Frankie is walking!

Frankie took his first steps at about 10 months old, which was the same age Charlie was when he took his first steps. Initially, he seemed to have a preference for walking outside on the concrete. Now he is practicing his new skill inside and out, much to our delight. He no longer spends all day trying to get one of us to hold his hands and walk him around. He still has an affinity for climbing things so the stairs have been blocked off, and we try to keep the step-stools put away to avoid a sprained arm like the one Sam got at this age from climbing up a stool and falling off.

Not to overshadow Frankie's accomplishments, but you can get a glimpse of Seth's latest work in this video as well (more pictures to come). He made the island out of a black walnut tree that one of his clients cut down a couple of years ago. I love that this island was not only built by Seth but was built from a local tree at that. It astounds me what he can envision and create entirely on his own. 

 And this from a man who didn't think he was smart going through elementary and high school because his strengths didn't lie in reading and writing, which translated to poor grades.  I find myself getting more and more frustrated with our school system that tests and rewards only a very limited type of intelligence, creating a constant struggle and false sense of inferiority in those whose strengths lie elsewhere. Too bad they don't test spacial or interpersonal intelligence on the ACTs. Seth might have gotten a full ride to college.

To see a "before" shot of what the kitchen looked like, here's a video of Charlie and Sam unloading the dishwasher that I shared on the blog 2 years ago: