diff --git a/src/components/shared/Header.jsx b/src/components/shared/Header.jsx
index b990437d..f48c5581 100644
--- a/src/components/shared/Header.jsx
+++ b/src/components/shared/Header.jsx
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 'use client'
 
-import { Fragment, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+import { Fragment, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import Image from 'next/image'
 import Link from 'next/link'
 import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation'
 import { Popover, Transition } from '@headlessui/react'
 import clsx from 'clsx'
-import { motion } from 'framer-motion'
+import { AnimatePresence, motion, useReducedMotion } from 'framer-motion'
 
 import { Container } from '@/components/shared/Container'
 
@@ -183,6 +183,29 @@ function DesktopNavigation(props) {
 }
 
 function ModeToggle() {
+  const [mounted, setMounted] = useState(false)
+  const [isDarkMode, setIsDarkMode] = useState(false)
+  const prefersReducedMotion = useReducedMotion()
+  const iconTransition = prefersReducedMotion
+    ? { duration: 0 }
+    : { duration: 0.5, ease: 'easeInOut' }
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setMounted(true)
+    setIsDarkMode(document.documentElement.classList.contains('dark'))
+    
+    const observer = new MutationObserver(() => {
+      setIsDarkMode(document.documentElement.classList.contains('dark'))
+    })
+    
+    observer.observe(document.documentElement, {
+      attributes: true,
+      attributeFilter: ['class'],
+    })
+    
+    return () => observer.disconnect()
+  }, [])
+
   function disableTransitionsTemporarily() {
     document.documentElement.classList.add('[&_*]:!transition-none')
     window.setTimeout(() => {
@@ -204,15 +227,42 @@ function ModeToggle() {
     }
   }
 
+  if (!mounted) {
+    return (
+      <div className="h-10 w-10 rounded-full bg-white/90 ring-1 ring-black/10 dark:bg-zinc-800/90 dark:ring-white/10" />
+    )
+  }
+
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
       aria-label="Toggle dark mode"
-      className="group rounded-full bg-white/90 px-3 py-2 shadow-lg shadow-zinc-800/5 ring-1 ring-black/10 hover:ring-black/20 backdrop-blur transition dark:bg-zinc-800/90 dark:ring-white/10 dark:hover:ring-white/20"
+      className="group relative flex h-10 w-10 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-white/90 shadow-lg shadow-zinc-800/5 ring-1 ring-black/10 hover:ring-black/20 backdrop-blur transition dark:bg-zinc-800/90 dark:ring-white/10 dark:hover:ring-white/20"
       onClick={toggleMode}
     >
-      <SunIcon className="h-6 w-6 fill-zinc-100 stroke-zinc-500 transition group-hover:fill-zinc-200 group-hover:stroke-zinc-700 dark:hidden [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:fill-teal-50 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:stroke-yellow-400 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:group-hover:fill-teal-50 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:group-hover:stroke-yellow-500" />
-      <MoonIcon className="hidden h-6 w-6 fill-zinc-700 stroke-zinc-500 transition dark:block [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:group-hover:stroke-zinc-400 [@media_not_(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:fill-teal-400/10 [@media_not_(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:stroke-teal-500" />
+      <AnimatePresence mode="wait" initial={false}>
+        {isDarkMode ? (
+          <motion.div
+            key="moon"
+            initial={{ opacity: 0, rotate: -90, scale: 0.5 }}
+            animate={{ opacity: 1, rotate: 0, scale: 1 }}
+            exit={{ opacity: 0, rotate: 90, scale: 0.5 }}
+            transition={iconTransition}
+          >
+            <MoonIcon className="h-6 w-6 fill-zinc-700 stroke-zinc-500 transition group-hover:stroke-zinc-400 [@media_not_(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:fill-teal-400/10 [@media_not_(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:stroke-teal-500" />
+          </motion.div>
+        ) : (
+          <motion.div
+            key="sun"
+            initial={{ opacity: 0, rotate: 90, scale: 0.5 }}
+            animate={{ opacity: 1, rotate: 0, scale: 1 }}
+            exit={{ opacity: 0, rotate: -90, scale: 0.5 }}
+            transition={iconTransition}
+          >
+            <SunIcon className="h-6 w-6 fill-zinc-100 stroke-zinc-500 transition group-hover:fill-zinc-200 group-hover:stroke-zinc-700 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:fill-teal-50 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:stroke-yellow-400 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:group-hover:fill-teal-50 [@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark)]:group-hover:stroke-yellow-500" />
+          </motion.div>
+        )}
+      </AnimatePresence>
     </button>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/components/shared/Pattern.jsx b/src/components/shared/Pattern.jsx
index 5be975d2..25c61246 100644
--- a/src/components/shared/Pattern.jsx
+++ b/src/components/shared/Pattern.jsx
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ export function Pattern({
   let height = pattern.length * size + (pattern.length - 1) * gapY
 
