 |
| Water Fun |
Edmund begins school this coming Tuesday, so I took it upon myself this week to have several adventures with him. Despite the fact that summer doesn't officially end for a couple of weeks, I still feel that once September arrives, summer is over. Classes, school, and obligations begin again. I feel like I spent this summer bleary-eyed, although I suppose that is to be expected with a newborn. Edmund probably felt he had a grand time all summer, but I had mommy guilt about not doing as much with him as I would have liked. Thus, I decided to get myself together so we could try a few new things before the majority of our time is spent going from school to soccer practices and the like.
 |
| Rocket Painting |
Early in the week I took Edmund (and Evie) to a drop-in art studio for preschoolers at a local business called Bull City Craft. Playcraft, as it is called, is offered Monday-Thursday from 11-12 and 4-5. It was $5 for the hour and well worth it. The owners have a child of their own and as so, are great with the children. When we got there Edmund was given a ball of dough into which he mixed purple paint and glitter to make his own custom play dough. Next he went to the large art table with the other children, who happened to all be girls on this particular day, and painted several pictures with water colors. Edmund set out to make a rocket ship and he did. He also made several pictures in the impressionist style. The man leading the session was happy to let Edmund paint as many pictures as he wanted. He also commented that he wouldn't be surprised if Edmund became some sort of artist when he gets older. We'll have to see, but Edmund is certainly into crafts right now. At the end of the session the teacher offered stamps and a large piece of paper for the children to stamp on to their hearts' content. I thought Edmund would spend the majority of his time here, but to my surprise he went back to the play dough. What we loved most about Playcraft was the variety of materials to explore and the fact we were free to be messy without worrying about clean-up.
 |
| 3 Months |
A couple days later we headed to a Durham park we don't get to often, called Forest Hills. The park is near Bull City Craft which reminded me we should go. During the cooler months there isn't much reason for us to go the extra miles for the pretty typical playground, but in the summer the park offers a sprayground. I decided Edmund could end his August with a run through the sprinklers. Edmund came up with the idea to pack a picnic lunch. Edmund had a great time running through the water with the three other boys who were there that day, including another 4 year old who was vacationing in Durham with his family from England. As Edmund played and splashed I couldn't help but think how far he's come since the beginning of summer when getting water in his eyes caused uncontrollable tears. Nothing can stop Edmund now. Evie was also very amused by the running and splashing. She thinks big brother is great as long as he keeps his distance.
 |
| First Time in Swing |
Currently Evie simply goes along for the ride, but she seems to enjoy all the sights even if she can't actively participate just yet. She is getting so big and this past week hit many new milestones. Evie has been rolling from tummy to back since she was a few weeks old, but can now consistently roll from back to tummy. She also began grasping toys. Her favorites are her O-Ball and a rattle phone, although I'm not sure any child these days would actually recognize it as a phone. She loves to play with her toys, and by play I mean shove them in her mouth. Today we decided to put her in a swing at the park. We know she is a bit small, but thought we'd try it for a second. To our surprise she loved the swing and even let us push her gently. For a 3 month old she has excellent head control. I suppose I forget she is a bit young for the control she has, but this is the first things other parents comment on when they first meet Evie.
Both children are giving Steven and me so much joy. I'd be lying if I said we didn't have our challenges. We do have a very silly, yet strong willed 4 year old, and a little girl growing by leaps and bounds. We're trying our hardest to give both children many opportunities while also teaching them to have respect for others and their surroundings. If we can do that we'll feel like we've done our job as parents. Thank you all for helping us along the way.
