A Fishers Island Summer in One Day

Izzy and I headed over to the Island for a visit yesterday. It was packed since we had to fit a whole summer in one day. Other than a misjudgement on my part causing an unpleasant trip to South Beach, the day was quite nice. I wish I had asked someone to sunscreen my back. Ouch!

(times are approximate)
9a-10a Ferry ride to Fishers Island with Wes
10a-11a Hang out with the Thibodeaus. Greg loves kids
11a-12p Visit Dad, Pat and my grandparents at the cemetery.
12p-1p Go to South Beach where Izzy screamed the whole time.
1p-1:30p Izzy has a brief nap in the car.
1:30p-2:30p Have lunch with Aunt Gail on the Village Green
2:30p-3:30p Izzy sleeps in the stroller while I walk and pick wine berries
3:30p-4:30p Rainbow Sherbet on the Green with Shannon.
4:30p-5:30p Dock Beach with Gail. No waves = No Screaming
5:30p-6:30p Izzy helps George and Nirapa garden.
7:00p-8:00p Ferry ride back to the Mainland. Izzy meets Kiki the dog.
8:30-9:30p Yummy Eggplant Parmesan dinner with Aunt Gigi.
9:30p-10:45p Drive home to Worcester.
11p Bed!

"Boat! Big Boat!"

Playing on South Beach

Crying on South Beach

No Crying on Dock Beach with Aunt Gigi

Sleeping in the berry patch.

Walking through Mrs. Ridgeway's impressive garden

Izzy notices a spot not covered with gravel...Yet

Weeding out the beet patch.

Nirapa supervises the newest crew member.

Nirapa shows Izzy the huge sunflowers

Diggin' in the dirt

No Picking, Izzy. Touching only!

Ready. Set. Water!

Watering George's flowers

Heading back Home

Izzy visits Jack's Reef

Izzy and I joined Grandma Patty Lou, Uncle Ben and Aunt Amy on a visit to Great Grandpa and Aunt Jeanne at Jack's Reef this past week. Izzy was cranky from Albany to Memphis but was fine once we got there. We stayed in the family room so that her access to stairs was limited. Of course that didn't stop her from going everywhere and getting into everything. Izzy had a lot of fun playing the piano and playing ball outside. The lawn was deemed the safest place for her.

Monday we took an unintentional road trip up to Oswego since Izzy had fallen asleep in the car and hadn't slept well her first night in the pack-n-play. We found an awesome fort, Fort Ontario, on the lake where the Patriots whupped some British butt. It was wicked windy and the lake sounded like the ocean. It even looked like the seaside with a lighthouse and break wall off shore. afterwards we searched for lunch and had paninis at a local deli. While I was in the bathroom, I could hear Izzy talking and then screaming. She had wiggled the chair and pitched herself, the booster, and the chair over onto the floor. She got a lovely bruise on her brow and her forehead but no blood and she was fine once we got her some ice to suck on and some Motrin in her. It was creepy how no one came to help or even ask if she was ok. Everyone just kept their heads down and tried to ignore us.

Tuesday, after a frantic search for my keys which had fallen on the lawn outside, Amy joined us ona trip to Beaver Lake Nature Center. Izzy had a bit of a nap while we walked the trails. She was particularly fond of the turtles and fishes in the tanks. Izzy did not want to leave so I had to just grab and dash out the door before she could figure out what was going on. That night we visited Cousins Barton and Kristy at their new house in Camillus. They've had a lot of work done and Izzy had fun toddling through the house and meeting the cat. She got to swing on the their hammock while we waited to go get dinner. We ate at a nice Italian place where Kristy helped entertain her while waiting for the food. Turns out Izzy loves her Ice Age McDonald's toys. Especially the sabertooth tiger. Roar! Izzy had bread with extra garlic butter courtesy of Grandma and some pasta. But dessert was where it was at. Izzy managed to scam Grandma out of a fair amount of her PB brownie before diving into our creme brulee. Next time I need to remember to pack a baby spoon. I think she ate more than I did!

Wednesday, Grandma took us to Skaneatles for breakfast and to visit the shops. Izzy scored a new stuffed tiger that roars, of course! The kid's really into her predators :) Then we had to go home to pack for the long ride home to Worcester. Fortunately, Amy came with us so I had someone to turn around to look at Izzy and help her get snacks and any dropped books or toys. What a big help! Izzy was so excited to see Daddy and the puppies. She got to stay up past her bedtime to have some snuggle time with Daddy and Spongebob.

Grandma takes a sleepy Izzy for a ride

Fort Ontario

The lighthouse

Izzy praises the view

Izzy enjoyed stretching her legs

Mommy and Izzy pose for Grandma

The grave of an unknown soldier who fell at Fort Ontario.

A cool monument

And its inscription

Izzy looking like she lost a fight.

Izzy offers Ben a geranium

Who then muses over its beauty

No more picking, Izzy!

