A Cerney Periodical

Well, here is to (seven total) three (married) wonderful years my dearest love!  Your generous soul and spirit continues to give every day, and most on the day you gave us our beautiful friend, the amazing Brock.  Here are some memories of our annual celebration of all things fruitful in Berrien County Michigan.  Our first stop was Treemendus Fruit, our UPick orchard of choice.  Apple species taste quite different.  Each year we learn of new varieties: this year Brock's choice was Roger's Mac ... it tastes exactly like the green apple flavor of a Jolly Rancher.  Yech!  There were others I loved however. With Poland and the play we celebrated our union early.  This put right our visit right in the middle of peach season!  What a treat.  I love peaches.  Also lucky as the harsh winter destroyed 90% of the local crop.  The bucket of harvested goods was empty in three days.  Brock loves them too! Peach ...

Just a few shots!  It is challenging these days to keep up with the rapid fire magic of Brock and his path to toddlerdum.  It seems the present tense becomes the past tense at an increasingly accelerated rate. We are sad to admit that our son is already an addict.  His demon is administered by mouth, chemical make up is 100% pure plastic, legal, but highly, highly addictive.  Street name: "binky" or "paci".  Here we see the subject getting a quick fix on whatever he can find available, in this case, magnet bear.   Caught in the act. There are two exhibits here.   A: Brock is getting very creative and agile with stacking.   B: Adorable Matt/vintage overalls are already busting at a key pressure point. Brock has learned how to open doors.  Luckily most of our door handles take a bit of force.  The closet door is a bit more forgiving.

Well, the boy is walking more and more.  I have been trying to get a few recorded moments of his evolved movements, but as previously noted, he was un-camera-agreeable more often than not. There is one direction.... and then the other!! and finally a stroll in the garden.

Brock loves peek-a-boo, but it usually requires a door, a curtain, or a large sheet. Last night he started rubbing his eyes during dinner, and I casually asked him, "where did Brock go?" He immediately realized that he had the perfect peek-a-boo tools on the end of his chubby little arms. He hasn't stopped disappearing since. Brock has also developed an incredible love of stuffed animals. (Don't get any ideas, shoppers. We have plenty.) He gets very giddy and gives out some impressive hugs. Here's my attempt at setting up such a meeting. Brock was clearly more interested in his current business, but he obliged nonetheless.

Well, the little guy is on his way to two legged mobility sans support.  He has been taking around three steps max fairly frequently, but so illusive!  So difficult to catch the Brock in action.  

Home again home again!  Huzzah.  Let's go back in time two weeks ago.   To Zakopane.   This was our home away from home.  The Villa Passion.  Passionately tiny.  Passionately affordable.  Let's take a tour.  The office.   Brock's room.  We set up the small couch/bed on its side and then strung a blanket up between it and the closet.  Here Brock has already out-smarted the "wall".  I am not sure if jet lag could be blamed but in Poland he wanted to get up between 5 and 5:30 (6 and 6:30 feels super different). The playroom.  All two feet of it.  Here Brock is sampling one of his Polish souvenirs, a train with a double prong stacker.  He hasn't quite it got it yet, but he needed a new challenge.    If Zakopane had a city animal mascot, it would be the slug.  They are EVERYWHERE and HUGE. Just up the hill from the Villa Passion (which is al...