11 months

Here is Thomas showing off one of his new skills: clapping. He joins in with any applause, be it directed at him, a clapping song at toddlers or church, or even clapping on the tv or radio. When he isn't clapping he is practicing his new sort-of words. Dadadada has been around for a while, but it has now been joined by 'mmmmmby' which I am taking to be Mummy and calling his first word!

Standing up is great fun these days, but Tom is showing no desire to stride out just yet. If you hold his hands and lead him he will happily walk with you, but will just as happily sit down again then head off rapidly in a crawl. But standing up means he can reach table tops and get at any food left there, or his sister's toys which she has tried to place out of reach. Tim hides his firemen around the sitting room every evening so they are ready to be discovered in the morning - it is a bit like a very small, very cute, Antony Gormley installation.

New favourite toys are things on wheels: Tom has worked out how to roll them backwards and forwards. He also likes dropping objects into a basket then fishing them out, and has started stacking bricks on top of each other. Totally standard for this age, but we are very proud of him none the less!

We are into birthday season for Tom's friends now, with several parties to attend over the next few weeks. And one of our own to plan for next month!

A birthday

It was my birthday last weekend. Tim and I went out for beer and curry in the evening, but we spent a lovely day enjoying being a family and spending time together. We headed into Bradford as there was a science festival and an arts festival on in the City Park. 

Tom was as cute as always:

Even when trying on clown hats in the circus skills tent:

Meanwhile Marisca loved the steppy-cycling things, though her enthusiasm was greater than her skill and Daddy had to be on hand:

Outside the library there was a fairy blowing bubbles (of course). Marisca only stopped jumping up, chasing them and popping them when she ran out of bubble mixture!

Then it was time for a break and a relax on the street art:

Before watching some street entertainment...

...and enjoying a birthday treat!

Thatwise

That-wise [th at wahyz]

Conjunction

1. Because; for the reason of: I need a new pillow thatwise big huge teddy is using this one

2. Therefore; as a result of: it's raining outside thatwise I need to wear my boots today

3. Here follows an unrelated statement: I'm going upstairs thatwise I need a snack

2013, Marisca Mosedale

Musical statues

We have a new game, called Cranium Hullabaloo.  It shares elements of musical statues, with the need to freeze at the end, but is really much more exciting.  Marisca thinks it *is* musical statues, so I'm not looking forward to the next party at which the real musical statues is played...

There's a bunch of tiles on the floor and a machine that gives instructions.  Bounce to a square, crawl to an animal, that kind of thing.  Then there's the freezing, and if you're on the right tile at the end you get to either do a bow or a funky dance.  The longer you play the harder it gets (Elspeth and I dread it when the voice says "AND..." as additional flexibility is called for).  All in all much fun, and Marisca loves it.

Bouncing to a green tile.

Put your foot on a square AND your elbow on a musical instrument.

Freeze!

If you're standing on Frog you're a winner! Winner, take a bow.

Me and my firemen

I love my firemen.  They are my favourite toy and they make me gurgle a lot.  Mostly I like carrying my firemen around the room and giving them to people.  I have some other little people but my firemen are definitely the best.

Head shaking

A few weeks ago Thomas started doing a very charming thing.  He would start shaking his head and then giggle like crazy if you copied him.  In this fashion we'd while away the hours having head shaky giggly conversations with each other.  He was also very good at getting strangers to play the head shaky game.

Now, he'll still play the game, but without the giggles.  It's a bit of a shame really, we enjoyed the giggles.  We never managed to capture the head shaky giggly game on video so the best reminder we have is this post.

Here's looking forward to finding the next thing that our boy finds so delightful and giggly.