Raleigh Rose Garden with Grammy & Papa

Court is lucky to live within a day's drive of his Georgia grandparents, who came to visit him in August for a weekend of fun. He loved taking them to some of his favorite spots, including the Raleigh Rose Garden. In addition to sixty beds of roses, the garden has a small pond that is his very favorite spot for spotting fish and for splashing around. We had to convince him that the pond was not suitable for swimming; otherwise, we're pretty certain he would have jumped right in!

Retro Style

This week, Court received his second (and hopefully final!) crew cut as a part of our ongoing efforts to even out his lovely locks. Court *loves* to suck his left thumb and he picked up a fairly fierce hair-twirling habit in early June to keep his right hand busy while sucking his thumb. Hair twirling lead to hair pulling which lead to a bald spot that we addressed by chopping it all off. Two months later, we opted for a second haircut to even it out.

He was such a champ in the barber's chair that we decided to reward him with a delicious cup of ice cream. He also convinced his dad to share an Oreo milkshake. Our big boy now looks like he belongs at a sock hop in the 1950s!

Pool Play

We joined a lovely little neighborhood pool for the summer, where Court has spent many sunny mornings and late afternoons cooling off in the toy-strewn toddler pool. He also enjoys swimming with his mom and dad in the big pool, where he confidently wears his arm floaties and delights in watching the big kids jump off of the diving board.

Marbles

Court is fortunate to live just a few miles from the Marbles Kids Museum, which we recently visited to escape the summer heat. Court had a ball in the "Around Town" exhibit where he cruised around in the driver's seat of a classic car and a city bus and discovered the novelty of a pay phone (a near-relic!).

Music Time

Court joined some friends for an outdoor music class recently. He was entranced by the music and remarkably responsive to using the various instruments provided. It was such a treat to see him in his toddler element and such a surprise to see him sitting patiently awaiting direction from the instructor!

Farmer's Market

We are incredibly fortunate to live less than 15 minutes from the largest greenmarket in the state, the NC State Farmer's Market. It is open year-round and the prices and produce can not be beat. We find ourselves there at least once a week, and Court loves taking advantage of the farmers' generosity. He is always willing to participate in a taste test, especially when it includes a big cold slice of watermelon.

Dottie

Court has a very dear friend named Dottie who joins him in his crib for every nap time and bedtime. He is usually very particular about keeping her in his bed, but sometimes when he has a hard time waking up, he will bring her along for his post-nap snack. Inevitably, some peanut butter or cheese ends up smudged on her dress or legs, which we think just adds to her character. As you can tell, Dottie is a very well loved doll!

Oak Island

Pardon the delay in our regular updates! Court spent the last week of July on Oak Island, NC, where we traded our mobile phones and laptops for morning play sessions on the beach and late afternoon swims in the frothy ocean. Along with three other families, we spent a lovely week in a spacious house one block from the beach and we had a wonderful time. Court's highlights included his first ice cream cone, his first stroll along a fishing pier, multiple days building sand castles and lots of playtime with the four other kiddos under our shared roof. We are already looking forward to returning next year!