Fun and Games

Taking off glasses
Anyone who picks up Oliver while wearing glasses soon finds out that he likes nothing better at the moment than to grab them, remove them from the wearer and then bite them. I tease him by dodging left and right when he reaches to grab them. He chuckles at this. Then I put may face down and he grabs my head and pulls it up until he can get a hand on the offending spectacles. As a result I have taken to wearing my contact lenses more often but I often put an old pair of sunglasses on just so he can have his fun.

Throwing the ball
Last night Oliver and I sat throwing a small ball to each other for several minutes. If he didn't manage to throw it to me he would pick it up again and try again until it got to me. Then he'd sit and wait for me to throw it back. It struck me what a classic father and son game this was. I was surprised to find myself playing it with him at such a young age. But throughout his life I have often under-estimated just how interactive he will be at any given age.

Ringing the chimes
At Christmas we bought a set of windchimes that now hang in Oliver's room. He grabs the wooden block and swings it to ring the chimes. Then he grabs the chimes themselves and rings them that way too. But what makes me laugh the most are his antics with the mirror next to the chimes. After ringing them for a while he leans over sideways in my arms so that he can see me in the mirror. Then he sits up and returns to the chimes. Then after a few seconds he notices he can't see me in the mirror any more and leans over again until he can see me, smiles, then sits up again. He repeats this as many times as possible until eventually Daddy decides his arm is too tired to carry on. (I wonder if part of our evolution has made babies start to walk just about the time they get too damned heavy to keep carrying around!)

Tumble tot
He loves it when I tumble him head-over-heels from on top of my head. He arrives on my lap with a big smile on his face. Another favourite is when I throw him up in the air and catch him. But what makes him laugh the most is when I dangle him upside down over my shoulder. When I pop him back up he roars with laughter.

Pick it up Daddy
He is very keen on throwing things on the floor at the moment, then deciding he wants them again. I'm still trying to resist that game. I pick things up three times then no more. Hayley must be more patient as she has set her her limit at five times!