Summer Nights

One Friday evening Adam came home from work and I just felt like I needed to get out for the evening. We ate some dinner, got in the car and ended up at the Santa Barbara Mission. The mission sits on a little hill with this great grassy area right in front. They have beautiful rose bushes and a little fountain. There were other families playing on the grass, some peope enjoying an evening picnic...just a beautiful place to be on a summer night. Merrick loved running around for a short time then we hopped in the car and stopped for some ice cream. We weren't gone for very long but it was exactly what I needed, especially the ice cream!

I added just a couple pictures of Merrick in the tub. These were taken back in July I believe and since then Merrick has received his first haircut and a few molars. He's had another cold, ear infection, sore throat situation with a high fever that wouldn't go down for almost 2 days and a stressed out mom. Other than that he's a fun kid to be around. We have our silly little games we play during the day, one of which consists of Merrick pretending to push me over. I then have to ask for him to help me up, he will walk over and gently put his hand behind my head and start to push my head up for me. The more we've played the less gentle he's become. Now he'll just yank on my hair or grab my shirt, his favorite part is pushing me over though, as it should be.

When Merrick throws his tantrums now he lays down slowly and ever so cautiously as to not bump his head on any toy, hard surface, etc. Once he is on the ground completely the tantrum will really start. I choose to ignore it as most parents do and he will then follow me into whatever room I'm in and start the tantrum over. My parents used to curse me with a child exactly like me when I would throw my tantrums and I have been cursed I guess. The tantrums I can actually handle and they are quite entertaining, I'm hoping to get one on film. It is the whining for every little thing that I can't handle. All in all these tantrums and whines are not THAT often and with being sick plus molars coming in they've surfaced a little more. His dancing to music, pretending to strum his inflatable guitar and singing his bathtime song all make up for it.