reading and pancakes

reading:

I was reading the book Tickle Monster (highly recommend it) to Atticus this afternoon, and he laughed at the picture of Tickle Monster, or so it appeared--this was well before Tickle Monster prompted me to do any tickling. His usual reaction to my reading him a story is to grab at the book and try to chew on it. This time he really seemed to be studying the picture, and if he wasn't laughing at Tickle Monster's appearance, I don't know what the heck he was laughing at. I certainly don't think he was anticipating tickling since I hadn't read this one in a little while.

Later, when the story prompts us to make silly faces, Atticus cried. Apparently, my silly faces are more scary than goofy.

He babbled along with me for most of the story. He's been doing that lately when I read to him, as if he's reading along too.


pancakes:

No, I have certainly not fed Atticus any pancakes, but the cook at his daycare sure wants to cram pancakes down his throat. She told him yesterday that as soon as he got a few more teeth, she'd "hook him up with some pancakes." Nowhere in any of my baby food resources are pancakes mentioned as a good early food. I can't imagine why--sugar, white flour, and all those other nutrients. sheesh. (I'm not saying there's no way he'll have pancakes before the age of two. Maybe, but only if I make them myself using ingredients like buckwheat.) I spoke to the director of the daycare today to make sure they wouldn't ever feed him something I wasn't consulted about. She assured me they wouldn't. However, I learned that when he transitions to the one-year-old room, he would be expected to eat whatever meals the daycare serves. While she mentioned that I can make substitutions (bringing in say fruit in lieu of pancakes), she also stressed that they are trying to cut back on what foods they allow parents to bring, yada yada. My impression was that if I keep him in this daycare, he's going to be the only kid in the one-year-olds room eating the homemade organic food I pack him, while all the other kids chow down on waffles and canned peaches, which means I'd be the pain-in-the-ass parent everyone talks about behind her back, and that I'd constantly be wondering whether they are giving him stuff I didn't approve of or whether poor Atticus was confused about his special meals or being teased about them, etc. So, I'm going to start looking for a new place to transfer him to before he turns one.

p.s. we have loads of pictures to upload from the last several weekends--this weekend, I promise