   return (
-    <svg aria-hidden="true" width={width} height={height} {...props}>
+    <svg aria-hidden="true" width={width} height={height} className="overflow-visible" {...props}>
       <defs>
         <symbol id={`${id}-0`} width={size} height={size}>
-          <rect className="fill-green-200 dark:fill-yellow-200" width={size} height={size} />
+          <rect className="fill-green-200 dark:fill-yellow-200 transition-colors duration-500" width={size} height={size} />
           <circle
-            className="fill-[#00843D]  dark:fill-yellow-400"
+            className="fill-[#00843D] dark:fill-yellow-400 shadow-xl transition-colors duration-500"
             cx={size / 2}
             cy={size / 2}
             r={size * (13 / 40)}
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ export function Pattern({
         </symbol>
         <symbol id={`${id}-1`} width={size} height={size}>
           <circle
-            className="fill-green-400 dark:fill-yellow-300 animate-pulse"
+            className="fill-green-300 dark:fill-yellow-300 animate-pulse transition-colors duration-500"
             cx={size / 2}
             cy={size / 2}
             r={size / 2}
           />
           <rect
-            className="fill-[#00843D] dark:fill-yellow-400"
+            className="fill-[#00843D] dark:fill-yellow-400 shadow-xl transition-colors duration-500"
             width={size / 2}
             height={size / 2}
             x={size / 4}
@@ -45,14 +45,27 @@ export function Pattern({
         </symbol>
       </defs>
       {pattern.map((row, rowIndex) =>
-        row.map((shape, columnIndex) => (
-          <use
-            key={`${rowIndex}-${columnIndex}`}
-            href={`#${id}-${shape}`}
-            x={columnIndex * size + columnIndex * gapX}
-            y={rowIndex * size + rowIndex * gapY}
-          />
-        ))
+        row.map((shape, columnIndex) => {
+          const x = columnIndex * size + columnIndex * gapX;
+          const y = rowIndex * size + rowIndex * gapY;
+          
+          // Determine a playful alternating rotation direction based on the grid index
+          const hoverRotation = (rowIndex + columnIndex) % 2 === 0 ? "group-hover:rotate-[15deg]" : "group-hover:-rotate-[15deg]";
+          
+          return (
+            <g key={`${rowIndex}-${columnIndex}`} className="group cursor-pointer">
+              {/* Invisible, static hit area to handle hover without flickering */}
+              <rect x={x} y={y} width={size} height={size} fill="transparent" className="pointer-events-auto" />
+              <use
+                href={`#${id}-${shape}`}
+                x={x}
+                y={y}
+                style={{ transformOrigin: `${x + size / 2}px ${y + size / 2}px` }}
+                className={`transition-all duration-300 ease-[cubic-bezier(0.34,1.56,0.64,1)] group-hover:scale-[1.4] ${hoverRotation} group-hover:drop-shadow-lg pointer-events-none`}
+              />
+            </g>
+          );
+        })
       )}
     </svg>
   )