Tangerine face!

Several tangerines were sitting on the table in a basket, and he communicated his desire that we give him one (by pointing and babbling/grunting rather insistently). Oh the impatience while I peeled it!

Also in this photo is evidence of him feeding himself with a spoon (note the yogurt all over himself). He is pretty good at holding the spoon and bringing it to his mouth, but it's a very messy endeavor.

Books

Books continue to be a favorite toy, but his interactions with them have been shifting. He now points to pictures not only when I'm reading aloud to him and am pointing things out, but also when he "reads" books to himself (as below, pointing to the yellow snail in the shell). He is also decisive about sometime picking a book to flip through by himself, and other times picking a book and emphatically handing it to one of us to be read aloud. Repeating the same book multiple times is also a big thing these days (why exactly are we teaching him the sign for "again"?). When we read books multiple times in a row he often starts turning pages at a faster rate and/or skipping pages, which leads to us telling humorously abridged versions of familiar stories.

Sunlight

On a warm spring day, what could be better than playing in the sunshine before putting clothes back on (after getting lunch washed out of one's hair).

Kid + book + cat + dog

A Typical Scene:

He loves to "read" to himself (picking a book, turning the pages and amusing himself, then discarding it and moving on to another book). Meanwhile the cat and dog keep him company, and sometimes the dog tries to get the cat to play.

Big fruit, continued

Little "finger food" bites of watermelon aren't nearly as much fun as a big wedge of melon!

Also, the core of a pineapple makes a surprisingly good teether.

On the move

He loves getting around town in the backpack carrier:

Watering plants with Grandpa Bob

Pots and Pans and a Rock & Roll Band

Pots, pans, mixing bowls, tupperware, strainers, and wooden spoons are just about the best toys ever. They make great sounds!

Hugging the cat

I'm not sure what Reinhardt thinks of this, but the kidlet loves cuddling with the cat. He'll crawl up to the cat and lie down with his cheek against her flank. Sometimes she'll wriggle a few paces away, and then he'll follow her and repeat the cuddle hug. Her soft fur must feel good.

Big fruit

This kid is serious about his fruit. He likes to eat it by himself, without our help. Now that he has six teeth he prefers the whole big piece of fruit over the little bites we so carefully prepare. Here he is with my apple (it's more appealing if I want to eat it), and a big strawberry. This morning it was a big wedge of watermelon and a whole banana, but no one was around to photograph that one, sadly. I love the intense face when he bites in.

Met museum visit

We went to the Met last weekend, and explored the visible storage (while the American Wing is getting renovated).  We happened upon a family member, painted by another ancestor: 

Ernesta with Nurse

by Cecilia Beaux

1894

oil on canvas

Ernesta is our little guy's grandmother's great aunt (Grandma Ellen knew Ernesta well as a feisty old lady), so that makes the artist his grandmother's great great aunt.  Ernesta was about 2 years old in this painting, so we'll have to bring him back in another year when they'll be closer to the same age.  He was already interested in looking at her face, though!