The Family Vogt

2009-04-23T16:33:00.002-04:00

Thanks for checking in and seeing what The Vogt family has been up to. I have started a new web page through Shutterfly. For 2 main reasons- 1. so I do not have to upload pictures twice, once to the blog and another time to the photo website. and 2- so family and friends can order pictures if they like them. Please visit our new site!

http://thefamilyvogt.shutterfly.com/

Hollywood Studios

2009-04-11T16:36:00.003-04:00

We spent the next day at Hollywood Studios.

Ty and Jack playing Ring around the "tree".

On the Backlot tour.

I love this one with Tyler covering his eyes.

I think Jack's favorite part of the week was the balloon man. I think Jack would have followed him all over the park saying "bbllll" (balloon) if we would have let him.

Tyler watching the parade and Jackson dancing in the streets.

We got under cover just before it started to pour, and it worked out well, because the boys had just fallen asleep.

Toy Story Mania 4D ride.

Neil, Rich, and the balloon man.

Disney- here we come (again)

2009-04-11T16:02:00.005-04:00

One of Rich's good friends (and Jackson's Godfather) from New York was in town for one of his daughter's cheer competitions. So, we headed over to Disney, our home away from home. And of course the first thing the boys did at the hotel was make themselves right at home by jumping and climbing on every surface they could.

We met up with The Stafford family at Downtown Disney. And Tyler had to make his usual stops- The Mr. Potatoe Head store and The Lego store.

Say "ccchhheeeeeeessssseeeeee"

The next day, we met Neil and his family at their hotel-The Polynesian and grabbed some free breakfast from their breakfast bar- thanks guys! Then jumped the monorail for The Magic Kingdom.

Jackson with his cool dude shades on.

Pirates of the Caribbean ride. How did Rich get stuck up front alone with all the kids? We should have made a run for it when we had the chance!

Our traditional after-ride sword fight.

Tyler stealing Jack's cheerios.

Ellie and Lily were so good with both boys. Tyler loved the attention and "hanging" out with the older kids.

Taking a break to watch the show.

Jack's turn to ride Daddy;s shoulders.

Tyler and Jackson decided to rearrange the toys at one of the little booths that were set up outside of the Buzz Lightyear ride. I am sure that they loved us!

They had a remote control green alien out that the boys had fun playing with.

What's a trip to Disney without a Mickey ice cream?

Jack getting in on the ice cream action.

Tyler and Ellie on the Buzz Lightyear ride.

We took a little break and went back to The Polynesian for a quick dip in the pool.

Jack finally crashed that night at the park with his hand in his cheerio cup- after about 2 1/2 hours of screaming.

Car ride home

2009-04-03T11:35:00.002-04:00

On our way home from Bayfront Park, I sat in the back seat and was able to play with Jackson and Tyler. Tyler passed out soon after we started home, but Jackson was up and ready to play. So Gram played peek-a-boo with his blanket while I took some pictures of my cutie pie.

He loves his blankies that Gigi made for him!!!

Bayfront Park

2009-04-01T10:10:00.006-04:00

We took Rich's parents down to Bayfront Park in Sarasota. It is a beautifu lPark right on the bay in downtown. There is a big playground and fountains for the kids to play in. The boys had so much fun.

Swinging on one of the many swings they have set out around the park.

Peek-a-boo Jack!

After a quick change of clothes, we headed to St. Armands Circle for a little shopping and some ice cream. Tyler wanted to "relax" at the Shore surf shop.

Jackson has become quite the little eater. He loves ice cream and I don't think Gramps was getting it to him fast enough!

Thanks for a great visit, Gram and Gramps!!! We miss you!

Tyler's late bday party

2009-04-01T09:42:00.004-04:00

Both boys had their birthdays' back in February (Tyler the 16th and Jackson the 21st). Papa and Gigi were here so we had a little family party for them. Well, Tyler has not stopped talking about having a "Buzz" (Lightyear from Toy Story) party. He would take Macy's (our cat) string and hang it up and "decorate" for his party. I kept putting it off thinking he would forget about it, but no such luck. So, we finally had a little party with a few of his friends at our neighborhood pool. And we got double lucky in that Gram and Gramps were here for his second party! So both grandparents got to be at one of the parties!

Jackson wanted nothing to do with cake when it was his birthday, but he is quite the little piggy now!

Potty break

2009-04-01T09:23:00.002-04:00

Tyler has been working on potty training the past few weeks. But he loves to go peepee in the grass and on trees. So I had to get a picture. He is going to hate me when he gets older!!!

Jackson loves the little sofa that we have for the boys. He folds it out and it is his little space. He carries his toys over to it and sits there and plays. It is really cute to watch him.

Tyler likes to "read" to Jack. He will tell him and show him what is going on in the pictures.

This is Jack waiting for his water.

Just like Daddy

2009-03-23T14:49:00.004-04:00

Tyler loves his Daddy and wants to do everything he does. So when Rich is getting ready in the mornings, Tyler is right there wanting to do everything also. He loves to put on the shaving cream and pretend to shave with the back of a comb.

Jackson is getting so big so fast. He loves to play and will follow Tyler around like a little puppy dog. I love to watch his little face and all of the different expressions he has.

Tyler loves to take pictures. He prefers to use my real camera, but will settle for his pretend camera when I won't let him use mine.

"What did you say"

"Oh- ccchhhheeesseee"

Tyler loves to put together puzzles and blocks and play with these flat shape discs that Papa and Gigi got him for Christmas. He likes to figure things out- very independent.

But he does not like to share with Jack- "No, Jack. TyTy's toys"

"Who, me? I am a little angel"

Naked baby on the run!

2009-03-09T13:45:00.004-04:00

With the weather being as nice as it has been, we could not resist going to the beach this past weekend. Tyler has been asking all week to go build sandcastles. So we headed to Anna Maria Island for some fun in the sun.

Jack showing off his stuff.

My 3 boys playing in the sand.

The water was SO cold, but that didn't stop Tyler!

MMMmmmm...chips.

On our way home, we stopped at Wal-Mart for some groceries and some lunch at the McDonalds they have inside. Jackson decided to play Peek-a-boo with Tyler Happy Meal box.

What a little ham!

And since Jackson got all the attention doing it, Tyler had to join in also.

Except his head is a little bigger and the box didn't slide on and off as easily!

It's a beautiful day...

2009-03-07T19:27:00.002-05:00

The weather down here has been absolutely beautiful! Highs in the mid-high 70's and not a cloud in the sky. We have been trying to spend a lot of time outside. On Friday, we took advantage of the day and went outside for some playtime for the kids and work-time for Rich. But, of course, Tyler wanted to help wash cars.

Jack was happy playing in the water. He plopped right down in the water running down the side of the street and had fun splashing.

Rich spraying Ty with the water hose. He loves it- he will run away and then run back asking Rich to spray him again.

Ironmommies take on Tampa

2009-03-04T12:39:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, my Ironmommies running group completed the Gasparilla Marathon Relay in downtown Tampa. Despite the frigid temperatures and downpours, we all ran across the finish line together- all 32 of us (30 mommies and 2 daddies). I am so lucky to have such a great group of women to run with and to have as friends!

Weekend fun

2009-03-04T12:24:00.003-05:00

Both boys love to play in the playroom. Tyler still loves his kitchen and Jackson is following suite. Tyler is actually developing pretty good cooking skills. When he plays with playdough and makes foods, he actually cuts very well with his little plastic knife- like a real chef cuts. It is fun to watch him.

