Outside playtime

One of the recent super hot days I decided to try something new to wear Wyatt out. Between entering the 3rd trimester and the humidity I have been in desperate need of a good rest in the afternoon if for no other reason than to put my feet up!

So I decided the sprinkler would be the best option to tire out my little man. And boy did it work! Not to mention that he absolutely loved playing in the water. He would stand real close to the spray and then bend over and put his head in it. Of course he would laugh and laugh afterward yelling "wet! Water". After about 10 minutes of experimenting with this technique he moved to sticking his rear end into the stream. Again giggles and shouts. Eventually he got brave enough to try walking through the water and the joyous giggles that resulted were priceless.

Cleveland zoo

As a result of our crazy busy lives this summer we decided not to take a real vacation, although we might end up doing a last minute weekend trip somewhere still... But this past week was our official stay-cation week, as Patrick had half the week off.

Our biggest adventure ended up being going to the Cleveland Zoo! They just opened the African Elephant crossing so we wanted to check it out because Wyatt has never seen an elephant. I have to say that I was impressed with the exhibit. It is quite large, which it needs to be because I counted 4 elephants. The male elephant was into entertaining the audience and made quite a show out of picking up large logs and then balancing them on his head. He always got loud applause from the kids watching in awe, including Wyatt.


Two of the female elephants


I was equally surprised that the zoo was so busy since it was the middle of the work week and a rainy day. In fact we got caught in quite the downpour, but by some great chance we were close to a covered pavilion and just took the chance to eat some lunch, which I had packed, and only had to deal with the wet breeze that came through. The rest of the afternoon ended up being sunny, so Wyatt got to see most of the rest of the zoo.



Watching the elephants talk to each other



Another one of this favorite parts was the Rainforest. He loved the Francois Monkeys mostly because they were crazy active, running all over the place. It was fun to watch! There was even a baby monkey that was clumsy but cute all the same.

Of course Wyatt didn't care too much about the Orangutans, even though one of them was sitting right next to the glass in order to check out the toys the kids had. The keeper said he looked for toy monkeys and then got excited when a child had one. I guess he is very playful.

One big discovery was that Wyatt did not want to check out the polar bear. He was literally scared of it as we approached the exhibit. I think it was because the bear was pacing trying to dry off from the recent rain, but still, it was a stop we just skipped.

Overall the day was a lot of fun, even if in the end we were all extremely worn out. It was well worth it.

Father's Day Weekend

After getting to spend so much time with Wyatt I have realized how little time Patrick gets to spend with him on a daily basis, so I decided Father's day would be the perfect time to add a little Wyatt - Daddy time into their lives.

We started the weekend off with a dinner out at Patrick's favorite Mexican restaurant. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how well Wyatt did at staying at the table. He isn't always the most accommodating toddler when it comes to restaurants. This time he must have known it was for daddy because he stayed at the table with only one trip to the bathroom for some hand-washing as a break. This of course meant that we got to enjoy our food all the more!

Swimming with Daddy

Saturday was jam packed with activities. We started the day off like any other Saturday with a trip to the library. Which is the normal Wyatt-Daddy time of the week, but we added a trip to Water Works (the local water park) into the mix. Wyatt really loved it, and I think Daddy did too!  Those two are such little fish. It was a little cool, but Wyatt couldn't be stopped. He was shivering in the water but wouldn't leave! I finally convinced him to play in the super shallow areas to warm up in the sun. Of course when the safety break came you would have thought the world was ending. We will have to make sure Wyatt gets plenty of pool time this summer. Later we wrapped up the day with great steaks and sweet potatoes on the grill. Wyatt really enjoyed coloring with chalk while daddy cooked. Two boys in the sun makes for a great night's sleep.

Sunday was another fun Daddy day. After church we headed straight for the zoo. Since we are members Wyatt is very comfortable at the zoo, but Daddy doesn't get to see just how much Wyatt enjoys all the "amimalls". Wyatt did not let him down, even if most of the animals were napping. Of course the snakes and bats were extra exciting since Daddy put Wyatt up on his shoulders to get a closer look. Wyatt also enjoyed his first ride of the year on the carousal. And Daddy got a chance to ride the new choo-choo train.

