Friday, 26 May 2017

22 and 23 Months


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 visit to Giverny
--First carousel rides (at Scarborough Fair Exhibition and in Paris)

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