My first “real” kiss (that is, one of the French variety), occurred when I was in 6th grade. I was invited to a party at my then-boyfriend’s house. The guest list for this party included my boyfriend’s older brother, a bunch of his brother’s older friends, and me. Activities planned included pressuring me to kiss the boyfriend, ogling us when we did finally kiss, and making fun of me for having taken so long to kiss said boyfriend in the first place.
The kiss itself was, in the words of Harry Potter, “wet.” Not from tears; though in hindsight, it really was a sad affair. It was just kind of sloppy and kind of gross and really disappointing. My boyfriend was supposedly a veteran kisser. Yes, I was a novice, but you would think his wealth of experience would have made up for it. Not so much.
Lucky for Josh, I’ve now had enough kissing practice to hold up my end of things when kissing commences. Feel free to ask him if you don’t believe me. *=
About two weeks ago, Jude’s recently-purchased Learning Tower arrived via UPS delivery. It staid in the entrance to our apartment for a few days until I was able to find the time to attempt assembly on my own.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Learning Tower, allow me to take a brief moment to describe the apparatus. The Learning Tower, at it’s root, is a glorified step stool for toddlers and young children. Please don’t let that kind of harsh description soil your opinion of it: it’s an awesome piece of furniture! It has an adjustable platform for the kids to stand on, a wide base to prevent tipping, and is semi-enclosed on all four sides so that little ones have less of a chance of falling off/out. Plus (plus!) it can support up to 500 pounds, so it doubles as a safe step stool for mom and/or dad!
So, what good is a Learning Tower? Well, let me tell you–it allows children to (safely!) be at counter height in the kitchen, which in turn affords them the opportunity to watch or engage in what mom or dad are doing. For me, this was the number one reason for purchasing. Most kids, and Jude is certainly no exception, love to take part in the world around them. It’s how they learn. Since acquiring our Learning Tower, Jude has ‘helped’ me make dough for bread, chop veggies for meal time, assemble sandwiches for lunch, and wash dishes! He has learned (or is on his way to learning) that half of one cup is 1/2 cup, that there are three teaspoons in a tablespoon, and that mama curses when she forgets to mix cold water with the hot water while washing dishes. Hooray for learning!
The Learning Tower can also be used as a stage for puppet/pretend play or as a place to sit and eat snacks. Little Partners are nice enough to send along a cloth drape to cover the Learning Tower and to assist with play time. (Note: Drape doubles as a cape.)
So, onto my (well, our) experience with assembly through playtime. I was amazed as how easy the Learning Tower was to put together. It would have been even easier if I had had some (adult) help (and if someone hadn’t hidden two pieces on me!), but I was able to put it together, fairly quickly, and with only stripping four screws (a personal best!). The instructions were clear, and the pieces were well-labeled.
The unit is very, very sturdy. It is also on the heavy side (though Jude can push it around at will *sigh*), and definitely on the bulky side (read: not fantastic for small kitchens). The platform adjusts to four different heights. In other words, it grows with your kids! As your child gets taller, you simply lower the platform. You should note that the Learning Tower is available in a number of different colors/finishes, so you can (with any luck) match it to your kitchen space.
Our Learning Tower has, honestly, changed Jude’s and my day-to-day lives. He loves playing at the kitchen counter while I work in the kitchen. Tupperware and measuring cups have never been as much fun (or gotten so much use!) as they are now. And, the truly amazing part of all of this is that Jude will actually play by himself a little bit if he has access to the Learning Tower! He will happily allow me to fold clothes, so long as I bring them into the kitchen and hang out with him while he stacks his blocks or pours raisins from one container to the other and all over the kitchen floor.
In short, we LOVE the Learning Tower. If you’re looking for a way to include you child in your day-to-day tasks, don’t hesitate to purchase one. It is well worth the investment.
Finally, here’s a video of Jude playing on his Learning Tower.
I have a confession to make: Although Jude and I have spent a lot of time outside this winter–walking to and from the L, to friends houses, to the library, etc.–we haven’t done any actual playing outside until this afternoon. Honestly, I hate the cold weather. I often have to wear long sleeves, pants, two pairs of socks, and slippers in my 70-degree house, so being outside in sub-zero temperatures is pure misery for me.
This afternoon, after a walk to the library and a short stint at our friends’ house, Jude and I spent some time playing outside with Aimee and Miles. The air was brisk, though today’s high temperature was supposed to be around 41 degrees. The parking lot where we were playing still had some snow piles adorning its perimeter and some small puddles scattered about, but overall, it was a great place to play. Seeing as how Mr. Weatherman was calling for 41 degrees, I didn’t put Jude’s mittens on him before exiting Aimee’s house. Stupid idea.
