Green Juice and Sesame Street Shoes

Two fun photos to share with everyone.

Winston, mom and dad are enjoying green juice (spinach and various fruits and veges) every morning. We're trying to teach Winston how to drink out of a regular cup to enjoy his "treat." It will take a while...
We bought these cute Sesame Street shoes last night. Winston hasn't seen Sesame Street so he has no clue how cool it is to have Ernie on your feet.
The green motorcycle is a favorite toy these days. Winston likes to push it around, and he is so strong that now when he runs into a wall, he simply hefts the bike up, positions, and barrels ahead in the opposite direction.

What are Little Boys Made of?

I always loved this nursery rhyme growing up. But the truth of it hit home this afternoon. Ms. Dori at Winston's daycare said, "I have to tell you about something Winston did today." That is never a good opening line. "He was playing with a snail...he pulled it out of its shell and ate it! I tried to get it out of his mouth before he swallowed it, but he clamped down his teeth and wouldn't open up." Another lady said, "He had snail slime all over his chin."

Charming. So in honor of Winston, here's the Rhyme in all its glory.

What are little boys made of?

Frogs and snails

And puppy-dogs' tails,

That's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice

And everything nice,

That's what little girls are made of.

He's Walking!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Winston is walking...just a few steps at a time, but he is lurching around the house with actual steps! Here's a video of a short series of steps he took this afternoon.

Our little Frankenstein...

The Days are Long, the Years Short

I love this quote for so many reasons, but it perfectly captures my feelings this past week. Winston was home from day care all week, so Dave and I took turns caring for him at home. We were a bit apprehensive about this week, but it was actually fun to fill the schedule from 8-5 with exploration and experiences for a one year old in South Florida.

This week, ALOT revolved around the Biltmore Hotel, which truly is a community treasure, but also happens to be close to our house, so it is the default "let's get out of the house" location. Beautiful grounds, fantastic pool, nice people, and they are very indulgent of children. Plus, they were filming a new Tom Cruise movie called Rock of Ages, so it was fun to walk around and see all the production gear and we even saw a scene being filmed...not very exciting, just a guy walking around the pool and the hotel lobby in a suit carrying a brief case. Oh, and former Governor Jeb Bush hung out by the pool on Saturday after his workout, watching the swim lessons (ok, really, he was mostly checking his blackberry).

Here's a list of a few of our activities from the past week, mixed in with a good amount of quiet time at home, playing with toys or walking around the block:

• Swim Lessons (every day at 8 am)
• Library (we lasted about 30 minutes before Winston started pulling books off the shelves)
• Playground at the Coral Gables Youth Center (30 minute walk from our house but worth it)
• Barnes and Nobles...Winston tootled around the entire store in his red car
• Biltmore pool for swim time (4 afternoons last week, with the Goldbergs and Lorettas on two occasions)
• Zoo Miami (sooooo hot but such a great zoo)
• BBQ with the Loretta's on Thursday
• Visit with Mo and Cecilia on Friday night
• Celebrating Wendy's Birthday on Sunday evening
• Key Biscayne Beaches
  

Zoo Miami was great - it was only our second trip in 6 years, and while an August visit to the zoo is not advisable in South Florida, it was memorable for several reasons. First, we fed a giraffe (amazing). Second, we saw a gorilla up close (he was sleeping by the window). Third, we saw a Koala bear up close (sleeping in a tree), and finally, we saw a baby kangaroo. Even if we hadn't seen any of these animals, the trip would have been worthwhile just to see Winston engaged and curious about the animals. He pointed at them, talked in his gibberish, and, despite several houdini moments of escaping his stroller, seemed genuinely engaged by the experience. Of course, the trip was made all the sweeter because Lili was there too...here are more pictures of our adventures.

Here's a cute video that captures Winston's "talking."

So what is Winston like these days? He is learning new words (this week was bear...added to bye bye and ball and dada and mmmmmmmm for mom). He continues to have a healthy appetite and will eat just about anything. When he is hungry, he points to his mouth, whines, and crawls toward the refrigerator!

He is more suspicious now of strangers...he is not as quick to smile at the grocery store and wears a guarded, serious expression when he meets new people. However, if he recognizes someone, the smiles and screeches of joy are hears round the neighborhood.

We are starting to see temper tantrums...not sure what causes them, but when he is thrashing around on the ground, crying uncontrollably, he is totally inconsolable. We were expecting these, and while it is hard to see your child in this state, I also find it very amusing (not sure why and I'm sure they aren't amusing when conducted in a public place). We usually let him cry it out, and then as he begins to calm down, we use humor to distract him and get him to laugh and then hug him until he is back to his sweet self.

Where has the Summer Gone?

I can't believe a month has past and we have failed to update the blog. So much to share...just not enough time to actually do that now that we have to follow the little guy around constantly!

Winston is now, officially, smarter than a monkey...he can speak. He says "byebye" (in proper context, with a wave) and "ball" and "dada." We think he is saying "hi" and there are probably other words, we just don't quite get his language yet.

He understands 10 times more (although I can already tell he is developing selective hearing, just like dad). He is standing unassisted for a few seconds, and will even take a step now and then, but for the most part, he is still crawling. He is totally into books now - he wants to be read to, and will turn the pages, very impatient for the next part of the story. He loves to play with all of his toys, but his piggy bank is a true standout right now as are his motorcycle and the little car that he sits in and we can push him. In fact, I have taken him all around Coral Gables in that little car (it is easier to transport than the stroller). Yesterday, a lady was totally charmed by his waving and smiling and said that he could be the next president. Oh boy...if that was all it took...

We had a wonderful visit to California earlier this month - all the photos from the trip are here). It was great to see everyone and Winston continued his positive flying track record. The only time he was fussy was on the 2nd flight home. However, he took time out away from fussing to make eyes with the 4 young sisters sitting in front of us, and despite his tears, he held hands with the 5 year old girl directly in front of us for a few minutes (I kid you not).

For the most part, Winston slept well on the road and we survived sharing a room with him. At my parent's house in Nipomo, the crib is at the foot of the bed in the guest room, and Winston was so happy to wake up every morning to find us RIGHT THERE ready for action! We found his effusive happiness quite contagious...even at 6 am.

Daycare is "on a break" this week, so Dave and I are taking turns with Winston at home. We've decided that caring for Winston is 10 times more exhausting than going to work, so we are very appreciative of our care situation. We're trying to keep him very busy - swim lessons in the morning, and then at least one activity or outing each day (this evening we took a long walk to the park and spent 30 minutes climbing up a slide backward). He crashes at 8 and we stagger into bed not too much later than that. Later this month we are looking forward to a Wisconsin visit.

First Pair of Shoes

Winston's first official pair of "walkin' shoes."

While he is still primarily crawling, Winston is starting to stand independently and even will take a few tentative steps (before collapsing, either front or back).

Thank goodness for Target - inexpensive shoes are a must for a child who seems to be growing an inch a day.

Swim Lessons

Winston is taking swim lessons at the Biltmore...fun pictures to document his adventures with "Swim with Kim."