The New Adventures of Squidboy

Cutting Teeth

2012-01-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

Raynor's first tooth (bottom right middle) made its entrance today. I hope this explains why he hasn't been sleeping well lately!

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

2012-01-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

It's been over a year since I last posted to this blog. Looking back, I see that the last post was about our garage sale, at which we sold a lot of Quentin's old baby stuff. I failed to mention at the time that we had been saving all that stuff in the hopes of having a second child. With those plans apparently not coming to fruition, we decided it was time to start moving on. Apparently that was the ticket, because just over two months later (on my Mom's birthday and the day before Thanksgiving), I learned that we were indeed expecting a baby! So, without further ado, I would like to introduce Quentin's baby brother.

Raynor Scott Candelaria

August 10, 2011

9 lbs., 1 ounce

21 1/4 inches long

And here he is at almost six months:

So obviously there's a lot more to say, and I'll try to cover it in future posts, but I wanted to at least finish one post before the end of January!

September

2010-10-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

We had a garage sale, in large part to sell Quentin's old baby stuff. We did pretty well, but there were long periods of just sitting around in the front yard. Fortunately, we were also trying to sell the couch, so there was plenty of comfortable seating.

Telling stories on the front porch:

Once more, for old time's sake...

Taking it easy:

Drinking the profits...

At the Zoo with Friends:

In Golden:

At the "Firebird" Playground:

August

2010-09-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Quentin's favorite activity recently has been building "set ups" and "palaces" out of legos. Here is an example of one:

We hooped up the Super NES on the TV in the guest room. Quentin isn't interested in playing it himself, but he loves to watch. He prefers games with monsters:

This picture is primarily to show off his ankylosaurus shoes. In addition to the pictures and dinosaur footprints on the bottom, they also have eyes on the top that light up. I think it is safe to say that these are his favorite shoes ever:

I have no idea what is going on here:

At the new Children's Garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens:

Our last camping trip of the year. A two-day trip near Dillon reservoir. We spent a lot of time around the lake. Matthew skipped stones and Quentin just threw rocks into the water.

Bigger rocks, like this one, were "magic books." I'm not sure exactly what they did, but that's beside the point...

July

2010-08-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

At the museum:

Belleview Park. We had never been here before, but it turned out to be a great park. Aside from the traditional playground, it had a creek for wading, a petting zoo, and a train.

One of Quentin's favorite things this summer has been drawing monsters with sidewalk chalk.

We decided to try growing broccoli this year and it has been a great success. It is also the first thing we have grown in the garden that Quentin will actually eat (including the strawberries).

Playing cyclops (yes, he looks like a pirate, but he's really a cyclops).

Playing Hero Quest. We have had this game for years, but never played it. Quentin discovered it and liked playing with the pieces, so we decided to try an actual game. He did great! Of course he needed help, but he actually remained interested for the entire game, and we have played it again since.

Quentin and I spontaneously decided to go to Lakeside one day. He had a great time and was much less timid about the rides than last year. The turtles were his favorite. We steered clear of the roller coaster.

Camping: The highlight of the month was a camping trip at Trinidad State Park with the Smith family, our friends who live in New Mexico. We had a great time, although Quentin would have preferred to skip the car trip.

At the playground in Pueblo where we stopped for a picnic.

Group picture, minus Matthew.

Complete group picture.

There was supposed to be a playground at the campground, but it had been torn out (possibly in preparation for an upgrade), so we played on the walls instead. Despite some initial dissapointment about the missing playground, everybody had fun anyway.

In the tent.

Bent's Old Fort, a reconstructed fur trading post from the 1840s.

June

2010-07-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

We made a fort out of the boxes from the ceiling tiles for our basement. Quentin particularly enjoyed knocking it down.

Exploring at Belmar Park:

Picking cherries from the tree in the front yard:

Bowling (for the first time!):

Playing in the back yard:

Feeding a dragon?

May

2010-06-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

May was a busy month. For Mother's Day, we went to Heritage Square with Grandma Cindi and William. Here are pictures of the swan boats and go-carts:

Shortly after Christmas, Quentin decided he really wanted a toy Destroyah (a monster from a Godzilla movie). We told him he would have to earn it. He earned stickers by doing things like cleaning up within a certain time limit or doing a particularly good job at something. This month, he finally completed it. Here he is with his chart and Destroyah:

We went hiking at Dinosaur Ridge with our friend Leslie. As luck would have it, it was an unseasonably cold day, and the rain started just as we arrived. We did not let it stop us.

After Dinosaur Ridge, we went for a short walk at Red Rocks. Quentin was delighted and called it our "secret world."

Quentin and I are trying to visit as many playgrounds/parks as we can this summer. Here are some pictures from a couple of them.

This tree, at Addenbrooke park, was Quentin's "house."

We took our first camping trip of the year. The place we had planned on going was full, so we drove a little bit further and found a nearly-deserted campground. It turned out even better than we had planned, with a playground nearby, deep fire-pits (essential for the very windy conditions), and five deer grazing within 50 feet of our campsite (unfortunately, the camera ran out of power just when they came closest).

Quentin's preschool had an end-of-the year field day and picnic:

At the Lakewood Heritage Center:

Running in the sprinkler:

Memorial Day Barbeque with cousins Joseph and Aurora:

Quentin remains as imaginative as ever. He is a big fan of Godzilla movies, with a recently-renewed interest in the Ray Harryhausen movies (with cool stop-motion creatures). We have been reading him a series of beginning chapter books called Dinosaur Cove. He is always excited to hear the next installment. He likes counting and does very basic addition and subtraction, but often trips up on 6s and 9s. He frequently asks us to cuddle at bed time, and when we agree, he likes to told made-up stories. He says he is going to be a scientist when he grows up.

