After our action packed morning at the park Damon and I took Sullivan over to see the Dentist for his 24 month check up. He had a good time in the waiting room saying “Hi” to all the people sitting in there. He knocked on the door to the Dentists office and wanted to go back. So Daddy sat and played the game “listen for your name”. Sullivan was not entertained by this game but got his wish and with little wait got to go back to see the Dentist. The space is small so only one of us got to go back with him. Last time it was Damon so I got to go today. The nurse took us in, weighed him (30 lbs) and took him into the room. She showed him all the equipment and tools and let him play with some. He especially liked the small mirror. He liked to hold it out front and look at his eye and then of course moved quickly to put it into his mouth. Then the Dentist had Sullivan sit on my lap with his legs wrapped around me and drop his head back towards him. I got the pleasure of holding his arms while the Dentist opened his mouth and poked around to inspect his teeth. He even got the cleaning drill out and cleaned each tooth with paste. Sullivan did NOT like this at all and cried and fought as best he could. Dentist said we’d have to keep an eye on the gap in between his two front teeth….that we might need to clip the flap in the gums that is in between. Said it might prevent the front teeth from growing in properly. Other than that he said his teeth looked good….and then we were all done. Sullivan was very happy to get out of there. Grabbed my hand and pulled me to the front door saying “bye, bye, go outwhy (his version of outside). he got a new toothbrush and a Disney Cars sticker which he especially liked since he saw the movie for the first time this morning (and loved loved loved it). Next visit is in 6 months. Every six month he has a check up with the Dentist now….yikes!

PS. I also have to say that I am one lucky mom as Damon comes along for every Dr’s apt. I have never been to one without him. Not that I can’t handle it or that Sullivan needs it but he is always there and I realize how special that is. Something that Sullivan will probably never notice but I will someday tell him what a lucky and special boy he is to have had such an actively involved father.

Sullivan met a little boy who was playing Basketball while we were at Brentwood park today . He has seen several school groups play over there on the courts but has never been allowed to join in. But today the school groups had already left and he and his little friend had the whole court to themselves and I couldn’t help but capture some pictures of their sporting fun. They didn’t really play a game as neither boy understood what to do but it seemed the basics of protecting the ball and throwing it around was upheld. The game at times turned into soccer as Sullivan kicked and knocked the ball with his feet and knees. He is quite confident with a ball and jumps right in and tries to figure it out and play with it. Although he wasn’t much for sharing today as he kept pitching a fit when the other little boy would take the ball. He resorted at one point to simply dropping and covering himself over the ball.

I took Sullivan over to Brentwood Park today. It is our new favorite hang out. They have a wonderful playscape area, a giant sandbox, swings, lots of shade, a basketball court that he loves, and there are always kids his age to play with and moms for me to connect with. We pack our lunch and eat with the other kids at the picnic table or in the grass. He thinks that is cool and for some reason as soon as we get out of the car and walk over to the park he asks for a snack….like is the only thing he associates most with the park. Well today it was a really warm day and I let him play in the sun for a bit but he is such a warm blooded light skinned kid that after 20 minutes out in the heat his head was soaked and he was beat red all over. I hated to call him over to the shade as he was so engrossed in his rock activity. Picking up small stones from one pile and taking them over to the metal steps and back and forth with soo much precision and care. But I enticed him over for a little snack on the grass and he gladdly followed once he saw the buffet that I layed out for him (cheddar cheese pieces, blueberries, peanut butter and cinnamon sugar toast slices, crackers and pretzels, and of course his green machine juice). He ate and pulled grass and tasted weeds and drummed with sticks while he casually grazed until he say the first piece of trash. We can not have trash at the park thank you very much. Another favorite activity of Sullivan’s at the park is trash pick up. He saw me put some trash in their big stone containers and has been obsessed with finding as many things as he can to throw into the containers as possible. We always leave Brentwood Park much cleaner than when we get there.

Sullivan is all about the A, B, C’s and 1, 2, 3’s these days. Whenever he sees writing he yells out “A,B,C’s, A,B,C’s”. And to our surprise he actually can recognize the correct letters at times. The other day we were in the car and he yelled out “O” and sure enough we looked around the there was a sign that had a great big “O”. Damon bought him a big tub of foam letters that he loves to play with now. He doesn’t always get them right but he is just so excited about learning them and exploring with them. He even knows the melody of the A,B,C song and tries to sing along with me now….of course some of the letters get mumbled together like L,M,N,O,P sounds more like emenemopee.
He also likes to try and count things. When we were at the park the other day there was a giant bead counter on one of the playscapes and he tried to count each one. Not in order but all the numbers were there. Just like the time he walked up all the stairs at the UT building the other day. I had to run an errand and he wanted to climb the stairs himself and as he walked up he said, “one, too, tree, fur, ive, ixs, even, ate, nine…..then he got lost at 10 so went back to 1,2,3.

Music is such a big part of our world here at the house. As much as I originally whined about Damon taking up a quarter of the playroom with all of his drums and drum accessories I really can’t imagine it any other way now. Damon and Sullivan have Jam out Sessions all the time back there. As soon as Sullivan hears daddy begin his tapping rhythms Sullivan runs through the house to find me. Where ever I am in the house I always know when Sullivan wants a full family dance party. He runs in gabbering on about coming back to dance and play with him. Daddy plays the drums and Sullivan and I play all the rest of the instruments (and dance of course). He often asks me to play the toy electric guitar which I love to do…the only time I am the preferred musician. Great since I don’t play any instruments at all. Damon has created several Sullivan drum themes…..One is for the cowboy hat. It has a kind of Lone Ranger/Indian feel to it. Whenever Sullivan puts on the cowboy hat Damon strikes up that tune or vica versa…whenever Damon plays that tune he goes and finds his hat. We also have the hip hop rhythm and the rock out rhythm and the funky rhythm which is my favorite. Sullivan also likes to count off Damon’s jam session….with drum sticks in hand he waves them around like a conductor and counts 2,3,4 and then of course Damon begins to play. We have lots of musical fun over here at the house. Here are pictures of the last jam session. Right before nap time….Daddy came home from some meetings and he led a rowdy time to tucker Sullivan out before nap. As you can see Sullivan takes all of this very serious.