Bye-Bye Diapers

It has been quite a week, but I think we've done it. Watson is officially potty-trained. Hallelujah!!! We have bribed and pleaded but I think he just decided that it was time. A couple of months ago, we bought a big tractor and told him that he could have it when he got rid of his diapers. I made a poster for the bathroom door so he could get a sticker everytime he pooped in the potty. We offered M&M's (one for pee-pees, two for poo-poos). We put Goldfish in the potty so he could pee on them. We let him pee off the deck. We read him "Everyone Poops", a funny little book about how everything that eats poops. I don't know what worked, but I sure am happy that we have moved on to this new stage. How much are we going to save in diapers? He got his tractor today. We put it on the potty so he could find it first thing in the morning. Everybody is happy!

GO JACKETS!!!!

Today was a big day because the Yellow Jackets beat the Bulldogs! To hell with Georgia (I am quoting the fight song, not cursing thank you very much)!! It's been a fun season of tailgating. Here are some photos.

Happy First Birthday Sophia!

Can my baby really be one today? It does not seem possible. This year has gone by entirely too fast. We celebrated with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins with cake after Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Wes and I had this crazy idea that we could bake and decorate her cake ourselves even though we had never decorated a cake before. I think we went to bed last night around 2:30 because we had to work on this three-tiered masterpiece of a cake. It turned out quite pretty if I do say so myself. I was hoping for a fantastic photo of her tearing into her cake and getting it all over her face. Didn't happen. She put a finger in it and that was that. I don't think she likes to get dirty. For Thanksgiving, Wes cooked two turkeys, for which he had searched and searched for the perfect brine recipe. I didn't even know what brining (spelling?) was until this week. Very fancy and very tasty. I am so glad he likes to cook because I sure did enjoy the homemade cheesecake with fresh raspberry topping that he made too. I wonder how many pounds I put on today?

Back to my baby...we are so blessed that God gave her to us. She is the best baby ever! Happy Birthday Phia!

Mr. Sunshine

I thought that I could sleep in a little today. I knew Wes would be home so I had planned to seize the opportunity, which doesn't come along very often. Watson had other ideas. He busted into our room this morning saying, "Wake up Mom. Mr. Sunshine is awake." The sunshine may be awake, but Mom is not. I lost the argument....

Tales from Preschool

Today Wes and I had the honor of attending Watson's Thanksgiving party at preschool. I just had to go since I was feeling very guilty for not attending the Halloween party. I was quite impressed that Hayley, his teacher, had all of the kids sitting quietly at the table when we walked in. How did she do that? Turns out that Watson has offered up some very entertaining stories lately. He told his teacher that his Dad likes to drink wine. I think the story went something like this:
Watson: My Dad likes to drink wine.
Teacher: He does?
Watson: Yeah. Him does. Do you like to drink wine?
Teacher: Well, yes sometimes.
Watson: I don't like it. It's for grownups.
Good answer son and thanks for leaving your Mom out of this one.
We have been working on the potty training and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Watson went to the potty for his teacher today. He told her earlier this week that he did not need to go potty because his pee-pee was in his balls. Yet another good answer from my two-year-old.

A Halloween Story

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a handsome firefighter and a pretty fairy princess who searched far and wide for candy. Off to Nana and Dub's they went for some trick or treating. Along the way, the handsome firefighter asked about Gigi and announced that she must be out drinking (aka trick or treating!). Then it was off to find Gigi, who wasn't drinking after all, but passing out candy on her front porch. After dropping off Daddy and the pretty fairy princess at home, who was ready to go to dreamland, Mommy and the handsome firefighter hit the neighborhood streets in search of more candy. Along the way, the handsome firefighter met up with Ariel the princess and Buzz Lightyear. The handsome firefighter, Ariel and Buzz Lightyear came home with enough candy to last a very long time. And they all lived happily ever after. The End.