Favorite Movies: Destroy All Monsters, anything with Godzilla
Favorite Toys: rocket ship, the "whypod" (this is actually an accessory from another toy that Quentin has turned into a toy in its own right. He named it himself. Apparently it knows the answer to every question), dragons, little plastic aliens.
Favorite TV Shows: Sid the Science Kid, Superwhy, Dinosaur Train.

April

2010-05-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Easter

At the Zoo with Quentin's cousin Joseph

At a playground near our house.

Quentin called this his "potted plant." It was his pet, and he sang the "I Love You, You Love Me" song from Barney to it before we left. Then he actually did give it a hug and kiss.

New Tire Swing!

At the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with Quentin's friend Caleb

Making Cookies

Quentin got a bit overzealous when he turned on the mixer.

Another Playground

March

2010-05-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Caribbean Cruise (February 2010)

2010-05-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

In February, we took a one-week cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. We all had a great time. Quentin particularly loved the beach. He still likes to play cruise, particularly at playgrounds.

at the airport

our ship, the Carnival Glory

Around the Ship

the theatreoutside the casino

on deck

unlimited ice cream!

in Camp Carnival

Nassau

Strolling around town.

Quentin didn't like this part. It was too hot and involved too much walking!

Fort Charlotte

The Beach.

Due to time limitations, we just stopped at the beach near the port. We weren't intending to actually swim, but Quentin ended up plunging in fully clothed.

St. Thomas

This time, we spent the entire day at the beach, which suited Quentin just fine.

in the taxi on the way back to the ship

Grand Turk*

Around Miami

Miami Children's Museum

Home Again!

*We also stopped in San Juan, but Quentin stayed on the ship that day.

February

2010-05-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

At the Littleton museum. This cat (Tiger) followed us around the whole time.

Cuddling with a dinosaur.

January

2010-05-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

4!

2010-05-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

Quentin turned 4 on January 1. We didn't have a party this year, but Grandma and Grandpa stopped by with presents and to play for a while.

December

2010-05-09T21:05:00.001-07:00

making icing

At the Denver Art Museum:

a howler monkey!

Watching the Parade of Lights:

Trimming the Tree:

Gingerbread House Decorating Party:

Quentin's is the one in the front, with the smiley face on the roof.

At the Denver Museum of Nature and Science :

chasing geese in City Park

a dinosaur in the parking garage!

playing at the sand table in the Space Odyssey exhibit

Christmas Eve:

Opening presents at Grandma Cindi's. The pirate ship was a huge hit.

After we got home, he needed extra time to play with the dragon.

milk and cookies for Santa

Christmas Day

opening presents at home

opening more presents at Grandma and Grandpa's house

R2D2 "Computer," with counting and letter games. Another favorite.

Play-Doh Burger Builder.

More Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's House

reunited with Squeaky!

playing Wii

Quentin and his "mii," Chips

playing Ticket to Ride

November

2010-05-08T20:53:00.001-07:00

At the Children's Museum

Watching TV with Daddy and Spike. Sadly, Spike passed away shortly after Thanksgiving. We miss him.

More snow.

Paper-bag owl puppets, inspired by "Barney's Halloween Party," which we checked out from the Library.

October

2010-05-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

We went back to our regular pumpkin patch. It was a cold day, with significant snowfall by the time we left, but fun nonetheless.

Quentin got to draw a "face" on one of the pumpkins for carving. It was mostly scribbles, but when I cut it out, it actually made quite a frightening jack-o-lantern.

We got a surprising amount of snow in October. Quentin had a great time playing in it.

Quentin was a skunk for Halloween. It was a costume that Grandma made and Uncle Scott wore when he was little.

Boo at the Zoo

This was Quentin's second year trick-or-treating. He loved it and only got scared at a few of the more elaborately-decorated houses. He talked about it for weeks.

The Haul:

Exhausted:

New York, Fall 2009

2010-05-02T16:32:00.001-07:00

I know I'm ridiculously behind in posting. Here are some pictures from our trip to New York in late September/early October. I'm going to try to get caught up and then post monthly after that.

NEW YORK CITY

at the American Museum of Natural History

in Central Park

Quentin's favorite sculpture, just outside of Central Park

on the piano floor at FAO Schwarz

Exhausted after a long day

playing with Squeaky at Uncle Scott's house

Times Square

on the Subway

Statue of Liberty

tired after another long day

Central Park Children's Zoo

at Penn Station with my cousin Sam. We only had about 1/2 an hour to visit before our train left.

UPSTATE

picking apples

the playground at the apple orchard

enjoying cider doughnuts

a small town in upstate NY

driving through the Adirondacks

visiting with Matthew's Grandma

NIAGARA FALLS

hanging out at the hotel

Rainy Day activities:

#1: playing in the arcade

#2 miniature golf

#3: wax museum (Quentin was terrified of this, which was funny considering how much he begged to go in a haunted house)

#4: Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum

watching fireworks

on the Maid of the Mist

Another Camping Trip

2009-10-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Quentin loved camping so much, we decided to go one last time in early September. Unfortunately, the day we chose turned out to be unusually cold.

At the Zoo

2009-10-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Yellow Submarine

2009-10-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

For a while, Quentin's favorite song was Yellow Submarine.

Lakeside Amusement Park

2009-10-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

We took Quentin to Lakeside for the first time, after discovering they have a pretty good selection of kiddie rides. Unfortunately, he decided he wanted to ride the roller coaster first. It's a pretty tame one, but not tame enough, as you can see. After that, it took over an hour of just hanging around to get him back on the rides. Fortunately, he had a great time after that.

