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Summer 2006
"Going to the zoo, zoo,
zoo/ How about you, you, you?"
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This summer I've visited
the Woodland Park Zoo
lots of times with Mommy, Papa, and Cameron, too. When we go, Mommy always
plays "Going to the Zoo" (Raffi's Singable Songs for the Very
Young CD) in the car. It's one of my favorite songs and favorite
places.
I like Zoomazium, a new indoor play
space with a mountaintop to climb and a slide to get down, a cave to
explore, instruments to play, a log to crawl through, and a giant eggshell
to hide in. I also like the butterfly house. We go there every time, and I
always find new butterflies sunning on the flowers [above]. Some of
my favorite animals are the gorillas, siamangs
(Cameron can howl just like them), orangutans, lions, hippos, bears, and
river otters.
But maybe my favorite part of visiting
the zoo is lunch time. Because Mommy always takes me to the Food Pavilion,
and after lunch—or maybe for lunch—I eat a PushUp, rainbow sherbet in a
cardboard tube. It's messy... but delicious!
Bubble Up
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This has been the summer of bubbles. I still have
trouble using a bubble wand and blowing them for myself [above left], but I like
to help [above right], and I like to chase them around and pop them. Later in
the summer, Papa brought home a large bubble maker that goes round and round and
shoots billions of bubbles into the air. Best of all, Mommy brought home a
hand-held bubble maker with a fan and a trigger. When I push the trigger, the
fan blows bubbles from four wands at the same time. Finally I can make lots of
bubbles all by myself!
Park Play
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I've spent many mornings playing in parks
this summer. (I don't play in the afternoon because my nap time is 2:00.)
This year I can run faster, climb higher, reach farther, slide steeper,
jump better, and play on more than just the "baby" toys. I like
slides that curl, bridges that bounce, seats that sway, and steep walls to
climb.
Some of my favorite parks are the "Train Park"
at North Kirkland Community Center, McAuliffe Park, North Rose Hill
Woodlands Park, Peter Kirk Park, and Juanita Beach Park.
One Sunday Mommy decided that we should take
advantage of the beautiful day, so we packed up the picnic basket and
drove to Peter Kirk Park. We ate lunch in the sunshine and played in the
playground. And then we all went to Peter Kirk Pool and spent two hours
splashing and swimming. Cameron pushed me around in my inflatable boat,
and Papa and I even did some aerial tricks [left]!
It was a really fun day! |
Juanita Beach
Juanita Beach Park is special. We've gone there
to eat many picnic lunches and dinners in the shade of the big maple trees. And
the playground has a great climbing wall, a big slide, and plenty of swings. But
best of all, there's a beach—with water!
We've gone there with Grandma Joanie and set up
chairs and towels in the sand under a beach umbrella. One evening Mommy brought
Cameron and me there after dinner, and we built a sand castle in the sunset
[above left]. Another time I went with Mommy and Papa and played in the
shallows. What's the problem with a little sand [above right]? We walked (I ran) all the way
around the three-sided dock so that I could dry and shake it off!
If it were up to me, I'd go to the beach and play
in the water every day of summer.
First Ferry Ride
In early August, Cameron went away to Burton Music Camp
on Vashon Island. When camp was finished, Mommy, Papa, and I took the
Fauntleroy ferry from West Seattle to retrieve him. It was the
first time I'd ever been on a ferry.
Of course, in May I was on a much bigger ship, but that
didn't matter. It was a beautiful day, and I liked running up and down the
aisles and standing out back on the deck to look at the islands and watch
the ferry wake.
When we got to the camp, bands were playing jazz music,
and I liked it so much that I couldn't help but get up and dance. Later,
while we waited for Cameron's band to play, Papa walked me down to the
beach, where I collected sand dollars and touched crabs caught in the
tidepools.
I missed Cameron while he was gone, but I'm glad we went
to pick him up. It was a very fun day.
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The Summer of "No"
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This summer I discovered the power of
"No."
I like to reply no (in two languages!) to just about
every question. For example,
Papa: "Wil je naar het park gaan om te spelen?"
["Do you want to go to the park and play?"]
Sofia: "Nee."
Cameron: "Time to take a bath, Sofia."
Sofia: "No."
Mommy: "Are you happy, Sofia?"
Sofia: "No, I'm not happy. I'm sad."
Mommy: "Sofia, I'm getting tired of 'no.' It's
getting really old."
Sofia: "No. I'm not old."
If I don't say no out loud, then I shake my head.
Sometimes "no" gets a really good reaction.
However, sometimes Mommy and Papa get angry; that's not a good reaction.
Still, there's nothing like a strong, insistent "no" to make a
29-pound person feel very powerful! |
  
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