The Wonder Place & BBQ

This afternoon, Mom and I took Beckett to this cool place in Little Rock called The Wonder Place, which is basically an exploratory play center for kids under 6. 
http://www.thewonderplace.com/

Beckett loved it!

A water table with ducks and waterfalls was really fun. Note the "rain aprons" in the background that I failed to put on him.  Oops. :)

He was especially fascinated with the door latch on this little playhouse. He kept opening and then closing, opening and then closing, opening and then - you get the idea. He can concentrate really well on a task when he's interested.  This was Exhibit A of that characteristic.

So this is my next plan for a home project.  Totally brilliant.  It's a velcro wall with these shapes attached so kids can take them off and replace them. Beckett went to town on it, tearing everything off and then laughing.  Then I put them back and he did it again.  It was great, and it seems like a pretty basic project. (Shonn groans.)

Love this pic - I was peeking through a tunnel and he kept popping his head down and giggling.

Hello, Sandbox.  B kept dumping it out and then shuffling his feet to make patterns in the sand.  Then he'd squat down and run his fingers in it and look at me like, "Did you see that cool thing I just did?"

Beckett loves wheels and gears, so this ginormous wheel was right up his alley.  It has little balls in the tracks that bounce around when it turns.  He did a great job turning it - another example of his concentration.

We got there about 4:00 and left around 5:00 to go eat some barbeque. Mom heard Arkansas is known for its BBQ, and we found what is considered the best little place in town - Chip's.  It lived up to expectations!  YUM!  Beckett loved it, too:

Dig in!

Days like this make me so thankful for God's blessings.  We are healthy and able to do things together, and I feel so lucky for the time we have together!

Clinton Presidential Library

Today, after consulting, we headed down to the Clinton Presidential Library. It was only about 15 minutes from our hotel and a beautiful setting with tons of amazing historical information.  I learned a lot, saw lots of beautiful artifacts, and Beckett had an opportunity to "try on" his future office.  Here are some pictures from the day.

Peeking out at the entrance. It's a gorgeously designed building and here you can see some of the water feature at the front.  Beckett is like, "seriously, mom? a picture here?"

"Mom, what do you think of my future desk?  Pretty sweet, right?" The desk actually has an incredible story, and is called the Resolute Desk.

"Yes, mother. Are we almost done here, because I have some important documents to sign."

"Who let these people into my office?!"

If Beckett is President someday, this will be a very cool picture. If not, it will still be a cool picture. :)

Grammy is so good with Beckett, who is more fascinated with the wheels on this $40 stroller than the Cartier earrings gifted to Mrs. Clinton from foreign royalty.

Annnnnd, his favorite gift, to which he said, "Snort, snort, snort."

There were also beautiful gardens outside, and we took a nice stroll.  We also got to visit the Heifer Project, which is on the same campus, and a very cool humanitarian project you can learn more about here: http://www.heifer.org/

Giggle Monster

We had a great time playing after I got off work today.  Here is a small sample of the giggles we had.  LOVE HIM!

The Zoo!

Today, after consulting at a high school in Little Rock, Mom and I took Beckett to the Little Rock Zoo.  It was a beautiful day for the trip, and there weren't any crowds.  Beckett LOVED it! Mom and I had a great time.

When we first came in, we were greeted by this parrot. (And his lovely keeper, who continually warned Beckett to be careful or he might lose a finger.)

Before another warning...

The monkeys were very active today.  Mine included.

This monkey didn't move too much.

Neither did these rocks.

Beckett kept clucking at the ducks.  It was adorable.

This is one of his new dance moves. He loves picking up one foot and wiggling around.

He loved the turtles, and when we fed the coy, he laughed out loud.

Cluck, cluck, cluck. Insert bored look from the duck.

"Mom, these creatures are weird."  Did you know flamingoes are pink because of their shrimp diet? That's what the sign said!

One of the first animal sounds he learned was "GRRR" for tigers.  We were so lucky for the show this tiger put on for us - he was very active, prowling, growling, and even going for a swim in his little pond.  He was gorgeous and Beckett was fascinated, growling the whole time!

GRRRRR!

As if he sees giraffes every day. :)

Making friends with the Toys R Us mascot.

With Grammy!

There were three large lions, and these two were right by the window!  The pcitures didn't end up that great because of the glare on the window, but it was awesome!

WOW! (And doesn't B look so grown up here?)

What a fabulous day!

Party Time!

Grandma and Grandpa Hild hosted Beckett's first First Birthday Party yesterday.  It was so much fun!  Grandma had lots of cool tractor decorations and lots of people came to help us celebrate.  Guests included: Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Hild; Don and Barb Meredith; Mike and Amy Hild; Tim and LouAnn Polk; Beth, Henry, Kate, and Cora Haupt; Susan and Brian Kalita; Mark and Lisa; Great-Grandma Beard; Uncle Jay and Uncle Adam.  Here are some pictures from the fun event! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa - LOVE YOU!

I made this banner from cardstock after seeing one on Etsy for $25! (This cost $2.00!) 

Amazing cupcakes by Kathy Forlines again.  Delish!

Grandma made delicious food, decorated, AND got lots of wonderful books! She's amazing.

One of the decorations was a photo timeline of a picture from each month. Look at that little 1-month old baby!

Watch me walk! I made this shirt yesterday morning to go with the theme.  It's 18 months!

Sharing a toy with Great-Grandma Beard. (You'll notice this toy in just about every picture. Beckett has really started grabbing onto one toy and holding it for the whole day.)

Beckett LOVED Aunt Lisa - he went right to her and kept giggling. I think it's because she sounds so much like Grandma!

Great-Grandma plays horsey - one of my favorites.

Hi, Barb! He snuggled up to her after giving her several farm animals.

Beckett loved Don's Donald Duck voice!

Beckett went right to Beth, too, who has such a calm voice and sweet way with kids!

Cousins Kate and Cora were one of Beckett's favorite parts of the party. They played with him and he was fascinated!

Beckett got lots of wonderful gifts, including books, bath toys, puzzles, dupo blocks, and a singing zoo!

What's that thing on my head?

I LOVE ICING!

What a great party!

Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa Hild, for hosting such a wonderful party!  We hope to come visit again soon!