New Blanket

2009-10-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Quentin's baby blankets are getting a bit small for him (although he still loves them), so I decided it was time to make him a bigger one. He picked out the colors. I think it turned out pretty well.

First Day of School

2009-10-25T15:56:00.001-07:00

Quentin on his first day of preschool.

Summer Highlights

2009-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm long overdue for an update. Here are some highlights from the summer:

Inspired by the neighbors' kittens:

Camping at Rocky Mountain National Park (Quentin's first camping trip):

Running in the fountain outside the Denver Museum of Nature and Science:

Jasmine's birthday party at the Colorado Railroad Museum:

Camping near Colorado Springs:

At the Dinosaur Resource Center

Enjoying a cool drink on the back porch:

A Pictorial History of the Last Five Months

2009-05-09T09:40:00.001-07:00

OK, I admit it. I'm a terrible blogger. Here's what Quentin has been up to for the last five (4 1/2) months.

JANUARY

Birthday

Helping in the Basement

Feeding His Turtles

FEBRUARY

Florida:

At Celebration (with Grandpa)

Downtown Disney

(Quentin's favorite thing in Florida was probably the T-Rex Cafe)

Disneyworld
(No, he really wasn't ready, but he liked some of it)

The Gulf Coast

(on a very foggy day)

Sick

Flying Home

MARCH

Hats and Hair

At the Park with Grandma

At the Zoo

Snow

APRIL

Easter

Rain/Snow

Leading a Pitchfork-Wielding Mob?

Helping Mow the Lawn

In the Jungle?

(or just at the Discovery Center at the Natural History Museum)

Eating Fries

In a Tree

MAY

Watering the Flowers

Christmas

2009-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a month later, and I finally got the Christmas pictures off the camera. Poor Quentin had pink eye over Christmas, so he wasn't looking his best, but he had a good day anyway.

Chaos!

Enjoying his new roundhouse.

Presents under the tree!

Halloween

2008-11-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Quentin went trick-or-treating for the first time this year (not counting the zoo last year, which isn't really the same). He loved it. He went with 3 of his cousins and got the hang of it very quickly. By the end, he was very tired and his bucket was very heavy, but he kept on going. Afterwards, he was so tired that he forgot to eat more than 2 small pieces of candy.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

Yardwork

2008-10-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here a some pictures of us in the yard.

Quentin in his new sandbox.

In the hole we dug for the new basement window.

Mowing the lawn.

Dance and Sing

2008-09-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Big Boy Bed!

2008-08-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've been so delinquint in posting updates that I missed a major milestone. Quentin graduated to a big boy bed on July 19. The original plan was to make the transition gradually--trying the regular bed for naps, but still sleeping in the crip at night. Well, after a few minutes of indecision on Quentin's part, he decided to give the big boy bed a try, and we haven't looked back. Miraculously, he sleeps just as well in the bed, despite the temptation of all his toys. He has managed to fall out once, but handled it pretty well. So, just a few weeks after disassembling and reassembling his crib for the move, we got to disassemble it one more time and move it to the basement.

New House

2008-08-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post an update for about two months now, but there's just been so much to do. We bought a house and moved (again) in the beginning of July. It's a fairly small house, but it is a good size for us, and will be even better after we finish the basement. Here are a few picture of Quentin enjoying his new house (which he still calls "the new house").

First time in the house (living room).

Quentin's new bedroom.

Quentin's new bedroom a little bit later.

Happy to have stairs again.

Quentin and Daddy exploring the unfinished basement.

Helping.

Enjoying the back yard (which has a beautiful maple tree, some nice paths, and a lot of dirt).

At the Butterfly Pavillion

2008-06-07T13:42:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the Butterfly and Insect Pavillion. Quentin had a great time. In addition to seeing the butterflies, he got to touch a sea star and a horseshoe crab, and he got to hold Rosie the tarantula (bottom picture).

Long-Overdue Update

2008-05-07T17:35:00.001-07:00

Quentin's speech has really come a long way in the last few months. His vocabulary has really grown and he often speaks in more-or-less complete sentences (although it isn't always easy to understand him). My favorite new word that he just started using in the last couple of weeks is "yes." He says "no" often enough, it is a nice break to hear "yes" once in a while. He has mostly mastered his colors now (he isn't too good about yellow or pink yet, but he has the other basic colors--plus burgundy--down). He can count to 12 with help (he needs someone to point to whatever he is counting and repeat the numbers after him to keep him on track), although he sometimes says nine where five should be. He likes to sing the alphabet song and, although it is mostly gibberish to the tune of the alphabet song, we can hear more and more actual letters in there every day.

We went to the playground after daycare today. Quentin loves to climb on the playground equipment and then slide down the slide. He learned to go down the slide feet-first on his belly and we're having trouble transitioning him to sitting, but he has a great time either way. Recently he has taken to going head first on his belly.

He still loves science-fiction (robots, monsters, etc...). Yesterday morning he was playing with (Matthew's) Godzilla figure and decided he wanted to watch Destroy All Monsters (A Godzilla movie featuring a wide array of monsters--it really isn't as violent as it sounds, especially not the part he usually watches). I decided to let him watch a few minutes of it, and as soon as the Godzilla theme started playing (any Godzilla fans will know what I am talking about), he started singing along (it doesn't have lyrics, but he knows the tune). I managed to get a few seconds of video before he stopped me. Here it is:

"Bye Tortillas, See You Later"

2008-05-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

The picture was taken on Monday (Cinco de Mayo). The quote ("bye tortillas, see you later") is what Quentin said about 10 minutes ago when I was putting away the tortillas after dinner.

