Growing little boy

Liam is too much.  Really.  It's so hard to keep track of all the cute and amazing things he does.  I randomly found an old video of him from when he was 18 months old and I actually thought I didn't know that little baby because he's such a figment from the little boy Liam is today.  I'll try to describe some of the fun we've have the last few weeks.

So, the three of us packed up our house in Lancaster after two very fun visits, one from Graw and one from Nana.  We toured Amish houses, found a fantastic brewery at which to eat and drink, rode the four wheeler, and did other very fun things.  We've been down in NOLA with Gigi and Pa for the past few weeks and while Dad worked, I've been staying home with the little dude.  We started off the summer with swim lessons  (particularly important since Gigi and Pa have a pool in the backyard).  These went fabulously!  His very first day he was not a fan and cried quite a bit, but by the time we were home and trying things out in the pool here, he was having a blast.  He likes to tell himself "Ok, I'm going to be brave" and he does new things.  (This has continued throughout the summer for other things but it started with swimming.)  After his ten lessons were up, Liam can jump into the pool and swim across it or back to the wall, he can swim the entire length and is working on coming up for air on his own, he's jumped off of Pa's shoulders, he can swim like a dolphin (no, I'm not kidding, he said watch me and he imitated a dolphin by picking his butt up and down in the water with his legs together, I have NO idea where he learned how to do this and I've been with him 24/7).  He's totally comfortable in the water and uses no goggles.  He's come a very long way from the little boy who didn't like to be splashed at all.  (This has also made taking showers go from impossible to pretty easy.)  He even started floating on his back tonight.  Amazing little swim bug.

He says some of the darnest things.  For example, he likes to tell us stories about how when he was a little baby, such and such happened.  We didn't know about it because we weren't around.  Or, when he used to live with a stranger, they used to put syrup on their popcorn and it tasted really good, so we should try it.  When David and I have asked about him "living with a stranger" he says that he knew them, they just didn't know his name.  It's weird, it sounds weird, but I like the creative freedom it gives him so I'm letting him run with it.  He tells us all kinds of things he's gotten to do with this stranger, or when he was a baby (or, when we were babies and he was a grown up, that's happened too).

He told me the other day, in response to my "I love you" that he really loved his daddy.  I told him I thought that was great, Daddy is awesome to love and I love him too.  I said I love both Daddy and Liam, maybe he could love both of us.  He told me, and I quote, "I'll have to think about that a bit and discuss it with Daddy when he gets home."  Ok, Mr. Businessman.  (Of course, I get lots of I love yous five minutes later.)

David and Liam went to vacuum out the car and Liam was helping, but he really didn't like how the vacuum would stick to the seat or the carpet.  He told David, "I'm not gonna help, Daddy, I'm just gonna hold the hose and supervise."  Too much.

I'm putting him down for nap and he tells me he can't sleep because "The problem is, Mom, that the bed says 'Play' on it, so, I have to play in it.  I can't sleep.  Silly."  For the record, the sheets are beige with no words on them.

When I tell him something he's doing isn't a very good idea, he'll tell me that he can't help it,"it's the way I'm made" (since that's what I say to a lot of "why?" questions about bugs, clouds, trees, etc.) or "that's the way my story's written, Mom" (based on the whole, change the story idea from Super Why and the Super readers who "change the story to save the day").

We've have a really nice time hanging out these past few weeks.  We went down to the fishing camp a couple of times (and once Nana and Papa Rick got to meet us there!) and we went to Franklinton (Liam's FAVORITE place because he has LOTS of big toys, by toys I mean a go cart, four wheeler, and tractor.  No, these are not actual toys but Uncle Timmy's real things that Liam gets to ride around when he's not playing in the river on the beautiful beach).  When David and I leave this weekend to start our big move, he'll be going to the beach with Gigi and Pa as well.

Liam got to go to a monster truck rally while here.  David and I stayed home to build him a loft bed (which came out beautifully, for the record, oh, and we have two since Liam was building a loft bed for David and I along side us, the sweet boy) and although Liam had a ton of fun getting to climb on the trucks and get held by the drivers, there wasn't very much driving actually.  Liam has gotten to hang out with Pawpaw and Roro, Graw, Uncle Ian and Aunt Andie, we got to see Great Pawpaw and Grandma Ruthie several times, and we've had a good time overall.  We went to the Bayou Boogaloo, which was fun but too hot.

