The First Field Trip

Erin had her first field trip this morning. Her class went to the local apple orchard to learn about apples. Jeffrey and I tagged along for fun. They've been learning about apples this week, focusing on taste and color and the letter "A". Today they got to see one cut apart and see them on the trees. They even had the chance to pick some.

When we got there Erin sat with her class for a story about apple picking. Then they got to see an apple cut up and talk about the tastes, colors, textures and sounds of the apple (they've also been studying the senses). After that the class got a hayride. Erin sat way in back with a couple of friends while Jeffrey and I sat in the middle. I could see her giggling a little with the "friends" she was sitting with.

After the hayride we went apple picking. The orchard provided each of us with a bag (mommy and Jeffrey got one too) for picking apples. We started with granny smiths as Erin likes the sour apples. Then we moved over to the golden delicious -- which stood up quite well to their name. Yummy. Erin filled all 3 bags with golden delicious apples.

When we were done picking apples, both kiddos chose a small pumpkin out of the "patch" and we went to the picnic tables for our lunch. They each got a turn to stick their heads in a great big cut out apple to be the worm. On the way out I nabbed a 1/2 gallon of cider, Jeffrey snatched one extra apple for the ride home. By the time we were half way home the back seat was silent as both Erin and Jeff were sound asleep, worn out from their busy morning at the apple farm.

Out and About in Ohio

While we were in Ohio for the wedding we got some out and about time with Noni and Grandpa. We got to drive all around where they grew up and see the house were Noni and Oma lived for a long time and the farm where Grandpa grew up.

Mommy had a geocache she wanted to check out so we visited a restaurant that had a duck pond and swings and even a corn maze at it. Both kids had a blast feeding the ducks with Noni and Grandpa. Lemme tell you these are some well fed ducks. Also well trained. They would come pretty close to eating right out of your hand. Jeffrey thought the ducks were just the coolest thing, but he didn't understand why they wouldn't stay still so he could pet them. Possibly it could have something to do with his need to charge at them at the same time. It is a miracle that Jeffrey didn't end up in the middle of the duck pond at one point.

After feeding the ducks for a while we went exploring in the corn maze. I've never been in one before and it was really pretty cool. The stalks are quite tall and you really can get "lost." Erin led us around. At first Jeffrey was a little uneasy but he relaxed enough to have some fun exploring in it. We got deep enough in that mommy ended up turning on the GPS that pointed to the geocache so we would know which way to turn to get back out. After that the kids ran around in the little hay-bale maze that was set up. Both of them were able to figure out how to navigate it from beginning to end.

Sunday morning before we had to leave back to Virginia we drove around the area where grandpa grew up. There are quite a lot of Amish families in this area of Ohio and the kids made a game of looking for the horse carriages. They'd also keep looking out their windows for animals...cows and horses and a few sheep mostly. Jeffrey also announced when he'd see "Field Corn". At one point there were some young cows near the front of the fence so we stopped the car and got out so the kids could get a little closer to the cows. That seems to have been the highlight of the morning.

We had beautiful weather the entire time we were in Ohio and were very glad to get some time to for Noni and Grandpa to share all their memories of the area.

Cousin Jared's Wedding

We had a fun time in Ohio at Cousin Jared's wedding. Erin talked and talked about it on the drive up because she just couldn't wait to dance. It was great to see all the extended family again. Both Erin and Jeffrey got to meet their 2nd cousins (at least I think that's what they are....mommy's cousins kids). Jeffrey and Jackson hit it off really quickly - too bad they live in South Carolina. Erin spent some time dancing with her cousin Trei and helping Cousin Jamie chase after him.

The wedding was nice. Jeffrey even sat through most of it, snuggled with grandpa. There was even a fire truck outside that they got to stand on. At the reception all Erin could think of was dancing, dancing and more dancing. Jeffrey and Jackson played with the little bell favors to get Jared and Tiffany to kiss. All in all it was a great time.

