Christmastime

*this post marks the last of pictures taken with my old camera, which was letting in too much light and due to a software problem, creating strange effects on photos. Next post--new year, new camera. Thank you for suffering through another post that makes you want to clean your glasses.

After services in his new velveteen Christmas outfit mama made (look for a future post showing off this one), Gus enjoyed his lefse and fish.

For his present from mama, he received a corner of the playroom decked out as his own secret garden. Auntie Susan got him the large fountain, which was filled with rocks from Port Angeles beaches, and mama made a waterproof vegetable garden rug with wool grass, a tiny bench, flower pots filled with felt counting flowers, a tiny concrete garden goose, and (not pictured) on the shelf above, a couple of tiny live trees. He has since spent A LOT of time in his spot washing rocks, reading, and sitting and talking to his goose.

Dad made Gus a kitchen made entirely from a wardrobe box and plans from an artist on the internet. There is no glue--it's all measurements and joins. Gus made us lots of what he called "butter bread" and likes to remind us that the oven is hot.

Of course, thanks to our zoo's 365 open hours, we had to tell the animals 'Merry Christmas.' This trip, he walked all over the zoo, on his own (no carrier) for the first time, like a big kid. He did get a bit tired, but at the end the flamingos made a surprise winter appearance that he talked about all the way home.

Solstice: Peace on Earth

We marked the very, very cold solstice here with cookies from a multigenerational German Village family who ships cookies from 200-year-old recipes all over the world; with stories and singing early in the day; with our tree lighting and candles late in the day. Gus has his own tiny tree this year, marked with a "G" which he tells us spells "Dus!" A gentle and peaceful week to all.

Dress-Up

Starting to get into dress up--especially hats, jewelry, ties, and scarves. He usually requests to be photographed once he's put something together--he tied the tie himself.

Fancydancing

Gus SO loves to dance, and he loves to dance with instruments. He has this really rhythmic and specific kind of marching hop that he does with drums and tambourines that very much resembles the Native fancydancing we used to see in Port Angeles. Mama is playing a drum and Papa is playing a recorder. We're fun that way.

Sick Days

We've been occupied, here, with mending and healing from winter illness. Gus got a bad case of Fifth Disease that included a couple of nights of too high triple-digit temperatures that created a lot of mama and papa worry and late night doctor calls. Of course, he's back to being 20 1/2 months, as if nothing happened, and seemingly, fever turns on the language. Gus, always a verbal baby, has suddenly started talking constantly with a crazy vocabulary that is daily exponential. He talks in his sleep, while he eats, when no one's around. Suddenly, he's telling stories about imaginary adventures that he has with his baby doll in the park. Below, a couple of pictures of him coloring that show off his new tufts of hair and a picture from the middle of his illness with his new lovey, Jungle Kitty, which was his papa's lovey when he was tiny, and made by Grandma Eleanor. Grandma Kathy may notice that Jungle Kitty was actually sent to be a Christmas present, but J.K. jumped out of the box when he heard there was a sick little boy to comfort.

20 Months! (plus a few bonus posts below)

Gusbaby is the sweetest and most fun member of our little gang. He reminds us to be gentle, to notice everything, and to remember "adventure NOT predicament." His gift seems to be a deep and sensitive empathy, and inspires everyone around him to be more patient and loving. That's a lot in 20 months, but we're thinking he came this way.
Here he is showing off one of his yoga poses (Mama and Gus do yoga together). His "Downward Facing Dog" is ALWAYS perfect.

He actually requested I take this picture.

Tiny Papa

Gus takes very good care of his baby. You might have noticed in other pictures Matt carrying Gus in a carrier that ties to his body--and Gus has been trying to use Daddy's carrier to hold his baby, and it wasn't working well. So Mama made Gus a Gus and Baby-sized carrier, and Gus is very, very thrilled.

He's saying "Baby cold."