My Son is a Nerd

2008-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Quentin has inhertited Matthew's interest in science fiction. For a kid who really just started talking a couple of months ago, he knows an inordinate number of sci-fi/fantasy words (his pronunciation isn't always clear, but it's consistent):

Gorgo (the British equivalent of Godzilla)

Gigan (a monster from Godzilla)

Dinosaur (refers to dinosaurs and also Godzilla)

Space Dinosaur (Space Godzilla)

Robot Dinosaur (Mecha Godzilla)

King Kong

Destroy [All] Monsters (a Godzilla movie)

treasure

pirate

spaceship

Planet (as in Forbidden Planet, a classic sci fi movie)

Planet Apes (as in Planet of the Apes, another classic sci fi movie)

Ankylosaurus

Triceratops

Raptor

Nychus (as in Deinonychus, a dinosaur)

castle

knights

Cyclops

Rodan (another Godzilla monster)

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can think of now.

[OK, so dinosaurs aren't exactly science fiction, but he kind of lumps them with the Godzilla monsters]

Bats in the Belfry

2008-01-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

We have a bunch of toy bats at home in various styles and sizes, and Quentin has become obsessed with them recently. So much so, in fact, that they led to his first three-word sentence! While playing with the small plastic bats in the bath a few days ago, he realized that I hadn't given them all to him. Hence the sentence "more bats please." He has also followed up with "more cheese please." We're getting more two-word phrases as well ("more cake," "open treasure"). I tried to count up his entire vocabulary and came up with just over 70 words (and I keep thinking of things I forgot...). Although the range of "normal" for kids his age is huge, this is well within that range. Hooray! He took his time about starting to talk, but now he's really taking off.

He also counted to three for the first time today. We were counting bats in the bathtub (surprise) and he counted them "one, two, three, two." Two seems to be his favorite number--I have trouble getting him to start at one. Several times he counted "two, two, three, two, three, six." At least he's got the two-three sequence down! And he got the "one" part right a few times (including the first time).

2!

2008-01-01T18:08:00.001-08:00

Quentin turned 2 today. He had a construction site cake (fun and easy!). He also got more presents, most of them with wheels.

Why use a fork when you have a bulldozer?

Happy New Year!

Testing Q's New Boots

2007-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

The new boots work great. Now if we could only get him to wear his mittens...

Christmas Part II

2007-12-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our second Christmas celebration at Grandma Cindi's house.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

Quentin's second Christmas was a lot of fun. His supply of trucks, cars, and especially trains increased considerably, which suits him just fine! We got to see a lot of family and are looking forward to a belated get-together at Grandma Cindi's house on Sunday.

Investigating his stocking.

Quentin still doesn't quite "get" presents (although his understanding seemed to increase considerably throughout the day). At the time this picture was taken, they were mostly just a good surface for rolling things on.

What could be in here?

If it has wheels, it must be good.

I think at least half of his presents were related to trains in one way or another. Here he is pulling a "Thomas" engine (this one is Percy), coupled with a set of aquarium cars from our friends in Lawrence (thanks Rob, Tina, and Tim!).

We decided to take Percy and the aquarium cars to Grandma and Grandpa's house, which turned out to be a good idea, since there was a train table waiting for him there!

He hardly left it the whole time we were there, and this morning Grandpa and Uncle Scott delivered it to our house.

He is one lucky kid!

(And we're not even done with the Christmas presents yet, let alone his birthday next week. Where are we going to put them all?)

Words

2007-12-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Quentin's vocabulary is finally taking off. Here's a sampling of his favorite words:

bird
cat
dog
cow
octopus ("opus")
squid ("kid")
push
pull
key
pizza
car
truck
train
go
no
bye bye
drink
tree
bulldozer

Of course, that's just a few of them, but I can't remember them all right now (and he's constantly learning new ones anyway). It's nice that he can finally talk to us! "Bird" is one of his favorite words. There are some bird ornaments on our Christmas tree and for a while one of his favorite things to do was walk around the tree touching them saying "bird," "bird," "bird," occasionally interspersed with his word for snowman (which we can't quite figure out, but seems to be consistent). Here are a few pictures that have nothing to do with talking.

November Montage

2007-11-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some assorted pictures of fun in November

Playing in the leaves.

Getting ready to blow some bubbles!

Reading the Lego catalog. A new favorite (seriously! It has pictures of trains, fire trucks, planes, helicopters, and dragons!)

Asleep with frogs.

Rites of Passage

2007-11-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Quentin got his first stitches on Tuesday evening!

Here's how it happened:

Quentin was running out of Mommy and Daddy's Room (most likely planning on running To Rest of House). He caught his right foot on the Book Case, and went flying into the Point of Impact. From there, we went directly to The Hospital (illustration below).

Fortunately, there happens to be a brand new (just opened in late September) state-of-the-art Children's Hospital right around the corner from us (literally). Everybody was very nice and, as emergency room visits go, it was not so bad. Quentin said "hi" and "bye" to several people (something he doesn't usually do), and except for the parts where people were interfering with his play (like binding him up and sewing his forehead), he had an OK time. Fortunately, he was holding his toy bus when the accident occurred, and wouldn't let go of it until after we got to the hospital, so he had something to keep him occupied while we waited. He ended up with a total of 7 stitches, and one new toy fire truck the next day.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T06:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Quentin in his dragon costume (and one of all of us with our jack-o-lanterns). On Saturday we went to "Boo at the Zoo." Quentin isn't really into collecting candy yet (no complaints about that!), but it was fun to have a chance to take him out in his costume (and see all the other kids in costume too).

