To The Beach

Well it seems that last year's apparent aversion to all things sandy and salt-watery have passed and that Hannah has indeed inherited her mother's beach reveling genes in spades.  It was cooler this past week, and more overcast than we had anticipated but we still had a great time with two of lil' Miss' best buds, Momma Donna and Granpda Wayne.  In fact, she was so enthralled with her grandfather it was hard to get her away from him. It may have something to do with the way he lets her pick his pockets, play with his pen and phone, and mash the buttons on the remote control. But truly, it's more than that - she just loves her grandpa, as seen here...

 

And here...

 

He seems to like her back too. Really, what's not to like?

 

It really was a great visit. It had all the trappings: a jigsaw puzzle that trumped all other interests until it was completed, overeating, catching up with old friends, and a book that kept me up all hours of the night. You know, the kind where you go to bed but can't sleep because you're thinking about the book so you get up and keep reading because you don't have baby duty in the morning (thank you, Sarah!). What was it? The Kite Runner - like Wow. 

Oh, those friends I mentioned?

 

I remember LOVING that train set at Sunday school. Hannah has taken a quick shine to it, too. She like to toot the train whistle. It's funny to come across stuff like this; it brings memories long forgotten flooding back. 

But it was also a great weekend to create new memories. Check out this pic.

 

Priceless.

r

Video!

One of these days I'm going to learn how to rotate a video. For now, though, I'm just happy I was able to upload one at all so that I can share with all of you how rindonculously cute my girl has become.
Sit back and enjoy!

r

All things "S"

If if don't start with S, it won't be in this post. So....


 Slide!

 

Sly, suspiciious, or up to something

 

Savory

 

Skygazing

 

Silly

 

Swing Smile!

 

Sweet

 

Sheer power!

She's simply the sweetest Simpson I've seen!

A new favorite passtime

Crayons have begun at the 646. Hannah will grip her selected crayon by the very end and, with the furrowed brow of extreme concentration, will push the utensil across the paper. She loves it! We knida like it, too.

Just lots of pictures

I know what you want. Here you go.

Yep, she is walking and talking. Tonight she said, "Dg, uf uf," and she knows the first couple bars of the ABC song.

 

Not sure how it happened, but someone got her riding a bike. 

 

Maybe it was this guy...

 

Momma Donna and Grandpa Wayne come stay regularly. Hannah's always happy to see them. 

 

Especially her best bud, Grandpa Wayne! Her face lights up when she sees him. 

 

This one's called Atsa Bigga Yarn

 

Nice

 Mom, H has been loving the wood rings

 

And Lo, H has been loving her Elmo book

 

She's also been loving her friends Jacki and Lachlan

 

And she loves to help her mom vacuum

 

 

 

I feel like she's getting so big. It surprises me, then, when I am reminded of how small she still is. 

 

Still, the baby is gone and the little girl is here to stay.

r

Three Pics - One Day

S & H & I headed up to a mountain house just outside of Asheville, NC with our good friends Bennett and Vivian and their two boys for the weekend.  Soooo nice - just friends and food and trails and naps (as allowed) and smores and and milk shakes and yarn stores and Star Wars. In short, success. Bennett's been one of my best friends since I was 16 - he and his family have just moved back to Athens from Brooklyn. It's good to have him back.

 

But all good things must end, if only to make room for more good things. We drove home. 

Sarah's been taking Hannah to craft time on Tuesdays lately. The evidence hangs above the artist's head.

 

After a nap for Hannah, some office time for Sarah, and  some yard work for me, it was grilling time. If you've never grilled your veggies you're missing the boat.  Early carrots, asparagus, and Pinapple with Bubba Burgers (under the cheese) on CCB Pretzel Buns, accompanied by roasted golden potatoes and  PBR? Yes, please.

 

Things are good. Hope they are for you, too. 

r

Paper or Plastic?

Soooo many milestones lately. 
- Walking, nay running.
- Solid food consumption in copious amounts
- 1st occurrence of talking with mouth full
- Bike rides!
- Play dates
- And... Money!

So it begins.
r

2012 Already? Here's What's Been Going On.

The following is a brief, and incomplete, summary of what has occurred in my extended - and shameful - absence from this hallowed b-log. It encompasses a birthday, a Christmas, a New Year, and a new season full of wonderful food and events. Images will be able to tell most of the tale, though I say again that they will tell only a partial story due simply to the fact that I have not been as snap-happy as I once was by half. Very well,  let's begin.

First, Hannah is making great strides these days - literally. She can scream up and down the sidewalk and through the house behind her walker, and she has begun to take unassisted steps. Last night she walked 5 paces from Mama to Momma Donna.

And her vocabulary is growing. She can now say:
No
No - No - No
Uh-Oh (either I dropped something or I'm about to)
Aw'ight! This is said in a Kathleen Turner husk as she gives you 5
A'woh! (Hello - complete with wave)
Bah! (Bye - also with a wave but also with an expression of genuine interest in where the person is going)
Ya (Yes - though it is doubtful she knows that she is not saying, "no")
Mamamamama and Dada are still around though there doesn't seem to be thought connected with the sound.

As she has grown the weather has turned. So too, therefore, has what sounds good for dinner. Seen below is a fine spread from local Fresh Air BBQ: pulled pork, Brunswick Stew, beans, slaw, hot and mild sauce, sweet tea, b'nana pudding, and, of course, an 8-pack of Sunbeam buns. Mmmmmm-mmmmm, y'all!

But I do still high-brow it from time to time with my homemade mincemeat pie (no, there's no real meat in there, just magic). This pie was so good Sarah looked at me and said in a tone of surprise, "the pie is good, Hon." I can think of no greater praise.

But I can't take all the credit. I had some help making it.

Historically, the fall has been my time to be in the best possible shape for Cyclocross season. This year I must say that I am a far better father now than I was a year ago but I am a shadow of my former self in terms of athletics. Oh well. I still look wicked tough, though, don't I?

Sarah and Hannah even came to this race with me... all the way to Augusta. I did my best for them and had a great time. The girls took a little break from their pre-ride-home snack to smile at me.

Hannah's been getting into all kinds of things lately and has been amazing me with her new-found manual dexterity. Her fine and gross motor skills are coming along quite nicely. Shapes and sizes, catching and throwing, these are all things that are coming on faster than I had anticipated.  

She can crawl faster than most people can walk.

 And she can climb: into and out of boxes - into and out of chairs - up and down stairs - and almost into the bath tub. No pics of that here but it would be safe to say that bath time is far and away her favorite part of the day. Splashing and crashing and playing with cups and washcloths. She stays until the water turns cold.

This is the box from the (drum roll, please) BIKE SEAT! Yes! Helmet: check. Bike seat: check. Daddy willing to ride a bike: um, check. Hopefully the next installation of this b-log will include our first ride report. 

more soon, prolly.
r