Later, I heard funny chattering in the next room and this is what I found--Gus reading to Baby. And also . . .

nursing his baby! Which isn't so much Papa-duty, but I'm sure it was the nicest thing he could think to do for Baby.

Park--28 degrees

Most early mornings, Gus and Mama go to the park--in all weather. Recently, it was 28 degrees, but we bundled up, had the park to ourselves, and got to crunch frozen dirt and play with puddle ice.
Even the statues were cold and had their coats on.

The big reason we can't miss the park--Gus has to see "his" birds. There's a pond pump on to keep a little area from freezing so these migratory birds have a place to rest--some stay all winter.

He sits and watches them, holding very still so they get close. Sometimes he brings greens to share.

Through the tears he is saying "bye-bye birds." Every time we have to go, we treat the birds to this little drama.

But the consolation is the tots playground. Which he had to himself because all the reasonable mamas and babies were warm inside drinking cocoa.

Admire how Gus' hair is coming in and then scroll down for lots of posts!

Drawing

Gus is very into drawing. Especially with pens and pencils--it seems like every scrap of paper (and a few non-paper things, oops) are covered in his drawings. He will point to his little scribbles and tell us what they are: "bus," "meow, meow," "mama," "baby." He tries very hard to hold the pen or pencil like mama or papa.

First day of Christmas

The day after Thanksgiving, we went back to the zoo at night. During the holiday season, the zoo is open until 10 p.m. and they have every stick and shrub lit up and hot chocolate carts and little bonfires to warm yourself by (and masses of people). It all feels a little like you're getting away with something, being there in the dark. Obviously, a lot of the animals are sleeping, but they open the big aquarium and have all the lights off except for the ones in the water (spooky when the shark swims by), and the nocturnal house is CRAZY. Bats everywhere, nighttime mammals going nuts. Also, they decorate some of the exhibits, which Gus found charming. After we got home, our newly nocturnal toddler also went a little crazy--dancing until he couldn't dance any more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving, we were to have visitors, but they could not make it. So we had a bit of an orphan Thanksgiving and went to the zoo--which was COMPLETELY empty. I love the blue light that had settled over the place--you could hear the animals all across the park. Since there were no people, it was like an animal party; when we would go to an exhibit, the animals would come right up to us to observe the strange people. It was SO COLD so we went to the indoor Gorilla house, and all the Gorillas came up to the glass to look at Gus--especially the mama Gorillas who had baby Gorillas. Gus got to watch the zookeeper bring them bottles of juice, which he was so tickled with, and now talks all the time of the gorillas who drink juice.

Sorting, categorizing

Gus has been working away on sorting and making categories of things--not something we even thought to steer him towards, so thank goodness babies are smart enough to learn what they need to know without their clueless parents. Gus has always been one for puzzles and fine motor stuff and working out little problems, as you can see.
Here, he made stacks of each kind of duplo.

Here is a careful arrangement (tableau, perhaps) of animals in a barn that he took some time with, arranging and rearranging different combinations. I predict drama with the addition of polar bears.

Forks. This is what happens when you don't install cabinet and drawer locks.

He likes making forts. Here, he has barricaded himself into a kitchen corner with chairs (including his highchair). Obviously, he was pretty pleased with himself. He read here for quite some time.

Here he is sorting buttons from Mama's button tin. He is so very careful and engaged with this activity--putting buttons in little piles according to, usually, bigness and smallness, but also texture and other, less ascertained (by us) categories. Also, just moving them from one pile or container to another is fun. "But won't he eat them/choke one them/put them up his nose?" Well, the thing is, that's just not Gus--though we do supervise obviously.

What passes for fun

I think some parents get their kids actual ride-on toys to prepare for a trike. But he's already so good at scooting around on a 5 gallon water bottle, I hate to take it away from him.

Delicious potato peel casserole.


This is play-dough, which he likes to tear into tiny pieces and stick to his horse's butt. Why? Who knows.


Gus' horse grooming studio.