Mini Golf with Uncle Andrew

I had been wanting to go miniture golfing since the beginning of spring... it isn't something I want to do more than once or twice a year but I think it is a lot of fun... and I thought the boys would enjoy it. So we called and invited Mom, Dad and Andrew last minute and Mom and Dad were both busy but Andrew joined us for some fun...
Although none of the pictures turned out very well... the boys had lots of fun golfing together. Jeremy struggled a little because he is rather competitive and didn't have such a great night... but Damean loved learning and then doing it his own way anyway... Finney loved to put the ball in the holes and of course the water.

And Andrew won... with me a close second! However the highlight of the evening... which I sadly do not have pictures of... was trying to keep Damean and Finn out of the water once they saw how much fun it was to throw their balls in and try to dig them out with the little scoop thingies... well at Schell's course, one of the holes near the end has a little puddle (which is supposed to be there) at the bottom of the hill which Damean's ball happened to roll right into... Damean walked right over to pick it out since it is only a couple inches deep and due to the mossy bottom, he slide right in... completely soaked from top to bottom and then whoops... Finn slides right in too. All those watching thought it was rather funny... along with the three of us... however Damean and Finn weren't too happy about being completely soaked without a change of clothes. Oh well! They, of course, weren't too unhappy to not eat an ice cream cone though!!!

My Stubborn Man

This boy just loves to eat... as long as he can eat by himself...

... he won't even open his mouth if someone else tries to feed him... that is unless he is REALLY hungry... like completely ravinous! But he is pretty cute and at 14 months... he does pretty well with his own silverware!

Sesame Place

For Christmas this past year (2008) Mom and Dad asked several times what we wanted... all I kept saying was, no stuff please... the kids have enough clothing and enough toys and enough stuff around this house and by the time Christmas is over we have tons more... from Santa and Jeremy's family (who are big into presents...presents for everyone). So after much thought, they decided on tickets to Sesame Place... which was the perfect gift... perfect. The tickets they bought were buy one day ticket, get one free... so we were actually given two days worth of fun at Sesame Place and the boys just loved it. It was hard to figure out a day that worked to go... between Jeremy's work schedule and my work schedule (I usually work his two days off) and my babysitting and the weather... it finally worked out. We didn't say anything until that morning just incase it would decide to storm or something but as soon as they got up we started getting ready and talking all about it. And by 9:30 when we finally were pulling out of the driveway... Damey was sooo excited he could barely sit in his seat... which was a little rough since it is just over an hour away. But, as you can see, Damean gave perfect directions (just something to pass the time) and we got there on a beautiful 80-85 degree sunny day.
Here is Jeremy with the two boys in our first line waiting to ride "Grover's World Twirl (tea cups)... and Damean has obvious ants in his pants... he doesn't quite enjoy waiting in lines (not that anyone does).and then on to Rubber Duckie Pond (all in the water together), Snuffy's Slides (Damean went down... just a regular enclosed slide... which barely moved because he was all wet and stuck), Peek A Bug (which we all rode together) and then Flyin' Fish - where Daddy and Damean rode together...and Mommy and Finn...Then while I went to change Finn's diaper and go potty myself, Damean and Daddy stood in the longest line... waiting to ride "Blast Off"... and finally they are on...and if you notice... Jeremy is holding Damean's foot because he was scared to death... the only ride he didn't want to ride again. (this is one of those that goes up and then falls down... over and over)Then off to the water slides. I rode first with Damean and then Daddy and Damean went. This was Damean's favorite ride... or at least the one he talked about the most.We stopped to eat some lunch at the rather ridiculously expensive and not very good cafeterias they had... but hey, it was part of the experience. (Actually I read all the rules and it talked about not bringing any food into the park unless for a baby and the cooler had to be a certain size and whatnot and I just didn't want to deal with it... but we learned for the next time.)
Then on to "Big Bird's Rambling River" and the "Sunny Day Carousel" where for some reason Damean wanted to sit on a "chair" rather than a horse but whatever and Finney was finally asleep... but NOT FOR LONG!We went to the "nets and climbs, the "Cookie Mountain"Ernie's Bed Bounce, Big Bird's Balloon Race and as we are getting off... Finney is up but rather tired and grouchy. So we get some snacks and head in to watch Elmo's World Live... which they both loved... singing and dancing...and finally as the day came to an end... we played in "The Count's Splash Castle" were both boys had a blast getting wet and watching the BIG BUCKET dump... Damean even waited, did the count down and watched as everyone got soaked but he never wanted to go under all that water... and here is it dumping...We had a fun-filled day and the kids were exhausted for the drive home. They were changed into dry clothes and asleep before we even got out of the parking lot...

