Things to do

The best part of being in Boise so far is that there are so so so many more things to do! I have fallen in love with the Garden City library. This little library is the nicest one I have been in for a long time. There are areas for toddlers to teens, and the rest of us including super new computers and extremely comfy reading chairs. The kid section is incredible. There are little tables and chairs for them to color or read at, there are stuffed animals that go with a fantastic selection of books. Plus there are three different story times during the week. Each one has a great librarian leading the way. So far we've fed a hungry caterpillar, danced and beat sticks together while going on a bear hunt, and we've hopped like a frog. Plus there are always fun little crafts for Afton to do. She seems to love the new experiences. I know she hasn't seen that many kids her age in one spot ever in her life. So far she has been pretty wide-eyed and almost shy about the experience. But she's warming up to the idea of tons of other toddlers running around being crazy. Plus we talk about the events for the rest of the day!
We also live a mile away from the "Green Belt" which is a paved path that runs along the Boise River. It is worth it to go there just to hear Afton say, "Boise River." We've gone on some fun walks where we've studied each rock carefully before it goes in her coat pocket. There are also tons of ducks and dogs (on leashes) to look at. I think Afton has been happy to get outdoors and do some fun new things. We are slowly working our way through the many parks that are all around to find out the best playground equipment. So far Camelback Park and Settlers Park take the cake. I think Afton is going to be a professional swing kid because she can sit in the swing for half an hour without even getting bored. That's the longest span of attention I've seen her have yet. I'm pretty proud of her daredevil abilities on the slides too. One time she looked over at a "big" kid going down the slide on his tummy and she just had to do it too. She'll race up the stairs and fly down the slide over and over while laughing her contagious laugh. I love this kid!
I am getting more and more waddly with my growing belly so I am not as fun of a playmate to her anymore. But we seem to have fun even though she's doing most of the adventures. It's crazy how grown up she is all of the sudden. No longer a baby but an independent little person who has to do things her way. Most of the time that is a great way to go, but I'm starting to see her terrible two side more and more. The other night she pulled quite the tantrum, including crazy screaming, kicking, and holding her breath. I think even she was surprised at her ability to freak out. But it was pretty short lived because she fell asleep right after it.
Meanwhile Jared is working hard downtown, making it possible for me to be able to take care of our daughter and help grow a baby boy. I feel very blessed!