"Where are the spices?"

On Saturday, we stopped by Lowe's to go to their kids workshop. While Tyler worked on his wooden car, Jackson checked out the riding lawnmowers.

Tyler loved building the car.

I took this picture of Tyler taking a nap. Macy loves to sleep on his bed and she always falls asleep with him. It reminds me of a picture my Dad took of me with our cat- PJ- when I was younger.

Mote Marine

2009-03-04T11:36:00.005-05:00

Last week, we went to Mote Marine with our friend Tiffany and her 2 girls- Kaylee and Cameron.

Kaylee and Tyler looking at the maps deciding where to go next.

Checking out the shark tank from above.

The Stingray touch pool.

"He splashed me!"

Tyler liked to give "high fives" to the stingrays when the flapped their wings.

The kids had fun in the giftshop trying on the shark masks.

After we had fun at the aquarium, we walked across the street to the Old Salty Dogg Cafe where Josh is a manager. It is right on the water. We had a great lunch (thanks Josh!) and the kids had fun checking out the boats, birds, and water.

Kaylee and Tyler belling up to the bar- I really hope this is not a sign of things to come. Tyler had Kaylee's pink sunglasses on and they looked way too comfortable at the bar!

After lunch, we headed to St. Armands circle for a walk and some ice cream. We went to Scoopdaddy's and the kids wanted their picture with the big scoopdaddy man. Kind of scary to me.

Tyler checking out the map again. We had a great day with great friends!

Good times

2009-02-26T14:22:00.002-05:00

We spent Saturday and Sunday after Papa and Gigi left cleaning and putting the playroom back together. It is funny- Tyler has not played with his Geo Tracks train for weeks, but we took it down to make room in the playroom for Papa and Gigi to sleep, and he has not stopped asking about it. It takes a good couple hours to reconstruct it, so that was Rich's job. He complains while he is putting it together, but I think that he really likes it.

Tyler decided to take all of the balls out of the foldable hamper that we keep them in and Jackson decided he would investigate it- but he got stuck and was not very happy. He is at the stage where he can get into a lot, but is not real good at getting down or out.

Tyler wanted to help me fold the laundry, but as you can see in the picture, his folding is actually rolling. But we let him just go ahead. I don't want to discourage him from wanting to help fold clothes! Oh, and he wanted his sun glasses on because it was too bright.

Yes, he is naked playing the guitar- I couldn't resist.

Papa and Gigi go home

2009-02-26T14:04:00.003-05:00

We took Papa and Gigi to the airport on Friday to go home. We had a great week with them and can't wait to see them again. The boys already miss them. Whenever we go somewhere, Tyler wants Papa and Gigi to come too, but we have to explain to them that they went to their home and we will see them again soon.

This is the waterfall in the Sarasota airport that Tyler loves. Thanks for a great visit! We miss you already!

Papa and Gigi go to Mickey's house

2009-02-25T18:55:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday of last week, we took Papa and Gigi to Magic Kingdom (Mickey's House). They have not been since we were little, so Tyler wanted to show them all around. Stop one- the Jungle cruise and steering wheels afterwards.

Jackson in the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop.

I have got to figure out how to transfer video from our camera to the MAC because this picture doesn't do this story justice- but I will try to explain. Outside the Pirates ride, they have a little pirate skit they put on every so often with Capt. Jack Sparrow and Max. They ask for volunteers from the audience to come up at 2 different times. Tyler has volunteered many times before and they finally called on him for the swordfight. The idea is for the kids to swing the sword a few times, PRETEND to strike the pirate in the belly, and then distract him and run away. As you can imagine, the only part Tyler did right is to swordfight. After which he struck the actor in the belly and then started chasing after him with the sword. The actor had no where to really go because there was a huge crowd surrounding the performance. So Tyler was chasing him around the circle and Captain Jack was chasing Tyler, and they were running in circles. I have not laughed that hard in a long time and the crowd loved it.

Tyler and Gigi on Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride.

Papa and Gigi on Small World.

If you can't tell from the blue eyes that Jack is my son, then his obsession with ice cream is another dead give away.

Watching the "Mickey show" in front of the castle.

We finally got Dad to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride. I think he had fun!

The whole family in front of the Castle. We had a great time.

And wore the boys out.

Papa and Gigi go see the puppies

2009-02-19T12:10:00.003-05:00

We took Papa and Gigi to one of our favorite places- The Southeastern Guidedog Association. We went for puppy hugging in the morning. They had a great time with all of the puppies and seeing Tyler and Jackson having fun.

The Birthday Boys

2009-02-16T16:10:00.004-05:00

We decided to do presents before we did cake- since it was Jackson's 1st birthday and we were not sure how much of a mess he would make.

One of Tyler's favorite presents was a Mr. Potato Head. They have a huge assortment of accessories at Downtown Disney for all different characters like a pirate, Buzz Lightyear (one of our favorites), the Incredibles, Mickey, and lots of other things he loved. They charge you by the box full- as many accessories you can cram in. That was fun. But Tyler loves it and on our next trip, I have a feeling we will be getting another boxful.

Ty also got a guitar, which he tried to show Jack how to use.

Jackson loves these Ooo balls. They are easy to hold for the little ones, but still fun for the older ones (Ty) to play with.

Tyler picked out present for Jack at the store this past weekend. It is a cute little mailbox with plastic letters and packages. I think he wanted it more than he wanted to give it to his brother- he asked about it everyday. And as you can see from the pictures, he "helped" Jack open it, but he has played with it way more than Jack has.

Happy 1st Birthday, Jackson!

2009-02-16T16:01:00.002-05:00

We celebrated both boys' birthdays on Sunday. We were so lucky to have Mom and Dad here for them- I know that the boys have been so excited. I cannot believe Jackson is 1! My little baby is growing up so fast- it makes me kind of sad. But he had fun- not much of a cake fan, but loved mashing it up. Tyler had to help blow out the candles.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Tyler!

2009-02-16T15:53:00.003-05:00

Today (Monday) was Tyler's official birthday, but we celebrated both of the boys' birthdays on Sunday. Here is Tyler and his cake which he decorated. He was so excited to blow out the candles, but had a little trouble, so Dad helped the first time and Gigi helped the 2nd time- yes- we blew out the candles more than once. I hope that is not bad luck! Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the cupcake that Tyler ate. He loved to help decorate his big cake with the icing and sprinkles, but does not like to eat icing. So he just had a plain cupcake- no frosting. Not very exciting, but he liked it!

outside fun

2009-02-16T09:28:00.002-05:00

After Papa and Gigi dropped their bags off, we went outside for some playtime.

Both boys have their birthdays this week. Tyler wanted to help decorate his cake with LOTS of sprinkles.

Where are Papa and Gigi?

2009-02-16T09:13:00.004-05:00

The boys were bouncing off the walls waiting for Papa and Gigi to arrive on Saturday.

"Are they ever going to get here?"

They're here!!!

Okay- where's the airplane? I'm ready to go!

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-15T14:56:00.002-05:00

Rich and I are not big holiday people, but I wanted to make it fun for Tyler. So we went on a little scavenger hunt for their Valentines Day presents. We left clues on red hearts where to go next and he followed them with Dad's help.

He had fun and loved the surprises at the end. Jackson just watched and tried to figure out what his brother was doing.

