All The World's a Playground

It was Shakespeare who said, "All the world's a stage." Well, for my son, the entire world is a playground. Around every corner is a chance for him to explore and learn new things. Over his 14 months he has learned that some things are off limits and that other things are permissible. Whenever possible Wendy and I have allowed him to satisfy his curiosity about the world by getting him out to local parks and playgrounds.

This past Saturday we took him to Veterans Park on Valleydale Road. He hadn't yet seen this particular playground and when we arrived he was more than eager to check things out. Wendy and I were very impressed with this particular playground. They had an area for younger children and an area for older kids. The smaller playground had little ramps, slides, swings, and toys. Our Little Guy enjoyed going up and down the ramps and up and down the steps.

We first put him on the slide. Wendy stood at the top and helped him on while I stood at the bottom, ready to receive. He had a small grin on his face as he came down, as if to say, "Hey I kinda like this, but I'm a little nervous too." After we saw the first run was successful (and free from injury) we took him to a slightly larger spiral slide. Once again, Wendy stood at the top. This time I stood at the middle of the slide, just past the first turn. It was a good thing I chose this particular position. As our Little Guy rounded the first turn, the centrifugal force toppled his body to one side. I caught him and prevented him from finishing the ride in a head-first position. On the second run, Wendy laid him on his stomach and he came down feet first. He seemed to enjoy that better.

He then wanted to walk around the playground, looking at everyone else who was out enjoying the day. He saw people flying kites, throwing footballs, running radio-controlled cars, and kicking soccer balls. It wasn't long before he found the gravel walking trail and proceeded to get dirty by picking up the loose rocks and throwing them. Then he got both hands on the ground and swirled the gravel and dirt all around.

We played for over an hour, but like all good things, we finally had to call it a day and take him home for a nap. He wasn't ready to leave, but as soon as we got him home, he went right to sleep. And so did his mommy and I. But it was one of the most exciting days we've shared together as a family.

Play Me a Song, You're the Piano Man

In some ways it's depressing to see my little guy grow up so quickly, but on the other hand it's exciting to see him learn new things, develop new skills, and discover new interests. One of those interests is music. The melodies seem to calm him down and music always gets his attention.

Just last fall we took him down to a tailgating party at the University of Alabama. While on the quad, band members were warming up. A group of trombonists were playing "Yea Alabama," and when they stopped Phoenix started crying. When they started up again, he ran around in circles screaming with delight. A few weeks ago he was in a bad mood due to teething, but I got out my guitar and played the few songs that I know. He immediately cheered up. And just the other day I played some drum corps DVDs and he sat and watched an entire show.

Based on his interest in music, Wendy and I have decided to enroll him in a toddler music class. It will start in a couple of weeks and will last 45 minutes each Monday. He will be introduced to a number of different instruments and will learn the basics of music. I can't wait to see how he responds. I'll definitely be there with the video camera rolling.

Playdate with Cousin Isabelle

A couple of weeks ago, Phoenix invited over Cousin Isabelle to play. He was so excited when she got there and started spinning around in circles waving his hands, it was really sweet to see him so excited. Aunt Lori & Cousin Brady decided to stay and have fun too.

Brady is 3 months old now and is such a big boy. While Lori was there we went through some of Phoenix's 6mth, 9mth & 12mth clothes because this little guy is running out of room in his current outfits! Phoenix was happy to share his clothes with Cousin Brady.

When you have Phoenix & Isabelle together they are quite a handful. I don't know how MamaC does it every Tuesday! Lots of patience & love! They did really well playing together and Lori & I enjoyed getting to spend some time together too. We can't wait to get the kiddos together again really soon.

They are trying to decide what trouble they can get into next!

Big Boy Brady

Isabelle is always being a little Mommy to Phoenix!

She is saying "Cheese"

Watch My Mad Keyboard Skills

Quack Attack

Up until last Saturday we had not taken our little boy to Star Lake in Hoover. It's a beautiful little place right next to the Hoover Country Club. When the weather is nice you will see a number of people out walking and enjoying the day. There are also a number of ducks, geese, and swans that swim in the water and walk around on the bank.

We thought our Little Guy would really enjoy the chance to go out and feed the ducks, so we armed ourselves with a small loaf of bread and went out to enjoy the afternoon. Phoenix was excited to be out, but wasn't sure about the ducks. He wasn't scared of them, but he wasn't smiling at them either. He simply stared at them and studied them. Wendy and I showed him how to pinch off pieces of bread and toss them to the ducks and he showed mild interest. He eventually took a piece of bread himself and dropped it in front of a waiting bird, but even then he didn't shriek with excitement. He was very studious. He got a great thrill out of walking around the park and taking in the sights. He also enjoyed walking around in the wood chips of a nearby natural area and picking up pine cones. Here are a few pictures.