Niko, my little philanthropist!

On Sunday, October 14 we participated in a 5K walk for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), as part of Gabe's company team, Primera. Despite the drizzling rain, it was a fun walk along Montrose Beach, unexplored territory for us. Suffice to say, we did not win the race, but were happy to cross the finish line. There were no hi-fives but sandwiches and granola bars were awarded generously. Glad we could do our part. Thank you Niko for finally falling asleep in his stroller the last 1/2 mile. And, no he didn't walk any of the way.

Girls day out w. Niko at County Line Apple Orchard

It was a hot day for apple picking in October. We drove out to County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN. What a difference driving another 20 miles into Indiana makes! Great produce markets everywhere, fresh from the farm. It was a beautifully planned girls day outing, with Niko in mind, a day out with the Aunties. Unfortunately he did not nap enough before hand, so after eating lunch and playing ball with other toddlers in the picnic ground, he was real cranky once we got into the orchards. He was helpful, at first, picking up apples to collect in our bag, but, once he tripped over some apples laying on the ground, it was over! I carried him most way through the rows of Fiji and Shizoku apples, and many other types of apples I had never heard of but had run out of energy to pick, with the sun beating down and draining us. Fun day though and will definitely do it again... the right way... with a cozy scarf and hat so we can sip hot spiced cider afterwards!

niko san and papa san

Summertime with Niko

I am lamenting the end of summer (even though it is October and still 85 degrees in Chicago), and am reflecting upon a wonderful summer full of activity, family fun, and Niko's amazing development. He is 21 months old now (i think we still count in months until he turns 2?), and was a blast this whole summer - making me laugh several times daily doing the cutest things like mimicking me (monkey see, monkey do), saying new words, and understanding so much more. He now says about 10+ words including:

"A-wa" (for agua / water)
"Hot!"
"Up"
"Off"
"Mama" (that's me!)
"bye bye"
"vrooom!" (for car)
"wow-wow" (for a dog, or any animal for that matter)
"Uh-oh!" (we hear this one the most!)
"Apple"
"a-ba!" (for Ball)
"Aaaaa" (for letter A)
"Mmmmm" (for letter M and for yummy!)

He understands soooo much, and you can tell he tries to say what he understands, it comes out as the cutest babble. He understands all his face parts in Thai and English, different animals, foods, the word "NO", give a hug and a kiss, sit down, stand up, poo poo, go mimi (go to sleep).

The best of the summer? Every time he sees cookie monster he brings his hands to his mouth and growls like he's shoving lots of cookies in his mouth (he got that from me, not TV).

We took him so many places this summer... outdoor concerts, merry-go-rounds, train rides, playgrounds (he learned to slide by himself in September!), the aquarium, the zoo, music festivals, and i just enrolled him in a "fine arts for tots" class. Now is the time to start testing his social skills!

He's the sweetest boy ever, with just the occasional flicker of mischievous look in his eyes, especially when we ask him to do something he doesn't want to. He always waits his turn at the playground, is very careful (no crazy superman accidents yet), and loves to share toys.

Here are recent photos...