Liam likes to do "paper studies" where he collects papers, makes mail, works on the computer, and does other things to act like a grown up.  He's really been liking taking photos (hence the close-ups and odd shots below, the fleur de lis is my favorite of his so far).  Oh, and he just told David a story today about Curious George's friend, Curious John.  Curious John lives in South America but spends a lot of time at the North Pole working with Santa.  And he's a monkey too.  :)  Enjoy the host of photos, many super belated (like those from New York and whatnot).

Other new stuff

Liam also has created little pets.  One is a little stone fleur de lis that he decided was a little turtle.  He carried it around the house and would ask us to pet it and protect it. 

Sometimes he decides that the couch is something like a firetruck or recycling truck or train or ambulance.  We get on and he takes us on an adventure.  He says that his little tablet is "Tom" the gps.  We work on all the stuff and go places.  Good times.

Liam has been up to lots of new things lately.  He's been coming up with new games and pretending.  He'll tell us that we're rhinos and he's the zoo keeper.  He takes care of us and makes sure we don't walk in the street.  He will also take care of his stuffed animals like babies, he even calls them his cubs, cuddling and singing to them.  He's created games like we have to throw the ping pong ball and hit something to bounce it into a hat.  Another activity is rhyming.  He will walk around saying rhyming words and occasionally make sure with us that they rhyme.  He just said "food, mood lood, tood, that rhymes."  He'll even try to rhyme and make up songs.

His structures activities have been going well too.  He's been doing very well at gymnastics and basketball.  He's certainly learning to follow directions and wait his turn.  All good things.  We have crazy busy weeks coming up with visitors and preparing to move.  Pictures and videos to come.

One last group of holiday pictures

Okay, here's the last group of holiday pictures.  There are a total of four posts that I just put up, so make sure you scroll back and check them all out.

Right before the Christmas holidays, we spent two days in Baltimore.  The aquarium there has a dolphin show that Liam thoroughly enjoyed.

Uncle Cale reading a book to Liam

Scooping and Dumping at Nana's house

Sliding down the pole at a playground in OKC

That tablet definitely made the car rides easier.

Liam playing with Lucy at a random playground somewhere in North Carolina.

Santa left Liam this six foot long train in Lancaster.  "All aboard!"

Liam enjoys building car washes with his blocks.  I'm not really sure why, but he likes to run his trucks through them when he's done. 

Every Tuesday Liam and I head to the farmers market for fresh produce.  We always end our trip with a cup of fresh apple juice and a pretzel.

Speaking of pretzels, when Josh and Megan visited, we went to the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in America, which in about 20 minutes north of Lancaster.  We all earned certificates declaring us official pretzel twisters. 

Liam made Matthew march in a parade with him.  Here they are carrying a banner.

 

Dancing with the Lone Ranger and Tonto Mardi Gras Day

More Holidays

Here are a few more pictures from our holiday the time between.....

Liam in his fort, playing with his tablet.

A headlamp for exploring his fort

We did get some snow in Lancaster in January.  Liam doesn't believe in snowballs, only in throwing shovels full of snow at people.  It keeps his hands from getting "freezing cold."

If you ask Liam what he saw at Mardi Gras, he will tell you that he saw a big train float.  Here he is checking out his favorite float. 

Liam spent a lot of time on my shoulders.  He got very into the whole thing this year, yelling at the top of his lungs.  He spent the first two days asking for a dinosaur before realizing that beads were okay too. 

Here is Liam on Mardi Gras day.  He sort of dressed up as a firefighter, although he wouldn't wear the jacket most of the day.

Marching with GiGi and his spear near Jackson Square

Here is Liam Mardi Gras morning, preparing for his day as a firefighting dinosaur warrior. 

We did manage to find time for a crawfish boil while we were in NOLA.  Here is Liam helping purge the Crawfish......

....and seasoning the water.