Nana to the Rescue (Again)!

Note to self: Another thing good mothers sometimes do is replace precious items that go missing due to circumstances beyond your control.

When Nana called to say a new Flip video camera was on its way to me in the mail, I was overjoyed. She said she'd read my sob story on the blog and decided to take action. Isn't that sweet? I never suspected a public tale of woe could be so profitable.

The new camera arrived just a day before we met Nana & Cousin Brian in Monterey. But apparently I lost some of my hard-won videography skills along with my last camera, because this was one of my first attempts at new footage:




You wouldn't know it by looking here, but this was the absolute coolest slide I've ever ridden. And it was just a really tall, brightly painted, cushy-ground-surrounded version of something you might find in a potato packing warehouse, rolling things (in this case people) along. Even though it was 3000 degrees out in Monterey at the time, Django & I climbed to the top of this thing and waited in long lines -- again, and again, and again, and again -- for the sheer, bumpity-bump, joy of it.




I fared a little better at home, in more temperate weather, one morning when Django & Max had decided to practice "jump"ing off the couch (from sitting.) It was one of those moments that struck my funny-bone because they were so very proud of themselves, and happily narrating all the while. How quickly we forget how hard it was to learn to operate these bodies we're in!




And speaking of milestones, Django & has started to get really into imaginative play. He pretends to open and close things, to cut things, to drive things. Lately, he's been doting on Cookie Monster with the majority of his affection and demands. He feeds Cookie, and tells me all the things Cookie is doing, has or needs -- including TLC after imaginary injuries: "Cookie owie foot kiss; other foot kiss." He even tells me when Cookie needs to nurse "Mama nook" and when Cookie needs to change breasts. In this video, Cookie's already had a lot of "wawamelon" for breakfast and is now finishing off by gulping "cow nook" and saying "ahhhhh" afterward. (Oh, and Django's spinning is another new thing. He doesn't usually do it while also attempting other feats, so this clip of early multitasking will probably be a collector's item someday.)




Last for tonight, but not least, a little music video. Personally, I prefer any of Django's harmonica, zylophone or ukele playing to this particular song on the piano, but it was a public performance at the Bay Area Discovery Museum and he did go at it with much gusto. Plus, if I had a dollar for every person who thought -- if you can imagine it -- that I named him Jangles, as in Bo Jangles, his tip jar would be full.