Wednesday, July 8, 2015

New Playground, Farmer's Market, Leif Talking

We tried out a new playground, the school playground in walking distance. Now that school is out (it gets out in late June here), we can play there in the morning. It's pretty fun, although the big slide was a little wet and when Leif went down it he flew off the bottom. A couple cries and he was back to playing though.

We also tried out a local farmer's market. It's held on the Vassar College campus, about a mile walk from our place. It's very pretty. There are about 20 vendors - veggies, fruit, jam, a few stands with ready-to-eat food. Unsurprisingly, this family bought fruit. Three pints of berries, and within about 2 minutes we ate 2 pints.

And we go on walks almost every day. Our street is part of a big "U". It's about a mile from one top of the "U" to the other top. So you can get a pretty good walk in just staying around here. Plus it's a neighborhood where most porches and gardens have decorations - the girls love seeing all the different things, and have their favorites. Llama planter house, witch crashing into porch house, ducks in garden house, etc. It's a very friendly neighborhood, lots of people out on their porches or walking. So we get to say hi and chat a fair amount. It's also fairly tight knit. We went on a family walk yesterday evening after dinner. We saw a woman we didn't know on the other part of the U. After chatting a bit, she said "oh, are you the family that moved into the rental? I didn't recognize you." Also, her husband did an internal medicine residency at UW-Madison! (50 years ago) Which came out after saying we were from Wisconsin and Kurt was doing a residency at Vassar Brothers. Small world!

The hard part of the walks when it's just me is how to transport three little people. The girls can walk sometimes, but then of course it's super slow. I like to try to get a little workout. And sometimes we have errands - there is a Rite Aid in walking distance, among other things. My typical is to put the girls in the double stroller and Leif in the Ergo on my back. It tends to make me and Leif pretty sweaty but it works. If anyone has another solution I'm all ears...

These are the things I always forget to put in these days - what Leif is up to developmentally. It's always fun to look back on what the girls were doing when, poor third child doesn't have as much of that. About a week ago he started saying "ba" ALL THE TIME. He loves balls, and he loves his bottle. So those were both "ba". But also everything else he's pointing at. I'm not sure if he sees the world in balls and bottles or if he just only knows the one word. Starting yesterday he was varying it up some. Bottle is closer to "baba" now. And he's making some other sounds/words. He is still obsessed with any ball he sees. There are two porches nearby that have hot air balloon shaped wind socks. When we are within sight distance "BA BA BA". He gets so excited.

Also he has gotten really into using big boy utensils. He loves stabbing his food with a fork. I guess it's classic younger child behavior - he wants to do everything his sisters do.

In general he is just such a happy excited guy. Signe a few days ago said "Leif is just so full of joy." I asked Kurt if he said that and he didn't remember saying that to her. Regardless of who said it first though, it's true. He walks into a room with anybody in the family and he's got a huge smile and laugh and pointing and happy. He loves people. And things. He's just full of joy.

 One time on a walk Signe wanted to go in the Ergo. It worked pretty well!

 Berry fiends at the farmers market

 You're welcome for making the coffee table so comfy Freya

 What a daddy (the clothesline is strung between the house and the garage and it's on pulleys. Fun!)

 A little clothing-optional bocce ball
 New playground




 That's one way to do it


 I got them a science kit after they asked for it. I think someone in Daniel Tiger had one. This was an experiment putting dull pennies into flasks of water and lemon juice, and seeing what happened. 

 New jammies from Aunt Kris and Uncle John :-)

 Leif and I have a game where I hit balls with the bat and he brings them back. So, fetch.

A little selfie with my boy

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