Halloween Time!!! This year you had a really hard time choosing what you wanted to be. You said T-Rex, Mario, Bowser from Mario, but finally settled on a ninja turtle...again. :) You were Michaelango when you were two years old so Mama tried to talk you into doing something different...but you just did not budge. However, you decided that you wanted to be Leonardo this year.....so for the second year, you were a Ninja Turtle for Halloween.
Mama had to teach in the morning but you had your Halloween party at school anyhow. Daddy picked you up from school and then killed time until I could come meet you guys. We went to Great Aunt Theresa's job because they always give out SO much candy... we walk from cubicle to cubicle and leave there with a ton of candy! Aunt Sheena's mom Nancy painted your face for you again this year...she is a face-painter and does amazing work. Although your costume came with a mask, you were much happier to not have to wear it and have super fun halloween make up instead.
We met up with Tee and the girls and did some local Trunk or Treat's, went to the church to trick or treat, and then went to Poppy's neighborhood once it got dark. We walked several blocks and trick-or-treated. Mama's friend Kate and her daughter Ava walked around with us. By the end of the night, we were all exhausted, full from snacking on candy, and your bag of candy had more candy than you certainly needed. It was a successful night!
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Basketball!
You had your first basketball game yesterday!!! Daddy is your coach and holy moly...Mama could not love the two of you guys anymore than I do. I love watching the two of you interact with one another. You are playing basketball with your two buddies - Elias and Liam. These are the two boys that you met in preschool last year and have remained best friends with. You three played baseball together last summer and have started to play basketball together this year. We bought you the cutest basketball shoes EVER! Little grey Jordan's...of course you had to show us how fast you could run and how high you could jump.
Your team name is the Lions!
Your first game was the cutest thing EVER. It is 4 and 5 year olds...so of course it is more about enjoying the game than competitively playing. Daddy had instructed each of the team to "Guard your person" (the person on the other team) and you took that very seriously. You would not take your eyes off of your "person" and would not let them get past you. Tee and the girls came to cheer you on. At one point, you left the court to come give all of your "fans" a big high five... in the middle of the game! HA! We laughed and laughed. Daddy just hollered for you to get back in the game. ;) Another point in the game, you left the court to come give Mama a big hug. In one of the huddles, you made Daddy stop talking to give you a big kiss. You are such a sweet little guy.
Although you did not score any baskets in your first game, you were awesome on the defense and even had the opportunity to take the ball to the basket a few times! You did fantastic dribbling and seem to really understand some of the fundamentals of the game.
Immediately after, Kassidy had her first basketball game. We were so proud of her too! We couldnt' stay for the whole game but we got to see four of the six periods of her game. We had to leave to get you to your friend Beck's birthday party. It was at PetLand... you really enjoyed playing with the puppies. I know in my heart that we are going to have to get you a puppy sometime soon...all little boys deserve a dog. Even if Mama doesn't want another one after Rocky, my little Lathan deserves one!
Your team name is the Lions!
Your first game was the cutest thing EVER. It is 4 and 5 year olds...so of course it is more about enjoying the game than competitively playing. Daddy had instructed each of the team to "Guard your person" (the person on the other team) and you took that very seriously. You would not take your eyes off of your "person" and would not let them get past you. Tee and the girls came to cheer you on. At one point, you left the court to come give all of your "fans" a big high five... in the middle of the game! HA! We laughed and laughed. Daddy just hollered for you to get back in the game. ;) Another point in the game, you left the court to come give Mama a big hug. In one of the huddles, you made Daddy stop talking to give you a big kiss. You are such a sweet little guy.
Although you did not score any baskets in your first game, you were awesome on the defense and even had the opportunity to take the ball to the basket a few times! You did fantastic dribbling and seem to really understand some of the fundamentals of the game.
Immediately after, Kassidy had her first basketball game. We were so proud of her too! We couldnt' stay for the whole game but we got to see four of the six periods of her game. We had to leave to get you to your friend Beck's birthday party. It was at PetLand... you really enjoyed playing with the puppies. I know in my heart that we are going to have to get you a puppy sometime soon...all little boys deserve a dog. Even if Mama doesn't want another one after Rocky, my little Lathan deserves one!
The Holidays
Another year of Holidays have come and gone. We were hoping to spend Thanksgiving in St. Louis with Uncle Dave and Aunt Sheen but David had to work so we stayed in town. We celebrated at Tee and Uncle Ezra's house with everyone in the family. So much food....but you ate a lunchable. Typical Lathan!
