in the past, at times when we needed a free hand or two we might have put odin in his swing or play yard, but lately he’s let us know that he’s happier to be out and about, much closer to the action. this morning, while i was making breakfast rather than put him in his swing and force him to watch me from a distance, kris suggested that we set him in the middle of the kitchen and give him a basket filled with a few choice toys and let him feel a like he’s a little more part of the routine.

it worked wonders! instead of fussing in the swing after 5 minutes, he was quite happy to watch me whirl around the kitchen in between episodes of chatting merrily with mauja about – well – i’m not quite sure what, but both of them seemed interested in the conversation.