choo choo train present?

Christmas this year was an overwhelming, exciting and wonderful four days for us. We managed to squeeze in time with both sides of the family, extended included, and spend a little down time just the three of us also. We started out in FC, visiting my family, with our annual christmas eve spent with my dad's sister and her family. It's a great low key way to start a crazy holiday...especially for our little guy. Service at the Falls Church was just as fantastic as always, and leaving, one cannot help but feel the joy of the Lord and His birth.

I'm sad to report that we don't have a santa photo to share this year, my little guy didnt even make it into santa's house, let alone onto his chair! We progressed over the month of december from waving bye to santa to waving hello...but it didn't get much better than that unfortunately! That said, he totally got into the present part of Santa, but my sweet little guy embraced the spirit of giving...

here he is climbing over a mountain of gifts to find mommy's present (a new fancy upholstery stapler...thanks santa)

When it was finally time for him to start opening his presents, the first one was a thomas the train and let me tell you...the boy was happy. Every gift after that, he accepted the gift by asking the question "choo choo train present?" And thankfully...my parents did not disappoint:)

I share this last one because we found it hilarious...my son got a booster seat to transition out of his high chair and he loved it so much he put it on and started walking around...you'll notice the red sweater, also new, also with a train on it.

I'll save our time at the Lucks...the wonderful, relaxing time that it was, for another day....

Halloween?

With daddy gearing up for a trial this week and mommy having a paper due, I didn't make it trick or treating, but as you can tell from the photo below...candy apparently is not needed for me to have a good time. Here I am cheering on my favorite team as they beat Miami on Saturday. I am with my favorite people, Pop Rock and Grami, AND I have my favorite thing...cars. I got to drive them all over the stadium, and, scream as loud as I wanted...Daddy was pretty sad to miss the game...it was a big deal, or so I'm told:)

the lawnmower

Here's some quick pics because it's late and Robert's still working...again...man, this new first year associate thing is ridiculous.

Mowing the yard with daddy...our son has become obsessed...to put it mildly...with lawnmowers, both his own little one and his daddy's...

Just so we're clear, this last photo is of a different lawn mower entirely...a second one was purchased for his at Grami and Pop Rock's so that he will never be too far from his favorite toy:)

hide and seek

So daddy taught us this really fun game, and the little guy is really good at it...so good that sometimes I wander around the house for several minutes because I truly can't find him...NOT my idea of a good time, but he finds it absolutely hilarious.

There are times though, that he picks an easier to spot location. It is at these moments that the game is pure fun for both of us. For example, here is his hiding spot today...and his revealing as well.

(my apologies for the quality, they are from my phone)



oh the pure joy of living in toddler land:)

A little beach, a lot of work...

We spent our first week of August at the Beach with all the Lucks...a yearly ritual that we look forward to as soon as those swimsuits come out in May! This year was a whole new ball game, as our last visit to the beach didn't include a walking, curious, busy, busy, busy little man. Plus, my big Robert was working through his first real trial as a lawyer. Rob and I are so proud of him for finishing today, but it meant that Daddy spent half the week holed up in our room going through depositions or whatever it is that lawyers do to prepare...I still don't understand but pretend to as best I can:)

Although this won't surprise anyone, my son had no fear of the water, both a good and a bad thing in our eyes. We wanted him to love the water, but not so much that he charged in unattended whenever the mood struck him. The result, a few ground rules were set and daddy and Robert's uncles carved out an in-ground pool in the sand for the little tikes to play in. Robert had a blast playing with his cousin Adelyn, and I loved watching the two of them finally interact!

Enjoy a few photos...we won't bore you with the hundreds that were taken, I left the photos small for space, but feel free to click on them to see his sweet face much larger:)

And, because a truck is never from my son's hands....
Robert's love of wagons runs deep, both big and small...he's even happy to tote Adelyn around:)

Requests and a quick photo

I don't often use this blog to make prayer requests but I'm making an exception this morning. Robert, although an incredibly happy child, has become too attached to his mommy. It is both difficult and flattering that he loves me so much, I mean, who doesn't smile when they see this face:

I pause here to thank Ms. Waidmann for our very cute birthday outfit...although I don't love baseball, the uniform is adorable:)



Carrying on...

Robert and I are beginning to get concerned. Let me elaborate, we spent several months taking him to the gym nursery (that means a 10 minute trip to the gym every morning to get him used to it) until five months in, when he finally stopped screaming bloody murder. But one week away at the beach and we are back at square one...bless the hearts of those childcare workers for putting up with us!

This attachment is a minor problem for the gym but our greater concern is the fact that we are joining a new church, starting one day preschool and a mothers bible study all this fall...that's three new environments that he has to learn to love without mommy around.

I understand that many of you may think this is a pretty trivial matter, and although you're right, please pray with me anyway, to us, it shapes our entire lives, particularly mine, here in Richmond.

With love and thanks today!

6 weeks away

It is no coincidence that our last posting occurred six weeks ago as my summer school class also started six weeks ago. The twice weekly drive to DC took up all of my blogging time! In the meantime, we've been busy doing lots of fun things! Here's what we did the month of June...July to follow:

Visiting my sister's best friend (and my self-designated little sister), Kristen at Lake Anna!
My son wasn't too sure about the life jacket but he enjoyed the slow boat ride.

Then, while up in DC, we played with our friends Aura, Summer and Amanda...Amanda was wonderful playing with Robert, letting him chase her around the park:

Then we had some fun playing with daddy..basketball, of course:

After practicing our skills, we moved out to the backyard to practice throwing the ball to Sabre. Poor dog doesn't quite know what to do when Robert only throws the ball about a foot!