Aqua and Aquilas

We had a really good time with Steve and Meredith Aquila today. We strolled through Old Town Alexandria, making our way to the water front. Adam wanted to get in with the ducks. After our outing we enjoyed dinner and visiting together. It was nice to have a day of relaxing with friends.

Hair Inspector

After careful inspection by Adam, Daddy's new haircut received the "Good to Go". Daddy was happy since he was ready to go to bed.

Bounce

Sometimes it is good to look at things from a different perspective. Adam discovered a new way to play with his bouncer. This boy keeps us on our toes. We love our bouncing baby boy.

Looking Up

Adam took a moment to pause and look up at Mommy. It is a little overwhelming to think of how much he looks up to us and is reliant on us to teach him. There are many people who we look up to, who have helped shape both who we are and who we hope to one day be. Among them are parents, family, teachers, friends, religious leaders, great minds of the past and present, and those who sacrificed for good causes, the greatest of these being our Savior. Who has influenced your life?

Wanna Share?

Adam enjoyed his first graham cracker. He was even generous enough to want to share with Mommy.

Dinner in Bed

Child Care Adam Style

Adam loves his baby doll! And he takes good care of him.

Safely On Shore

The ocean is full of scary animals who want to eat you. It is such a relaxing place.
We truly did enjoy our visit. We all wished we could have stayed longer, and decided we need a summer home on the beach.

Sleepy Tourist

Adam was pretty tuckered out after a busy day of tourism. We spent the day in Newport, Rhode Island window shopping, museum hopping, and mansion gawking.

Knight & Armor

Emily's shining knight standing next to armor.

Hop On Pop

Adam enjoyed story time with Grandpa Summers as they read Dr. Seuss's classic Hop On Pop. Grandpa consented to reading the "subversive" book, since he was removed by a generation making him the Grandpop. Silly Grandpa doesn't he know hopping is not restricted only to Daddies.

Master Miranda

Aunt Miranda graduated from Brown University today with a masters in public humanities. We are proud of her, and happy we could be there to support her. This was the first graduation Adam has attended. He sported his Brown T-shirt in honor of the festivities. Congratulations Aunt Miranda!

Waterfire

We flew up to Providence Rhode Island this evening, for Aunt Miranda's graduation. She took us all down to the river to experience Waterfire, an event that takes place Saturday nights during the summer. Adam loved looking at the water and floating fire. We all enjoyed the tour, and are happy to be reunited with Aunt Miranda.

Time to Rest

Adam has had a cold and has not been feeling well. To help him breath and sleep better Mommy has been propping him up with the Boppy. He is enjoying snuggling up to it. He looks so peaceful while he sleeps.

Come Play

Adam discovered the window and that he could get to it. He was excited to see Waltz out the window. Watching the two of them it was obvious that both wanted to be on the other side of the glass with the other. Adam loves his dogs.

A Boy and His Dad

Adam enjoys spending time with his Daddy. They truly treasure each other. Adam gets so excited when Daddy enters the room, and Nathan lights up when he sees Adam.

Too Messy!

Dancing Boy

What new things will Adam discover now that he is mobile? Watch out world!

Cute Shirts

Here are two of Daddy's favorite people. Daddy thinks that the shirts both of them are wearing are very cute on them. Daddy loves his family very much, but he wasn't wearing a cute shirt, so he wasn't allowed in the picture.

Grandpa You Are Old!

Tonight we celebrated Grandpa Carl Summers's birthday. Yesterday he turned 55. We joined Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Caitlin at Houlihan's restaurant for dinner, where Adam helped Grandpa open his gifts and eat his cards. We also watched the new Star Trek movie together. Adam slept through most of it, even though the theater was rumbling (that boy can sleep through the loudest noises). We love birthday celebrations. Happy Birthday!

Climbing to the Top

Adam enjoyed his visit to the playground at Burke Lake today. He scaled his first steps as he crawled along the play equipment. It was nice to get some fresh air and take a little time just to play outside. But what Adam enjoyed the most was watching other children. He liked watching them climb, run, and slide. He loved it when they stopped and talked to him. He is our little social boy.

Breakfast of Champions

Errands

After a long day of running errands, sleep was a welcome friend. Our day went something like this: We dropped Daddy off at work about 10:30 am, then we were off to go visiting teaching, followed by a trip to Woodbridge to go to Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts looking for micro-fleece (which they no longer carry - strike one) & picking up some clothes on clearance at Toys R Us. Our return trip was via back roads due to I-95 North being a parking lot. Next stop: Wal-Mart in Kingstown (unfortunately they did not have any Dreft spray stain remover - strike two), then over to the Kingstown Toys R Us in quest of Dreft spray (they also were out - strike three). By the time we got home it was a little after 5pm, and then we picked Daddy up from work at 6:30. Whew! No wonder our little boy was so tired. What a long day!

