to the beach!

As I write this, I'm listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. I've had a workout in the on-site fitness center, so I'm feeling totally relaxed and guilt-free! Dennis actually has his own bedroom here in our suite, and his room also faces the beach. So far he's sleeping so peacefully. He had a wonderful time running around the suite and eating the pizza that came for supper (he even said "pizza", or something that sounded very similar to it).

On our way down here, we stopped to have lunch with my great aunt and uncle who love Dennis very much. He had a wonderful time seeing them and giving them hugs. He especially loved running around in their spacious home. Uncle Denny and Granny stopped by while we were there, and Dennis enjoyed playing his usual steal-Uncle-Denny's-pen-and-run game. While we were at their house, Dennis was checking out the refrigerator magnets. He identified the pigs, said "rainbow" (a word I didn't know that he knew) and "sun" and then, to our total amazement, pointed to two magnets and said "blue". They actually were blue, which means that he's starting to learn his colors. He also pointed out an "O". He's still remembering those letters I taught him. He knows "A" and "O". I wonder which one we'll learn next. On another note, he learned to open doors today. If the door has a handle instead of a round knob, he can open it. He did it first at Aunt Louise and Uncle George's place, and then when we got to our resort, he opened the door and walked on out. Thank goodness there's a chain on the door. We'll be using it to keep him in rather than keep other folks out!

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how outgoing he was with all the family he's seen this week. I expected a little shyness with those people he hadn't seen in a while, but even with the big crowd at our house, he was friendly and very free with his hugs. He's a real social little guy, always has been, and even though I keep expecting a little stranger anxiety to kick in, it hasn't so far. He loves the people that love him. And that's wonderful, because there are many many people who love him. He's easy to love, and every day I can't believe how much love I have for him.