Here's some snippets of activities and vignettes if you will, from the past month. I actually have a legitimate excuse for it taking so long. We've had the motherboard on the desktop crash, and software issues on the laptop - all at the same time! I'm very thankful for our friend Marcus that has enough computer knowledge to get us back up and running again. So much to do and so little time! In the next month or so, we'll be adding a Mac (mini) to our family! I'm very excited because this means even more fun with photos...and more importantly reliable and fast computer accessibility! In the meantime, here's the past month in review:
*Ian attended his first VBS! Our theme was the Australian Outback...and how, like a boomerang, it all comes back to Jesus! I taught the 3rd/4th grade class while Ian played with his buddy Chandice in the nursery. They did a few lessons, but mostly spent time having way too much fun! Completely exhausted after a full week of VBS I collapsed on the couch the following day...but Ian asked to go back to church!
*The 4th of July was great fun...with all the greats on Matt's side of the family! We had fun playing games with the cousins (Ian is slowly grasping the concept of turn-taking...very happy to announce, "my turn" at any time!) and even more fun exploring Georgia Aquarium to celebrate the Great-Gayler's 65th wedding anniversary! Ian was completely in awe at the aquarium! There is no denying that he is a huge fan of fish! He loved to point out the sharks to us, and was talking about them for days after the experience. Only in Ian world, sharks chase people to tickle them! I must add here that he was a little nervous to touch the glass at the aquarium. I'm pretty sure he was afraid that the invisible barrier between him and the sharks was not enough! But there was not a single tantrum, or foot misplaced...for the entire time we were there. I would happily spend a day with him at this amazing showcase of God's underwater creation! It was a very fast weekend trip, but such a great one!
*Ian and his sister and becoming increasingly inseparable! Every morning, Ian wants to sit on the couch with Zoe and hold her. She smiles up at him lovingly, and he amuses her with his funny faces and noises. He has a very peculiar way of touching his hands to her face (which he really likes to do), and she never complains. It's amazing to watch how hard she will laugh at him when he's being silly! Matt relayed a story from a ride he had with them in the car while I was at the gym...Ian was saying, "Heeellllp meeee!" and Zoe would burst into laughter. Ian figured this out and was "performing" for her, and they were laughing at each other! This is one of the first times Ian was clearly interacting with Zoe, but it's happening more and more as the days go by.
*Zoe is on a mission to crawl already. Rumor has it that I was an extremely early crawler/walker. I didn't believe the time frame before (6/9 months), but I'm inclined to now...Zoe has totally got the motions down! She's rolling confidently from back to stomach, and then kicks off with those back legs as hard as she can, driving her head into the ground! She'll eventually get frustrated and fuss when she's not moving as far as she would like...but she's got nothing to be ashamed about - going a few inches! If I leave her in the crib for a few minutes, I'll come back and she's turned all the way around and at the other side!
*Ian cooked his first meal! He has often helped in the kitchen...but this was the first start-to-finish experience. And he did stay engaged for the approximately 30 minutes it took to complete! Matt was cooking chicken, and threw some scrap pieces in some water to make chicken noodle soup. We passed Ian the ingredients one cup at a time (noodles, vegetables, spices) and he added them and stirred with intense concentration! He was SO proud of himself...saying, "I cookin! I cookin, Mommy Daddy!!! I cookin!" The excitement was even greater when the bowl finally made it to the table. You could just see the pride radiating from his sparkling eyes and smile. His little shoulders and head were cocked and tilted in his quaint little expression of accomplishment. He devoured everything but some of the chicken. Next step is making him an apron!!
*We have two water babies! Ian will ask to, "Go cool" every day! Unfortunately, we've had a lot of late afternoon thunderstorms, so this hasn't always been possible. When we do make it, he has an absolute blast! He is getting SO close to swimming on his own, it's amazing. The pool on Laurel Bay has little swim vests available for use, and it took a little time for Ian to trust it would hold him up. This was actually surprising to us, as Ian shows a scary "no fear" approach to throwing himself into the water. The fact that he's aware he might sink is GOOD! However, with his current progress this phase is not going to last very long. He's dunking his head under the water and holding his breath all on his own, and no longer drinking insane amounts of pool water! Zoe loves to take a dip too. She kicks and kicks those little legs and makes happy noises!
*The summer has been full of play dates galore...Ian has had fun with friends at home, the beach, park, pool & friend's houses. It is interesting to watch his personality blossom around others - and how different he can be with older and younger play mates. Or how different children will bring out various aspects of his personality! We're so blessed to have such wonderful friends to spend our time with! I am so happy to report that his biting/hitting phase is nearly past! I don't think I blogged too much about it before (since I didn't really want to think about it!) but he had been getting a little frustrated at times with his friends over toys. It wasn't that bad (the crying on the other hand, ugh!), but I'm glad he's learned his lesson from the time out rug. Can I tell you how much my heart celebrated when for the first time he was hit by a friend, he just stood there (without hitting back) and whined, "No hit!" A few other moments have showcased his developing compassion for others...when he has seen another child so upset at the toy he's taken, he will give it back and say, "No cry. Here you are." It's so wonderful to watch Ian develop empathy for others and learn to take the focus off himself!
*As was hinted at above, Ian's language has skyrocketed! He is using very complex sentence patterns, and generating language I thought far above his age level. For example, he is now using emotions to express himself..."I scared of bees, Mommy," or "Zoe sad, she hungry." He's even using personal pronouns with amazing accuracy. "MY turn," "I do it," etc. I would expect him to say, "Ian do it," and the like, but he's caught on very quickly! He's also using adjectives regularly in sentences, and started expressing the concept of size...well, "big" anyway! My favorite words will always be, "I love you."
That's about all for now...but if I blogged all that the past month has contained, I would never get to bed! Such blessings, and such wonderful FULL days! I'm looking forward to this month's outpost when Matt will have more time at home, and we'll have some needed family time! Enjoy your summer while the sun is still hot!! :)
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