Block Par-Tay

Yesterday was rainy and cold, which didn't dampen the kid's spirits for the Block Party - AKA running around for hours with all of the other kids in the neighborhood while the parents hide in a garage. We had the moonwalk, but it was soaked. Not that it stopped the kids from taking turns in there... So all things considered, it worked out ok. The firemen came too, and the kids loved looking at the fire engine. I actually took Isaac home around 7 for bed, but Bella stayed out until 10 playing tag in the dark, and other great games.

But last night around 10:30, Isaac decided it was time to PARTY. After an unsuccessful hour trying to get him back down, I took him downstairs and let him play his heart out. And he was so thrilled - he was shrieking with glee, laughing, cuddling, and being just the happiest kid. At 1, when he finally started rubbing his eyes, he went right to sleep. These things happen.

I am a little concerned: Isaac's joyful shrieking is just bone jarring, and he's been doing it for months. We try to get him to work on more "wordy words" like "dada" "mama" etc, but when he gets excited, he just let's fly with the sonic attack. And got in himmel help us when he is in a place with good acoustics - he lets fly just to hear it come back. I do hope he moves on from this however. My nerves can't take it!

The kids slept in until 8, but were still a bit groggy. After going out to get a haircut and playing at Eden Prairie Center, Bella announced that "Whoever is going to take a nap this afternoon, I'll join them". A nap? Wow.

Tonight was another Progressive dinner night, so Bella, Jenny, and Isaac were watched while we spent 4 glorious hours of grown up time. Upon our return, Isaac was still partying, and the sitter, a VERY capable young lady, was looking frazzled. It didn't help that the dishwasher decided to go crazy and make whirring sounds while blinking its lights in a seizure-inducing manner. So I got Isaac settled in my patented daddy manner, and then played with Bella until a later bedtime (the nap always resets her clock).

I was showing her words in different languages tonight, to get her used to the idea that things have different names to different people. She thought that was a pretty neat idea. I showed her colors and animals in Russian, Swedish, Japanese, and Chinese. She wound up really liking Chinese for some reason - those words were the only ones she was repeating and remembering - perhaps because they're a bit musical? I'm going to keep experimenting with that.

I got some Swedish flash card software because I thought it would be nice for the whole family to have some words to drop with our Swedish friends Annika, Sara, and Lisa. I'm just browsing now, but it sure looks close to German in some key ways... we'll see.

And that's the weekend update.