Ft. Lauderdale with the Fam

I wrapped up my work week on Friday, spending a lovely Friday afternoon and Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale with the family.  It meant so much that they were there with me - too beautiful of a place for me to enjoy on my own!

My boys loved the lazy river at the pool, going round and round both together and separately. JB insisted that he ride a big tube and Daddy ride a small tube.

Most days poor Maryn had to watch the action from the sidelines. Two little, non-swimming kiddos is a lot of stress!!  Thank goodness our Gia traveled with us.  (Not only for the pool, but her help was invaluable during the travel, the evenings, the working days...we could not have done it without her!!)

(Funny Miss M story - because James did not travel with their car seats, he scheduled a car service that provided car seats between the airport to the hotel.  The driver arrived with brand new car seats he bought special for our trip, and Maryn proceeded to have a massive blow out on the drive to the hotel.  Guess who had to buy a car seat?  Fortunately they clean up quite well...)

"please don't tell this story when I'm a teenager"

One day we ventured in with both of them.  They thoroughly enjoyed the shallow water.  Especially during the 100 degree/100% humidity afternoon.  Thank goodness for shade and cold adult beverages.  

I already wrote that Maryn didn't love the beach.  And, guess what, her brother hated it, too.  He kept yelling "I don't LIKE the sand, I don't LIKE it!!" in his sweet British accent (thanks, Peppa....)

On Saturday we rode the water taxi up and down the inner coastal waterway, looking at the big boats and expensive houses (plus enjoying a lunch place on Las Olas).  The adults thoroughly enjoyed the ride, while our kids pooped out pretty early on.  A little too hot and confining for those two!  

A boy can dream...

One long boat ride later, we got back to the hotel with conked out kiddos.  Not that I minded at all. 

What a great day to round out a great week.  And give me some special memories to take with me across the pond.  After our sweet Saturday it was wheels up on AirFrance.  Next post is from Paris!  

Maryn Met the Beach

If you see my pictures on social media this week, you may be tempted to ask "working hard, or hardly working?".  Pictures includes beaches, sunset cruises, morning runs on the sand.  But I assure you, there is a lot of work going on here!  A workshop in Ft. Lauderdale is equal parts genius and cruel.  

Since I'm in back-to-back workshops right now, James and Ms. Leron brought the kiddos down to see their Mama.  I couldn't have gone 14 days without loving on them.  It also meant Maryn's first time at the beach!  Her first time to put her toes in the sand and feel the waves crash around her chubby little legs.  

And she hated it!!  Shrieked, pulled in her feet, clung to her Mama.  Now, she also did this in the pool the first time, and now enjoys the pool water.  We'll make this girl a little beach bum yet.  

The first born showed equal disdain for the surf, and went to great lengths to protect himself and George from the sand.  

It makes my hear so happy to have my family here with me.  Even if it's just a few hours of hugs and kisses each day, it's totally worth it!  

(Now if I could just get some smiles out of these two beach-hating children....)    :)

Maryn Elizabeth - 10 Months Old

Mama is behind on Miss Maryn's 10 month update because this family has been go, go, go!  And Maryn loves all the activity.  She rarely slows down these days, and all the new places leads to lots of exploration.

Maryn can now crawl, and she is fast.  She's also attempting to climb (stairs, couch, etc), so this gal requires constant observation.  She still loves to be held, but will also try to leap from your arms if she spots something on the ground she wants to crawl to.  It's a lot of up-down-up-down (we get in our arm and leg workouts).  Although she was trying to walk last month, she now realizes that crawling is more efficient and gets upset if you make her practice her walking.  (I'm about to leave for two weeks, so I've kindly asked her to keep refusing to walk until I get home!!)

Maryn is turning into a little cuddle bug, which makes my heart so happy.  When she's tired (from all that moving!) she'll lay her little head on your shoulder.  Several times this month she has demanded middle-of-the-night (or middle-of-the-nap) cuddles (or playtime), so Mama has slept several times in the big rocking chair with a baby in her arms.  Am I complaining?  (Not really....)  :)

I ask her every day, "Maryn, WHERE ARE YOUR TEEFIES?!"  She still has no teeth nor signs of teeth.  Does this keep her from eating most anything I put in front of her?  Nope!!  She has no trouble cleaning her plate, and is open to new foods.  She ate a curried turkey dish the other day with a fair amount of gusto.  The only things she does not like so far:  strawberries and any baby food with corn.  She also refuses to be spoon fed, so meal times always require a bath.

So here we go!  Maryn's ten  month stats:

Maryn's Measurements -

• Weight: 18lbs 8 oz

Month 10 Milestones -

• Crawled
• "High Fives"

At 10 Month Old,  Maryn...

…Nurses morning and night, takes two bottles of formula, and eats so well!  She literally hums to herself while she eats and it's the sweetest thing ever.  She stopped spitting up this month, yea!!  Our washing machine breathed a huge sigh of relief.

