I'm gonna PUSH the button....

Austin discovered how to push the power button on the TV (ummmm....don't know who showed him that one.... ::ducking:: ) and will periodically exercise Daddy's patience by turning the TV on and off in the middle of the news updates, or perhaps by waking up in the morning and turning on some cartoons...then turning them off...and on....and off....

Snuggles for Momma

Getting a little impromptu Austin lovin' in the backyard. ::warm fuzzies::

Austin and Clark...

Here's Austin enthusiastically "bah"ing at something.....he looks very expedition-worthy ::giggle::

Hammock time....

Nana came over to play in the backyard with Austin and I and had to try out the hammock Pete put up recently. Ummmm....it's awesome.....Nana would not be making that happy face if it wasn't!

Vroom Vroom!

Grandma Katie sent up this ride-on toy for Austin's first birthday. Here he is enjoying the "vroom, vroom" noise it makes. He hasn't quite figured out how to make the "digger" work, but he's scooted along on it and thinks he's pretty tough stuff.

Mini-Austin

So, I got a Waldorf-doll kit and made a mini-Austin. I still need to name him, and Austin hasn't gotten into it yet, but the idea behind Waldorf dolls is that the faces are simple and pleasant and they are made out of natural fibers (cotton, wool, etc) so are nice to touch. I wanted him to have a "buddy" that he can eventually take on "adventures" or use in play therapy (ie, kids can process through their own issues through play, and having a "human" doll can help facilitate this). So, here is the end product. If you know his name, email me!! It might just have to be Tad...in honor of Austin's pre-arrival nickname from Tash ::giggle::

Playsilks

Austin loves playing on the deck since it's grass-clod free and he can view the world (backyard) from his vantage point. Here I wanted to take a pic of our playsilks we made with a bunch of friends and he thought it was great for peek-a-boo.

p.s. Playsilks are simple, bright (obviously) pieces of cloth that can be turned into anything. The red and orange get shoved through doll-house windows as "fire" the green and blue ones become "grass" and "water" for grazing/sailing. Wizard capes, knight costumes, dancing props, "food", "sauce", covers for stuffed animals, peek-a-boo, etc. They're AWESOME! And, it's SO much cheaper and fun to buy white ones and have a dyeing party with a bunch of friends!