Picnic

We all went my work picnic today. For the boys, the best part was the pumpkins that one of the students had brought for decoration. (Fortunately, the pumpkins were also more durable than I expected them to be -- the boys wanted to hold "the big ones" instead of the little mini ones, and of course that meant they dropped them multiple times. But they didn't break!)

The picnic was at a park we don't usually go to, so that also meant a new playground -- and this one was really cool, with musical toys (Matthew especially loved playing the bells), and climbing structures. James was quite pleased with himself when he made it to the top of the little climbing wall, and he also scaled those fake rock stairs like a pro, zooming right up on the first try.

More than one person at the picnic was surprised and impressed with how clearly Matthew is talking these days!  Both of the boys are just picking up words right and left.  Jamesie has started to use "I" more often: "I turn off the light!" "I throw the rock!"  "Daddy, I found the vacuum!"  And Mattie is just a sponge for new vocabulary.  Today watching Sesame Street he pointed at an instrument and (correctly) informed me that it was a violin, and when he was trying to find his bear he said that he was "searching" for it, and at breakfast he told me that the melted butter was "liquid."  (A couple days ago he wanted to see the butter on his waffle, and I explained to him how it changed into liquid when it got warm -- apparently he remembered!)  And he's picked up the phrase, "Let's do that!" which I think is hilarious and adorable.