The First Field Trip

Is my baby really old enough to go on a field trip? Okay, okay...I had to drive him to the farm and was with him every minute so I suppose it should be called something other than a field trip. We went to Sweetwater Farm with the preschool from First Baptist where we enjoyed a maze, a hayride to a pumpkin patch, and a petting farm. Watson loved feeding the pigs and the goats despite the fact that he kept gagging from the smells! It was soooo cold and we couldn't feel our toes when we left.

Oh Crap!

Being a parent is such a growth process. I am realizing that little children pay attention to everything which is making me so much more aware of what I say and do. Today, we went to Provino's after church. It was a quiet place so everything Watson said could be heard across the room. He had brought Benny the tractor in for entertainment and we realized today that Benny's scoop is magnetized. I pointed out the magnet feature and Watson says, "Yeah, maggot. Him has a maggot." I did my best to correct him, but he spent the rest of lunch referring to his maggot. While we were waiting on our food, he says, just out of the blue, "Oh crap." Loudly. So loud that I heard the table behind me laugh. I suppose it could have been a much worse word, but holy crap, where did he learn that? Ohhhh, from me perhaps? Then some new folks came in and Watson watched them get settled at a table and announced that "him is big, Mom." It turns out that he was referring to the elementary aged boy but I was ready to crawl under the table thinking that he was talking about a rather large man. What did I learn today? To watch what I say and do around my kids and plan my exit route out of a restaurant just in case I need to bolt quickly from embarrassment!

I'm Back

How did you like my little break /vacation / sabbatical / leave of absence from blogging? I have no excuse except that I am Mom, and I can do these things because I said so. (I actually caught myself saying that to Watson the other day to answer his question, "Why?") Scary. Anyway, needless to say, we have had a very busy summer since we talked last. I have worked plenty but have found the time to squeeze in a few trips here and there. I will give you the highlights and promise to be a better blogger in the future. Check back for photos.

Happy 4th of July
We spent a fun weekend at Lake Martin with friends to celebrate the 4th. Watson had to wear his new Scooby Doo life jacket on the boat and he was not happy about it at all...until he figured out that he could float around without Mommy's or Daddy's help. We missed the fireworks because of the rain. Oh well, Watson and I sacked out early anyway. We were tired puppies. All that floating...

Nothing Like a Week at the Beach
In July we spent a fabulous week at the beach with six other families. Whew, what a crew! We had 14 kids in our group, but I am not sure who had more fun, the kids or the parents. We swam, played in the sand, took a boat ride to Crab Island and through the harbor (special thanks to Mark), had a sleepover, looked for treasure, ate some really great food, talked a lot of smack, and just enjoyed fellowship with great friends. I felt like a kid myself the morning we left. You know that feeling you get on the last day of summer camp? Giddy because you had so much fun, but sad to see your friends go? There is always next year...and I am already looking forward to it.



Reunion Time
Mom, the kids and I took a trip to Florida to visit family in Jacksonville and Fruitland Park. Staying in a hotel with two kids was somewhat challenging. I am quite certain that we were the loudest guests there and everyone was happy to see us go! We wandered over to the Landing for dinner and ate on the water. Watson loved the boats and was thrilled to see a train go by on a bridge over the water. He is still talking about it! There was a fountain that you could walk through and he was itching to play in the water. So, I stripped him down to his diaper and let him go. He eventually found my umbrella in the stroller and played some more. He was laughing and having so much fun, that passersby were stopping to look at him. While in Jacksonville, we attended church with my uncle and aunts and cousins and we had the opportunity to hear my cousin preach. Great message, cuz! I was sad to leave because I had such a great time visiting with everyone. I so wish that we all lived closer. My Uncle Lewis let Watson take home a firetruck from his grandkid toy chest and the firetruck didn't leave Watson's side the rest of the trip. We even had to sleep with it. If you ask Watson about the firetruck, he tells you, "Unca Yewis gave it to me." My biggest news is that Sophia started crawling while we were at my uncle's house! Although she wouldn't crawl very far because she had to stay very, very close to me. No surprise there from a mama's girl. We journeyed on to stay with my Aunt Martha and Uncle Joe. I was so glad to get there because it felt like home - no more hotels. We ate well and relaxed and just enjoyed good company. Our weather was not so great since a hurricane was on its way, but who says you can't swim in the rain? We had rubber duckie wars. Uncle Joe and Watson and I went to lunch and to a park one afternoon and Watson ran himself ragged on the playground. While we were there, it started pouring and we were soaked by the time we made it to the car. Pretty funny.



