Shake it, baby!

I would have never believed that such a simple thing as a birthday balloon would be the best toy I've ever purchased. I heard that it is a good idea to tie a balloon to your baby's foot and let him kick it and shake it all he wants… so after our birthday celebration was over, I tried it, and I was truly amazed. He kicked once, twice… got the idea that he controls it and then the real fun began—and lasted for about an hour. He was laughing and squealing like crazy, blowing raspberries, moving from side to side, and babbling. It was really exciting watching him have so much fun… and the best part of it was—it didn't work only that once; it keeps on working. Every day (sometimes even more than once), I tie the balloon to his leg or hand and let him play with it. He loves it and it's a good way for him to exercise those legs (and relieve his stomachaches), get an idea that he can really control what's going on and have a great time doing it, and listen to some music or stories while he's at it. What can I say? I had never bought a better and cheaper toy.

And just a little tip, if you tie the balloon to his foot, put a sock on it so he doesn't kick it off that easily. I learned that the hard way…

Play the play

When it comes to theater, finger puppets are my most favorite actors. They are small, colorful, cute, and there can be a whole bunch of them on the stage at the same time. And I really love that every single one of them moves differently, speaks differently, and they randomly hide out of sight. I could be staring at them for hours (or at least dozens of minutes) at a time.

And what are my favorite plays?

• Who said oink? It's about a doggie looking for an animal that said oink. He goes to every animal he meets and asks him if he said it and they tell him that they didn't ("I didn't say oink. I said moo.") and he keeps on looking, until finally he finds the piggie that did say it.
• Have you seen a cat? That's about a doggie that's looking for a cat and asking everybody about it. They always go on telling him: "No, I haven't seen a cat but I saw a pig. Go and ask him, maybe he's seen her." And when the doggie does find her, he chases her up to a tree.
• Peek-a-boo There are many ways mom pays this one. One is putting a puppet on the finger and hiding it in the hand and then suddenly poping it out and saying peek-a-boo. The most funny thing about this is when she does it so fast that the puppet flies off her hand. That's classic. Or, the puppets hides behind a book and peeks out on one side and then on another one, and then again and again. It's cool when you know what's gonna happen next (at least for a while).
• And then there are songs and nursery rhymes, like old McDonald, a cow jumping over the moon, Jack and Jill, Bingo, monkeys jumping on the bed, and many others.

Bring on the junk, mommy!

I really got into that whole junk business this month. I would have never believed that it could be so much fun going through my mom's hidden treasures. All the cups, spoons, napkins, sponges, lids, corks, bags of rice, huge pasta shells, toothbrushes, strainers, and fabric swatches are really awesome toys—fun to grasp and even more fun to shove (or try to shove) in the mouth. I could do without mom's commentary: "that's a spoon; the one you will soon use to eat your cereal with. It's metal, smooth, and cold. Is it gray? Yes, it is. Do you want to hold it?" I mean, I know all that… and of course I wanna hold it, what kind of a question is that?

And what about those clear plastic bottles filled with shells, stones, rice, coffee beans, and water? They're pretty attention grabbing. They look weird and sound even weirder and sometimes give me a real startle but they are fun, especially when we play on them while singing. I can't even imagine that Bingo-song without one of the bottles rattling instead of me clapping (which is still a little frustrating activity for me).

3 month stats

I had fun this month when I was

• balloon-racing with daddy
• flying, jumping, walking or at least standing on the sofa
• watching my mom making silly faces or trying her dramatic skills while reading a storybook (or political column in the local newspaper for that matter)
• playing stroller peek-a-boo
• listening to my mom's out-of-tune singing and following her impossible dance poses
• playing in front of a mirror
• going through our junk and being able to shove it my mouth

I cried this month when I was

• hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, or had a messy diaper (go figure!)
• too tired to stay awake and too excited to fall asleep
• trying to eat while there was something else catching my attention
• being held by people I didn't known nor like
• unable to reach a toy or push a button or do whatever I saw my mom doing
• being forced to do the same thing again and again

Things that I'm especially proud of this month:

• upside-down-feet-out-of-the-crib-and-hand-under-my-belly night crib traveling
• diaper changes alias wrestling matches
• discovering that I have superpowers (future-predicting skills + flying)

My top 5:

• People on the bus
• Monkey on the bed
• Old McDonald
• Have you ever seen a mommy?
• Hokey pokey

Massage, anyone?

Who in his right mind wouldn't love a soothing (and free) massage? It's true it took me a while to get used to it but now, I get my massages twice a day and I certainly love them - most of the time. And if I don't? Well, we have an understanding with my parents. Before they start, they ask me if I want a massage or not and if I don't feel like it (like yesterday when I had a stomachache), I let them know.

And how to do it? It's really simple. Just put a little oil on your hands and rub them together so that it's not so cold (since that can be a real mood killer). Then go slowly from head to toe to spread the oil everywhere and start massaging the legs, then the tummy, chest, and hands, and finally the head (just don't put anything on the hands or face—since I haven't yet seen any oil that would taste as good as it smelled). Just gently stroke the body (from the center towards the feet for relaxation, the other way for arousal), knead it, or rub it (circular clockwise motion around the tummy to help digestion)... and enjoy.

SuperPowers

Who hasn't secretly wish to have superpowers? I think everybody has and it just so happen that my wish has come true. And I don't have just one superpower, I have two! I can predict future and I can fly and I'm loving it.

Future Prediction
I began to see a pattern forming about a week ago when I suddenly realized I know what's gonna happen even before it did. Like yesterday, my mom was standing with me in front of a mirror and every single time she said: "one, two, three," and dropped me a little. Or the day before, she looked at me with totally blank expression, then whispered my name, and suddenly smiled like crazy. Or the day before that, when she showed me a toy disappearing behind her back and appearing once on the left side and once on the right. I mean, these things can't be a coincidence. There's a clear pattern and a conclusion to be drawn here: I can read future and it's fun.

Flying
This one's pretty cool as well. I can sure fly. I can fly all over our house, up and down, circle above our dog and land on my daddy's lap. I can start flying from lying down, sitting up, or standing. I can fly towards a mirror and fly back and forth there for a while. I certainly can fly by the library and check out all the books that are just waiting to be read or fly outside and check out the flowers and trees and little bugs.

What can I say? Having superpowers sure rocks!

Shake it, baby!

Everybody has one hobby or another. Some people like sweating in a garden while others like throwing a ball through a little hoop mounted above their garage doors while trying not to hit those tomatoe-planting guys in their heads… I, personally, am into balloon racing right now. It's the most rewarding sport I know. And even though it may seem simple (since the rules read: tie a balloon to a limb of your choice and make sure the balloon doesn't stop shaking), the fun can last a long time. I take on this challenge every single day, sometimes even twice or three times - and I spend up to an hour perfecting my skills. And let me tell you, they are already pretty perfect! I can shake the balloon so much, I sometimes can't help but admire durability.

And what accessories do you need if you want to take on this sport? Not much… a balloon with a string that you attach to your foot, a sock that helps you hold the balloon in place, and somebody to help untangle you from the string (if the need arises) or to catch the balloon if it manages to get away. Good luck and… let's shake it, babies!