Lilah learned some things.
This can’t be good…
Family Matters
Creativity in a Touch-Screen World
The first time Delilah crawled it was to get my iPhone. No joke. Even before that she seemed interested so we would let her play with certain apps, taking video of herself, creating drawings, creating sounds etc.
A few days ago I was sitting at my computer doing something with our Taxes when Rachel brought her in for me to watch for a few minutes. As I set her on my lap she immediately reached for the keyboard. Not to ever stifle creativity, I tossed up Notepad and let her at it. She struggled for a few minutes and tapped a few keys and eventually ended up with this:
1 ` 1Q IYXZJG nm hnmws SDEWQIOJHI9
Not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination. But what got me was that a few years ago this would have been her limit. Keyboard and mouse interactivity is something that takes a while to develop and at 6-9months she just wouldn’t have the skills to do manipulate our archaic input devices.
Not so, any more. The following works were all created by Delilah on my iPad in the Kid Paint app:
Artistic masterpieces? No.
Impressive for a 6-9mo old? Hell yes
(Note: some help from me to pick colors and utensils and to restart the app when she accidentally closed it, but that’s it.)
Additionally, she’s composed some music using Beatwave: Beatwave Music Composition
If you don’t have it,
Get Beatwave on iTunes (FREE!)
Would any of this have been possible 5 years ago? Maybe, if you had a million dollars worth of touch screen equipment. She did this with a $500 1.5lb device. I think the age of the Dynabook has arrived.
Man the future is gonna be crazy. I can’t wait till she’s teaching me this stuff.
Family Portraits
Being the photographer of the family I’m rarely in the photos. Someone needs to make a suggestion to get me into a photo before I’m in front of the lens or nobody knows I was ever there. I don’t mind it but we’ve realized recently that we don’t really have enough pictures of us together so starting this month we’re going to make it a point to get at least one family photo a month. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, just us. Here’s our first attempt:
Lilah has her typical “everything is amazing and surprising” look on her face, but not bad for a self-timed job with a 9-mo-old.
Playtime
Our recent trip(s) and membership to Strong reminded me of the first time Delilah interactively played with us. It was a very memorable experience.
A few months ago we were all out to dinner together at The Olive Garden and Delilah was in a different high chair for the first time. It was almost too big so we stuffed a blanket and some other stuff behind her to give her some support.
After the waitress brought us drinks there was a coaster left on the table just inside Delilah’s reach. Once she realized this she quickly flung it towards the edge of the table. With cat like reflexes I stopped it from toppling to the floor with a single finger and slide it back to where it was. Her shocked look said to me: “Whoa! What was that!?”. She then tried again, and I stopped it again. This repeated for about 5 minutes until our food showed up and she was smiling and laughing almost hysterically.
Little games like these are every day occurrences now and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Taking her to Strong is a riot and she’s really noticing and playing with everything now.
Snow Removal Empire
A few days ago, just before the “big snow storm” hit, a boy from down the street stopped and asked if we’d like the sidewalk or driveway shoveled.
I’m a sucker for young entrepreneurs so of course we did until I realized we didn’t have any cash.
“if you stop by tomorrow we’ll pay you double.”. “sure!” he exclaimed and headed towards the next house.
The next evening I shoveled the whole driveway after the kid never showed up. While doing so I had two thoughts:
- We need a new driveway, seems plausible to add a heating system when we do it. I’ve been examining the options and it seems where we live the electric system may be the most reasonable.
- When Lilahs old enough she should run a snow removal empire.
That last one probably warrants a description of my train of thought:
- man it’s too bad that kid didn’t stop back over.
- if we have a boy, he’ll be able to shovel or mow to earn some money.
- screw that our daughter can shovel.
- screw that, she can make the contracts and get the boys in the neighborhood to shovel and get her a tiny cut.
- ooooh it could teach her scheduling, budgeting, organization and lots other managerial type tasks.
- Holy crap! Extreme parenting anyone?
- maybe that’s a bad idea.
- yeah, not sure I want to teach her to get boys to do her dirty work.
- yeah dumbest idea ever.
I think for now I’ll just forget I ever thought of it.
Keeping Up
These Days she’s growing so fast it’s hard to keep up. She’s now pulling herself up, (assisted) walking, babbling (non stop), laughing up a storm, teething, high-fiving, smiling (all the freaking time), wearing pigtails and she even had her first real fever the other day (101.8°F). Pulled out of it without a scratch in 2 days though. She’s a trooper. Coming home is so much fun now because as soon as she sees you she smiles like crazy and wants you to pick her up right away just to be close.
Favorite thing in the world right now? Comforting Baby-Hugs. She’s been doing it for a long time but it doesn’t make it any less special. If she wakes up or wont go to sleep for a while and she’s crying & you walk in and pick her up she gives you the biggest bear-hug and calms right down. Gotta say, it’s awesome.
She’s only 8 months old and I have NO IDEA what’s next, but that’s the best part. I can’t wait.
Our First Christmas Tree Timelapse
We might have a new tradition.
While we decorated the tree this past Monday I setup the camera and had it take a shot every 5 seconds. Threw it together in a timelapse video and it didn’t come out half bad. My favorite parts are the few times you can see the little monster jumping up and down, spinning and grinning.
Next years will be even more fun.
Delilah 0-6 Months
Friday was Delilah’s 6 month birthday. Man oh Man. The past 6 months have been a blur. Delilah’s had lots of milestones, smiles, babbling, standing, grabbing, sitting & just recently, rolling over. Looking back through these pictures made me smile so many times…
NOTE: If you cannot see the slideshow above please view the original post.
The next 6 months will be just as exciting with even more milestones, but will probably fly by even faster.
Hope we can keep up.
It'll be a Camp soon
My father hasn’t been able to spend the time he wanted working on the addition to their camp. The past two weekends I’ve spent there finishing winter weather preparations with a whole bunch of help. Thanks Jerry, Don, Alan, Tony & Amy.
It’s been a long time coming but we’ve now got a finished roof, weather sealed outer walls and windows and doors installed. I’d say we’re well on our way. The soffit should go up soon and then all that’s left is the doorknobs/locks and possibly some wire mesh under the camp to keep the critters out.
I might even get motivated enough to just continue working this fall so come this winter it’s at least partially usable space.
Anybody got a good propane space heater?
Future Lilah will be Proud
A few days ago we found some baby bunnies in our backyard. If it was just me I’d have made em disappear. Weird though, felt some need to save them from my ruthless wolves. I think it had to do with picturing a few year old Delilah saying “no daddy, help them!”
Ugh.
Anyway, the past few days have been spent constructing various structures to protect the dummies from the fate their mother has bestowed on them. Not only did she place them in my fenced in backyard, but also the lowest point on the property and it’s been raining cats and dogs for a few days now.
Anyway, off to save the bunnies again.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and momma bunny will take them away before I need to mow again…
If you’re keeping track, this is not the first time bunnies visited us. Every time the nest is packed full of dog hair, so I suspect while the dogs themselves are a deterrent, their hair provides some good nest material that is attractive for the bunnies.
UPDATE: My parents showed up at our house before us a few days ago and didn’t know the bunnies were in the backyard. They let the dogs out and 2 of them met their demise but the 3rd survived.
UPDATE 2: Momma showed up and took her little one. Hurray! We had a survivor. Future Lilah will be proud.
Randy Aldrich 