Quentin's new pet

2007-10-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

Quentin has been fascinated with fish for a long time, so we finally decided it was time to get him one of his own. He likes to stop and look at it whenever he walks by, usually repeating "ffff" "ffff" "ffff," which translates as "fish" "fish" "fish" (we're still working on the "ish" part).

Making Laundry Fun

2007-10-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Cars and Blocks

2007-10-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Quentin still enjoys cars and trucks as much as ever. His current interest is arranging them in a line. He is also really into stacking blocks, something that never used to interest him. Sometimes he likes to stack them himself, other times he hands them to us and indicates that we should stack them. I'm not sure why, exactly, but as long as he stacks them himself sometimes, I don't mind playing along.

Dancing remains a daily activity. He will lead us over to the CD player to let us know that he wants to listen to music. If I try to leave to wash dishes or make dinner, he will often seek me out and lead me back so we can dance together. It makes it hard to get things done, but it is a lot of fun!

How Quentin does his part for the environment

2007-10-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Apparently today is "Blog Action Day." Everybody is supposed to write something about the environment. I don't exactly see how writing about the environment on our blog will really help anything, but it is something we care about, so why not...

So, we got to thinking about what we could write about that pertains to both Quentin and the environment. There are probably several possibilities, but the obvious choice was that Quentin wears cloth diapers, and has since he was just a few weeks old. Some people will argue that cloth diapers are not as environmentally-friendly as they appear. It is true that washing them takes a lot of water, but that doesn't really account for the water (and other resources) used in making disposable diapers, not to mention transporting them. I was going to post a link to a site giving statistics on cloth vs. disposable diapers, but I couldn't decide on one. However, they are easy to find, and for the most part, it seems clear that, all things considered, cloth diapers come out ahead. I do know that babies go through a lot of diapers, but with the exception of long trips and now daycare, Quentin has been using the same 24 diapers since he was about 5 months old. He outgrew the previous set faster, but we sold them on ebay to a couple with plans to use them on several children. That adds up to thousands of diapers that won't be going into landfill. Admittedly, they are a little bit more work, but you get used to it, and we feel better about it, so it is well worth it. Plus, they come in lots of cute colors!

Anyway, that's our contribution to Blog Action Day. I don't mean to criticize anybody who chose not to use cloth diapers--I know there's a lot that weighs in to the decision and babies are a lot of work already. But, for what it's worth, I highly recommend them.

P.S.--We used the kind of cloth diaper that you wash at home, so I can't really comment on diaper services. I'm not sure how the water bills for washing add up, but I'm pretty sure washing them yourself is cheaper, but a diaper service would probably be easier. The choices for diaper services in Lawrence were limited at the time.

Choo choo

2007-10-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

Quentin has been learning a lot of new things recently. His vocabulary is still fairly limited, but he's been making definite progress lately. Some new favorites are "choo choo," "go" and fire-engine sounds. He also says "hello" on his toy telephone(well, it's more like "h'wo", but close enough). Some other current interests are:

Lining up and rearranging his toy cars. He is obsessed with just about anything with wheels.

Playing with his Elmo tool bench.

Coloring. For a long time he was only interested in rearranging the crayons. Now he suddenly wants to color all the time.

Just being silly!

Dancing! BINGO is his current favorite. He's been working on the clapping--the timing isn't quite right, but it's a start.

The Great Pumpkin always picks the most sincere pumpkin patch to rise out of

2007-10-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the pumpkin patch. Quentin looks grumpy in most of these pictures, but he actually had a great time. He particularly enjoyed leading the way in the corn maze (usually the wrong way).

Video!

2007-08-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

I noticed a new option for uploading video and thought I would give it a try. Here's Quentin this afternoon after swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Grandma gave him a couple of peaches from the tree. He doesn't like to eat them (which is sad, because they are very good), but they make good toys. In this video, he is banging them on a lawn chair while babbling (he still doesn't say many words, but his babble has definitely increased lately--if only we could figure out what it means!)

A Good Day

2007-08-28T21:16:00.001-07:00

Quentin was in a good mood pretty much all day today. At dinner time he was having fun eating Cheerios (OK, they were really just the store brand, but he seems to like them better anyway), then looking at us with a mischievous smile and saying "mmmmm." When we joined in, he would break out laughing. Later he started feeding the "O"s to Godzilla (see the third picture--here Godzilla is eating them directly off the table, although sometimes Quentin held them up to his mouth). Quentin just recently started "feeding" his toys. He also likes to make the big Sleeping Beauty dragon drink from a sippy cup.

Haircut

2007-08-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

Quentin had his first "professional" haircut today. We've cut his hair at home before, but we decided it was time for a proper haircut (the "before" picture here doesn't quite demonstrate it, but it was getting pretty crazy sometimes). We took him to a place that specializes in kids' haircuts. I didn't particularly like the stylist, but Quentin got to watch The Lion King while getting his hair cut, so it was worth it. I was afraid he would protest, but he was so engrossed in the movie that he didn't mind at all.

Before

After

The Angry Chipmunk

2007-08-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Quentin makes this face a lot lately. We call him the Angry Chipmunk.

First Day of Daycare

2007-08-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Q's first day of daycare, and, as is usually the case, it was hard for both child and parents alike, although in this case a little harder on him. He woke up early and in a fussy mood, and it seemed that he was going to be real trouble for Barb (our daycare provider). But he seemed to settle down quickly there, and certainly when he came home he was in a good mood. Here he is in the bath.

It's an adjustment for all of us, but a necessary step on the sunny road of his life.

Heading for the Hills

2007-08-09T21:23:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took Quentin up to Lookout Mountain for a "hike." OK, so the trail wasn't even a mile long, but considering that Quentin needed to stop and examine every pine cone, a short trail was probably a good choice.