Checking out Uncle Les's New Fire Truck

Trying to Blow Some Bubbles

Dancing Queen

The Things They Pick Up On

Sometimes I'm amazed at the things kids pick up on and how much they learn just from watching and absorbing. Even when you don't think they're paying a lick of attention.

So this morning Jeffrey and I were driving into gymnastics after dropping Erin off at school. The CD player in the Sentra is a little wacky and didn't want to work this morning so I was listening to some talk radio and Jeff was looking out the window. Every once in a while he'd shout out something cool that he could see....."Ice Cream Truck" (really a mail truck), "Trees", "School Bus", "Fire Truck." Then he started humming a little song.

He got quiet for a while and looked out the window. Then all of a sudden I heard clear as day,

Cut, Cut, Cut, Cut.......Everybody Cut Footloose

Now that song has been a staple in our household for the last month. Erin loves listening to the CD from the musical revue (so much it's starting to scratch). And Footloose was clearly her favorite song which she'd make me repeat over and over again. BUT, I never realized Jeff was picking up on it. And the music wasn't playing anywhere except inside his head.

At the next stop light Jeff was still singing it. I was cracking up in the front seat and looked back to give him a smile. To my amazement he was not only singing the words, but doing the ending point forward as he'd say "Footloose". Luckily I was at a light or I might have driven off the road laughing.

Needless to say I'm sure he'll never do it again and certainly not for a video camera. But I'll always be able to remember it and how proud he was of his accomplishment.

Silly Boy

Just wanted to take a quick moment to share a silly picture of Jeffrey, especially since I've had several recent pictures of Erin.

Check out this Get-up

Fingerpainting Fun

A Row of Musical Cars

Mommy and Jeffrey's First Week of Mornings

This was mommy and Jeffrey's first week of mornings together. I've been looking forward to having some special Jeffrey time and he really seems to thrive on it. But when Erin's home that time is difficult to find. So while Erin's been at school this week (having a blast, making a new best friend, carrying her teddy bear everywhere she goes) Jeffrey and I have been having our own little special week.

Jeff came with me on Monday to drop Erin off. He was devastated when he realized that he was NOT going to get to stay at school. He threw an all out fit when I walked out the door with him. When he realized he wasn't going to get to play on the playground there either (it's just for the preschool) he got even more upset. Every morning he wants to go with Erin to school and the tease of Monday morning was just too much. So after dropping Erin off we went to the County Park and played on the playground there. We swang together in swings, climbed up the rock climbing wall, went down the slides and he even served me Ice Cream. It was a great bonding time with him.

On Wednesday Tom was working from home so Jeff didn't have to come to school to drop off Erin. After dropping Erin off, I swung back and picked Jeff up for gymnastics class. This is the same class that he and Erin did together last spring. It's a lot of "free play" and running around. He played with the hoops and climbed over the mats. The coach set up a knock down the "cheese" mat game and Jeffrey had a blast with that. He got to stand back and charge full force at a big wedge shaped mat to knock it down. Super fun. He did try the balance beam once and swing on the bar also. He's more into the running and climbing though, and really fights anything structured in class. I'm hoping that by the end of the session he'll feel better about the structure. After class we got to spend some more playground time outside before we had to go pick up Erin. I believe that if Jeffrey were allowed to swing all day, he would.

This morning we joined a little play group with a neighbor up the street. He's hung out with her daughter before and they play fairly well together. He had a blast this morning. There were 4 kids, Jeff being the oldest, only boy, and certainly the biggest. I was amazed at how well he played though. At home he's so rough and tumble and NOT gentle with toys or people. Several times I saw him sitting with Shelby (the girl he's most comfortable with) playing calmly together. He also got her involved in a chase/run in a circle game that she had a blast with. It really was great to see him play together with the kids. At their ages, from about 18 months to Jeff they rarely play together and he certainly made the effort to play with others. Did pretty well at sharing too and was amazingly gentle - well for Jeffrey at least.

