Verbal Explosion and Animals

Sorry for the hiatus! Moving, work, life...all interfered with our ability to share the bear's progress these past few months. Needless to say, his words and sentences are growing, as is his will. Liam has a favorite letter, W, and has even started counting to five. Apparently there is a block at six. We're working on that. And, he knows all sorts of animals and was happy to visit a few of them at the zoo on a rare coolish day a week or so ago.

A Gus' pretzel makes a great toy and after school snack!

                                                 

Someone decided he's too big for his car seat!

We won.

                  

HIPPO!!!

New Words and New House

I forgot to mention that Liam is full of words and questions now. His favorite questions tend to be "Momma/Dad, where are you?", "Bela, where are you going?", and "What is that?". He also loves repeating all sorts of vocabulary. Pretty amazing little boy. His teachers confirm that we have a very smart little boy in that if he throws a tantrum (something he is also good at) over having a toy or object taken away, he will remember that object or toy even after a tantrum, regardless of the tantrum's length. Now that's talent! Finally, if we can catch a video of it, we'll upload it here, but Liam is busily trying to cram his ABC's. In the meantime, enjoy photographs of the new house!

Happy Easter!

In addition to meeting with contractors, electricians, and exploring the new house, Liam found some time to participate in his first easter egg hunt, courtesy of our new township, Maplewood. He collected a grand total of two, which he is clearly happy to share. 

Liam has also earned the moniker "Liam Dandelion-seed" from his father, who taught him recently how to blow dandelions, a skill he practices at every turn. We took a moment to walk around Lone Elk Park this weekend, where Liam frolicked amongst the elk poop and mud while trying to smash bugs. All in all, a good Easter weekend!

When Liam and Work Interact

So, I apologize for the lack of posts lately. To say that work has been overwhelming is an understatement of epic proportion. We have a full-fledged toddler monster on our hands...something that emerged ever so stealthily since work took over our lives. While Liam couldn't attend the final ceremony ending our exhibition and project, he did enjoy the fruits of some of the labor. Here he is exploring the lanterns used in our final night and attempting to make a drum out of one of them.

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

So, Liam has experienced a verbal explosion of late, and he now knows so many words...light, car, puppy, book...the list goes on and on...ball remains one of his favorites, though!

We will have to get some video of our little drummer and music lover who avoids bedtime by dancing up a storm.

A quiet New Year's Eve

Happy New Year! Sadly, Jim and I varied little from our pre-Liam NYE pattern, save for heading out for dinner after playing at a park with Liam. Dinner was at a very "fancy" salad bar restaurant...perfect for shrieking toddlers. Liam is clearly in a celebratory mood. Much love to all and wishes for a really amazing 2012.

Holiday House Hunting

Inspired by too much HGTV and enough time off to get into trouble, we have embarked upon what we hope will be a lengthy, successful search for the next home for the Harper Chang clan. We took some time out of the search and fretting to play in one of the parks of the neighborhood in which we hope to soon be, Maplewood/Richmond Heights. One of the reasons we want to be there is for their early elementary education, which features the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education coupled with farm-to-table experiential learning. The elementary school has chickens! And, chickens are legal in Maplewood!

Here's Liam in front of one of the homes we toured...(having stolen his father's gloves to keep his own hands warm)

And, here we are at the park, where Liam bogart-ed someone's lacrosse stick...