silly faces

Mark and Jake provided entertainment while waiting for the show to begin...

sea world

We spent two days at Sea World and had a wonderful time. We watched the dolphin and killer whales shows twice apiece. In fact, the second time we saw the killer whale show, Jake and I had second row seats right in the middle. We even got splashed with water by the killer whale's tail, which Jake told to anyone who would listen for days following this wondrous experience:) He loved it! The dolphin show was probably our favorite, as it was the most acrobatic. Some of the divers/trainers actually rode on the dolphins' backs- it was amazing! We had great weather, wore lots of sunscreen, and no one got a sunburn. A perfect trifecta!

We were even was able to ride two roller coasters or "rolly coasters" as Jake called them. One of them, The Manta, is a new coaster where you ride face-down in a horizontal position. It was awesome! While talking to people in line I discovered that I could get a child swap pass for Mark. Since I had waited in line (got lucky and walked by right as they were reopening it and only waited 5-10 minutes!), Mark was able to show this pass and go right to the front of the line and board immediately. Pretty cool!

Jake went crazy over the carousel. I think he could have ridden it forever. He also rode two rides that spun him in circles. Luckily for me, Mark was willing to accompany him:) Otherwise it might not have turned out so well...

Sam had a great time as well. He was content to take in the sights from the stroller, and we simply put the shade down when he was ready to nap. This was the first time he had ever slept in the stroller without his car seat in it, too. We had the Ergo just in case, but I was glad to be able to keep him in the stroller. A bit cooler for both of us considering the 90 degree weather!

Official family Sea World photo:)

Hanging out in the shade. Sam was happy and content the whole time!

Watching the killer whale show. So intent.

This is the wave created by the killer whale's tail. Except it was much larger the day we sat in the second row! Jake thought the water was pretty cold.

Jake actually touched a ray!

Sam needed a little snack while watching the shows. Nothing like gumming on a toy to hit the spot!

Full of wonder.

Jake's first ride, Jazzy Jellies. Supposed to be jelly fish, but Jake thought they looked like balloons! 

Up in the air.

Another ride that spins in circles. Thank you, Mark, for saving me:)

Sam snoozing away. This muslin cloth worked well to block the sun yet still let a little breeze through.

Jake was so excited to climb on this killer whale.

Pretty neat to be inside a fish tank and not get wet. Although it's not quite as tall as it seems... I managed to bonk my head!

Cooling off with the splash from the Journey to Atlantis water coaster.

This was the only fish he would ride!

Even Sam rode the carousel!

vacation

The weekend before Jake's birthday we headed to Orlando for a fun-filled family vacation. We found a great condo rental on VRBO in Windsor Hills Resort with 3 bedrooms that was priced the same as a hotel room. Yippee! It had a full kitchen so we were able to buy groceries for all of our meals except two dinners out. It also had its own heated pool, which allowed us to swim in the evenings after the boys went to bed. The clubhouse pool had a walk-in entry, splash fountains, a jumbo slide, and was heated, too! Although it was in the upper 80s/low 90s while we were there. There was a great playground, but we ran out of time and didn't get to try it out. It was the perfect accommodation for our trip and would recommend it.

Jake's room was Mickey Mouse themed, and, as soon as he saw the comforter with a big Mickey on it, he shouted, "Hot dog! Hot dog!" He's only seen Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a handful of times, but he sure does remember it. The owner of our condo had a bed rail and pack 'n play available for our use so we didn't have to take ours. Jake slept in a twin bed in a separate room without any problem. Both boys crashed when we got home in the evenings. They were ready for bed after our long days! Despite pushing back nap times and staying up late, they were fantastic! We couldn't have asked for a better trip.

It was great having Mark around all day, every day. The boys loved all the extra attention, and I happened to like it, too:)  It had me asking, "When do we get to go on vacation again?!" Not for a while...

Sam claimed the only rug in the place. The downstairs had tile floor... great for cleaning but not so great for a boy who still falls backwards from sitting when he gets excited!

There was this great fence with a latch that allowed Jake to go outside, but kept him from accidentally falling in the pool. He thought it was pretty cool that we had our own pool.

The clubhouse pool.

 Sam loved sitting in the water.

He liked putting his hands in the little "fountain" and chewing on cups. The walk-in entry was perfect!

Jake really liked these fountains, or "mountains" as he mistakenly called them at first! He borrowed these water shoes from Owen but sadly they hurt his feet. We'll have to find him some that fit for our pool this summer...

Sam enjoying the shade.

Jake LOVED this star float! His arms fit around it perfectly, and he felt very stable in it. He even liked floating in water where he couldn't touch the bottom. It had been left behind at the clubhouse, and Jake was able to use it every time we went to the pool. We stopped by a few shops, but didn't have any luck finding one:(

Ready to head back to our "vacation home" as Jake dubbed it.

This is the smile we get when Jake's "being crazy" as he calls it, and we ask him to smile. Pretty amusing, isn't it? He scrunches up his nose and those eyebrows go up a mile! So silly.

Eating a popsicle by the pool as a special treat. He asks for them all the time now.

