Random Alexander

Alexander loves playing with CD players, VCRs (yes, we still have one of these relics--a couple, actually), DVD players, radios, microwaves, and clocks. In our bedroom, we have old VHS tapes with movies taped off cable years ago. He likes to put these tapes in the VCR and start them. The TV isn't on, so they don't really "play," but sometimes at night I'll wake up to the sound of the tape rewinding after playing for 8 hours.

In his room, we have no closet door, so we put up a baby gate to keep him from pulling the CD player on top of him. Well, he didn't take long to figure out how to climb it so he can perch on top and mess with the CD player. It's an old-style gate that probably isn't made anymore because it's obviously easy to climb (lots of little holes for little toes). Anyway, the other night while we were getting him ready for bed, we put on a CD with mostly slow songs. He proceeded to climb the gate and actually switch that CD for another one (switching, closing the top, and hitting play), a mixed CD I made for mornings. The first song is "Rock Around the Clock."

I think he was trying to tell us something about bedtime.

He's also been exploring his artistic side. He loves to color. It's crazy how into it he gets.



Here, he seems to be lamenting the temporary loss of his muse. Drama queen.




And last Friday, he charmed the hell out of the firefighters at the park. They were there playing soccer. We run into them occasionally because they go to play games, exercise, and test their equipment using the hydrant. One week, they tested the hose from the top of the ladder, power spraying the whole park. It was so cool. Anyway, last Friday, they suggested we come by on Saturday (the station is right behind our house), because they pull all the trucks out of the garage and test the ladder. So we headed over. Alexander didn't care for sitting in the truck, but he loved splashing in the puddles created from washing the trucks, and he really enjoyed looking at the enormous tires.

New Bedtime Routine

The boy has started a new bedtime routine. He takes every book off his shelf, every toy in his room, every scrap of paper, and bit by bit, puts it all in his crib. He gives us a few books for us to read to him, but the rest goes into the crib. Then we read until he falls asleep, and we quietly take everything out of the crib and put him down. He's very serious about this routine. We've tried blocking him with our bodies to see if he'd give up because it's too difficult, but he scales us with his books. Determined and very weird.