shoes and who needs 'em

If PC is like his parents, he may end up with a shoe habit.

According to babycenter.com's "9 month, week 4" e-mail, he's too young to start buying them:

"...you needn't bother until he's really walking well. In fact, experts believe going barefoot indoors helps a baby's foot develop properly and promotes better balance and coordination."

We can appreciate this. But whoever wrote this never shopped for adorable little baby shoes.

weeekend towel scramble

Dear Prince Clementine:

First off, we love you very much.

Second , here's a list of lessons from this weekend.

1. Buford's giant bowl is meant to hold the doggy's water. When you grab its edge and pull toward you, the water spills everywhere and your parents go scrambling for towels. Maybe you knew this. Remember, Buford can't drink the water if it's not in the bowl.

2. "Sippy cups" are called that because babies drink from them. This requires that someone (preferably you, PC) lift the cup to your lips and tip it toward you. Holding the sippy cup upside down like a salt shaker means your parents scrambling for towels.

3. This is huge. The toilet is the white ceramic bowl where you poo and the bathtub is the bigger white ceramic tub where you clean yourself. When you poo in the bathtub we have to scramble for towels and hold you over the toilet (we can see how this is confusing). Remember, it's cold when you're wet and hanging over the toilet as the area is sanitized. Think of bath time as relaxing, yes, but not too relaxing.

We love you very much.

Your parents

mixing it up

PC and I had a morning home together today--a rare thing. We started by reading a book about colors, then we advanced to playtime down stairs and an attempt at a "schedule." I say attempt because it was clear, throughout the morning, that he clearly understood something was different. I am not the person he sees most mornings, or plays with or eats with, and he certainly does not take his morning nap in his mom and dad's bedroom. This he made clear to me. Eventually, though, we worked things out. We rocked Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees," became tearful and lonely singing "Red River Valley," and shouted out our self-esteem with a, uh, evolving version of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." He thinks guitars and singing are magic.

a healthy PC

The nine-month visit has already come and gone. Happy nine month birthday PC!

This was the first checkup I could not attend because of work so if you want details you'll have to ask my other half. The all important babystats are of course pictured, as is tradition.

PC's new mobility, as this guy describes, is an absolute joy for him and us.

best friends

milestones

The crawling has begun. More accurately, the scooting has begun.

Top teeth are breaking through. The Prince has been resilient and not too whiny throughout. If it continues to work out like this, he'll have two top and two bottom teeth soon--our little chipmunk.

play

What do kids gain from play, cognitively and socially? Today this article was sent to me by a former student. The article (and her research) asks questions about how much children should play, as opposed to the pursuit of more "practical" endeavors. Are we giving children enough opportunities to "play"? How does play change as they become older? What obstacles stand in the way of giving children as much play as they apparently need to thrive?

baby gap

childrens' songs that are depressing

Clementine (in a cavern):

Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

You Are My Sunshine:

The other night dear as I laid sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I woke dear I was mistaken
And I hung my head and I cried

Ring around the Rosie (plague references?)

Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
"Ashes, Ashes"
We all fall down!

the amazing race