Wildflower Season Begins

The hummingbirds have arrived and the wildflower season has begun. Apparently, there is a whole field of flowers that will pop-up over the next few weeks at our house. I promised the former owner that I would scour the grounds with guidebook in hand as he once did. The first flowers into the sunlight are the Pasque Flower. I spotted them today while up at the house meeting with more contractors and making a small move of random boxes.

As I also mentioned, the next several weeks are also hummingbird season. I would not have thought hummingbirds made low-mountain elevations home, but their return is a big event along the Front Range. I cannot wait to put the feeders out and catch a few snapshots of them.

Happy Birthday, Gavin...Again!

Today we celebrated Gavin's 1st birthday. We were not able to get in the planned hike nor were we able to take a stroll along Pearl Street due to a major grass fire west of Boulder. It turned out all Gavin wanted was a trip to the local park playground and have an extra-long ride on the swings.

For his birthday, we had all the usual suspects: decorations, balloons (unpopped), birthday hats, presents, and cupcakes. Gavin seemed to have X-ray vision while knowingly eying his presents. He appeared to be drawn to Volume 2 of Baby Signing Times (pictured holding the wrapped DVD) and the large box on the left in the picture (which received several approving pats from Gavin).

The climax of the afternoon was, of course, the official singing of Happy Birthday accompanied by Gavin's first sugary treat. He loves singing songs and made a bid for grabbing the lit candle. The cupcake itself was a different experience. Gavin's six sense immediately alerted him to the fact that the chocolate delight in front of him was no jar of Turkey & Rice or container of Peas. His natural inclination was to grab and squeeze with all his might and then banish said tasty treat to carpet looming below.

The full set of birthday pictures can be found on Smugmug.

Happy Birthday, Gavin!

Gavin had his first birthday today. It was a gorgeous day in Colorado as the latest Spring snow storm cleared out. Although it was a big day, Gavin only had plans to catch-up on naps he missed while at daycare this week. His low-key expectations happened to jive with our own plans to delay his celebration until tomorrow since Mom had to work today.

Do not fear, Gavin still had a special day:

• He received a special birthday wish from Aunt Jill (a singing birthday card). Gavin loves cards and this was his first-ever singing card providing several minutes of entertainment -- at least until he decided that it was also a snack.
• Gavin received a Skype call from Grammy wishing him a Happy Birthday.
• Dad and Gavin broke out the Kelty frame pack and went for a short hike in the park.
• Dad took Gavin to visit Mom at work since he missed her very much.

Tomorrow we'll have hats, cake, and presents!

Paparazzi Block

With all the photography sessions that Gavin has been exposed to, he is learning to defend himself against this optical onslaught. He is shown here practicing the "Paparazzi Block", or, as Gavin refers to it, the "pa-ba".

I have taken quite a break here on Fish in the Tank and just wanted to let everyone know that this gig is still playing. Many of you know that I have plenty to discuss between our visit to NYC and buying a new home. Of course, there are new Gavin-related stories as well, such as his escapades flying the friendly skies and starting daycare.

Just one week until the Little Big Guy's birthday!