Griffin has been into dancing to whatever music comes on the radio these days. Even the short musical interludes on NPR get a little hip jiggle from him. Today, he was really into the classical station but not so sure he wanted me watching!
Tag Archives: Griffin
18 Month Checkup
This was Griffin’s first appointment in Minnesota. Â We loved our new doctor. Â Below are his current physical measurements with percentiles. Â (By the way, we don’t take these very seriously, but figure we might as well record them.)
- Weight: 23.08 lb (20-25%)
- Height: 32 7/8 in (70%)
- Head Circumference: 19 in (70%)
Where did this tall, skinny boy come from?
First Bouncy House!
This weekend we were at Gustavus for Grandma Pam’s birthday (and the homecoming football game) and Griffin got to enjoy his first bouncy house. He was definitely the youngest kid going into it, and Sarah and I were both worried that he wouldn’t be able to handle it. (Lots of bigger kids were freaked out.) But never ones to shy away from experimenting with our child, we tossed him in and watched.
He was in hog heaven! It was such a joy to see… he could barely stand up, but every time he fell down he just laughed and laughed. He eventually made it to the side where he could hold on and jump, shrieking with glee, but then he would head back into the central mosh-pit to be pummeled by larger kids, still cracking up hysterically. We weren’t sure if he would be able to find his way out (the entrance was covered by a flap), but after about 15 minutes he bounced over to the flap and slid right out, still grinning. We’re definitely going to do this again!
Rookie Mistake
This is what happens when you leave your lipstick on the bedside table where certain toddlers can reach it. Thankfully, I got to him before he started coloring on the bed! I’m going to have to tell Andrew to be a little more careful next time…
First Leech!
Griffin had his first encounter with a leech this weekend at the Stocco cabin. He liked wading in the shallows which, as this photo attests, is not without peril. The sucker (ha ha) didn’t actually get a good bite, so Griffin’s little foot was unscathed. (And, once you get beyond the ick factor, leeches are pretty harmless.)
More photos will follow in due course (most of which aren’t gross). Tomorrow we’re moving into the new apartment which doesn’t have internet yet, so there will be more of a delay than we’d like. We’re pretty excited to finally settle into the new place!
Chair
Nebraska Swim
After a long first shift in the car today, we exited in North Platte, Nebraska for a lunch break. We had sandwiches and then asked if there were any parks, playgrounds, or McDonalds Playplaces around. We were directed to the other side of town where instead of a playground, we found a community pool. On a whim, we decided to go swimming (it was a blazing hot day, perfect for a dip). The kiddie pool was awesome. When we left, Griffin ran back to the fence and made it very clear that he wanted more swimming and less driving! (But he fell sound asleep in his carseat within three blocks.)
Hiking
Went hiking with Alli today on some trails above Boulder.
Daddy Afternoon
It’s our first full day in Boulder, hanging out with Alli and Nik. After a very cranky breakfast, we put Griffin down for a much-needed nap. Auntie Alli and Sarah went shopping and Nik headed out to a meeting, so I was left in charge while Griffin slept. After he awoke, we had a super-fun afternoon!
First, we went and got the laundry from the laundromat downstairs. To Griffin’s immense excitement, while investigating behind the trash can, he discovered a huge dirty plunger. Fun!
Then we went back to the apartment and decided that folding all the laundry was a bore… so we had choices: lunch or swimming. We decided on swimming. The pool was cold, but Griffin had a blast. There were inner tubes and a ball that he kept throwing into the water. And there was a puddle on the deck to splash in. I was a bit nervous heading down there, because Griffin has no sense of self-preservation when it comes to the water… he’ll happily walk right off the edge into the water. But we were in sync this time, and had fun exploring the whole environment. He seemed to understand the concept of the stairs better this time — he knew that he had to stay on the first two steps. (Later, however, he did try to make a sudden leap into the deep end.)
After swimming we were hungry. Griffin happily ate a piece of bread, half a banana, turkey, ham, cheddar cheese, and even a bit of pesto. Yum.
Then, of course, it was time for a stroll around the courtyard. More fun, and Griffin was happy to smile for the camera. (See the pics below.) It feels pretty good to have only one responsibility: being Dad.
Creepy Rest Stops?
We’ve made great progress today, day two of our road trip to Minnesota. Griffin has been a champ, and we have sacrificed some of our ideals in an effort to keep things interesting for him.
Sacrifice 1: McDonalds Playland, Elko, Nevada. To be clear, we did not eat a meal there, but wow was Griffin immediately mesmerized by the place. And, honestly, for good reason. The slide was gigantic and colorful and filled with friendly kids. All this joy can be yours for the low low price of a big mac. We settled on an ice cream cone.
Sacrifice 2: Rainbow Casino, Wendover, Nevada. We thought this might be a good place to stop for lunch. (Casino restaurants are fairly cheap and offer some healthier options than fast food chains.). We forgot how weird casinos can be. We all gasped when we walked in. It is definitely the strangest place Griffin has ever been: a glittering wonderland. He was so excited by all the lights and sounds and mirrors and thick soft carpeting! Of course the place was fairly deserted, with only a handful of decrepit people pouring money into the slot machines. By the time we finished lunch the magic wore off and we fairly sprinted out of there.
