No No No

Matthew can say at least 50 words now, probably much more if you count all the animal names, sounds they make, and the names of Disney characters. His favorite word by far is the word "No". He often shakes his head back and forth as he is saying it. It seems like a reflex to almost any question: do you want a cookie Matthew? "No", wait "Cookie, please". He especially enjoys telling somebody else No. Mama, Daddy, and Sadie the cat get both a no-no and a finger point from Matthew. Despite all the No, he is still laughing and having fun.
     Last Saturday Matthew's parents took him to Memorial Park in Athens. That was his first trip to Memorial Park which also has a small zoo. He really enjoyed looking at all the animals and he was trying to get them to make their designated sounds. Unfortunately, the bears didn't "grrr" and the owls didn't "hoot". He wasn't sure if the bobcat was supposed to growl or say meow, and the bald eagle and hawk were not tweeting. Matthew knew that the possum has a long tail but it apparently does not make any sound it just goes "night-night". The ducks on the pond did not disappoint with their sounds.
     The weather was beautiful and there was a lot of activity at the park; kids, dogs, and people grilling out. At one point an Oldsmobile Cutlass pulled through the parking lot playing loud music with a lot of bass. While several of the park visitors were disturbed by the music coming from that car, Matthew just bobbed his head to the beat of the boom. The playground was filled with children and it was the last stop in the park.

Swinging

Climbing Up

Sliding Down

Laughing

Then when it was time to leave, the No came out again.