as a family we're one large pumpkin.

more from the umpqua

Pumpkin Patch!

Lucy and Theo bond in the back seat

Lucy and Theo got a great chance to bond spending so much time in the back seat together.  Theo was delighted with her furry companionship.  Lucy, of course loves to ride with her head out the window for a time, but when its time to settle in for the long haul, she favors resting her head on the end of Theo's car seat.  I thought Theo's habit of kicking while riding would be a nuisance to her, but she made the best of it, positioning herself for a nice scratch behind the ear with every kick, as you can see in the video.  She has developed into one of those dogs with a saintly patience level, what a good girl.

10-year Anniversary on the North Umpqua

Matt and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary September 25 and spent 4 lovely days on the North Umpqua River.  Matt found us a wonderful house right on the river and we went on waterfall hikes, watched football, hung out on the deck and by the river and generally relaxed.  Theo loves the outdoors and it was fun to hear him giggle with delight whenever we started a new hike through the trees.  We managed to get a nice family portrait via holding the camera away from us (first shot) but Matt's favorite is the foot family portrait (last one).  

Uncle Chris visits!

We're a little behind on the blog, so I'm going back a couple of weeks.  2 weeks ago, Uncle Chris came and stayed with us and finally got to know his nephew via person to person contact instead of just the blog.  Chris will make a great dad some day and is very natural with the little dude.  We had a great visit.  Unfortunately, we didn't think to take any pictures until he was about to leave for the airport and Theo was in full thumb-sucking-ready-for-bed mode, but we got a few cute ones nonetheless.

Warlord Training III

We have been trying to make sure that  Theo doesn't take his training too seriously, even though his chosen profession is quite dangerous.  All of our staff  at PPDCS (Professional Papa Daycare Services) feel that it is important that Theo learn to enjoy everything he does - from warlording to eating mushy rice cereal, yoghurt and applesauce.  After all, even warlords need to have fun once in a while.   Certainly, the joy he experiences here will make him into a more well-rounded and fearless warrior.

Warlord Training II

Here at Professional Papa Daycare Services we provide each child with a series of exercises or projects that will help them develop the skills they need for their chosen profession. Whether it is doctor, lawyer, astronaut, or, in Theo's unique case, warlord, we cultivate every child's inner passion.  In this exercise Theo is practicing instilling both fear and compassion in his loyal followers.

Daddy Daycare and Warlord Training Part I

 

Many of you know that Theo's natural inclination with regards to his future profession is unusual, yet nonetheless worthy of being pursued -  21st century warlord.  He told me through a series of grunts and such that he believes it is a promising industry with much room for growth.  That being said, here at Professional Papa Daycare Services we are trying to meet his every need so he can be the best warlord he can be.  This is a video of his wrestling exercises.  As you can see, other children dare not enter the ring with him, so we had to give him Mr. Froggy to practice.

You Can't Handle the Cuteness

Greatest of Grandpas

Rev. Frank T. Jaggers

March 8, 1919-September 11, 2009

~one of the greatest grandpas there ever was~

Rhododendron Gardens

We went to the beautiful Rhododendron Gardens in southeast Portland last weekend and saw lots of ponds and trees and DUCKS and GEESE!