With every year, Christmas becomes more and more magical. You were amazed by the christmas lights this year - If someone did not decorate their house with christmas lights, you would say "They are not in the christmas spirit - Santa Clause will not find their house." Good thing your Daddy is completely obsessed with Christmas lights so we certainly did not have to worry about Santa Clause finding our house...our house lights up the whole neighborhood. The lady across the street tells us that she does not need a porch light this time of year because of house ;) Every year we add more and more Christmas decorations too...enough is just never enough!
Boy did Santa Clause take care of you this year!!!! You have more toys than we have room for actually.... lots and lots of Hot Wheels tracks, lots of toys, even more toys, and even more Hot Wheels tracks. Good thing we have the room in our basement to set them all up. Uncle David had to work on Christmas so they were not going to make it back until the day after Christmas, so our Christmas Day was pretty relaxing. We woke up and opened Christmas presents at our house - It was such a wonderful morning to see the happiness in your eyes. You ran from your stocking to the presents, from the cookie plate to see if Santa had eaten them to the chimney door that Santa had left over when he came inside. You were amazed by all of the presents and everything that Christmas morning had brought. After our Christmas morning together, Tee, Uncle Ezra, the girls, and Poppy came over to our house for a Christmas brunch. Mama had made an overnight breakfast casserole and crock pot hot cocoa, Tee made biscuits and gravy, and Poppy brought huge cinnanom rolls. So much food. We sat around and ate, played Christmas bingo for lots of Christmas prizes that Poppy had bought and sang a lot of Christmas karaoke. Around 3:30 we went to Grandma Bye's house for the Rodriguez Christmas gift exchange. It was the first Christmas without Poppy's mom - Grandma Kathy - GG so it felt kind of strange not celebrating there but I know that she was with us in spirit...just like my mama, Poppy Tino, and Rocky and Macoy always are. We spent the night relaxing at home and playing with your millions of toys.
The next day, Uncle David and Aunt Sheena finally made it to town! We got to celebrate Christmas at Poppy's and holy moly....were you spoiled AGAIN! It is always so great to have the whole family together (plus our guardian angel, Ma.) You got so many super awesome gifts including a HotWheels Ultimate Garage to hold your million cars, the fastest remote controlled race car EVER, and these amazing shoes that light up. Poppy found them on the internet - They are not like the normal light up shoes that light up when you step down....these are crazy colored shoes that are always lit up and need to be charged through a USB cord. I can not even tell you the number of people that have stopped us and asked where your shoes came from. They are quite the hit!!!
Over the next week, we spent a lot of quality time with Uncle David and Aunt Sheena. We had not gotten to see them since August so we certainly took advantage of the time that they were here. Mama had two weeks off from work, so we had lots and lots of cuddle time, snuggle time, play time, and rest and relaxation.
We ended 2016 at Tee's house - We thought since it was a special night, you could stay up later than usual. I could not believe that you were not even tired come midnight!!!We came home right after midnight but you did not want to...you wanted to stay even longer. Party animal. 2016 was a good year...you started your second year of preschool, you learned so much and have excelled so much in school, you became very active in church including singing in the children's choir. I'm interested in seeing what 2017 brings for us! :)
With every year, Christmas becomes more and more magical. You were amazed by the christmas lights this year - If someone did not decorate their house with christmas lights, you would say "They are not in the christmas spirit - Santa Clause will not find their house." Good thing your Daddy is completely obsessed with Christmas lights so we certainly did not have to worry about Santa Clause finding our house...our house lights up the whole neighborhood. The lady across the street tells us that she does not need a porch light this time of year because of house ;) Every year we add more and more Christmas decorations too...enough is just never enough!
