If there is one thing that I have learned about Cole this summer it is that he loves to swim!!! I know he has loved it the past few summers too but this summer it is the only thing that he wants to do. Whenever I ask him what we should do that day he immediately says "Swim!" He has gotten a lot more confident in the water as well. He insists on wearing his life jacket so that he can swim "alone." Last week when we were swimming at my friend, Kellie's, he even hopped off of the diving board into my friend, Marla's, arms. He can blow bubbles in the water and does not mind putting his face in the water. Cole laughs and laughs the whole time we are swimming and hates to leave. It is so much fun to see him enjoy this so much...especially when it is over 90 degrees and I am pregnant. Swimming is the only thing I feel like doing too. It will be fun to spend so much time in the water this year and luckily we have a few friends who are nice enough to share their pools with us. Maybe one day we will have one of our own....one day!
There is nothing better on a hot summer day than a sandbox, a baby pool and a Popsicle!
As you know Cole loves trains! I mean, loves them! One thing we have been wanting to get for Cole for a long time is a train set but we did not have the room for one in our old house. When we decided to move we also decided that we would have Santa bring a train set to Cole this year. Well, we were all shocked when my parents asked us if they could get Cole a train set to help celebrate the new home (and give him a great play space all his own when Lily Kate gets here). The night we moved in my parents took Cole to the mall for dinner (he loves the Japanese restaurant there) and Rhonald and I stayed behind to set up the train set. We were on pins and needles waiting for him to get home. We went ahead and gave him a bath and got him ready for bed and then told him to go look in his play room. His reaction did not disappoint! He screamed when he saw the table and train set and then asked over and over "Is this mine? Is this for me?" He went right to work playing and reorganizing his new things. It was torture to get him to bed that night but we made it. I think he has played with the train every second of every day that we have been in the house. The only time we can get him away from it is when we go outside to play. We are so thankful for such a generous gift. I think we have all enjoyed playing with it and watching Cole enjoy it so much!
We are lucky enough to have the best of both worlds...my parents live near a big city and Rhonald's parents live out in the country. We love visiting both places for various reasons. This past week Rhonald was on vacation and while we were scheduled to spend the week in Florida we decided to stay closer to home (thanks BP). Rhonald's mom was in Costa Rica on a mission trip with their church so we headed down to see Paw Paw and keep him company. We all had a blast - especially Cole. He loves being outside so Paw Paw's cabin is heaven for him. He was able to go fishing, on boat rides, play in the garden, and swim in the lake. He was so funny - he has been to the ocean but never a lake so he kept asking where the whales and dolphins were! He picked lots and lots of peppers and tomatoes and peas in the garden...he loves to eat the things that he has picked which is very nice. Cole also found a pair of binoculars and he loved looking at anything and everything through them. If he was parted from them for long he would ask "Where are my noculars?" I swear, he is more precious every day! He and Rhonald spent a lot of time on the dock fishing and Cole even got to see a very wild Rainbow trout. He would shout with delight when the fish would jump out of the water and once it was thrown back he yelled "catch another one!" I don't think Rhonald or his dad had ever tried so hard to catch a fish in their lives! We were able to visit Rhonald's grandma which was nice. Cole slept through the entire visit with her but she was happy just to see him. Cole's biggest find of the trip was a big, fuzzy caterpillar who he named Butterfly. He instantly picked a few leaves for Butterfly and we made him a home in a mason jar. Cole took that little guy everywhere - it was so cute! He was so proud of the fact that he found him and that Butterfly actually ate the leaves he had picked for him. It was such a nice visit and one that we hope to repeat very soon! I do think Cole, like his daddy, is a bit of a country boy at heart!!!