Jackson has started walking a little bit. He will stand up on his own and take about 10-12 steps. But he loves to climb on everything and he picks up things so fast from watching Tyler- he only has to see Ty do something once and it is over. Hence we love climbing in the toy box.

And we also love to play Peek-a-boo.

I love my blankie

2009-02-09T10:27:00.005-05:00

I took these the other night when we were just playing around. Tyler really is a good big brother- a little rough at times, but always with good intentions.

Jackson loves his blankies. He always carries them around with him, either in his hand or mouth. If he does not have them in his hand when we go to get him out of his bed, he will look around and makes sure he grabs one before he gets out.

I love my blankies!

Another fun day at home

2009-02-09T10:17:00.003-05:00

Tyler has really liked playing with Playdough lately. And what ever Tyler does, Jackson has to do also. Except he eats the playdough, so he only gets the tools. But it keeps him busy for a while.

Yeah for Jack-Jack!

The weather has been beautiful down here in the afternoons. So we have been taking full advantage by playing outside a lot.

Where did the ball go?

Fun at home

2009-02-09T10:06:00.005-05:00

We have not been doing much exciting lately. So here are some recent pictures of just some everyday playtime at home.

Tyler likes to play "doctor". Jackson does not like to be the patient. Maybe it is because of the doctor skills exhibited by his big brother- I don't know if I would want him to be my doctor either! But Ty is dressed to play the part and Jack knows what is coming...

I don't think that you give shots in the back. Poor Jack just wants to play!

Daddy's turn. I don't think that is where the blood pressure cuff goes- but it does keep him quiet!

After being tortured by Dr. Tyler all morning, now Jack has to be driven around by him. Can't a kid catch a break?

Here are the happy brothers.

I'm ready to go...

2009-01-27T21:51:00.003-05:00

Part of the joy of coming home is unpacking. Tyler and Jackson decided that they wanted to go back to Mickey's house, so he packed himself in the suitcase. I warned him to be careful- I might ship him off to Papa and Gigi's.

Jackson has started to cruise around and stand really well. He is into his little walk behind toy. We just have to watch him on the tile floor- that toy will just shoot out from under him if he pushes too hard!

How big is Jackson? SOOOO BIG!!!!

Disney- Friday

2009-01-26T15:01:00.005-05:00

Friday the weather was almost "back to normal". We still had to wear an extra layer in the morning and at night, but it was at least 25-30 degrees warmer than it was on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tyler mapping out our route for the day. We pretty much let him do whatever he wanted and go where ever he wanted to go and just have fun exploring and being a kid. We just had to make him stop once in a while to eat and sometimes redirect his attention after we had ridden a ride one too many times in a row.

Back to the Toy Story ride.

Locked up!

I'm not quite sure what he was doing here, but it made for a funny picture.

Running over the Barrel Bridge on Tom Sawyer's Island.

Back to the Toy Story ride- again.

And our last night of fireworks. We were smart this time and watched them for the end of Main Street so we would have an easy exit. Until next time...

Disney- Thursday

2009-01-26T14:21:00.008-05:00

The weather was much nicer today- as you can tell by Rich's shorts. Still cold in the morning and at night, but nice during the day with the sun out.

This is an airplane roller coaster in Toonland that Tyler loves to ride. He comes running down the ramp ready to go again! For us, that is the best part about going to Disney- seeing his face just light up and him getting so excited.

Jackson can go on most of the rides that Tyler is able to go on right now- except the airplane. So he just hangs out with one of us and waits.

In Tomorrowland, they have a little tram/ train that goes along the 2nd floor of some of the buildings. Tyler wanted to go on it over and over. He has these rides memorized- it is funny to hear him talk about what is coming up next.

Jack liked to ride the train also.

This the the Buzz Lightyear ride from Toy Story. This was the first time we rode this ride, and we rode it over, and over, and over... It is interactive so Tyler could shoot the laser gun and turn the car around in circles. I am glad that he wanted to ride with Rich on this one! Jackson couldn't reach the trigger on the laser gun, but he could reach the joystick used to turn the car around, so he liked that. And he liked all the flashing lights.

Buzz Lightyear was the only character that Tyler has been willing to go up to. I think he just wanted to push the buttons that he had on his costume. Can you guess what his new favorite movie is now?

We had to run back to the hotel room so that Rich could put some jeans and a sweater on so we could go back to the park for more rides and fireworks! You can see by our outfits that it got really cold again. It was so cold that Tyler actually asked to put his hat on- and he hates wearing a hat!

On the train/ tram again.

This is the ride that I now dislike more than the Tea Cups. It is on the 2nd story of one of the buildings and just goes around and around really fast. The view was great, but I do not think I will be going on this one with Tyler again anytime soon.

And at last, the fireworks. Tyler is showing the fireworks to Jack. He would take him by the hand and say "look JackJack- see the fireworks?" and then point them out to him. It was really cute. He is such a good brother.

Magic Kingdom- Wednesday

2009-01-26T13:52:00.004-05:00

We woke up Wednesday and took our time getting ready in the morning because it was COLD!!! We were in no rush to get out in the freezing temperatures. So, the boys got their baths and here is Ty getting ready for the big day at "Mickey's House".

AAhh, the Tea Cups. But Tyler did discover a ride which I dislike even more than the Tea Cups- more on that later!

Both boys passed out in their strollers so we bundled them up, set them in the sun in front of Cinderella's Castle and people watched for a while. That was interesting!

Jackson really loves to go on all the rides. He watches everything going on and has started pointing and going "ooooohhhh" when he sees something he likes and gets so excited.

These steering wheels are right as you get off the Jungle Cruise. Because we have ridden this thing, no lie, at least 20 times, Tyler has it memorized. So after we get off, he likes to go over and reenact the cruise for us. I will try to get it on video next time. He is a hoot. Jackson is happy just being down and free to climb and play.

We left Disney early because it was just too cold for the rides once the sun started going down. And we headed to Downtown Disney for some dinner, stores (The Lego Store had the outdoor play area closed because of the cold- bummer), and then the best part- Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Milkshakes. Yyyuuummmmmmm...

Animal Kingdom

2009-01-25T14:09:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday, we headed to Animal Kingdom. The weather took a turn and it got really cold, really fast. You can always tell when it gets below about 50 degrees because Rich will have on pants and/or long sleeves (sometimes anyway). And the boys were bundled up in 3 layers of shirts and sweaters and then vests and jackets on top of that.

There are the Huey, Duey, and Louie statues that are in one of the hotel courtyards. Tyler didn't really want to go near them last time, but was a little more adventurous this time. He is funny like that. He wants nothing to do with the characters at Disney, but he will go on any and every ride without a moment of hesitation. Jack had fun with the life-size ducks also.

Tyler sticking his head inside of the jaws of a hippo.

Looking through a "tell-scope"

This is on the animal safari ride. Tyler is funny when he sees a big animal like a crocodile he will wave his hand and say "shoo, shoo". I just hope that if he even happens upon one in real life, he doesn't do that and expect it to go away!

Look closely at Tyler's face in this picture. It is classic. Typical 3 year old meltdown when we make him do something he doesn't want to do. Can you see this Nicole? I will try to get it on video next time for you. ;)

Can you guess what is going to happen next....

This was funny. They had a trash can that moved around and talked. Tyler wanted to go see it because I think he thought it was like "Wall-E". But he went up to it and it started talking to him and following him and freaked him out. He did not like it, but we thought it was pretty funny.