Boy did Santa Clause take care of you this year!!!! You have more toys than we have room for actually.... lots and lots of Hot Wheels tracks, lots of toys, even more toys, and even more Hot Wheels tracks. Good thing we have the room in our basement to set them all up. Uncle David had to work on Christmas so they were not going to make it back until the day after Christmas, so our Christmas Day was pretty relaxing. We woke up and opened Christmas presents at our house - It was such a wonderful morning to see the happiness in your eyes. You ran from your stocking to the presents, from the cookie plate to see if Santa had eaten them to the chimney door that Santa had left over when he came inside. You were amazed by all of the presents and everything that Christmas morning had brought. After our Christmas morning together, Tee, Uncle Ezra, the girls, and Poppy came over to our house for a Christmas brunch. Mama had made an overnight breakfast casserole and crock pot hot cocoa, Tee made biscuits and gravy, and Poppy brought huge cinnanom rolls. So much food. We sat around and ate, played Christmas bingo for lots of Christmas prizes that Poppy had bought and sang a lot of Christmas karaoke. Around 3:30 we went to Grandma Bye's house for the Rodriguez Christmas gift exchange. It was the first Christmas without Poppy's mom - Grandma Kathy - GG so it felt kind of strange not celebrating there but I know that she was with us in spirit...just like my mama, Poppy Tino, and Rocky and Macoy always are. We spent the night relaxing at home and playing with your millions of toys.
The next day, Uncle David and Aunt Sheena finally made it to town! We got to celebrate Christmas at Poppy's and holy moly....were you spoiled AGAIN! It is always so great to have the whole family together (plus our guardian angel, Ma.) You got so many super awesome gifts including a HotWheels Ultimate Garage to hold your million cars, the fastest remote controlled race car EVER, and these amazing shoes that light up. Poppy found them on the internet - They are not like the normal light up shoes that light up when you step down....these are crazy colored shoes that are always lit up and need to be charged through a USB cord. I can not even tell you the number of people that have stopped us and asked where your shoes came from. They are quite the hit!!!
Over the next week, we spent a lot of quality time with Uncle David and Aunt Sheena. We had not gotten to see them since August so we certainly took advantage of the time that they were here. Mama had two weeks off from work, so we had lots and lots of cuddle time, snuggle time, play time, and rest and relaxation.
We ended 2016 at Tee's house - We thought since it was a special night, you could stay up later than usual. I could not believe that you were not even tired come midnight!!!We came home right after midnight but you did not want to...you wanted to stay even longer. Party animal. 2016 was a good year...you started your second year of preschool, you learned so much and have excelled so much in school, you became very active in church including singing in the children's choir. I'm interested in seeing what 2017 brings for us! :)
DISNEY
We just got back from the most amazing trip imaginable - Daddy and Mama took you to a week at Disney. This was a trip that has been planned for almost a year - Mama researched and researched and researched to make sure that we were prepared and everything had been thought of - (I think I needed a vacation after planning a vacation! Ha!)
Mama made a Mickey countdown poster where you would remove a Mickey every single day so you knew how many days were left until you got to see Mickey Mouse. Nancy at daycare said you would update her everyday how many days were left. Saturday November 12th you removed the LAST Mickey Mouse which meant we were out of there! You had helped pack your little big - You grabbed your shampoo, your underwear and your socks - Mama got the rest ready ;) You pulled your bag down the hallway and helped Daddy load the car. Poppy drove with us so he could take our car home so it wasn't left there - You were so excited! We loaded the plane and you sat by the window - You were all set to go....until the airplane started to take off. Airplanes are loud and it can be a little bit scary as the plane starts down the runway and gains speed to get in the air - your eyes got really teary and you started to panic but as soon as the plane started to lift off the runway....you were fine! You loved watching us get higher and higher until we were above the clouds.
Once we landed and got situated in Orlando, Florida - it was about 7:30 and already dark. However, because we were in Florida and the weather was gorgeous....we checked into the resort and then walked around to explore. We stayed at Disney All Star Movie Resorts which was adorable - It had themed areas (Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, Mighty Ducks, Love Bug, and your favorite...Toy Story!) The resort had HUGE toy statues that you really enjoyed. We ate pizza and then got ready for bed - You had a big day planned for the next day!
Sunday
The first day of the trip was Disney Hollywood Studios! Even though you are a big boy that does not need a stroller anymore, we had bought a stroller specifically for the trip. Everything that Mama had read in her research said to definitely plan on having any younger children ride in a stroller as the parks are so huge and require a great deal of walking. It just so happened that the only lightweight stroller that was available at Walmart was MICKEY MOUSE! (worked out perfect!) So we packed our water bottles, the stroller, and took off for the Disney shuttle in our Mickey Mouse shirts. Disney Parks are massive and the intricate fine details all over the park is just amazing. We really were overwhelmed when we walked into the park - Mama had went to DisneyLand in California many many many years a go but never to Disney World... It is gigantic!
