A Day at Lagoon Amusement Park

The Naval Reserve Center hosted our annual family day at the local amusement park. We figured that Dylan was a little older this year and would at least try some of the kiddie rides. Boy were we wrong! For some reason our fearless scooter rider is scared of the miniature train, carousel and even the miniature cars! He was excited at first, but quickly changed his mind once he heard the loud noises coming from the rides. At least there was a water park area and he had fun in the kiddie section. Though it still took a long time before he would even go down one of the little water slides. Once he got the hang of it, he begged to go down the big tube water slides, but we had to explain he wasn't tall enough. Try explaining that! He cried and cried! Austin was a real trooper the whole day. He mostly just kicked back in the stroller and people watched. He is so much more relaxed than Dylan at this age. It is amazing how different siblings are!

Austin watching the action at the water park.



Kicking back!


Dylan crashing another Navy family's picnic lunch.




Little Austin gracing us with a sweet smile after a nap.


This is the first ride Dylan tried and he was totally excited at first and ran to jump in the car early. However, as soon as the car moved away he started freaking out and cried for the rest of the short trip.

Mike consoles Dylan after the traumatic car ride!



Dylan anxiously awaits the fun house ride with Mike.

Compare Dylan on the carousel last year to his adventure at the fun house this year. Not much has changed!

Dylan dying to get off after the ride!

He was quickly calmed once he had some ice cream!

Dylan proudly holds the first stuffed animal he won when he picked three ducks from a running stream of water.

Rub a Dub Dub...

Baby Austin and big brother Dylan shared their first bath, sort of. Mike was bathing Austin and Dylan just couldn't wait for his bath. He proceeded to tear off his clothes and jump into the empty portion of the tub! He loves watching Austin in the baby tub and even tried to get in with him. He also enjoyed blowing bubbles in the water with a straw. Austin did not seem to mind the disruption and is clearly comfortable with Dylan involved in almost every aspect of his life now. I can't wait for them to share a real bath. It's obvious that Dylan is just dying for a playmate!

Also, check out how big Austin looks compared to Dylan! Believe it or not, Dylan had a very similar body type at that age. He just slimmed down as he grew. I don't think he could keep much weight on him considering his HIGH activity level!

Summer Days

Today we all enjoyed a day in the backyard pool. It was Austin's first time in the pool and he really loved it. Although it is extremely hot here now, highs in the upper nineties, we used our hot tub water to fill the pool. It actually makes it quite nice and easy to sit in for long periods of time compared to the frigid water that comes from the tap.

4th of July

We enjoyed a wonderful 4th of July this year. We started out the day at the neighborhood/church breakfast and kids bike parade. The kids decorated their bikes and rode them around the church. It was very cute. Dylan is still a little young to participate in the parade, but he loved watching the other kids. At the breakfast, Mike and I met another couple who had a child with a cleft palate. It was nice to talk to a neighbor with some of the same experiences.

Later in the day we went to a neighbors house for a barbecue. They had a cool bouncer for the kids and Dylan had a great time. The little girl in the wagon with Dylan was quite the spitfire and loved grabbing and pinching Dylan's cheek. Dylan cried at first and then just learned to keep his distance. It is fun to watch him learn how to interact with other kids. He is also very resourceful and would ask older kids to help him pour his drink rather than ask us. Austin slept for the first part and then enjoyed watching the activities after we ate.

At the end of the day, we set off a few fireworks in our front yard. Be sure to watch the attached video. Dylan loved the fireworks, but was fairly cautious about getting too close. He was also nervous about holding the sparklers when they were being lit and when they were about to burn out. Austin was in the Baby Bjorn during the fireworks and was only scared of the loud noises. As long as Mike covered his ears he was OK. The kids were finally in bed around 9:30 pm. It was a very long day, but a lot of fun!










Here is the short video of our front yard fireworks. Enjoy!

Waterslide Adventures!

We just set up our new Little Tikes waterslide. Dylan and our neighbors had a great time! The mountain water is a little too cold so we added warm water from our hot tub and the kids loved it.

Annual Bob Lane Party

We had our annual "Bob Lane" party this week. All our neighbors gathered together for food and fun! There is usually a big water fight at the end of the meal, but the hosts this year removed the hoses from the backyard. It was a great time despite not getting soaked!

Father's Day

We enjoyed a wonderful Father's Day celebration at Boondocks Fun Center. Our boys are lucky to have you for their Dad! Thank you for all that you do. We love you!

Dylan's Razor Scooter

Dylan has become quite good at riding a scooter, so I decided to take a little video today. His balance and coordination amaze me.



I also wanted to add a video of him playing in his little car.

Toddler Speak

One of the joys of motherhood is witnessing your child learn to speak. Dylan's language development has been fascinating and exciting to see. I still remember his first word, which was "kitty." By the time he turned two, his vocabulary had grown to over 50 words and now it has broadened to new words and phrases almost daily. Although I love to hear him learn new words and pronounce them correctly, I also enjoy hearing cute mispronunciations and new unique words.

The reason I am writing this entry now is that his most infamous made-up word has almost disappeared. I am not sure when it started or why, but he always referred to his favorite blanket as a "dodgie or dodgies." When he would call for it, I would always say the correct word, as recommended by parenting experts, so that he would eventually learn the word. However, now that he calls his blanket a blanket, I am saddened not to hear "dodgies." Sometimes, I find myself asking him about his dodgies and trying to get him to say it. Although he will repeat it after me, he never says the word first anymore.

Another adorable made-up phrase is slowly disappearing as well. Before knowing how to ask for something or tell me where something goes, Dylan would simply point and repeat the phrase, "da-doe, da-doe." For example, he often used it when pointing to his plate for ketchup, to tell me where to sit or signal that a part was missing from a toy or other object. I think it basically meant "that goes" here and the phrase "da-doe" was close enough. Now that his vocabulary has improved I have noticed this phrase slowly disappear as well. As with the word "dodgie," I continue to say "da-doe" in hopes that it lasts just a little longer. I guess this is just part of not wanting to let go of the childlike qualities that are so endearing and ever so temporary. Some other current toddler-isms include nu-nues = noodles and buddy = butter. He loves to ask for a buddy sandwich, meaning peanut butter of course. I am now trying to enjoy every moment of these early words since they will be gone before I know it.

Back Deck Views

One of the main reasons we moved to his house was for the spectacular views of the mountains. I have attached a few pictures highlighting the changing seasons.

This is one of my favorite sunrise pictures taken in January
2007, shortly after we moved here.

This picture was taken during a January 2007 snow storm.

This picture taken in late September 2007, highlights the mountain fall foliage a little past peak.

This picture was taken after a February 2008 major snow storm.