They also had an animal petting area. Tyler loved it, but Jack is not too sure yet what to think.

And, of course, we had to play the drums.

They have an area in Dinoland that has little overpriced carnival type games. So we let Tyler play one and even though he didn't win, he had fun.

This is the play area at Dinoland. They have a huge slides and climbing areas and imitation fossils in the rocks. Jack had fun standing up and holding on and walking around them.

Over the dinosaur bridge is the fossil dig. Last time we were here, Jackson didn't want anything to do with the little pebbles that covered the bones. He wouldn't even put his feet down for a while! He did much better this time and enjoyed playing in it a little more.

Especially helping Daddy cover up Tyler! I went to change Tyler's diaper after this and when I went to lay him down, tons of pebbles poured out of his coat pockets!

Animal Kingdom is the first of the parks to close because they take the animals in at night. The last thing that we did was watch the Nemo musical. Jackson made it through about the first 5 minutes and Tyler made through about the first half. Poor little guys! They were pooped out!

Epcot

2009-01-24T11:31:00.004-05:00

As an early birthday present for the boys, we headed to Disney for the week. We left Monday and after a few stops for groceries and such, we got to the Disney All Star Sports Hotel, dropped off our bags, and hopped the bus to Epcot. I have actually never been to Epcot. When we went to Disney when we were little, they were still building it. So this was my first time as well!

Jackson looks like he is either very confused or really mad.

When we were at Animal Kingdom last time, we saw Nemo the musical and Tyler loved it. So he was excited to see the Nemo figures at Epcot.

I think he cut in front of 2 other kids in line to crawl up into the shark, but at least I got a picture!

Nightime at Epcot.

Godzilla

2009-01-13T14:46:00.004-05:00

Jackson has several nicknames. One of his latest is Godzilla or King Kong. He loves to crawl over and sit right in the middle of Tyler's train tracks and tear it apart. Needless to say, Tyler does not like it very much, but as you can see form Jack's grin, he is is having a ball!

We have recently discovered a farmer's market/flea market not far form the house. They have great local fruits and vegetables for dirt cheap. Notice the boys in both pictures- we always have to check the strollers for stolen fruit before we leave.

This past weekend we took Tyler to a kids workshop at Lowe's. They made little time capsules. Tyler had fun putting it together and hammering in the nails. He could have cared less about the finished product- he is all about the process.

This is his little friend, Kaylee. Tyler was not interested in getting his picture taken, he just wanted to finish his project!

We love the beach

2009-01-09T12:02:00.003-05:00

We went to our beach at Anna Maria Island again this week. Jackson loves to crawl all over the playground now and is dying to keep up with the big boys. But he is also content to hang with his brother and try to get his lunch.

"Me? I would never steal anything form my brother- I am an angel".

"hehehehehe"

"Look Tyler- I think I see a dog over there"

"No, Jack! TyTy's food"

Quiet evening at home

2009-01-07T20:10:00.009-05:00

When we get the chance, we like to take a walk before or after dinner at night. The weather has been wonderful here lately, so we have been able to go out a lot. Our neighborhood is one big circle with our street going down the center, with a horseshoe shaped lake surrounding it. We walk up our street to the loop and then down to the playground. Ty likes to ride some, walk some. Jack doesn't have a choice!

This is the path that leads to the playground. Just to the left of the path is another pond/lake, and to the right is the Manatee River. We have not seen the alligator at our lake lately, but we see him down here often.

You can just see him in the center of the picture on the edge of the bank. This one is small- maybe around 4 1/2 feet long. You can also see the dirt that is disturbed behind him. This is from the wild boar that roam the neighborhood. You can hear them snorting at night and they tear up the grass rooting for grub. We also have armadillo, bald eagles, lots of hawks and hundreds of other birds I can't even begin to name, and I actually saw a panther run across the road in front of our neighborhood a few months ago. I was not sure what type of cat it was until I talked to a wildlife rescue worker at a festival we went to. Apparently she said that there is one that lives in the area and that it is rare to see it, so I was lucky. Well, at least I am lucky at something!

This is our playground. We always have to check it for wasps nests and spiders before we play- the joys of living in a "natural" area.

Tyler likes to ride on our shoulders. He also likes to steal Rich's hat.

And use Rich's head as a drum. Tyler had fun and I thought it was funny- I am not so sure if Rich did.

Grandpa Tyler. Whenever we ask him to pull up his pants- he really pulls them up! What a ham!

Clearwater

2009-01-04T14:17:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we headed about an hour North to Clearwater. My friends from UGA, Heather and Paul live there. We stopped by their house first and then headed to the beach!

Poor Paul. He was such a trooper. He put up with Tyler chasing him around and throwing sand on him. Thanks, Paul! Heather and Paul have no children of their own and if we keep coming up with our kids, I don't know if they ever will! ;) They are great birth control!

Dad is used to getting pelted with sand balls. Tyler has a good little arm. Check out the guy behind Tyler- nice bathing suit! I am trying to convince Rich to get one like it- but I am not having much luck.

Jackson is just sitting back with Heather watching his crazy brother.

They have a huge playground at the main beach in Clearwater. The boys had a lot of fun.

After the beach, we went back to Paul and Heather's house. They only live about 10-15 minutes from the beach- how lucky.

This is Taj, their 17 or 18 year old cat. Tyler went right to him and he was so nice.

Here we are playing the Wii. They have a beautiful house. Heather is also an art teacher, so she has great taste.

Thanks for having us over, guys! We had a great time.

Bayfront Park

2008-12-31T17:19:00.007-05:00

Today we went met some of our friends down at Bayfront Park in Sarasota. We ran/walked the Ringling Bridge and then went to the park to eat lunch and play. You can just see the left end of the bridge behind the condos. The bridge is about 1 mile long from light to light and is an absolutely beautiful place to run. They have wide pedestrian sidewalks than run along either side and there are always lots of people running, walking, and biking along it. The bridge joins downtown Sarasota to Longboat Key.

Bayfront Park is on a little peninsula that jets out into the bay, so the whole park is surrounded by water. There is a walking path that goes along the entire perimeter by the water and all the docks and beautiful boats. There is also a little restaurant and bar that you can either get to via walking through the park or dock your boat there. They also have a nice playground, lots of picnic tables and benches, large grassy areas for the kids to run around in, and sculptures and fountains. It really is very picturesque.

Tyler loved collecting and throwing the shells and climbing the trees.

This is the dolphin fountain at the very end of the park. You can see some of downtown Sarasota in the background.

Tyler decided he needed to stop for a few minutes and relax.

Jackson and his little friend Cameron.

It is easy to tell when Jackson is about to get into something now because he has started sticking out his little tongue whenever he is about to do something or get into something.

Tyler giving his brother hugs- so cute!

Tyler and Caylee on the swing.

Christmas at the beach

2008-12-28T14:14:00.003-05:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful here. On Saturday, it was 83 degrees with a nice breeze. So we decided to head to the beach for the day. We went to "our" beach on Anna Maria Island. Usually, we are among about 20 other people on the beach. But I guess lots of other people had the same idea as us, so I think we were among at least 300 other people. I guess we are just spoiled. But, despite the crowds, we had a great time. It was the first time Rich has been able to come with us to this particular beach since we usually go during the week. Tyler loved having daddy there with us and it was nice to be able to enjoy the beach a little bit more with another pair of hands and eyes to help me watch the boys!

Tyler loves to try and dump water on other people, but here he has dumped it on himself!