So while Erin's been at school Jeff and I have had a busy week. He's had a blast. I certainly hope we get to keep these mornings as special Mommy-Jeffrey time because it's really been great.

First Visit to the Eye Dr.

Well Erin had her fist visit to the eye doctor this afternoon. Back in May, her pediatrician did a screening and the nurse reported that Erin was clearly guessing on part of the screening. Seeing that Tom and I both have horrid vision, her Ped. suggested we take her to an eye doctor for a professional screening.

So I returned home and called our eye doctors (whom Tom and I both adore). I was informed that they don't see anyone under 6, but there was a Pediatric Optician in town. I called and made an appointment. The day before the appointment they called our Pediatrician to get Erin's medical records I assume. We discovered this day that they would NOT take our insurance, and it was going to cost much more than I had anticipated to get her eyes screened. The nurse at our Dr.s office went to bat and got it cleared for us to see the Pediatric Optician, but we were still informed that our insurance would only cover the appointment if they found a medical problem with Erin. I was afraid to take that risk so never made another appointment.

Fast forward to the end of the summer. I have my annual eye appointment and bring Erin along. She sits quietly and looks at a book while I'm there. I know that the Dr. has a child Erin's age so I ask her what she'd recommend and she suggested bringing Erin into her. This was just what I had hoped and the reason Erin came along to my appointment rather than getting to stay at home and watch a movie with Jeffrey.

So today we had our appointment. I explained to Erin where we would be going and that she would be able to sit in the cool big chair like mommy did. She was so good with the Dr. They were even able to get the puff test done on her. She sat in the chair like a champ and read off numbers and shapes just fine. The Dr. even did the "is it better on 1 or 2" test - personally I hate that test as 1/2 the time I don't see a difference. I sat there hoping that Erin wasn't just guessing. When she finished the Dr. said her eyes are fine and that every answer that Erin gave made perfect sense...it was clear she wasn't guessing at all.

I'm glad we went in and also very glad that Erin's eyes are fine right now. I expect that by middle school she'll be in glasses like mommy and daddy but for now no glasses for her. We finished off the afternoon with a special trip to Maggie Moos (like Coldstone Creamery) where Erin picked pink strawberry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles mixed in. And for now we are done with the Erin and the vision screening saga that has been going on here at the house all summer.

First Day of School

Erin has been counting down her sleeps until the first day of school for the past few weeks. She was so excited this morning to wake up and have her first day of school. We got her backpack a few weeks ago - and it's huge on her, but totally adorable. So we got up and had a good breakfast before school. She picked out what she wanted to wear and looked cute as a button.

Mommy drove Erin to school. As we were arriving in the parking lot she chirped up from the back seat...."Thank you for driving me to school mommy." So sweet and innocent like I had done the most special thing ever. Then when I asked if I could walk her in (we're actually required to) she said, "Thank you for walking me into school." She was excited but I could hear a little caution in her voice.

Putting on her backpack while getting out of the car

All that was gone once we walked in the door. She headed straight for her teacher so she could show off her Tinkerbell backpack. Her teacher showed her where to put it and then led her to the "sign-in" table where the kids practice writing their name and then put it up on a "survey" board. Today's question was "Are you a boy or a girl." Erin clearly informed the teacher...."I'm a Big girl."


After that she was gone...off exploring the toys and corners of the room. She never even looked back to me. Didn't give me a hug. And I don't think she even realized I had left.


When I went to pick her up they were playing outside. She was patiently waiting her turn for the swing sucking on a Freezer Pop. She was NOT ready to go. Saw me, gave me a little wave and kept on sitting. I let her play another few minutes and then the teacher brought her over.


The review I got from Erin was that they read stories (about a paw -- which I deciphered to be the "Kissing Hand") and an ABC book. They had a snack - crackers, fishies, oranges and juice. They also painted but it wasn't dry enough to bring home. And of course it was a big deal to play outside.