We utilized a service called "FastPass" which meant that six months prior to your trip, you are able to choose three rides to "skip the lines" at certain times throughout the day. Once you use those three passes, you may add another, then another, etc. etc. The very first ride we went on was called "The Great Movie Ride," it took us a "tour" of old movies that "came to life" The only one that you really knew was The Wizard of Oz but you still enjoyed it. After that we rode ride after ride after ride - Thank goodness for the stroller because you sat in it the entire time.
The highlight of your day was dinner at Hollywood and Vine. Little did you know that this was a character dinner...as soon as we entered the restaurant...there stood Goofy. Your eyes just lit up. It was a buffet style dinner (of course you took two bites of your food) but that was just fine because the way you looked when you saw Mickey Mouse was absolutely priceless. The characters all came up to our table and you got to hug them and then pose for a picture - Mama and Daddy had to hold you for all of the pictures EXCEPT Mickey Mouse. You ran as fast as you could and wrapped both of your arms around him for the biggest hug... I felt that my heart was going to burst.
Monday
Monday was MAGIC KINGDOM! The biggest and the most amazing Disney park of all. I could not even tell you how many rides we went on that day but we were there until it was way past dark...one ride after another. We utilized the Fast-passes again which really are lifesavers - I believe the longest we ever had to stand in line was 45 minutes and that was because we were in between our scheduled rides and had the time to waste. On our way to one of our scheduled rides we happened to see a crowd gathering near the street - turns out, there was a parade that was scheduled to start in about 20 minutes. We were almost the front row for it! Daddy put you on his shoulders and you oooohed and ahhhed at all of the Disney characters and the gigantic floats. Mickey and Minnie were the last ones in the parade and Mickey waved at you - You could not believe it! You said after meeting him the night before, you two were best friends! :)
You rode on your first rollercoaster and had a BLAST! In fact, we had to ride it two more times. I was so scared for you but I should have known better....you are all about speed! :) Of course it was a very small rollercoaster that was designated for small children...but it was definitely fast enough for you!
The Disney Castle was completely decorated in Christmas lights - We stood and stared at it for the longest time because it was probably the most beautiful and amazing thing we had ever seen. We tried to take pictures of it but they just didn't do it justice.
Tuesday
After all of the fun of the past two days, we had a scheduled rest day planned. We just hung out at our resort and relaxed for most of the day. We had a big evening planned but even we didn't know how BIG it would be! We boarded one of the shuttles that took us to our scheduled dinner at one of the surrounding resorts. Mama had signed us up for Mickey's Backyard BBQ but of course did not tell you anything more than we had a surprise coming. When we checked in, we found out that we were VIP's. You heard a band playing and immediately told us that you figured out your surprise - you said we were bringing you to listen to a band. Of course we went along with it and told you Yep! That's your surprise. You were excited. HOWEVER, once we got inside the restaurant you saw the truth... In walked Mickey and all of his friends (Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale, & Donald Duck!) We had thought dinner at Hollywood was fun but it turns out that we got to hang out and dance with Mickey and the gang! Seriously, this was the greatest night ever!!!!
We had a lot of food to eat, there was a band that was playing, and all of the kids got to have a dance party with Mickey and his friends. The whole dinner lasted about three hours... I had no idea what I was signing up for when I chose that dinner but it turned out to be the most magnificent and spectacular evening EVER!
Wednesday
Today we went to Animal Kingdom! This park is not nearly as large but it was still very neat. We started off by going on an animal safari - We go to drive through and see man different animals up close. Giraffes were right beside us! The best part of this park were the shows - specifically the Lion King Musical. It was something right out of Broadway! You loved it - You danced and sang along as you sat on my lap. At one point, one of the "monkeys" came off stage and tried to give you a high-five but you panicked and refused to. Ha! Mama gave him one for you. The show consisted of acrobats, fire dancing, music, huge animal floats, and overall...one heck of a performance! We also went to "Finding Nemo" the musical, which you really enjoyed. I'll tell you what you did NOT enjoy...the Bugs Life show. It was supposed to be a child-friendly 3D show...however, it became pretty intense and we quickly realized that it was probably a little too scary for you. We realized this when you started bawling and we had to run out of the theater.... :( Sorry baby. We had no idea. A grasshopper decided to come out and pretend to spray pesticide over all of the humans so we would know how it felt....then pretend spiders dropped from the ceiling and we were "stung" by bees. (The stinging was just a little painless poke that came out of our chair but just was supposed to make people jump and laugh.) However, for a 4 year old...all of that is very traumatic. So we ran out of there and did not look back!
