The days since we have been back in Hong Kong have consisted mainly of 1 thing: walking around.  We get up in the morning, do our thing around the house (read, play with toys, generally run around the house), and then it’s time for a snack and a walk (and a nap for the little guy), followed by him waking up and then lunch.

It’s after lunch that the day really begins.  It is then that he takes over and, armed with a ball in his hands, he goes out to explore the world (of Discovery Bay).  I can usually guide him by throwing or kicking the ball, which he runs after – or by pushing the stroller as a block from a direction I do not want to go, but for the most part it is his show.  Off he goes, down the path, walking like a drunken man, weaving this way and that.  Let’s stop at the playground!  Here’s a swing set!   Look, a dog!  A bird!  A pine cone!  Sand!  Run!  Slow!  Fall down!  Cry!  Eat!  Run!  Point!  Talk!  Laugh!  It’s all a big adventure, so he is on a walkabout finding out about the world, with dad keeping up behind him.

On the one hand, I wonder if now is a good time for me to help him to keep in mind that he’s not in charge here – and to kind of be a bit more controlling over where we go and what we do – say “no” more often, and so on.  On the other hand, I think this time is really critical for his development regarding exploring and being independent.  After all, if I teach him to be cautious now, won’t it be a bad thing down the road?  It’s not like we are completely doing what he says, and I have no problem saying “no” and moving our location or putting him in the stroller, but you know what I mean, right?

The major plus side to all of this is that he is very tired by the time the end of the day comes.  I mean V E R Y tired physically and mentally.  He gets really silly when he is tired, like running / stumbling around and laughing just before bed, so that’s kind of cute.  The main advantage of this is that he is so tired he is sleeping thru the night (or has been since we got back), and he has not done that since before we left Sweden for the USA at Christmastime.  I do believe the wandering around aimlessly and the sleeping are definitely connected, so I’ll keep on going, exploring, and seeing the world thru his fresh and fascinated perspective. 🙂