Izzy "gardening"

A rainbow over Jack's Reef

Izzy enjoys the view

Rapture!

Izzy rocks out on the piano.

Izzy's First Serenade

Mom, we totally need to get some of these.

Grandma and Izzy take a stroll in the yard before heading for home.

Otters!

This afternoon we took a quick trip to the Ecotarium to see the otters. Izzy and I went with Karen to see them Wednesday but we forgot the camera. Fortunately, they were out and playing today so we got some good pics.

Oh, and now Izzy can say "Otter!" What sound do they make?








Izzy and Mommy disagree on which way to walk. Mommy wins.

16+ Months!

Cheese!

Izzy had her most recent wellness check up a month ago and weighed in at 22 lb 2 oz and is 28.5 inches tall. So the intern did accidentally give her an extra inch. Oops! So Izzy is still a peanut but with a healthy appetite. She did have an ear check-up and is scheduled to get tubes August 21st. Fortunately swimming lessons will be done by then. She's having great fun in the pool. Though she just doesn't get how to blow bubbles yet. She insists on drinking the water. Yuch!

Izzy Lou is walking! Everywhere. And falling. Everywhere. At the end of June Izzy mastered standing without needing a support and now she can squat to pick something up and then keep going. Once she let go of the tables, she's been making leaps and bounds. Well, maybe not literally :) Her game lately is what is the biggest thing she can carry and how many things can she carry at once. Last week Izzy learned that if you hold something in your mouth, then both hands are free to pick something else up. Now we hope that she manages to keep her teeth until they come out on their own in like 5 years!

Izzy has also mastered crawling up the stairs and usually starts going up for one of two reasons: yucky diaper or it's night-night time. We do appreciate the self-awareness at such a young age. When that girl says "Night-night", she means it! And we did buy a potty to start getting her used to the idea but haven't been actively training her. She does like to sit on it for a short while but then is off to something more exciting.

So needless to say, we now have gates up and are fearing that she'll figure out how to open those on her own before long. Fortunately, she'll probably be too short for a while yet before she's tall enough to get enough leverage to pop the latches.

Izzy's been talking up a storm. She most often sounds like a foreigner fake-talking "English." Meaning she sounds like you should understand her, but really the words are nonsensical. At least to us.

Here are some of the words we know she can say. (if in her own "accent")

Family Names: Dadda, Mom, Izzy
Greetings: Hi, Hello, Bye bye, Night night
Questions: What's this? What's that? Where's Mom/Dad?
Animals: Dog, Puppy, Kitty, Fish, Ow-ell
Animal Sounds: Woof, Meow, Neigh, Grunt, Baaa, Maaa, Cluck, Cock-a-doo, Ee-eee, ROAR
Foods: Apple Juice, Pizza, Cookie
Polite Words: Please, Thank you (teku), Good Girls (for the dogs)
Colors: Yellow, Blue, Red
Daycare Names: Ziggy, Bubba (Briana), Ah-dee (Andrea)
Small words: Uh-oh, No, Up
TV Characters: Cookie (fave!), Elmo, Big Bird, Abby, Oscar, Sponge Bob Squarepants
Objects: Shoe, Ball, Book, Box, Light, Flower, Nose, Cheese (meaning "Camera")

Wow, that ended up being quite a list and I know there are some I missed.

She loves reading books and is starting to let us get a little further before skipping to the end. She LOVES to dance. She "tapped" at the ear doctor's and has been practicing "ballet" at home. Arms up, toes pointed. We're doomed! And of course, her signature butt wiggling dance :) Izzy has also become quite a little cheerleader as my friend pointed out the other day. Izzy was raising her arms with a big smile saying Yay! at every passerby during our lunch out. Even a scraggily cabbie raised his arms and said Yay in response. I have NO idea where she got her charisma!

Izzy loves her shades. Groovy!

Whatcha cooking?

Orange Julius is serious business


Naked Baby on the Loose!



Walking and Talking


Short and Cheeky


A One Izzy Band


Foiled by the Latest Gate Technology

Felicity comes over for Swim/Slide/Picnic

Felicity and her mom Jess came over for a visit and to take advantage of the newly filled pool. Originally we were going to go to the Ecotarium but it turns out they are closed Monday. So we'll see the otters some other time. That just meant even more time playing like otters ourselves. Jess has the power to move the clouds over the sun by merely dipping her foot in the pool. Amazing! It was a little chilly but the girls were hardy and brave. They also had some fun outside the pool with the water table and Izzy's climber.

We had a picnic lunch of grapes, hummus and bologna sandwiches while sunning outside on our towels. Yum! Then it was time for more playing before Felicity had to go home. Izzy went straight down for a nap and only just got up now. We hope they can come visit again soon.

Felicity and Izzy having fun outside.

Felicity wants one last dip in the pool.

Felicity helps clean the pool before going home.