Sum, sum, summertime

We've had a good week and weekend here in CA. Colin has been really sweet to Piper this week. He has offered to share blankets/toys with her (rather than trying to hurt her with them) and has only had minor fits regarding attention. He now likes to give her a hug and kiss before naptime/bedtime, and has picked up with an 'oh piper' saying that is perfectly sweet when she is upset. He also gets really excited to help put her to bed/nap, especially if it involves her swing. He likes to set up her 'Piper music' (one of the music settings on her swing) and give her a push to start the swing ("I swing Piper gentle"). Of course his behavior isn't all roses (he is two after all), but the sweet moments are really quite lovely.

Sharing his bed ("put her right here momma")

"Sharing" the play mat

We visited the beach (near half moon bay) last weekend for our weekend walk/hike. The beach is really quite lovely and toddler friendly. Since our toddler is a little afraid of the water (it is really quite cold) and there are bluffs on the other side, there is just a large swath of sand for him to explore without our worry. The sun decided to come out as we were nearing the end of our walk, so we stayed and played in the sand for some time, which mostly consisted of Colin and Bob filling up his water bucket and pouring it in the sand near our blanket. Overall, a ton of fun!

This week I've been feeling as if my role at stay-at-home-mom was getting a little stale, so we went to the zoo yesterday morning! It was still a substantial effort with just me and two kids, but we had a good time. It was nice that the zoo was relatively empty (and that we have a membership, so it is inexpensive) and I felt comfortable letting Colin push the empty stroller around without running into others. We managed to view many of the different animal exhibits, eat lunch, and still get back for his naptime. All in all, a successful outing!

Our lunchtime guest (didn't catch all the sea gulls that were also attending)

A brief blurb on Piper, as she is changing so rapidly. She is now starting to grab things that are within reach and pull them into her mouth. This is often just her burp rags, blankets, or pacifier strings, but she has started concentrating more on toys that are near her and reaching for them. She is also 'talking' up a storm - she already talks much more than Colin ever did at this age (or until he was two). She moves her legs constantly, no matter her position and seems to enjoy when her chairs move with her attempts. She has settled into a fairly constant routine and is a happy, easy-going baby most of the time. She follows Colin around with her head and eyes incessantly and has seemed alarmed by the dog on more than one occasion. She is getting close to giggling, though has surprised/startled herself more than once when she gets close. Overall, she is an easy baby and we love her and look forward to her new accomplishments :)

All dressed up

Drooling on momma

Storytime (ok so not a great pic of either child, but the sentiment is there!)