Pile On!

Mama just (in May 2011) discovered this photo sitting in her email.

I just had to post this memory: For about 2 months or so, Will would take all of his bedtime friends (Kitty, assorted cars and trucks etc.) plus any pillows he could find and put them on his chair. Then he would climb on top! We called it his throne. This isn't the best photo, but I think it's the only one we've got. It'll have to do.

19 Months Old

A Visit from Aunt Katie

Aunt Katie left Cousin Alex with Uncle Scott and escaped to San Francisco to visit us this weekend.

She joined Mama and Will at Acrosports.

And then we headed to the Discovery Museum for some construction...
















 













...painting

....hide and seek in the willow maze

  
...and some snuggles and kisses...

























....before heading out for a bike ride to find some sunshine!

Grandparent-fest 2010

We celebrated Grandparent-fest 2010 (you may recall Grandparent-fest 2009) with a bang this year by visiting Ponte Vedra Beach over the 4th of July! Will was a real trooper during the trip, as he was recovering from croup and we were very worried we'd have to cancel. Thankfully, the pediatrician deemed him well enough to go, and although we were all a little under the weather, you wouldn't know it from the photos.

A highlight of the visit, besides seeing both sets of grandparents, of course, was Will's first trip to the beach - as in the beach complete with splashing in the waves and playing with sand toys. While he's certainly had his fair share of sand and waves on the Pacific, this was the official real deal Atlantic Coast beach experience. Will also discovered that he liked the taste of salt on his fingers!































































We were also excited to meet up with the Wardell clan. Dorothy Wardell is Grammy Donna's cousin. So Dorothy's adorable grandson, Dexter, is Will's ____? We'll come up with a fun prize for someone who knows the answer. In the meantime, you'll find Will and Dexter happily playing together, below. We were very impressed with how Dexter shared so well and how he was quick to show Will the ropes when it came to the sand toys. A high five goes to his parents, Cecily and Steve - they must be doing something right! We hope that Will learned a thing or two!















A visit with Poppie wouldn't be complete without tennis, and we delivered by scheduling our visit around Wimbledon. The fellas all enjoyed some great games, and we're sure that one day Will make a heck of a fourth player for their annual doubles match; in the meantime, Wimbledon was the backdrop for playtime. Will and Granddad even had matching outfits on.















All the adults also took in the sea breeze and fresh seafood during a relaxing dinner at the Club's restaurant, while Will wreaked havoc at home with a sitter.















And on Will's last day, he showed off his push-toy skills while he and Grammy Donna explored the driveway and other surrounds.





















Here's to Grandparent-fest 2010!

Happy Father's Day 2010

We enjoyed a pancake breakfast at the West Point Inn for Father's Day at one of Daddy's favorite spots, Mt. Tam! Daddy biked in the Marin Headlands and met us at the trailhead to hike in. Will is becoming quite the climber!

Rub-a-Dub-Dubby

...Will makes bathtime lots of fun!

Sweet Will

A Windy Memorial Day at Crissy Field

Our First Family Vacation

We've done our fair share of traveling since Will was born. But we hadn't yet had a vacation until this trip. We hit the beach at Club Med Ixtapa and loved it. Normally we're a bit more adventure-oriented and less resort-oriented, but as they say, having a baby changes everything. To wit, we did not leave the resort the entire time, if you don't count sailing and kayaking in the bay.

While Mom and Dad were relaxing, Will enjoyed Baby Club Med. His animal sound imitations were a particular hit (especially his "woof-woof"). During excursions in the Baby Med red wagon, Will carried himself like a future politician. Deemed "Mr. Social," by the end of the week, people we didn't know would stop to wave and greet him by name.

As for Mom and Dad, we can't wait to go back next year!

Bus-Spotting

While Will may not have yet acquired the breadth and depth of a dedicated trainspotter, he is testing the waters with bus-spotting. While all buses "count," he has learned to distinguish between the Muni buses and school buses, which he refers to as "Buuuh. Lelow." ("Bus. Yellow.") But the classic white and orange Muni buses are his favorites, and he has a particular affinity for the 43-Masonic and 3-Jackson lines. From his new forward-facing vantage point in his car seat - aka "the mobile throne" - our keen spotter spies buses in the rearview and side mirrors, coming around corners and cresting over hills that we would otherwise miss. With Mom in the passenger seat this weekend, we had the opportunity to catch our bus-spotter in action: