Little Drummer Boy

While running errands in town yesterday we came across a drum at the second hand store. The drum was not supposed to come home with us - it was meant to be a distraction while I was shopping for shoes for him - but Oliver became quite attached to the drum. While walking through town the drum fell off his lap a couple times (due to rather intense drumming), but he held on to the drum stick so tight that he never let the drum touch the ground. I did a little MacGyver work and attached the drum to the stroller so Oliver wouldn't have to worry about his drum falling off the stroller while he was drumming. He happily drummed his way through town and home again. Last night and this morning he's been dragging the drum along behind him where ever he goes - I was hoping that the drum might serve as a weight of sorts and snow him down - what a silly thought - of course it didn't.

Excuses

A few weeks ago I signed up to run a 5k. May 17th arrived a lot quicker than expected. I was so excited when I looked out the window Sunday morning and saw that it was pouring. By 10AM, however, the rain stopped and my excuses had started. Davis, Oliver and Elizabeth would have none of it. Davis dressed Oliver in his track suit and Puma's and Elizabeth put on her running shoes (Davis, of course, put on his khaki shorts, white t-shirt and flip flops)- and we all headed up the street to the start.

As it turns out, the run was actually not so bad. While I don't think I am ready to sign up for a 10K, I might look around for another 5K - especially if my cheering section continues to be supportive -- Oliver loved watching the runners go by (he had several to watch before he saw his mom go by), and loved clapping along with the crowd.

He also enjoyed stretching and some water at the end - it is tough work trying to get mom to stop making excuses.

Bittersweet

I am a little slow on posting this week, but I am glad that I am. Kate and Melissa have already posted about our BBQ on Saturday - which means that I can officially post about the exciting (but, as Melissa said, bittersweet) happenings of the Doyles (finally).

Melissa, John, and Molly are moving across (and out of) the country to British Columbia and are expecting a new little one in a few months! To celebrate their adventures we had a BBQ at our house this past weekend. It was wonderful to get everyone together and watch our little ones play together and to catch up with each other in person. But it was also sad knowing that in a few weeks Melissa, John, and Molly will be heading west. While we have met new friends over the past couple years of living here, having "old" friends right up the road has been special. Davis and I have loved having Melissa and John just up the road. We've been able to share increasingly difficult dinners at American BBQ, a dinner at the Grog hours before Molly's arrival, walks, playground time, home improvement talks, etc. And "Oweever," as Molly calls Oliver, will miss his smilely, talkative, and now golden locked friend Molly.

We wish John, Melissa and Molly lots of love and fun as they embark on their new adventures. We look forward to visiting them in British Columbia and meeting the new Doyle.

Horses, Alligators, and (Dande)Lions

In addition to meeting lots of farm animals this past weekend - Oliver met a number of other creatures.

My grandmother gave Elizabeth, Jon and me a rocking horse when we were little - my parents brought the rocking horse out of the basement this past weekend and Oliver got to take the horse for a ride. He seemed to enjoy himself.

He even invited me on to ride with him.


He was also given an alligator this weekend. He loved pulling it around behind him - and loved having people pull it and chasing it throughout the house.



Davis showed Oliver how to pick dandelions. The dandelion population at Walker Park quickly declined, as has the population at Cashman Park, our yard, our neighbor's yard...every dandelion he sees now has to be picked. Amazingly he has yet to eat one.

Aldemere Farm

This past weekend we took Oliver to the "Calf Unveiling" at Aldemere Farm (http://www.aldermere.org/about/index.html) in Rockport. What, you are probably wondering, is a "calf unveiling" - it is the day that the farm invites the community to meet the calves - and other animals. We had a wonderful time meeting the animals.




Oliver seemed much more interested in the visit to the farm than he did our visit to the National Zoo a few weeks back - being able to touch the animals made more fun (and messy) for him.

On a side note - one of the calves that we met was 90 pounds at birth! And I thought Oliver was a healthy baby at 8 pounds 3 ounces.