Our Vacation - Part 1

We were blessed to go on a nice extended vacation this year. We started with a trip to the beach with Andy's family. It was Julia's first time to the beach and she loved it!

 

Philip also had a great time, as he always does at the beach. This was the first year he really anticipated the trip and he kept telling me, "I ready a go to the beach now" for weeks before we left.

 

Andy's brother turned 40 this year and as is family tradition, we held a party to roast him. It was filled with fun, humor, and heart-warming stories and no one could believe when two hours had passed since we started the roasting. So much fun!

Happy 40th Matt!

We had an exciting Isle Mile this year. For years we have been waiting for one of our nephews or nieces to beat Andy's brother in the race. Finally. this year our 15-year old nephew beat Andy's 50+ year old brother in a very close race. Final time: 5:49

 

Sweet victory

 

 Philip with his GREAT Aunt Theresa

 

This year's runners

 

My sister-in-law was nice enough to have a special race shirt made up for Julia.

It will fit her for a few years to come!

 

I wish that I knew how to use (and owned Photoshop), because wouldn't it be perfect to put these two pictures together? I can't ever get a picture of them both looking at the camera and smiling at the same time! One day...

Sibling conflict was at a minimum since the kids were so engaged playing in the water and sand. It was such a nice reprieve!

Philip learned what Froot Loops are on this trip

On our last night at the beach house, Andy and I went out on a date for the first time in almost a year (I know!). Andy's parents and other family members looked after the kids. Weeks later Philip described to us every bit of how the night went. "Julia was crying and garble garble  picked her up. And I was crying and garble garble picked me up and let me play Angry Birds."

 

When we got home he was busy playing Legos with Grandpa and didn't bother to get up to see us.

We were at the beach for the Supermoon of 2013. It was so beautiful and just amazing how bright it made the night sky.

We were the last ones at the house this year and the morning we were leaving Philip kept wondering, "Where did all the friends go?" What a sweetie!

 

Our Vacation - Part 2

We arrived at the beach mid-way through the week because of Andy's work schedule. Since we were traveling such a long distance, we decided to tack on an extra week of fun.

My in-laws were nice enough to let us stay at their condo on the island. It was our first time staying in the condo and the kids were so excited to be there, just the four of us. They were also very tired! They caught up on a lot of sleep during our few days there.

We mini-golfed, went to the pool, played on the playground, took walks, and enjoyed food from many of the local restaurants that we usually don't ever have time to visit. Oh, and we took a few trips to the ice cream shop, too!

First time playing miniature golf

"It's real great we have miniature golf here."

 

What Julia did while Philip golfed

 

One night we took the kids out on the beach at sunset to fly kites. The beach was pretty empty and the kids had so much fun playing in the sand one last time...one of my favorite memories of the trip.

Watching Daddy's kite

 

From there, we headed to my parents house for our first visit in almost two years. My parents were all prepared with fun activities and surprises. My Dad even set up our old electric train set for Philip. Each morning Philip would wake up and immediately say, "Let's go downstairs and play trains!"

We went to a nearby town to visit a train museum, then had lunch at a diner, and finally picked out a dress for Julia from a children's boutique.

Grandpa whisked Philip from display to display as the model train traveled around the building

We spent time each day at the neighborhood pool. Philip was thrilled that there was a baby pool (Philip's pool as he called it).

 

We enjoyed lunch with my high school BFF and her family, but of course I forgot to get a picture. One night we went out for pizza and ice cream. Even Julia got her own little baby cone.

Yummo!

On our way home, we spent one night in North Carolina visiting family. Philip loved playing with his cousins (and their toys) again.

Getting a kiss from his cousin - Philip took it like a man

A great end to a great trip!

10 & 11 Month Updates

Where did the time go?

Little girl has continued to grow by leaps and bounds.  Here are two updates in one.

At 10 Months ...

Julia is pulling up and can stay standing while holding onto an object with just one hand. A few times she has stood up on her own, for just a second or two before falling down. She loves to clap and also enjoys strumming her fingers across her lips to make funny noises. If anyone does these things in front of her, she will do her new tricks for them.  Note to self: Do not clap while Julia is holding a spoonful of yogurt!

