Last days of good weather...

Our unbelievable summer in the Northwest is finally coming to an end...I think today was the last of the beautiful, sunny, and warm days. The forecast for this week (and the next six months): rain, showers, rain, and then more showers. So Miles and I have been maximizing our exposure to Vitamin D, spending loads of time at playgrounds, taking walks, and playing in the yard.

Today, my parents had some old friends over for lunch, and Miles tried to ride the tricycle, but he still needs a push because his legs are just a tad too short.

Happy Autumn, Everyone!

Croup

Miles has (had?) croup! Poor kiddo, it was pretty scary for about an hour last night, but he's fine now (and so are his parents). He went to bed at his usual time of 7:30 and he was fine. But when I went to bed at 10:30, he was wheezing and coughing and crying, and just so miserable. And the cough sounded horrible! I was pretty sure it was croup, but Ethan called the night nurse, and she confirmed it (by listening to him over the phone), and then recommended sitting in the bathroom with the shower running for about 20 minutes. That did the trick! He calmed down, went to sleep, and woke up in good spirits. He has a runny nose today, but otherwise seems fine.

More evidence that Miles is indeed my kid. Though it's hard to see, the lower picture shows him lining up the pear pieces on their ends.

Communicating

Miles has really taken off with his language the past month. With his body language and growing vocabulary, I think that I understand him about 80% of the time. I know that he gets pretty frustrated if I don't understand him. Also, Miles will throw himself on the ground when something disagreeable is happening (saying "no" about something, leaving the playground, or taking something away). It's hard to not smile because his tantrums are actually kind of cute.

Some recent milestones:

• Miles can sing the first part of "Row, row, row your boat." (It's cute.)
• The other day, he had a blanket on his head, and he then pointed to me and said "Mama no hat."
• He points out "big, big BUS" every time a city bus passes. I thought he could really distinguish between big and small, but I think he just says "BIG" because I usually refer to them that way.
• Miles can say "up, please" when he wants to be picked up.

Miles starts his new day care classroom tomorrow, Toddler Three. It's a big jump from the Peanut Patch (he's skipping two classrooms!), but the teachers and director think he's ready. Happy Back-to-School, Everyone!

(Sorry, no photos today!)

State College

Miles & I have just returned from State College, where we visited dear friends from my days at Penn State. We had a grand time, hanging out and also going to the local splash park. Here is Miles with his pal Ryan:


Miles liked to drink the water spouting from this frog...

And of course, Miles with his favorite thing, "trash"

And me, with friends...