George is 23 months old today!
Millennium Square
Doing the weekly shop at Morrisons
We've taught George how to put coins in donation collection things like these Guide Dog Association ones at Sainsburys--he says "Coins? Coins?"
Trying on sunglasses at Boots
We had a gorgeous Sunday roast at the Black Swan downtown
Maybe next year, buddy!
Playing at Wharfebank gardens
Looking at the ducks and swans
Cherry blossoms outside our church on Palm Sunday
Off to Seattle! George was good about 80% of the time and to be fair to him, it was a very long flight. Amsterdam to Seattle was 9 hours--nobody's at their best in that situation! We brought lots of little new toys, like mini Thomas trains and Matchbox cars and Peppa Pig books, and tons of snacks for him.
We met up with my clustermates and had a lovely day together! We went to see baby goats at this brewery event in Ballard--you can't get much more hipstery than that! There were loads of other babies there, so it was very family-friendly.
Michelle and Janette showing George the baby goat
This little one was only about a week old!
At the Pike Place Starbucks
Properly hipster outfit for Seattle
Cousin time at Pike Place Market!
It was so wonderful to see George with William and Charlie! He's crazy about them--look at that grin!
We took a ride on the ferry at Mukilteo with Mallory--breezy but fun!
He called the ferry a "bus"--almost right!
On the quad at University of Washington
So fun to see him at my alma mater!
Looking very collegiate
At Drumheller Fountain
Woodland Park Zoo
They had this exhibit that I don't think I'd ever seen before where you can feed the birds--so cool!
George gave Katie a nice cuddle!
Emilio and George were very similar--it was so cool to see them together, as they're just 2 days apart!
We were hoping he would get involved in the Easter Egg hunt, but he just wasn't having it at this age...
He loved this jaguar
"Kitty!"
With Jonna and Michelle
He loved this monkey
Olympic Sculpture Park on Easter Sunday
Seattle Center fountain
I really wanted a shot of him with the Space Needle, but he wasn't cooperative...
Happy to pose at dinner time at the Market, though!
Shopping at Alderwood Mall
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Getting Grandma's guest bedroom ready! My mom arrived a week after we got back from Seattle
At Skipton's Holy Trinity Church, ready for Sarah and James's wedding!
It was a gorgeous service--very personal and touching!
Sarah's dress was just perfect and I loved the live music throughout the day
At the reception at Rudding Park
Fireworks!
Cake table
The next day we brought my mom and George back to Rudding Park for a post-wedding barbecue
George was a big fan of the sorbet
May Day in York--George found a model shop and was thrilled about the cars and trains
George checking out the live music and giving them money
Pub lunch at the Old White Swan in York
A day at the beach in Scarborough
Baby's first carousel ride at the Scarborough Fair Exhibition--he was freaked out!
Fish & chips for lunch
Ice cream for dessert!
He was so funny with the waves, creeping up to the water and then walking backwards away from the incoming waves!
Arrival in Paris! I can't believe he's been to Paris twice and he's not even two yet...
We visited the Eiffel Tower with Richard's mom
George with two Grandmas!
We had a lovely lunch near the Trocadero
I loved this carousel!
Mireille really enjoyed getting to spend time with George!
Richard took George around the Tuileries gardens while my mom and I went to the Louvre
Venus di Milo
Mom with the Mona Lisa (and a lot of idiots with cameras between them!)
Sainte Chappelle
Notre Dame
Palais de Justice and Sainte Chappelle
Rose window inside the Notre Dame
In the gardens behind the Notre Dame
Climbing the Eiffel Tower
This glass floor was freaky!
Champs de Mars and Ecole Militaire
Mom looked after George for us after a long day of sightseeing, so we climbed the Eiffel Tower and went out to dinner at Le Relais de l'Entrecote--the best steak frites ever!
Shakespeare and Company
Monet's home at Giverny
I love the blue tiles in the kitchen!
Waterlilies
Walking along the Champs Elysees
Mom at the Arc de Triomphe
Back home in Headingley--tea and cupcakes at Hattie's!
We went out to Skipton after church one week and had fish & chips, took a walk along the canal and let George wander around the Holy Trinity churchyard
Last Sunday, we went out to Bolton Abbey for a walk in the woods after church
The bluebells are so gorgeous!
This morning George and I went out to Meanwood Park
He loves his sunhat and didn't want to take it off when we got home!
This has turned into a combined 2-month post just because of being so busy! We've had our 2 trips--Easter in Seattle and taking my mom to Paris--and it's been very busy at work (catching up after/between the trips), but now everything has calmed down. Now we've got a nice long stretch of summer ahead of us, with very little planned!
George has been going through a big developmental leap, with lots of new words and skills. He impresses us all the time, doing things we didn't know he could do yet! His communication skills have made life much easier, now that we know what he wants. He says "get down" when he wants to get up or down off of something, out of his highchair, etc. He says "please" when he wants our food, which is so cute & almost impossible to refuse (we only refuse when it's coffee/tea or alcohol--although he did have coffee ice cream in Paris!). He was very good for Grandma, who treated us to several date nights, both at home and in Paris--as well as our first ever night away for our friend Sarah's wedding. We had such a great time and George & Grandma had a lot of fun, too!
It's been so lovely to catch up with family and friends over the past couple of months--I wish we could just teleport around the world and visit everybody more often. Still, we're luckier than previous generations--my Swedish great-grandparents would've never seen their relatives who stayed back in the 'Old Country' ever again. George is a lucky little guy to have people who love him all over the world!
Firsts from 22nd month
--First trip to Seattle!
--First ferry ride
--First aquarium visit
--First zoo visit
--First tulip festival
--First time meeting my clustermates, Jonna, Jonna's parents and Mallory's parents
Firsts from 23rd month
--First night without parents--he was very good for Grandma!
--First carousel rides (at Scarborough Fair Exhibition and in Paris)
