Hooray for PLAY!

Shepard (in yellow) hanging with some buddies.

Shepard's walking skills are getting better and better. It's definitely his go-to mode of transportation these days. Sometimes, he just likes to pick things up and then walk around with them...up and down the hall...over to the gate at the kitchen...

So on Saturday when the weather barely threatened to get above 82 degrees and it was slightly overcast (hoooray! in July!!), I knew I was taking the tyke to the park. I threw on some clothes and put on Shepard's cool new shoes and off we went. We did the baby swing and slide. There was another June baby there checking out the tot lot as well. Shepard was able to walk around the play area in the mulch and enjoy the slides (with some help) and the steering wheel and play areas. It was so much fun to see him just PLAY outside and discover all the fun gizmos in the playground. He even climbed up the slide a few times nearly on his own. Daddy and Mommy had lots of fun helping him navigate everything...including a big hippo he could crawl into!


Shepard (left) really liked the steering wheel thing!
Here he is with Cooper, the birthday boy. (also TWO)

Saturday evening our friends hosted a birthday party for their two-year-old, Cooper, at Chick-fil-A. I wasn't sure if Shepard would be able to enjoy the restaurant's play area and/or hang with the older kids, but there was definitely some stuff there for him! Not only was it his first "buddy's" birthday party, it was also his first time in the play area. I know he plays with some of the same kids in church nursery and he has school buddies, but it was fun to be able to observe him in this environment for sure. Cooper's mom, Michelle, got some pics at the party. You can't see his face, but he was delighted. I decided to just enjoy the moments and not be consumed with documenting every second on "film." (and for the record, children of the 20th century, how bizarre is it to think about film as just a thing of the past now??) We had loads of fun with fellow small group members and friends and lots of boys...and sweet Sophie, the lone girl.

Small group friends Paul, Michelle, and Birthday Boy Cooper. Happy Birthday, Cooper!




Shepard (left) and Hudson (two) check out the fishy steering wheel. Shepard obviously liked that!

 

Sweet Sophie can hang with the boys!