Concentrating.

literacy alive

The Friday before we left for vacation, Greenwood School District 50 hosted their 3rd annual Literacy Alive event at our local mall. It is designed to communicate the importance of reading, and free books were handed out to all children who came. Most of the area preschools brought their classes to enjoy the festivities. There were children, teachers, parent chaperones, and siblings everywhere! It was a zoo:)

Children's author and musician Eric Litwin of Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes did a live reading/singing of his book, getting all the kids to join in. Jake thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the floor with all the other children and clapped along very enthusiastically. It was great! They also had a clown making balloon animals and spray paint tattoos for the hand. A great free event by our school district:)

He was very excited to wear this crown! I just love his sweet face in this picture:)

Maggie Mae the Clown made Jake a dog with a long leash so that he could "walk" it!

Eric Litwin getting the children to join in.

Jake picked a duck for himself and for Sam so that they could get free books.

Showing off the star he picked out to be spray tattooed on his hand. The best part... it came off pretty easily with a wet wipe:)

sam live

A few weeks ago I posted a video with Sam blowing raspberries. Well, he is still enjoying this fun skill and amuses Jake and himself with it constantly. We were playing in Jake's room one morning last week, and Sam decided to start blowing raspberries on my leg. Repeatedly. As in for fifteen minutes or more. I was lucky enough to catch it on video. I just love how he goes in for the kill, over and over again, bending himself in half and then sitting back up for another attack on my unsuspecting leg. It's hilarious! There is also a part in the video clip with Sam saying dadadada very clearly. He's making all kinds of consonant sounds these days, but more on that later. Enjoy:)

busy times

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on in the upcoming days. Nana was here for a few days, and then we left for vacation in Orlando. We returned late on Thursday evening before Jake's birthday, and Gammy and Papa arrived the next afternoon. They stayed until Tuesday morning. The rest of last week was just plain crazy! Mark worked three evenings, and we had a lot to do after company and vacation, including Sam's six month pictures and Jake's two year pictures. Stay tuned... I hope to have lots of updates soon:)

funny car conversation

Jake: mnyam mnyam mnyam mnyam mnyam....Jake say "mnyam mnyam mnyam mnyam mnyam"
Beth (laughing): Jake, what does "mnyam mnyam mnyam mnyam mnyam" mean?
Jake: Potty time.

Funny enough, we stopped and he really did go potty.

t.g.i. friday's

Recently on a trip to Greenville, we ate out a T.G.I. Friday's. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that they had a balloon man going around to the tables with children, making all sorts of animals and objects. I wonder if it's an every Friday event, or if we just got lucky? He made Jake a purple motorcycle, and Jake was captivated! He is now excited by motorcycles and talks about them all the time:)

sam's teeth

Now that Sam has two teeth, we have started brushing them after he nurses at night before he goes to bed. I think he just likes to suck on the toothbrush, but he doesn't seem to mind having them brushed. Sometimes I'll just use a Spiffies wipe (countless samples courtesy of our pediatric dentist in town) instead of brushing. Sam really seems to like it when I keep them cool in the fridge and then let him suck on it while I rub his gums. It's a win-win situation. We prevent tooth decay and cavities, and he gets relief for his teething pain!

dentist

Jake had his dentist appointment at the end of March, and he did fantastic! He climbed up on the chair and laid down on his back for them to clean his teeth without any fuss. There were fish pictures on the lights above his head so he was content to look at those while they worked on his teeth. No cavities! He was super excited with the gifts they gave him: a balloon, a new shirt that says "got smile", and a new toothbrush and toothpaste. We made his next appointment for six months and even made one for Sam, too!

Sam was great during the appointment; he just gummed on his fingers! Hopefully he'll be this happy when it's his turn:)

early birthday present

Nana stopped in Knoxville at my sister's house on her way down to see us, and brought Jake's birthday present from them. His cousin Anna (and Aunt Melanie and Uncle Brad) sent him a t-ball set, which he had to try out immediately. He loved it! They also sent a new book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Sam got If You Give a Moose a Muffin for Christmas, and Jake's been "borrowing" it ever since:) Now he has one of his own! Thank you, Anna, Aunt Melanie, and Uncle Brad, for the wonderful gifts. Wish you could be here to celebrate with us!

He was really excited to open his present!

Checking out the box. He was ready to try it!

Learning how to swing.

Contact!

water fun

One of Jake's favorite activities is playing in the kitchen sink. While I'm working on dinner, I'll fill up one side of the sink with water and pull up a step stool. Jake stand at the sink and play in the water with measuring spoons and cups, colanders, and anything else lying around until I tell him it's time to stop. I think he would play all day if I let him:) He loves it!

nana and her littlest boys

Nana was able to come see us for a few days this past week. She made it here just as the boys were waking up from naps Sunday afternoon and left Thursday morning. Jake was so excited to see his Nana; he asked for her as soon as he woke up from naps. It was sweet:) He even wanted her to snuggle with him when he went to sleep. She loved it! Sam loved listening to her read stories and was full of smiles for her. We had fantastic weather so we spent much of our time outside at parks and playgrounds. It was a wonderful visit!

Playing on the fire truck at the civic center. Jake wanted Nana to sit up front and drive with him.

Showing Nana how to throw rocks and acorns in the stream at Star Fort.

Although we took the sit 'n stand, Jake walked most of the way around the trail at Star Fort. He did get a break in the middle for a picnic lunch!

Nana getting some loving from Jake and Sam.

Nana had a full lap reading to the boys. Sam was very interested in all the books! They're wearing their new clothes from Nana:) Thank you!