It's the Busiest Time of the Year....

Yep, that's right...this is the busiest time of year for me at work.  Forget Spring busy season because there are no more extensions past 9/15.  This might be my last blogpost until after deadline.....we'll see.  So, let's catch up....UM....it's HOT!  We have to get to the park by 8am in order to enjoy our time there and the walk home from the park is most brutal.  Last Saturday we wanted to check out the Splashpad and it was closed due to mechanical failure, so we enjoyed the playground instead.  Here is our little guy enjoying a new playground in his swim gear!

We have a climber!  He ran to the spider web and started climbing.  Unfortunately, we were only able to play for 30 minutes before it was too hot.  So, sometimes we ride his bike in the house....this time he multi-tasked and walked his puppy at the same time.

And it's never too early to learn some financial responsibility.  Brock found some of Daddy's change so I introduced him to his piggy bank.  He loved putting the coins in.....

But then wanted to know where they went....

"I know I put them in there....." 

And then I had to snicker when he tried to shake them out.....

I stepped in once he found the stopper on the bottom of his piggy bank.  So, if you would like to donate to Brock's piggy bank he welcomes change or bills.  :)



This is Your Life

I saw this today and had to post it.  I like that "Travel Often" is big and bold!

Top Ten: Toddler Edition

I wrote a top ten list a few weeks after Brock was born (here).  While some of these are still applicable, several of them are not.  So, here goes The Toddler Edition...

10.  Enjoying a meal out is not the same (a.k.a. not enjoyable!).  Our little guy is curious and that means he explores.  Eating dinner while strapped into a high chair at a new place is not his idea of a fun evening.  The same holds true for airplanes....

9.  We eat healthier.  For starters, we don't often eat out as mentioned in #10.  But mostly, we purchase a lot more fresh fruit and veggies.  We are trying to teach him how to choose the right foods.  Although, the other day I did ask Buck if june bugs were poisonous....

8.  GOOGLE...yep, still in the top ten.  Needed when precious little boy gets in trouble at school TWO days in a row for biting and when I find parts of a june bug scattered about the office....we don't have a cat!  Luckily, we are past the stage of him putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, but you just never know...

7.  Random children's songs and books run through my head at all times of the day.  This is SER-I-OUS! (from the Wonder Pets show)

6.  Pretty Panties-  Brock is at the stage where he points to and names his body parts….eyes, nose, mouth, ear, and his favorite…..Belly Button!  Well, the other day I was wearing a dress and he wanted to point out Mama’s belly button.  Or what about when we are in standing church and I all of a sudden feel a draft, while Buck is holding our munchkin?  Oh, yea, that’s because Brock’s shoe has caught my skirt.  My solution….pretty panties (it is too hot to wear pants) and act like it never happened!

5.  Friends.  We make more friends because of our little guy.  So, if you need friends....come borrow him!  People chat us up at the park, at the store, at church (hopefully not the same people that see the pretty panties.....awkward!), etc.  The conversation usually goes like this...

Stranger:  "Oh, he's cute.  How old is he?"
Me:  "Thank you.  17 months"
Stranger (at the park):  "He is a big boy.  He really has no fear, huh?"
Me:  "Yea, no fear and that scares me!"
Stranger:  blah blah blah "We should meet for playdates, coffee, etc."

I wonder if my work would let me count this as networking....

4.   What’s ours is his and what’s his is his.  Everything is his!  What a grip.  If it's not locked down, it becomes property of the Brockster.

3.  Wresting skills are a must.  Changing a toddler’s diaper should be an Olympic sport.  I am in training.

2.   Here to protect them, not constrict them.  You may run around the yard, dig in the dirt, check out the sprinkler and wash that dirt off.  Just don’t run in the street!  A bug is a chance to learn and for Mommy to scream.  I have to remember….I am bigger than that cricket and just laugh. 

1.  Our little guy has definitely made our lives more fun.  I can't imagine life without him.  Come over some time and you may just catch the three of us dancing like no one is watching.  

Friends Family Fun

We have been busy, busy this Summer with great friends and family.  A couple of weeks ago my brother (Uncle Stephen) left us to get smart in grad school at Duke.  Last week I asked Brock if he missed Uncle Stephen and he ran from his room to the bottom of the stairs.  That would be a yes....Good Luck Bro! 

Bro's Farewell Party at the Lake

Girls!

Family Lunch

Nanny Jen came to visit!

I am such a ham!

This past weekend we traveled to Oklahoma to capture a five generation photo.  Brock's great great Mimi is 95 years old (it is okay to tell a woman's age once she reaches 95!) and still drives, works in her yard, volunteers at the nursing home and writes for a newsletter.  She loves to compose poetry and recently won 2nd in a poetry contest. 

Brock, Buck, Grandma, Great Grandma and Great Great Mimi

Again with Brock smiling at Papaw



Brock and Papaw show off their blue eyes

Happy Monday!

Yum blueberries!

We Visited the Sunshine State Again....

We have had a fun-filled Summer that's for sure! Over the 4th of July holiday weekend we had the opportunity to travel to St. Augustine Beach, FL (flew into Jacksonville and drove an hour South) with my parents. We rented a condo on the beach, toured a couple of the sites, took a boat tour, but mostly laid on the beach. It was a very nice getaway!

Fun with the sand toys!



The St. Augustine Lighthouse



Buck, Mom and I climbed the 219 steps to the top

We took a private boat tour and Brock drove the boat- this was his first boat ride.

We saw dolphins...

And then the boat rocked him to sleep.....we were amazed.

So, I didn't take too many photos because we were truly relaxing on the beach.  However, on the last day of our trip we ran out to the beach one last time.  It was cloudy and muggy out that day, but I still managed to capture a few good ones...

Buck chasing Brock chasing a bird.

I love the water!



Mama, I don't want to go home!



And a nice lady snapped our photo.  We make tons of friends these days because of the kiddo!

 I have to say that.....our baby doesn't look like a baby anymore!  :(



Sum-Sum-Summertime!!!!

It may not officially be Summer time, but it sure is hot enough to be called Summer!  Today Brock brought me his shoes around 4pm and we all know what that means.  "Mom, let's go outside!!!!!"  Ugh, it is so hot outside (I am pretty sure our thermometer read 100 degrees), but what did I do???  We put our shoes on and played outside for a FEW minutes.  Here are some photos from our Summer fun so far (notice they all have water in them!):

We broke down and bought a pool.  One day we will be "cool" enough and have a real pool.

FUN!!!

Checking out the slide....

This pool is fancy- two pools with a slide and misting palm trees.

I love my lawn mower!

And ran towards the water hose to cool off after mowing the lawn.

Loved running through the water!

Too bad this isn't video so you could hear the laughter.

Ahhhh, juice.

Let me catch you up on our little guy....

His favorite food is still the na-na.  I will grab a banana out of the pantry and he instantly smiles and says, "na-na!"  He is not a picky eater....loves fruits and veggies. 
His shoe size is 6 WIDE!  Yes, he has Flintstone feet.
His favorite show is Wheel of Fortune.  So funny to watch him clap and cheese it up every time they clap.
His favorite toy is ALL OF THEM.  It is true.  Our child plays with each and every one of his toys. 
His supper time is around 6-6:30pm, followed by bath time, reading time and bedtime between 7:30 and 8pm. 
He is learning to use a fork and spoon, but still manages to get food in his hair?!? 
His favorite word is still Da-Da. 
He can tell you what a dog says (ruff) and point to his nose and say, "noe."  Shoes are "sues" in Brock language.
He knows what "no" means and isn't afraid to say it.
I am sure I am forgetting something....what else do you want to know?