Nothing Like Kids to Build Our Self Esteem

I don't know what it is with Damean but he is always insisting I am sooo big...
I was just getting over the too big I will pop the tent comment, when today he commented as I put on shorts to go running...

"You should wear pants down here mom (pointing at his ankles), your legs are too big."

Garden Party

The Museum a couple blocks from our house hosts a Garden Party every spring to raise money. The first year we were in the house... we didn't go. Damean was just 9 months old and we didn't really think anything of it... but the second year, Tricia invited us to go with her and her kids so we did and had a blast. Although the prices are outrageous... it is fun to let the kids go on a ride or two and just walk around.
This year Jeremy had off but the weather was awful... it was a constant mist, not enough to postpone to the raindate but enough to make a wet day... but we decided to go with the boys for a little anyway... and there was NO ONE there... made for a quick trip when you don't have to wait in lines forever. Riding the ponies

Damean riding in the train of cars... he was the only person... but he loved it anyway!Damean climbing through the blow up jungle gyms/slides...

and me on my way up the large slide with both boys... it was nice and slippery and the slide was rather wet so Jeremy decided it would be a good thing for me to do instead of him... Damean is climbing up in front of me...

and we just came down... I was going to take a picture of my soaking wet butt but I decided one butt picture was enough...

and riding the tea cups with Dad...

and one last ride on the horse drawn swings... (I believe I was in mid wave when the picture was taken)

Knoebels

We had talked several times of camping at Knoebels early in the season and we tried and tried to find a date that would work for everyone... but it ended up the only weekend Jeremy could get off that would work for everyone else was the weekend he took off for our anniversary...
So rather than go away for a night like we had originally planned... you know, together, without kids... was slightly changed to going to Knoebels with Mom and Dad, Dave and Sue, Jayden and Tanner and our boys. BUT Jeremy worked a mid shift on Friday, which meant that he wouldn't be home from work until 9 or so and he decided he didn't want to drive up to Knoebels after that... so the boys and I rode to Knoebels in the car with Mom and Dad... whom shared our tent with us the first night and then Jeremy headed up early Saturday morning to be with us.
Mom and Dad left Saturday night, so they could go to church Sunday morning because Dad had already missed a lot recently so then it was just Jeremy and I and the boys in our tent Saturday night.
We left shortly after Dad got home from work... but had sent anything that could get wet if it rained with Dave in the bed of his truck... which ended up being the way to go... because by the time we got there, about 7 or so... Dave had his tent along with ours set up... and dinner ready for us. THANKS DAVE!!! So we ate and took a long walk around the park (the rides were already done for the day but the boys were anxious to see everything) before heading to bed. We came back and got things ready for bed... mom and dad pumped up their queen air mattress and I got the one out that we borrowed from Jeremy's dad... which I was led to believe was a queen only to find out that it was simply a twin... so the plan to sleep with the boys all together with the blankets would have worked except that it was a little too small... so I made a bed with the quilts and blankets for Damean on the floor inbetween the mattresses and another next to me for Finn... which used all the blankets I had brought and therefore... I got a twin mattress to myself with a thin top sheet to freeze to death through the night.
Luckily Mom and Dad left their mattress and blankets for us the second night so Finn used the twin... Damean stayed on his bed on the floor and Jeremy and I had a queen...
Besides that minor detail, we had a blast together. Enjoyed camping... watching the boys ride the rides... and decided that next year... we need to do it again!

On our way to the park the first morning. Considering the kids get up LONG before the park opens... the anticipation of riding the rides was enormous...
Dad and Damean on their first ride...

Dave and Jayden on the same ride...

And on to many others... some multiple times...

Dad and Finn driving the cars... Finn LOVED IT!

Mom and Damean driving...Sue and Tanner driving...

At lunch time their was a play being organized with the audiences help. Two people told the story while people from the audience acted it out... our crew ended up being quite the actors...

Dad was the Dragon whom sang a beautiful song and won the prize...

Dave was the king with many helpers...

