The Manley/Coleman Family

Reeve got a new bike helmet. He wanted to wear it immediately.

Tough to determine who’s winning here: the urge to sleep or the tasty sandwich.

Reeve has been keeping busy enjoying all Chicago has to offer in the summertime! First he expressed his joy at a visit at the Nature Museum:

. . . checked out the baby pigs at the petting zoo:

. . . had fun at the beach, helping daddy launch a kayak ride and playing with some kids:

. . . took a ride on the zoo train:

. . . rode a fire truck:

. . . and played construction at the Children’s Museum.

It’s been a while since we posted an update, but have no fear that our little man has been very busy indeed. Since we last posted, he (and mommy and daddy) got another haircut. It took some bribery with Thomas and Friends videos on the iPhone, but whatever gets the job done.

It seems as though every year for each year we’ve lived here, the City decides it needs to tear up our street again. We wish the various City departments could work together so they could lay sewer pipes, electric, cable, etc etc all at once and be done with it and leave us be, at least for a year! But our annoyance is a thrill for our construction master, who gets his own private show. He decided to play along with his mini-digger and mimic the real ones out his window.

Mommy’s friend from college was in town, and wanted to meet us for dinner at Rainforest Cafe. Reeve was so excited about the animatronic crocodile, we had to visit it several times.

The next day was gorgeous and warm here, so we went to the park, made another friend and learned how to use her binoculars.

Another day we went to the playground. Reeve loves to mimic the girls.

There are few things Reeve likes more than dirt and trucks . . .

. . . except getting them all to himself.

In one of the last snowfalls of the year, daddy and Reeve made a mini-snowman:

Here are some of Reeve’s favorite phrases:

“That not nice.”
“I don’t like it.”
“All aboard!”
“That silly.”
“____ right here.” as in, pasta is right here, the cat is right here.
“Mommy play train?”
“want apple sauce very high up.” ie: he wants apple sauce from the high pantry shelf