The balloons are deflating and the birthday is over. Yet this kid is celebrating even harder because the balloons are easily accessible now and there is tissue paper to be played with.

And shoes to be eaten.

I really thought we’d be past the intense teething at this point. But my sister-in-law recently sent me this tooth eruption chart and it seems like I should just sit tight and get used to the drool and fussiness and frequent wake-ups.

I shared this post last night and it makes me giggle every time I look at these pictures.

He will seriously make a teether out of anything. (Except for an actual teether, of course).

Anyway, the celebrations will continue through the weekend with a backyard party tomorrow afternoon. And more time spent with his Babaji and Dadi before they drive back up to northern California on Sunday.

We wish they could stay forever. Ishu learns a zillion new skills when his Dadi is around. She used to be a Montessori teacher and it’s so obvious when you watch her interact with babies. She lets them explore, narrates the world around them, and is ever so patient.

“Clean up, Clean up, Everybody clean up!”

The other day, before Ishu went to bed, she said, “Okay, should we clean up?”

I was thinking she was just saying it to say it. And then we’d all end up cleaning up after he went to bed. To me, he seemed too little to understand or conceptualize the whole clean-up thing.

But she placed a box in front of him. And started handing him objects one at a time. He’d take the object from her hand and dump them in the box.

She did this until the entire floor was clean.

And, though the toys weren’t put back where we usually keep them, he participated in cleaning up the floor. It blew my mind and made me wonder what else I haven’t been encouraging him to do because I thought he was too young.

I seriously learn so much from watching her interact with him.

We are trying to convince her to retire early and come live with us in Chicago for six months so she can continue growing his little brain.

Fortunately, Chicago is nice and easy to get to. Direct flights from both SoCal and NorCal. So, family, if you’re reading this, NO EXCUSES. Please come visit.

Ishu needs you. So does his mama.