surf, sand, sunshine

We had a great vacation week with Dan's family doing all our favorite beachy activities!

(Isn't Colleen's baby bump so cute??)

Mae spent every possible moment in the water. She could jump over waves for hourrrrrs. She got a little braver this year and was even making me a little nervous with how far she was willing to venture out. She'd start relatively shallow and then slowly work her way further out until the surf was up to her shoulders, sweeping her briefly off her feet. Then she'd look a little panicked, catch her breath, and start the routine all over again in the shallow water.

Colin on the other hand, was absolutely terrified of the waves. In his defense, they were pretty big! He freaked out if I even tried to take him onto the wet part of the sand... far away from the edge of the water! Fortunately, he LOVED playing in the sand. He mostly dug holes but also enjoyed a few games of paddle ball.

We had lots of fun activities back at the house also. Both kids had fun with the new splash pad. It was perfect for staying cool in the middle of the day (and for very thoroughly watering a very small section of the yard.)

Colin kept Batman busy chasing this little plane all over the front yard. Mae loves lemonade stands, so she was thrilled when GranE and Batman helped her set one up.

Colleen and I went out for a little paddle around the bay side where the water is calmer. I borrowed a kayak and she got to try out her new inflatable paddle board. My arms were definitely tired afterwards but not nearly as sore as I expected.

One of the best parts of the week was seeing the 4th of July fireworks. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to see the Atlantic City fireworks, since they start a little too late in the evening for Colin. Fortunately there were smaller shows going off all around us as soon as dusk hit. Mae and GranE found the perfect spot to watch them... the lifeguard stand!

Colin decided they were exciting but a little too loud (and he was a little too sleepy), so we walked back to the house for bedtime.

Thanks for a great vacation!

back home again

Well, the 4th of July has come and gone, and I still haven't posted about Memorial Day! Time for some catch-up.

After 10+ years of casually talking about it, Dan and I finally decided to get tickets to the Indy 500 this year (along with Kelsey and Will.) Kelsey and I have been before, but Dan and Will were newbies. Unfortunately, Dan decided that Memorial Day weekend would be a good time to come down with shingles and spent the weekend bedridden at home. Don't worry, he's all healed up now, but he had a very uncomfortable couple weeks! I did feel a little bad about leaving him at home while we traveled to Indy, but I think he was grateful for the peace and quiet while he recovered.

Saturday we went to the Indy 500 parade. Mae and Colin loved everything: the floats, the balloons, the cars, the horses, the music, the confetti, and the big floats!

Sunday, we had a beautiful day for the race! Christopher filled in for Dan at the last minute and even cooked up a million frozen chicken fingers Saturday night so we could have cold chicken (my favorite) to eat during the race.

Will enjoyed his first Indy 500! It's certainly an experience walking in those gates for the first time surrounded by a quarter million people all decked out in their finest checkered and star-spangled clothes!

Mae and Colin had fun at the pool while we were at the race. Last summer, Mae sat at the top of the water slide and agonized over whether she was brave enough to go down. Ultimately, she opted to climb back down the stairs, but was disappointed in herself and determined to try during our next visit. Unfortunately the pool closed before we visited again! She must have spent all winter psyching herself up, because she went right up and down that slide this time! Go Mae!

three years of colin

Happy third birthday, Colin!

We had a little birthday celebration when my family visited this weekend. We had pizza and cupcakes at our house and then went creek stomping with the cousin crew! The kids had fun playing in the rocks and mud, chasing the water skimmers, and getting completely soaked.

Colin's birthday was a perfect reflection of his interests. (I even found banana-print wrapping paper for my banana-obsessed kid!) Creek stomping was a great activity since he loves being outside as much as possible, even if he's just collecting sticks or watering plants with the hose. We're working on giving up the stroller so we've been trying to take longer walks on "Mommy and Colin" days when I don't work.

Like many little kids, he is completely obsessed with trains (and trucks and diggers), so we added a few pieces to his wooden train set. Every night before bed, we read him two books, sing a song (Edelweiss), and then tuck him into his blankets (in a particular order) while he asks, "Mom, can we talk about trains?" And every night I have to come up with something new to tell him about trains. Sometimes it's fact like, "Today I saw a gray train stopped on the tracks by the interstate," and sometimes it's something ridiculous like, "I wish there was a candy train full of lollipops to deliver sweets to our house." I fear the day I run out of things to say about trains.

Bed and nap time have been a bit of a struggle lately. Colin started potty training recently, and we took the side off his bed. Downside: he can get out of bed. (He frequently opts to sleep on the floor instead of in his bed now.) Upside: more room for snuggles with big sister!

Colin still loves Octonauts and Bluey. He was very excited to get some Octonauts toys and a Bluey truck as gifts. We still watch these shows most nights before bed and in the mornings if he wakes up before my brain is fully functioning. He's a big helper whether we're doing yard work, folding laundry, or preparing food in the kitchen. He loves to be right up in the middle of whatever is happening, even though it makes dinner prep a little challenging! He's also really good at entertaining himself and playing quietly for short periods of time. He's the snuggliest little nugget; he often crawls into my lap and curls up while meowing. Sometimes I have a little boy and sometimes I have a little kitten.

It's fun to watch Colin's sense of humor develop. He loves to play silly pretend games like, "What do you think is for breakfast at day care today?" Common responses include things like "ice cream chicken" and "hot dog cereal." When he asks if dinner is ready and I respond, "Not yet!" he always follows up with "..... YET??" This usually leads to a good 5 minutes of "Yet?" "Not yet." "Yet?" "Not yet." "Yet??" "Not yet!!!"

Happy three years to my silly, snuggly, sweet boy!