Signs and adventures

The reading bug has really hit Mateo lately, and he's very excited about street signs right now. The whole thing caught me a little bit off guard, because I was just getting used to him sounding out words, and then suddenly he was reading books, and then soon after that, these little questions started coming from the back seat.

"Mama, why does that say 'One Way'?"
"Mama, why does that say 'Caution'?"
"Mama, why does that sign say 'Camel'?"

That last one led to a hasty lecture on how terrible smoking is and how no one in our family had better ever try it. The whole thing has made me realize how many words he knows, and/or is able to figure out through context.

It has also made for some interesting car talks, and I think he knows a lot more about how our road system functions than he used to. I am certainly learning as well. The bazillionth thing I didn't expect about becoming a parent is explaining the ENTIRE WORLD to your child bit by bit, and usually at times when you least expect it or are caught off guard. Like the cigarette ad situation.

This all came to mind over the weekend, when we visited the aerial tram and I heard a familiar little voice say "Mama, why does that say "no smoking"?"

Speaking of the aerial tram, we did indeed ride on it this weekend and most of us had fun. Tali was extremely skeptical on the way up and silent on the way down, so maybe she just needed more time to warm up? We went with Megan and Galen, and also ran into some friends who just happened to go at the same time we did. We had a great time. I think we actually had the most fun afterwards, when the kids ran around on the grass and tackled every familiar person in sight. Here's a great sequence of Mateo disrupting the happy couple:

Luckily, they made up later and did some swinging. In fact, Mateo got so revved up that he kicked off his croc and it hit me in the face just as I was taking this next picture.

Here are a few more from the tram. This first one is a view from mid-ride:

The kids' favorite part? The lawn flamingos barely visible in the grass right underneath the tram lift-off spot. Well, and the cool ride to the top and back down again. Definitely an activity to do again!