Beach and a Pool

Summer has arrived! In fact, it has been so hot here this week, we have been scrambling for ways to beat the heat. We tried the beach on Tuesday afternoon which was fun, but Daniel was more excited that Grandma brought watermelon than playing in the water and sand. Later, we took a late night trip to the store in search of an air conditioner for Daniel's room, and that helped him sleep better. Yesterday we broke out the Giraffe Pool, and the first thing Daniel did was pee in it. We're not sure if he was "claiming" the pool, or trying to warm the water.

Daniel's 7th tooth came through this week, and we'll probably have an 8th very soon. His doctor's appointment for today, just a well-baby check up, was cancelled today so we'll need to reschedule for another day. Today begins the Soo Locks festival in town and the one day a year people are allowed to cross the locks into the engineers' building. Now that our afternoon has been freed up, we may find ourselves down there later today.

Long Time, No See...

Phew. We have been waiting and waiting for summer to get here, and all I can say is that it is here! Since the Montana clan is here, we have been spending most of our time at the Compound. It's been really fun having everyone here, and Daniel is loving all the extra attention!

In other Daniel news, he is up to six teeth, with a seventh trying to come through. He is also trying to move from crawling to walking, and will stand at the couch for a few minutes before tipping over. Most mornings we find him standing up in the crib...usually quite proud of himself. We've been giving him more and more table food, and are cutting back on the pureed stuff which Daniel seems happy with.

A Big Weekend

We've been busy so far this weekend. We are supposed to be on our way to Erin's graduation party, but apparently Daniel is soooo tired because he is still napping! Now that Daniel is mobile, he loves checking out places around the house besides the area rug. Lately, he likes to look through the books on the bookcase. Yesterday we went to Grandma and Grandpa's. While everyone was busy cleaning fish, Daniel and Grandma dined at a restaurant run by two of his cousins, Julianne and Riley.

Pancakes!

We have been feeding Daniel more and more "real" food. This morning, since Brian, Daniel, and myself were up before 9am (an uncommon event in the Howell home) we decided to make pancakes. Then we questioned: To syrup, or not to syrup? Since Daniel was in desperate need of a bath, we decided on syrup. The pancakes were a hit! We could tell when he started getting full because he was more willing to share with Penny!

Party 'til the....umm, Chicks come home!

On Sunday, the not-so-little chicks were locked in their coop for the short trip from the Compound to our house. So far they seem happy with their new surroundings, and perhaps more importantly, no one has complained yet! Just can't wait until they start laying eggs...

Daine's Graduation Party

Saturday we went to Daine's graduation party. We had a good time getting to see everyone, but I think Daniel's favorite part was the pets! The Pavloski's have 5 kittens, a new puppy, and Rocky - a dog small enough to be a puppy as far as Daniel is concerned! Daniel thought the bonfire was also very cool.

Sunny Day!

Yesterday was the first nice day we have had in a long time. We took full advantage of the sunshine by getting outside and playing in the garden. Daniel was happy hanging out in his playpen, and Brian and I got a lot done. Even Penny came outside for awhile!

Eggs!

Daniel had egg yolks for the first time this morning! He really seemed to like them...which is good since we will have more eggs than we know what to do with this fall! This was also the first time he had fed himself an entire meal. Penny was so excited, and is now sleeping off the excitement and a full belly on the couch. If the sun stays out, we will probably make our way to the Farmer's Market this afternoon.
Daniel's top two teeth have finally come through! I can't believe how fast they are coming in...he'll be able to eat corn on the cob by the end of the summer for sure!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Phew! We have had a busy week! Since Daniel has started crawling, there isn't a dull moment at home. His favorite things to get into have been Penny's rawhide chews and her water dish. He has already pulled the water dish down and started playing in the water! We seem to have broken Penny of getting into Daniel's toys...it had never occurred to me that we would have to keep Daniel out of Penny's toys! We have been garage sale-ing, shopping in Gaylord, and watched Erin's graduation, too!