And he's two!

I know I promised some pictures from our Nebraska trip...and they're coming. But I figured since Will turned 2 this past Saturday (the day after we returned from NE), that takes precedence over everything else! Most days I can't believe he is 2 already. Time flies. But then he acts like a typical (terrible) two year old and it seems like the most natural progression in the world. :) We had several small birthday celebrations for Will while we were in Nebraska. When we returned, we thought we'd top it off with a final small celebration at home. No big birthday bash this year; instead Aunt Jill came down and we had cupcakes and opened presents. It was a perfect low key celebration.













Will got a TON of great gifts. (Thank you's to arrive shortly!) He loves everything he got, which is saying a lot since we got a wide variety of stuff. One of his favorites is the motorized firetruck that Aunt Jill gave him. Oh boy! It goes 2 mph, which is fast enough for him. He has to push a little button to make it go. The first time he rode it, even though he was pushing the button, he was so confused as to how he was moving when no one was pushing him. He'd push the button, go forward about a foot, then turn around real quick to see if someone was pushing him from behind. He had the most quizzical look on his face. So funny! I think he's got the hang of it now. And with his new fireman's hat, axe, and other accessories, he is ready to fight fires! When it is too hot to play outside with the firetruck (or new baseball set), he's been keeping busy with his new trucks, trains, books, various Elmo toys, Play-doh, and all of his other toys. I think I need more toy storage!!!


Since I don't get many opportunities to brag (ha ha ha), I'll fill you in on some of Will's two year old traits. He's changing daily but some of my favorite things about Will right now are as follows. 1. How much he talks! He's talking up a storm, saying lots of phrases and sentences. Some new ones are "I'll be right back" and "I need help." And if he doesn't get help right away, he says "Mommy, help me please!" 2. He's combining knowledge to learn even more. For instance, instead of just identifying a red toy or a triangle, he'll tell me he sees a red triangle. I actually had no idea he knew that much; I'm constantly amazed at how much he's learning on a daily basis. 3. He's started "reading" books to us! He obviously doesn't know how to read (we're not those weird people who try to teach our baby to read!) but he has memorized some of his shorter books and loves to show off his skills by reading them to us. He really loves books, which is a great passion to have. I hope that one continues.

Check back soon for pictures from our trip to Nebraska. I promise they're coming!

Daddy's Little Helper

Keith has spent the better part of the last year and a half whacking away at a tree stump in our back yard. Yes, really. He took it out with an axe, just like Paul Bunyan but with less flannel.









So the stump is finally gone, without the help of a stump grinder, but in its absence is a large patch of dirt. Keith decided to throw down some grass seed and see what happens. Luckily for Keith, Will is a great yard boy. A little apprentice of sorts. They spent an afternoon working up a sweat in the yard, raking the dirt piles, digging around in the shed, beating their chests like the manly men they are. :) It was so cute to see how serious Will was about helping. He did not want any help carrying his rake; he's a big boy who can do it all himself. He's growing up!



We are headed to Nebraska to visit the family this week. I'm sure it will be a whirlwind trip but a fun one. If we are on the ball this trip, we'll take lots of pictures for the blog. Check back in August to see how we did!

Wet 'n Wild

We've spent a good portion of our summer so far playing in the water. We go to the pool at the YMCA once a week. Will loves it there; they have an entire splash zone for kids with turtles and flowers that shoot water. It is great. He's also been jumping off the side of the pool by himself. Big boy! I've let him go all the way under a few times and he's done pretty well. I can tell he's becoming more comfortable in the water. We also frequent the Virginia Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Norfolk. Both have water fountains that the kids can romp in. These are from the zoo. So far we've escaped too much heat and humidity (knock on wood) for a Virginia summer but I'm sure it isn't far behind. I think I feel it getting hotter as we speak. Luckily we know how to cool off!


I discovered this week that Will does not, however, enjoy the car wash. He was fine going in but once the soap covered the car and he couldn't see out, he freaked. I tried to tell him it was a shower for the car, like how Daddy takes a shower at home. But he was having none of that. He kept saying "all done car shower!" Poor guy. Hope he's not too traumatized!

Boy Boy

William will be going to preschool two mornings a week starting this September so we are trying to prepare him a bit. I figure every kid should know his/her name; that seems like a basic rule. Unfortunately, I like to give everyone a nickname or three and Will (Snuffles, Little Monkey, etc) is no exception. One of my names for him is "best boy" and I guess he has taken this one to heart. Now when we ask him his name, he tells us "boy boy." Hmmmmmmm..... So now we are trying to backtrack and teach Boy Boy that he's really called William and that he should ignore all of the pet names we have given him in the past two years. Oh how easy it is to mess up your child!


