Day Trip

Since Daddy has been working a civilian job lately, he's had some weekdays off. So we have decided to make the most of still being in the D.C. area and visit places with the boys while we still have a chance.

This week, we ventured via metro to the National Zoo. The metro trip alone took more than one hour before we reached the zoo. We got there just in time for lunch, so we found a cozy spot and tried to convince Little Man A to eat his lunch so we could see the animals. I think he was too excited with anticipation because it took a lot of coaxing on our part just to get him to finish his yogurt.


Last time we visited the zoo, we made the mistake of taking our time while traveling downhill to the end of the zoo. The trek on the way back up the hill was one that we did not want to experience again... especially while pushing a 40 pound child and a stroller uphill. We tried to make a beeline for the end, but there of course were diversions. I mean, how can you just walk past an orangutan sitting in the doorway of the outside exhibit. Or pass by the elephants without taking a picture.


We eventually made it down to the Kids Farm (an hour later), but unfortunately the petting zoo area was closed for the season (not sure when the season even starts). However, a keeper was out walking a pony so LMA was able to pet the pony and see the donkeys going crazy because they were jealous of the "escapee". That, I was later informed, was LMA's favorite part of the day.

BBZ was even enjoying himself. He unfortunately skipped his morning nap and thought the train ride was a little more exciting than trying to go back to sleep (poor kid had just fallen asleep in the car when we parked at the metro station then we moved into the stroller). So after lunch, I was able to face him toward me in the baby bjorn carrier so he could take a little snooze. When he woke up we were passing the Kids Farm and heading to the Reptile House. LMA and BBZ loved spotting the snakes, watching the turtles swim, and smiling at the iguanas bobbing their heads at each other.

On the way home, which wasn't until 4 hours later (and unfortunately after the normal metro rates kick back in), both boys zonked out on the train. This of course was great for bedtime later considering LMA had just woken up. But we eventually settled down.


















Next week, we were thinking of heading to the Baltimore Aquarium. Stay tuned for great animal shots from the zoo.

On our own

After six months, Pop-pop has finally returned to the west coast. He hates good-byes, so we made sure to make them short and sweet at the airport. LMA was relatively good about the entire process of saying good-bye. Probably because he knows that Gramma and Pop-pop will be back in only 6 short weeks.

It's hard to believe that he has been here every step of the way over the past six months. He has been able to watch BBZ go from being nursed to getting strictly bottles. He's been here to watch him go from detesting baths to taking one everyday with LMA. He has been able to see every milestone along the way. From his first smile to his first taste of baby cereal.

He's also been able to see LMA and his many mood changes. But he's also been here when we changed him into a big boy bed and then just last week to his own big boy room.

I know I've driven him crazy along the way and I would be lying if I didn't say the same, but when hubby couldn't be here to help with the boys, my dad was here. He helped clean and of course cook. He helped with baths and the night time routine. But most importantly, he helped me stay somewhat sane through the entire process while hubby was gone.

Thanks, Dad. We know you are always a phone call away. And don't forget to bring the duct tape. :)

It's a date

Hubby officially started leave on Monday. Since he has so much time off built up, he has to take some now before he gets promoted. Or else he'll lose it. So, he has this week and next week off before he has to go back in to out process from his current unit.

Yesterday we both took Little Man to school, which off course he was super excited about showing Dad the gym and the "Po-Po" (police) car. Like always, I had to make sure to take his jacket off first before he runs away. Then he gives us both a kiss good-bye so he can get back to playing.

Afterwards? Hubby and I had a date.

It felt like we stepped back in time three years. Just him and I out strolling where ever we wanted and taking our time. We headed to IKEA (I know - of all places) for a cinnamon roll and free coffee and tea (since it was before 10am). Of course it felt weird (only slightly) to be out alone. It's not like we haven't gone out before by ourselves while Gramma and Pop-pop were watching LMA, but this was obviously different. Not to mention the cheapest date we have ever been on!

What was really funny was when we saw an ambulance and a fire truck and turned around to look in the back seat.

We're thinking of hitting up Starbucks and Panera Bread tomorrow morning for our "date". Hopefully, if the new kid doesn't come out sooner than expected (only 9 more days), we'll be able to get three more dates in before our family of three becomes four.

Williamsburg, VA Part 2

After a fun-filled day at Busch Gardens, how could we possibly beat it? Why a visit to Water Country USA, of course. Besides our small local Spray Ground park, we have never been to a water park.

