Hanging Out With Adam

We headed over to cousin Adam's house on Saturday for a play (and to experiment with potty training in a 'safe environment'). The weather has been really hot and muggy so it was lovely to get over closer to the sea where there was more of a breeze. We had a walk down to the beach, as you can see the mist was still hanging over the coast - Beth, Adam and their daddies were on the beach when the pic was taken! After a little play and a picnic lunch we walked back to spend the rest of the day in the garden.

As you can see, with the start of potty training, Beth and Adam are now very grown-up - almost teenagers in their stance. :) Hopefully by the time they are teenagers they won't be having accidents in the bouncy house (not that it bothered them, I'm sure it was actually very nice and cooling with the weather being so warm!!!).

Toby is fine and seems to have learnt his name. He still hasn't quite worked out the purpose of nighttime and the hot weather doesn't help. Just in the last week we worked out that he is teething, he is actually fairly cheerful with it though must be producing buckets of drool each day. Beth seems to have become somewhat attached to Toby and is getting better at not sitting/squashing him. Sometimes she seems to miss him - yesterday we went swimming and Toby went to the creche at the pool. Beth was most insistent that he come with us next time though I suspect it's more that she wants to showoff her poolside skills rather than is actually missing him. More often that not she wants him on the sidelines, telling me to 'put him there' while pointing to his little chair or mat. I suppose the fun will really start once he's crawling and starts messing with her toys.

Dresses, 'B' for Beth and Other Bits

It seems that since the wedding and Beth's experience wearing a dress, she has fallen in love with them - especially pink ones. She is no longer happy with the outfits I choose and insists on picking her own. I suppose it's not a bad thing since potty training is on the horizon and it might make the process easier. At the rate she goes through them I'll have to go on a shopping trip to stock up on pink ones (the frillier the better). The main drawback at the moment is the weather as it's pretty miserable and a little summer dress isn't the best protection from pouring rain!

This piece of news brings out the competitive 'my child's better than your child' streak! ;) It was my birthday last weekend and Steve bought a card for Beth and Toby to give me. He asked for Beth to write part of it and perhaps do a B for Beth. This is the result - one that was duplicated on the side of the bath with her bath crayons to prove she could do it. Obviously she's a genius . . .

Toby is doing great though we suspect he's teething (already!!) as he always has his fist stuck in his mouth and drools a great deal. Of course he might just be being a baby and slobbering! Today we went swimming again. Toby was quite happy to float on his back (a hand supporting his head) kicking his legs. I think he stayed like that for at least 20 minutes. Beth also had fun with her armbands but became a bit clingy after grandma accidentally let her go under. Grandma and grandpa are visiting for a few days as we are going to Steve's (other) cousin, Kate's, wedding tomorrow and it's an adult affair (what on earth will we find to occupy us without children - we're out of practice and won't know what to talk about that doesn't involve a bodily function!). Anyway, grandma brought up a bucket of spuds from their garden for our dinner tonight and here Beth is digging them up.

To finish up, here are two pics I couldn't resist including. The one of Beth just cracks me up - she seems to be impersonating Amy Winehouse (or someone of a similar constitution) and I promise she has not consumed anything containing alcohol. The one of Toby is from this afternoon. I thought that since he can hold his head up well and never stops moving that he might enjoy going in the bouncer. It did keep him amused for quite a while and he spun himself round not quite understanding who had hold of him!

Water Fun

Knowing Beth's love of water, we invested in a water table for in the garden. Yesterday was the grand unveiling and it seemed to be a hit. Despite it threatening to rain, Beth happily splashed and poured and sploshed all afternoon and only came when it was time for tea (she sounds like a child out of a storybook!).

Toby wasn't quite as keen, he doesn't really enjoy being outside. I think he finds it too bright so he's a bit of an indoor boy (perhaps he's going to be a sensitive bookish type . . .). Toby, as you can see, is very smiley at the moment and just loves being talked to - poor boy sometimes gets rather neglected due to a demanding two-foot creature who also lives in the house.