Golden Pig Tales

I believe there are more than five different metaphors that could be written how a toy train set linked and built a bridge and track to guide a train to deliver a father and son relationship.

The train set for Ezra’s birthday has been a great gift. For a train fan, Ezra likes the train set. As a father, I love having Ezra come get me every time he needs a new bridge or needs help building the track. Yes, we have built a bridge with the train set. I have even mended the bridge and our friendship after we have been fussy because of something else. We have helped guide the train around the track. Ezra has even showed me how to build a better bridge by placing two and not just one of the wooden risers under the joint connecting the tracks of the bridge. And now I will be getting a few more few more pieces of train track for my birthday.

Ezra attended his first ever da vinci days gathering this weekend. As Kalab said, this experience included the Daddies show on Friday night. It also included more music, ice cream, french fries, bouncy walks, mazes, balloons, walking, carrying, running, crying, almost losing a binky, an aborted trip to the wave science research center, bike-sculptures shaped like cats, slugs, tiki bars, and other weird things, a lot of fish art, and several trips to the new Corvallis transit bus that was on display at the entrance to da Vinci days. All this in just 2 days!

I think Ezra’s favorite part was where we sat on this new bus, and I sang many many different verses of “wheels on the bus”

Ezra and I had a couple of early hours alone to do as we may. Ezra wanted to play, ,,OUTSIDE,OUTSIDE!!!” so first we walked around the neighborhood. Then he said he wanted to ride in the bike trailer, but once we were getting the bike out he said he wanted to go on a wagon ride, so we went on a wagon ride. He rode on the wagon while I pulled the wagon along the sidewalk and to a park. At the park he slide down slides and ran around trees even stopping to hug a few. The we left for home. Once home, Ezra then wanted to go for a bike ride. I couldn’t resist his smile, so I got a bike out and Ezra’s bike trailer then we went for a ride. We rode here and there and returned here for a snack and a rest.

Ezra naps now. I was napping a bit sleeping off the tired Ezra gave me by pushing me to go OUTSIDE, OUTSIDE, OUTSIDE!

Ezra lead the walk from home to bus depot. He lead over sidewalks and streets. He lead and watched buses at the depot until no more buses left the depot. Then he lead the walk to the park where he climbed bar ladders and bar steps. He slid down the slide, walked away from the park saying, ,,Bye, Park.” He lead the walk home.

Days ago Ezra had brought me my shoes. I was sitting on the ground staring at the computer screen and here comes Ezra with one of my shoes in his hand. He let it drop to the ground near me me then left and returned with my other shoe. He dropped the shoe. Then he left and returned with his shoes.

I smile and said, ,,THANKS! Ezra,” with a big smile.

It took the wisdom of -v- for her to enlighten me that it was his way of telling me that he wanted to go outside, which I found to be true because he went and stood by the door, so we put on shoes and went outside.

I thought it was a one time thing, but since that day he has brought me my shoes almost everyday.

On Friday, Ezra received a clean bill of health for his ear infection! This was good news for sure.

Kalab went to Vegas on Friday, leaving Ezra and I to make plans of our own for the weekend. I decided that it would be fun to go to C-town to visit grammie and grampie T. Me and Ezra zoomed down after dropping off dad at the aiport. We arrived less than 2 hours later, and Ezra proceeded to run and explore - this was the first time he’s been to visit as a super mobile walker. He had lots of fun playing with bamboo in the backyard, trying to figure out how to wield an imaginary light saber/fishing pole/javelin. We had yummy food, including more fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Getting ready to leave on Sunday, Ezra seemed a little extra tired. He ended up sleeping the whole way home, and was then a little fussy. We had dinner back in P-town with DJ and G, and then I took DJ to the airport and swapped him for Kalab. Ezra put up with the dinner and the trip to the airport, but wasn’t his normal self, and he probably just wanted to be at home. He was happy to see dad though!

Sunday night Ezra developed a cough, which may or may not have been the cause of the vomiting at about midnight followed by a fever. It was either that or the 1/2 pint of strawberries Ezra ate on Sunday. Or maybe it’s just some mystery virus. Ezra seemed OK Monday morning, but then I got called to come get him from daycare at about noon because he had a fever and had puked again. So Ezra and I came home and got to hang out with dad for the next 36 hours. Ezra was generally OK, but dad and I went through our own little set of maladies, including, I think, a case of food poisoning! 

Wednesday morning came and Ezra awoke in pretty good spirits, and went off to daycare with a spring in his step with dad and I sort of shuffling and limping along after him…I’m hoping that our rollercoaster of health has just about reached the end of the line!

Ezra wore sneakers today for more than a few seconds for the first time. He has been wearing Robeez, which are a lot like moccasins. He likes wearing the Robeez and actually tries to put them on his feet if he sees one laying within reach.

This seemlingly like of Robeez and the Robeez light and flexible base worried -v- and I when putting on his sneakers to wear for the first time for a day. The weight of the sneaker, and the ridged sole, made Ezra walk like his feet were moving his legs and his balance and movement as stiff as the soles. He looked at his feet a lot this morning when walking around. When departing for daycare, the sneakers made his feet wave like pendulums swayed by the heavy soled sneakers.

