Euro 2008

Sam and I watched the final of Euro 2008 today after his nap. It was a good father son bonding time. I especially enjoyed Sam's commentary during the last part of the second half. Here is an unedited sampling of his commentary on the game:

Fridays with Sam

For the summer, I have been taking Fridays off and hanging out with Sam all day. With his nap moving to the afternoon now, we have all morning to go and play. I decided that each Friday Sam and I would go somewhere different on MARTA. I decided this because 1) I love to ride MARTA and it was a good excuse to do it (plus gas is incredibly expensive) and 2) Sam is starting to get old enough to where he catches on to things. He may not remember the trips we take, but he is starting to recognize and get excited for MARTA buses and trains!! We have gone to Centennial Park, a Chick-Fil-A playground/Target to get a soccer ball/lunch downtown, and to a playground in the next neighborhood over/visit former DOOR staff/had lunch with mom on our three Fridays out.

I have really enjoyed our times together as well. Certainly the things that we have done, we could have done in less time if we have driven. But the bus ride gives Sam and I time to play, cuddle, read, and look out the window together as we ride by places. I have really enjoyed being able to interact with Sam during our trips and not missing out on that time of interaction because I am driving. It also has been special to me because as I have been taking Sam places on the train, I realized that one of my fondest memories of childhood with my dad is the times that he took me and my brother into Philly and other places on the train. I can recall vividly the times that we went to the car show, Harrisburg to visit Uncle Don, the Franklin Institute, sporting events, and even to shop occasionally.

I know that Sam is too little to have memories of our journeys together this summer. But I am not, and I will cherish the moments that Sam and I have gotten together this summer for a long time. And I have a renewed appreciation for what my Dad did with us. It wasn't a choice for him because he couldn't drive, but I appreciated it none the less.

PS. If you have any suggestions of what Sam and I could do on the bus & train together, places to go visit, let me know. We are three weeks in, and I am running out of ideas that are 1) free, and 2) close to a train station. It'd be fun to hear some suggestions of places we might go.

Swimming

Katie and Sam have been taking swim lessons at the YMCA in our neighborhood for the past 4 weeks. Sam already loved the water before the lessons, but he definitely is a huge fan of it since the lessons. Here is a video (sorry for the delay Grammy) of Sam in the water. Sorry we couldn't get him saying pool on video, but he says it now in his own language: pppaahhh, pppaahhh, pppaahhh. Enjoy the video!

First (Real) Haircut

Because Sam was having too many mornings waking up like this:
We decided it was time for a real hair cut. I had cut his hair once before, but now it was time for the real deal. We were a little nervous about the whole process since Sam doesn't really like people invading his personal space. Miraculously, the kid the great! Sipping on Daddy's smoothie during the whole ordeal really kept him calm and focused elsewhere. Here are a few shots from the event:


Here is the after shot. I think he is quite a handsome boy.

Father's Day Blueberries

Katie, Sam, and I celebrated fathers day this weekend since I had to work all Sunday last week. So this morning, we all went south to a blueberry farm to pick blueberries. This was a favorite activity of mine from my camp days at Spruce Lake, and I fully expected this experience to be more fun for me than for Sam (and especially Katie :) )

However, I was amazed when after picking blueberries for about 10 minutes, I looked over at Sam and saw him pick a blueberry off of the bush and then walk it over to the bucket and place it in the bucket. He did this over and over again, with the occasional one making it into his mouth of course!! Katie and I were shocked because we didn't even try to get him to do it. We just left him be to have some fun exploring while we picked blueberries and he just picked it up himself. I was so proud! Anyway, here is a video and some pictures from this morning. Hopefully later this weekend we will post a video of Sam's swimming skills.

Fun Times

We have really been enjoying Sam lately. He is at such a good age right now. Here are some pictures of him with some of his favorite activities:


While they do not see each other quite as much as the did before the summer began, Sam and Jaelyn remain good friends. Here is a moment of them actually sharing a toy. It certainly is a rarity as they enjoy taking from each other much more.





Sam has become quite the enthusiast of slides around the city. These are taken at Centennial Park downtown. As you can see, Sam really enjoys going down the slide. But he also enjoys trying to climb back up the slide. He doesn't have too many uses for the stairs to get to the top, he would rather just climb back up the slide. Depending on the slide, he is sometimes successful.


Sam has started to enjoy playing with our wallets and taking everything out of them. We are hoping that this is not a prelude of things to come, but it is pretty fun to watch.

Soccer Trip to PA

Last weekend, Sam and I were able to travel to Pennsylvania so that I could go see the US-Argentina match in New Jersey with Shawn and Dave. It was a great trip, and it was fun (but exhausting) traveling with Sam by myself. We were able to see family and friends and have a really enjoyable time. Here are some pics of the weekend (I took very few, two of these or from Shawn and Mom, thanks!).


Sam with two of his new friends, Caleb and Chase Livezy. Sam had a great time playing with them. The highlight was definitely throwing a sleeping bag down the stairs over and over again.


Sam with his Mom Mom at the neighborhood pool. Sam has been taking swimming lessons and has become quite the lover of the pool. I went with him today for the first time since his swim lessons and was amazed at how comfortable he has become in the pool.


Shawn, Dave, and I in the first row of the Meadowlands (Boooo!, sorry I have to always boo the meadowlands) . We had a great time at the game. And even though the game ended in 0-0 draw, it was really excited and a fast paced game. We can't wait to US-Mexico in 2009!

More Summer Fun

Sam has really enjoyed summer time thus far. He now knocks on the screen door to be let outside almost hourly. These pictures are actually taken inside, but they show his love for all things summer. You can also see more pics at our shutterfly page.

Summertime

Summer has come to Atlanta, and Sam wants to be outside all the time! He stands at the door all day begging to go outside. Here are a few pictures of Sam playing.