Eureka! (And other fun things)

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and, for better or worse, Wes' apple seems to have landed right alongside our tree.  Sean and I, both science teachers by trade, can't name ten five two artists at the Louvre or correctly identify the all of the countries in the Middle East on a map.  We do, however, love a good How Stuff Works podcast and enjoy observing a lot of the little things we see outside.  Whether it's nature or nurture, Wes seems to be following in our footsteps.

Wes has always enjoyed tinkering, whether it be with Grandpa's tools or the buttons and switches on his toys.  More recently, we have starting doing some basic science experiments, and Wes has really taken a liking to them.  I enjoy watching his tongue-out focus along with as his excitement when a reaction occurs. He's mastering some pretty awesome double-pipetting skills as well :)

Wes continues to enjoy building things with tools and will often bring his toolbox along when we visit other people's houses (just in case they have a burnt out light bulb or pipe that needs fixed). 

February was one of the coldest months on record, but Valentine's Day offered a welcome distraction from all of the days spent inside.  Wes decided he wanted to make decorations before breakfast that morning (I halfheartedly agreed while pouring an extra large cup of coffee) and he even turned up with some gifts for Sean and I that he secretly bought on a shopping trip with Grandma Miller.

Just this past week we finally started to see signs of spring.  We've been able to open the front door on sunny afternoons, I saw our first flower peek through the mulch, and it has finally been warm enough to get the outdoor toys out of the shed.

Second to the arrival of spring, the most exciting thing that has happened south of I-80 has been the opening of our local HyVee.  My parents have greatly missed their HyVee since relocating to Central Illinois three years ago, so Wes, my mom, and I made sure to go to the grand opening this week.  Wes was fascinated by the jelly bean aisle (yes, aisle), the free cookies, and best of all, the tot-sized carts.

The winter has certainly made our shy guy even more introverted.  We try as often as possible to hang out with our buddies, but sickness and schedules keep us from getting together as often as we'd like. Recently, Wes' friend Noah celebrated his birthday, so we all got together for some pizza and brownies. 

Oscars

Silly faces!

Slightly-less-silly faces!

I'm looking forward to the warmer weather so that we can all change up our routine a little bit.  Wes has certainly grown comfortable spending a lot of one-on-one time with me, and we are all getting a little restless.  Bring it on, spring!