In the meantime, Boy Boy...oh, I mean William, is enjoying his summer. We've been spending a lot of time outside. I come armed with my 100+ SPF sunscreen and try to coax him into wearing a hat and sunglasses. He recently decided that wearing his shades outside is no fun but sporting them while running around the house is perfect. Oh, Boy Boy, you crazy little man.


One of William's (see, I can learn!) favorite activites as of late is to play Thomas Train with laundry baskets. On this day, our neighbor Aria was over to play. So we lined up our baskets, drug out every stuffed animal in the house, and "choo choo-ed" our way through the morning. I was so grateful that Aria was here; it isn't as easy to get in and out of a laundry basket as it once was! Now if you'll excuse me, my Little Monkey Man needs my attention.

Firetrucks, Fireworks, and Fun on the Fourth

Happy July! I can't believe it is already July 8th...time flies when you're having fun. We rang in the Fourth with a weekend of fun this year. We found out that not only does Will love the pool (moreso than any time before) but that he also loves fireworks! On July 3rd, we went to the Chesapeake City Park to listen to the Navy Fleet Band and watch the fireworks. Will was running around in the grass when the fireworks started and was initially a little scared. But as soon as he sat on the blanket with us, he was mesmerized. Eventually he started yelling "boom, boom" at every explosion. It was so cute. His awe over the fireworks furthers my thinking that he has no (or at least very little) fear!


On July 4th, we started our day with a parade at Lakeside Park in Chesapeake. Keith and I both liked it because it reminded us of our small town celebrations growing up in Nebraska. There were shriners, firetrucks both new and old (Will's favorites), and, oddly, a lot of local government reps. Representative from the 4th District who??? They definitely thought they were local royalty. We were a little disappointed that no one was throwing candy though. I guess that's what a recession parade looks like! :) Afterward we watched some motorized boat races and tried to feed some sad looking horses and goats in the petting zoo. Will also decided to share his ice cream with Anne. I'm glad this sharing idea is finally catching on.















In the evening we went to Danny and Amy Westphall's to cook out and swim in their pool. We put Will in his new floatation "learn to swim" suit and he loved it. He was much more comfortable in the water and was even brave enough to jump to Keith in the pool. He even got his first surfing lesson thanks to Danny. It was nice to see him taking to the water. We'll keep practicing his swimming skills this summer. A little fish has been born.

The Big 3-0

Well the inevitable has come and gone. I turned 30 on June 18th. I'm not the least bit sad about entering a new decade and leaving my twenties behind. Hopefully I've gained some widsom and maturity to go along with those few extra pounds that have creeped up on me. :) So, what to do when one enters a new decade....throw a party, of course! We invited all of our friends (30 or so in total!) over to help both Keith and me celebrate our birthdays. Much food and fun was enjoyed by all, not to mention the sizable dent put into our keg and wine collection. That's a sign of a good party.


And that was not my first party of the season. My girlfriends threw a surprise party in my honor two weeks ago at a great local restaurant called Passion. I was truly shocked, as I was led to believe I was just going to dinner with one girlfriend. I certainly would have spiffed it up a bit more had I known. But that's all part of the fun. We ate, drank, laughed, and ate some more. It was a blast. I'm thankful to have such thoughtful friends.

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes this year. Let the 30's begin!!!

Busch Gardens Adventure!

Today we took Will on his first visit to Busch Gardens today. Aunt Jill even came along for the fun. It was so great! They opened a new Sesame Street Forest of Fun play area so we hit that first. Will rode a few rides and played in the water fountains. Then Elmo, Big Bird, Zoe, Abby, and Grover came out and did a musical show before walking through the Forest of Fun to meet and greet. Will was hilarious! As soon as he saw them, he ran over and started hugging the characters. It was so cute. He had the most excited expression on his face; he was a hug monster. He just kept going from one to the other hugging. He was in heaven!

We also arranged to take Will to a special lunch with Elmo and Friends. The food was okay (very good Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes!) but the visits from the characters more than made up for that mediocre food. We saw another show with Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, and Cookie Monster. Then they all came around to the tables to meet us, sing and dance, take pics, and even sign autographs. Again, Will was thrilled. It was the best money we've spent; we have never seen him happier. The Sesame Street gang are like his best friends!

We also rode a few other rides and played some games before heading home. Will went all day without a nap and held up pretty well. We kept anticipating a major meltdown but that didn't happen until the ride home. Bedtime an hour early and we'll be back to normal tomorrow. If you're ever in this area and have small people who enjoy Sesame Street, Busch Gardens is the way to go!