When I got home her backpack had some other information in it. She had made a collage with buttons, and a puzzle with her hand print on it. The envelope for the puzzle had a little poem about you will always remember how small my hand was on my first day of pre-school (it made Mommy a little teary to see it). Turns out Erin will have Show and Tell on Fridays and can bring in anything she wants to share. Next week is Teddy bear week and she can bring her teddy bear with her to school each day. Week after that we get a trip to the apple orchard.


She was so excited about everything. I'm very glad she had a great time. I hope she'll be able to make some new friends in time. The very first thing she said when we got home was...."How many more sleeps until I can go back to school?"

Awesome Picture to Share

We were hanging out with the gang on Monday and a friend was playing with his camera snapping pictures of the kiddos. Those of you who have tried to take a picture of Erin recently realize how impossible it is to get a good posed picture of her because of the "cheese" smile and squinty eyes. So this picture is not posed at all. She just happened to glance over at her "Uncle John" at the exact right moment that he was ready to take the shot. I just Love, love, love it. Thanks for sharing "Uncle" John.

Elephant

So Erin dances to show off...Jeffrey does this. I tried to get him to read me Mr. Brown because it's simply adorable when he reads it, but no luck. This is what he wanted to share with everyone. And yes....he is a 2-year old boy through and through.

Jeffrey's Elephant

Footloose and Fancy Free

So I'm trying out a new feature of Blogger and showing off my cutie pie in the meantime. Apparently I can now add videos to my Blog (look out. If this works you are all going to be inundated with videos now). So I'm going to try with this one first. Erin has been coming along to rehearsals for the Musical Review Tom and I are involved in. She loves the music and dancing going on. So here she is doing one of the dances from the Review. I expect you'll all get a good laugh out of it.

Erin's Footloose and Fancy Free

What you might see if you stopped by the house today

1. Jeffrey showing up in the big bed with his blankie, his pillow, his neon green stuffed elephant, and himself.

2. Erin eating pancakes for lunch still wearing her PJ's.

3. Jeffrey sitting on his little potty reading Mr. Brown Can Moo out loud to himself..."Moo Moo, Boom Boom Boom, Whisper like a butterfly"

4. Erin reading a chapter book about St. George and the dragon (it's called the Magician's Boy but Susan Cooper and is the chapter book we're reading right now) to her stuffed animals.

5. Jeffrey insisting on doing his fire truck puzzle by himself..."Jeffrey Do it!!!"

6. Erin curled up in a ball on the floor because "Jeffrey kicked me."

7. Jeffrey throwing his bowl of fruity Cheerios and milk across the table while screaming, "All Done!!!! Stuck" after one bite.

8. Erin sacked out on mommy's bed watching ER, "Mommy, what's that? Is he OK?" "Yes Dear, let's watch Dora OK?"

9. Jeffrey actually completing his fire truck puzzle all by himself.

10. Erin sitting in the middle of her room, in her pajamas, wearing her new backpack, announcing she is "ready for school mommy."

Our Little Flower Girl

Erin and her cousin Rylie got to be flower girls for their "Uncle Gary" and "Aunt Suzie's" wedding this weekend. Erin simply had a blast. She was so excited to see Gary and to meet Suzie again (she met Suzie last fall but needed a refresher course. By the end of the weekend she had it down pat that Uncle Gary was marrying Aunt Suzie and not her). Erin has been talking all spring about being a flower girl. She was obsessed with her beautiful "Flower dress" and anything to do with the wedding.

She wanted to spend the entire weekend with Uncle Gary. Every time she lost sight of him she'd ask "Where's Uncle Gary?" I'd tell her he was busy and we'd catch up with him later. She was very lucky to get to spend some special time with him at the rehearsal dinner, the reception and even before the wedding. Apparently, according to Uncle Gary and Aunt Suzie, Gary danced more times with Erin than Suzie - something they both found to be pretty special.

