ssshhhhh

It's been fairly routine around here lately. The new term of swimming lessons started up again, and we've got a great instructor who will hopefully get FFM ready for the next level. We're still moving and grooving at the gym several days a week, I will have to always find a gym with a good creche/daycare as it's the best best incentive to go work out I've ever had. I simply sign up F for his time slots the week before and I have to take him or the creche ladies (and he) will be terribly sad! The fact that I get in a workout and peaceful shower is just an added bonus.

I've also gotten brave enough to tow the bike trailer on my own. It's a tiny bit hilly here in Perth and F's no lightweight, but it's really not bad at all. I do shift gears a lot and F grunts and groans along with me when I huff and puff up the hills! He also says "wheeeeeee!" as we coast FAST downhill.

Speaking of whee...the words are finally bubbling out faster than I can keep up. They're not all crystal clear, but we definitely can communicate. FFM's favorite words this week seem to be 'dark' (which is clear as a bell), 'belbow' = elbow, 'eps' = steps, and 'wo' = two. And, of course, ' no no no no no no'. He tells us which bib he'd like to wear, the striped one, dot one, or choo choo one, and whether he'd like milk or water to drink. This week he started putting his animals to bed under blankets and telling them 'sssshhhhhh' and at a toy store yesterday moved a whole pile of bears into a cradle and told them all 'sssshhhh', too. He was very careful to tuck them all in, first.

I have no idea how many words and animal sounds he's making, but it's these important ones like getting the right bib on at the right meal that are making headway into less toddler frustration. Who knew that putting on the train bib when he really wanted the dot bib was the end of the world!?!?

Last weekend we went to the circus with some friends. It was a small family circus, just our speed. We got to sit just a few rows back from the ring so the action was close enough that it easily kept the interest of all the kiddos. I will admit I've never before seen a circus with trained goats, but can now say I have. The youngest member of the circus was probably not too much older than FFM.