Monday, August 31, 2009

Applesauce

So for a few weeks now, Jack's diet has consisted of 95% applesauce. He's not interested in anything else, except maybe for breakfast. It could be worse, right...like Captain Crunch or something? I do at least buy the applesauce that is all apples and no added sugar and he is still drinking a lot of milk. Anyway, he's doing pretty well with a spoon...



but tonight at dinner, he decided that the cup the applesauce came in would make a great hat...













and who could argue with him? It's a good thing bath time follows dinner time!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Beach video

So I know we've been home from the beach for a while now, but I'm just getting around to getting the video together. It's that work thing again...always eating up my free time. Anyway, here's a couple of little clips of Jack having fun on the beach!





Thursday, August 20, 2009

International Mail

Jack got his very first postcard the other day...and it's not only a postcard, but a postcard from Uncle Joey on his travels to Russia!





How very cool, huh? Thanks Uncle Joey!! We cannot wait for you to get home in a couple of weeks!

Family weekend

Last Saturday the O'Donnell's were in town and we got to spend the afternoon with them. It's so much fun watching the Emory and Ellie grow. Just 3 short years ago, they were these cute little flower girl and ring bearers at our wedding:



They are still super cute, but not such little kids at all!



See the resemblance? Emory's hair is getting a little browner I think, but it's still very close to the same color as Jack's. We can only hope Jack turns out as well as these two. They really were a joy to be with and I'm just sorry I didn't get to spend more time with them.

Sunday Uncle Aaron came to town and we got to spend the day with him! Jack wasted no time getting Uncle Aaron to take him for a stroll around the yard and up (and down and up and down) the steps.



Then Jack was introduced to peanuts in the shell. He didn't quite understand what part to eat and what part to throw away but he sure had fun trying!


We are so lucky to have family in town, but it's always fun to have other family come to town too. And it's really a treat when we get to see so many great folks in one weekend! We miss you guys already and hope we'll all be together again soon!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

HHI

Yesterday we got home from a wonderful week in Hilton Head with the Seaborn family, thanks to the most generous Weavers!



We had such a good time and it was the perfect vacation for two families with toddlers! The Seaborns were great vacation buddies and Mary Alex and Jack got along great! They have spent time together in the past, obviously, but neither have had to share attention for a week. I'm not sure they were quite sure what to make of it at first, and they definitely both got a little jealous if their mom was holding the other child, but I thought they did great together!

Here they are having snack underneath the dining room table...why there...?...who knows but Jack looks a little guilty huh?



They wasted little time finding Patti's tupperware cabinet and had a great time dragging it all out!



By the end of the week, they were entertaining each other more than just playing next to one another. It was really neat to watch the progression of their interactions. Jack put this bucket on his head all by himself and Mary Alex thought it was really funny!



They were just so cute together and I think Jack misses Mary Alex a lot now that we are home.



The little ones (and consequently the big ones) woke by 7 usually and we were all on the beach a few hours later. I had no idea what an ordeal getting all of us dressed and sunscreened and all of our stuff stuff in the car would be. The first day we took pretty much everything to the beach that we'd brought to the island except for our suitcases. It was really pretty funny when we got ready to carry it all back to the car. That didn't happen again! In reality Jack and Mary Alex each needed a shovel and some snacks and that was about it. I fell in love with these cute little beach chairs and Mary Alex did sit in hers a bit but Jack wasn't interested in sitting really. I had high hopes for a great shot of them in their matching chairs but that wasn't in the cards.



Jack loves the sandbox at school, so the beach was just one giant sandbox in his eyes and he could not have been happier there. Even the nights he didn't really sleep and the days he was sneezing and coughing, he was perfectly content on the beach. The beach was never even remotely crowded, so Jack and Mary Alex had the place to themselves for the most part and could run and dig wherever they chose. Shovel in hand, Jack was set.















Watching the dads and kids play was a lot of fun for Dianne and me. I am a big fan of sitting in a chair with a book when I'm at the beach. That's not really all that feasible with children, so I did play a little, but I spent plenty of time watching Kenny, Jack, Scott and Mary Alex play in the water, dig in the sand, explore the ocean life, and work on sand castles together.











I didn't really expect Jack to like the ocean, but the waves there are so gentle that it was the perfect introduction! He didn't seem too excited about it at first, but by the end of the week, he loved being in the surf and even going out a bit deeper with Daddy!











The baby pool was also a big hit! We'd rinse off from the beach and head to the pool before lunch time for a few minutes of refreshing water fun!



Naptime for the little ones meant relaxation time for the big ones. It was nice to have a little time to read and relax in the quiet too. Kenny and Scott worked a big, hard puzzle all week...when they weren't searching for an internet signal (which for future reference, works at the kitchen table).





Afternoons were often spent inside waiting out a storm, but some days we did get to go to the playground, which was fun!











Mary Alex also brought her baby Chloe who Jack LOVED taking for stroller rides around the house when we couldn't get outside! We hope he gets a little more practice before he becomes a father. Poor Chloe took a few spills...



After the kids went to bed, we got to have dinner and play games or watch tv. We had some wonderful meals, both in and out. We took turns keeping the kids so each couple got to have a night out, which was really nice. Kenny and I went to Hudson's and ate amazing seafood and watched the sunset over the water at the dockside bar. It was a perfect evening!



On our last night, we thought it would be nice to get dressed and go to the beach and take some pictures...and it would have been, except Jack and Mary Alex did not at all understand the difference between being dressed in real clothes and bathing suits and both just wanted to be in the water. Oh well...we tried...and got a few cute shots anyway...





















The entire trip was perfect really, except for Jack's inability to sleep all night most nights. The Seaborns were such great traveling companions and the weather cooperated and the lodging and surroundings could not have been any nicer. Thank you Tommy and Patti, thank you. No one wanted to go home...



but all good things come to an end and we look forward to many more great vacations with the Seaborn family!

Still a little video to edit and post...stay tuned...