Wyatt even helped him make a blueberry crisp for Daddy on Monday just to wrap up the special weekend perfectly - Well and this way mommy got a little extra treat too.

Loving the ride!

Daddy's Choo-choo train

After a long time of getting my house organized again after all the construction, we have moved on to rehanging art on our walls. As a result we have gone through some older pieces that aren't hanging up, but we aren't quite ready to get rid of either. Wyatt found this sorting through old things very interesting, mostly because he found a treasure.

He discovered Patrick's old choo-choo train hooks that his father made. Wyatt is in love! He carried that train around all day telling us it was a train and making choo-choo noises. It was so cute. This has opened the discussion about what we will do to his new room once he moves to make space for the new baby. Originally we were thinking Curious George, but maybe it will be Curious George as a train conductor... The options are endless.

Making Waffles

One of the best gifts that I have is a husband who willing makes breakfast most mornings, weekdays included. As I am not a morning person, or a rise and shine person for that matter, this is a great gift.



Cooking one last waffle before eating lunch

 As a result Wyatt has turned into a little chef himself. He is always wanting to see what is going on in the kitchen, and he often gets to help with different parts of each meal. His newest interested is the waffle-maker. Since this is one of the steps he is not quite old enough to partake in, he often wants his turn after breakfast is over. So we tend to spend a little time before lunch "making" waffles together. Of course Wyatt's recipes are no where near his fathers yet, but you have to start somewhere!

He enjoys getting different spices out of the cabinet and "sprinkling" (the lids are on) onto the waffle griddle. Then makes a scene of out closing the griddle and turning the dial, then opening the griddle again and saying "Ta-da!"  It makes a for a fun little game, and allows me the time I need to cook lunch. Its a win-win and an adorable scene.

Hike

pointing to the plane

I love where we live because of the amazing metro parks we have. There are so many great hiking trails that you never get bored with the paths. Just a few weeks ago a brand new trail/park opened up five minutes from our house, so we decided that we should try it out and go on a short evening walk.

The short loop was only a third of a mile, so we actually walked it twice. Wyatt loved every second of it. The area is cleared in the center as it will be a quail sanctuary, at least that was what the sign said. It was really nice because we could see many animal foot prints, which kept Wyatt even more interested.

twenty-two weeks in

To make the hike all the more fun, at least two small airplanes flew overhead, as the university's airport is close by. Wyatt has found a new interest in planes and always tries to catch them. He doesn't seem to realize just how far away they really are, it's adorable!

Watering the garden

As you all know by now, Wyatt loves the outdoors, and we have finally had some weather where we can take advantage of being outside. Of course just finishing the 2nd trimester means I'm not too thrilled with the hot weather, but I'm making do.

Wyatt has been helping a great deal with the garden because he is loving using the hose to water, which is crazy helpful when we are getting 90+ degree days with not too much rain. So we've been putting him to work and he has been loving every second of it!

Now we just have to wait and see how well our harvest ends up being.

Butterflies and cupcakes



Butterfly cupcakes



I try to focus my writings on what Wyatt is up to, because I don't want turn this into my own life's story, but last night I was making chocolate butterflies to top cupcakes for our small group get together, and the two parts of my life collided.

Wyatt enjoying his lemon cupcake



I was making the butterflies, right before bedtime, which is a risky time to try to accomplish anything I've decided with a two-year-old. But that is the way life works out most of the time. Wyatt quickly realized that I was working on something that consumed more of my attention than whatever he wanted. For a while he was pleased just to watch what I was doing. Eventually he recogonized the shapes and started talking about butterflies. It was great fun. I'm amazed at how fast his vocabulary is growing. And that he doesn't always need to be prompted to explain what he is thinking. Of course the moment was short lived, because toddlers never allow you to complete a task without a breakdown. So bedtime intterupted the moment - the story of a mother's life I've decided - this point is the secret to the guide of being a parent... 



Wyatt put the sprinkles on himself - such a big helper