The past few times we have been to the beach, he has really gotten into building sand castles and playing in the sand. In this picture, he is trying to bury Jackson.

And now it is Tyler's turn...

Tyler did not like Jackson sitting on top of him when he was buried in the sand.

We had a great day at the beach!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:41:00.009-05:00

This is a year of first's for us. In addition to living in a new state for the first time in my life, we were on our own for Thanksgiving and now, for Christmas. But apart from being away from our loves ones, we had a great Christmas morning. We attempted church last night, but ended up leaving early with 2 tired boys. But after a good night sleep, we woke up this morning to lots of presents from Santa. Unfortunately, something is wrong with either my camera or my CF card. I am secretly hoping for the first so that I can get a new one, but we will see! But I did manage to retrieve a few pictures so at least we have something to remember Jackson's first Christmas!

Doesn't he look excited???

The boys got tons of toys, as usual. The one thing that Tyler has been asking for since we started talking about Santa and presents is "Spike" the dinosaur. So here he is unwrapping Spike. Unfortunately, we did not unwrap it and put it together before hand, so we did not know that you had to charge the battery for 4 hours before you use it.

This year was fun because Tyler really understood it and loved opening the presents. I think he was a little confused though because my birthday was just a few days ago and he would hand out the presents and say "Happy Birthday" instead of Merry Christmas.

I think Jackson had fun also. He liked to tear the paper and got excited when he saw the toys.

One of Tyler's favorite presents was this cheap little drum set we got him at he last minute. He is really into music and loves to have everyone play along with him.

Jackson watching every move.

It was very hard to buy things for Jackson this year because he has all of Tyler's old toys- which is a lot. But a few of them have bit the dust, so we were able to replace those.

Tyler was such a good brother helping Jackson unwrap presents.

Tyler gave up trying to reach in and pull out things from his stocking, so his just dumped it out onto the floor. So patient, just like his Dad!

Rich (and Tyler) got an early Christmas present- we finally got a Wii. Tyler loves the boxing game and Rich loves the guitar hero set we got. Tyler likes the drums, Rich gets the guitar, Jackson gets the microphone, and I am the paparatzzi taking the pictures.

Here is Tyler playing the boxing game. He does it more like Ultimate fighting in that he kicks, runs, and jumps while he punches. It really is a good workout!

Just another day

2008-12-25T11:25:00.006-05:00

I took some pictures earlier this week one morning the boys and I were home just hanging out and not rushing out anywhere. Tyler is such a good big brother. He LOVES to play with Jackson- although he treats him like his little puppy. He will call him and try to get him to follow him or throw things and tell him to go get them. It is pretty funny.

But Jack can hold his own.

"I love my big brother!"

Whenever the boys are yelling or screaming, Macy always has to come and see what is going on. She used to do that when Tyler was little and screamed a lot. I don't know if it has something to do with the pitch or what, but she comes running and gets right in the middle of it all.

Tyler also likes to read stories to Jackson. He shows him pictures and says "look Jack" and then tells him what the character is doing. Sometimes Jackson could care less- which he is doing here. Other times he really listens to him. I love to watch them interact.

As good as it gets...

2008-12-23T12:21:00.014-05:00

Last Tuesday, we went to Selby Gardens in Sarasota. They are known for their orchid collection (which we didn't even see) and their various other plants. It is a beautiful location just south of the bridge to Longboat Key, overlooking the bay and the bridge. They have a program called "Little Sprouts" that does fun, educational things for kids every other Tuesday. This week, they had about 8 different Christmas crafts set out for the kids and a surprise visit from Santa! Which, as you can see, did not go over so well for my kids. This is the closest either one has ever gotten and I think that is as good as it is going to get.

It is hard to tell in this picture, but if you look at Jackson's feet, he is actually flailing his arms and legs.

Santa did have pencils, which I think is the only reason Tyler even went that close. But as you can see, he grabbed the pencil and ran.

Tyler loves to make things and play with glue and scissors. So he had an absolute blast.

They had some very large, very hungry koi fish. Tyler loved feeding them- I think we could have sat there for hours.

Look closely at the orange fish in the center of the picture below. Yes, he is airborne going after the food. He jumped up and landed with a huge splash! The kids thought it was the greatest thing and kept trying to make him do it again.

Pre-Christmas fun

2008-12-23T12:08:00.004-05:00

Two weekends ago, the boys and our neighbors went to a Holiday celebration at nearby Lakewood Ranch. I did not get many pictures because it was absolutely packed and needed both hands to push Jackson and keep up with Tyler. But one that I did get was of my little angel, Jackson, all bundled up. Because believe it or not, it was cold here! Nothing like Atlanta, but not our usual 75 degrees.

For Christmas, Tyler and I made some delicious goodies for some of our friends. In this picture, Tyler is unwrapping Rolos- I think he unwrapped one, ate one, unwrapped one, ate one...., etc. Needless to say, we did not get as many out of the recipe as we should have.

We also took our chance at the mall. It was not bad until we tried to leave and then traffic was a mess. This is the mall in Brandon, Fl. It is a very nice mall and has a cool, two- story carousel that Tyler rode a few times.

My boys

2008-12-20T11:51:00.006-05:00

We had a little impromptu photo shoot at the house so I could get some pictures for this year's Christmas card. Here is the finalist that made it to the card...

And here are some of the ones that didn't...

I should try and video myself during one of these. It would be quite humorous to see all that I go through for a smile or a laugh.

But hey, whatever works, right? I love my boys!

Mote Marine and St. Armond Circle

2008-12-14T15:58:00.008-05:00

On Sunday, we took Stef and kids to Mote Marine. It is a marine and lab where they have some aquatic animals and fish and such. It is not very big and not nearly as impressive as the Atlanta Aquarium, but I think that actually makes it better. You feel so much closer to the animals and it is not crowded at all, so the staff can talk to you about the animals one on one. I had fun and I think the kids had a great time as well.

Of course we had to find Nemo and Dori.

"Whoa- look at the shark!"

After Mote, we went to St. Armond Circle. After a little ice cream break, we walked around a did a little shopping.

Let's go the the Beach!

2008-12-12T13:45:00.006-05:00

While Stef was here, we had to take her to the beach. Susan has not been- at least when she was old enough to enjoy it. So we loaded up the cars and headed West to Anna Maria Island.

Group photo- L to R- Will, Jackson, Tyler, and Susan.

Will driving the truck into the water.

Tyler and Will playing in the water. They had a blast- you would have never known that the water was a warm 63 degrees!!! Yikes! Stef and I were just glad that we didn't have to go in after them!

Susan enjoying a lollipop break.

"No mom, I didn't eat any sand..."

"Yuck!"

I am a man on the move and I love the beach!

Okay- so maybe the water is a little cold.

But it's never too cold for the playground!

Cool starfish!

Playing a little baseball...

We had a great day at the beach!

Disney- Day 3, Hollywood Studios

2008-12-12T13:16:00.004-05:00

On our 3rd and last day, we went to Hollywood Studios. They had some really cool rides for big people, but not tons for Tyler. BUT, they did have Lightening McQueen (or as Ty calls him- Rocket the Queen) and Mater from Cars- one of his favorite movies. SO he was very excited to see them. They were the only characters that he would go up to- I think because they really didn't move.

They had a cool play area from Honey I Shrunk the Kids with slides and thinks to climb. Everything was over-sized like in the movie- hence the giant Playdough can. They also had this huge rope maze that went up at least 2 stories that Tyler loved running and climbing through.

