Riding Along in My Automobile

On my last trip to Louisiana, I caught up with an old friend who is all grown up and married with kids of her own. Courtney and I met in junior high when we were on the same softball team. I was the pitcher, and she played catcher. Oh, you didn't know I played softball. Well, it was a long time ago, back when I tied the sleeves of my team t-shirt up with grosgrain ribbon that matched the one in my hair, and I was awful. Anyway, despite my lack of softball athleticism, Courtney and I became best friends. We lost touch after high school, and thanks to Facebook, we have since reconnected.

So, on my last trip to Louisiana, we got together. She has a cute little girl named Riley and an almost brand new little guy named Mark. Noah loved hanging out with his new friends, and we left our playdate with a major case of backyard envy.

Momma, this is awesome! Look at all this grass?

Hey Riley, can I go for a ride in your car?

Only if I can drive. Let's roll!

Hold on Noah. You are in for a bumpy ride.

Testing the Waters

The pool is open at our apartment complex, so we decided to try it out this weekend. The weather in Miami was slightly overcast in the upper 70s. Not exactly summer weather, but warm enough for a quick dip. Noah was so pumped when he saw the pool.

The water was a little chilly, and Noah was not quite sure if he wanted to play.

Noah has one brave Daddy. Going under in the cold water all to see Noah laugh. Poppy and Deah were in town for a visit, and they enjoyed watching Noah splash and play.

Hey Momma! Do you see this? Daddy is underwater.

Surprise. It's Daddy!

Time to practice kicking.

Brrr... this water is cold. Let's get outta here.

What He Does

Blows kisses with a big "maa" sound. Sings "Old McDonald" - the "E-I-E-I-O" and cow sounds. Finish the verses to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" - "star," "are," "high," "sky." Climbs into his highchair by himself for food. Does the hand motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Open Shut Them." Matches colors. Knows A B C and 1 2 3. Rocks shape sorters. Says "more." Signs "all done" - very dramatic using his full body. Makes eye contact really well. Uses food as a vehicle for ketchup. Loves to be tickled. Says "tickle, tickle." Says animal sounds - "moo" (sounds like "baa"), "tweet, tweet," "urrhh (for elephant with arm to nose for a trunk), "meow." Plays trains with sounds - "chugga, chugga." Loves to play in his Thomas tent. Examines new toys before deciding whether or not to play with them. Approves bites of food with a look before taking a bite. Shares his snacks. Repeats words and sounds - "Pa Pa," "Outside." Babbles constantly. Runs really fast. Says "uh, uh" for no while shaking his head. Protests when corrected. Holds out his foot to put his shoe on. Climbs really well. Climbs into his stroller when I say "let's go." Wrestles on the floor. Definitely not a comprehensive list, but Noah is doing so well with therapy that I really wanted to jot down some of the new things he does.

A Day Out with Thomas

We spent the afternoon at the railroad museum for a Day Out with Thomas. We had tickets to ride Thomas at 3:00 PM, but with the time change, it just so happened that Noah was still napping when it was time to leave. So, we got him up from his nap early and hustled over to the museum.

Noah was not happy to be woken up from his nap, but he was a total trooper on the 20 minute ride on Thomas the train.

He perked up a bit when he got to play with the train table display at the Imagination Station.

His mood definitely improved after we got some food into his belly. Daddy taught him how to "dip dip" his french fries into ketchup.

Mmmm... delicious.

We headed over to the gift shop where Noah spied a Thomas tent. For Noah, this was the highlight of the event.

Noah decided he had to have it. Who needs talking or pointing? Noah is happy to grab what he wants and dive in.

We ended our day at the museum with a romp in the sand pit because what is an event in Miami without a little sand and sun.

Counting the Days

There are thousands of reasons why I am counting the days until our time in Miami is complete. This is at the top of my list.

This is the view from our apartment. Lovely isn't it?

Ongoing construction. Right under our building. It's noisy and ugly and goes on between the hours of 8 and 5. Lucky for me, Noah is a such good sleeper, and it doesn't seem to phase him during naptime. Maybe it's because the more you listen to it, it becomes slightly hypnotic.

On a happier note, the pool has finally opened only about 7 months behind schedule. When we first moved, I asked the management office about once a week about the opening date. The answer was that they were not giving a set date because they kept missing it, but soon. They jokingly said that so many people were asking that they would post a huge banner outside the building when it was finally open. Well, there was no banner, but just last week, I did see a guy wearing a swimsuit with a towel hung over his shoulder wandering aimlessly, trying to navigate the construction in an effort to locate the entrance to building G. Noah and I headed over yesterday to check it out, and I can't wait to go for a swim. Unfortunately, this has been the coolest month in Miami so far, so we will be waiting a little longer.

Pretend Play

Me: "The therapist wants Noah to get better at pretend play.”

Dean: "Pretend play?”

Me: "You know making play-doh into a cookie and pretending to take a bite”

Dean: "You know only the weird kids ate play-doh.”

Me: “OK. So, like putting his arms out and pretending he is an airplane.”

Dean: "But, he is not an airplane.”

Me: "Didn’t you ever play pretend when you were a kid?"

Dean: “One time I tried to dig a hole to China.”

Me: “Well, there you go, that is pretend.”

Dean: “Don’t think so. I really thought I was digging a hole to China.”

Me: "Hmmm... I wonder where Noah gets it from."

Back to the Beach

Hi. My name is Noah. My Momma called my name, so I am looking right at her. And, she is very happy. Oh, and I am at the beach.

My Daddy is at the beach too. We are splashing in the surf. We are dressed curiously similar. Momma said she didn't do it on purpose. only that she seems to be gravitating towards green and brown in our wardrobes.

Here is my little friend Zach. He is 8 months old and is staying at the beach with his Momma and Daddy. He invited us to come over and play.

Momma says he is adorable and that she loves his precious baby curls. I like him because he let me play with his sand toys.

I love the beach!

I especially love the beach with Momma and Daddy. What a fun afternoon!