Freaky Day

Tuesday was an odd day in the life of our little toddler. I'm sure Finn spent the day thinking, "What the heck?" as he encountered one unusual thing after another. He would probably tell it something like this:

First there were these "fence guys." Why are they in our backyard digging holes and cutting and banging? I'm not sure what I think about all this. And if they're putting up all those boards, does that mean I won't be able to sprint into the alley any more?

After swimming lessons, Mama took me to story time, a nice surprise. Well, let me tell you, this storytelling lady was not what I was expecting, a bit scary even! She was searching and searching in her bag for her special storytelling glasses, but kept pulling out other things. Weird. At one point she found some scarves and started juggling; that was mildly funny. Yet when she finally found the glasses but they kept falling off her face, it was just plain upsetting. Thankfully Mama and I left. We ate a cookie and watched trucks go by instead. That was much better.

Later in the day when I woke up from my nap, Mama told me we were going to take the cho-cho to see a band in Chicago. That sounded great to me, until she told me the band's name--Barenaked Ladies. Weird!

Even though I was relieved to see the band had their clothes on and had drums, the freakiness didn't end there. Take a look at this dancing book! What is that all about??? No matter how Mama and Papa tried to explain it to me, I just stared and stared, trying to figure it out.

--JAK

Free Fun in Millenium Park

Another first today...Finn (and I) rode the el to meet up with Claire and Mckinley at Millenium Park. We enjoyed a Wiggleworms show, running around the Bean, and a picnic in the park. If you asked Finn, he'd probably say the best part of the day was a toss-up between stealing Mckinley's snacks and climbing on the seat during the train ride.

--JAK

First "Mama Day" of Summer

I promised myself I'd post more frequently this summer, documenting the adventures of Finley and Mama! Thus, at the close of my first official day of summer, my first full-on Finley day, I have a lot to report.

WAKE UP CALL: "Mama, I want breaky," Finn said in his sweet voice when he woke up at seven. Meanwhile I was still happily half-asleep in bed, rather than showered and ready for work.

SWIMMING LESSONS: Chilly and shivering, Finn smiled during "The Wheels on the Bus," a recent favorite. Later in the day he sang the "waaa, waaa, waaa" portion of the baby verse over and over again, giggling in between.

ERRANDS: Running errands with Finn is typically something I avoid. Just the in and out of the car seat is enough to wear me out. Today, though, a stop at the bakery to order a cake was literally a treat. The nice lady behind the counter gave me two cookies, on the house! Finn was happy as a clam with blue sprinkles all over his face. The only trouble was I couldn't decide if she meant the second cookie for me or him. Guess which little stinker scarfed the first one and demanded, "more cookie!"

EXPLORING THE NEIGHBORHOOD: A walk around the block with a little boy leads to so many discoveries...We checked out all suspicious noises (as Finn announced, "loud noise!") and found a man using a fascinating electric bush-trimmer. We sat on the sidewalk and watched. We met a doggie named Elvis. We examined trucks and steps and ants and bushes and fences. Then we made our way to the alley, one of Finn's favorite places, probably because of the basketball hoops. Today we didn't actually make it to the hoop, Finn was distracted by peering into our neighbor's back yards, trying to climb their fences, and banging on their garbage cans and garages. I worry that people look out their back windows, don't see little Finn behind their waist-high fence, and wonder why I'm loitering around behind their house!

--JAK

Future Nine-to-Fiver

Walking toward the door,
in Papa's shoes and hat,
Finn says, "Going to work!"

--JAK

Philadelphia

Friday night Jason, Finn, and I sat down to read before bed. We had a new book for Finn, Good Night Philadelphia. Jason read the title and asked him if he could say "Philly." The little whipper snapper said, "Philadelphia," as if it is part of his day-to-day vocabulary!

--JAK