History buff and highway robbery

Although the word "staycation" makes me throw up a little in my mouth, I'm enjoying the actual concept to the fullest at the moment. We have just begun DH's second week off for the holidays, and I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. It's like a dream come true to have a second pair of hands to change, feed, and bathe the little one. The second pair of eyes is handy too, although since Bean's been crawling around like a maniac, we could really use a third or fourth set as well. It would have been nice to be with our families, but this staycation -- no matter how unpleasant *gag* the word itself may be -- is allowing me some much needed rest. Unfortunately, that rest does not include watching my alma mater win their bowl game for the first time in 60 years nor sleeping more than 2-3 hours in a row at night, but hey, we all need something to strive for.

It's amazing how much more active Bean has been lately, which I previously would not have believed was possible. Turn your head for a second and he crawls speedily towards the dog's bone or loose cords, putting them in his mouth before you can say, "Where's the baby?" He constantly crawls out of his pants, and no matter how many times I see it, I still can't get enough of those chunky little legs and diapered butt scooting around on the floor.



He also loves to stand, and although he's far from walking, he does generally grasp the concept of putting one foot in front of the other to move in the desired direction, if you provide the arm support. Bean especially loves to smack repeatedly on glass windows and doors, taunting the dog is optional. (Okay, so I haven't gotten a new rug to match the colors in our kitchen! You are supposed to be looking at the baby anyway.)

I was just about to give up hope that my son will ever eat anything but Gerber purees when he started picking up solid food and putting it in his mouth (instead of his previous preference of dropping it over the edge of the high chair for the dog). I'm not holding my breath waiting for him to eat an entire meal of solid food, but I figure this is at least a step in the right direction.

For a change of pace, today DH and I took Bean to the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma to see an exhibit on model trains. Much to our shock and disbelief, Bean loved it! He chattered away in the stroller, legs bouncing as we wandered around. DH and I, on the other hand, were not impressed. (I still compare every museum I visit to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which may be unfair, but I can't help it.) Nearly half of the other visitors today were nerdy old men, and as I am more accustomed to hanging out with nerdy young men, I felt rather uncomfortable. My favorite part of the trip was the amazing bagel sandwich I had at the deli, my second favorite was the salted caramel hot chocolate I had at the Starbucks, and coming in third was the Lego train display. It had a little farmer's market! Here is Bean, proving that not all of our attempts at fun outings are torture:

On the way home, we decided to cross the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge. DH had been eager to see it, and as Bean was sleeping, it seemed like a good way to prolong his nap anyway. Luckily it did not collapse while we were on it. However, we did get a different unpleasant surprise. We crossed the bridge over the sound into Gig Harbor, took the first exit, turned around, and headed back towards Tacoma to go home. We were stopped by this:

What's the big deal? Did you notice this:

FOUR DOLLARS? Are you kidding me? I paid less than that for one outrageously priced hot chocolate earlier in the afternoon. And for this, I only got to spend 20 seconds on a bridge. I guess they have to have some way to make up for the lack of state income tax. Sheesh.

We don't have any big plans for New Year's. Tomorrow morning we are meeting some moms and tots from our preschool group at a nearby mall. We are supposed to be there exactly at Bean's usual naptime, but I'm sure it's not a bad idea to take him out in public instead. We were kindly offered invites to three New Year's Eve parties, but as Bean is very inflexible when it comes to bedtime, DH and I felt it best not to leave him screaming in someone's guest bedroom while we toast and smooch at midnight. We're just good parents like that. Instead, we will be toasting and smooching at home as 2009 begins, entertained by our friends at Netflix, who thoughtfully sent us "Burn After Reading" and "Step Brothers" for the occasion.

Here's to the good things to come in 2009!

Edited to add: Apparently I am not the only one to dislike that word...