Family Weekend

We have all been looking forward to having Uncle Chris and Aunt Lauren Ross visit us this weekend! They arrived on Friday morning for a wedding on Sunday, and are not leaving until Tuesday night. So, we have a lot of time to hang out! It is wonderful. On Friday, Aidan had a lot of fun playing with them on the playgrounds. And on Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa Ruane drove over to babysit so Mommy and Daddy could take Uncle Chris and Aunt Lauren to see Spamalot on Broadway to celebrate Lauren's birthday. We all had a great time! Grandma and Grandpa took Aidan to the Natural History Museum while we were at the show. (Afterwards, Grandma told us that Aidan ran for "miles" around the museum!) We thought Spamalot was hilarious, and afterwards we met up with Aidan and Grandma and Grandpa for dinner at Coogans to continue the celebrations. So, it was a wonderful afternoon!

On Sunday, Chris and Lauren had a wedding to attend on Long Island, and Mommy and Daddy and Aidan went to Fort Tryon's Medieval Festival. At the beginning of the day, it was rainy and not so fun, so we went out again after a late nap for Aidan, and the second time was great. Aidan loved the minstrels (especially the fiddler), the police horses, and the magic wand he was given at one booth. Daddy liked all the sword booths and the jousting match, and Mommy liked seeing all the people in colorful costumes. Definitely worth going to again next year!


During the rest of the week, Aidan has been doing a number of things. He is playing a new game where he points at you, and then you have point back, and then connect your pointer finger to his like Adam and God on Michaelangelo's Sistene Chapel ceiling. He loves it! Another new game is horsey-rides with Daddy: Aidan climbs on Daddy's back while Daddy is on all fours, and Daddy rides him around the house - Aidan loves it! Aidan is also regularly playing by himself for at least five minutes at a time, which is amazing! It is incredible the way his playtime is developing.


Aidan also started really using the "I hear" sign this week. Mommy started cupping her hand to her ear when she heard planes and other things, and he picked it up the same day! Now, when planes fly overhead or trucks rumble down the street, he promptly puts his own hand to his ear, looks out the window, and comments excitedly about it.


On Saturday, Aidan also switched to "real" shoes: gray/blue/white Champion size 6 1/2 baby tennis shoes with two velcro straps, instead of his "water socks" shoes which he has been wearing all summer. He had a fit when he first tried them on, but when Mommy put them on him in the park and ran around while he pushed his baby stroller saying what an amazing big boy he was, he started smiling and decided that they must be okay! On the feet front, Aidan is also "really running" according to Daddy - and he is hard to keep up with!


The other big event that happened this week was that on Wednesday, Aidan was babysat by someone other than family for the first time! Mommy is continuing to look into shared childcare options with other families, and this was the first real attempt in that direction. Aidan spent 2 1/2 hours with Mommy's new friend Erin, her husband Pete, and their son Bruno (who is the same age as Aidan but is not walking yet). They said that Aidan was a trooper, even though he wasn't thrilled at Mommy leaving him behind! They all took a walk to the river, and that made Aidan happier than being inside, even though he decided that he wouldn't get out of the stroller! When Mommy picked him up, he was doing his finger pointing game with Erin like she was his buddy, and smiled at all of them, so she thought the experience was a success. (And it helped her finish a section on her current dissertation chapter, so it was totally worth it!)