The Brettingens at HBS: Like Father Like Son

After spending at least 3 hours on my last post I decided that I really have to update the blog more often instead of trying to cram so much into one post. This week has really flown by and we are looking forward to Peggy and Greg's visit a week from today! Casey has perfected "grandma" just recently which I'm sure will please Peggy to no end. The weather has remained beautiful and sunny with temperatures today reaching 81 degrees. We have been getting out and enjoying it as much as possible while we still can.

Tuesday, Casey and I rode with Natalie and Hailey up to Walden Pond http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/wldn.htm to join the rest of the Crimson Kids group for a day of fun in the sun. The weather wasn't exactly hot, but the kids still had a great time splashing in the water and playing in the sand while the moms relaxed and chatted on the beach. It was a really beautiful spot and I hope that Jesse and I will be able to take Casey back there in the near future.

Wiped out after a day at the beach

Last night I attended the first meeting for the Partner's Club and I am so excited about all the events, parties and all the other goings on they have planned. Tomorrow night Jesse and I will be going to the first of the monthly happy hours hosted by one of the members and next week I'll start book club. For the most part, though, we will have to pick and choose which happenings to attend because there is no way to do it all.

Casey will have a busy social schedule as well. In addition to all the Crimson Kids events we will be involved with he and I are starting the on campus pre-school co-op next week. He will attend every Tuesday and Thursday from 3 until 5 for the next year and I will teach about 12 of the classes with one other mom or dad. The class will have a loosely structured schedule and the teacher will plan the lesson based on a simple assigned topic like "the color red", "farm animals" or "things that go". We'll sing songs, have a snack, do a craft, read and play outside. I think it will be a lot of fun for both of us.

It's really amazing how fast Casey is learning and growing every day. He has been stringing words together and will say things like "Mommy, I'm coming" when he's upstairs and I'm calling him to eat lunch. He still loves to help out with whatever I'm doing especially laundry or unloading the dishwasher. He is definitely becoming a daddy's boy, though. He likes to wear Jesse's glasses around the house although I'm sure it must be terrible for his eyes, and today he decided that he was going to shave like daddy. He has really gotten used to seeing Jesse throughout the day now which is one of the best things about living on campus. We run into Jesse from time to time when we are out and about and he usually comes home for lunch every day. Casey asks several times a day "where's da-ey" or he'll say that he wants to go outside to see da-ey. He even says "Jesse" sometimes and he knows that Jesse and daddy are the same.

We definitely made the right decision to live here. The apartment is cramped and a little dingey but having Jesse around has made it well worth it!