Q's New Hair Style?

2007-08-09T21:19:00.001-07:00

A while before we moved, Quentin suddenly became terrified of the bath. Maybe it was that particular tub, because as soon as we moved, bath time became fun again!

It's probably time for a haircut...

Moving!

2007-08-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

We have moved! Our new address is:

1216 Peoria St

Aurora, CO 80011

I guess the move went as smoothly as could be expected, but it sure was stressful. Quentin took it pretty well, but we could tell it was hard on him. He got very clingy for a while (with everything in our house "disappearing," I can't blame him--he was probably afraid Mommy and Daddy would go too!). We're finally starting to feel settled in (mostly). The best part is, we have a faster internet connection now. Maybe now I'll post updates more often...

Quentin really liked the turtle on the truck. He kept making "dragon" noises and pointing at it. (Dragon noises are the sounds he makes for dragons and sharks and other big, scary, really cool things--it sounds like a dragon breathing fire.)

Loading up the truck. The ramp turned out to be a good place to play.

Quentin helped us pack.

Actually, I think he is pulling things out of the box in this picture.

Quentin was obsessed with listening to music for a few days and would sit and stare at the CD player as if it were a TV. I don't think we would have gotten everything done in time without it.

We let Quentin out of his box when we got to our new house.

Quentin Turns 18! (months)

2007-07-02T15:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Quentin's half birthday. He celebrated with a new red wagon, a trip to the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, and a half birthday cake.

A bunch of miscellaneous pictures to make up for not posting anything for so long...

2007-06-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready to move to Denver in a few weeks and I have been too preoccupied/lazy to post any pictures recently. Here are a few to summarize most of May and June:

Quentin is really enjoying reading these days. Okay, so he mostly looks at his books or makes us read them to him. He is good at identifying things and can point out things like "cat," "car," "dragon," and "yak" when prompted.

He's taken up karate, too. The main issue was finding a sensei who would come to our place and spar in our pit of lego peril. Okay, so he's probably just watching Thomas here.

He found the marble in the oatmeal, so he got to drink from the fire hose! He's totally stoked and can be seen practicing daily.

Here he is crossing the bridge of ages

Back to the age of the dinosaurs. Where we got into a little spot of trouble but

Fortunately the carrier from THE FINAL COUNTDOWN materialized and rescued us.

Good thing it's almost nap time!

Quentin the Grouch

Fun with Water

2007-05-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

If anyone knows where to get a pair of good, cheap kids rain boots, let me know! (although Quentin doesn't seem to mind getting his feet wet)

Boston

2007-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Chasing pigeons
Encounter with a frog

Strolling in Boston Common

Who is this dashing fellow?

At Barnes & Noble. Who knew spinning book racks could be so much fun?

Waiting for the train

Snoozing

The moving walkways at the airport. Possibly the most fun of the entire trip.

Happy to be home and eat sweet potato again!

Context

2007-04-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken a couple of days before we left for Boston (I guess that was about a week and a half ago now). Compare it with the coats and hats in the pictures from Boston. It's been cold in Kansas too, although they've assured us a warm up soon.

Outside!

2007-03-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Quentin has discovered outside and it is the best thing ever! Better even than watching Thomas the Tank Engine or reading (looking at) books, both of which he is crazy about. When he is ready to go outside (which is often first thing in the morning), he will bring us his shoes or just wave and say "bye bye" and start walking toward the door, looking back for one of us to follow him. I am glad that he likes to play outside so much, but sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming!

Yesterday for my birthday we went to T-REX, the new restaurant from the people who brought us the Rainforest Cafe. It's cool to look at and worth dropping in for a look if you happen to be in the area. Quentin thought the dinousaurs were amazing! However, I wouldn't recommend trying to eat there unless you have a lot of time and are also prepared to be disappointed. We ended up waiting almost two hours and then got seated in a place where we couldn't see any dinousaurs without twisting around. So after waiting that long, we actually left and went somewhere else! (I guess it might not have been so bad on a weekday, but we got there at 3:00, so we thought it would be OK, and my birthday just happened to be on a Saturday this year.)

First Words?

2007-02-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

Quentin still isnt' much of a talker, but there are a few "words" he has been working on lately. In addition to "mama" and "dada," which he seems to know, but frequently uses indiscriminately, he has also been heard to say "gobble gobble," "hello," "eat," and "beep beep."

General Update

2007-01-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

Quentin took his first steps about a month ago, but he really took off this week and now is walking pretty well. He is obsessed with cars and trains and other vehicles and has made up a sign that he uses for them. He finally cut the tooth he has been working on for over a month now, bringing the total up to 6. He still isn't much of a talker. He was working on "mama" and "dada" for a while, but seems to have lost interest. We've heard what we think are words from time to time, but he hasn't repeated them, so maybe it was just coincidence. Anyway, he'll be talking soon enough. For now, he knows a couple of signs ("light," "music," sometimes "eat" and "more," but he's stubborn about using those two, and, of course, his sign for vehicles). At his last check up (on January 3) he weighed 20 lbs, 15 oz and was 29 3/4 inches tall (around the 25th and 50th percentiles, respectively).

First Birthday

2007-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing we had an early birthday party for Quentin, because his actual birthday didn't exactly turn out as we had planned. We had hoped to drive home from Denver on the 31st and spend a fairly quiet day at home (with a few more presents and cake) on Quentin's birthday. Unfortunately, I-70 was closed (again) due to the snow storm and we couldn't make it out when we planned and instead ended up spending Quentin's first birthday in the car.