 

 

She is a tough little cookie, taking a lot from her older brother.  Sometimes she puts up with things, sometimes she cries, but my favorite is when she lets out loud squawks to let us know she is displeased. Sometimes during Philip's story time, while he is sitting on my lap, she will get her revenge by crawling on him, messing with his hair, playfully bopping him, etc. They both end up giggling.

 

She started getting separation anxiety and does not want to be put down or held by anyone but Mom. For a time, she didn't even want her Daddy to hold her. I think it was a combination of age, recovering from an ear infection, and going on our trip to Texas that all came together to make for a really tough period (for everyone).

She got her two front teeth.  So cute! When I go to clean her up after a meal she will reach out her hand for me to wipe.  Such a helpful little girl!

 

At 11 Months...

 

Julia is cruising around while holding onto furniture. She can climb stairs - she loves to steal off quietly to the stairs when she thinks we aren't looking, then cackles with delight when we catch her in the act. Brings back forgotten memories from Philip's babyhood. She can hold an object in each hand and hit them together. She likes to put things into containers and take them back out again. One day Philip dumped his crayons all over the kitchen floor, where he left them. While I was preparing food in the kitchen Julia came to play at my feet. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked down and saw that she had put half of his crayons back into their container. These two could really make a great team if only we can harness it right!

She likes to imitate us folding our hands together when we say grace before meals. She also likes to hand things back and forth to us. That has made feeding her at meals much easier, as she willingly hands us her empty spoon and we give it back to her filled up again. She squawks, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" when I am too slow in attending to her needs. I love her little personality!

More baby sweetness:

 

 

 

Philip Funnies III

We're baaack!  We went on vacation for a couple weeks, so between preparing for a long road trip, being out of town, and getting everything back in order, which always takes a full week or more, this blog has been quiet for a while now. 

Here are some of Philip's memorable recent quotes.

Philip: Where is Herbie? (the cat)
Me: I think he's upstairs taking a nap.
Philip: No, he not taking a nap.  He just hanging out...like a panda bear.
Me: Like a panda bear?
Philip: No, not like a panda bear.  He is a panda bear.

While I was doing something with Julia in another room, Philip was rummaging through the groceries we just brought home. "Bluebwarries, milk..." I knew he hit the spinach when I heard him say, "panda food."

  

 

After throwing his cup on the ground I told him to pick it up.
Philip: I no pick it up. I too busy.

 

His version of The Farmer in the Dell:
"The farmer and the cow, the farmer and the cow, garble garble garble garble, the farmer and the cow."
 

While walking around in my flip flops: "Lord have mercy."

While playing with his construction trucks he says to me, "Look at the trucks working with all their might!" This is a quote from one of his books, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, a great one for any construction lovers out there.

 

To the cat: "Kitty, you'll move mountains!" Quote from Oh Baby, Go Baby!

After trying a frozen yogurt drop I made for Julia:
Philip spitting it out: I no like it. What is it?
Me: Yogurt
Philip: It's real tasty. Picks it up and eats it.

 "T, U, V, double ooo-eee"

He has a piggy bank in his room shaped like a duck and he calls it his piggy-ducky bank. Anytime he sees change he can't wait to go upstairs and put it in his piggy-ducky.

Anytime something is out of place he will exclaim, "It's not decorated!" He says this when a toe gets out of alignment in his flip flops, his blanket isn't on his bed, a show isn't playing, and other totally random times.

He recently started asking us a lot of silly questions. I'm pretty sure that he knows the answers to most of these is no.
"Do kitties walk on [electrical] wires?"
"Do horsies swim?  Do horsies catch fish?"
Two days before leaving for the beach: "Do sharks bite people?"
"Do dolphins go to Mass?"
"Did baby sleep in the bathtub last night?"

During a couple Sunday masses we obviously weren't paying enough attention to what he was doing. He has been figuring out how to undo the screws on the kneelers and then handing us the washers. Whoops!

When we talk to him before church about how we want him to behave he will tell us, "I want to talk in church." It is very premeditated!