Thursday
We finished the three Disney parks that we were scheduled to visit and spent today at Sea World. It was a very nice change of pace after the hectic crowd-packed Disney parks...Sea World was not very busy at all. We got to see the most amazing shows with sea lions, walruses, dolphins, and killer whales. Each show you wanted to sit in the "SOAKZONE" however we were lucky and never got wet at all. There were definitely people that left completely soaked though so we were lucky. Depending on what show we were watching, the whales would soak the audience, the dolphins would splash, or just the arena itself shot water out at certain areas. The shows were all so funny and you really enjoyed them.
Sea World also had several rides including another small rollercoaster that we rode over and over and over. Since there were no lines, there was one time we rode it 4 times in a row without ever having to get off! Ha!
Friday we had to say goodbye to our Disney Dream vacation and fly home. I will never be able to put into words how fantastic of a week it was...everything went perfect and went just as planned. The way you laughed and smiled non-stop was just priceless.
Mama made a Mickey countdown poster where you would remove a Mickey every single day so you knew how many days were left until you got to see Mickey Mouse. Nancy at daycare said you would update her everyday how many days were left. Saturday November 12th you removed the LAST Mickey Mouse which meant we were out of there! You had helped pack your little big - You grabbed your shampoo, your underwear and your socks - Mama got the rest ready ;) You pulled your bag down the hallway and helped Daddy load the car. Poppy drove with us so he could take our car home so it wasn't left there - You were so excited! We loaded the plane and you sat by the window - You were all set to go....until the airplane started to take off. Airplanes are loud and it can be a little bit scary as the plane starts down the runway and gains speed to get in the air - your eyes got really teary and you started to panic but as soon as the plane started to lift off the runway....you were fine! You loved watching us get higher and higher until we were above the clouds.
Once we landed and got situated in Orlando, Florida - it was about 7:30 and already dark. However, because we were in Florida and the weather was gorgeous....we checked into the resort and then walked around to explore. We stayed at Disney All Star Movie Resorts which was adorable - It had themed areas (Fantasia, 101 Dalmatians, Mighty Ducks, Love Bug, and your favorite...Toy Story!) The resort had HUGE toy statues that you really enjoyed. We ate pizza and then got ready for bed - You had a big day planned for the next day!
Sunday
The first day of the trip was Disney Hollywood Studios! Even though you are a big boy that does not need a stroller anymore, we had bought a stroller specifically for the trip. Everything that Mama had read in her research said to definitely plan on having any younger children ride in a stroller as the parks are so huge and require a great deal of walking. It just so happened that the only lightweight stroller that was available at Walmart was MICKEY MOUSE! (worked out perfect!) So we packed our water bottles, the stroller, and took off for the Disney shuttle in our Mickey Mouse shirts. Disney Parks are massive and the intricate fine details all over the park is just amazing. We really were overwhelmed when we walked into the park - Mama had went to DisneyLand in California many many many years a go but never to Disney World... It is gigantic!
We utilized a service called "FastPass" which meant that six months prior to your trip, you are able to choose three rides to "skip the lines" at certain times throughout the day. Once you use those three passes, you may add another, then another, etc. etc. The very first ride we went on was called "The Great Movie Ride," it took us a "tour" of old movies that "came to life" The only one that you really knew was The Wizard of Oz but you still enjoyed it. After that we rode ride after ride after ride - Thank goodness for the stroller because you sat in it the entire time.
The highlight of your day was dinner at Hollywood and Vine. Little did you know that this was a character dinner...as soon as we entered the restaurant...there stood Goofy. Your eyes just lit up. It was a buffet style dinner (of course you took two bites of your food) but that was just fine because the way you looked when you saw Mickey Mouse was absolutely priceless. The characters all came up to our table and you got to hug them and then pose for a picture - Mama and Daddy had to hold you for all of the pictures EXCEPT Mickey Mouse. You ran as fast as you could and wrapped both of your arms around him for the biggest hug... I felt that my heart was going to burst.
