Gotcha Day

July 31 was our first gotcha day - the anniversary of the day that the 3 of us became a family. We all took the day off and went out to the Holden Arboretum in Lake County and checked out the train garden. Cam had a lot of fun watching the trains and listening for the whistles. A couple of times he grabbed Buffy's hand to steady him as he attempted to jump the fence!! We got him back on the right "track" quickly - don't need to be thrown out of the arboretum! He suffered his first bee sting while we were there, but recovered very quickly.

Looking back at some of the pictures from a year ago, it's amazing to think and see how he's changed - and also stayed the same in some regards.

• He's so much bigger and looks healthier now.
• He still drools a lot.
• He sings songs (we don't know what he's saying, but he's singing) and likes to sing along with Mama when she sings "Moon, Moon, Moon".
• He says "uh oh" a LOT.
• He's been saying "yes" for a while now. He just started saying "no" a few days ago. "Yes" is much nicer.
  
• He says other random words and babbles.
• He likes to jump (including when he's going downstairs - eek!).
• He's mechanically inclined and will drop whatever toy he has if it means he can help you fix something.
• He loves books - especially ones about trains, trucks, farm equipment or cars.
• If you are sad, he'll come over and tell you "Alright" and give you a hug.
• The Nemo ball is no longer with us since he put it in the dishwasher and it went through an entire cycle unbeknownst to Mama and Daddy.
• He doesn't like to have his hands dirty. Often during meals, he holds up his hands to one of us asking to have them cleaned up.
• He loves to be chased.
• He has started asking us to sit in specific places when he's playing. He'll start on a puzzle and realize we're not there, come and grab the missing person and then tap the spot where we should sit.
• He tattles on things that hurt him. If he bonks his head, he'll cry and then show you what he hit his head on by pointing or tapping it.
• He likes talking to Grandpa Bollin on the computer and often tries to share his milk or food with him.
• He impressed Grandpa DeWitt back in June when he helped replace a tractor wheel on a real tractor and managed to get the bolts threaded.

All in all, it's been a good year for the 3 of us. Perhaps, the best ever (so far).


Meet the trucks in Lakewood in early June.


















On the beach at Currituck, NC (OBX).















Currituck Lighthouse in the background and a cute little boy who sees geese in the foreground.








At a tractor show in Plain City with Grandpa D.



















Same tractor show, playing in the straw.















At the Holden Arboretum.


















Thinking about hopping the fence.

















Making a break for it!

















B&B&C at Jockey's Ridge State Park in NC (OBX)