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| 1 year old--happy birthday, Hunter! |
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." I have always thought this to be true. While the air isn't exactly crisp yet here in Boston, you can sense the change in seasons. The light is changing, the leaves are starting to turn, and the air is cooler when you wake up in the morning.
Living in New England, the fall is our family's very favorite time of year. New England is never so beautiful as it is during the fall. As the leaves turn red, orange, and gold, the temperatures are still warm enough for outdoor adventures like apple picking and hayrides. When you're a kid in the fall, life is good. Fall is also a busy time; there are so many fun things to do! Here's what our sweet kiddos have been up to these days:
Tiny dancer! This month, Harper began dance class with some of her cute friends, and she is loving it. Harper has always loved music and movement so she has really enjoyed class so far. It's a very relaxed environment, the perfect place for Harper to let out some energy, while also learning to control her body in a fun and new way. And honestly, seeing my sweet little h in a tutu really just melts my heart.
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| Harper and her cute dance class friends |
Even when she's not in class, Harper wants to dance. Her dad showed her a couple of YouTube videos recently, and now all she wants to do is listen to her favorite song, Chandelier. Is she is 2 or 14? But what I can say, the girl's got moves…
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h-a-r-p-e-r
(and possibly a few extras…) |
Harper has also been really interested in the alphabet lately. I feel like I can take little credit for Harper's accomplishments and that her educational interests really come from within, but I still can't help but feel proud as I watch her learn. She will constantly ask, "How do you spell…[fill in the blank]?" She will listen intently and later repeat it. I have to watch what I say because she has a mind like a steel trap. Harper has also been practicing writing her letters and even learned how to write her name! What an exciting moment for this special girl:
This has also been a major month for our little Hunter, who turned 1 year old last week! We thought a lot about what fun activity we could do on Hunter's birthday, September 20, and really wanted something that he could actively participate in, rather than having to be carried around or travel in the stroller the whole time. We decided on a trip to the Boston Children's Museum, and it was a blast. Harper and Hunter both enjoyed the different themed rooms and activities. Hunter's favorite part was probably the larger-than-life sized foam building blocks. As an added bonus, it was a gorgeous, sunny day in Boston, and we were able to enjoy some snacks outside by the water before heading back home. Oh how we love our little one year-old AND our home city!
The next day, we had a Where the Wild Things Are themed birthday to celebrate our wild little man. It was a roaring success. Dallin, Harper, Hunter, and I all wore our storybook themed shirts (or in Harper's case, skirt) and Max crowns to feel extra festive. We enjoyed celebrating with Hunter's Mimi, Great Gramzy, Great Aunty Roz, Aunt Annie, Gil, Uncle Ben, Aunt Vivi, and Grayson--so many of Hunter's favorite people in one spot! If he could talk, we are sure he would say that he'd eat them up, he loves them so. Dallin fashioned a boat out of cardboard, a replica of Max's boat from the book, and Hunter and Harper both loved playing inside. In honor of firsts, I tried my hand at a homemade cake (lemon blueberry with cream cheese frosting), and it actually turned out well (yay!). In fact, I also made a tiny cake just for Hunter, the perfect size for a wild little man to smash and throw, which he did. It was a wild rumpus indeed. Happy birthday, Hunter!
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Happy birthday, Hunter!
(Let's call this a "before" shot) |
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…And let's call this the "after" shot--
cake smashing and throwing complete. |
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| First ice cream cake--yum! |
This lucky guy got to celebrate his birthday AGAIN with his school friends. His amazing teachers, Becca and Nicole, organized a little party for our sweet man, and Hunter tried ice cream cake for the first time! He wasn't sure about the whole "cold" thing at first, but then he got the hang of it; the frosting was probably his favorite part (that's my boy!). Hunter loves school so much, and it was a special experience to be able to share his one-year milestone with his friends there. For party favors, we continued our Where the Wild Things Are theme with "a trick to tame wild things"…bubbles! With the weather still so lovely, bubbles are an outdoor treat that our little Hs simply cannot get enough of. I don't know about taming wild things, but our wild things sure do love playing with them.
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| Party favors for school friends! |
At one year old, Hunter measures 32 inches long and weighs 25 lbs. 14.5 oz. These measurements put him in the 99th percentile for height and the 97th percentile for weight. While he is not yet walking, he is just such a physical guy. He stands and cruises along the furniture. He loves being outside, throwing balls, and playing with his big sister. Really, balls are his very favorite thing to play with though. No matter their size, Hunter is captivated. While he won't admit it, I'm pretty sure Dallin is hoping this is an early sign of Hunter's future basketball skills.
So far, Hunter has a few words: Dada, Mama, Harper, and ball. Clearly he has his priorities. While his words may be few, that doesn't stop Hunter from being a very opinionated little man. When he doesn't want something, he will vigorously shake his head no. We have to work on nodding yes. Albeit the contrarian, he is also a helpful little guy. As much as he likes to tear the house apart, he also likes to help put things away. Hallelujah! We can sure use the help around here.
