Ah, summer

We've been having such a nice summer so far. One of the perks, perhaps, of having an unemployed husband. The company my husband worked for closed last month, so he's out of work and hanging around at home all day instead. Ask me how easy it is to get stuff done with him around all the time - actually, no, it's probably safer if you don't.

But in the meantime, we're taking advantage of a family summer. Lots of time outside, visiting the duck pond, swimming in the pool, going for long walks. Today we visited the Experimental Farm, a large functioning farm in the middle of the city.

At first the boy wasn't too sure about all the big animals - horses, cows, bulls, sheep, goats, and a donkey (named Eeyore, if you'd believe it). Wide blue eyes stared over my shoulder at these new noisy creatures. By the time we got to the petting calves, he was excited to look but quite uncertain about touching.



The playground, on the other hand, was most exciting.



He got to run around in his spiffy new "big boy" shoes - Robeez Tredz - climbing the play structures, going down the slide, standing on things that were meant to be sat on, worrying his poor mother who tries so hard not to hover...

But eventually naptime arrived, so we headed out after one last look at the huge bull and gorgeous Clydesdales. My husband agreed with my sympathy over the plight of the poor dairy cows but, perhaps sadly, couldn't be persuaded that it was sad enough to become vegan over. Oh well. Another discussion for another time, maybe.

Back at home I laid the sleeping baby on our bed and slipped off his big boy shoes. He hasn't wanted to take them off since getting them the other day. This was unfortunate at first because the new shoes took some getting used to, making him trip a lot, which in turn made him frustrated, but neither did he want us to take them off for him. Anytime he did have to take them off, you could be sure it wouldn't be long until he brought them over to you wanting them back on again. He's been doing the same thing with his clothes lately - he goes into his dresser drawer, pulls clothes out until he finds something he wants, then brings it to you to put on him. Which explained why I came home recently to find him wearing a pajama shirt two sizes too small.

It's hard to believe he's already 15 months old. My 8lb 10oz newborn is now a squirmy 23.5lb ball of constant movement. He walks, talks, thinks, and explores. He loves to dance, to be chased around the house, and to climb everything in sight. This morning he shoved Daddy awake with repetitions of "twuck! twuck!", wanting Daddy to lift him onto the windowsill so he could watch the garbage truck he had heard pull up. He waves at buses every single time he sees or hears them - even when he only hears them drive by outside or sees them in a book. So far he's had a grand total of three kindly bus drivers wave back at him, bless their hearts.

In addition to "twuck", he can say
hi
bye
cat
car
that ("dat!")
dad
duck
quack
and can sign nurse (which he does, frequently).

He can give hugs and kisses, which delights his father to no end (and his mother too, of course).

And every day brings something new.

I am so blessed.