I was a little nervous about LMA going into the water, mainly because he just had surgery to have tubes placed in his ears. He handled everything like a pro. There were only a few kiddie areas that he could explore (before the big kids started to arrive before lunch time), but he had a blast!


Even though he submerged himself a couple times going down the kiddie slides into the water, he kept going back for more. He even braved a couple tube rides with Daddy.


Although it was an overcast day (it definitely would have been better if we had visited the day before with the humid heat), we had a great time. We'll definitely have to make sure we check out the water parks in the future.

Visit to Williamsburg, VA

While we are still in the area, we decided to take advantage of our proximity to Busch Gardens... and the free admission for military families. Besides Walt Disney World in Florida, this is LMA's second amusement park visit. This one was especially fun for him since Busch Gardens Williamsburg now has a new Sesame Street themed area for kids.


We checked out the "Forest of Fun", but shortly after arriving LMA heard the familiar sound of a train whistle. We took the train ride around the park for a cool, relaxing break from the humid heat.

We joined Elmo and friends for lunch, which was of course really fun for LMA. This was a nice way to get out of the heat and make sure LMA had a good lunch.... and have fun.


Afterwards, we headed back to the local Naval Post to rest before finishing our day. We decided to go out to dinner first so we wouldn't have to stop in the middle of fun to get dinner, or pay for dinner at Busch Gardens. Then we made our way back to the park until closing time.


It made for a really long day, more for Daddy and me especially since LMA didn't fall asleep until almost 10:30pm, but it was definitely worth it.

Next day, Water Country USA.

A Visit to NY

This past weekend we were lucky enough to take a trip to NY to visit family, Wenderina and Uncle Carl. Wenderina's mom was celebrating her birthday and we, actually LMA, surprised her with a homemade birthday card.

On Saturday, the weather was perfect and Carl thankfully didn't have to work. So we ventured out first thing in the morning to one of his favorite photography spots, Indian Point, NY. He gave me tips and pointers on how to capture "the perfect shot". Here's what I came up with:


Before LMA's naptime, we were able to go to the New Jersey Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately, it wasn't the most ideal time of day to capture the most dynamic photos, but we came back with a few good ones.


I'm starting to think I might like this photography business. Don't worry, Uncle Carl... I'll be giving you lots of credit!

Next stop for this week - Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Can't wait to show off those photos.

We miss you, Florida

I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from our trip to Florida last month. Even though I didn't have the SLR digital camera of my dreams (hint, hint hubby), our point and shoot Olympus camera took some really great shots.  I especially loved playing with the sun early in the morning to make my subject "blackened" and the rest of the background just shine.  We even made sure to take our handy-dandy little tripod (Gorilla pod which can be wrapped around anything) to catch a family shot on the beach.

We all had a great time, especially Little Man going back and forth to the beach and the pool. I think we counted five times to the pool on Mother's Day alone! Because of this experience, he's so excited about visiting the pool and the water park here everyday.

The other event he really enjoyed was a few trips to the local fire stations.  We counted three within a 10 mile radius and made sure to visit every one.  He was treated like a star, getting fire hats, pencils, coloring books, and we even made sure to buy him a genuine "Junior Fireman" shirt!

Little Man is already asking to go back.  Sticks both thumbs up in the air and says, "Florida beach!"  I have a feeling we'll be going back to this location again in the future, especially when we really need a little R&R.

I think he's ready

Next week, the hubby, Little Man, and I, and only us are going to Florida for an entire week. For the past month, we have been counting down the days until we leave for Florida. We've been marking off the days with a red marker which gets Little Man even more excited about going to "Florida Beach." And he says this with two thumbs up and a huge smile!

The other day, he was trying on goggles... obviously too big for his little head. But I think he's officially ready for Florida. What do you think?


I think so.

Four more days, Little Man.

He's going to be a great big brother

Little Man is going through a phase where when he does something, like complete his firetruck puzzle, he has to show the world. Or just when he wants to share something, like a special book, he has to include everyone.

Including his toys. On this particular day, he wanted to show Lion his fishies.




He's going to be a great big brother.

Just what I'm looking forward to

When to start Cussin

A 6 year old and a 4 year old are upstairs in their bedroom. 'You know what?' says the 6 year old. 'I think it's about time we started cussing. The 4 year old nods his head in approval. The 6 year old continues, 'When we go downstairs for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with hell and you say something with ass..' The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm.

When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast, he replies, "Aw, hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios."

WHACK! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear with every step. His mom locks him in his room and shouts, 'You can stay there until I let you out!'

She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?"

"I don't know", he blubbers, 'but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios!'