Labor Day Weekend
Well, I just had to squeeze in one more trip to the beach before the end of summer. My friend Cher and I had this trip planned for months and we were not going to let some illness (two kids with a stomach bug) and a hurricane (Gustav) stand in our way. Watson and I (Wes had some work commitments and stayed home with Sophia. I didn't even ask what he was going to do with her while I was gone!) drove down to Destin late Friday afternoon. We had a fabulous day at the beach on Saturday. I have never, not ever, seen the ocean so calm. You had to look hard to see one ripple in the water. Then the rain came. We stayed glued to to the weather channel as we debated whether or not to leave. Wes guilted me into coming home. Something about what if the hurricane veered 50 miles to the east and we were stuck at a condo with no power or running water and how was I going to take care of our son. I know he was right. But man, I really wanted to stay at the beach. So I spent Sunday evening on I-65 with the entire state of Louisianna. Thank heavens for portable DVD players and Bob the Builder.

First Day of Preschool

Watson started preschool at our church. He loves his teacher - she has babysit him since he was tiny. But for some reason, he always pitches a fit when I drop him off. The preschool director and his teacher tell me that he is fine as soon as I leave so I am convinced that he just knows how to play me like a fiddle. I am trying the ol' drop and go and I leave him crying on the floor, kicking and screaming. If Wes drops him off, he jumps out of the car, blows kisses and says, "Bye, Dad. See you later." What? That is sooooo not fair. Sometimes we pick up his friend Caz and he comes to play with us in the afternoon. One partly cloudy day as I am driving home from school, the two of them strike up a conversation. It went something like this:

Caz: Where did the sun go?

Watson: In the sky. Jesus up there Mom?

Me: Yes, Jesus is up there.

Caz: That airplane's up there.

Watson: Yeah, that's a big jet.

Caz: No, the Jet's are a football team.

So, we go from talking about the sun to Jesus to football. Rides home are always interesting with preschoolers.

Arkansas Baby

Since I hadn't been out of town enough over the summer (wink-wink), we took a road trip to visit the Henley's in Arkansas. I was dreading the drive. Anything over six hours in a car and I am not a pleasant person. Throw in two kids and I am just downright mean. But, I was pleasantly surprised. I lasted the whole 10 1/2 hours without cursing or throwing anything out the window. Arkansas turned out to be beautiful and was had so much fun with our friends. I am still amazed that they live in a community where you can walk to school. That never happens inmy neck of the woods. Watson and William learned to fist fight and Sophia had so much attention from Lauren and Grace that I thought I would never get her unspoiled. Poor Sophia had an ear infection while we were there (3rd one in six weeks) so I had to take her to the doctor and I missed a trip to the safari. Watson still talks about the parrot (do you see parrots on safaris?!). He imitates the parrot saying "hello" and 'bye-bye". We were lucky enough to not get the stomach bug which passed through the house, but I sure felt sorry for Bill and Jules and their kids. Depsite all of the illnesses, we had a great time. Please move back to VR guys! When we got home, Sophia had another milestone....she started sitting up from crawling. She could only flop on her belly the whole time we were in Arkansas. Then five minutes later she pulled up on the coffee table and stood there for the longest time. It took a minute for it to register in my mind that she had pulled herself up. I must have been brain dead from the 11 hour ride home. A whole new era has begun....

My Poor Ears

We finally made the trip to the ENT about Sophia's ears. She is now the proud owner of two new ear tubes and she seems much, much happier. She was so pitiful when they brought her back to us from the OR. Once she was awake, she cried for an hour and a half, which seemed like all day. We curled up on the couch when we got home and she finally dozed off, so we just hung out there for a few hours. She wanted to play around three in the afternoon and I was so relieved that she felt better. She did look cute in her itty bitty hospital gown.

1,2,3...

