Circus

On Saturday, we treated Trey to a visit to the circus! We weren't quite sure if Trey was old enough yet to appreciate the show, but we know he'd at least love seeing the animals. Mama C and Aunt Kacie also came with us for the afternoon.

We were able to arrive an hour before the show to see all of the animals backstage and participate in the "pre-show" activities on the stadium floor. Trey saw the elephants, tigers, horses, and other animals (hogs, ponies, llamas), and then we watched some of the clowns before the show started. We even got to see an elephant paint a picture! Trey loved seeing the elephants up close.

We had great seats - second row in the middle of the action. The only seats better than ours (front row) cost over $100 a pop! Trey LOVED watching the show - the trapeze artists, contortionists, and dancers, as well as the animals. His favorite part was when a group of dogs came out to run through obstacles, catch flying Frisbees, and do other tricks. He kept pointing and yelling "dog!"

We all loved the circus, and Trey was really good through most of the show. The only times he had trouble sitting still was during the "down times" (i.e. clown sketches) while they were setting up the next act on the stage. It made for a great Saturday afternoon.

Swimming!

Aunt Dabney and Uncle P (and baby Graney in the belly) are in town this week. Uncle P is working, and Aunt Dabney is house hunting for their impending move to H-town. After school yesterday, we all took Trey swimming at the Four Seasons pool downtown. The business-traveler sunbathers did not seem at all bothered by Trey's antics in the pool; in fact, they actually seemed to be quite entertained by him.

Trey LOVED swimming yesterday. He would stand on the side of the pool, jump into the water with no fear, and then sign "more" as soon as he surfaced in Daddy's arms. He even started blowing bubbles when his head would go under water. After he had jumped into the pool for what seemed like hundreds of times, Trey enjoyed running around the patio, up and down the stairs leading to the pool area. He had a great time.

Cousin for Trey!!!

Trey has been asking for a "cousin in West Virginia" since he was in utero. Well, it seems he is finally getting his wish!!! Sort of.... Aunt Dabney and Uncle P are bringing little Trey a baby cousin, but not in West Virginia. It appears that Trey will be getting a cousin in HOUSTON! Trey thinks this is just too good to be true, and now says the only thing better than a cousin is a . . . . .

DOG!

Ha ha. You thought I was going to say sibling.

Best Buds

Trey has two friends at school name Jake, both with awesome parents. One of them is about three months older. The other, Jake B., is only a couple weeks older than Trey, and they have been best buds at school since they were about 9 months old, but especially in recent months. They are such good friends that when it was time for one of them to move up to their current class, Movement 2, their teacher at the time insisted that they move up together because she couldn't sand to separate them.

Jake always gets to school before Trey does because his mother works for an oil company and she has earlier hours (he also gets to go home earlier than Trey). In fact, Trey is usually one of the last kids in the class to arrive, so on a typical day, Trey will sit down at the table to eat breakfast while most of the other kids are playing.

Today was no different. Trey arrived and sat down to eat his banana. Jake came up to Trey and said "Hi!" Then Trey raised the palm of his hand up and he and Jake gave each other high-fives! It was adorable.

Time Away

Mommy and Daddy took their first trip away from little Trey this past weekend. It was hard to leave, but Mommy and Daddy enjoyed some relaxing time in the sun with friends in Palm Beach, Florida, while Trey stayed behind and endured a very different type of heat back home (sweltering temperatures without an ocean breeze). We were told Trey was not invited for the weekend, which was in combination with a friend's wedding, and while we know he would have enjoyed the beach, it was nice having some grown up time and a chance to sleep in.

Trey stayed behind and played with Mama C all weekend, who loved the quality time with little Trey. They even went to a birthday party! Trey loved playing with his friends at the Little Gym and reportedly was running around all over the place. Here is a picture of the occasion (the best we could do considering we weren't there to take pictures!).

When we returned home, Trey was already asleep for the night. The next morning, though, he was noticeably bigger, with more hair, and was talking more clearly (he actually said "Ma Ma" repeatedly for really the first time ever). We are starting to realize he isn't our little baby anymore -- he is growing into a full-fledged big boy!

Thanks again to Mama C for allowing Mommy and Daddy to enjoy a quick weekend away together.

CHEESE!

Trey said another word with intention today - cheese - when he had it for dinner. I'm hesitant to add it to the official list because he hasn't really said "ice" again since saying it multiple times the other day, but we're keeping our ears on this one...

Happy 4th of July!

Happy birthday, America!

We all spent the day at our friends' lake house in Livingston, where Trey had a great time! He played with his friends Connor, Andrew, Jake, and Braden, splashed in the baby pool, went on a boat ride, and swam in the lake! To top it all off, he ate good portions of a hamburger, hot dog, and strawberries (no apple pie) - what's more American than that?

After our evening boat ride, we sat near the shore of the lake and watched the other residents light up amazing fireworks all around the lake. They were beautiful! Trey LOVED watching the fireworks and kept looking from side to side in order to be sure not to miss a thing.

Thanks, Valerie, Thomas, and Connor (and Richard and Heather) for letting us share the 4th with you at your wonderful vacation home!

Noah's Ark Pool

On Trey's day off from school today, we enjoyed an outing to the Noah's Ark Pool with Trey's friend Anna. Aunt Kacie came along for the fun, and she had a great time acting like a kid and playing with Trey. The pool is at First Methodist Church in southwest Houston, and it's essentially an elaborate baby pool, with a large ark complete with water slides and a tunnel. It was a blast! Shame on me, though, I forgot to bring my camera. :( Here, however, is a small picture from the website.

Trey LOVED sliding down the slides, and while he went by himself a few times, he couldn't quite get the hang of sitting up while sliding. Still, he enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies of this really wonderful pool.

ICE!

Trey has always had an unusual love of ice. He has asked for it for as long as he's been able, and while we always hesitated to give it to him (you know, because of the whole choking thing), as he has gotten older we have relented more and more.

This evening at home, while Daddy was working on a big glass of water, Trey grunted and pointed to ask for ice. Daddy gave him a small piece. Then, for the rest of the evening, Trey kept asking for "ICE!" It's just about the only time Trey has ever asked for anything so clearly (verbally, anyway). Yay for another new word!

Movement 2 Update

Trey is enjoying his new class, Movement 2. The teachers say he is still a little quiet and mostly pals around with his buddy Jake, but he seems to be adjusting well. It has taken us a little while to get used to the other kids being so much older and more talkative, but Trey is catching on. He is already saying a couple new words and is getting better at repeating sounds back to us. This week, he added "apple" and possibly even "cheese" to his vocabulary. But he still isn't talking much, though he babbles a lot.

This weekend we have plans to visit Trey's friend Connor at his parents' lake house in Livingston. There should be a few other friends of Trey's there as well. We also plan to go swimming tomorrow with Trey's friend Anna. We are looking forward to the fun in the sun!