Erin and Rylie looked like the most adorable duo you have ever seen. They were simply beautiful in their dresses. They had to hold hands walking down the aisle (Erin also needed to hold the Ring Bearer's hand which made for a very cute procession). They practiced and practiced before the wedding. At the reception they danced the night away together.

Erin actually spent 95% of the night dancing. We couldn't get her off the dance floor. She would run, spin, jump, dance with Daddy, Mommy, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Gary, Uncle Bill (notice a trend?). We tried to get her to dance with Leo who was the ring bearer but she was too shy to ask. She started dancing at the first song and finished the night out with us. It was really a great time. When she woke up the next morning all she could ask was, "When can we dance some more?"

Thank you so much Suzie and Gary for including Erin in your very special weekend. We all had a wonderful time. It was a beautiful weekend and we loved all the tradition that was incorporated into it. I'm sure this will be a weekend that will live for a long time in Erin's memory.

A Fun Few Days with Grandma

Grandma W. came down to visit for a few days while Daddy was away. It was great to have another adult around to talk to. And of course the kids had a blast playing with Grandma.

We did get a few outings in. We spent the morning shopping on Monday and got some new clothes and shoes and got some lunch. On Tuesday we drove out to Luray Caverns. I'd never been and have always thought about taking a trip out there. Both kids enjoyed the "cave" and I thought it was pretty amazing. Jeffrey even noticed a few things that the rock formations reminded him of. At one point he shouted, "look mommy, toes". Erin liked the reflective lake and looking over the railings into the cavern. We ended our trip to Luray with some Dippin Dots...mmmmm. Wednesday morning we brought grandma to the lake for some swimming. The kids spent 2 hours swimming and running and jumping into the lake.

Out afternoons were generally quiet. Jeffrey still likes to take his afternoon naps while Erin and Grandma would play quietly. They spent a lot of time coloring, playing with her new Pet magnet toy, and working puzzles. Jeffrey when he would wake up enjoyed lining up his Cars on the piano, the floor, the table...anywhere you can imagine.

Thanks Grandma for coming down to play for a few days. We had a blast.

Bye Bye "Big" Sister

While Grandma was visiting she offered to get the kids some new clothes and shoes. We headed to Payless first for shoes as I KNEW that Jeffrey needed new shoes. He seems to grow out of his shoes every few months. What he was really going to need were sneakers. The first thing he saw (after getting over his fit because we didn't head directly to the play area) was a pair of light-up Lightning McQueen shoes - imagine that. So I tracked down the clerk to measure feet. Erin quickly measured an 8 1/2. She's been around that size for a while now, but still got some new Dora sneakers. After fighting Jeffrey in the sizer he measured a....



9


WHAT? OK, I know this kid is tall and has big feet but a 9? He has now officially outgrown his "big" sister in foot size. I'm still amazed at that. But we put back the 8s we had set aside and grabbed the 9. Fit great and he's not even tripping all over himself. I can't believe my little guy is getting so big.

I ended up with much the same surprise getting clothes. He's got his sisters waist (or so I thought). I figured that 2T pants would be the deal for this winter. Again, boy was I wrong. 3T it is. They are a little long, and a teensy bit big in the waist, but nothing I'd make changes about. I still can't fathom it. We ended up buying both kids 3T outfits (Erin got mostly 4s, but there was a really cute one in a 3T we couldn't pass up).

I know we've all been saying this for months but it's not going to be very long before our little man outgrows his "big" sister.

The Beauty of Hawaii

OK...I'm focusing on the mommy part of the Blog today and going to share some of our favorite places in Hawaii. We had such an amazing time. The beaches and water were the most beautiful I've ever laid eyes on. I could float in the ocean and see the sand under my feet. And the landscape is just amazing - especially Maui. So here's my Hawaii Top Ten Best list.

Best Beach: South Maui. Big Beach by far. Not really good snorkeling, but crystal clear water and soft, soft sand. The day we were there the surf was a little rough but I could easily get out past the breakers and just float. Perfectly amazing.