Back to routine

Thank God things are back to normal this week. Last week was a little messed up. Little Man ended up getting another cold after Little Sprouts birthday party. So not only did I have to worry about us not getting sick, I had to worry about possibly getting Little Sprout and the rest of the friends at the party sick too.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, it was a full blown attack all over again. Thankfully, I had called the doctor the day before and told her that once again he is sick and his superficial cervical, or throat lymph nodes have not decreased in size at all. For the fourth month in a row!

Hubby had a neurology/pain management appointment for his back Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, we had to drive all the way out to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Unbeknown to us, the President wanted to go south into Springfield that morning. When it normally would have taken us 45 minutes, it took us 1-1/2 hours to reach our destination. We saw cop car after cop car and motorcycle every 500 meters or so on I-95 and I-395.

Thankfully, Little Man was so patient on the way there. I knew enough to stack up on extra snacks, books, and a few trucks in his bag the day before. However, no one told hubby that because he was going to be receiving a local anesthetic prior to the cortisone injection, he wasn't suppose to eat 8 hours prior to his appointment. The doctor at least evaluated his back and even changed some of the pain management plan.

By the time we left the hospital it was lunch time, but I didn't think that LMA was going to make it all the way back home. I was right. He made it just until 1pm (schedule baby), so we stopped by Wendy's on the way in for take out. We were hoping since he had just fallen asleep 10 minutes prior that he wouldn't budge when I placed him in his bed. Wrong! He didn't want anything to do with a nap.

So we tried offering lunch, which he really wasn't interested in either, and when he started pitching a fit, I placed him back into bed. For 15 minutes, us going in every 5 minutes or so to wipe his nose and console him, he cried.

Now, I hate listening to my child cry, let alone scream bloody murder, but I knew he was tired. The more he kept crying though the more frustrated I would get. So hubby went him to console him and next thing I know LMA is talking like nothing even happened. I knew we had missed our window of opportunity for a nap. However, I really needed one. While I laid down, LMA and daddy were playing in the leaves outside and to their amazement found spring bulbs already popping up through the ground. That was the highlight of the day. The only one.

We still needed to get LMA checked out by the doctor. Turns out he has a double ear infection! Fan-crap-tastic! Another round of antibiotics please.

When we finally made it back home, we tried our best to keep LMA occupied and moving, but you could tell that 15 minutes of sleep was not going to cut it for him. We tried to lay down with him on our bed while we watched tv, but 10 minutes in he wasn't interested anymore. As soon as I turned off the tv when he walked away he started crying. We thought maybe we should just lay him down in his bed, even if it is just for 20 minutes while we get dinner ready.

I think if LMA's beloved friend, Paci, was still around this would not have been a problem at all. Since it's not though, it didn't work. I still gave him 5 minutes or so just to see if he would settle down, but no go. When I went in to get him, I tried to be extremely cheerful. "Mommy and Daddy are going to have dinner. Would you like to join us?" "Yeah!"

But when I walked away without Jeffrey, he started to cry all over again. Then he started with "Bugga!" So when I walked into the bathroom to get a tissue, I was slapped in the face. I was so furious and totally done at this point, I walked back into his room, threw him back in his crib, and yelled, "You do not hit your mother!" and stormed out of there.

I took a time out myself, came back and apologized, while LMA was apologizing as well through tears. But that didn't stop the crying. For 45 more minutes he continued to cry, even though daddy was holding him and walking around with him. He had gotten so wound up, he couldn't calm down. My head was about ready to explode. See, this is when hubby and I make a great team. It always seems as though when the other one is flustered, the other one is calm.

Unfortunately, I was missing a small piece of the puzzle that daddy finally figured out. His ears were killing him. Because he was crying so hard, he was snorting through his nose, and practically hyperventilating. Every time he snorted, it would hurt his ears and make it even worse. And here I was thinking, he was crying every time he looked at me. Like he was still upset at me and couldn't stand the sight of me.

We gave him some motrin and decided we just needed to change things completely. By now it was 6:45pm. LMA didn't eat lunch, had been snacking all day long, and now was about to miss dinner. We sat down and offered applesauce which would hopefully help, and it did.

By the end of the day, we were so exhausted. I have to admit, when we have days like this, which with this kid really are few and far between, I wonder what the hell was I doing becoming a mother? Am I really a good mother or do I have no business what so ever being one? What would ever happen if we brought another one into our family? Would I kill myself before they turned 5 years old? But then, I realize, tomorrow is another day. And more than likely, it WILL be better. It has to.