I did have images of Ezra taking his shoes off and running around searching for a pair of Robeez, but all stories of Ezra’s day tells a story of Ezra okay with his weighty sneakers. He had them on when I arrived home, but did walk faster and freer once the sneakers came off and bare feet were able to touch the ground.

Grandma O has been visiting with us for the last week. We had such good times with her. Grandma O, like many grandmas, likes to take photos. I just downloaded a shizzle of images off her memory card, and I had such a problem trying to pick which one was cutest. I think this one might be in my top 3 pics of Ezra so far, mostly because of the face (he’s got some like, Blue Steel face going on) but also, the onesie Grandma O found to put him in:

Ha Ha! It will be funny to show him this picture in the future, should he somehow grow up to be a raging neo-Con republican.

Ezra has become too cool and apt at walking to use his Baby Walker to help him walk. The Baby Walker has been laying with front on the ground in the same spot for days. Before that the Baby Walker rested with the rear axle resting above the ground against a bookshelf near its current location and state. The only reason the Baby Walker is now laying with front on the ground is because Ezra played with the spinning objects and dial on the front of the Baby Walker while standing then he tipped it over and walked away.

Any one need a late 80s early 90s Fisher Price Baby Walker?

I took Ezra outside tonight after dinner for a walk, one where I walked AND Ezra walked!

We didn’t go very far, but Ezra was so excited to be out for a walk, walking on his own! We walked from our street corner down the sidewalk and stopped for a moment to squat near the big lily plant, eat mulberries and look at some ants. Then we stood up and continued our walk past our house and our neighbor’s house. Then we walked down the neighbor’s driveway to tap the bumper of the neighbor’s shiny red truck. Then we walked back up the driveway, turned around, walked back to the truck, tapped the bumper again. Then we returned to the sidewalk and Ezra was moving so fast - he almost seemed close to running at times - waving his arms up above his head, wind in his hair, smiling and laughing with such great joy. It was enough to a tear to my eye of mostly joy, but a little sadness, at how quickly my son is growing up!! Then he turned the corner, looked back at me, and seemed to wave as if to say “try to keep up, mom!”

Ezra has been walking, falling, walking, falling, walking, falling, walking, falling, walking, falling. walking, falling all evening long.

Most falls have been plopping falls on his butt. A few were tumbles forward. No matter how the fall though he got up and kept walking, walking, walking. He walked between -v- and me. He walked from kitchen to dinning area, to main living area. He walked walked after me. He walked after -v-. He walked and fell. He walked and fell. He walked and fell.

Now he sleeps. And -v- and I feel worn out.

It continues to bring awe and wonder watching Ezra walk around. Even if for a few steps or ten, seeing him go from a crawl position to a squat position to a stand position then to walk around is full of awe and joy. It’s weird, too. It was only three and half months ago he had to crawl to a stand and about four month ago he was beginning to crawl. Now he doesn’t even need the help of a vertical surface stand. And he doesn’t like crawling as much as walking. All he needs is a horizontal surface and a bit of focus and next thing I see he is standing with a smile and looking for the place to walk. IT’S AMAZING!

We bought Ezra a used baby walker to help Ezra walk around the house without the need to be supporting himself with a wall or door or a piece of furniture or the need to have full balance control all the time.

The baby walker is a vintage plastic Fisher Price Baby Walker. It looks like a right angle triangle on four plastic wheels topped with a single handle for both hands. On the front of the walker is a mirror next to turning circle with holes around the outside that looks like a rotary phone dial. Above the mirror and rotating circle are flat colored panels that spin. Below the mirror and rotating circle are colored cylinders that spin on a rod.

The toys on the front he likes, but the biggest show of pleasure and joy he expresses is when he is walking around the house with the help of the baby walker. His mouth is open wide with a smile letting loose short bursts of laughter.

Ezra’s independence from crawling is coming close to reality. Every day his wobbly walk becomes a little more sure footed. He still looks like a drunk trying to make it home, but unlike a drunk his falls to the floor are a controlled plop to the butt or a loving lunge for -v- or me. Ezra can also walk, stand and walk again, which is quiet a feat for it means he can control his walking motion.

Seeing Ezra walk is still something that brings me wonder and joy. And judging from the smile and the sounds of joy he makes when he walk, I think walking fills Ezra with joy, too.

Ezra is doing pretty well with the walking - able to take several steps on his own to get from point A to at least part of the way to point B.  At daycare, the kids who are walking or almost walking are the “Wobblers”.  The daycare ladies all shorten this to “Wobs” and today I talked with the daycare ladies who told me that Ezra would be a Wob soon! He spent his afternoons there this week, and will likely soon make the transition to being there all day. The daycare ladies also told me that they think Ezra’s started walking early to spend time with Norah - who is a little older and more mature, and a total Wob.

Some time between Ezra chasing around Sassy the Cat, searching through some of the kitchen drawers, knocking down towers of blocks and toys, crawling round his corral, walking around his corral, clapping, waving, shaking head, climbing steps, wrestling with Jigga the cat, looking out windows, playing under the kitchen table, playing with is toy drum, banging on walls and windows…Ezra took three steps all on his own.

He crawled to a stand with the help of the couch and then pushed away from the couch stepping once, twice then three times then he fell to the ground and began crawling around again making a high pitched squeal letting everyone know the fun was not over.