Blue Mounds State Park

We got back from a short 30 hr camping trip we took to SW Minnesota -- Blue Mounds State Park to be exact. The weather wasn't ideal, but wasn't all that bad either. We rented a tipi and mostly did a fair bit of hiking around the Sioux Quartzite outcropping and quarry that gives the park its name (apparently the red stone really looks blue from a distance).

S did pretty well on the trip and really enjoyed the opportunity to hone his rock climbing skills.

A few pics of the proof.

Unsafe at Any Speed

Our dear S, the joy of our gushy parental lives continues to engage our world at ever increasing speeds.  Over the past week or so, under the loving tutelage of his grandparents (all four, yay!) he has upgraded from the worm to a real, honest-to-goodness crawl.  His field of vision has greatly expanded and he now explicitly seeks out cat food, chocolate bars, small (now broken) carved stone frogs, containers of recycling, containers of mittens, containers of magazines, containers of plants, all other kinds of containers, cookbooks and brooms.  It's fun to watch.  We. Love. It.

Video, because it really did happen.  We're not sure who that awkward adult male voice in the video is... clearly not P, because he does not talk like that.

Progressing Like a Worm

Development of a small child is truly amazing to watch. Right now we're getting a firsthand look at how our little S works to understand the mechanics of crawling.  From the push-ups and "Cobra Pose" to the rocking back and forth on hands and knees, we've gotten to see a lot of techniques being tried out.  Recently the desire to have independent mobility has inspired S to do something C is calling "the worm."  It's not quite like the "worm dance," but you can maybe see the inspiration,  if you squint.

Mostly, for the family...

So, there are many updates we could/should be providing, but here is a brief update as to S's accomplishments of the day.  Lots of jumping, maybe even 30 minutes worth.  He took a nice long nap later that afternoon.

Food Progress

In the past month it is fairly clear that S is becoming more accomplished at eating solid foods and using sippy cups, but it's also painfully clear that his dad is slipping further and further into slightly embarrassing baby talk.