Summertime Rolls

Lots of good stories from the summer, so consider this set of pictures worth more than my best 10,000 words...


At the beach ulti tournament, we camped in the back yard of Daisy's rental house. This was TJ's first outdoor overnight adventure, and he did great. Don't you wish you could sleep in a bear suit? (WITH EARS!!!)




TJ went to visit his new friend, Vivian (not pictured), who was born in June. The age gap of a few months is a bit much now, but they'll be good playmates soon enough.


TJ and JT engage in some yell practice.


TJ already has more sports teams allegiances than he can count. (Sure, he can't count yet, but there are still quite a few. Go Blazers!)




TJ and Sara enjoy a backyard BBQ.


Ra said it was time for TJ's first foods, so he enjoyed some avocado. The response was largely neutral with a hint of confusion and a blink of positive.




TJ's second food experience, lime, received a more emphatic response. (Although to his credit, he didn't cry or complain or push it away. He just made faces.)




Ra's phone was dented by some dog teeth, but we thankfully pulled this foot-grabbing gem off of it before the phoneslaughter occurred.




Cuddles.




The chariot bike trailer has made us a fully man-powered traveling troupe. The only challenge has been when we purchased too many groceries, and TJ had to hug a loaf of bread during the ride home.


...and this helmet has made us a mushroom-headed safety squad.



Aunt Carrie and Aunt Amanda are currently out for their first visit to TJ. G-ma is crashing the party too because she can't get enough of this little dude. Pix to come!

Gearhead

You've seen the pool, but it was just the final installment of what shaped up to be a month full of new baby gear...

The exersaucer is great when we're cooking or cleaning up around the kitchen. TJ gets to hang out with us, has lots of toys he can't throw away and generally is able to distract himself when he starts to fuss.


...and of course, it wouldn't work without the approving smile of this guy.



For Ra's BDay, Carrie and Amanda sent this hammock. Ra and I have both spent a lot of time swinging with TJ in the shaded corner of our yard. He loves reaching for leaves and watching the pups run around.


...and sometimes TJ just wants some quiet chill time.
Being a baby ain't all fun and games.



For my first Father's Day, Vince and Migo were kind enough to send a copy of Arkham Horror, a cooperative strategy board game that I've been eyeing for a while. As a bonus, it comes with about a hundred choking hazards!



...and of course, what armada of baby gear would be complete without a baby jail?
Not ours!


Olive and Oz put in some time toward their certifications as guards while Ra worked on weeding the front yard.



Last and certainly not least, we now have a kid who wants nothing more than to pull himself into a standing position and grab everything within reach. We are getting closer and closer to needing full toddler-proofing of this house. Oh joy.