Simple pleasures

It is the simple things in life that bring us pleasure. We devote so much time to the pursuit of happiness, that we often miss what is right in front of us. For a toddler, the emotions swing quickly from one direction to another, and often to the extremes. They can be crying one minute, and the next, laughing hysterically. We obviously feel emotions a lot more intensely at that age.
  One of our new traditions that we have started here, is attending the Fleet Week air show which takes place over the bay in front of the Golden Gate Bridge with the pinnacle of the show being the Blue Angles. This was our second year attending and we will hopefully make it a long standing tradition. It is just as thrilling for Apollo as it is for us, and the best part about it is, it is FREE! We pack a picnic, bring some blankets, and pick out a spot on the grass in the waterfront park.  They have concession stands, souvenir stands and an inflatable amusement park for kids.
  Apollo loves slides and when he spotted one at Fleet Week, he went wild. He was a little tentative to go up the stairs at first so Melanie went with him the first time. After that, he was all to willing to go on his own. This slide has a huge drop to it. When you are at the top, it looks like it falls straight down. This didn't stop Apollo one bit. It was shear ecstasy for him, and so much fun for his mom and I to watch.

  I can usually find humor in the smallest things, but at times, I have so much on my mind and on my plate, that I find myself laughing less. One of the biggest blessings of having Apollo, is I laugh all the time when I interact with him. He has reached the stage where he refers to himself in third person; "Apollo tired.", "Apollo needs chocolate." and my all time favorite to date; in the middle of a melt down while crying, "Mama, Apollo freaking out".  How can you not laugh.
  Manners are also being learned. There is nothing cuter than when you sneeze and your son says, "Bless you Dada". When you offer a helping hand you get a "Thank you Dada", and when I stop by home for lunch on a work day, and I leave to go back to work, "Dada, give you hug".
  Such a fun age. The laughter is contagious, the sweetness is heart warming and tantrums can be entertaining...if they are short lived.  Everything, is fresh and new. A dog racing around the house, or rain water dripping from the roof is a source of deep heart felt laughter for Apollo. It has helped me to take a step back and take a second look and realize, "yup, that is funny".
One of my favorite questions that Apollo asks me almost daily is, "Dada, did you have a good day?". "Apollo, everyday with you, is a good day!" I reply.

  At the end of the day, its the simple pleasures that rein supreme.