Monday
Monday was MAGIC KINGDOM! The biggest and the most amazing Disney park of all. I could not even tell you how many rides we went on that day but we were there until it was way past dark...one ride after another. We utilized the Fast-passes again which really are lifesavers - I believe the longest we ever had to stand in line was 45 minutes and that was because we were in between our scheduled rides and had the time to waste. On our way to one of our scheduled rides we happened to see a crowd gathering near the street - turns out, there was a parade that was scheduled to start in about 20 minutes. We were almost the front row for it! Daddy put you on his shoulders and you oooohed and ahhhed at all of the Disney characters and the gigantic floats. Mickey and Minnie were the last ones in the parade and Mickey waved at you - You could not believe it! You said after meeting him the night before, you two were best friends! :)
You rode on your first rollercoaster and had a BLAST! In fact, we had to ride it two more times. I was so scared for you but I should have known better....you are all about speed! :) Of course it was a very small rollercoaster that was designated for small children...but it was definitely fast enough for you!
The Disney Castle was completely decorated in Christmas lights - We stood and stared at it for the longest time because it was probably the most beautiful and amazing thing we had ever seen. We tried to take pictures of it but they just didn't do it justice.
Tuesday
After all of the fun of the past two days, we had a scheduled rest day planned. We just hung out at our resort and relaxed for most of the day. We had a big evening planned but even we didn't know how BIG it would be! We boarded one of the shuttles that took us to our scheduled dinner at one of the surrounding resorts. Mama had signed us up for Mickey's Backyard BBQ but of course did not tell you anything more than we had a surprise coming. When we checked in, we found out that we were VIP's. You heard a band playing and immediately told us that you figured out your surprise - you said we were bringing you to listen to a band. Of course we went along with it and told you Yep! That's your surprise. You were excited. HOWEVER, once we got inside the restaurant you saw the truth... In walked Mickey and all of his friends (Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale, & Donald Duck!) We had thought dinner at Hollywood was fun but it turns out that we got to hang out and dance with Mickey and the gang! Seriously, this was the greatest night ever!!!!
We had a lot of food to eat, there was a band that was playing, and all of the kids got to have a dance party with Mickey and his friends. The whole dinner lasted about three hours... I had no idea what I was signing up for when I chose that dinner but it turned out to be the most magnificent and spectacular evening EVER!
Wednesday
Today we went to Animal Kingdom! This park is not nearly as large but it was still very neat. We started off by going on an animal safari - We go to drive through and see man different animals up close. Giraffes were right beside us! The best part of this park were the shows - specifically the Lion King Musical. It was something right out of Broadway! You loved it - You danced and sang along as you sat on my lap. At one point, one of the "monkeys" came off stage and tried to give you a high-five but you panicked and refused to. Ha! Mama gave him one for you. The show consisted of acrobats, fire dancing, music, huge animal floats, and overall...one heck of a performance! We also went to "Finding Nemo" the musical, which you really enjoyed. I'll tell you what you did NOT enjoy...the Bugs Life show. It was supposed to be a child-friendly 3D show...however, it became pretty intense and we quickly realized that it was probably a little too scary for you. We realized this when you started bawling and we had to run out of the theater.... :( Sorry baby. We had no idea. A grasshopper decided to come out and pretend to spray pesticide over all of the humans so we would know how it felt....then pretend spiders dropped from the ceiling and we were "stung" by bees. (The stinging was just a little painless poke that came out of our chair but just was supposed to make people jump and laugh.) However, for a 4 year old...all of that is very traumatic. So we ran out of there and did not look back!
Thursday
We finished the three Disney parks that we were scheduled to visit and spent today at Sea World. It was a very nice change of pace after the hectic crowd-packed Disney parks...Sea World was not very busy at all. We got to see the most amazing shows with sea lions, walruses, dolphins, and killer whales. Each show you wanted to sit in the "SOAKZONE" however we were lucky and never got wet at all. There were definitely people that left completely soaked though so we were lucky. Depending on what show we were watching, the whales would soak the audience, the dolphins would splash, or just the arena itself shot water out at certain areas. The shows were all so funny and you really enjoyed them.
Sea World also had several rides including another small rollercoaster that we rode over and over and over. Since there were no lines, there was one time we rode it 4 times in a row without ever having to get off! Ha!
Friday we had to say goodbye to our Disney Dream vacation and fly home. I will never be able to put into words how fantastic of a week it was...everything went perfect and went just as planned. The way you laughed and smiled non-stop was just priceless.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Pre-k
You returned to preschool this week - this will be your last year before you start kindergarten. I'm really having a hard time with it - I know my time if snuggles and cuddles will come to a close. I know that my days of holding you and carrying you around are limited - I am literally in tears as I write this. I never understood why my mom was so sappy and enotional when she talked about us growing up, and you won't understand until you have children....but it is really hard to let go. Yes, you're only four...but you'll never be this small again!