Light at the End of the Trail

Mason District Park was a fun park to explore. It is a large park with two playgrounds, sports fields, tennis courts, trails, a hidden dog park, an amphitheater, and picnic areas. This evening after Daddy got off work we had some family time together in the park. After had a small snack we ventured down one of the hiking trails, following signs leading to the dog park. It was scenic and peaceful. Smaller trails branched off along the way. A few hills and almost a mile later we passed the dog park. A sign on the fence read: Limit 62 Dogs. As we continued it got darker and darker, making it harder to distinguish where the trail was or to read the guide posts pointing back to the main park. With low visibility we were relieved to see the lights of the tennis courts and parking lot come into view. This park merits more exploring, but next time maybe we will go around lunchtime.

Is This the End of Superman?

We are often asked if the Superman Suit still fits. Once again it was time for the challenge as we were going through Adam's clothes to see which ones he can wear. Many outfits have come and gone. Can the Superman Suit withstand the pressure? Drum roll...

I'll Take This One

A new little Curtis has come into the world. Our friends Mark and Sarah just welcomed their firstborn, James Acton Curtis, into their family. He was born April 29th, exactly seven months after our firstborn. We were all excited to meet James and congratulate the parents. Adam was so happy to see James. He just wanted to grab and squeeze him, like his babies at home. Seeing this little guy reminded us of how much Adam has grown. It was different to have him be the big one. Welcome James!

Seasons of Mothers

We had a fabulous Mother's Day. Emily got a food grinder. We had a delicious meal featuring the most amazing sweet potatoes ever. But the most important thing is we got a day just to celebrate how amazing Emily is. Hope your Mother's day was just as good. We thank our mothers for being the wonderful women who made this day possible for us.

First Work of Art

Every artist begins somewhere. Daddy was going through the grocery adds, marking items of interest. He had a little helper. When they were finished Mommy noticed that Adam marked more than the sale circulars. His little leg, foot, and arm were adorned with a few tasteful lines. My little Michaelangelo, may I recommend paper and crayons?

Show Me a Sign

It's baby signing time. We have been signing a few baby signs with Adam, such as: more, potty, all done, and I love you. We decided to expand our vocabulary and ordered Baby Siging Time volumes one and two. When the package came addressed to Adam he studied the contents carefully. His got excited when they were doing the sign for milk, and referenced a baby drinking mommy's milk. Finally a movie with some real milk in it, now were talking!

Po-TAY-toe, Pot-TOT-o, To-MAY-toe, To-MOT-o

We have awaited the arrival of the Farmer's Markets all winter long. The produce from the grocery stores just pales in comparison. Today was our first taste of this seasons markets. We came home with delicious crisp Cameo apples, Yukon Gold potatoes, tomatoes, and Italian Sausage. Just thinking of all the upcoming fruits and vegetables leaves our mouths watering.

Breakfast Bowl

Look, Mom I can do it all by myself!

Cinco de Mayo

El cinco de mayo tuvimos una fiesta de la batalla de Puebla. En los Estados Unidos, el cinco de mayo es el día en que celebramos de la incompetencia y la arrogancia francesa, y, más actualmente, la cultura mexicana. Los Summers de Purcellville vinieron y nos divertíamos mucho. Comimos enchiladas, elotes locos, arroz, frijoles refritos, y horchata. Concluíamos con un flan "interesante." Toda la comida estaba bien rica. ¡Feliz cinco de mayo!

May 5th we had a Battle of Puebla party. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is the day in which we celebrate the incompetence and arrogance of the French, and, more recently, the Mexican culture. The Percellvillian Summers came and we had a lot of fun. We ate enchiladas, elotes locos (literally translated, "Crazy Corn on the Cob"), rice, refried beans, and horchata. We concluded with an "interesting" flan. All the food was very delicious. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Undies!!!

Adam wasn't very happy about getting his vaccines boostered but he perked up when a special package came in the mail for him. Grandma made him his first pair of training pants. We never imagined that we would be putting our seven month old in underwear. Grandma, you did a great job. They fit just right. Our little boy who loves to try on new clothes was happy to model his new whitey-tighties. Welcome to the wondrous world of underwear, Adam.

Look What I Found!

Adam was so excited when he discovered that when Daddy left the room he left his computer on the floor for him. He quickly crawled over to the computer with a look of glee and started typing. Daddy was impressed that one of the first things Adam did was lock the computer, keeping his files safe. Computers + Summers boys = happiness.

Lunch in Bed

Mommy spent the day in bed sick. Adam kept her company and shared the snacks Daddy brought them. He loves to drink out of real cups, and eat whatever we are eating. Between Daddy & Adam, Mommy was well cared for. Thanks, guys.

Black Tie Dinner

We went out to eat at Chili's at the spur of the moment, after running errands. Adam out-dressed his parents. When did our baby change from looking like a little baby to a proper little toddler?