Spring break....oh what fun.....

It is spring break this week and William is home all day......mom is trying hard to find things for him to do....

Monday morning I decided that Paul needed to move onto solids and stop some of his nighttime feedings. Getting up at midnight, 2 or 4AM, and 6AM has started taking its toll. Off to the grocery store we go. I tried to make a list from this new cookbook I bought, Giada's Family Dinners. My purchases seemed to be mismatched and random. Why, you ask. Oh.....yeah, I was THAT mother with the screaming child in the grocery store. The child that throws a tantrum and EVERYONE stares at you. Of course this is coming from William. It was so bad the bagger girl followed me out to my car and proceeded to ask me what was wrong with William. How fun! A great way to start the week.

On Tuesday we went to Destin Common, a outdoor shopping center that has a playground and water fountain for children to play in. I thought William would love it. We get there and ALL he wants to do is talk about food he wants to eat. He does not want to play does not want to walk around....just push the stroller, misbehave, and talk about food he knows he is not going to get. So we leave. I decide to take the long way back home so I can go to Publix and buy pizza dough made fresh from the bakery. Yup, I am THAT mother, again, walking into the grocery store with TWO screaming kids. It was wonderful! I felt so proud! I don't know what it was, but something did make them stop....thank God! William proceeded to fall asleep on the way home and remained asleep until the next morning.

Wednesday we went to Crestview to gather soil testing kits for our vegetable garden and mailed them off to Gainesville. Dad was home on Wednesday so the day was fast, quick, and little complaining from William.

Today, I have hopes of going to Target to purchase things. Maybe I will get a fun sprinkler for William to play with in the front yard. Dad will be gone tonight and part of tomorrow....so we shall see how it goes.

Here are some photos from Spring Break....

Paul's sweet face.

William having to color RIGHT INSIDE Paul's toy. Brotherly love...isn't it great.

William pretending he is a dog.

My green monster....William got into my make-up. Look at me, Mom. I'm the incredible hulk. Mind you, I am doing dishes when this is going on. Kevin is in the bedroom getting dressed. He proceeds to come out and tell me "Mommy, come look at the loving thing your son has done. It is wonderful. You need to take a picture." Walking into my bathroom and being greeted with this was truly lovely!

Paul's first meal, sweet potatoes.

William as a worker man.

William's new best friend....frog. William has truly entered little boyhood. He found his first frog and decided he needed to become his best friend. So the frog received a bubble bath....because you know frogs are dirty. Then, after Daddy decided the frog should be saved, got a sand bath in the sand box. Poor frog.....William wanted to do everything with frog....Mommy....not so much. We decided it was time for frog to go home to his Mom and Dad. So we put frog in a bucket and took him home. William said bye to frog and was surprisingly OK.

William and his new best friend, frog.

Weekend feast

Over the weekend we had a shrimp and crawfish boil. Kevin was thrilled! It was good...not as spicy as Kevin likes it. I hear we are going to try again this weekend...got to get the spices just right.

Aunt Sara was here for a visit. She got some good baby Paulie and Wee-man time. I think her mothering skills are getting stronger every day. Here are some photos, take a look at her technique. Good work Aunt Sara!

Ah, what loving eyes to make at Aunt Sara.

It is all in the position of the drink and the bottle. Expert mothering skills. This takes years to perfect this technique! Aunt Sara is years ahead.

Mommy and her sweet Paulie.

Crawfish boil.

The finished product.

Mr. Mike and Ms. Laura

Sweet Caroline, my neice

Caroline Sandra is almost 5 weeks old. Her mommy, Heather, sent some recent photos. She has a sweet smile and BIG blue eyes. I look forward to her meeting her cousins, William and Paulie!

Pretty girl!

Boys and their toys

The first post really was all about the Wee and the Paulie. Here are some manly photos of the biker boys! This was Jason's first bike rally. My Dad and Kevin showed him the ropes. Enjoy the photos.

Jason and my Dad.

Kevin's bike...after some customizing. Of course, we still have a long way to go...or that is what Kevin says.

The boys.

William and his nighttime bottle....we start them young in this family....beer, bikes, and babes.

More of the boys.

Kevin and my Dad.

The three Bs....bikes, beach, and boys!

Over the weekend of March 9 - 11th we went to Daytona Beach, FL to participate in the 66th annual Bike Week. We traveled with one motorcycle, one mini-van, two children, one uncle, and two parents! It was great fun.

We met my parents in Daytona and stayed at a nice hotel on the beach. Kevin and Jason contend that it was a Spring Break hotel....but still clean. Cleanliness is the key, especially with the kids.

While the boys (Kevin, Jason, and my Dad) spent the days riding their bikes and visiting the sites, Mom and I went to the beach with the boys. It was a good vacation. William LOVED staying in the hotel and often talks about going back. In fact, I think he wants it to become his new home. I don't we will have any problems getting him to go on another vacation.

Here are some pictures from our travels.

Kevin and Jason at dinner.

Paul's cute smile.

William giving Paul a kiss.

William's new teeth.

Hunting for seashells with Mommy.

Wanting to hang out in Paulie's beach bed.

Sweet Paulie.

William's first horse lesson

William and Mommy went for their group riding lesson. It was GREAT!!!!! William loved it! This makes Mommy so happy. We got to the stables a bit early. There was a lesson going on when we arrived. William just did not seem to understand that he had to wait his turn. He kept wanting to ride right then! Imagine that! Once the other lesson was over, we went to the barn and met our horses. William rode Bo and I rode Nino. Bo, a 26 year old Arab, Quarterhorse mix, was great. William walked him to the arena and then climbed up....with the help of his trainer, Miss. Cindy. Miss. Cindy showed him how to steer and turn Bo's head to the left and right. She also showed him how to tell Bo to stop. William then moved Bo forward and walked around the arena...steering Bo and going around the cones in a circle! Big steps forward for his first lesson. Here are some photos of William and Bo. You will see William trying to ROAR for the camera and with Miss. Cindy. Mommy had to talk with William about not ROARING because it could scare the horses....not a good thing.




Mommy worked on her posting trot, sitting trot, circles, and canter. It was great riding again after being away for a year. Miss. Cindy said I looked like I had not been away from a year. My leg was pretty stable....but I could tell I had been away. I am looking forward to getting my strength and endurance back. Nino was a good horse...very capable and smart. So smart that he tried all the tricks in the book to be lazy....just like a school horse! We both had a great time. Here is a picture of Nino.

Birthdays and big milestones

Our friend, Mike (Mr. Mike to William) turned the big 3 - 1 this past week. We celebrated the birthday here at the house....and of course.....we wore PARTY HATS!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! William thought it was his birthday....even when we sang the song. He had to sit on Mr. Mike's lap and blow out the candles. I don't think he would like Mr. Mike's gift....a bottle of Crown Royal. But then, he does like scotch and water....just like his Mommy when she was a young girl! Aahhh, those genetics. Anyway, enough rambling....


Paulie has graduated to food...cereal! He had his first cereal yesterday. Not much was eaten, but he is getting the hang of it. Today's feeding was much better. He still wakes up once during the night....but that is not bad.

William was sick over the weekend....laid around with a fever. He had no energy and did not want to play with Myra. That must tell you how sick he was! But today his back to normal. The mini vacation is over for Mommy and Daddy.

Tomorrow William and Mommy begin their group horseback riding lessons! YAY!!!!!!! It will be a BIG day. Mommy will bring the camera....so look for pictures.