Four weeks worth of updates

So, people, I have not gotten much true blogging done in the last month or so.  Warmer weather + a child who absolutely loves to be outside + life = not much time for Mommy to write!  And the time that I do have free available (read: naptime for the 2-year-old), there is so much other stuff to get done around the house that the blogging has been taking a back seat.  My computer's desktop is full of pictures that are a constant reminder of what I need to share about the goings-on in my little Boo's life.  Since this is the main record of things we do, I need to try to keep it updated.  So here goes with a quickie update of our last month before the 4th of July!

On his Gotcha Day, we spent the day doing things that Boo wanted to do.  We played with bubbles, we played with play-doh, went back to the bubbles, watched "Cars" (like a gazillion times!!), wheeled around the cul-de-sac on the tricycle, and of course, blew some more bubbles.  When Daddy got home, we went out to dinner and I was able to get this picture of Boo holding both our hands; a completely different atmosphere than one year ago on that day.  I love this boy!

His new Th*mas the Train PJs, which he has to wear...every. night.  

God forbid if they're in the laundry!!

At the beginning of June, the hospital I work at had a huge outdoor "workshop" called Playing it Safe for kids and their parents, pretty much a small festival-type thing geared towards kids to promote safety.  Boo loved checking out all the different vehicles that were there:

the ambulance

 the fire truck

the helicopter

and the MTD bus

This was a HUGE hit and I actually had to carry him off the bus kicking and crying because he wanted to keep sitting there.  But not only was it time to go, that bus was stifling hot!  We'll have to go riding on the bus around town some day; he can sit there to his heart's content and Mommy can read...sweet!

fishing

keeping cool with his friend, J: 

(this was before getting on the bus, good thing I had taken an extra set of clothes!)

We spent a short weekend with friends in St. Louis who have a boy Boo's age.  We took them to the zoo, which was pretty neat.  Boo is getting to the point where he is actually looking at and watching the animals.  And he wants to walk most of the time rather than be pushed in his stroller or carried.

I know it's dirty water, but the hippos were so graceful when they were in the water.

These huge creatures are amazing!

very yummy ice cream cone!!

I love this photo with my boy's profile and the elephants in the background.

I could have stayed and watched the elephants the whole time; one of my favorite animals.

Then we decided to take a ride around the zoo on the train.  Someone was watching for it very closely once we told him it was our turn...

...still waiting...

...Yes!!  Our turn!

And look who had to be carried off of it once our tickets ran out:

He was NOT happy about having to get off the choo-choo when our turn was over!

Back at our friend's house, he got to play the piano with both Daddy and Mommy:

I am looking forward to someday getting my piano from my parent's and sharing my love of making music with my son.  As it is, he already likes to play one whenever he sees it!

playing with his friend H's train set

On the way home, the hubs and I wanted to see how it would go getting Boo to take a nap without his binky...oh.my.god.  The tears, the wailing, the pitiful cry of "bin-ky!"  Yet it took him all of, oh, maybe 5 minutes to stick his finger in his mouth before he fell asleep sucking on that!  Argh!!!  But so damn cute!

Breakfast with Daddy on Father's Day

kisses for Grandpa on Father's Day

 Mommy and Grandpa on Father's Day after meeting for lunch

We started Boo in parent-child swim classes at the local university this summer.  Twice a week for 30 minutes.  He is not too sure about it quite yet, but does love getting into the water by pushing himself off the side of the pool into my arms.  He would do that the entire 30 minutes: climb out, sit down at the edge, and fling himself towards me or daddy.  The instructors have other things in mind though, and he has started to kick a little and reach for toys that he has thrown in front of him.  I have gotten him to lay on his back once and look up, therefore, putting the back of his head in the water, but he is not too keen on that yet.  He loves watching us blow bubbles in the water in front of him and purses his own lips to blow, but won't put his lips under water yet.  That's okay, for this being the first swim lessons, he's doing great!!

Playing around with Aunt Julie:

Finally, June 26 marked the 7th anniversary of the day that I married my awesome husband.  We didn't do much, partly because we had out-of-state friends here for the weekend and partly because I was supposed to work (although didn't end up having to go in; yeah!).  Mostly, though, it seems like things (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) have had a tendency to creep up on us this past year without us realizing it and, by the time we do, it's too late to really put anything together in order to celebrate.  So we decided that we are just going to count the many, many blessings that we have received over the last 13 months.  Every single second we have been able to spend together as a couple and with our son is cherished.  More so after the heartwrenching news of a former colleague's husband being killed in combat less than two weeks before he was scheduled to come home on leave to celebrate his first anniversary and his sister's wedding.  After hearing that news, I hugged both my guys a little tighter and a little longer.  This reminds me not to take anything for granted: time, love, family, friends.  I love "my two boys" with all my heart and couldn't ask for a better gift than knowing that that love is reciprocated.  So, happy belated (at least for this post) anniversary, my love.

I love you, forever and ever and always.