It was a little warmer today, so we just had to stop for an Mickey Mouse ice cream.

Jack had his first taste of ice cream.. he liked it, but....

was not too sure about the cold. I loved watching his face after he would take a bite.

They have the new Toy Story interactive ride. You shoot at the screens as the ride spins you around and try to rack up points. Tyler and Rich had a blast!

We also went on the backstage tour which was neat. This was an area that was set up as a tanker truck that caught on fire and then was washed off the road by a flood of water. Tyler was a little scared as you can see from his clutching Rich, but as soon as it was done he was asking for it to turn on again. That is what he does with most things- if it scares him, he might grab onto us or hide, but then wants to see it again.

They also had cool scenes and props set up from different areas of the country- here we are in front of the San Francisco scene. It looked so real.

And we could not leave without stopping at this huge McDonalds (or "fry store" as Ty calls it) that was next to the hotel. Tyler loves french fries, so we had to get his picture in front of his favorite "fry store".

Disney- Day 2, Animal Kingdom

2008-12-09T21:00:00.006-05:00

I love lollipops!

The Thinker

Susan loves "Baby Jack". They were playing while we waited in line for our Safari ride.

You can just make out Tyler raising his arm in the air and calling to the elephants. And Jackson watching his every move.

Tyler has developed a love for music and he loved playing all these drums they had set out.

In Dinoland, they had this really cool dig area for the kids. There were dinosaur bones covered under this small pebble/sand material. Tyler, Will, and Susan had a great time digging, Jackson was not so sure...

It took him a while to put his feet down in it.

Rich and Jackson in the small dig area.

We went home early for naps (the only ones they got during the week) and snacks. Tyler is trying to get some Chocolate milk out of the fridge at the hotel cafe.

This is the life...

After snacks and naps, we headed to the T-Rex restaurant in Downtown Disney. It was really cool, kind of like the Rain Forest Cafe, but with huge dinosaurs.

Then off to Lego Land. Tyler could have stayed here all night. He loves to build things.

Disney- Day 1, Magic Kingdom

2008-12-08T14:40:00.005-05:00

For a little family get together, we met Stef, George, Will, and Susan at Disney. As Florida residents, we get GREAT deals on hotels during off peak times, so even though Orlando is about 1hour and 15 minutes away, we stayed overnight for 3 days. It is nice staying at the Disney Resort Hotels because they provide transportation to and from all the parks. This is Jackson taking a quick dip in the sink getting ready for his first day at Disney. You would never know by looking at this angel that he SCREAMED the whole way over the night before. It was a fun ride...

All the rest of the pictures are all out of order. I uploaded them in the wrong order and it is way too much trouble to sort them out.

This is actually one of the last pictures of the night. We finally got back to the hotel at around 10:30 -11. We stayed for the Christmas Parade and fireworks. Tyler was starting to get his second wind.

This is at the park after the fireworks. Tyler has developed a love for lollipops, so you will see many pictures with them in hand. They were both so tired. But both of them loved the fireworks and they had snow on Main Street, which was neat. It was quite cold here today, as you can see by the coats, blankets, and red noses. But still fun!

I am not sure why, but we waited for about 10 minutes for this carousel ride to start. So to keep Tyler entertained, Rich was playing with him and chasing him with the camera.

Tyler had the best time on all the rides. This was the first roller coaster he went on. It is hard to see, but he and Rich are in the third car and he is screaming- not because he is scared, but because he did not get the airplane that he wanted. He was fine and I think we went on that ride at least 6 more times.

Here is my favorite ride- not really- The Teacups. But again, Tyler had fun and the is all that matters!

He loved the ride. He is upset here because he wanted Rich to ride in a different cup. He was fine as soon as the ride started. Ah, the emotional roller-coaster of an almost 3 year old!

Waiting in line for Small World.

Here we are eating at the restaurant that overlooks the Small World ride. Tyler loved waving to everyone going through the tunnel. Funny story about this. We were eating here while Stef, George and the kids were on another ride. We did not realize that they finished that ride and went on A Small World. Tyler is waving to everyone in the window and he gets all excited "I see Stefies! I waved to Stefies!" And we were like that is great Tyler, did you see someone that looked like Stefies? And he kept saying that he waved to Stefies. Come to find out, he really did see them and he was right- he was waving at them. Silly Mommy.

They have great diaper changing area for little ones. It has lots of changing tables, a TV for the older kids to sit a watch, and a bathroom. Jack was so pooped, he did not even move when I changed his diaper.

Stef, Will, George, and Susan on Aladdin.

And on the Jungle Cruise.

Rich and Tyler on the Jungle Cruise.

Mommy, Jackson, and Tyler.

Tyler did not like the characters. But we got at least one picture with Pluto.

Jack even got to ride some of the rides.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-08T14:36:00.002-05:00

This was actually our first Thanksgiving where we were on our own and had to make everything. In the past both of us had always been with family, so there was never a need for us to make a turkey. So, Rich watched the food channel for 2 weeks in preparation and made a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for us. For those of you who don't know, I think Rich was a chef in a former life. He is an excellent cook and does the majority of cooking around the house- the good cooking anyways.

Jackson is on the move!

2008-11-27T12:03:00.002-05:00

Jackson finally decided to start crawling yesterday. I think he is happier now that he can at least attempt to keep up with his brother and get into all his toys. I don't know how happy Tyler is about it!

Brothers

2008-11-27T11:43:00.007-05:00

Tyler loves being a big brother. He is so good with Jackson. He loves to sing "Rock a bye baby" to him. And Jackson adores his big brother.

And blow bubbles to him...

I love my big brother.

And show him things.

Here he is showing Jackson some dance moves...

Decorating the tree

2008-11-27T11:28:00.002-05:00

Tyler really got into decorating the Christmas trees this year. We put 2 trees up- one in the family room that has all the fun ornaments and one in the living room with the nicer ornaments on it. Tyler helped with both and only broke 2 ornaments. Which is pretty good considering anything that falls on the tile breaks instantly. Needless to say, I am not putting up my good crystal ornaments this year!

Tyler had a favorite spot that he liked to hang the ornaments. We ended up with about 12 ornaments in the same spot. The only reason he didn't put more is because they started all falling off.

This day is for the birds...

2008-11-27T11:20:00.002-05:00

Tyler loves to get ready with Rich in the mornings. He puts the shaving cream on and pretends to shave, brushes his teeth, and fixes his hair. It is really cute. He loves to brush his teeth, and check out his tongue...

We also have some new pets- sand hill cranes. Apparently they are very friendly. They will come right up to you if you walk out the door, or if they are far away and you call them, they will come running. They mate for life and usually stay in the same general area their whole life. So I guess they will be around for a while.

Rock stars

2008-11-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

While on our trip, we got some toys for the boys to play with at Rich's parents' house. Tyler picked out a guitar and microphone and Jackson wouldn't put down this little drum set. So we got them and had a rock concert at the house all weekend long. I need to get some video of Tyler singing- it is hilarious. He likes to sing "I like_______", whatever his food of the moment may be. For a while, it was candy corn, then it was popcorn. It changes hourly. Nicole was fortunate enough to experience the "candy corn" version while she was visiting with us and got a good laugh.

Jackson liked the guitar also.

Snack break.

Tyler on guitar and Jackson on drums.

