60. First Pigtails

They didn't last long, but they sure were cute! (And they took care of Bea's almost-mullet.)

59. My Fair Lady II

Yesterday we braved the rain to go to the Durham Fair (in CT, not NC). Bea had a chance to try out her very first rain coat.

At every fair we have attended this summer (quite a few) Bea has expressed a strong interest in THE RIDES. I always assumed she was too little, but this time we checked to see if she would be allowed on the Ferris wheel and she was (for $4!). She LOVED it. No fear of heights in this one.




Bea would also like to send a shout out to her Grandma Mary who is currently travelling in China. We look forward to seeing you in October!

58. Tomatoes

Grandpa Griff came with us to our super-fantastic CSA farm this week (http://www.forthillfarm.com/) so he could take some photos of the master tomato-picker at work. After she had her fill of tomatoes (she always wants to walk around with three of them in her hands) she settled down to play in/with the dirt. She treated it like water, patting her hands in it then rubbing them together as if she were washing them, finally patting her head as if she were working shampoo into a lather. We don't have photos of that.

57. Harvest

We have a potted tomato plant in our backyard. Every day Bea checks on the tomatoes and has a really hard time refraining from picking them. But the other day we finally had a tiny red tomato for her to pick. (She was hesitant to do so, since we are always telling her not to.) Here is a little movie of the big event.


What I really need to do is bring a camera to our CSA pickup. We go directly to the farm, and a portion of the share is "pick-your-own." The PYO crops have included lots and lots of cherry, grape, and plum tomatoes--HEAVEN for little Bea who tramps through the rows of veggies with a tomato in each hand.

On another note, Bea has always loved to play with our digital camera (and telephones, and remote controls--what is it with babies and hand-held electronics?). The other day we taught her how to press the button that takes the photos, and she was actually successful with a few shots. Well, I am not sure how "successful" the photographs themselves are, they might not make it into her catalogue raisonné. But here they are in all their "shoot from the hip" glory:

56. Birding at the beach

Last weekend our friends Amy and Doc (a.k.a. Matthieu, a.k.a. The Tall Guy) came to visit and on Saturday we drove down to the Audubon center in Milford, CT. It is right on the L. I. Sound and it is lovely there. We spent a bunch of time peering at shorebirds from atop a tall tower (and preventing Bea from climbing down the iron spiral staircase). Then we skipped across the street to the beach.

We weren't prepared with beachy supplies, which was too bad because Bea was itching to go swimming. Last time we were at a beach she was wary. This time she was eager. Although we didn't have towels we did at least have a change of clothing for the sandy, wet, wee one.

Wet shoes, dirty hands.

Let me go swimming NOW!

55. My Fair Lady

Earlier today, at the Bridgewater Fair:

54. Ahoy, baby!

Bea really seems like a toddler now, rather than a baby. When did that happen?

She says please, "th-th-th," all the time now--a BIG improvement over "ERGH!ERGH!ERGH!" Her favorite activity is going into the yard to check on the tomato plant and pick flowers. So whenever we are in the kitchen (which we are a lot) she stands at the back door asking, "Th-th-th?" It is hard to say no.

Yesterday, Grandma Fox was babysitting while I got some work done in the office. They had already been outside three times. Grandma Fox was taking a moment to enter something in her laptop. Bea wanted to go outside again. She pointed at her shoes, "Th-th-th?" She pointed at Grandma Fox's shoes, "Th-th-th?" Grandma Fox tried to tell her "no" nicely, and picked up the shoes and put them out of reach. She returned to her laptop in the dining room. A minute later, little Bea lumbered in, a big smile on her face, clutching one of her Daddy's clunky gardening shoes. Grandma Fox insists Bea knew she was being funny.

This past weekend Bea made her first trip out on her Grandpa Griff's boat. She was a little nervous at first, but once we were out on the water she was happy. She was very interested in the spiders that take up residence in the boat while it is docked. (It is on a lake.) She really had fun once we picked up a little speed toward the end. She has always loved the feel of wind on her face.