Stairs!

The first full day here, Ben figured out how to go up stairs (there is a grand staircase). It seems very natural to him. He doesn't know how to go down, so a parent follows him closely. He likes to go up the stairs at least 4 times a day.

Percé

Ben has been in Percé, Quebec, on the Gaspé peninsula, since Saturday night. He is staying in a grand old house, called the Villa James (although it also seems to have several other names) that is on the cliff overlooking the pierced rock (although you can't see the piercing from here). It's the white house with red trim. It's in just about every postcard of Percé. Ben and his parents are staying in a big room upstairs with a great window seat (you can see it from the outside on the photo), on the right. Ben likes looking out the windows and walking along the window seat. There's a nice view of the town out the window.

On the Road Again

Ben is on a car trip, on his way to Percé, on the Gaspé peninsula, in Quebec. He spent the night in a hotel in Woodstock, New Brunswick, and has had lots of fun. There is so much to explore in a new room, and the bed is absurdly big for such a little guy. He is particularly fond of the bathroom, and after his dad showed him once, he learned how to flush the toilet (repeatedly). He had another big adventure here, because the hotel has a pool. So Ben went swimming for the first time, which he found interesting but a little alarming. He liked to splash the water (just like the bath, but cooler) but kept a tight hold on his mom. His new swimshorts go down to his ankles -- long and baggy is the style nowadays.

Telescopes

Baby B is fond of his father's hobby too. Back in January he helped his daddy with his very impressive 12 1/2 inch mirror, completed this spring. He also likes touching whatever telescopes are up. He is particularly fond of the old odd ray-gun kit scope that Andy bought from some guy in Queens because he can move it around on its mount. He also likes the Dobsonian.

Sheep and Wool

Mother's Day weekend we all went up to the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool festival for the day. Benjamin thought the sheep were very interesting, although much larger than cats and peculiarly loud. He also saw sheepdogs, but fell asleep and didn't see alpacas this year. He was always very happy to have a little wool to play with. He's sure the wool is somehow related to all the tools in the living room, but he hasn't been able to figure out how exactly.

Cheerios

This week we got Ben a snack trap, a snack cup with a top with slits in it so that theoretically kids can get treats out without spilling. Ben thinks it's fun to put his hand in (though he usually just keeps his hand in), and he loves the cheerios we keep in it.

Hot pads

Ben has discovered the hotpads that hang on magnetic hooks from the side of the stove. He likes the hooks too. He carries both the hooks and hotpads around the house, and I've even found a hotpad in the car.

Downtown

On Sunday morning, Baby B participated in a family tradition and went to Veselka's for breakfast. His parents actually used to go to another Polish-Ukrainian place that no longer exists, but his mom has always been a Veselka's fan. They all then walked through the East Village to Washington Square Park, where Ben had a swing in the extremely popular playground. Then he had to say goodbye to New York and ride back to Boston.

Central Park

Ben went to Central Park every day of our trip (except Sunday). He loved the sheep meadow and other places where he could eat the grass and pick the dandelions. He also liked practicing standing and walking and seeing the sights.

Baby B takes Manhattan

Baby B had four days in Manhattan (his mom had a do at the Bard Graduate Center). He lived in an apartment on 58th street near Columbus Circle for two nights, then a night at Ali's apartment on 56th. He did a whirlwind tour of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Radio City, Rockefeller Center, and a cruise along 5th avenue, but most of his time he hung out in Central Park. The weather was gorgeous. Baby B also visited a few museums--he thought the new Hellenistic and Roman galleries were a real sleeper--sorry MET.

Teeth!

Ben has been chewing on things like crazy, and we knew that he was getting his top front teeth in, having felt the first of them when we were in NY. Yesterday, he was upside-down so we could get a piece of newspaper out of his mouth, and we saw that he's getting in four teeth on top all at once. No wonder he's been complaining.

Baby B goes on a trip

Benjamin went to New York City for the first time on May 3-5. His mom had a conference to go to one day, and they provided a place to stay for two nights. The third night, we stayed at Ali and Ivan's place. They were unfortunately out of town, so we didn't get to see them. Ben made use of the cool Swedish Seat Sack that Zeynep gave him in the cool Scandinavian modern apartment that Bard provided us. At Ali and Ivan's he was particularly taken by the chandelier. He also liked the Murphy bed and the carpet.

Happy Mother's Day

Benjamin and Andy gave Jessica a very nice Mother's Day.

Textiles

Ben thinks his mom's hobby is very interesting, which means she can't spin if he's awake amd around. He likes to take balls of yarn out of baskets, roll them around the house, and unwind them. He also likes spinning the great wheel, playing with the lendrum treadles, moving the reel, and drafting rovings, which he will also take out of baskets and carry around the house (in one hand as he crawls.

Going to the Park

Spring has finally come and Ben loves going to the park. He thinks the swing is really fun, and he likes eating grass. We try to keep him from eating wood chips. The nice weather means that babies are popping up all over, so he's also had a chance to meet other babies in the park.