While Miles played on the riding toys that Aimee brought out, my son moved a pile of snow, bare-fistful by bare-fistful, from one part of the parking lot to the other. The poor kid’s hands were red and cold, but he refused, quite loudly, to allow me to put his mittens on him. He also fell in a puddle, rendering him dirty and wet, and, I imagine, cold. About 15 minutes after the puddle incident, I decided that it would be best to pack it up and head back to the warmth of our home.
In other news, Jude received this table and chair set as a gift from my mom. It arrived via UPS this afternoon, and I’m hoping to put it together after dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll do a photo-documentary of the assembly.
Also, I’m working on a review of Jude’s recently acquired Learning Tower. Looks for that review (and a few super-cute photos!) tomorrow.
Do you realize how close to being two years old you are? Today you turned 21 months old: that means you’ve been on the outside for one and three-quarter years. Eep! I don’t know if I’m ready for you to be two! Slow down with the growing up, please! Please?
February brought with it some impressive accomplishments on your part. Your vocabulary has tripled? quadrupled? in the past month. And, while you’re not quite able to say “I want ice cream” with the diction of a college English professor (or that 19-month-old super geeky baby girl), you rarely have trouble getting your point across.
Near the end of January, you realized that you’re able to clasp your hands behind your back. That trick kept you occupied for a few days. Early in February you learned to “clink and drink”– that is, tap your sippy cup to Papa’s or my cup and then drink from it as though you were toasting to our health– and now you incline your cup towards mine on a daily basis. You’ve been honing your imitation skills this month as well. After watching me run down the hall and jump up and down trying (but failing) to turn off the smoke alarm, you smile, laugh, and mimic my flailing to a tee. You like to dance. You make up your own songs, sing them, and applaud yourself at the end of each one. You’re learning to feed yourself with a spoon and fork, and you’re already doing quite well with each!
You, Papa, and I were all sick with the stomach flu a few weeks ago. None of it seemed to bother you…I wish I could say the same for Papa and me. The worst thing about you (and us) being sick is that we got (back) into the habit of watching numerous videos each day. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we got into the habit of watching the same video over and over and over again each day. Jude, you LOVE the VeggieTales movie The Lord of the Beans. And, as much as I hate that you love that video, or videos in general, I love watching you watch that movie. I love seeing your reaction when Larry the Cumber comes on screen. I love it when you laugh at “Randolf” and “Todo Baggypants” at the beginning of the film. I love how you sway back and forth to the VeggieTales theme song. I love everything about you. Have you picked up on that?
Papa and I got you a Learning Tower earlier this month, and at the end of last week, I was (finally) able to put it together for you. I think I might love this piece of furniture more than you do, Monkey! I love having you at counter-height. I love that you can watch what I’m doing and that I can include you in the work I have to do in the kitchen. You simply love to be in the middle of things. You love playing with your toys on the counter and you love helping me cook and bake.
You and I have made a few really good friends since moving to Rogers Park in December. We spend a few days a week with our friends Miles and Aimee, and we have a standing date with your friend Stella and her papa, Ian, on Wednesdays. We’ve been getting out pretty consistently, despite the cold weather. We go to Stories with Nadine on Saturdays at The Common Cup and we hit the library at least once weekly. Right now, your favorite books are Hippos Go Berserk! and Snuggle Puppy, both by Sandra Boynton. Next week I’m hoping to pick up a few Mo Willems books from the library because you really love Knuffle Bunny, and I think you would enjoy some of his other books as well.
Winter is on its way out, Baboo. Spring is just around the corner. In just a few short weeks (cross your fingers!) we’ll be spending our days outside, going for walks and playing at the playground. I can’t wait to explore our neighborhood with you…to discover different shops and places to play. I can’t wait for you to be able to play in the dirt and build sand castles at the beach. Only a few more weeks, Jude. The countdown is on!
arrived via UPS delivery. It staid in the entrance to our apartment for a few days until I was able to find the time to attempt assembly on my own.
are nice enough to send along a cloth drape to cover the 
as we take on various fasts. Want to join us?
as a gift from my mom. It arrived via UPS this afternoon, and I’m hoping to put it together after dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll do a photo-documentary of the assembly.
Looks for that review (and a few super-cute photos!) tomorrow.
And, as much as I hate that you love that video, or videos in general, I love watching you watch that movie. I love seeing your reaction when Larry the Cumber comes on screen. I love it when you laugh at “Randolf” and “Todo Baggypants” at the beginning of the film. I love how you sway back and forth to the VeggieTales theme song. I love everything about you. Have you picked up on that?
and 
both by 
and I think you would enjoy some of his other books as well.
