Thanksgiving weekend, part 2

We spent the second half of Thanksgiving weekend at Gilbert Lake, where Simon had lots of fun seeing Grandma Karen, Grandpa Tom, GG and Aunt Biz. Here are some photos from our days there, including many of Simon "reading" with us, some where he is "helping" to clean, one where he shows just how much he apparently hates to wear mittens (we gave up and had to go inside), and some early attempts at Christmas photos (ha ha).

Thanksgiving weekend, part 1

We celebrated Thanksgiving Day with Troy's parents at our house. Simon had lots of fun seeing his Grandma Barb and Grandpa Jim! Thanks to them for the following photos, and for making the trip!

Running in circles

This is one of Simon's favorite evening activities. Please forgive the bounciness of the video, and prepare to get dizzy!

Running in circles from Anne Reynolds on Vimeo.

Peek-a-boo

Simon really likes to play peek-a-boo. He may stop what he's doing at any time and cover his face with his hands, then remove them with gusto. Photos and also video below!

Peek-a-boo! from Anne Reynolds on Vimeo.

Pictures from daycare

Simon's daycare usually sends out pictures each Friday of what the kids were up to that week. Here are some photos of Simon from last week!

They baked squash:


And did some finger-painting:


And played outside! Here he is with his pal, Sabrina:

Words

Simon's vocabulary is starting to expand a bit. Here's a few of the things he says regularly that are somewhat understandable:

ah-na = banana (we were in the grocery store yesterday and he went crazy after seeing them. "Ah-na. AH-na. AH-NA!")

Dih-dee = kitty

Buh = bus, truck, or other large vehicle. He gets SUPER excited whenever we see a school bus.

Baow = ball.

Dah = star or sock, depending on context. (Usually when reading Goodnight Moon or getting dressed)

In this video he demonstrates two of his words! (Please ignore the fact that I let him put his banana on the floor, then pick it up and eat it again...)

Banana from Anne Reynolds on Vimeo.

Reading with Daddy

Simon is suddenly VERY interested in books. Here he is having Daddy "read" one of his favorites - "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" Simon knows it so well now that he mostly just wants to turn the pages and have us tell him what animal is on the page. (He's also a huge fan of "Goodnight Moon," "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," "There's a Wocket in my Pocket," "Hop on Pop," "Hippos Go Berzerk," "I Love You, Little One," and "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?"

Reading with Daddy from Anne Reynolds on Vimeo.

Blueberry mess

Simon hasn't had much of his favorite food lately, which is blueberries, since they're out of season and really expensive now. But we realized that he really likes frozen blueberries too! The downside of these is that they make a really big mess:



They leave him with a purple face, tongue and fingers!

Morning "coffee" with Daddy

Simon loves to watch us drink coffee in the morning and likes to "sip" from our mugs. This past week he really wanted to sit with Daddy and have a morning "beverage" with him!

New dance move

Simon's got a new dance move - the "stomp really fast" dance. I think he could give that guy who does that goofy dance all over the world a run for his money. (He only does it in short bursts, so I had to splice two videos together even to get this 8 second clip. In this one he also shows off his enormous belly!)

New dance move from Anne Reynolds on Vimeo.

Up and down the step

Simon's learning to go up and down our step between the kitchen and the family room by stepping rather than crawling! He has also gone down our full flight of stairs with very little assistance, holding on to the rails. He's growing up, our little boy! (Also note the cuteness that is him applauding himself...)

Up and Down from Anne Reynolds on Vimeo.

Happy belated Halloween...

...from our favorite little monkey!

Last weekend

Last weekend we took a (way too quick) trip to the Twin Cities to see family. Simon had a blast! He was a wonderful traveler on the way there - we left after 6 p.m. and he slept the whole 5 1/2 hour drive. The way back... um... didn't go as well. But we survived!

Simon enjoyed playing with the wooden car I made in 8th grade shop class. (The one behind him is a wooden truck my grandmother gave me when I was a kid).


He also got to sit on Grandpa's lap to read some stories:


But the best part was playing outside in the leaves! Grandpa raked a HUGE pile of leaves on to a tarp, and then he and Daddy dragged the whole thing back to the woods. Simon liked the ride!


"Okay, ride's done, let's get off now..."