…Sleeps very well!  She's dropped her late afternoon cat nap, but still takes a solid morning and afternoon nap.  Her night time schedule is 7:30PM - 6:30AM.

…Wears her same clothes:  6-12 month and 12 month.  I feel her growth has slowed down, so we're getting more wear out of all the summer clothes.  Still in Size 4 diapers.

…Loves exploring; any toy of JB's; eating; grabbing people's faces; baby pools and water tables; wagon rides; double-fisting her pacis; "I'm gonna get you!"; when JB runs around and acts the fool

…Does not like new people holding her; new dogs licking her; the church nursery

Month Ten - we can't even keep up with you, little lady!

Previous Updates on Maryn:

• Birth Story
• One Month
• Two Months
• Three Months
• Four Months
• Five Months
• Six Months
• Seven Months
• Eight Months
• Nine Months

JB's Ten Month Update  (How do they Compare?): JB - 10 Months Old

Fourth of July Fun

The last four years we have watched 10K runners take on the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th with neighborhood friends, and a part of me felt nostalgic as we inched towards July here in Middle GA.  Then our dear friends, the McLeod's, invited us to their lake house for the 4th, so we still managed to celebrate with some of our Atlanta crew!

Two minutes into the drive JB said "Mac's lake house…it's just soooo faaaaaar, Daddy, it's sooooo faaaaaaar!"  So that tells you how much the kids enjoyed the 1.5 hour trip.  We made 3 stops along the way, then finally arrived at the lake. The boys immediately jumped onto the tractor and started exploring.

 Have you ever seen such cute boys?  I hope they are best buds forever.

When I say that JB rode the tractor nearly the entire time, I am not exaggerating.  I had to bring him in after dark, and he asked to take the front end loader into his bedroom.

All those stops for local produce and meats?  Made one heckuva dinner.  The boys grilled the steaks and corn (from M&T Meats in Hawkinsville), while the girls fixed the fresh limas and sliced tomato from the Dublin Farmer's Market.  Becca's mama brought a dessert called "Strawberry Crack" - definitely worth the calories.

Poor Maryn - Mama restricted her to fruit pouches and cheerios, but she definitely eyed the steak on my plate.  (Just get you a few teeth, girl, and Mama will share some!)  

Speaking of sweet Sissy, she suffered through a Fourth of July photo shoot for her yet be opened baby book.  The McLeod's have the most Americana screened-in porch, providing quite the backdrop for my little sparkler!

Nearly 40 photos, and can you believe she is not smiling in one of them!?  All she wanted to do was crawl and explore, so sitting next to a cold Coca Cola machine was not Maryn's idea of fun.

You know what both our kiddos enjoyed this weekend - WATER!!  Took some convincing, but by the second day we had two little fishes.  

Add in a boat ride, and JB decided he loves the lake. 

So much that we heard tears and cries for "just one more time" all the way back home.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!  

So thankful for this great land that we call home, and these great friends who we celebrate it with.

Fun in the Sun Summer Camp

JB attended a summer camp this past week at a small preschool here in town.  Although it was for ages 3-5, she agreed to take our almost-3-year-old for the week.  I felt so nervous about the age gap, but the teacher assured me today that he did great! She said he behaved very maturely, acted so sweet to her and others, and enjoyed himself.  JB didn't cry one day at drop off, and in all the online pictures he is participating like such a big boy.  I know he had a blast.  He talked about Ms Amanda every night, too.  They do have a preschool program for 3s and 4s, so we may have a difficult decision to make next year...

But, ahead of myself, back to THIS year.  The camp focused on learning about beach fun and water creatures, with lots of art projects to go along with the topic.  

I'm a sucker for hand print art

JB made a book of ocean animals, and proceeded to tell me which ones were scary and which ones were "just a little bit scary".  (Everything is scary - and all food is "spicy" - these days....)

I love JBs use of abstract color and lines in this one: 

Or his minimalist approach to this dolphin:

joking, joking...

They ended the week today at the Splash Pad, which is a very nice facility for our little town!  As I anticipated, JB did not venture near the water and stayed very cautious and reserved while the other kids splashed and played.  

checking out the scene

venturing a toe in the water stream

I thought Maryn might enjoy the water, but this one clung to me like a baby marsupial.  She practically tore off my shirt when I tried to set her down on the concrete.  

"not happening, Mama"

I finally got her sitting down so she could people watch (one of her favorite activities).  I can't say she enjoyed herself, but she didn't cry at least.

"do I look happy to you?"

For lunch Ms Amanda brought the kids pizza and JB sucked down a Kool Aid Jammer like there is no tomorrow. 

SUGAR!!!!!!

So thankful to Ms Amanda and the others for making JB's first summer camp such a success!!  (I'm kicking myself that I didn't get a picture of the two of them, except for behind when she sweetly walked him around the sprinklers.)

Until next summer…

sweet boy