First Neighborhood Pool Trip of 09

It was nice and sunny most of Memorial day weekend. Since we never made it to the beach in S.C. we jumped on the opportunity to hit the pool here at home.

I'm not sure AJ recalls much about pool visits last summer because he acted like he was seeing everything for the first time. He loved it and was annoyed when they blew the whistle to clear the pool at the end of the day. Good thing because the little man's lips were nearly blue from the cold water but he wasn't coming out until it was forced.

Rainy Day Boots

We've had a rainy couple of months and I joke about building an ark to wait it out in.

AJ has enjoyed getting to wear his boots and indulge in some serious puddle stomping.

Here he is sporting his Thomas the train boots one morning before we departed for school/work.

Not so Beachy S.C. Beach Vaca

So the weather wasn't suitable for the beach....we arrived in Hilton Head to rain, strong winds and 60 degrees.

On Day 2 we woke to overcast skies, temps near 70 and the occasional sprinkles. We drove up to the Harbour and saw the big boats in the marina, checked out the park with the big tree house and ducked into some shops and off to lunch while it was drizzling. Then back to the villa for a nap - even Mommy napped which is rare!

We ended day 2 with dinner out at a fantastic Italian restaurant and a DVD at the villa.

Day 3 looked more promising, though not quite beach worthy so we rented bikes and planned to ride around a bit. A bit turned into a long windy three hour tour of the South end of the island and a stop for lunch at Salty Dog Cafe in the Harbour. Yum. We even spotted some alligators on our ride.

No surprise that after our ride we went back for a nap. Do you see a trend? :-) Another great dinner and a trip to the wonderful little gelato shop we discovered for dessert. AJ picked strawberry.

Day 4 was the warmest and the wettest. So, no beach and like most families on the island we were searching for indoor activities that burned energy. Like most families we ended up at the Sandbox Interactive museum. After waiting to get in, AJ was ready to jump right in playing trains, climbing the rock wall, pretending to be a pirate on the pirate ship, flying a plane and building a house. We had to drag him out when it was time for lunch.

We spent our last evening indoors and away from the heavy rains and wind. We hit the indoor pool and ate pizza in the villa while we watched movies. AJ discovered how much he likes the Pirate movies (Pirates of the Caribbean). We had a fine return flight and are trying not to dwell on the fact that about an hour before we left for the airport, the bright sun came out and the temps broke 85.

Spring in Chicago

The weather was great and the trip to Chicagoe was a blast. A packed weekend that included a sleepover at Grandpa Steve's, shopping, yummy mexican food, walking Gramma's puppy dogs, playing at the park, pancakes and a trip to "Touch a Truck".

As you will see from the pictures, AJ loved it all especially climbing on all the trucks and honking horns. He ran from one truck to the next getting excited for each one - the UPS truck with flames was his favorite.

We are home now and recovering...just in time to head off tomorrow to the beach!

3 Days!

AJ and I are Chicago bound on Thursday morning. We'll be meeting up with Aunt Sydney at O'Hare Airport and then heading to the homestead. AJ is excited to see everyone and is talking about the trip - almost as much as he is talking about the trip to the beach planned for the following week :-)

Warm Welcome Home

I came back tonight, just after dinner, from a two day trip to the Eastern Shore for work. It was a long couple of days so imagine how wonderful it was to walk in the door and be greeted with a very enthusiastic " Look Daddy, My Mommy is home!". I didn't have my bag set down and he was already running over for a hug. Nothing better.

Maggie Turns 1 Today

Happy Birthday Maggie Puppy!

AJ is coming to celebrate with you next week - can't wait.

Potty Party Time

So today I started the drill - nudging AJ to use the potty every hour or so. Things are going well and he likes the big fuss that is made when he produces something and LOVES that he gets an M&M candy after he goes. He even got to call both Grandmas and report the progress - no accidents in the pull ups from naptime on. He grinned at the fussing they did. :-)

I showed him the big boy underpants just waiting in his dresser drawer - he was digging the Lightening McQueen underwear! Will keep you posted.