Refreshing Things

What's better on a hot summer day than fresh hibiscus lemonade and a water park?

Who needs a sippy cup? Not Ollie!

mmmmmm... so good.

c'mon, it's time to go to the water park!

Stompin', splashin', and climbin'.

This is what Papas are for!

Next time we'll remember to bring a change of clothes for Papa too...

Old Friends Get Together and Rock It Like They Used To

Ollie hasn't seen him in a while, but when Milo came over last week while his daddy went to a meeting, not only did Milo not get upset at all when he left, but the two boys played so nicely together.

hey, i remember you. we were both a little smaller last time i saw you.

now we're pros at stacking.

and walking.

and doing latch puzzles.

man, you're growing up too fast, milo! oh wait...

so am i!

Addendum to Today's Earlier Post: One Little Monkey Jumping on the...

Chair. Yep. Didn't learn his lesson at all. Fell off. Again. Hit his head on the corner of the toy box this time. Mama freaked out. Called the (on call night) doctor. And the doctor said... make sure he's not vomiting or walking like a drunk person. Oh yeah, and no more monkeys jumping on the chair!!!! 

Two of His New Favorite Things

Playing the harmonica that Grampa sent to him, and making Mama crazy by standing in the chair (which he finally fell out of the other day, but learned nothing from, and was right back up on an hour later).

Are You Kidding Me?

Who thought naptime during a playdate was ever going to work? Mama babysat Zadia earlier this week so Zadia's Mommy could go find out if she was going to have a little sister or a little brother. It was during naptime, but this is what happens when you try to put two excited toddlers down for a nap. First one goes in the crib by herself and sleeps for five minutes and then wakes up and screams. Then one goes in the carrier by himself and squirms and whines until you let him down. Then they both go in Mama's bed together, which as you can see, didn't work either—even with pacifiers and thumbs and stuffed animals. (But was extremely adorable, nonetheless):

Peanut Butter Monster!

He had to wait 1 year to try it, but now he knows what his Papa (and Grandma Ruthie) knows...PB is so, so good, even by the spoonful!

"Please papa can I have s'more'?

...shoving it in

Who is a PB monster?

Sorry I cannot hear this enough

Who Knew Queens Was So Fun?

Last week we went out to Queens to visit Bridget for an afternoon full of new adventures.

will i sleep past 5:30 tomorrow morning? "outlook not so good."

now this is a BALL!

mama, can we get a tv? i love this remote.

or maybe this rocking chair is all the entertainment i need. 



and to top it all off, he met Gracie, Bridget's golden retriever. he loves dogs—usually only from far away. but after spending a day with Gracie, he even got brave enough to feed her.

Ollie's Getting a New Cousin!

And it's a boy! He's pretty excited about that. Congratulations Aunt Kristen and Uncle Joe! Good thing Lilly and Anna had some practice with Ollie over Christmas and are going to be such good big sisters!

Don't You Need a Permit for That Thing?

Last weekend we went shopping for a new car seat for Ollie since he's outgrown his infant one (thanks Aunt Natalia and Uncle Sean!) But never mind the car seat—he'd rather have his own car!

(ba)'nana

Little monkey likes his bananas... (which is pronounced "nana" with your tongue sticking out of your mouth the whole time)

Sweet and Salty Pair of Raggamuffins

Little troublemakers eating potato chips...

Hey Ollie, Who's Your Favorite Person?

Happy Papa's Day, Papa! We love you so much.

Visitors From Far Away Lands

A few weeks ago (how behind is Mama on the blog posts?!) we had some little visitors from Seattle—William and Madeline. And for a full house, Calvin (from the far off island of Manhattan) also joined us. Ollie loves playing with the big kids and trying to do everything they do. They wore Ollie (and his Papa) out. We didn't get too many good photos... mostly cause these kids just don't sit still for long.

Action Shot

Ollie gets a lot of compliments on "what an arm" he has. Now we just have to teach him that balls are for throwing and rocks are not.

Beach Baby At Last!

Remember this boy? The one who hated the beach and the sand?

On our vacation in Mexico when we spent three days on the beach, he was only happy if he was on the beach blanket...

 Eating fruit...

Sleeping on Mama's lap...

Or practicing his spanish with his new friend Jimmy. Anything, as long as he wasn't touching the sand.

But look at him now!

He still likes to sleep on the beach.

But when we went to Ocean City, he saw his cousins playing in the sand and wanted to be like them so much that he overcame his fear.

And before long he was having a blast.

Even helping to bury Matias up to his neck.

And make a few little mermaids.

(Oh, and he really likes boardwalk fries too.)

Yeay beach baby!!!! Mama sure is happy that she can take him to the beach this summer.