Mr. Funny Man

Gavin did this gut-thrusting thing in Florida and it made Justin and I laugh uncontrollably. I haven't been able to get him to do it since we've come home. I guess today he felt like being a funny man again.

10 Things About Me

I was blog stalking the other day and saw this on someone's blog. Thought it was cute, so I gave it a try. To my fellow bloggers I would like to know your 10 fun-facts.

1. Honestly, I like watching T.V. more than reading books.
   
   
2. I cry a lot. Movies, shows, commercials, my kids, others kids, magazine articles, radio, Steve....not a day goes by that something doesn't get me.
   
   
3. Chips and salsa alone could sustain me for months. And maybe a diet coke or two thrown in there.
   
   
4. I love anything paisley. I wear it, decorate with it, if it were a food I'd eat it.
   
   
5. I check out www.weather.com multiple times a day. I love the hour by hour feature.
   
   
6. Large, immobile, crowds make me uncomfortable.
   
   
7. I'm the happiest when I'm in my bed with Steve and the kids.
   
   
8. The dark scares the crap out of me. Really. I have to talk myself through walking to the bathroom in the middle on the night.
   
   
9. I love documentaries. The History Channel? Sign me up.
   
   
10. In another life I could have been 'The Duggars' with 18 kids and counting.
    

Top 10 Best Things About Our Trip to Florida

In No Particular Order.......

10. Watching dolphins in their natural habitat on a chartered boat with my cousin Dave as the Captain. (pronounced Cap'n)

9. Seeing my GrandmotherJane look better than ever after her heart surgery

8. Hearing Harrison say 'Uncle Justin, Uncle Awex (Alex), Uncle Justin, Uncle Awex' instead of 'Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.' Although I still heard my fair share!

7. Having Harrison get a little taste of what it was like for me as a child of my Dad. ↑My Dad teasing Harrison that a real man would be able to catch the free-roaming chickens.

↓Harrison insisting he simply can't catch them!

6. Snorkeling in the Atlantic Ocean. You become very aware that you are a very little fish in a large pond.

5. Meeting my new cousin, Rylan, and watching her interact with her other cousins, Harrison and Gavin.

4. Watching Harrison 'shake it off' like a man after being stung by a jellyfish.

3. Being able to spend lots of quality time with my brothers and Dad. Albeit, a lot of it was spent driving from one destination to another, but I can't remember the last time we were all together for that length of time.This is at Mile Marker 0. This road starts in Key West and extends through New York.


2. Eating lunch at the Islamorada Fish Market and afterward watching a huge manatee entertain us.

1. Seeing the excitement of Steve reuniting with his bruisers.

A couple runner's up....

↑ Being an elementary school teacher, Aunt Melissa knew exactly how to entertain.

↑ The boys going commando in Aunt Melissa and Uncle Dave's pool. No worries, though, there were no floaters!

↑Harrison loved the Thomas the Train sticker book GrandmotherJane gave him. I think she's going to find stickers for months in her house!

↑Gavin hated, hated, wearing the coastguard approved life vest. This put him in one foul mood.

Just a good picture of Geedge on a tree that was here long before us and hopefully long after, too.

Holy Playtime, Batman.

Gavin giving his best Hulk impression. And, really, you don't want to make him angry.

Pretend this small couch is a skyscraper as he leaps with his cape guiding him safely to the ground below.

I wonder what playtime in a house full of girls looks like?

Is It A Fruit Or A Vegetable?

I quiz Harrison. A lot. I think it's a fun way for him to learn and I love to hear the answers he comes up with. Lately, we've been discussing fruits and vegetables.....

Me: Are carrots a fruit or vegetable?
Harrison: Um, a begetable.
Me: Oooh, Harrison, I have a good one, are apples a fruit or vegetable?
Harrison: A fruit!

After a little thought

Harrison: Mommy, I have a good one, is peanut butter and jelly a fruit or a vegetable?
Me: laughing Well, technically, it's a legume, fruit, and a grain.

Fossil Rim

Mom played hooky from work today so we decided to go to Glen Rose and visit Fossil Rim. This is a 15,000 acre wildlife habitat that allows you to see animals in their near natural environment. All in the comfort of your car! You are able to purchase food for the animals, which they love, so they will come right up to you and eat. Having a minivan for a trip like this was a huge plus because the kids were able to run from side to side.

We started off our morning with the 'breakfast of champions' at the local Cracker Barrel.

There was even a petting zoo. Gavin loved the goats and gave this one a hug.

The goats loved to be brushed and Harrison kindly obliged.

The deer were very friendly.

I can't remember the name of this fellow.

Gavin has quite the throwing arm. When he throws he even adds a grunt for extra umph.

God's creatures are truly beautiful. But not really all of them. The next picture is an example of such an atrocity.

This one could go back to R&D (research and development) for some improvements. Ostrichs also seem to have a big chip on their shoulder about being so ugly and they take it out on those around them. They are M-E-A-N! It's embarrassing to admit, but I was really scared of this beast.

Afterward, we went to the other big attraction in Glen Rose, Dinosaur Valley, home to some of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils. Very hard to explain to a 3 year old the concept of extinct. Especially when there are these huge dinosaurs that look very alive and real to him. Except, of course, that they are being held back by only a two-foot-tall fence.....and they're not moving.

Harrison standing where a dinosaur stood just a few (million) years ago.

But really, he enjoyed climbing most of all.

......and so did his never-to-be-outdone little brother.

Gavin giving a leaf to G-Jo. Leaves get him pretty excited.

All of us are standing in just one foot of this dinosaur.

I wasn't prepared for the hiking involved, but we had to see the fossils so I pushed forward. Flip-flops with a baby on my back in the middle of nowhere-not the safest parenting choice I've ever made.

A little video to show how close we were!

What Big Brother Doesn't Know Won't Hurt Him, Right?

Gavin and I came home last week after taking Harrison to preschool. At first Gavin looked a little lost without his big brother to boss him. I was interested to see what he would do all by himself. He very quickly ran into Harrison's room and started playing with the forbidden train set! This is Harrison's most precious (like Lord of the Rings?!) and any attempts Gavin makes to play with it is thwarted by a firm push and a "get back Gavin. No, no, no!"

And no, I see no problem with a life-size Yoda in my son's room. Wearing a sombrero....and a scarf.

l

I walked into the room after about 5 minutes to find Gavin chucking Harrison's most precious trains behind a table. Initially I thought he was just throwing stuff as he normally does, but I looked behind the table and found this! This was no accident! This was intentional payback for never letting Gavin play. He sent a clear message to his older brother: Be afraid buddy, be very afraid. I'm only a year old, the best is yet to come.