Fall in Georgia

2008-11-23T20:44:00.004-05:00

Since we moved to Florida in mid July, we missed out on fall this year. Which makes me a little sad because I have always loved the leaves in the fall. But at least we got to see them on our visit and Tyler got to play in them.

He had fun throwing them...

Covering up Daddy...

And Mommy...

And Tyler...

He is such a big helper!

Jackson even got in on the fun. Even though fun for him was eating the leaves, not playing in them. It's funny- I can't get him to eat any hard foods (crackers, cookies, stars, etc.) but he loves to eat everything else that he is not supposed to eat; like paper, sticks, sand, and leaves.

"WWwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

Bus driver Tyler

2008-11-18T10:57:00.004-05:00

We spent the last two days of our trip to Atlanta at Rich's parents' house. Rich's Dad drives a school bus and brought it home for Tyler to see. He had a blast. He buckled right up and started driving (or at least trying to anyway).

"WWhhhooooaaaaaa"

"This way." He also enjoyed telling us all where to sit.

After Tyler played for a while, Gram and Gramps took him for a real ride on the bus around their neighborhood. He had fun.

Friends

2008-11-13T21:44:00.002-05:00

Besides seeing family, we got to see some of our friends. Unfortunately, I forgot the card for my camera when we got together with Paige, Davis, and Grayson. But I did remember it when we got together with Christine and Kylie. Once they both warmed up to each other, it was like old times. I think they had a lot of fun. How cute- maybe an arranged marriage in their future?

Gym class

2008-11-13T21:31:00.005-05:00

Since we missed Tyler's Little Gym class, we went with Will and Susan to their class. After Tyler got over looking for Ms. Jenna (his teacher whom he loves), he found the big foam pit. We spent most of the class jumping, swinging, and falling into a big pit filled with big, blue foam squares. Again, having no fear, Tyler just ran and jumped in.

We love the playground!

2008-11-13T21:09:00.002-05:00

The weather was very nice while we were in Atlanta. So we decided to head to one of Will's favorite playgrounds. The kids all had a great time, of course.

Tyler has no fear. He has never climbed a rock wall, but went up this one like he has done it a million times before. Didn't even hesitate a second.

Swinging with Gigi. Tyler and Jackson both love to swing.

Tyler has developed a love of instruments lately. Drums and guitars in particular. So anywhere he finds one, he loves to play.

Crazy driver coming through! Hold on Will!

Aunt Stefie's house

2008-11-13T20:56:00.004-05:00

My sister was nice enough to let us crash at her house for most of the week. The kids all had so much fun together and it was so good to spend time with my sister and mom. That is the hardest part about being so far away.

Morning's at Aunt Stefie's. Check out Tyler's hair- he calls it his "crazy hair".

Bathtime.

If you know what this is that Tyler is riding on, then you have just dated yourself. This is one of our old toys- a Kick-n-Go. Stef and I each had one when we were little and Mom and Dad held onto them for all these years. Tyler loved it. I am going to have to get Mom and Dad to bring mine down for him.

Back in the ATL

2008-11-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

The day after Halloween, Tyler, Jackson, and I packed up the car and headed back to Atlanta for a visit. My Dad's, Mom's, sister's, and niece's birthdays are all right around the end of October and beginning of November. Susan's (my niece) birthday party was on Sunday. So Tyler and Jackson got to see Papa and Gigi, which made their day.

Halloween night

2008-11-13T20:16:00.008-05:00

Since we only have 3 families in our neighborhood including us, we went to a neighborhood down the street. This was the first Halloween that Tyler really got the whole "trick-or-treat" concept. It took him a few houses to get it down, but he was soon a pro. The hardest part was trying to keep him from going in everyone's house. He would ring the doorbell and try to open the door and go right in. if he could not open the door, he would wait until they opened it and then go in. Nicole and I were laughing so hard. He finally figured it out.

"I am not so sure about this..." There were a few houses that went over the top that he was a little hesitant to go up to. Then there was another house that he proceeded to sit down at their table to eat his candy.

Early Halloween Fun

2008-11-13T19:33:00.005-05:00

On Friday, we decided to torture Nicole and bring her to our strollerfit class in Lakewood Ranch. Since it was Halloween, the kids dressed up and after class they went trick-or-treating on Main Street (a cute little row of stores). Check out her blog site also for some more great pictures- see the link under "check these out"- le famille manier.

Jackson was a lion (Tyler's old Halloween costume) and Tyler was a doctor- oh, I'm sorry, a "cool doctor" as he called himself.

Here he is in his shades- hence the "cool doctor" name.

We tried to go eat with the strollerfit group, but the restaurant we were at was WAY too slow and too crowded. So we went back out to Main Street and Nicole found this little French Crepe restaurant. I would have never eaten there, not knowing what it was. But I am so glad that we did! It was so delicious - we will be going back again soon. We sat outside and the kids had a blast. Tyler and Brayden really bonded, almost like a second brother. It was really cute.

I don't know what it is about Halloween that brings out the inner exhibitionist in Tyler, but here he is, 2nd Halloween in a row, stripping off his Halloween costume in broad daylight. He did his little stripper dance that Rich taught him- Nicole got it on video. It was quite the show.

Anna Maria Island

2008-11-05T21:37:00.005-05:00

We also took Nicole to our favorite beach for some fun in the sun. The boys had a great time, and of course Nicole and I did as well. Check out her blog for some more great pictures. The link is listed under "check these out" - le famille manier.

Tyler loves to try and get mommy soaked!

We ate lunch at the little grille they have on the beach. It has surprising good food and you can't beat the view.

2008-11-05T21:24:00.002-05:00

We were so happy that "Aunt Nicole" came down for a visit last week. Despite bringing the cold weather with her, we managed to still make it to the beach. We drove down to Longboat Key and walked around the shops and then hit the beach for a while. Check out her blog as well for more pictures -www.lafamillemanier.blogspot.com

Tyler and Jackson of course loved it. Brayden got used to it after a while. I am sure he will be a beach bum in no time!

You might be seeing this picture again soon on some Christmas cards!

Pumpkin Farm

2008-11-05T20:51:00.002-05:00

Last year we went to a pumpkin farm at my parents' house and Tyler had fun. So we went this year to a farm about 15 minutes from us. We did a fundraiser walk for down syndrome in the morning in the mud and rain and then stayed and had some fun at all the activities they had set up. Of course they had lots of overpriced pumpkins which Tyler tried to pick up.

I love these next 2 pictures. Tyler, Jack, and I thought it was pretty funny, but I don't think Rich did...

Ice cream/ milkshake break.

I love my daddy!

2008-11-05T20:36:00.002-05:00

Tyler eating his ice dream cone with a spoon.

They had a big net tent set up with hundreds of butterflies inside. So we went in and Tyler had fun chasing after them yelling "come back here, butterfly!" But he finally got one to stay in his hand long enough to get a few pictures.

We also got to ride the ponies, which Tyler loved. But he kept asking for a cowboy hat- we will have to remember to bring one next time.

Here is sweet Jack. You would never know from the picture what a fussy mussy he can be!

They also had several areas where you could pet the animals. I was not prepared with quarters to buy food and Tyler wanted to feed them all. Every animal we went to, Tyler said that they were hungry and needed food. Another mental note for next time.

Go Rays!