Two of which were Jayden and Damean... ... that is until I looked around and couldn't find Damean anywhere. Jeremy was over ordering our lunch... Mom, Sue and I were talking and Finn was sleeping in the stroller. Damean was with everyone for the first 5 minutes of organizing and then all of a sudden, I looked up and he was no where... I of course turned frantic and ran to Jeremy to see if he was there... he wasn't... so I continued to frantically look around where we were... and finally found him in costume, talking to a park maintenance man... completely oblivious that he had done anything wrong.

While Finn napped, Mom and Dad stayed with him at the tent and Jeremy and I went to the park with just Damean. We had lots of fun with our little boy... he is just growing up too fast!

Four Years...

Jeremy and I have been married for four years... four full but fun years together. They seem to have past so quickly... as we have a family of four which we love dearly. And altough marriage can be tough at times as we learn to teach, learn, understand and live together as a family... we love everything that marriage and life has brought our way and we continue to live with many hopes and goals for our family.

(a server of Jeremy's is opening her own cake business and offered to make him a cake for me... pretty cute since he didn't even tell her much and she picked our wedding colors and flowers)

Always into Something

So while Finn was still in bed and Damean was sitting eating his cereal (or so I thought). I ran downstairs to throw some laundry in the washing machine... however... I heard Damean walking towards the steps and then never come down. Well this is what I found...

Something must have caught on this floor bag and so it had a little slice in it... which he just happened to see.. and then proceeded to stick his finger in the bag until the hole was big enough that flour was spilling out because when I came to the bottom of the steps, there was a little cloud of dust... so I had to grab the camera before I tried to make him understand that this is food and we shouldn't waste it... but "I was just playin mom!"

"Too Big"

On our way home from the beach, Damean insisted we go back to the beach. So I changed the subject and informed him we were going to go camping this weekend with Granny and Happy and Dave, Sue, JJ and Tanner. I continued to tell him that he would be sleeping in a tent with Granny and Happy, Mommy and Finn...

He quickly jumped in and said, "No Mom, you can't sleep in the tent, you too big."

I responded with, "No, I'm not too big Damey."

"Yes Mom, you too big, you will make it pop."

Random and Quick Beach Trip

Tricia, one of my best friends, invited me down to the beach with her and some of her family... she wasn't sure exactly who all was going or where we were staying for that matter... but I decided it would be fun for the kids and since Jeremy worked the entire time I was going to be gone anyway... I decided what the heck.

I packed my bags and some random food items Sunday afternoon and then waited for Tricia to get home from work and packed (her kids were already there with her Dad and sister)... we left well after 6 and I had to stop at work on the way down to drop some things off at the office since I was leaving with not much notice...

We finally pulled up at the cabin shortly after 11, after the kids both slept most of the way... to a big circle of drunk people carrying on, laughing and listening to music. The kids roamed around watching people and trying to figure out what was going on and where we were... and ate random snacks until close to 12:30-1 when everyone had finally left who weren't staying at the cabin and things settled down a bit.

Here is the cabin we stayed in the first night... there is a screened in porch about 4'x10'. Then a room about 10'x10' with two sets of bunkbeds and two chairs with a table inbetween. and then a 4'x10' space where the fridge, table, microwave and sink were... this sink is the only running water inside... and the only little bit outside was a hose...
Tricia's Dad slept on one bunk set, Damean and I slept on the bottom of the other (in a twin bed) Tricia, Dom and Soph squeezed on the floor space that was left and Finn was in the playpen for some and in the twin bed with Damean and I for some... which obviously means... I slept close to two hours give or take... off and on... between trying to keep Finn asleep and away from waking up Damean. But by 5:05... Finn was up and ready to go... and Damean was close to follow at 5:30.

And they had a blast roaming around outside playing with anything and everything they could find...

And by 6:10 they were both in the pool...

By 10:30 everyone was up and had eaten a bite... and we started packing to move to Tricia's Aunt's House which is about 5 miles from Lewes Beach, DE. Tricia's Dad and Amanda had to head home for work... however, about 10 minutes of the 15 minute ride to the house was the only sunshine we had left on our trip. For the next two days, it rained and rained and rained... infact, we finally decided to just play in the puddles in between down pours... The kids had a blast together and although we spent two nights, two days "at the beach"... we never got to the beach... it wasn't worth the drive to have wet and sandy kids... when we could play in the water right at the house...