Today I realized that Watson can count to ten. He was sitting on the counter helping me make a pizza and he counted the pepperoni slices as he placed them on the pizza. I made a big deal about it and was so excited, but then he wouldn't count again. Maybe I scared him? I noticed him counting later, but he will only do it when he thinks you are not paying attention to him. I will lay low for a while. Maybe he knows his ABC's too!

Happy Father's Day

Today was a fun, low-key family day. We went to church, had lunch at Longhorn's then spent the day at home. Wes was in hog heaven because he could watch the U.S. Open and the NBA finals (championship, playoffs, whatever you call it). I was in hog heaven because I got a three hour nap (is this Mother's Day or Father's Day?) After a delicious dinner of bagels for Watson and me (can you tell that I "cooked"?) I took Watson to the pool. I hope Wes had a great relaxing day. Happy Father's Day! You are the best daddy in the whole world!

Watsonisms

"What doin' today, Mommy?" - At breakfast a couple of weeks ago when I planned to stay at home all day, I asked Watson what he wanted to do that day. His response was," I dunno." A few days later he asked me early one morning, 'What doin' today, Mommy?" So everyday since then, that has been the question. It could be eight o'clock at night and he will ask me, "What doin' today, Mommy?"

"Turn the dark off" - Our nighttime ritual recently has been to read books in my bed. I read him his books then he will "read" his books while I read my book. He eventually dozes off. I am truly amazed at what he can recall on the pages of his books. Anyway, last night after he was finished "reading" his books, he kept asking me to turn off my lamp. "Mommy, turn your light off. Mommy, turn your light off. MOMMY, TURN YOUR LIGHT OFF!" I eventually caved and turned off my lamp and snuggled up with him. Ten seconds later, he says. "Turn the dark off, Mommy. Turn the dark off." I just can't win.

"Big Church" - On our way to Mom's Morning Out, we passed a church not far from our house. Watson said, "That's a church, Mommy. But we're going to big church." I did not realize that he could recognize a church. But Mom's Morning Out is at a church and he now refers to it as "Big Church" instead of school. He says, "Going to big church to play with my friends." Too cute.

"I coming too" - Always ready for the next adventure, Watson wants to go everywhere with whoever is leaving the house. "I coming, too," he says as he looks for his shoes. Sometimes this ends well and sometimes you walk out the door with him crying and looking so rejected that it breaks your heart.

"Mommy's Watson" - Watson has always been a daddy's boy. It has truly been all about Wes....until recently. I am starting to feel the love. Our game that we play now centers around who Watson belongs to. If you ask him, "Whose Watson are you?" his answer is, "Mommy's Watson." Occassionally, when prompted by Wes, he'll say, "Daddy's Watson." But for the most part he is mine. Hooray!!

First Tooth

"I got my first tooth last Thursday and another one over the weekend. My Mom's Morning Out teacher found my first tooth and told Mommy when she came to pick me up. I thought Mommy was going to cry. I suppose that she wanted to see it before anyone else. Anyway, I sure am glad that they popped through. My gums were killing me! See how happy I am in this picture? I could smile all day." - Sophia

Roughing It

We spent a fun-filled weekend at Carters Lake in North Georgia camping with Nana and Dub (or should I say "Bubby" like Watson?). We really roughed it...our Airstream camper had the coldest AC and Wes and Watson slept in a tent with an air matress, a fan and a DVD player. I thought Wes was crazy when he suggested that they sleep in a tent - it's a far cry from the Ritz Carlton, which would be his first preference. But, he surprised me and said that he enjoyed it. Some fellow campers killed a water moccasin that was over four feet long about two camp sites over from ours. Needless to say, I was a little concerned about my men sleeping outside the next night! Watson played for hours in the pea gravel with his bucket and shovel and tractor. So much that he needed a good scrubbing. So, we filled up the little red wagon with suds and made our own bubble bath. Who knew wagons could be so universal? Our meals were incredible. Food always seems to taste better outside. Coffee, too. Sophia was an angel and seemed to enjoy the great outdoors. We managed a good long nap together on Saturday afternoon. I so enjoyed our time together as a family. We seem to be so crazy busy lately that it was wonderful to spend time just hanging out with my babies...and everyone else, too!

