Summer with my boys

This has been the best summer yet, and it is not over yet! I have enjoyed every second of being at home with Matt and Ethan. We have some very lazy days (I am still enjoying these before Ethan is really all over the place walking), and then there are days when there is so much to do between getting caught up with laundry, running errands, and seeing friends and family. Ethan takes 1 pretty solid/long nap a day, which is nice to be able to use that time to rest myself, read, clean, sit out in the sun, etc. One would think that since I am home for the summer that I would be blogging more often and keeping up with every single thing that we do....but no.

Here are some of the high-lights of our summer so far:
*Ethan swimming in kiddie pool--I knew that we would need something for Ethan to do outside to get us out of the house. We bought a kiddie pool, and Ethan loves holding the hose as it fills up the pool. If one of us is in there with him, he loves climbing on us. His attention span is not so long, so he will get bored pretty fast. We get out in the pool at least 3 times a week. Ethan used to not like to wear his hat, but he has learned that it keeps the sun out of his eyes and face and keeps him cooler.

*playing at the Gymboree kid place--Ethan had a play date with 2 of my friends and their babies at the Gymboree kid playground (don't know what it is really called or how to describe it). We went to a class that did songs and gave the kids things to do around the play room for strength and of course fun! I think was the youngest one in there and the only one not walking, but he enjoyed himself all the same. I spent most of the time just following him around as he explored and climbed on everything. I thought about getting a membership for the summer, but I think I will save it for next summer when Ethan is more aware of what is happening.

*Ethan's 1st birthday--I absolutely cannot believe that my baby is 1! We had a party with immediate family, and we all enjoyed watching Ethan crawl everywhere and enjoy being the center of attention. He did not destroy his cake as much as I thought he would, but he did seem to enjoy the extra sugar that we allowed. Some of his favorite things to do now were presents for his birthday.

*Yellow River Game Ranch--on Ethan's actual birthday, I took him to the game ranch. I thought about going to the zoo, but knew that it would be extremely hot, and I was not so sure on how much Ethan would actually appreciate. At the game ranch, he could actually touch and feed the animals. My mom and sister went with us, and we all enjoyed watching Ethan pointing and talking to the animals. At first, he cried at the deer who came right up to him. It did not take too long before he was reaching out to touch them. He even fed a goat a carrot...so cute! I look forward to the future when he can really have fun with the animals.

*playing in the Cozy Coupe car and Red Rider wagon--these were 2 birthday presents. Not a day goes by that we are not outside in one of these. Ethan is a little speed demon and loves to go really fast down the driveway. He also loves peering over the side and staring at the wheels. The simplest things fascinate him at this age.

*Ethan getting in big pool--Ethan and I went to my sister's apartment pool, and it took a little while for him to actually enjoy the big water. I have never had him cling to me so tightly...he was not letting go for anything! We have a float, but at first, Ethan had to be right up against me. We were at the pool for about 2 hours or so, and toward the later half, he was loving it! About 2 weeks later, we went to my brother's girlfriend's pool, and Ethan had the best time. He loved splashing with his legs and hands; he even would sit on the edge and scoot off into someone'e arms in the pool!

*4th of July fireworks--Ethan loved them! He was pointing at the sky when they were over looking for more!

As we finish off the summer, I will post more about our adventures!