Reunion

Papa is finally home from Colombia. Obviously, Bino was very happy to see him, and insisted on having some time to catch up before even allowing Papa to unpack his suitcase.

Bino with sandsculpture

You're probably tired of seeing pictures of Bino walking ecstatically on the beach, so I won't post more of those here (though I could!). We went to Revere Beach this morning where the New England Sandsculpting Festival was taking place. Mom and I got some serious sunburn yesterday, so we all wore hats today.

Beach bum Bino

This kid loves the beach. I don't think I've ever seen him so delighted. Here he is at the beach near the Lynn/ Swampscott boardwalk. He spent a fair amount of time this afternoon "walking" on the beach and splashing in the water, laughing and squealing the entire time. I hope we get a chance to bring Yaya here sometime in the fall.

A day in Gloucester

Yesterday we travelled to Gloucester to spend another day exploring the beaches and Stage Fort park. We went back, more importantly, to have a chance to have dinner at a restaurant called Jalepeños. There's one by the same name in Lexington, which my parents frequent, so Dandad thought we should compare.

You might notice Mimi holding her back in the first picture-- this is because Bino insisted on walking just about everywhere he could himself, and of course one of us had to "spot" him.

I'm not sure what the random canon is about, but Bino enjoyed sitting on it.

The last picture is from the restaurant, where Bino refused to sit in a high chair or on a lap. Finally we just let him climb all around some chairs by the front window, which had him absolutely ecstatic. I couldn't capture his laughter, though-- he was just moving way too fast. We stopped off at Target on the way home to pick up some provisions and he insisted on running (literally!) all over the store with one of us holding each little hand. This kid will most likely run before he walks.

Make way for Bino

There's a children's book by Robert McCloskie called Make Way for Ducklings! which gives an account of a family of ducks trying to make their way to the duck pond in Boston Commons. Near the pond are these bronze ducks to commemorate it. The kid you see behind Bino in the picture is just one month older than he is.

Uncommon Bino

Yesterday we took Bino into Boston to visit the Commons and the Public Gardens. He had a blast "walking" around pointing at things, and people watching, and snacking on pretzels and watermelon ice with the grandparents.

Chairs

He's trying to walk, and will, soon. Here he is pushing one of our dining room chairs around the room. He seems pretty proud of himself, doesn't he?

Pointing

He's been pointing a lot lately, and it seems to be deliberate. He's indicating some balloons (hanging the the window) here.

Transcendental Bino

Today we took Bino to Walden pond, where he visited the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and this replica of Henry David Thoreau's tiny cabin at Walden pond. It was a beautiful afternoon, with a nice breeze, and Bino fell asleep as soon as we got him out of the car and into the stroller. He livened up quite a bit in Emerson's home, though.

The "pond" is really more like a lake, and beautiful. I can totally see why someone would want to go off and live in the woods surrounding it. If only Papa could have been with us....

Wingaersheek Beach

Mimi and Dandad have arrived to keep us company during Pedro's absence. Today we drove up to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester. Unfortunately, we (and everyone else) were kicked off about ten minutes after we arrived because of an approaching thunderstorm. It was fun while it lasted, though. Bino enjoyed walking (!) in the sand and splashing. We'll have to come back again soon.

An outing to the park

Yesterday was beautiful, and so we spent a lot of time outside at the park with Bino. He swang in the swings, hung out on some park benches, examined some trees, and even dipped his toes in the ocean. There's something very special about all being out together like a family. Anyway, here we are.