Say Cheese...

Summer is Here!

Today was especially hot. You know, one of those days when you need to strip off as much as possible so you can take the heat. I had planned to take Watson to the pool when Wes got home from work, but Watson was having so much fun riding his tractor and playing with the neighbor kids that he didn't care to go the pool. So, we turned on the sprinklers and they had a hey day. (I hope no one from the water authority reads this or we are busted for disobeying the water ban.) Neighborhood kids came out of the woodwork to come to play. We found watermelon, blueberries and cherries in the fridge so we all sat in the driveway munching away. It was the quintessential summer evening. I suppose the only way to make it more perfect would be if we had fresh squeezed lemonade.

I open it....

The French doors leading to our back decks are really hard to open. You have to lean into them with your shoulder or your hip and give them a little shove. I love that they stick - it makes it harder for Watson to escape outside. This morning while I was feeding Sophia, Watson tried and tried to open the back door. He had his hind side pushing on the door and said, "Mommy, it's stuck. Open it please." I told him that I couldn't get up since I was feeding Sophia but to keep trying. He stood there a minute thinking and turned around to face the door. He put his front side to the door and said, "Hmmmm.....I know.....I open it with my penis," as he pushed and pushed on the door with his front side. I thought I would fall off of the sofa from laughing so hard. He finally got the door open. Mission accomplished.

Have a Pooey Day!

What is it with Sundays in my house? Wes left for work at o'dark-thirty this morning. My boys had sacked out early last night in our bed and I had time to watch what ever I wanted to watch on TV (Grey's Anatomy TiVo'ed)...in the quiet. Instead of waking Watson when I was ready to go to bed, I just went to sleep in Watson's room. Sophia coughed all night long so I never really enjoyed good sleep. Anyway, Watson woke me up this morning tugging on my arm and asking, "Where's Daddy? Get out of my bed, Mommy! Why are you in my bed Mommy? Where's Fia? Where's Daddy? Out of my bed, Mommy! Daddy at work? Daddy at work with Sammy? Sammy cut down those trees, Mommy. Saw was loud. Biiigggg trees. Get out of my bed Mommy. Where are my tadpoles? Where is my craw-crab? Cut on light to 'quarum Mommy. Crab in the creek? I want to go get him. Fia's wake Mommy." Sophia was awake indeed. I got moving and had everyone fed and happy. I let Watson run around without his diaper for just a bit (part of my new potty training plan) while I was getting ready for church. I thought I was keeping an eye on him but then he left the room and it became really quiet. I went to look for him and found a nice, steaming surprise on the laundry room floor. I searched through the house and found him in his bathroom trying to wash his poo covered hands. Poo was everywhere. He had managed to sit on the potty - the evidence was there. I think he was heading to the bathroom when it landed on the laundry room floor. I was livid, but what do you do? He tried. I had twenty minutes before I needed to leave, so I threw him in the tub to give him a good scrubbing, cleaned up the mess on the floor, finished getting myself ready and got Sophia up and dressed. We made it only a couple of minutes late. This potty training thing is for the birds. He may just wear a diaper until he is four. Naw, just kidding.

Tadpoles

Wes took Watson with him to work this morning and they found time to go dig in the creek. Watson came home with three tadpoles. He was so excited to show me when he walked in the door. "Ta poles, Mommy. Ta poles! Baby frogs. Put them in my quaram (aka aquarium)." So we added tadpoles to our fish, snail and spring lizard collection. At least they are all contained.

Guilt

Sophia had her six-month checkup yesterday with Dr. Ken. Wes took her because I had an appointment...I felt so guilty because I couldn't be there. Hopefully, Sophia will not remember that Mommy was absent for her shots. She weighs over 19 pounds now. She didn't feel very well the rest of the day and she woke up around three this morning with a fever. I stayed up for a while listening to her moan in her sleep. Those evil shots. I felt even more guilty when I left to go to work this morning knowing that she still didn't feel very well. It ruined my day actually. Thankfully, she was feeling better by this evening so we attended my neighbor's graduation party. It was a fun, fun party - they even had fireworks!

