Partying with friends...

This weekend was the weekend of the birthday party in our neighborhood. Myles had to miss his friend Tyler's 2nd birthday party on Saturday because he was recovering from a brief illness, but he was back up today for parties for Colton (2) and the joint birthday party for brother and sister Mason (1) and Madelyn (3). It was a very fun day with neighbors and friends. Of the pictures below, two were taken by me on my mobile phone. The other two were taken by a neighbor and friend, Amy S., who has a really nice camera and is a very good amateur photographer. You guess which are which, it won't be difficult.

Myles enjoys one of the many party favors at Colton's party.


Myles goes for a ride with the birthday boy, Colton. I guess Colton's Harley-Davidson trike is just a bit cooler than the pink scooter Myles borrowed.



Here, Myles takes a break from terrorizing the playground to do his impersonation of a catalog model for a couple of shots.



Let's just say that our neighbors have set a high standard for birthday parties. Myles has a lot to live up to when he joins his pals at age 2 in a few weeks.

Night on the town...

We hadn't been to La Estacion, our favorite local Mexican restaurant, since Myles's first birthday more than 10 months ago, so we went last night. You may recall (or can look back to 8/12/2009 to recap) that Myles really enjoyed our last visit, fell in love with a young waitress and gripped her hand with both of his hands, pressing her hand to his chest, and wouldn't release her for a very long 90 seconds or so. This time, he used a chip to spoon the better part of a small dish of salsa into and around his mouth, chest and lap, and continuously smiled and shouted "Hey!" and "Hi!" to every server or patron who passed by our table. He ate a good hunk of quesadilla and was very well behaved. We don't get out very often, but last night made it seem like we should. What a fun time!

Ready for Summer Fun

Myles broke in his new swimming pool today and had an absolute blast! Gramma and Grampa A. came for a visit and Myles sure had fun playing with them. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every moment of being outside!
Gramma was even nice enough to take a bite from one of Myles's water balls, which as you can see, thrilled Myles.
Myles climbed from one end of the pool to the other over and over again! It sure will be fun in our backyard this summer!

Myles traveled to North Carolina with Mommy and Uncle Dan for his cousin Anthony's high school graduation over Memorial Day weekend. He was such a good little boy! He did great on the plane rides and slept really well in the hotel - the first time he had ever stayed in a hotel. He got to meet his Aunt Marty and his cousins for the first time, which he was really excited about. Aunt Marty gave him some of his favorite toys, Matchbox Cars, so he kept very busy playing with those during his visit. Grandma and Grandpa T. were also there, so he enjoyed spending time with them as well. It was a short, but wonderful trip! Myles missed Daddy and was sure happy to see him when we returned home on Sunday afternoon! Next time, he will have to come along.

Knees of Summer

Sorry we haven't posted anything for those of you who happen to check in from time to time. It's just been a typical few months of fun times. Myles is a very typical boy, into everything and pretty much fearless. Couldn't resist snapping this shot while swinging at the park this evening. Those bruised and battered legs are worth more than a thousand words about how he's enjoying his summer - very actively. Myles is in daycare with a couple of boys that are both a couple of years older than he, and he really tries his best to keep up with them. He doesn't let a few bumps and bruises slow him down. As it should be.

Little Drummer Boy...

Not much of a story here, just a picture I really like. We visited some friends last weekend, and our friend Chris plays drums. Myles was getting a little restless and on the edge of a tantrum after dinner and announced repeatedly, "Home! Gabba!," meaning he wanted to go home and watch "Yo Gabba Gabba!" Chris saved the day by letting Myles play the drums. Myles really enjoyed it. Much like Myles's action on the piano at home, he's surprisingly gentle, not pounding away but carefully testing the various sounds, tapping each drum head and each of the cymbals in succession. He sat there for about 20 minutes, which is a tremendous attention grab for a 19-month old.

Fun at Daycare...

A couple of days per week, Myles spends a few hours at an in-home daycare with a nice woman named Angie, her youngest boy, and just one or two other kids, depending upon the day. Judging by his reaction when we drop him off and by his smiles when he hears certain names, we can tell that he really enjoys his friends there and all of the activities that come with it. In addition to little field trips to the zoo or just the store, they also have a nice, big, fenced-in yard where the kids can play, and Myles really enjoys getting outside. They sent us a few photos of Myles in action. It's fun and funny to see a glimpse of what he's up to when Mommy and Daddy aren't around. It's also very comforting to know that he's enjoying himself.

First, it was very important that Myles have boots and snowpants for the winter, because the boys that live in the daycare home love to be outside. It turns out that Myles does too, and it is often a struggle to get him to come back inside.
Myles is very fond of the newest addition to Angie's family, a baby girl. She is just a few months old, and Myles always makes sure to point her out to Mommy or Daddy when we pick him up, pointing and smiling, "Baby! Baby!" He also likes to make sure the baby has plenty of blankets. Here they are together on a recent field trip to a local horticultural conservatory.

It looks like Myles really enjoyed the sights to be seen there.