Quentin started his day with some birthday french toast and Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Very tasty

Later in the day, he got some ice cream at the Baskin Robbins in a truck stop in Colby, KS. He may not look like he enjoyed it from this picture, but he really did.

More fun at the truck stop in Colby. Fortunately, there was an empty hallway-type-area outside the upstairs gift shop that provided a good place for Quentin to move around a bit.

All in all not what we planned, but it could have been worse. Hopefully his second birthday will be a little more fun.

Hanging Out with Uncle Scott

2006-12-29T21:17:00.000-08:00

Quentin had a really good time with his Uncle Scott. Hopefully they will get to see each other again soon.

Early Birthday Celebration

2006-12-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

We had a small early birthday party for Quentin

The Grinch tried to steal his birthday...
...but didn't succeed.

Christmas Day

2006-12-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at Grandma Cindi's

2006-12-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

Quentin loves his Grinch!

Playing with cousin Joseph

The Train Again

2006-12-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

Winter Wonderland

2006-12-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

At Grandma and Grandpa's House

2006-12-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

Quentin's new favorite thing.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

We're off to Denver on Saturday (assuming they open up I-70 again). As it turns out, Quentin's first Christmas is going to be white!

A few things Quentin enjoys...

2006-12-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

Swings!

Slides!

Spaghetti!

Bath time!*

* Quentin sometimes really enjoys his bath and other times doesn't particularly care for it.

First Steps!!!

2006-12-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

Quentin took his first steps on his own today!

He took about 4 steps. We don't have any pictures of the actual event, but here are a few pictures from the last week of him walking behind things.

Kicking off the Holiday Season

2006-12-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Today we got bundled up and went downtown to watch the Christmas parade (which consists primarily of horses). We didn't get there early enough to get a god spot up close, but Quentin enjoyed the view from Daddy's shoulders.

Back at home, Sufi was getting in the spirit too!

At the Zoo

2006-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the Topeka Zoo. This was Quentin's third trip to the zoo (we took him to the Topeka Zoo when he was about four months old and the Denver Zoo when he was seven months), but the first since he really "discovered" animals. It was a lot of fun to watch him react to the animals this time. He was fascinated with the fish and would happily have continued to watch them indefinitely. He also seemed to be quite impressed by the lions and giraffes. Later on, he was contentedly examining a sheep when the creature let out a noise that sounded something like "bleeeeh!" (I guess it was just a normal sheep sound, but it sounded like it was ready to be sick). Quentin was startled, but quickly recovered. We soon discovered that imitating the sheep sound for him was about the funniest thing in the world. Whenever I made the sound, he would start giggling almost uncontrollably. I don't think I've ever seen him laugh quite so much. Hopefully we'll get to take him again in the spring--I imagine it will be completely different once again. I just hope he has as much fun as he did today!

The Great Outdoors

2006-11-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we took advantage of the beautiful weather by going to a park and letting Quentin play outdoors. He had a great time playing in the leaves and dirt. Once again we were reminded of how useful the pacifier can be for keeping his hands out of his mouth!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

Quentin enjoyed his first Thanksgiving dinner, including some foods we already knew he liked(broccoli and sweet potatoes) as well as some new favorites (turkey and cranberry sauce). This picture is actually from earlier in the day on Thanksgiving.

Other than eating, Quentin's favorite activity on Thanksgiving was looking at books. He has been really interested in books lately, especially board books (it's easier to turn the page and they're just the right size for him). He will choose them out of a pile of toys and carry them around, stopping several times in various places to look at the pages. It made it much easier to get Thanksgiving dinner together while he was busy looking at books.

Some Favorite Activities

2006-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

Eating Broccoli
Playing
Showing off new teeth

Sharing toys with Spike

Fun with static electricity (OK, so maybe this one isn't exactly a favorite)

Erratum

2006-11-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I stated that we were uncertain of the whereabouts of Quentin's bottom front teeth. Turns out those teeth have now just barely broken the surface. No wonder he hasn't been sleeping!

Finally--Teeth!

2006-11-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

We discovered about a week and a half ago that Quentin was cutting his first tooth on the top left, with the top right tooth following close behind (no sign of the bottom teeth yet). So far he is mostly handling teething fairly well, but he has been waking up at night more than usual. We're not sure if that's related to teething or just general insecurity (or something else entirely). This isnt' a very good picture, but it does show his teeth fairly well.

The Squid

2006-11-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Mexico -- Day 1

2006-10-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

We headed out on a 6:00 flight, connecting in Chicago. Quentin did really well. He slept for the entire first flight, but was alert for takeoff the second time. It didn't seem to bother him at all (although he was ready to be out of his carseat by the time we landed!).

By the time we got to Cancun and managed to find something to eat, it was late afternoon. We headed out to the beach as soon as we could. Quentin absolutely loved swimming, although he wasn't very fond of having salt water in his eyes.

Mexico -- Day 2

2006-10-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

First thing in the morning we went for another swim in the ocean. Then we went for a stroll along the beach.

Then it was time to head inland. Quentin did very well in the car. It worked well to schedule activities for the mornings, then drive in the afternoons when it was too hot to be outside anyway. Quentin took advantage of the opportunity to nap.
That afternoon we visited a cenote (basically an underground waterhole). Matthew really had to stoop to keep from hitting Quentin's head on the rocks while climbing in and out.

Mexico -- Day 3

2006-10-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Chichen Itza

We headed for Chichen Itza first thing Saturday morning. Quentin, still not able to give up his morning nap, slept in the backpack for a while, but he was ultimately happier being carried. He had a pretty good time, but it was very hot and humid.

