Toddler Activities
I have been gathering some toddler activities to do with Derek during the HOT summer months. They have been a huge success and I am excited to plan some more. The inner teacher in me was so excited to plan the activities and I had so much fun watching Derek LEARN through intentional play. The activities started out as one thing, but would evolve into many different things.

Marble Racing - Derek was focused on this activity for over an hour the first day! He played with this activity all week long!

lining up the bins and dumping the marbles from bin to bin

Derek's favorite marble was the big one

racing Mommy

pouring the marbles down the track out of his Thomas cup

Another favorite thing to do was dump the marbles on the tile floor and watch them roll everywhere! Roll his favorite big marble under the couch and using the handle of the Swiffer to get the marble out.

Dried Pasta

 Letter Blocks with cupcake tins and tongs

 Pipe Cleaners

New Tools
Derek got a work bench for his birthday from Grandma and Grandpa. He has enjoyed using all the new tools, especially the screwdriver, hammer, and drill.

playing with Daddy's tools is even more fun!

Good Night Kisses from Derek

Blue Eyed Beauty

Dinner with Neighbors
We had our neighbors over for dinner and some pool time on Sunday evening. Derek LOVES playing with their daughter Rebecca and he had a blast swimming, coloring and running around the house with her. After getting out of the pool and running around naked, Derek sat on the potty and went pee pee for the first time!!! We all went crazy for him and he was so excited. We are so proud of him!

Pool fun - Derek LOVES dunking the ball in the hoop. Matt started letting Derek hang on the hoop and fall into the pool (when he was ready). He would hang on for a long time before he let go. You can see his face - pure joy!

 D went pee pee on the potty for the first time

Rebecca playing peak-a-boo with Rylie and making her giggle!! LOVE Rylie's smile.

 Coloring with Rebecca

Monday...Monday
This was the first Monday in a while that we spent at home all day...and it was BUSY. 

riding bikes - Derek is catching on quickly to the balance bike (its been 1 week since he began riding) and is taking more risks. He is now picking up his feet and gliding. His confidence is growing. I think we are going to be getting him some other protective gear as he has discovered hills!

 creative play with a bucket and water

imaginative play in homemade fort - cooking, having Disney characters eat, giving Goofy a ride. Its so fun to watch Derek's creativity and imaginative play take off!

 Pluto pushing Goofy in the frying pan

 

Goofy flying

All this was followed up with a couple episodes of Curious George, lunch & a nap (for Mommy and Derek)! I am so grateful that I get to stay home with Derek and Rylie.

Derek and PJ's Playhouse
Yesterday when we got home from church I asked Derek what he learned that morning at PJ's Playhouse. I had no idea what he would say or if he would even answer the question. I had never really thought to ask Derek this question before. Derek replied loudly, "God...obey!" I was shocked and so excited, but wondered if that was actually true! Derek kept repeating the phrase. Matt said Derek was right because the sticker on his shirt (from the lesson that morning) said, "I have the courage to obey God." I was so excited that he could answer that question because Matt and I got to follow up what he learned at PJ's by talking about the meaning of the word obey and who besides God should Derek obey (his parents :) ). Our boy is growing up!!!

Happy Father's Day Matt!

 (Derek 2 years, Rylie 3 months)

We had an awesome weekend together as a family celebrating Daddy. Matt took Derek to the park to ride his bike. He rode down his first hill and giggled the whole way. After that hill he didn't want to stop riding down the hill. When we got back from the park we jumped in the pool to cool off. The kids both took a great nap and Matt and I had some down time. We ended the weekend with a dinner date (our 2nd date without the kiddos). Matt, I am so blessed to have an amazing husband like you and the kids are so blessed to have you as their dad. You put our family first and love with all your heart. You are hardworking, driven, and dedicated. Thanks for all you do for our family. We LOVE you.