Your teacher's name is Mrs. Voight - She seems to be really great and you said she's "so funny." You go during the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's. They said they're really focusing on getting you prepared for kindergarten so you'll be focusing on letters. Numbers, days of the week, etc. I have such anxiety when it comes to those things because I do not want to fail you as a Mama, I don't want to not teach you things and have you start school behind. You are so smart though and I know that you'll do great...its just something else you'll understand once you have kids. You worry about EVERYTHING! I try to enforce school time at home but conveniently you're always "too sleepy" or tell me you can't move off the couch because you're "stuck in glue." Little stinker.
You have one of your best buddies Elias in your class again this year. You had him in class last year and played baseball with him this summer. You were so nervous at your Sneak Peek- you wouldn't let me put you down at all- you had your arms and legs wrapped around me like a little monkey. However, when Elias got there you were excited and started to feel more comfortable. We played in your classroom, went and had a snack, and then played on the playground. There was a younger boy running around (maybe 2 or 3?) and you and Elias created a game that he was chasing you guys (he wasn't...ha) so you stood and yelled "come get me, you stinky baby!" His mama said "his name is Alex..." Mama was mortified! We had to have a little talk about what is nice and what is not nice to say to people! Haha. All in all, the sneak peek was good! You wee sad to hear that your other best buddy, Liam was placed in another class. I hope you get to see him sometimes on the playground because you three really enjoy each other.
In fact, that's where we were tonight. Liam's parents had us over for fishing and smores. You had so much fun!!! Typically you don't like to fish (we were actually fishing this afternoon too- Uncle Dave surprised us and came in town!) however, you loved fishing with your buddies. The three of you ran, wrestled, giggled, laughed,and ran some
more! Liam's daddy took you all on a four wheeler ride - I kept having o remind myself to not panic and freak out since the other mama's were allowing their son to go...I'm just so crazy protective. The whole time you were riding around with him, I was watching you like a hawk... In fact, I don't think I actually breathed until we were in the car on the way home. It was such a fun night but I was worried about the pond, the bonfire, the four wheeler, etc etc. come on mama! Let go a little!!!!
You are absolutely obsessed with Bolt (a three time Jamaican Olympic gold medalist for track - the fastest man in the world!) We watched all of his Olympic races - you call yourself Tiny Bolt. We have had to run up and down the yard racing you a million times- of course you win and of course we interview you afterwards. "Bolt! You win again!!! How do you run so fast?!?" "Well I'm
A slow starter but I have rockets in my feet and you just can't beat bolt!" "Bolt! Are you going to hug or kiss anyone after you won your gold medal?" "Yes! My mama and daddy! I'm ready to race again!" Soooo we race again, and again, and again! ;)
You told me "mama, when u get big....I'm going to wear that green and red outfit like bolt(his Jamaican Olympic
uniform) and I'm going to run with bolt!
"So we have to move to Jamaican then!"
"Yes, want to come with me mama?"
"Sure! I'll come run with you and bolt!"
Hesitation...."ummm mama, you're not that fast. You can't run with bolt - you run like this..." (Proceeds to run in slow motion) "but you can watch me!"
Thanks Lathan.
We had to take his picture out of the sports illustrated magazine that grandma bye gave you and tape it up on your bedroom wall. Your first poster! As much as you love running...it doesn't surprise me that's your current little hero!
The other day we pulled into the grocery store and there were a few people outside standing by their cars talking ... Uh very seriously said "what are those weirdos doing?!?" Oh Lathan...another time we had to talk about saying nice things (after I secretly died laughing inside.)
Kambree started at your daycare a few weeks a go - she is there three days a week. I think you love getting to play with her at Namcy'shouse!
Your favorite color is blue - favorite food is pizza- you loooove grape juice and chocolate milk. It's torture trying to get you to eat anything of any sort of nutritional value...you choke down baby carrots and corn but very very rarely. You always tell me "no! Vegetables aren't good for me! They make me gag!!!" You told me your favorite book is Pete The Cat. Movies: you love Big Hero
6 movie, Space Ham, Angry Birds. You still love Mickey Mouse, anything superhero, and anything dinosaur (T-Rexis your favorite.) song: Fall out boy - Immortals (song from big hero 6)
Best friends: Kendalyn, Kassidy, kambree, Elias, and Liam (and mama and daddy of course!!!!)
