Balancing Act

You like my car?

I can drive it with my bum!

Ooh, here is a new set of wheels.


But I can zip around on my own two feet now, thank you.

It helps to have a balancing stick.


Laugh loudly and carry a shiny stick, that's what I say.


Thanks to M'Amie Annie and Grand-Pe' for the photos!

Reading Hat

The Alphabet hat helps me read.

ChameLEOn

Where did Leo go? I see his green ball...

Dog is my co-Pilot

And daddy is my engine.



Thanks to Steph for this dog, by the way. Leo is enamored of him completely, and can more reliably recognize and find the dog when asked than he can his father or mother.

I'm Helping!

Leo loves to help us, all the time.

He helps us sweep up.


He points out where we have missed a spot sweeping.


He helps with laundry.



He helps us find things in our cabinets.


He will help us find the right pot or pan even if it means going through all of them.


He will pre-chew our eggplant for us...


...and bang on our drums (thanks Joanne!)...



...and gladly feed you some plum (yes he is in the midst of devouring a fruit and not a raw liver, however bloody he may look).


Then he helps us brush our teeth.


He helped Steph put away the recycling.


And he helped me trim the beans.



This is not an exhaustive list. For reasons of modesty we leave out how he helps us gets dressed. Although it is awfully cute when he hands Paul his socks and slippers in the morning to get him out of bed. I look forward to when he starts to back-seat drive :)

First Haircut

Reports have come in that our son has been starting to look a little scruffy. 'Tis so. He never got his hair cut -- up until Sept. 18. Can't say it's salon-level, but at least he no longer looks quite so unkempt. And he doesn't seem to have been traumatized by the shearing. Hooray!

I found a Water!

Daddy Mammy I found a Water! Daddy? Mammy? Why are you all looking the wrong way? Aoife, you see it, right?



Seriously you guys there's a Water just there! Why do you keep looking the wrong way?



Where'd the Water go?



Oh there it is. You guys do see it, right?



Oh I give up.



(thanks Deirdre for the photos)

Step right up

I can climb the stairs!

Come, mother, I will show you how it is done.

My Grand-uncle Johns

Or should it be Grand-uncles John?

bathtime in Ireland

A bath, a boat, a rubber duck - life is good!

Beside the seaside

We are in Tramore. My Daddy says that in Irish that means "big beach". A beach seems to be a place with lots of nice dry dirt and rocks and shells to play with. So far, I'm liking it.

What's that thing Mommy? The shiny whooshy thing coming towards us? Really fast? Mommy?


Aii-aa! It wet me! My toes!


Actually this is kind of fun. Mr Shiny McFeetWetter is my new best friend.



At my Gran-aunt Eilis's house, I found a small chubby man (my Daddy says he looks like me). He let me share his rocks. At least he didn't complain when I took them, and that's good enough for me.



My Mommy and Daddy tried to fix a kite. I helped them. If fixing means to break (and I'm pretty sure it does), I helped a lot.



I met one of my Dad's cousins, Eoin. He has a ring in his lip. I think it would be handy for carrying things on. You could save some spaghetti for later, for example.



My great-grandmother Nancy fed us very well. I like Tramore!

The Broughal Branch

My Irish cousins are kind of crazy. I like them.

Cousins and cows

I'm going to the farm with my cousins! They are going to keep me safe from the cows!


But who will keep me safe from them? Help, Daddy!


Ah, now I am safe with my Daddy, and... oh no, cows! We're surrounded!


Come back cousins all is forgiven!

Play ball

Noemi, Deirdre, Yannick, Sean, and William had a nice friendly game of soccer in Ireland.


Well, it started friendly - but then the boots came off.


It wasn't easy to get past the keeper.


Everyone had a try.


Sean was the most determined.


In the face of rough tactics, he persisted.


Until at last...


Go Sean!