Water, baby! And, weekend roundup.

So far this week, Amos and I have explored our water options to keep cool this summer. We drove north to a park that has fountains and sprinklers and then yesterday, we checked out the pool nearby. The word is that the best time to go is around 3 in the afternoon, after all of the kids camps have come and gone. Lots of families from our church go too. We went around 4 and not many people were there, so it was a good time to check it out! Getting pictures of both water locations was tough, so I only got one of the sprinkler park. But we hope to go today, since Nathan has the day off and get lots of pictures. Amos loved the sprinkler park, running around in the water. He was a bit more tentative with the pool, happy to sit on the side and play with a little fountain that goes into the pool. By the end of it, Amos was walking in the water, swirling his hands and wanting to get further in. Last night I got a floaty to put around him so he doesn't fall into the water. We need to work on swimming skills! I realized yesterday that it's been so long since I've lived somewhere where people go swimming regularly because it's so hot. We would swim occassionally at the Riberas' condo pool last summer but even then, it had been awhile. So I've had to remember to bring things like toys, floaties and even the towel. Hopefully I'll get into a routine and have it all figured out soon!

Nathan is home today, which Amos has really enjoyed. He got his little pretend keyboard out while Nathan was checking his email. And as they were getting ready to go on a walk, their matching outfits started to fade into each other! Nathan and I both don't feel so hot today, so we're looking forward to nap time for a big family rest, before our pool outing!!

This weekend was good, recovering from the week, unpacking, getting things done. On Sunday, we celebrated Ocho de Junio (8th of June) by making our own grilled, stuffed burritos (that had to be toothpicked in multiple places so they wouldn't fall apart!) and finishing our Bartles and James bottled Margaritas from Cinco de Mayo! Amos enjoyed his own little bean, cheese and sour cream burrito (we're getting him started on the right foot!) and wanted to use a fork, just like us. The only proper fork I have for him right now is a plastic fork and that seemed to work well for awhile, until he figured out how to bend it! And then I gave him one of ours. I'll have to pick up a little Amos fork next time at the store...he's getting so big!!

By yesterday before lunch, we had had our two therapist appointments. Ms. Christine came on Monday for a makeup appointment and worked with Amos on stepping over obstacles (balance etc) and walking up the stairs. Our steps are a bit taller and harder for him to navigate, but she was happy with the way that he leans forward and walks up the steps on his playhouse upstairs. We're continuing to work with him on going up and down stairs, to strengthen his thigh muscles and get his legs to circle through.

Our appointment with Ms. Hannah yesterday morning went well, also. Amos sat for awhile, playing with her child sized keyboard that had lots of buttons and interesting noises. He hasn't really played with one before and he loved it. He also did lots of clapping, singing and drumming, which she was also impressed with. At one point, he got out some stuffed animals and Sesame Street finger puppets. He made them dance and laughed when we got them to talk to him. She commented that play like that (dramatic play) is really an advanced concept for kids his age and that they usually don't do that until about 2 1/2. She said that since it's such an abstract concept, kids are figuring out the concrete facts in their environment before being able to pretend and play. Once she said it was abstract, it all made sense. Amos is showing signs of having his dad's abstract thinking and technical curiosity and when I explained that to her, she wasn't surprised either. She also said that his singing shows his innate ear and ability for music, another thing that was good to confirm and again, that wasn't surprising. Amos shows a real interest in music, many instruments and singing, on a constant basis. If he hears and instrument in the music we're listening to, he'll pretend to play it. The funniest is when he does an electric guitar solo because he scrunches up his face and makes a high pitched sound. Again, all of this is not too shocking, as Amos is probably genentically geared for this and watches his dad play music each week. It's just really amazing to see him engaging with music so thoroughly and so early.

Hannah was also glad that Amos sat for 5-7 minutes doing one activity with her. And noticed that he was using his voice more to communicate. Both of these things are things he does regularly around here, but I didn't feel like arguing with her, so I just nodded and smiled. Sometimes when she comes, he gets worked up and excited and wants to play with her toys and such. Yesterday, though, he woke up really early and was a little bit sleepy and subdued by the time she showed up so I think that helped! Either way, both therapist visits have been good, overall, and help us know how to continue to work with and challenge Amos. It's a new chapter in his life and sometimes I need to remember to really work with him as those less urgent and tangible things can be hard to keep on the radar. But Amos is doing well, making progress and becoming a little two year old!!