Rain

Z is all about the rain these days. Everytime it rains (and even sometimes when it's not raining) he shouts "raaain" and I love the way he says it, because he puts a southern twang on it. This weekend we went to The Summit for dinner and it unexpectedly started raining. Our car was pretty far from the restaurant parking lot, so we decided to wait it out, much to a certain someone's delight....

He's talking a lot these days, and by far one of his favorite words is "No!" He says it with conviction too, so I don't dare try and give him something that he refuses. He's been eating a lot better, either that or I've just figured out what he likes, but either way, mealtimes have become a lot easier. He loves using utensils. He'll almost eat something he doesn't like if it is attached to a fork. His new favorite food is raisins, which for some unknown reason he calls... wait for it... "ni ni." I almost don't want to correct that one... Almost.

He always asks for "boohoo" (Blue's Clues), even though "waaa" (Dora) and Elmo are still favorites too.

He has started liking trains, specifically Thomas, ever since I bought him a Wal-Mart special Thomas the Train outfit. He also has started recognizing and liking "di-soo's" (dinosaurs).

The other day the lady at the Y said he was so easy and independent and that I was lucky to have such a sweet child. Then the next day he went totally bonkers and cried for about 10 minutes because I wouldn't let him play outside when he got home from school... Ain't that life?!

Cousins

Z loves hanging out with his cousins. This time they were on their turf, and Z just followed them around everywhere they went. One thing was for sure, Nunna/Grandma made sure they all had enough to eat! Here are some photos. Believe me, there is never a dull moment when it comes to these three! Allow me to formally introduce them:

Adam (a.k.a. 'The Haus'). Don't mess with this kid, or you'll pay! But when he's sweet, he's SUGAR!

Z ('The Wannabe'). He wants to be able to hang with these two more than anything, but he's more used to the laid back lifestyle ;)

  AG ('The Mama Bear'). This girl is in charge, plain and simple!

 

I love Z's face in this pic, reminds me of myself

The above chair once belonged to AG. It has been at the beach condo for who knows how long, and now all of a sudden it is the most amazing item ever to all three. We eventually had to hide it (in the bathtub) and as a result peace and harmony was restored as demonstrated by the following picture.

The Blues... The Cool Kind

Sorry I have been abandoning the blog lately. The funny thing about blogs is that when there is a big lag it's usually not because you're doing nothing, it's just the opposite! I'm very excited to say that my great friend Dr. Julie Smith has joined my practice, and we're both hoping to work a few less days a week to spend more time with our little ones. Very exciting, but a lot to do right now!

So, onto the fun stuff, we went to the beach last weekend to watch the Blue Angels air show. One word describes it: AMAZING. Seriously guys, the coolest thing ever. Makes me so proud to be an American! We all know by now about Z's love for "Air-pane's," so I was excited for him to see them fly, but worried about his little ears. We went through this last year, and being the sleep nazi I am, I let him nap through it. Well, history almost repeated itself... almost. We came up to the balcony for the last few minutes and he got to see them after he woke up. Still not sure he appreciates it like I know he will one day. I'm excited for that day to come!

Are they the coolest guys in the world or what? You really have to see it (and hear it) to believe it.

Blue what? I got my winnie and yogurt, I'm good! Thanks Nunna ;)

Z did relatively well in the car. He pretty much kept himself entertained, and fell asleep the last hour or so on the way down (which is usually the worst part anyway). And did almost better on the way home, which was much later in the day. We stopped once at McDonald's both ways, and Z tore up a McNugget meal, disgusting, but I used to eat them, and I guess I turned out okay. When we got home, he crashed, I mean straight to the bed, no singing, no reading, I think he was asleep before we even left the room.

We braved the crowds to hit the beach both mornings. I was very proud of us, because it's not easy toting a bag, chairs, a camera, and a 25 pound child in the 100 degree weather! We were lucky to find a spot that was shaded by the boardwalk to hang our hat. We never stayed too long, but we had a ton of fun while we were there. Z is definitely a beach kid!

Side note, thanks to the 31 Days to a Better Photo Series, I am now shooting in Manual (some), but still in a  very very, let's say, introductory fashion (as you can probably clearly see). But, I am enjoying my camera (and my 50 mm lens) so very much more now that I know a little more about how to use it.

 

Footprints in the sand

You can't got to the beach without getting your feet wet buried

 

Snack time!

All in all, we had a great time at the beach. Z ate well, slept well, and wore himself out playing between his cousins (more on that later), the beach and the pool! Can't wait to go back.

Good Times

The Gax's have been very busy lately and having a lot of fun! Nana and Tata came into town for the fourth, and Z was the center of everyone's attention for about 5 days, right where he belongs. The first night we went to dinner at Cantina. On Friday, Tata and Nick worked on our fence, and we played in the sprinkler with Z. These pics are a pretty good sample of the many faces of Z.

On Friday night, we grilled out steaks and potatoes, yum!

Saturday, hubby and I went to Nashvegas for the U2 concert and had a blast! We visited friends, shopped, ate, and generally enjoyed spending time in his old stomping ground. Meanwhile, Z was having a big time playing outside and getting the royal treatment from Nana and Tata!

 These are two of hubby's old items that seem to almost fit Z. He must have known that they belonged to Baba, because he did not want to take them off!

We came home on Sunday and went to dinner at Firebirds, an old favorite! Z loved it and ate really well! Then Monday, we went to the McWane Center! It was rainy and gross, so it was the perfect place to be! That night we had some amazing burgers at Mugshots.

 Seconds before the arch crashed

 Giant Lite Brite

 Z popping the massive bubble produced by the stand-in bubble blower

 Checking out at the "Publix"

 We had so much fun this weekend, can't wait to do it all again!

Next weekend, we head to the beach for the Blue Angels. Can't wait to hear Z say "Air-Pane" over and over again.