Summer loving had me a blast!

With the arrival of warmer weather, we've finally been able to engage once more in the activities that we enjoyed with Jonah last summer. Only now that he is much more verbal, mobile, and skilled in general, things are even more fun.

On the first hot Saturday this month, we pulled out the inflatable pool. Jonah was eager to get in it right away, but we knew he wouldn't like the water at that temperature and convinced him he would enjoy it more if it warmed up and he waited until after his nap to get in.

Learning how to use the watering can.

Watering Mommy's arm (it was so hot, this was actually quite welcome).

Discovering he could create puddles on the driveway when he pushed down the lip of the pool.

We also resurrected the water table that Jonah got for his first birthday last year. He enjoyed splashing the water and pouring with his cup and watering can.

Note: he is dressed only in a onesie here because he poured a ton of water down his front.

Practice with the watering can.

We also added some water beads so he could watch them "grow" and feel some different textures.

I wanted to plant a few seeds with Jonah to reinforce the lessons in Eric Carle's book, The Tiny Seed, which Jonah has enjoyed and to which he often returns. I picked up some zinnia and marigold seeds thinking that they are usually good growers and would likely give us some success. Planting them with him was an interesting challenge, however, in that he wasn't interested in the seeds themselves and didn't understand that he couldn't just grab a handful of dirt from the pots once the seeds were in them.

Preparing the dirt and opening the seed package.

Getting the pots ready.

Looking at the seeds.

The experience has continued to be interesting in that while Jonah attempts to help water the plants, he is just as likely to drown one pot as leave another one dry, and he typically puts his hands into the wet dirt while watering. So, while we have some plants coming up in the pots, there will be barren areas as well. I suppose this is very relatable to the story of the Tiny Seed, as many of those seeds did not survive either.

Watering the seeds.

We've been taking our bikes out for longer rides, getting in somewhat decent workouts for Ben and me while stopping at a number of different parks for Jonah to experience a variety of playground equipment. While he was very reluctant about wearing his bike helmet last summer, he's much more cooperative this year, thankfully. And given that we saw a father completely tip over his child's bike trailer last weekend, I will most certainly be requiring that Jonah wear a helmet for our rides together!

On the swing at Jacobus Park.

The view down one of the steep slides at Hart Park. Jonah isn't afraid of this one, though he definitely gets some speed and has also taken a couple of nosedives.

One of the smaller slides in Hart Park.

The bike rides have also provided us with the opportunity to stop along the Menomonee River to "throw" stones, "throw" being a bit laughable in Jonah's case, largely because he's interested in picking up some of the larger rocks that don't allow him much distance.

I want to throw that one right there!!

We also opened up the sandbox, but Jonah has spent very little time in it. Few things can compete with his Cozy Coupe police car in the garage/back yard.

What a smile!

I'm sure we'll make many more fun memories this summer! Tonight is the first of our neighborhood's concerts in the park, and there are so many wonderful things to do here in the greater Milwaukee area.