Did we mention we like to swim?

Ernie's first haircut!

He was so good, and so brave. He didn't cry or whine at all, but he kept trying to shake Lisa off, like "what is your obsession with my hair, Lady!" She basically just gave him a shape up, what she called a "naughty surfer" look. The outcome is kinda Jim Halperty, which Mom is really happy about. He looks so mature now! And he'll be much more comfortable swimming, as we proved right after he woke up from his nap.

Playdate with the J Kids

Since Daddy Dusty took his summer off from professorin' 'rithmatic, Jeremy and Ernie get to spend more time with the Walsh family!

I think this picture is hilarious. They look like they've been caught at something.

Mom's new favorite picture

What could be cuter?

Dads' Day

We all had a nice Father's Day, hosted by the Halls. Ernie loved playing in the pool, and kept thinking he should be able to take off on his own like he does on land.

This two consecutive pictures illustrate exactly how long it takes Ernie to get sick of being held instead of running around:

Laura Fun

Aunt Laura came down last weekend for an evening with her girlfriends, and got to sneak Mom away from work for lunch and a little walk around campus. Pretty pictures of she and Ernie resulted.

Language Round-Up

Ernie seems to be learning new words all the time. He repeats us like crazy. Here's a running tab of words he can say recognizably, and apply correctly (please add to it in the comments, anyone who converses with Ernie, because I know I'll forget some):

Baby
Ball
Balloon ("boon")
Big Boy ("bee boi")
Books
Bowl
Bunnie
Bye Bye
Cat
Dad
Darren ("Dern")
Dirt
Dog
Done
Door
Dora (the Explorer, on the side of his yogurt container)
Elbow ("bow")
Eyes
Flowers (sounds like the French "fleurs")
Grandma ("Nama")
Grandpa ("Bampa")
Hat
Hi
Hot
Juice
Knee
Momma
Nose
Outdoor (which also means "out the door")
Pee Pee
Poop
Rowr (what anything other than dog's say)
Shoes
Spoon (sounds like "thspoo")
Toes
Tree ("tee")
Water (Wawr wawr)
Woof (what dog's say)
Yes

Big boys eat with spoons

He's been working at this a while. Getting better every day.

Dairy Store

Last night we went to the UNL Dairy Store on East Campus to give Ernie his first taste of ice cream. We got blueberry swirled in vanilla. He had about four bites, but when this kid is full, he doesn't eat (not even for ice cream!). He also tried the cherry after he had given up on the ice cream (video below).

Ernie loves races

This is Ernie's second Havelock Charity Run, and we think Jeremy's sixth. This year's team was named "Jeremy's Angels." Ernie wasn't an official member, but he did sneak into the team photo just to attack Dad.

He loved watching all the dogs and kids runners going fast. It was a pretty nice day in the shade, but a really humid and hot day in the sun. There's a pretty major hill in this run, so Ernie also got to enjoy a lot of ambulance lights. Two guys who would have been high finishers passed out about 25 feet from the finish line from the intense heat. Jeremy beat his goals, and finished second in his team! Go Dad!

Ernie's Endorsement of the Month: Ernie!

Some of our favorite pasttimes include making faces at the baby in the mirror, kissing the baby in the mirror, and leafing through our photo album and kissing the baby in the pictures. We are full of self-love, which is very healthy.

Ernie does recognize people and events in his album. He has a word for Uncle Darren that definately starts with a "D" and has an "a" in it, but I don't know how I would type it phoenetically. When he first got the album from Grandma Chris, he recognized his balloon from the month prior in a picture and said "Boon!" He loves looking at all his relatives, pointing at the pictures hard, and then kissing himself.

Proof that he really, really does need a haircut.

We'll be cutting it at the end of June before Arkansas, so he can see. Let us know if you need an Ernie lock.

Sprinkler Fun

It was not as fun as the spray park at Woods, but Ernie still loved it!

Ernie will love summer

Last night on our after-dinner walk we decided to swing by Woods pool to find out when they'll be opening (FYI, there's a leak somewhere they have to find first, but they want to have it fixed in the next two weeks before a big statewide swim meet). It was the last 15 minutes of the day, and the spray park was open so the lady said we could take Ernie through for free if we wanted.
He. Loved. It.
First he was happy just to have his feet wet. Then he was curious about the water streams coming from the floor. Then he was touching them. Then he was pushing a little girl away from his water streams she was also trying to touch. They have sprays that move in circles, and he kept moving so that it was continually on his head. He was really worn out afterwards. We can't wait to go again!
He's definately a water baby! We'll make real good us of the G-rents Hall pool this summer, and I think we'll only be swimming/sleeping/eating (in about that order) in Arkansas.

Walking Proof!