2008-10-20T14:12:00.004-04:00

In case you did not see the game, the Rays won the final game of the series against Boston. So our new home team will be in the World Series this week- GO RAYS! At one of the malls, they have a play area sponsored by the Rays set up like a baseball field with oversized bases and some other fun things. Here are some pictures of the boys playing...

Here are my teeth...

2008-10-15T14:02:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to get a good picture of all of Jackson's teeth- here you go. All 8 of them. And he is still chewing on everything in sight, so I don't know if we might have more coming in also.

Just some other cute shots of Jackson...

Longboat Key

2008-10-15T13:54:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, we went to Longboat Key (just southwest of us). We walked around an outdoor artist market that they had going on and then walked across the street to the beach. It was beautiful. The little downtown area was really cool. We will definitely go back when it is not so crowded! If you are looking for a nice little getaway- I highly recommend it!

I don't know who ate the pudding...

Boys will be boys

2008-10-09T13:51:00.007-04:00

We went to the park yesterday for a little pumpkin decorating party. We lasted about 10 minutes with the pumpkins and the rest of the time at the playground, in the mud. It's just mud- it will wash out, right? Not even Oxi-clean and bleach could save these socks when he was done. Oh well, Tyler was having fun and that is all that mattered.

I did manage to get a few pictures of the brief pumpkin decorating activity.

Chef Tyler

2008-10-09T13:16:00.004-04:00

Anytime we are in the kitchen, Tyler loves to help. So we got him some little cookies at the store that he could do by himself. He had a great time.

"Chheeesssseeeeee". Notice the Rays t-shirt. Rich will never abandon his Yankees, but we are becoming Rays' fans as well. What a great year to jump on the bandwagon!

Notice the cookies all lined up. He is just like his Daddy!

Tampa Aquarium

2008-10-07T14:49:00.004-04:00

We also went to the Aquarium in Tampa this weekend. It is not quite as nice as the Atlanta Aquarium, but Tyler didn't care. It had fish, turtles, and other various animals, so he was happy.

The one thing that the Tampa aquarium has that the Atlanta aquarium does not is a cool outdoor water park. It has a big pirate ship and little water slides. As well as some water cannons and other fun things. Some of the large water fountains were not on, but the misters were going and they had hoses on some of the slides. Enough for Tyler to have fun.

Tyler got a letter

2008-10-07T14:39:00.004-04:00

Tyler loves to check the mailbox everyday. So imagine his surprise when he got a letter! He was so excited!

Thank you, Papa and Gigi!

On Saturday, we went to downtown St. Petersburg. They have an outdoor market that is neat to go to and we just love to walk around on the waterfront.

They also have some large artificial rocks which Tyler loves to climb on.

Bath time

2008-10-05T14:49:00.004-04:00

Jackson loves his baths. He has been crabby lately because he has been getting LOTS of teeth in. But baths always make him happy!

Fingers have been a constant in the mouth lately with his teeth hurting so much.

You can't tell from these pictures, but in addition to the 2 teeth Jackson already had on the bottom, he has gotten in not 2 or 3 more, but 6 MORE!!! For a grand total of 8 teeth!

Have you ever seen someone with 4 dimples? 2 in the cheeks and 2 in the chin.

We love the beach

2008-10-05T14:21:00.004-04:00

I took the boys to the beach again this week. They both are becoming beach bums. We couldn't have asked for better weather- not a cloud in the sky and about 85 degrees with a nice breeze.

Tyler loves collecting shells and rocks. He always asks where Gigi is when he does.

Tyler was really excited when he found a clam shell that was still intact.

Jack wants to get in on the action as well.

"What, you can't eat the sand?"

Dog napping

2008-10-03T16:57:00.005-04:00

We went to "puppy hugging" again this week. Tyler would go everyday if we could. This precious little puppy fell asleep in Tyler's lap, hence the title "dog napping". But, if we would have brought a big enough bag, we might have taken this little guy home with us. He and Tyler bonded.

I love this picture!

Jackson likes watching from a far. He is not so sure when they jump up to him. He doesn't scream, he just looks at me like "what do I do?"

Soccer star

2008-09-29T20:33:00.003-04:00

Tyler started soccer this past Saturday. They did a lot of listening activities which he wanted no part of. All he wanted to do is kick the ball. So he did just that. He took off and ran down to the older group that was kicking the soccer balls around and kicked one in the goal and threw his hands up in the air and said "Gooaaallll". It was really cute. But back to reality. He had to do join in on the listening games and finally, they got to kick the soccer balls.

We stopped by the playground on the way to the grocery store on Sunday. Tyler loves the slide and loves spending time with Daddy.

We love puppies!!!

2008-09-25T20:42:00.003-04:00

We went back to "puppy hugging" again at the Southeastern Guide dog association. Tyler loved it, of course. He has been asking about the puppies everyday.

Jackson even got in on the action this time.

A visit to see Daddy

2008-09-24T15:13:00.005-04:00

Tyler is definately a "daddy's boy". So he was SO excited yesterday when we went to see Rich at work. This is the visitor parking lot of Rich's building.

Here we are in the lobby in front of one of the little restaurants.

Tyler loves to use socks on his hands as puppets. He walks around making them talk and saying "hello".

Ah, how cute. But look closer- Tyler really isn't smiling. He is grimacing as he is whining to get Jack away.

Life as usual

2008-09-23T09:01:00.004-04:00

Not much has been going on this past week. So here are some of our day to day activities. Tyler loves to help feed his little brother.

I am not sure Jackson is as excited about it as Tyler is.

In addition to the alligators and snakes, we also have some normal wildlife. LOTS of frogs and lizards. Here is Tyler chasing after a frog on the lanai.

One of the disadvantages to moving into a new neighborhood is all the construction going on. But when you have a little boy who loves anything that moves, it is a wonderful thing. We watched the "big bulldozer" for a long time yesterday.

Last day with Papa and Gigi

2008-09-13T21:01:00.004-04:00

Tyler's moving box has now become his "story box" ala Pinky Dinky Doo. And Jackson has to share in the fun, of course. Monkey see, monkey do. What did I get myself into???

Papa and Gigi are now on their " big boat" as Tyler says. But here we are the morning they had to leave, playing blocks and toys in the playroom.

Cheessssseeeeeeee...

Funny Gigi.

Caught you, Papa!

Papa and Gigi, day3

2008-09-08T16:12:00.004-04:00

Today (Monday) we brought Mom and Dad to the beach (Anna Maria Island). It was absolutely beautiful and hardly anyone there.

Jackson loved the water and the sand and Tyler loved finding shells and rocks to throw.

"Jack, look at this"

Dig, dig, dig.

Papa and Gigi, day 2

2008-09-08T16:02:00.004-04:00

On Sunday, we drove up to St. Petersburg. Dad's mom used to live here many years ago, so it was neat to see how much it had changed. There are several parks along the water that are great for playing, climbing trees, and swinging from the roots that grow off of these big banyon (sp?) trees.

Tyler and Mom swinging from the roots.

Tyler climbing in the tree.

I think Tyler is part monkey...

We stopped at this beautiful old hotel called the Vinoy for potty and air condition breaks- it was very hot outside!

Papa and Gigi are here!

2008-09-08T15:48:00.002-04:00

Who knew milk could be so much fun?

Mom and Dad (Papa and Gigi) came down to visit for the week before they head out on their first cruise. Tyler was very excited to see them and play. Here we are in the pool Saturday night when they got here.

And getting ready for bed. We really didn't paint the family room to match Jackson's eyes- it just happened to turn out that way!