Last Free Days of Summer

Thought I'd add a quick update tonight, since we're leaving for Yellowstone on Weds. We're really wrapping up our summer here, because when we return we only have a week before classes begin. It's been one crazy summer! Since we've come home from Turkey, we've been to several parties for Riley's friends, and had many outings to the zoo and Arboretum. We get to spend a lot of out time outside each day too. Our garden is producing cucumbers, and has managed to set itself up to produce tomatoes by the ton while we're away [of course]. Riley's taking swimming and music classes once a week, and going to school too. So we're all very busy!

Riley's new skills include having mastered all his colors and he's now working hard on his numbers. Also learning to catch, which is pretty funny.

Our exploits...
A trip to the zoo last week revealed that Riley is suddenly harboring a fear of goats. I blame daycare.


I splurged and got him these big trucks. Trucks are all the rage right now. This was moments before he decided to ride the green one, which tipped him headfirst into the pavement, with a sickening "squishy" noise. The bruise is fading finally...


Some brilliant person brought a bounce house to a BBQ we went to. It was fabulous! Riley's here with his friends Abi, Andrew, Graham, and Evan [upsidedown].


Here's our first cucumbers! Riley loves to pick the veggies and thinks it's pretty cool. Not that he'll eat any of them, of course.

I let Riley help me cut up the cucumbers and tomato for a nice salad using his special safety knife. Doesn't he look proud?

Impending Stardom...

Back from Turkey, and everyone has survived the trip even though Delta did their best to ruin the trip home. Riley did just fabulous on the last leg of the trip with Daddy while I worked. They hung out at a small village festival, and went to a nice park with a pretty lake.



Riley is still a little bit jetlagged, even though we've been home over a week. So we're getting a lot done around the house in the early mornings before work. He's been having a great time exploring all his old toys again.

This week, Riley has shown some beginning signs of interest in the entertainment industry. He has previously been singing along to songs with hand motions and maybe a few words here and there. But a few days ago, he sang Twinkle Twinkle all the way through, in Riley speak. We were at the dinner table, and it took us a minute to figure out what was going on. I caught one rendition on video- here it is - he skipped the "like a diamond" line in this version, but it's a work in progress.




This morning, he was running around doing his best Britney Spears impression...

That's a toy canteen around his neck and paper slippers from the Hotel Nena in Istanbul on his little feet. I have no idea what happened to his shirt.