Best Dinner: Our Anniversary Dinner. We sat outside only 50 feet from the beach. The view was amazing. Best crab cakes I've ever had. Also the most amazing lobster....mmmm just melted in my mouth. Pineapple Creme Brulee for dessert. Oooooh yeah.

Best Time for Rain: Right at the start of our Luau. Although I didn't see it this way at the time. We had reservations for our luau on Friday night - our last night in Maui. We were there for about 30 minutes before the rain started. Since the resort had not planned well for rain (it rarely happens) they moved the luau inside and refunded anyone's money who didn't want to watch the show inside. When I realized that the show inside would be very dummed down and the food only eh, we got out money back and went out to a really nice place and had an awesome meal.

Best Hike: The hike from Waikiki to Diamondhead. Although I threatened to kill Tom several times along the hike (it ended up being about 8 miles round trip) it really was awesome. The views were totally worth it.

Best Snorkeling: Molikini Crater in Maui. We took a boat trip out and had 2 hours to snorkel. Visibility in the water was about 80-100 feet. Saw some of the most gorgeous fish I've only seen in tanks before. If you've ever seen Finding Nemo we saw several Moorish Idols - Gil the Fish in the fish tank and they are striking. People say it's overrated but it's totally worth it.

Best Hidden Find: Nakalele Blowhole. Oh my, this thing was amazing. It shoots like 100 feet in the air. Tom and I sat and watched it for 45 minutes at least. And then we climbed and hiked all around the area. The guide book we had described it as an acid war zone. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. We spent another hour scrambling around there. At the last peak we climbed out to, we stopped and took a break to just watch the ocean. We were treated at the end of the day with 3 sea turtles swimming just off the shore. If we hadn't had the guide book we never would have found this place.



Best Bit of History: We spent the morning at the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. It was just one of those things I couldn't go to Hawaii and NOT do. Although there are thousands of people milling around the area waiting for their turn to go out to the memorial Tom and I were able to take it at our own pace. When we were out at the memorial a very brief rain shower blew in off the mountain and made the whole thing quite surreal. It went from gorgeous blue to blustery and back to gorgeous blue in the span of about 5 minutes. The feeling at the memorial was somewhat haunting - appropriate I expect. I'm very glad we took the time to visit.

Best Sunset: Our best Hawaii sunset was on the evening of our Anniversary. We got to watch the whole thing out over the ocean. It really was amazing. The way everything just glowed at the end of the day. This is something you certainly don't get to see in Virginia.




Best View: This is a toughie. It could be from the top of Haeleakala, being above the clouds and looking into the amazing colors of the crater. Or the view from looking back over Maui's rocky northern coast. Or the view from the top of Diamondhead looking back at Waikiki. Each one was glorious in it's own way.

Best Drink: By far the tropical martini. Certainly NOT the $9 watery colada from the resort or the Mai Tais at the luau before it rained. This martini had vanilla vodka, coconut rum and pineapple juice. Top with a slice of Hawaiian pineapple (not anything like what we get on the mainland) at it was pure heaven.

All in all we had an amazing time. Got our fill of amazing food, atmosphere, views, hikes....you name it. We promised each other we'd go back again in 10 years and bring the kids. Hawaii certainly filled my expectations of a magical place. The company I had certainly helped "wink wink sweetie".

Edit - I completely forgot about this picture. As we were exploring the area around the blowhole we found a smaller blowhole. It was just the right time of day that when it spouted a rainbow would appear in the mist. Really really cool. I spent about 5 minutes trying to catch it with the camera and I finally got one. Here it is...

My Little Nudist

Maybe it's just a boy thing. Who knows. But Jeffrey has taken to removing his Pull-ups any time he's put to bed. He won't do it if I put him in shorts but it's been so warm this week I was just letting him sleep in his Pull-ups. A couple of times he's come downstairs from his naps completely naked. I then have to go on a scavenger hunt for his undies. Thank goodness they're generally dry or only a little wet (all except for the one day he tried to dump the poopies into the potty).

