That doesn't mean we've been sitting around though! We went to the Woodland Park Zoo with Joya. Liam danced to Johnny D at Elbert's retirement party (in the rain!) and Liam's turning into a little boy a little more every day.
Liam's Taxonomy
To start with, the zoo was a hit! Woodland Park Zoo is bigger than the Point Defiance Zoo, which is the one where we usually go. As we arrived, we ran into my boss Julie and her daughter, who live near the zoo. (It's a tiny little world when you think about it!)
The first animals we saw were the jaguars, who were right up near the front glass, walking around. Joya said to Liam, "Do you see the jaguar?" and he pointed and said "jag-war." This was his first polysyllabic word, and it shocked us both. All the other animals were 'bird' 'fish' or 'ar-oo' which means dog. Bear = dog. Giraffe = dog (after a long thought). Flamingo = bird. Lizard = bird. Whale = fish. Otter = dog and fish. This is Liam's taxonimy.
Country Boy
Our good friend Elbert retired this summer, and the BBQ party was held in his honor. It drizzled, but we didn't care. We were surprised to see some far away friends there, like new grandpa Joe Kresse. Dallas, who was maybe 8 at our wedding, was there with is mom Carolyn (also a good friend). They live in Canada, so we rarely get to see them.
Liam walked around the garden with Margie and Cara. The neighbor has a horse, which captivated (and frightened) Liam. The highlight of the evening was a John Denver performance. Is it still called an impersonator if the singer is dead? Liam stood outside the open window, watching John Denver play and sing. At the end of the evening, a beautiful rainbow crossed the sky.
New Experiences
The next weekend was a big one in Liam's little world. First, Liam's climber arrived. We've been discussing the need for some kind of climbing toy for Liam. He LOVES to climb and slide. With winter coming, it seemed like we'd better get one. Lynda told us which one Thomas loved, and that's the one we have!
The same day, by coincidence, one of our neighbors held a garage sale. We picked up food and a little play kitchen. When Liam's playing in his kitchen, he says num, num, num. He also picked up two new cars, which live in the oven. When you're one, anything goes! The same weekend, Liam spent his first night away from home, without Mommy & Daddy. He went up to Joya and Wiley's house, where he had lots of fun playing with the kitties and watching an Olympic diving competition on TV. Apparently Liam clapped after every dive, and he was captivated.
He also does a good job with his puzzle, which has animals on it. If you ask him to pick up the turtle, for example, he knows which one it is, and where it goes. (He still needs help fitting it into the space properly.)
New Words
Liam's become a lot more vocal lately, for sure. He doesn't yet say jaguar on his own, but if we had one at home he might! He learned about cows (they moo) at school, along with the choo choo. Trains, cars and trucks are nearly an obsession right now. Liam can't yet say tractor, so instead he calls the tractor book 'ah-ah'. He's gradually developing words for the things he likes.
Eating is also much better, now that Liam's taking medicine for acid reflux. We'll talk to the doc about keeping him on it. He must know that it helps him because he's always willing to take it. It smells like Listerene, so it can't taste wonderful. Liam loves bananas, cheese and cookies. Luckily, he can say all three of those words.
Photos below from the new climber, and an impromptu playdate with Liam's friends Carter (almost 2) and Devin (13 months).
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| August Playtime |
