Walking in your shoes

Sam has really been a fast learner with the walking. He started with his first steps at 12 months and at 14 months he has mastered it. A friend recently asked us if he is already running. We both had to smile. He is running alright! Most of the times he is running away and we have to be quick to keep him out of the bike traffic and the gracht (little water canals) in the park. He loves to run away and when we say stop that only makes him go faster and faster. Then WE have to start running ...
He newest discovery is mom's and dad's shoes. He tries them on and starts walking or stumbling in them. Sunday morning he escaped out of bed again and started bringing Doug's shoes (two pairs) into bed. He wanted us to get up and get out to the park.

Our picky eater

Relaxing

It has been very hot in Amsterdam, unbelievable hot for Holland. It must be some kind of record on the temperature scale this year. Sam and Doug took it easy, for a little while at least. Until either one of them couldn't sit still anymore. I think it was exactly the time it took to take the picture. Again, not posed just a short moment of rest.

Let's call

We received a letter in the mail from our Italian neighbors and friends in Ravenna. Sam enjoyed the Italian words read by us and took the letter. You have to believe me this is not a staged photograph, infact I don't like staging photographs. I sometimes call out his name to get him to look at me and the camera, but that is it.
Anyway, he climbed onto the couch and found the phone there. We thought this picture says: "Thanks Family Camerani for the letter, I wanted to call right away!"

Look at THAT ...

Sam is pointing to our new camera. This one has a telescoping lens and he thinks that would be something great to play with. He was fascinated by our new camera and just stared at the lens for a long time. On the first days we took about 60 pictures, but now someone has to go through those and choose the best ones to keep.

wake-up

This morning I woke up by a strange noise. I looked around and found the dog next to me in bed instead of Sam. Sam was at the apartment door. He had climbed first out of bed, then into his buggy and stood in it, so he could reach the door handle. Then he moved the door handle back and forth as to practice how to open and close a door. That is what woke me this morning at 7 am. When Sam saw me open my eyes and sitting up in bed he gave me that smirky smile. To all of you a Good morning and the start to another beautiful day from Sam and I!

Hats

While we are at the topic of dressing up, I thought I share some pictures of the collection of Sam's fun hats. The latest and by far the best, is this golfer's cap. What do you think?


He can also wear it backwards and look fresh. More pictures of hats to come the next days, keep checking ...

Dressing up

Today just a picture, because I don't know what to say when your son wears a pink bikini. Maybe this: He put it on himself and ran around to chase Lina.

Dirt! I like dirt. Dirt!

We played in the mud this afternoon and had lots of fun. But don't worry, we like dirt and we like taking a bath in the kitchen sink. It is really great watching Sam lately: He has become so much more independed and has his own ideas of what he wants next. He has mastered the pointing to the jar of Cheerios, to the airplanes overhead, to the water bottle or his bath mat. It really is becoming easier to communicate. His newest is to shake his head no-no to everything. I think he hasn't quite understood what no-no means. It is cute and I hope to post a little movie of it if I can master the blogger. So keep checking in!

Oh boy ...

Just like last blogs topic, but I have to post another one of Sam-wants-to-do-everything-by-himself. We had a great laugh though when he put his bike helmet on by himself. He has yet to figure out that it goes the other way. He enjoyed our laughs and was running around really fast while taking his helmet off and putting it on backwards or sideways over and over again. We wanted to share the laughs.

Yummy Yogurt

We have made the transition from pureed foods to finger foods or foods that Sam can eat all by himself. He loves peas and Cheerios which we bought in an American Import store for a very high price. He eats bread, rice cakes, and apples only if they are whole. He is undecided on tofu, pears and pasta which get smushed in his hands.
In general he wants to do lots of things by himself. He climbs into his seat alone, and into the buggy. He is quite the climber and nothing is safe even up high. His newest thing is to take my hand and lead me through the house, garden or the park. He does that also at 6:30 AM when I am still half asleep. He would climb down the bed and reach for my hand and pull until I also climbed out of bed.

iDancing

Sam has figured out the earplugs. He no longer puts them in his mouth but in his ears and dances to the music.

Stranded

Doug finally went sailing again, but broke a rudder in lots of wind. Sam and I enjoyed the day walking along the lake and playing by the water at a small beach. We were not far from Amsterdam in a small town called Aalsmeer, but there was lots of sailing and windsurfing going on. Maybe in the future we can have a boat there. Doug can't wait for putting Sam in an Opti.

Lets talk to daddy ...

In this picture Sam wanted to set up the camera to skype with daddy. Unfortunately Doug has been traveling a lot for work, staying a week at a time in Germany. We stay in touch with him through skype and video. Sam really recognizes his voice and is always excited seeing him on the screen. Just yesterday, we were eating dinner when Doug returned from work. He heard Doug speaking outside the window and walked to the door. There he waited until Doug came in. Those are great moments to watch!

Water, sun and fun

We spent a wonderful weekend with my parents in the Polder. They are on their many weeks vacation in the Netherlands and we visited them at the campground in Urk. We stayed the night in our small tent. We loved all the time we spent outside, in and near the water, took bike rides through the woods, along the beaches and into the beautiful small town of Urk. When we were riding the bikes along the beaches of the Ijslemeer, for a moment I truly believed we were in Italy. It was a very strange feeling. We really enjoyed the weekend together in family.