Well last night I went in to give the kids night night kisses. I sneaked into Erin's room, bent over to give her a kiss, apparently startled her because she bolted straight up and headbutted me. Apparently she didn't notice it because she just rolled back over - I had a bump on the head when I woke up this morning though. So I opened the door to Jeffrey's room slightly startled at what had just happened in Erin's room. I was blown away to find myself even more startled in Jeffrey's room.

There he was in his bed - Stark Naked. No shorts. No Pull-up. No shirt (he hadn't been wearing a shirt to start with). He was sound asleep snuggled with his blankie and his Cars fleece blanket. I went in to grab Tom, informing him that he just HAD to see this. When we went a little closer we found that his bed was soaked. His blanket was soaked. His fleece was soaked. His perfectly dry Pull-up was crumpled into a ball at the side of his bed. We had to wake him up fully, get him clothed and change his sheets.

I only wish I had gotten a picture of it. Sigh . . . he can even cause problems while he's asleep.

Mommy - Go Potty

I haven't given an update on Jeffrey's potty progress lately. He's doing quite good. He's even started telling me when he has to go - which seems to have taken longer than it did with Erin. Yesterday was his first completely dry day. He was wet in the morning (something to be expected) but stayed dry for the rest of the day - including his nap time and a trip to the Dr. (for what turned out to be a bug bite behind the ear). The day before that he was playing outside with Erin while Tom was working on the deck. There was a knock at the door and Jeffrey was standing there saying,

"Mommy, Go Potty"

I was pretty amazed at that. To realize while outside playing that he had to go. And to be willing to stop playing long enough to come inside and go pee. Again this morning while we were snuggling in bed he looked at me and said the same thing. Way to go kiddo, progress!!!

We've started making some more trips outside the house in his undies. Earlier this week we went to the grocery store without a hitch. As long as we go potty before we leave we're usually pretty lucky.

That's not to say we're in the clear. Monday evening, Tom found him in the basement playing, standing in a huge puddle, and completely un-aware that anything was wrong. When I went down to get him he looked at me and said - Ooops - pee pee in pants. And that was about it. Not overly concerned about it at all.

So we've still got a ways to go, but I'm impressed at the progress we've made at this young age.

A Few Day Trips With Grandma (And Aunt Katie)

While we were in Rochester we took a few "day" trips. One morning we went into the city to explore the Strong Museum of Play. Later in the week we decided to explore the local amusement Park, Seabreeze.

If you're ever in Rochester with time to kill and children tagging along...the Strong Museum of Play is one of the best "children's" Museum's I've been to in a long time. And I've been to more than my share of Children's Museums. There's this great section on different genres of stories, a super Wegman's shopping area, and this cool motion/kinesthetic area. Add in the little train and carousel and it was a winner. We also bought tickets to the butterfly exhibit which was much like what we saw in DC. The kids loved it just as much and giggled every time they saw a butterfly. Erin really liked looking all around the exhibits in the reading area. Jeffrey enjoyed shopping with his own shopping cart in Wegman's (A local grocery store chain). He also got a huge kick out of riding the little train around. Erin found this shadow volleyball game that she thought was pretty cool too. There's also a huge saltwater aquarium where every child I saw inspecting it - including Erin and Jeff - would shout "Look, there's Nemo!!". It was really a great time and we were very excited that Grandma and Aunt Katie were able to take us there.

