Crawling on the beach

Gavin has finally perfected his crawl...just in time to start walking! He really enjoyed being on the beach and this time did not try to eat too much sand. He was like a little sea turtle heading straight to the water. I picked him up and put him way back by our towels and down he would crawl again. He was quite determined but took my thwarting of his efforts with typical good-humor.

Bathtime Boy

More beach pics

Beach Bum

First written word - mainly unassisted!

If you look closely here, you will see Claire's first written word...untraced, uncopied. I asked her to write a D, then an A and then another D...there it was: DAD! I did tell her where to put the letters as they would have been in opposite corners of the page, and possibly

on the table, but isn't she just the most brilliant! Blah, blah...I am her mom, figures I would say that but in this case it is actually true.

Time to adjust the crib...

Gavin is pulling up on anything that he can these days, and he had a big lump on his forehead to show that getting down is not as easy as pulling up. In other news, one of his top teeth has come through, finally. His poor gums! It's a relief to finally see the tooth. In just about a month he will be a year old! Incredible. Trite as it may sound, time really does fly...I can't believe it has been a year already!
We are off to Florida on Tuesday, the kids and I. Shane will be here working and going to school. He had his first all day Saturday class this week....8-4. What a drag! Poor guy. We will also be heading up to Toronto to visit Auntie Sarah which we are all excited about. (Well, Gavin doesn't really understand, but he is just generally excited and that counts.) Claire is quite the warm-climate child, shivering with cold when it is below 70. I am priming her by telling her that it's no big deal, cold weather, you just have to put on more clothes to stay warm. She seems to get it but the true test will be when we get off the plane in Buffalo. We are also going to colder climes at Christmas when we will go to Ruidoso, NM. I am hoping for a white Christmas!
The other day, Claire was pretending that I was Gummy and Gavin was Babu and I think she was practicing her arrival in FL...lots of running and big hugs....just the way she does off the shuttle train from the arrival gate in Tampa. Gummy and Babu, please be on time so all this practice doesn't go to waste!!
Auntie Sarah is running her big race today...the NYC Marathon! Claire is really hopeful that she will win the big trophy. I am really hopeful that she has a great experience and no blisters. GO SARAH GO!!