10 Things I Learned over Thanksgiving weekend

1. Never travel the day before Thanksgiving. We decided to try our luck at driving at night. Apparently, so did the rest of Virginia, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.

2. A reclined car seat is best to prevent baby wiplash. It was bumper to bumper traffic about 10 miles before crossing into Delaware, then stop and go in Delaware .... which is about the time that Little Man woke up.

3. No matter how far you travel, it's always worth it to spend time with family. Although it took us 6 hours to drive a trip that normally would take 4-1/2 hours, it was all worth it to see family.

4. Nothing like a little fresh air to get your juices flowing. Needless to say, Little Man wasn't having the sit around all day and watch football thing. So thankfully, we were able to go to the park across the street and the library.

5. When in doubt, say "TRUCK". You had to be there.

6. Leftovers are always better the second time around. Okay, so this one I already knew, but they are.

7. Toddlers will always find something to do, even if it means "bunking" down the stairs.

8. After Thanksgiving sales are not worth waking up at 4am. I could not believe some of the stops stores were pulling to bring people in. Our local mall was opening at midnight the day before Thanksgiving and Kohl's opened at 4am on Black Friday. I heard one store was offering an additional 10% off if you came in your pajamas. I say wait until Cyber Monday to do your shopping in your pajamas in the comfort of your home.

9. You definitely learn from your mistakes. For our return trip back we made sure to have more toys, more books, more imagination, and a reclined car seat. Little Man slept the entire way back home and managed to get back to sleep in a matter of minutes once back in his own bed. The pure miracle was him sleeping in until 8am!

10. You always have more to be thankful for than you think.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day!

Can you say obsessed?

A few weeks ago we went to the Prince William County Fair. We made sure to get there before the crowd started shuffling in and I know Little Man had a great time. How do I know this you ask? Well, let's just say he saw his fair share of tractors at the fair.



I'm pretty sure this constitutes an obsession.

I am so glad that Little Man is getting old enough to be able to enjoy more things and events. Especially with the fair, we didn't have him "locked" into a stroller. We let him run around - let him get his wiggles out before the end of the day. He saw farm animals, like a rooster who scared the poop out of him (would have been funny if he actually pooped) when he cock-a-doodle-dooed as Little Man was walking by. They had a puppet show, that was semi-interesting. Lots of trucks and tractors. And just before we left we were able to catch a glimpse of the motorcycles jumping a ramp. Oh don't forget about the best part of a fair...


The funnel cake!

We'll definitely be going again next year!

Look-alike Meter

I saw this on another website and thought it would be really neat to see exactly who Little Man looks like. Although his father's not entirely convinced that Little Man is his, I assure him every day that he is. The first one that I tried I couldn't find a good picture of myself (am I really not in any pictures?) and I only found hubby's military photo. With this one, all three pics are fairly decent. I'm sure the results would change again depending on the photos.

So, here you have it. Little Man A looks more like me, but only by 6%.

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

A new tradition

As a family, we have very few things that we would actually call a "tradition". Obviously, we have the basic holidays but small events that we do together either weekly or monthly... not so much. Don't get me wrong, we have a schedule to abide to, but that's different. Trust me though that schedule definitely helps me get through the day sometimes.

So last weekend, we were thinking of different things to do. Saturday was a no brainer since it was beautiful weather we were outside most of the day. Sunday however, it was rainy and cold. We still had our plans of what we would like to do with our front yard plantings on our minds when I mentioned IKEA. I thought we could check there to see if they had something small, like a bistro set to place under our large tree in the midst of our new flower garden.

I also knew IKEA had a small cafe and thought that would be a perfect place to sit and have a mid-morning snack with Little A. Apparently, there are lots of other people with the same idea. So we ordered two small breakfast plates with eggs, home fries/hash browns, and bacon. Little A loved the eggs and potatoes! It was nice to sit and relax with Little A. There was enough people around in the cafe to keep him distracted while we finished our plates and tea/coffee.

The best part - it was cheap! Compared to IHOP or Denny's where you would normally pay close to $10 for two plates, coffee, tea, juice, and milk, we only paid $3.95! Yesterday we went back, this time I made sure to bring juice for Little A and I ordered just tea. Total = $2.08! I think we may have to order a third plate though just for Little A because he ate all of mine. With the rising prices of gasoline (granted I know it cost us to drive there), I can definitely deal with that. An added bonus, we get to shop afterwards. I found some great table runners with the perfect colors that I have been looking for to turn into pillows for our living room.

I think this is definitely a tradition that we may keep.