Sleepy Monkey

Matthew has had a good week getting back into the swing of things at daycare. When I picked him up today, he was a bit tired, so I knew my time was limited to get him home and fed before nap time. As he was finishing up his lunch he started to close his eyes while eating and then fell asleep right in the high chair! Enjoy the movie!

On a side note...Congratulations to Aunt Sarah and Uncle Cory, they bought a house today! It is not just any house, it is the house Ryan and Sarah grew up in! Go figure...it hasn't rained in about a month here and the second they get ready to start moving it pours rain all day! What luck!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears...Oh my!

We had a very busy and productive weekend! On Friday, I drove up to Grand Rapids to see Abby and her gorgeous new house. After lunch we took Matthew to John Ball Zoo! He had a blast. It is a very different zoo than Binder Park. It is very compacted and the exhibits are very close to each other. This zoo offers many different animals than Binder Park too. We saw flamingos, pelicans, lions, a tiger, camels, bears, and penguins to name a few. They have a cool sting ray petting zoo, but Matthew nor I wanted to brave that one. We will wait for our next trip with daddy. They also offer camel rides, which looked fun for Matthew in a year or so. They have this excellent children's areas with a ropes course and petting zoo. I really want to go back and try the zip line over the forest, that looked really fun! Matthew was the most fascinated with the tiger, the bears and the penguins. The tiger was moaning/growling and pacing back in forth, so she was very easy for Matthew to see. One of the bears was also pacing and Matthew kept laughing like it was one of his teddy's. In the penguin encounter Matthew got to watch the penguins swim underwater and right at him. All in all it was a great day.

On Saturday we went to the Brink's house to celebrate Brady's first birthday! We got to see some old friends and their children and took the kids on a pontoon ride around the lake. They boys are getting to be the age where they can interact more with each other and play together. After Brady had some cake he was drinking out of a sippy cup and he and Matthew were hitting their cups together almost to say "cheers"! It was the best weather for the lake.

In a way I am back to work. I have a Mark Dressel writing workshop all week, so Matthew is getting back into the grove of daycare once again. Next week he will go for half days so I can get my room set up and ready before I officially report back on the 27th.

We hope you enjoy the pictures of John Ball Zoo!

14 months old!

Matthew is 14 months old today. WOW! He has gained such a personality over the last few months. I love how he LOVES his books, especially all the new ones I just got him from my book show. I love how he gives wet, open mouth kisses and then giggles after. I love his smile. I love how he cuddles and wrestles with the dogs. I love how he walks around the house with his shoulders shrugged and his hands held high for balance. I love how he says Mom and Dad. I love how he jumps in his bed and smiles every morning with excitement. I love how he plays with his friends. I love how he eats his vegetables and tosses some to the patiently waiting dogs. I love how he pulls my shirt when we are on bike rides. I love when he lets out little giggles and laughs when we are driving through town after he sees something interesting. I love how he comes to us for a small hug and then goes off to play again. I love his infectious laugh and how he thinks the smallest things are funny. I love how he rubs his blanket on his nose when he is tired. I love how he splashes in the pool and bathtub. I could go on and on about the things I love about this kid. We are so very lucky to have him as our son and I can't wait to find all the other things I will love about him.