Family. Lifestyle. Fashion.
If you had asked me two years ago, how many playgrounds we lived near, I probably would have said two… maybe three. Well, let me tell you something, Baltimore has a plethora of playgrounds, and they all offer something different.
If there’s ever a nice afternoon, and we’ve run out of planned activities you can bet we’re off to the playground. The beauty of Baltimore, “the playground,” could mean any of the 15 playgrounds within a two mile radius of our house. To be honest, I haven’t even discovered most of them!
I love that we live in this little city, where finding a new playground can turn into an adventure for both of us. I’m not sure we’ll ever play on all of Baltimore’s playgrounds, but that’s what makes it exciting.
It’s no secret that summer is my favorite time of year. The long hours of sunlight, the sudden downpours that leaves everything drenched, and the heat that makes a cold glass of water unbeatable. Yes, summer is indeed my favorite season. Perhaps one reason summer lends itself so well to me, is that I am able to enjoy being outdoors. I can breathe easy, soak up some sun, and not worry about feeling cold. Simply put; it’s summertime and the living’s easy.
With August quickly approaching and the days slowly starting to get shorter, I’m taking advantage of all the sunshine we get. Our Zoo membership is getting quite the workout already. We’ve brought friends, picnics and treated ourselves to some dip-n-dots.
My little observer is quite content at the zoo. We can count the animals, talk about color, and giggle as the cheetah opens her mouth every time she makes a loop around her favorite tree. Emmie can run free down the boardwalk stopping to check out the elk and antelope as she see’s fit.
When we’re looking at the animals together, she studies my face first. Then she holds out her hand towards the looming beasts and quietly declares, “ooooh.” She’ll study them a little while longer, then turn back to me to make sure I’m looking too.
At our last zoo encounter we witnessed an elephant nudge a big green ball into his pool, and we watched as he trudged in after. Have you ever seen an elephant wade down the steps into a pool? Neither had we, until that day. While they may be intelligent animals, their sheer size doesn’t lend it’self to gracefulness.
Our short window of time whizzes past, until we’re racing against the clock to make it home for our second nap. The house is quiet as we snuggle our sweaty heads, quietly whispering about how fun our adventure was. We read our Jolly Jungle book as a tribute to the zoo animals we watched, and we nap to store up energy for more outdoor fun.
I know I’ll miss you summer, but for now, I’m soaking up every moment of goodness you send.
My Little Love Bug,
It is so hard for me to believe that you are already one year old. Where did the time go? Wasn’t it just yesterday you were rolling around kicking my bladder?
Some days it’s hard for me to remember just how small you were. Even some of your newborn things were big for you. Now you’re this running, laughing, independent little monkey and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
At one year old you can:
At one year old you love to:
Oh Emerson, you make us smile everyday. You are a lovable, sweet, thoughtful person and it has been a joy watching you grow over this past year. Your giggle lights up a room, and your goofy grin always makes me smile. You find wonder in everything we do. You love to carefully observe the world and process information in a quiet manor.You continue to inspire me to be the best person I can, and I continue to love you so much it hurts. Let’s see what this next year brings, shall we?!
Love, Love, LOVE-
Your Momma
