IT'S JULY...
I think the heat of summer arrived on the day of the summer solstice,
June 21. We had a rainy spring which meant it was also very
cloudy. And cool. The good thing was that trees and
flowers bloomed prolifically without human intervention.
The downside was that two days of sunshine(and therefore no rain)
meant the blooming plants got a little snitty. Leave
to run errands in the morning, smiling at the garden color on
your way out, and return to find those same plants wilted to a near
lifeless green puddle. So you grab the hose and give them a
drink, hoping they'll revive in time to soak up the rain that you
see approaching on the horizon.
Sophia will actually hold her bottle now if someone else
won't. We've tried introducing the dripless sippy cup,
but if she's thirsty, she lets us know to quit fooling around.
As for food, we know when she's
full. Rather than turn her head to refuse a bite, she
blows raspberries, spraying orange or green blobs on whomever
holds the spoon. She's demonstrated interest in what the
"real food" eaters are dining on and amuses us with her facial
expressions as she feels texture and tastes flavor.
She likes green beans but regards peas as tiny orbs to be
gleefully scattered from her tray.
Sophia has four teeth with a fifth nearly through.
She bites. We know she understands some words, and
she recognizes some of the sign language we've introduced.
When we sign "bottle," she grins. We think she's
saying "baba" (bottle) as well as dada and mama. Of course
that could also just be our own wishful thinking!
It's become a tradition every July to take Brandon (and
now Sophia) to the island to take pictures in the blooming
crown vetch. With all the rain this year, we nearly
missed our opportunity. Of course, Brandon's still
impatient with posing and our photo sessions interfered with
Sophia's nap time. However, we did get some pictures
to continue the photo history.
MINI-REUNION
Brett came north in mid-July to compete in both International
Cycling Classic's Superweek in Wisconsin and Wendy's Classic in
Columbus, Ohio. Dawn and I drove to Columbus with Sophia
and Brandon to watch Thursday's and Friday's evening races.
Although he didn't finish the race Thursday, Brett was in the
money on Friday. Brandon was a sponge as he watched Brett
prepare for the races, warming up on a trainer, a device that
enables the rider to pedal against resistance without going
anywhere. Once back home, Brandon elevated the training
wheels of his bike so that he could emulate Uncle Brett.
Within days, he requested that his training wheels be removed
so he could race like Uncle Brett.
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| Racing like Uncle Brett |
SEPTEMBER SONG...
We marked the end of summer with a trip to the zoo and now Brandon has begun preschool. The first day was traumatic but eventually he settled in. The second day was less troubling for him, but there may be a need for a larger refrigerator as artwork will be plentiful.
Sophia has eight teeth and is walking. She still doesn't sign like Brandon did. Her sign for "up" as in get-me-out-of-this-highchair is to raise her arms over her head. When she wants down, she uses the same motion to slide through her carrier's grip. She is not a child of indecision nor is she easily distracted from gaining access to items dangerous to toddlers.
Copyright ©2003 Kitty Park