Summer Fun

     This summer, Esme has been exploring her community.  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays there are toddler swim times at the local pool (which, we're lucky enough to have about a half-mile away from our house).  Tuesdays she's continued to go to Infant/Toddler Hour at the library (which is another few blocks down from the pool), where she has been studying her peers to learn such great skills as crawling, playing, and the preliminary steps of walking (no pun intended).




      We've also taken walks into our local park, where they have a great array of toddler play toys including a couple of climbing structures and awesome swings.

I can't tell you how proud I was when Esme made it
all the way through the climbing tube!

`Many more photos and videos from the summer are coming, but right now, Esme wants my attention in the present.

NC Vacation

     We headed down to North Carolina for a week.  As it's a ten hour drive, we split it into 6 and 4 hour days on the way down and back.  This worked for the most part, though the non-driving parent had the lion's share of the work, though also the lion's share of the fun during the travel.






      A few highlights:

Taking a break from the car seat

Playing with her cousins-once-removed (or are they second cousins?) at Great Aunt Paris' house.  Gran (Wade's mom) and Opa (Wade's grandfather) are at top left. 

Esme showing her Granny (Wade's grandma) how she can walk with assistance.  (She wanted Granny's cane!)

The Little Red Cabin, seen from the top of the waterfall.

Esme takes Hop (Wade's dad) for a walk through Granny's house.

Tina bought Esme an antique chair, which she walked around for about ten or fifteen minutes.
(Video may follow on that one.)

Hop, Remi, Opa, Wade, Granny, and Nan (Wade's great grandmother) at the Red Cabin when Wade was Esme's age.

Nothing says Welcome Home like a rubber ducky in your own bathtub!

And now she's back to her old tricks.  Interestingly, she almost always starts with Steinbeck.

      There were so many great moments on this trip, though the most talked about will likely be Esme's visit to Aunts Remi and Maribeth's house on Monday.  Esme started leading Dad up and down the hallway until Dad stopped and Esme kept on going.  First five steps, then ten, then her grand finale for the day:  33 steps in a row unassisted!  She still wants support and isn't really independently walking yet, but she's definitely building the skills needed to get there.