On Friday we decided to check out a local amusement park right on the lake. Erin was very excited as when she sees rides anywhere she always wants to try them out. The little tykes area is super - there's a boat ride, some rockets, a tiny turtle "roller coaster", a swing ride and best of all cars. Then Erin spotted the "big kid" rides and she was itching to try them. She was at the middle height where she needed an adult to ride with her so I had to upgrade my ticket from observer to rider. Erin jumped onto the Log Flume, the Beartrack Roller coaster (a great experience for a first roller coaster) the teacups and even spied a couple of others she wanted to try but was too short. She had an awesome time, and is clearly my amusement thrill seeker. Jeffrey thought that the green car in the toddler car ride was specifically his, and he spent 90% of the day talking about driving the "green car" and would race in line to get the green car. It was really pretty cute. He did get to ride one big kid ride - they rode an airplane ride where the planes flew up and down while around and around.

Jeffrey Driving his Green Car

Erin Sitting Waiting For Her First Roller Coaster Ride (grandma got all the other pictures of Erin on the big rides as I was riding with her)

Grandma suggested both these places and they were great. We had an awesome time Grandma.

Swimming at Grandma's

We went from Rhode Island to Rochester. All the kids could talk about was swimming at Grandma's. Note, the kids see a swimming pool maybe once each summer. Last summer Erin was physically terrified of the pool. Jeffrey enjoyed it but he was so young I'm sure he had no memory of it. So why the kids were so excited about swimming at Grandma's I'm not quite sure.

The first day we got there we went swimming briefly after dinner. Grandma and Mommy got out all the safety equipment (2 flotation bubbles) and everyone ready for the pool. Erin took one look at it and screamed. Jeffrey started down the steps and decided it was a little cold for his liking. Needless to say we spent 5 very long minutes in the pool before Erin's screaming won out. We moved out of the pool and Erin spotted the spa,

"Hey Grandma, can we go in the little pool?"

"Sure honey."

We move over to the little pool where Erin can walk around the whole thing on the bench seat. She's certainly more comfortable here. Jeffrey is also having fun. Grandma and mommy are playing goalie in the middle for anyone who might slip. No one slips, but Jeffrey decides that he thinks it would be fun to JUMP off the step at mommy. 20 minutes later there is much jumping and splashing and swallowing of water but he's having a blast. So much even Erin is ready to try. So all in all our first night in the "little-pool" was a success.

The next day brought a heat wave to Rochester. It was 90ish out and we planned an afternoon in the pool. I certainly didn't want to spend it in the little pool, so I got Erin to try out the big pool. We tried the water wings rather than the bubble. Erin seemed more comfortable with this. We got her to relax herself in the big pool. Grandma got out the flotation noodles and a "boat" (floating mat). Jeffrey and I splashed around and Grandma showed Erin how to tuck the noodle under her arms. Before we knew it, Erin was paddling/running around the shallow end with a noodle and her wings.

Jeffrey had no problems getting into the big pool. Since he had discovered the fun of jumping last night he wanted to continue that trend. He spent much of the day standing on the edge jumping in at mommy or Grandma.

"Ready Mommy,"

he would shout. This was not a question. It meant.....Here I Come. He was to the point of jumping off the edge away from me rather than to me. He'd go under, come up with a little cough and go right back at it. My crazy little man. He drank so much pool water but it didn't slow him down a bit. Wild and crazy goofball. I had to watch him like a hawk. He did end up in time-out a few times when he didn't wait for someone to be ready for his jumping.

The next day was much a repeat weather wise. Good and hot - perfect for the pool. Jeffrey was his crazy old self, and Erin was ready for the next step. We got her to try kicking around without the noodle and holding onto Grandma/Aunt Katie's hands. Next thing she knew, Aunt Katie took her hands away and Erin was kicking around the shallow end of the pool in just her water wings. Next thing I knew she was asking me if she could "swim" to the deep end to get the floating duckie and then to the ladder in the deep end. Two days ago she was terrified and now she's swimming to the ladder in the deep end. I was so proud of her for trying something she was afraid to try. My big girl.....

Now I've got to get some wings for here at the house for both kids for those trips to the lake. Last time they knew their boundaries.....now I'm pretty sure they'll be trying to paddle for the dock. Time for some real swimming lessons I guess.