My work here is done

We redid our kitchen last year, and one thing I wanted was an open cabinet where Quinn was free to play with his stuff. It has sat undisturbed - until now.

Suddenly, he discovered it, discovered it was all for him, and now he can't get enough.

Here is one play session, ending with him abandoning a tiny area that he has transformed into something that looks suspiciously like a baby crime scene...

Does this fit into that?

Quinn has become very interested in how things fit together. Today the object of his curiosity was his shapes box. After being totally stumped by the thing at Christmas when Auntie Bonny gave it to him, he has mastered where every shape goes and is now looking for additional uses for this beloved toy.

Hmmm, a doggie chew stick. Does that it into the square hole? Yes, it does. And how about my hand? Does it fit into the circle hole? Well, yes, it does. It's so cool how when you're 20 months old, anything can be a learning tool!

New posts - scroll down

For some reason my last two posts didn't appear here at the top, but instead as the fourth and fifth items. Scroll down for some cute pictures of my little helper (ha!) and our (almost) walker - any day now!

Big boys use spoons

Friday in speech therapy the miraculous Marsha finally got Quinn to not only eat from a spoon but drink from a straw. He ate a little off the spoon that night, then went back to rejecting it for a couple of days. We'd put in on his tray and he'd heave it onto the floor - sometimes empty, sometimes filled with food. On Tuesday, though, he decided it was okay. He picked it up, started eating and hasn't turned back.

It took him a little time to get the angle right - at first he would put the scoop into his mouth sideways and not actually get any food off it. He still puts it in that way, but now gives a little twist and away he goes.

We weren't sure we'd ever see this day at times, and here it is! He also is drinking from the straw with great gusto. Now the only hurdle to clear is getting him to feed himself with his fingers.

Great job, Quinnie!

Happy Chinese New Year from the Little Emperor

Last Saturday was the day of the big Chinese New Year festival at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center. Tom was working so Quinn and I went with Grandma Marj. We got there allegedly right when it opened and the parking lot was already full! It was quite the mob, with booths, kids' games, performances, food, a silent auction and I can't even remember what else.

Quinn was a tad overwhelmed, but was quite the hit in his Little Emperor outfit (thank you, Michael's in Guangzhou!). He made it through the lion and dragon dances with only one small tear, and happily watched the kids do a spring dance.

I forgot my camera (although I don't think I could have managed him and a camera anyway), so I took some pics when we got home. My favorite is above, but here are some more:

My (not so helpful) junior assistant

Quinn LOVES gadgets, and shows a special affinity for the expensive, non-kid versions. He is especially fond of banging keys on the computer and pushing buttons on my Blackberry.

I'm working from home right now, and often have to corral my little "helper." Giving him free access to the Blackberry keeps him occupied for as long as I let him have it, but I have to monitor to make sure he doesn't make any more phone calls!

Standing all the time

Quinn is so close to walking. He will no longer sit in my lap (except to read, thank goodness!) because if I sit he wants to stand. He squirms down until his feet are on the floor and stands there quite happily. He will pull up on ANYTHING - the coffee table, the couch, a drawer, and the handles on our appliances.

If we kneel down and offer him our hands he smiles and gives us one hand at a time, and then bounces up and down in his sqweaky shoes and laughs. He is SO proud of himself!

Our physical therapist predicts he'll be walking in a month. Mama and Baba have the video camera ready, but Great Aunt Jan is a little nervous about this development. Her fear: "Can you imagine that mind with legs to match?"