After Chichen Itza we drove to Merida, where Quentin got to do some more swimming.

Mexico -- Day 4

2006-10-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

Uxmal

Uxmal was probably my favorite of the sites we visited. The ruins are really impressive and it didn't hurt that the weather than morning was not too hot. We discovered that attaching Quentin's pacifier clip to his hat helped to keep his hat from blowing away (the pacifier was also good for keeping foreign objects out of his mouth).

Mexico -- Days 5 and 6

2006-10-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Day 5:

Ek Balam This was a very busy day. Our first stop was Ek Balam, a smaller site near Valladolid. Because it is not as popular as some of the other ruins, we actually had the whole site to ourselves part of the time!

On the steps of the pyramid at Ek Balam. Mommy and Daddy took turns climbing the pyramid (Quentin decided he would rather stay at the bottom and play).

TulumWe weren't originally planning to visit Tulum, but we had some extra time and decided to try to squeeze it in. The views of the ocean alone made it worth while.

Quentin watching a lizard at Tulum. We saw many lizards throughout our trip, although there seemed to be more at Tulum than anywhere else.

Day 6: Back at the Airport At the airport in Chicago waiting to board the flight for home. It was a fun trip, but we were all happy to get home.

Lazy Saturday

2006-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

We went out for a while late Saturday morning, returning a little after noon. By the time we got home, Quentin was fast asleep (even though he had slept well the night before and had already taken a nap in the morning). Fearing repercussions if we woke him up, we just brought him inside in his carrier and left him in the hall, thinking he would wake up in a minute (he won' fit in it for much longer, so we might as well take advantage of it now). He slept for over an hour. I guess the cats have taught him well. Unfortunately, Mommy and Daddy had work to do and were not able to join the rest of the family.

This picture is from earlier in the week. Although you can't tell from the picture, he is wearing his train pajamas.

We're off to Mexico on Thursday, so we should have some good pictures and interesting stories next time!

Drinking from a Cup

2006-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Although Quentin has finally learned to enjoy traditional baby food, he still loves his Cheerios! (actually Kroger brand Toasted Oats cereal, but he's not brand-conscious yet). His favorite thing to eat is banana-flavored fruit puffs. Just seeing the container is enough to make him smile.

Quentin is also working on learning to drink from a cup. He's actually getting pretty good at it--much of the time he is able to successfully pick up the cup by himself (the rest of the time he tips it over or picks it up sideways or upside down). With a little encouragement, he even remembers that he needs to hold the cup up and tip his head back in order to actually get something out of it.

Of course, even then he doesn't always succeed!

Updated Statistics (and more)

2006-10-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Quentin had his 9-month checkup on September 29th. He had a bit of a cold at the time (which he generously shared with Mommy--Daddy has been spared so far), but was otherwise in perfect health. No immunizations this time, but he did have to have some blood drawn, which was even worse as far as he was concerned. His new stats are:

Height: 27.5 in (27th percentile)
Weight: 19 lbs (28th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18 in (65th percentile)

Two months ago his height was closer to the 50th percentile, while his weight and head circumference were both at around 25%. It's interesting how the proprotions change. His next visit will be after his first birthday. Hopefully the rest of his body will have caught up with his head by then!

Riding the Rails

2006-09-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Quentin took his first train ride today! Grandma and Grandpa (Hay) are in town from Denver and we all went down to Baldwin City, KS and rode on the Midland Historic Railroad. Quentin was very interested in watching the engine hook up to the passenger car and also enjoyed watching the scenery, but the best part was playing peekaboo with Grandma.

Quentin with Mommy and Grandpa waiting to board the train.

Daddy and Quentin watching the scenery.

Laughing at Grandma.

General Update (with bonus cute picture)

2006-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

It seems that for every advancement Quentin makes, we lose ground somewhere else. In addition to working hard on standing, Quentin has finally come around to solid foods and actually eats full servings of applesauce, sweet potatoes, and, most recently, mixed vegetables (the ambiguous green stuff that is all over his face in one of the earlier posts). At the same time, his sleeping habits, which had been improving, have regressed to where we were about a month ago (not terrible, but he wakes up too often and it is difficult to get him back to sleep). He still goes to sleep fairly easily around 8:00, but he usually wakes up sometime between 11:00 and 12:00 (usually shortly after I fall asleep). He seemed to have broken that habit a few weeks ago, but apparently the improvement was only temporary. Tonight he decided to wake up even earlier (around 9:45) and is actually sitting in my lap now as I write this (10:30) because I couldn't get him back to sleep. So much for actually getting anything done tonight, but, on the bright side, at least he isn't waking me up (yet).

Taking a Stand

2006-09-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Quentin has embarked on his newest project: learning to stand unsupported. He started it in earnest last Saturday and practices daily. He often manages to stand for several seconds before falling.

Household Perils

2006-09-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

There are so many things to watch out for around the house! You could grab on to a laundry basket and accidentally topple it over on top of you. Or, some mischievous spirit (AKA Dad) might hit you over the head with a frying pan (then again, that could be fun...)

Furry Friends

2006-09-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Quentin has recently become very interested in the cats. He usually smiles whenever he spots one, then crawls in the general direction of the cat in question. As you can see, Spike has a tendency to put himself in harm's way. (Spike was rescued in both instances--we really don't just let Quentin abuse the cats without intervening.) Sufi is usually a little bit more careful. Hedda is the smartest of the three. There's a reason you don't see her in any of these pictures!

Hippo

2006-09-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Quentin has started dragging toys along with him as he crawls. One of his current favorites is a purple hippo pull toy (compliments of The Blue Dandelion, Lawrence, KS--one of the perks of being the New Years Baby).