Memorial Day Fun

Today was an absolutely fabulous day to be outside. Wes still wasn't feeling so well, so Watson and I headed to Whitestone for a cookout. I had a great time getting to know new folks and Watson had fun playing with new kids. One neighbor took him for a ride on his four-wheeler and Watson thought that he was the king. We swam and I had to literally drag Watson out of the pool when it was time to go home. My little fish.

What a Day

Last night we went out for a night on the town with friends. We had three in our group with May birthdays so we had the perfect excuse for some fun. One of our gracious friends rented a limo so we went to Atlanta in style. We dined at No Mas, a Mexican restaurant on Walker Street where we enjoyed the best salsa and cheese dip that I have ever eaten. If you have a chance, go! We got home at the fairly tame hour of midnight (thanks GiGi for staying at our house so late...Hmmm, I remember a time when I thought nidnight was early!) and all was well until about 4:30 when Wes woke up in severe pain with another kidney stone. Poor Wes. I think it is going to be a very long week. Watson climbed in bed with us at 5:30 and Sophia was up by 7. By that point, I had come to the realization that I had to get both kids to church with me extra early because I had handbell rehearsal. No skipping church today like a heathen since we were playing in the service. I couldn't leave them at home with Wes curled up in a ball. I made it to church (only a couple of minutes late because Watson needed his stinky diaper changed as we were walking out the door and I had to chase him around the house, threaten bodily harm and hold him down to change it) but I had to take Wes' filthy truck because my car was on empty. This turned out to work to my advantage because on our way home from church, Watson started an asthma coughing fit and then vomited everywhere. I think that he had eaten a million Goldfish in Sunday School. Poor Watson. Nana and Dub met me at our house to get the kids since I had to work all afternoon and there was no way that Wes could chase Watson all day. I finally made it to the subdivision and realized that I did not have my key because someone had borrowed it the week before and the key had not made it back on my key ring. Poor Mommy. I just wanted to sit down on the front porch of my office and cry like a baby. I didn't though. Wes should by crying...he is the one in pain.

Two Whoppers, Fries and Onion Rings Please

I stayed home today and Watson, Sophia and I met Wes for lunch at Burger King. I know, I know, not the most nutritious place but they have an indoor playground with tables right next to the slides. Anyway, we ordered Watson a Jr. Whopper combo and he ate it like he had not had anything to eat for a week (wasn't breakfast just three hours ago?). Then he started looking around the table at our food. Wes handed over his extra cheeseburger that he had ordered for himself and Watson ate it, too, along with some of Wes' onion rings. How does our two-year-old eat more than his daddy? Maybe it's time to ration cheeseburgers in our house. His pants are getting a little tight.....

Medicintini

The weather has been fantabulous, excluding last Sunday's storms, so we have enjoyed sitting on our back porch for dinner the past few days. Wes was kind enough to make me a French Martini last night. Watson asked what it was so I told him that was a Martini. He said, "Grown up drink, Mommy?" "Yes, Watson a grown up drink." He then replied after a few moments, "Medicintini, Mommy?" For some reason, he thinks that grown up drinks are medicine. Fine by me - he won't be trying to steal a drink because he doesn't like to take medicine. I really should be ashamed. But, my Medicintini did make me feel better....

Happy Birthday to Me

My birthday was Tuesday. Turning 29 is rough (Okay, okay thirty something). Mom took me out to lunch at Gabe's with Watson and Sophia, who were really good, an excellent birthday present. There's nothing like lunch with great company and shrimp and grits to cure the birthday blues!!

I was privileged to have lunch with Kerry, Thomas, Cindy, Brandy, Kennedy, Reese, Watson and Sophia on Thursday at Logan's. The peanuts were a hit with the kids. I still have a hard time with just throwing the shells on the floor, but Watson thought it was fun.

