May 3, 2001 - Thursday
Last night, Harry's Grampa gave Harry a new toy. It's like the Ball Party he gave him for Christmas, but has a hammer for hitting the balls and launches the balls through a ramp structure. The hammer actually has two sides: one solid side for hitting the balls firmly and another of accordion shaped plastic that makes a little squeak when hit. When he first started using it last night (left), Harry was using the blue, soft side and wasn't making very good progress. But, he took a small suggestion well and quickly adapted to the firmer, red side. From there, he became almost obsessed with mastering the toy. Of course, the raves and praises when he first got it right couldn't have dissuaded anyone and he proudly took it in with a smile and a nod.

By this morning (right), Harry had long since gone beyond simply hammering, though that was still fun. Now, he was consciously experimenting with the soft blue side, lightly tapping at the balls, then quickly turning the hammer over to test the difference. A master craftsman in waiting...

In other news, I biked Harry home from daycare again today. Fortunately, yesterday Harry's daycare provider found an old helmet that didn't fit one of her sons anymore and gave it to Harry. It's not the type of toddler's helmet that completely engulfs his head, but maybe that's not so possible with Harry. This fits much better and he sure seem to enjoy the ride home. Every time I looked, he was benevolently looking around and smiling.


Comments, opinions?