Small Appliance Repair

For months now, one of Oliver's favorite activites has been (and still is) servicing the humidifier we keep in his room. (We are supposed to use it to help relieve his congestion, but seldom remember to. Ooops.) He has always liked to take off and put back on the screen over the steamhole. And has recently advanced his maintenance also to include using a Big Gulp straw to check the levels in the hole that is exposed when the screen is removed. This can go on for quite some time. It's very important work, so of course he is very focused. Unfortunately, the repairs are usually initiated when we're trying to get him dressed and ready for daycare. So, I have to apologize for the impromptu nature of the photo. I had been meaning to get a picture of him in his "workshop" for some time and finally grabbed the camera to capture the moment, however inappropriate.

Next stop: Toaster Ovens (and pants).

Oliver the Voyeur

Oliver cracks me up. He's much like his daddy in the way he likes to just observe stuff. He's always surveying a situation. Site-seeing. Just generally taking it all in -- often skeptically. This is especially obvious when he gets around other kids who are playing. Whether it's at the park or at the Garfield Conservatory (as in photo above), he is typically more entertained by watching the other kids run and jump and play than he is engaging in those activities himself. In the case of the photo, he was watching kids run up and down stairs -- oooo.... fascinating. Nevermind the cool tree and books that were there for his enjoyment in the kids area of the conservatory.

But seriously, if he's having fun, then I'm having fun. There will be plenty of time for him to get in the thick of things, I'm sure. He's actually taken quite a liking to a slide in a park. I'm personally not a huge fan because his shoes get stuck and cause his feet to get caught underneath him, resulting in anything but a slide. If I wasn't holding him, he'd surely go head over heels and break his neck. Seriously. Here's a few shots of him at the playground last week. Eventually we're hoping not to have to wear hats and fleece jackets. I know it looks like the sun was shining, but it was still pretty chilly. Ridiculous.

The Boy Loves A Cat... The Boy Is A Cat?

Oliver seriously loves our cats -- one more than the other, but we won't name names. His typical reaction to spotting a cat is a huge smile and an "eeeeee" squeal. He loves to plow his head into their tummies, but first he has to catch them (see strip one below).

The other day, though, I was a little concerned because not only does he love cats, he seems to be behaving much like a cat, as well. He's totally into batting a ball or a block out away from him, chasing it down and batting it again (see strip two). This behavior is quite amusing.