On Friday, Wes and I celebrated by staying at home, grilling out, and going to bed by 9:30. You know you are old when your kids are spending the night with grandparents and you have had such a long week that you just want to sleep instead of going out, which would require way too much energy. We even got to sleep in the next morning. Now, that was a great birthday present. Happy Birthday to Me!

Big Frog

Ever heard of a 'big frog"? I had not until today when Watson announced that he had a big frog in his pants. "Shew, Mommy....big frog!" He does have a very sensitive nose for a two-year-old, but I was hoping that he wouldn't notice gas passing until he was older. Giggle, giggle, "Big frog." Giggle, giggle, "Big frog." Wes must have taught hime that. It's got to be a boy thing.

Sophia's Dedication

Today, we celebrated Sophia's Baby Dedication with family and friends. I would like to send a special thanks to everyone who shared our day with us. We were so happy to have Aunt Martha and Uncle Joe and Aunt Frieda travel all the way from Florida to join us for this special event. Watson was extra tickled to see Uncle Joe. "Let's go Joe," he says when he is ready to go somewhere. I think he believes that Uncle Joe lives at GiGi's because every time we go visit GiGi, he looks for Uncle Joe and asks where he is. I tell him that Uncle Joe is at his own house in Florida, but I don't think he understands. I think we will have to go visit his house for it to sink in.

Sophia did great during church. I suppose that I expected her to cry since she doesn't particularly care for commotion and it was her naptime. It helped that the Baby Dedication part was at the beginning of the service. She is such a good baby. Watson was sitting in the balcony and he got so excited when he saw us at the front of the church with Sophia. We eventually had to take him to his class, but he enjoyed "big church" for a little while.

Miss You, Mommy

Back to reality alright. Today I opened the sales office at Whitestone for the very first day. Wow, what a lot of preparation that took! It was go, go, go all day long (unfortunately, not from prospective buyers knocking down my door) so I was especially tired when I got home. Wes was cooking dinner and Watson was sitting on the kitchen counter supervising and Watson yells out, "Mommy! I missed you today Mommy." Wes swore that he did not coax him into saying that. I could have cried. That is just what I needed to hear after a long day. I missed you, too Watson.

Back to Reality

We had to come home today and I am so very sad. But we are bringing home a lot of wonderful memories of family time together. We enjoyed our last night on the beach with a picnic ("sand" sandwiches, thanks to Watson) while we watched the sun go down. Wes and Watson caught more crabs and Sophia slept.

Watson has amazed me with his vocabulary. He told me yesterday to look at his shadow. I don't know how he learned what a shadow is, but he seems to notice every shadow we come across now- palms trees, birds, etc. He also told me to look at his footprint while we were walking on the beach one day. "Mommy's big," he announced. Thanks buddy for pointing out what big feet your mother has.

We "left" all of Watson's bobbles for the crabs. He kicked the habit halfway into our trip and has only asked for them once - tonight when he went to bed. I told him that we left the bobbles at the beach for the crabs. He said, "Okay, Mommy," and that was that. I am sort of sad that he doesn't want them anymore. He is growing up and I am going to miss seeing his beautiful dimples and eyes shine around his binky. His bobble smile was such a cute thing and will forever be ingrained in my mind.

Now it's back to work. I am very thankful that we had such a wonderful trip.

Priceless

Dozen Oysters from Buster's - $2.50

Ice cold Corona with lime - $3.50

Sharing them with Watson - Priceless.

There really are some things money can't buy.

(I really don't think Wes let Watson sip on the Corona. Although he is looking a little guilty....)

Dewey Destin

After a fabulous day at the beach, we headed for Dewey Destin for a little fried seafood. Of course, you don't have to order it fried...but why be good on vacation? If you have never been to Dewey Destin, you have to picture the greatest dive you have ever patronized and then add water and pelicans to get the full effect. They serve food out of a trailer and you eat on picnic tables on a rickety old pier. Perfect. The first thing Watson did when we arrived was to take off running down the pier. Nothing like a pre-dinner heart attack for Mom. After the feast, Wes and Watson meandered around the pier checking out the boats and looking for fish and crabs. When we arrived back at the condo, Wes made the discovery that he didn't have his shoes. After much deliberation, he concluded that he had left them on the bumper of the car. I think he was was distracted by Watson who chose to run across the parking lot (running away seems to be a theme here?) with cars passing through. We drove back and found his shoes in the road about a block from Dewey. He was lucky, only one tire mark on one shoe. Of course, I had to give him a hard time. Who leaves their shoes on the back of the car? Actually, it sounds like something I would do.

