Hi .... Bop!

Scotty was right.  Trenton is starting to get a vocabulary, and it's happening fast.  It's very cool to watch him learn to communicate verbally.  Plus it gives you a glimpse into just how much he's been absorbing.

It looks like he's settled on "Bop" for my name for now. It's short for "Papa" ... kind of like "Pop!". I love it. He's been calling me that for several weeks now.

He says "nyyyyeeew" for "No" ... I think he got that from Mama. And of course Mama and Dada have their names. And [great] Grandma Jean is "Jean".

He's saying several of his colors. And "Park". And "slide". "Up" and "Down" are big ones.  "This" and "These" for general things he wants or wants us to look at.  A couple of weeks ago, we went to Jazz for Kevin's birthday dinner with everyone, and I took him outside while everyone finished eating.  We were near a car wash he has been to and we drive by it a lot as it is on the way between our house and theirs.  He started saying "pssssshhh ww-sssshhhhh!!!" ... and I thought, is he doing what I think he's doing?   ... yup.   We watched a guy wash his car and went back into the restaurant.  Where he told Nana all about it.  "Nana!   Ahh... pssssshhh ww-sssshhhhh!!!"

Vicki had him for the afternoon the other day and she called me at work and put him on the phone.

"Bop! Ahhn.... HOME!"

Which reminds me, he says " 'mon" for "C'mon". "'mon, Bop! 'mon, Nana". The other night Mama and Dada showed up to take him home and he was ready to go. Dad was dragging his feet and talking, so he was all "'mon, Dada. 'mon-'mon!"

Oh, and at the park yesterday he met an older woman. 4 years old! Eva. They had lots of fun playing on the slide/jungle gym at the park. And then her mom said it was time to go and they went to leave. They got about 15 yards away and Trenton was saying "Bye-bye! Bye-Bye" and waving... and all the sudden he said ... "aaahnn .... HUG!"

The girl's mom said "hugs are always good" and he ran after her and they hugged and he gave her a "mwah!"

Danged cute.  There's lots more, and new words every day.

Tonight was our last swim "lesson" with Kristin at the MAC.  I'll have fun with him in our pool and we'll continue our swimming skills this summer, I'm sure.

Went to Table Rock Lake with Ryan and Kristie last weekend. We used their new popup, which was handy since it rained ... a lot. I think we got 6.5" here over the weekend. We "camped" right near the lake, but card games and conversation was the order of the day while the rain fell. Saturday we dodged rain off and on all day ... quite heavy at times, and with hail and high winds -- in Eureka Springs.

Listened to a musician on the balcony bar of the Basin Spring Hotel. Jeff Lee. Nice warm voice and an amplified acoustic guitar -- playing some nice classic rock and blues covers along with some of his own compositions. About the time the sky opened up for the 8th time that day he broke into "Rain", by the Beatles. Which I appreciated. You don't hear that one much. Had to "learn" it when I got home. Bought a couple of CDs from him and we finished our drinks and moved on.

Went to Silver Dollar City on Sunday -- it was dry until we went to leave around 3... we left just in time.  Rode all of the roller coasters.  I haven't ridden a roller coaster in many, many, many years.   Vicki had been concerned about them since she lost one of her balance nerves before we got married.  She loves roller coasters.  She did fine.  Me ... I had fun, but I could take 'em or leave 'em.  Roller coasters, that is.

Lots of traveling lately. Fort Wayne and back twice last month ... St. Louis one weekend to see Kevin and Marken.... Eureka Springs/Branson last weekend ... and we're looking at another pair of Fort Wayne trips here coming up.

And I want to go to Colorado this summer, too.