Last day at Elayna's

Wow, Quinn is leaving the nursery. He had his last day at his daycare with Elayna or "'Layna" as he calls her. We had a rough last week or two at daycare. He would fight and cry because he did not want to go. Reportedly, he had a great time once I left. Still, it was hard. Elayna has been so good to our little boy for the last two years. She gave him a Thomas train that stops and starts when you whistle at it. She cried when Mom picked him up. I am sad as well.

We have lots to thank Elayna for. Not just the day care, but for being so loving to Quinn and having so much good advice to give on how to deal with little ones. (She has been doing this for 15 years, so she knows.) Quinn is so polite with: "Please" and "thank you" and he has lots of other good habits and mannerisms and is good with smaller children and we have Elayna to thank. But, it seems time to move on.

He is headed to pre-school at a Montessori school that is only a mile or so from our house. The plan is to run him in in our new convertible jogging stroller/bike trailer and Wendy can pick him up in the afternoon on her bike and pull him home. I know Quinn is going to love it. Lots of new things to do, lots of children to play with and lots of time outside in the playground.

Perhaps I am sad because I can see the day when he has grown up too much for us to take care of him anymore and he will move on.

Immune to the hype

I take lots of pictures of Quinn and other things. The thing is, most of the time Quinn is doing something I know he really enjoys. But, in the pictures he always looks so pensive. Like I am torturing him by taking him places. Really I'm not!

So, anyway, we went to the SD Zoo a few weeks ago and got in just as they opened. Almost no one there. So as a rare treat, we went to the Panda exhibit. There is usually a line out the door and down the street for the Pandas. So this was a rare sighting for me. Quinn was unimpressed. He is immune to the hype.

After a couple of hours at the Zoo, we did a little more Balboa park, including the miniature rail road they have near the Zoo entrance. Quinn wanted to ride again and again...can't tell from the picture can you?

Mama was at a Malacological meeting at the Natural History Museum and met us at about 12:00 for lunch. Then we went to the Model Rail Road Museum. Balboa Park is a great place to take kids.

Great Leaps

The little man is on the move. Last Thanksgiving was about the time of his first steps. This Thanksgiving and Christmas were all about jumping and leaping and running, faster all the time. Just when you think he will be content to amble along at your side he decides to "go faster!" and takes off in his still somewhat drunken sailor-paced gate. Every now and then he'll be walking around and you'll know that he has a tune in his head because he'll start white-boy bopping, his arms swinging and his head nodding to an unheard beat. So far, we can still keep up with him...so far.

Friends and Football

At the beginning of November Jared and Brenda came into town to see the Chargers and the Browns. A big group had gotten tickets even before Jared found out he was accepted to law school in Oregon. Before the big game we headed out to Dog Beach for a little quickie surf. Quinn climbed around on the rip-rap before heading over to the Henehans' to spend the afternoon with Genesis and the girls. This allowed Mama and Dada a little tailgate time before the action.

Turkeys and Trains

Thanksgiving was a crazy wonderful time. Grandma Pat and Grandpa Norm came down and survived the epic trauma of getting a haircut for Quinn. Grandpa Glen and Grandma Jan drove down from Oregon and stayed after for a few days so Mama and Dada could have a couple days as a couple. While everyone was here (including Uncle Brian) we went up to Mission San Juan Capistrano on the train. At the end of the trip Quinn spent about five minutes saying good-bye to the train...then all the cars in the parking lot and the buses at the depot. He's got a bit of a fixation.

A Love of Books

Quinn has always loved being read to. In the mornings we often find him sitting in his bed with a book. He'll look up at us when we come in and ask us to read the story to him before he comes down to breakfast. When we have friends come to visit, we often find them on the couch (like Ralf or David Miguel and Francisca) book in hand and a small boy in their lap.

The Garden Gnome in the House

We're still learning about holidays. What are they? Why are they special? What do we do when that day comes around? Quinn never did let me put on his beard or draw little red circles on his cheeks, but he did wear the hat long enough to get a quick picture.

I think next year we'll do a jack-o-lantern and learn a little more.