What We Love about Destin....

1. Grouper sandwiches at Pompano Joe's
2. Heated Pool at Edgewater Beach Condominiums
3. Sugar white sandy beaches
4. Lunch baskets at Dewey Destin
5. Strolling through Baytowne Wharf
6. Fresh seafood from Skipper's Market
7. Italian dinners at Graffiti
8. No work!!!

Disgusting

Watson has been on the egg kick. If you ask him what he wants for breakfast - eggs. For lunch - eggs. For dinner - eggs. You get the picture. Wes cooked him eggs one morning but used a different pan. Watson took one bite and gagged then said, "These are disgusting!" as he pushed his plate away. Poor Wes. He is such a good cook and I don't think he has ever heard anyone say that about his cooking before (Well, I forgot about the Jambalaya dinner...another story).

Last night, we decided to take a little break from seafood and eat at La Paz. On the way back to the condo, Watson was sniffing and snorting and said, "Get those boogers Mommy. Boogers." I asked him if he needed to blow his nose as I was handing him a tissue and told me yes, which he will never admit. He snorted some more then handed me back the tissue. Ahh, the joys of motherhood.

We stopped at TCBY for ice cream and Watson didn't want to eat just his. He wanted my scoop, too. I am trying really hard to teach him to share, but there a couple of things I really don't like to share. One is grilled cheese sandwiches, another is bacon and the other is ice cream. I dutifully surrendered. I suppose mommies need a lesson in sharing sometimes, too.

I had enough of the sharing lesson this morning when he wanted to eat my breakfast (yes, we had bacon!) after he had finished his. What's a mother got to do to get some food around here?

Luckily, he didn't want my lunch, which we enjoyed on the balcony of our condo after a long morning of beach and pool. I could so live here!!

$3 Shovel

Watson is having the time of his life at the beach. We call him Mr. Congeniality because he never meets a stranger. So far, he has made friends with Clayton from Montana, Brooke from Tennessee, Madison from Georgia, Amal from Pennsylvania and Chet and Jax from Tennessee. He will just walk up to a kid on the beach to share his shovel or say, "I Watson." He has told us numerous times while watching off of our balcony, "I want to play with those kids," pointing to the playground or the pool. One day, he was walking along the shoreline, splashing in the puddles, and he kept walking and walking. I thought that surely he would turn around and head back my direction when he realized how far away he had walked. Instead, he started walking with another family and I had to run to retrieve him. A Baywatch moment. Me, running to save my son from running off with some family from Connecticut. Wes picked up a beach shovel at Dollar General and it has been the best three dollars we have ever spent. Watson loves his shovel. I am amazed that he will share it at all.

I do not think Sophia cares for the beach. It is so very bright and windy so she cannot sleep very well. We could put Watson on beach towel for a nap at her age and carry on with our day. But, she wants to be on her belly snuggled up in bed. We have taken her a couple of times in her infant carrier and I think she may be getting used to it. She must get used to it because her Mommy loves the beach.

My favorite time of day to be on the beach has always been in the evening when the sun begins to set and the sky turns brilliant shades of pink. This week has been extra fun with a two-year-old. Watson and Wes have caught crabs in his net and the moon has taken over where the sun left off. Watson looked at me one evening and said, "It's dark Mommy. Sun went night-night." I replied, "Yes, sun went night-night." Watson said, "It's tired, Mommy." He noticed the stars and was so excited about the moon. I told him that stars are up in heaven, where Jesus lives. A few minutes later, he wanted to check on Sophia who was tucked away from the wind in her infant carrier. He told her, "Fia. I Watson. Jesus lives up there." So sweet indeed.