More fun with Papa

Who likes ice cream.
I do! I do!



George created a "playhouse" out of a cardboard box for Henry. While Henry isn't quite ready for imaginative play yet, he did think it was pretty cool. Especially when Papa was inside. Or when pillows and blankets were piled inside. It was also a good sized garage for his cars.

Practice makes perfect

Henry has been practicing using a spoon. In fact, sometimes he refuses to eat unless he can do it. Here's the aftermath of his morning oatmeal.

Part of me is excited he's on the path to becoming an independent eater. And part of me isn't.

Picnic in the Park

I may have failed to mention in the previous post that aside from the botched camping trip, George has remained busy with his residency work and has missed out.
Therefore, tonight we decided to have a picnic in the park for impromptu summer fun. We ordered Thai food (Henry is a fan!) and let him splash around in the new (and free!) splash pad.

Summertime News & Blues

Time has flown recently! Summertime activities keep us outdoors and away from the computer screen. Here's what we've been up to:

• Fireworks! Our new house is located conveniently close to Madison's "Rhythm & Booms" celebration. Grandpa & Aunt Jessica were here to enjoy the show with us, however, it was postponed a day, so Grandpa had to head back home and missed out on the action. There was a moment of panic for Henry when the F-16 jets flew overhead at the end of the Star Spangled Banner, but he recovered quickly. His recovery was faster than mine as the noise was quite loud and unexpected, and the look on his face had me jumping to snatch him from the stroller in a hurry. Henry watched the fireworks with the same fascination and intensity as last year. Then he promptly fell asleep in the stroller on the walk home. The fireworks, in combination with the music, were truly an amazing show. We highly recommend staying with us the last weekend in June to catch this event!

• Swimming! A heat wave led us to the local swimming holes. Actually, Henry and I tagged along with friends to a swimming lesson to hang out in the baby pool. Henry was. a. nut. I wish I had a little video of him going crazy in the baby pool. Unfortunately, for his safety and my sanity, that was simply not possible. It was his first time in a pool. The pool had little squirting fountains and pouring water over an umbrella structure and he was a maniac. I envisioned resting on the pool's edge watching Henry enjoy the water. In reality, he was so rambunctious I spent all 45 minutes shadowing him like a hawk. In. Out. Up. Down. Running. Splashing. Diving. (that's right, I said diving) Sputtering. Sitting. Kicking. Twisting. Laughing. Shouting. At one point he smacked his face on the concrete wall, but when I picked him up to check out what I thought would be a bloody nose, he was angry that I lifted him out of the water. A near hit, avoided. Phew. Several other moms commented about his energy, because he was so funny to watch. He took a 4 hour nap that afternoon. The next day when we went again, he was more reserved. I was more relaxed.

• Strawberries! The true taste of summer. Henry has been hit or miss with strawberries. I figured out why. He simply has excellent taste in strawberries. The supermarket strawberries can't hold a candle to the sweet and juicy taste of locally grown berries. I went with a friend and her 8 month old to a U-pick strawberry patch. Thankfully, it was Henry's nap time, so he slept in the car while I picked my first quart. Then he woke up and helped me pick to fill my second. He quickly learned what was going on, plucking red berries from the small bushes. By the look on his face, I'm guessing he discovered the green or white ones taste nasty. We left the patch with red fingers, and the two little ones left with red fingers, faces, and clothes!

• Camping! Last weekend we attempted a camping and boating trip that had been planned for months as a Capper family vacation. Unfortunately, it rained. A lot. And our tent, despite being new, leaked. A lot. We were not happy campers. So we abandoned our plan, and our campsite, and spent a day or two at Grandma and Grandpa Capper's house recovering from our lousy nights sleep. We were completely bummed to have missed out on the campfire dinners, songs, s'mores, and swimming. However, we did enjoy seeing our family and were thankful that everyone was together. Henry loves to watch his cousins play and he smiles when they try to involve him in their antics. We hope to have another visit again this summer. Maybe in Michigan when the peaches are ripe!