Big Steps

Milo makes his way up Woodminster Cascade in Oakland - 15 Aug 2010. The little guy made it all the way to the top of these stairs, minus the last three steps. After knocking off 95 percent, he just seemed to lose interest and asked me to carry him up the last few steps. Not quite the Rocky moment I'd have liked, but impressive regardless. It made for a pretty good picture - all kinds of symbolism, eh?

15 Aug 2010 - Maddy hits the slide before heading to the stairs at Woodminster.

Maddy, Mom, & Grandpa - 6 Aug 2010 - Crab House, Pier 39, San Fran.

We hosted Grandpa for a very nice, week-long visit at the beginning of August, and took him on the usual rounds to Little Farm, lots of parks, Fairy Land, and the Oakland Farmers' market. A good time had by all. It's always nice to have an extra set of adult hands to make sure the duo aren't setting fire to the house while Mom and Dad are busy, and the kids got a real bang out of Grandpa.

15 Aug 2010 - Loki & Milo

Most of you probably recall our Loki and his mom and dad, Kat & Jesse. (See http://babylokisky.blogspot.com/.) Unfortunately, they are moving to the Netherlands in the next couple weeks. The had a going away party this afternoon, and the kids got to hang out together for one last time for a while to come. They'll be missed for sure.

Maddy & Loki

In size order: Maddy, Milo, & Loki

Milo, Maddy, & Loki. Milo shows off his stair climbing skills.

We're pretty well moved into the new joint now, and one of the nice fringe benefits of the place turns out to be the ducks. Lots and lots of relatively fearless ducks. These critters are bold enough to take bread right out of your hand and can get pretty greedy at times. Needless to say, the kids love them. Yeah, I know, don't feed the wildlife...

A quick glance at this picture, and you'd probably assume Maddy was out and about on her tricycle. Turns out she does like to sit on the tricycle and ring the bell, but she doesn't do it often. What she really likes to do is where her helmet around for no particular reason. It all started a few weeks ago when I put it on her and told her how fancy and pretty she looked in her bike helmet. Of course, she does look cute in it, but she's decided to make it a fashion accessory. Given how often she jumps off things and tends to bang her head, it's probably a good thing.

Another step forward: Maddy takes her first ride on the big kid swings. She didn't want to go very high, and there were a couple minor spills (where's that helmet when you need it?), but she did really well and kept coming back for more. That's our girl!

M&M hanging out in the backyard. With a little help from Grandpa, we were able to bring the fountain back from the dead. Unfortunately the kids new favorite past time is putting handfuls of dirt and rocks into it. Maybe they think it's hungry.

Above: Yet another trip to Little Farm in Tilden Park, Berkeley. Fun, cheap entertainment for the kids. For the cost of a few packages of celery, the kids can walk around and feed the cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and pigs - all the standards and more.

Above: A promising start. M&M take a ride on the old porcelain express. Of late they have noticed other older kids at daycare using the potty, and they have started asking to sit on it as well. We decided to give them the chance at home too. We're not expecting an end to diapers anytime real soon, but it will be nice.

Parting shot: M&M head for home.