Trip to Siesta Key, FL

Some pictures from our recent trip.  I had trouble narrowing down my favorites, so here are the top 50 photos or so. You can click on the first one and arrow through to view them all at a larger size.  

  

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today's Noah Moments

"I see it!"

Noah has been talking up a storm in recent months and has put together countless phrases that are technically sentences, but this one caught our attention for a couple reasons.  First, because, unlike many of his more complicated phrases, he wasn't simply parroting something we just said.  He came up with this one on his own.  Also, it was a full on subject-verb-object sentence; a step up from "More cheese please!"  For all these reasons, when he blurted it out confidently, Carin and I couldn't help but do a double take.

Later in the day, Noah topped himself.  I was talking with my brother on the phone, and I mentioned that Noah loved books... to which Noah shouted: "I love books!  I love books!"

Noah has had a lot of winning moments lately.  Earlier this week, I gave Carin a hug, and I told Noah that this was what we do because we love each other.  To which, he repeated, "love each other!"  He then approached us, and commanded, "Kiss."  So we kissed.  He said "kiss" again, but this time, it was clear he was requesting one.  So we both took turns giving him a kiss.  Say it together with me: Awww!

But, back to today.  Today, we attended a birthday party at an indoor play place.  Here is Noah having fun (and, yes, he is saying "Whee!").


Noah liked this almost as much as the escalator that we went up and down today about 10 times.  "More please!  Ehvator!  Ehvator!"
He loves him some escalators.  And elevators as well.

Tonight, appropriately for the last night of Chanukah, we visited a street in Woodland Hills referred to as Candy Cane Lane so that Noah could see some extravagant holiday decorations.

As we wheeled Noah in his stroller, he said "Hi" to passers by.  He is always charming strangers with his hellos.

And my favorite story from today involves just such a charming.

Before hitting Candy Cane Lane, we visited a Starbucks to get a hot chocolate.  And Noah was in fine form, flirting with a cute blond barista.  He kept saying "hi" and giving her smiles, to the point where she told us she'd love to babysit if we ever needed.  She told us about her previous babysitting experience and her rates (which she could lower, if we needed, because he's so cute), and she gave us her phone number.

Noah said goodbye with his new favorite farewell,"BYE-BYE-seeyoulater!" having won over, not just the barista, but everyone within a twenty-foot radius.

As we exited the Starbuck, I turned to Carin and said, "you do realize what just happened, don't you?  Noah totally just picked up that girl.  He got her number and everything."

My son, the charmer.

I do it myself.*

When I picked Noah up from daycare today, the woman who runs the daycare told me, "It's interesting...  In years and years of doing this, he's the only kid who doesn't really care about taking home all the art projects that he's worked on.  I've noticed that he's less interested in the ones that we help with.  He's so much more interested in the ones he works on on his own, so much more proud of them."

Shocking.  (Not really.)  

*Title is a reference to an early quote of my own, often quoted back to me by my mother throughout my life.