You gotta fight for your right

The end is nigh.

Maybe not the end of days, but the end of parental leave and the end of daddy daycare. The Pumpkin Man is in daycare transition this week, starting full time on Monday.

Good thing he has an older brother who has taught him the ways of the big, bad world. One of the Pumpkin Man's first daycare experiences was mealtime. He was sat at the table and handed his small chunks formerly known as food. Out of nowhere another baby sidled in and starting swiping his eats. His first reaction was to cry, but the daycare workers were too busy with other children. Quickly realizing his protest was in vain he swiftly implemented Plan B. As the other baby went for another handful, the Pumpkin Man poked her in the eye.

I'm not really worried about his transition.

Almost a year

Today the pumpkin man is eleven months old. Almost a year. The time flies by and so do the milestones.

I'm not entirely sure I'm happy that he's now able to pull to standing - only a few days before vacation. At least we're keeping things interesting.

Some days are like that

Even on parental leave.

Stages

Being an at home parent means going through all of the different stages:

From sleeping on the floor in various pretzel shapes, to the pain and torment of the inability to stick with one task, to newfound mobility often resulting in accident and personal injury.

And then there are the things the kid goes through.

Fashion sense

At first I didn't really see the utility of shorts on the baby. Now I see their immeasurable value as a diaper containment device.

We've Been Slimed

Copyright Martyn Tranter

For the past couple of weeks our house has been taken over by ectoplasmic goo.

It started in the Pumpkin Man, but quickly spread to the rest of us. The first warning sign is a sore throat, but now I wish that was all there was to it.

The Pumpkin Man also hates having his nose wiped, at least with a tissue. The furniture and carpet are his preferred sources of relief. And now that he's crawling, he's been able to slime pretty much the whole house.

For a while I was able to overcome his resistance by turning it into a game, but he's on to me now.

If only Bill Murray hadn't hung up his proton pack, cause I know who I'm gonna call . . .

Super smiles

He's a happy kid, especially now that he is mobile

Kindred Spirits

Proud Parent - Moment MXXI