Daycare Anecdote

Parker ate very well today. He might be going through a growth spurt.

Outdoor Play

Weekends mean fetch for Frankie…no matter how cold it is. And Parker, he's getting the hang of the routine. He understands how the chucker* works; he just doesn't have the dexterity to pick-up the ball or throw it. But he tries.
*BTW, if you have a dog and NOT a chucker...run out to your local petstore and get one. It's all the great things about fetch, without the slobber.

Now fetch-time for Frankie doesn't mean Parker doesn't get to address his needs. Yes, Parker, you can play on the tractor.

Actually, Parker on the tractor was another attempt to find that "perfect" picture for the Xmas card. Of course, once I got out there I realized that I should have gotten a different jacket to contract the tractor's seat. But once you get Parker on the tractor, there's no taking him back into the house to change the jacket. Nope. Not gonna happen.


You know it's been a good day when the nap begins…no matter where you are.

Lion Tamer

Parker's now big enough to climb on the rocking lion all by himself and go for a ride. Ask him what the lion says and he will say "ROAR!"

Have no fear, though, Frankie. Little P has not forgotten you. He will be climbing on you when you least expect it to give you a sounding pat on the head.

Thanksgiving

So this Thanksgiving, the Trillo's (and my Mom and Marina) converged at our place. Unfortunately, Amy, Josephine, and Carly couldn't make it. But Jasmine was there to entertain Parker. Once again, Chris deep fried the turkey. DELICIOUS! Luckily, it wasn't super cold this year so it didn't take forever for the oil to heat up.

Trillos (plus one or two) gathered round the table -- Esther, Gerry, Marina, Dana, Eric, Ken, Jan, Chris, Jim, and Catherine. (Mom, don't fall asleep!) The lone plate belongs to Jamie, who avoided the picture by taking it herself. (Parker and I escaped the shots by sitting too close to the picture taker.)

Grandpa plays catch with Parker. Then Jasmine joins in the fun with a little swashbuckling action. Hey! That's two against one. No fair.


Here our little guy with his first bite of rice krispy treat. Obviously…he loves it!

Lay of the Land

My mom came to visit for the week of Thanksgiving. This gave Parker a chance to show her around -- point out the more interesting part of the property...like the tractor. (He can spend a good 30 minutes on that thing and it isn't even moving.) Also, how to play fetch with Frankie. (That was more on Frankie's agenda but Parker gladly obliged.) More importantly, Parker got to show off what a good walker & runner he was...not to mention, jumper.

Daycare Anecdote

"Parker rode a real scooter down the courtyard ramp the right way. It surprised us. It was fun to watch."
---Ruth

Table Topper

Here's a shot of Parker working the new table. Usually, I'll go through the trouble to set up an elaborate railway, with which he'll send a few trains from the highest hill at a neck-breaking speed to meet their maker at the hairpin turn that lies at the end of the incline. Then he starts to take apart my work of art. Everyone's a critic and everyone thinks they could do a better job. Oh well. That just gives me a chance to set it up all over again. Maybe even think of an even more gruesome demise for Thomas (the train). Only to taken apart again so the cycle can restart.

Family Picture...Take Two

Just thought I'd share another (rejected) pic from the 2nd attempt at the family picture. This time we tried it indoors at the fireplace. We couldn't actually light a fire because the chimney's out of commission as we get ready for the new roof (which is scheduled to be installed shortly). This time we only had one wild card but didn't make things easier. Parker just wasn't in the mood to sit still for a picture. Also, in the end, Chris wasn't impressed with the background and the fact that none of us had a decent pose at the same time. In the end, I decided to post this shot because...well, Momma looks good! HA!

Family Picture...Take One

Here we are, trying to take a family picture for this year's Xmas cards. To be honest, I didn't think this picture was too bad -- not when you take into account the double wild cards called Frankie and Parker. However, Chris didn't like any of the shots taken so, in the end, I compiled a bunch of pics for the card. Keep an eye out for it in your mailbox.

New Zoo Revue

So Parker and I went to the zoo. Parker may be still a bit too young for it. He's seems more interested in watching the people rather than the animals. But I got a year pass so we'll have many more opportunities for him to discover the animals.

I think he got the most out of the smaller exhibits, which allowed us to get closer to the animals and, somewhat, interact with them. While impressive, the larger animals in the larger exhibits were just too far away to hold his attention.

So, discovering zebras through a picket fence. Seems like you can potentially be left with the impression that zebras or either all black or all white…if the fencing lined up in just the right places.


Teathered to the Mother Ship
All in all, we had a great time at the zoo. It gave Parker an opportunity to expore a new place. And next time we go, I'm sure he'll discover even more exciting things…like the actual animals.

Kids' Table

Well, Chris out did himself, once again, with the creation of Parker's play table. The inspiration was the table top that he received from his pal Paul. Paul has painted the forest from Winnie the Pooh on a door, which he then used as a desk. (The hole for the door knob making a convenient exit hole for computer and lamp cords.) But when Paul left for Australia to follow the love of his life, he couldn't take the tableau with him and instead gave it to Chris. Well, Chris has finally put it to good use and converted it to a play table for Parker, adding low, tree trunk legs. The perfect touch to a beautiful table. Parker loves to play with his Thomas the Train set on the table, which affords him plenty of room for him to choo-choo around. And, if he wants to get into the thick of things (as he so often does), the table's sturdy enough for him to climb up on it and sit in the middle of the train track, houses, and vehicles.

Daddy Express

Parker catches a ride on the Daddy Express. Unfortunatly for Frankie, there's a height limit on this ride. (Also, the whole dog on Daddy thing would look kind of awkward, if you ask me.) (Wow, even typing that seems all wrong.)

Wanna play?

So Parker and I went on our weekly trip to Target. This time, I stopped off at the usually avoided toy section. Not that Parker's one to whine and beg for a toy but why tempt the kid. Okay, why tempt Mom -- who fell for a toy phone that seemed very similar enough to a real cell phone (except for the colorful stripes).

As expected, Parker loved it. But what sealed the deal, listening to him push a key on the phone, which would say, "Hello there. Wanna play?" To which, Parker would respond, "No." He would then push the button again. "Hello there. Wanna play?" "No." This went on through the sundries aisle, the baby section, toddler clothes...I finally had to call Chris in the bedding aisle so he could hear it for himself.

That poor kid on the phone. Constantly rejected by Parker and yet he kept his hopes up and continued to ask the same question, "Hello there. Wanna play?"

"No."

Parker's Vocabulary

When I picked Parker up from daycare, his teacher mentioned how they went outside. It was late and, as you know it gets darker pretty early now. Parker noticed and the moon and commented, "Ball."

That said, I guess I should do the run down of Parker's current vocabulary. Obviously, "moon" isn't on the list. I guess, though, we should start with the love of his life..."Maisy," followed by "Mommy" and "Daddy." Yes, "ball" (pronounced more like "bawll") is another word, followed by "shoe", "car", "truck", "hello", "bye", "juice" (which sounds very similar to "shoe"), "nana" (Can't forget the nana's, the kid will eat a whole banana and cry for more. Go ahead, Aimee. Insert your Curious George comment here.), "apple", "moo" (which is his response when you ask, "What does the cow say?"), "baby", "no", and sometimes "yes" (even though he currently favors the "no"). I know I'm forgetting a word or two but that's the main list for now.

Daycare Anecdote

"Parker was hugging Sydney this morning. It was so sweet. By the time I got the camera he walked away."
---Ruth