Will took to the beach after only a few moments of hesitation and confusion - it's a pretty overwhelming place for a boy from Ohio. But with a family full of beach bums, he was crawling full-speed towards the ocean in no time!
We dug a little pool for him, and he set right in to getting sandy and salty.
We still can't believe we have two weeks here!
And his first corn dog.
It was a good day.
Needless to say, he loved it. And if this face isn't a "MOM - YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS AND DIDN'T BRING ME HERE EARLIER? WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" face, I don't know what is.
The theme of this play area is "Jack Hanna's Zoo," so there were many spongy animals and a large tree in the center to play on. Most of the big kids had taken over the tree, so we settled in around the gorillas and monkeys.
He played very well around the other, older kids, and on more than one occasion tried to emulate what they were doing.
Will really liked that the floor was also spongy and kept crawling back and forth over this one patch of "grass." And he loved the gorilla's nose and eyes.
At one point, Will got very brave and crawled under the giant gorilla, quickly getting himself stuck towards the back end. I had to crawl under and pull him out. (But not before getting a picture, mind you. Yes, I am a terrible person. But it was too funny to miss.)
There was a petting zoo with the most well-behaved and patient goats I have ever seen. Will giggled throughout the whole experience, but fed them open-handed like a champ!
He then, in true Dekker man fashion, crawled aboard the nearest transportation with Daddy and took a trip on a little tractor-train, which he thought was the best thing ever. (His face says it all.)
We then got to go into the barn and meet the sweetest calves in the world that licked Will's little fingers until he squealed.
And then we got to quack at the ducks, of course!
Even though most of the kids were older than him, Will held his own and seemed to have a great time with other fellow kiddos.
Of course, there is the always popular climbing-the-wrong-way-up-the-slide game.
But then little Miss Temperance, a cute little two-year-old catches Will's eye.
She seems to fancy him as well, even though he is about a year younger than she.
And...too much hugging for Will.
But she tries again, which is just too cute for words!
Will finally warmed up to the sweet hugs from Temperance, and we just thought it was about the cutest thing in the world.
Will loves it too - his favorite things being avocados, plantains and pulled pork. I think next time, we might need to order his own meal! Of course, a lot of it ended up on his face! :)
Next time you're in Columbus, we're definitely taking you there!
We had the shower at my parent's house, and 55 or so women were able to come! The Meyer family is getting pretty good at parties, weddings, showers, you name it, and this one was beach-themed!
The bride and bridesmaids (left to right, Irina, Marina, Anna, Mindy).
Papa was getting some good snuggles with Will this weekend, and got to hang out with him during the party - of course, the ladies were lovin' on Will as well!
And, of course, we went to "Cookie Cutters," a salon just for kids, and got the "First Haircut package." I figure, I'll get all that stuff out of the way for my first kid... :)
It was really fun, and I only cried a little bit. Will was just a champ, and loved that he got to sit in an airplane! I sorta wish I got to sit in one when I get my hair cut!
Almost done!
There is our little man!
Will loves books. He loves paging through them, being read to, and holding them. He also loves trying out his 5 little teeth by chewing on them. There have been many times when he is particularly quiet holding a book and we will find him with a mouthful of pulp. Delicious.
Here he is outside of the Corral. For those of you who don't know about the Corral, you're missing out. Best soft serve, fries, burgers, and coffee stirs in the midwest. You'll notice his hairs are a bit shorter than the last few posts! First hair cut last week! More pics of the weekend to come!
Animals are just pretty hilarious, too, which made it a good day for all of us!
Will kept trying to wake up this sleeping gorilla. She didn't want to have much to do with him.
He really liked the Oceans part of the zoo, and seemed particularly amused by the penguins, which were showing off for the crowds.
And we touched some star fish in the tidal pools, getting Will ready for the beach! Only one month away!
And, of course, our little ham never lets a photo op go by! He liked the big bronze sculptures all over the park, this big sting ray being his favorite. He'll see some real ones in just a few weeks!
Will's favorite, by far, were the bears. I think it was because they were big and playful (they were two young brothers in one cage). It might also be because we read him "Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?" and they looked JUST like the pictures in the book. Thanks, Eric Carle!
I'm so glad we can go back there as many times as we want, and bring people with! I'm sure Will is going to enjoy getting to know the animals this year.
Nick thought I was crazy, but I don't have to say that it was well worth it! These bushes are beautiful and giant and flowering like CRAZY and I am loving every moment of it!!! It was DEFINITELY worth the wait!
