Pool Party

Summer is here and so is hot weather. Nothing better to beat the heat than a pool party! I filled up your pool with water and let the sun warm it all day long. It was just the right temperature. Then we put on your yellow bathing suit, floppy hat, sunglasses, lots and lots of sunblock, and got into the pool. At first you didn't quite know what to think of it and almost cried. The pool was a lot bigger than your bathtub. When we brought out your favorite yellow bathtub ducky you knew everything would be fine and you started to relax and have fun. You noticed the octupus and sea creatures on the bottom of the pool and tried to get them. Splashing me became the cool thing to do. First you splashed with your hands and then with your feet. The kitty was curious about what we were doing and watched from the sidewalk. Mommy directed the fun, scooping grass out of the pool, watching out for mosquitoes, and taking photos for posterity or blackmail when you get older. You even got her a little wet with your splashing. She was also in charge of drying you off when we got out. I was your lifeguard, swim instructor, and I made sure you didn't wrinkle up like a raisin. I also watched out for sharks and was prepared to welcome any dolphins or mermaids just in case any decided to show up. None did, but maybe next time.

Class Reunion

In the year 2027 you are going to be graduating from high school. I can't begin to imagine all that the next 18 years will bring us and you. First day of kindergarten, class plays, field trips, driver's ed, the prom, the SAT's, and finally, your own graduation. twelve years worth of experiences. Your mom and I graduated in 1985, during the last century. Her 25 year class reunion was recently held. It was neat seeing how people had changed and grown up, or at least grown old. Not bragging, but we were two of the youngest looking people there. I guess we were just well-preserved. Noone could believe she had you just 9 months ago. Some of her classmates were already grandparents. If we had stayed until the end of the party we would have won a prize for having the youngest child. Instead we lost to someone with a three year old, but we would rather get back home with you.

The Tortoise and the Hare

Your crawling progress has reminded me of the fable of the tortoise and the hare. You went from being a slow moving turtle crawler to a quick moving diaper wearing bunny rabbit moving all over the place! You are really moving fast now but remember slow and steady wins the race, so the fable says. Your mom sings a song as you move: "Ain't no stopping her now." It is a song suriving from the disco era, just like the tortoise made it from prehistoric times to the present. You have a look of determination on your face as you crawl all around the room, getting faster and faster with each passing day. "Ain't no stopping her now, she's on the move."

Learning To Crawl

You officially learned to crawl at the beach while we were on vacation, each one of us being in various stages of particularly nasty upper respiratory infections the whole time. Our entire vacation was spent coughing and feeling bad but at least the three of us were all together. You are such a good baby that you didn't even let being sick keep you down and learned to crawl in spite of feeling bad. Moving backwards and zig-zagging was cute in its time, but you became a full fledged crawler. At first you dragged one leg and foot under you while the other set did all the work. You were slow but steady and straight and true on your course. On the warmest day we let you actually crawl on the beach just like a cute little crab. You liked the sand so much that you even tried to eat it! We just tried to keep it between your active little toes!