Loooooves hot wheels cars!!!! You line them
All up, race them, crash them, hide them...you're just all boy! ❤️
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Well another summer is coming to a close! It's been such a busy one but good grief, it flew by so fast!
You will start your last year of preschool in a few weeks - It literally brings tears to my eyes at the thought. I love you so much and I am so happy that you are growing and maturing but I just am not ready to have my baby boy be so big. You've really sprouted up in height over the summer - you are so tall!
You finished your first baseball season - that was probably the cutest thing in the world. You and your little buddies had such a great time together!
Since Mama has her job at Washburn, I had a lot of flexibility so I got to spend so much time with you this summer. I took off 1-2 days a week to work from home and we just hung out and did fun stuff together! We did some swimming, went to summer movies, and just spent a lot of time hanging out. I still thank the lord everyday that I was blessed with this job opportunity because my mama time has increased SO much.
We spent last weekend in
st Louis and did so many fun things! We went to the arch and then to grants farms where you rode a camel for the first time! This is such a brave move for you because last year when we were in Wichita, you were so terrified and refused to. You've really grown and were so brave! Auntie, Uncle Ez, the girls and poppy arrived a day after us and we went to a Cardinals game (you're a big cardinals fan now...you want to wear your shirt and hat all the time.) that was your first baseball game! You weren't that into it but it was still fun! We also went to the city museum which is basically a huge obstacle course. Again, you weren't scared of anything - you climbed through dark tunnels, climbed through cages hanging way in the air...I was so proud if you and your bravery. You really overcame a lot of fear that weekend. We ended the weekend at a big arcade - your favorite part of that was playing laser tag. :) You and Kam chased everyone around and tried so hard to shoot us. It was a blast and so nice to all be together again for the first time in a few months.
We continue to try and teach you new things - You hate doing "schoolwork" so it's a huge struggle. Right now we are trying to work on recognizing the sounds associated to the letters but you aren't very interested. We are also really trying to help you write your name - you do it, but sometimes it's a little hard to read :)
Sunday, June 5, 2016
So much has happened lately and we have done such fun stuff!
You finished your first year in preschool a few weeks a go- it's hard to believe that you only have one more year left before you go to preschool. Mama got to attend your last day of preschool where we sang songs, had ice cream sundaes, and played outside with all of your friends. You formed a great friendship with two of your classmates- Elias and Liam. In fact, you started playing tball with them this summer so you get to see them even more! :) It's so neat to see you really start to form friendships and have so much fun with other kiddos. You always say that they are your best buddies or your best friends. When Mama was unloading your backpack on your last day of school, I will shamefully admit that I did cry at the thought of you growing up! You saw me crying and told me "I will always hold your hand, Mama!"
Like I said, you started playing baseball with your two best buddies and are really loving it! It's four pitches by the coach and then off the tee if necessary. Daddy helps out and it makes my heart so happy to see two of my favorite guys out there together. You are at that age where you don't really understand the rules but really have a blast trying! It is quite possibly the cutest thing ever watching the games!
Uncle David graduated from medical school and we could not be any more excited for him or proud of him. You attended his hooding ceremony and his graduation and cheered
him on so loud. You had a blast at his graduation party where you played so hard with the girls. You just cannot get enough of your girls.
Sadly, Gigi (poppy's mama) passed away
- she had been in and out of the hospital so I know she didn't want to live that way but it is always so hard to lose loved ones. We spent a lot of time trying to cheer poppy up - he had rotator cuff surgery the day before she passed away so he has really been down in the dumps.
Me, you, and Daddy moved uncle Dave and aunt Sheena to St. Louis this week. What should have been a 4 1/2 car ride turned into a nine hour trip. Ain't Sheena had a tire blow out so we waited to fix that, there was a wreck on the highway, and rush hour traffic caused us to be at a stand still... But you were the most amazing little boy! Daddy drove the ugly so ur was just me and you in the car but you were so great and patient despite the long time. You didn't fall asleep at all but also didn't whine or fight me for it being so Long. When we got to dave's and started unloading the uhaul, you were such a big help! You carried in so much stuff for them- they definitely couldn't have done it without you :)
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