Derek LOVES jumping and I finally got a video of him. :)

Cuteness
I LOVE taking pictures of Rylie. Her bright blue eyes are so pretty and I just LOVE her to pieces. I am so thankful that God blessed us with a baby girl after our sweet boy! The way she looks up at me, smiles, and "talks" to me are some of my favorite moments each day. :)

Derekisms
I want to make sure to remember some of the cute and funny things that Derek says. So here is the first post (of many) with some things that Derek has been saying this past month that we want to remember. I wish I could video him saying them...his voice is so cute, especially with the tone he uses. :)

* Oh Mommy!
* Hey Dude!
* O.K. Yihyee (D says this when Rylie cries. He hears me say, "Its ok Rylie!" He gets concerned when she cries and wants to make sure she is ok.)
* 1-2-3 Go! (D says this right before he sprints down the hallway from our bedroom to his bedroom)
* Happy Mommy! (what D says when he wished me a happy birthday!)
* happy cake (D calls a birthday cake)
* Right back (what D says when he goes to get something)
* Hockey Yucky (not sure how this phrase came to be except that Pops taught Derek about hockey and yucky rhymes with it. Everytime he says it he gets a laugh out of people...so he keeps saying it.)
* 1-2-3...8-9-10!! (this is how D counts right now...skipping #'s 4-7)
* Yeah, yeah, yeah... (this is how D responds when we ask him to do something)

My baby boy is TWO!!!!

Derek's 2nd year of life has just flown by. I feel like we were just celebrating Derek's first birthday in CA. A lot has happened since Derek turned one - we moved, Matt started a new job, and baby Rylie was born to say the least. Its crazy to start saying Derek's age in years now...no more calculating the months! My baby boy is 2!

At 2 years old Derek weighs 29lbs 4 oz (65%) and is 36.5" tall (95%). Derek got his 2 year molars a week before his birthday. He LOVES to eat a variety of foods and drinks out of a cup. He naps from 12:30 - 3:30 pm and sleeps from 7:30 pm - 6:30 am. Derek knows his ABC's and sings them all the time. He sings them himself when we brush his teeth (we have been singing that song when he brushes his teeth since we first started brushing teeth). He LOVES to count "1-2-3...8-9-10!" with great enthusiasm (skipping the #'s 4-7). Derek continues to be an active boy and LOVES to jump off things. A couple of his favorite activities are jumping off the couch and jumping into the pool. Derek loves to run sprints in our hallway...from our bedroom to his bedroom dragging his shirt behind him (the one he sleeps with). He usually does one sprint down and back in between getting 1 article of his jammies on after his bath. Derek LOVES to point out the letter "D" on everything (signs, books, television) and gets so excited when he sees it. He LOVES climbing in our bed and hiding under the covers. Derek LOVES music. Derek is great at entertaining himself. He will play for hours with his train and he makes up all sorts of creative games. Derek is a kind and thoughtful big brother. He has started singing ABC's to Rylie and trying to make her smile by saying the work "cookie" (not sure why?). Derek is a happy, loving, creative, athletic, and smart boy. He brings so much joy to our lives.

Here are some of the things Derek has been up to this month:

driving cars on the back of the couch

 playing trains on the pillows and the changing table

We experimented with playdough this month. Derek liked to roll out the playdough, but he had the most fun throwing the playdough balls. He spent about 45 minutes throwing the colored playdough balls to me, calling out the colors, counting them as he threw them and fetching them.

 "playing" with Rylie

 wearing Mommy's shirt (which he sleeps with)

wanting to hang out in Rylie's crib in the morning

enjoying his first Dunkin Donut munchkin after hiking 1 mile (himself) of our 2 mile hike

reading a Curious George book to Squiggles

playing with his new trains from cousins Colin and Ian 

 driving the car

Derek is good at entertaining himself. At bedtime, when Matt is traveling, Derek plays on the iPad while I nurse Rylie. Here he is reading the Monster at the End of the Book.

splash pad fun