Testing Testing... My First Photo Collage!

Play Dates are for Chasing...

On Friday, Ethan and I met up with my friend, Ashley, and her little guy, Tyler, at the Promontory Playgrounds and "Sprayground". Our boys are about 7 months apart and we've been wanting to get together and have some time to talk/hang out while the boys have fun at the park.

The experience was not quite as I imagined it!

First off, let's just say that her little Ty-Ty isn't walking yet. He was happy to sit and play with bark or pull himself up on the slide while my precious "angel" would rather run around the play ground like a chicken with his head cut off... no exaggeration!

Hence the title of this post, Play Dates are for Chasing... not socializing!

It was a nice thought though...

Here are some pics of our morning at the park:

Ashley and Tyler

The friends we were supposed to play with!

"Bee Bee!"

*Beep Beep!*

Sprayground fun!

A rainbow in a rainbow

Enjoying the mist

Drinking the icky recycled water... *sigh*

Going "Uh! Uh!" the hill

Ashley and Tyler are no where in sight

Rolling down like the other big boys...

Sharing the tire swing with 2 boys...

Ethan promptly began socializing by screaming "Ahhhhhh!"

Apparently it was the right reaction because the other 2 boys joined in and the whole playground could hear the fun...

God bless mothers with multiple boys... especially twin boys!

Oh what fun it is to chase a little boy!

This is exactly why I never want to work out during his naps! More cardio? No thanks!

At the end of the day, when Mark and I finally put our little man down, we both cherish the few hours we have alone and celebrate them because we can't help but feel in those last few hours that... finally, we won!

Maybe we should invest in a treadmill? Just imagine the naps!!! :)



Bigger Boy in Big Basin... Camping 2011

We just got back from our annual camping trip with the Young side of the family. Mark grew up camping every year with his parents and 4 siblings. He has the best memories playing with sticks (or weapons), having craft time with Mom making paper machete guns with his brothers, sitting around the camp fire, listening to his Dad strum the guitar, taking day trips to the beach at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk... stories are endless!

Since we got married, I joined the annual trip and have added to those memories... I have always enjoyed the trips and would look forward to them every summer... until we had our little guy. Last year, Ethan was 6-months-old when we went... and let me tell you... tent camping with an infant is a whole other experience!

This year, Ethan enjoyed camping more than he did before (when he wasn't yet crawling), and although Mark and I had a better experience this time around, we will look for a camping spot with a trailer or RV access next time ;)... especially as our family grows and more infants join the crew!

It wasn't bad... just not so much of the vacation that it used to be (for us big kids, that is!!)

Anyway, Ethan had a blast playing with his cousins and spending an entire week with Grandma and Grandpa and his Auntie Christie in the woods! Here are some pictures of our camping trip to Big Basin!

Warming up with Daddy by the fire

This hat was so cute... but he only wore it once because the mosquitos got to him and hats just irritated the bites too much...

Bundled up with Grandpa

Bush Boys: Ethan and Titus

Andrew enjoying some Hot Cocoa

"I will destroy you!" - Titus

Hannah Bear... sweet as honey :)

Cuzzo Hugs

The Young Kids

(Hannah just loves Ethan so much...)

Our jogging stroller turned into a "double stroller"

Andrew making Ethan laugh... it was pretty entertaining!

Titus and Ethan 2011 Picture.....

 

Titus and Ethan 2010 Picture

Boys in the Woods!

Looking down at his sticks, Titus says, "I have too many weapons."

I could quote that kid all day long... he is such a cute character!

It was a war zone out there...

Watch out for Uncle Jeremy!!

A walk to the camp store = ice cream treats!

Katie and Kids

Mark with his mom and sis

Bigger Sticks for Bigger Battles!

Walking back from the store

Ethan didn't want to sit for the whole ride...

Book Worm, Andrew.

He said he read this book 5x!

It seriously warms my heart to see kids read...

oh the teacher within!

Morning fire coupled with morning hot chocolate

Auntie Christie with Hannah

Love the smiles!

The cool thing about cousins is they bring all their neat toys and... new bikes!

Here's Ethan testing out Andrew's new mountain bike!

Day Trip to the Boardwalk...

Yes, Ethan ate the sand (over and over...)

Silly boy

Kinda like this silly boy (Titus) last year at the beach :)

Both still love to roll around in the sand!

E getting barried in the sand by his cousins

Jeremy, Katie, and the kids had to take off early this year.

Once they left, Ethan got a lot of attention from his Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, and Auntie Christie...

Also, he was the only sweet little thing for the mosquitos the feast on...

by the end of the trip we counted 17 bug bites on his face.

:(

Powdered donuts!

Making memories with Daddy...

Looking back at these pictures, he's leaning a bit close into the fire... yikes!

Roasting an imaginary marshmallow with his Auntie

Playing Grandpa's guitar

(he got a couple of personalized serenades.... loved it!)

Doing his part to clean up the forrest...

collecting sticks, leaves, and stones

We found a natural spot light through the trees...

thought they made for a fun photo :)

Drawing with Grandma...

... and Mommy

Warming his hands with Grandma

Ethan's camping chair

(a gift from his Grandparents)

Cooks!

This Grandpa can make our little guy giggle and squeel!

More laughs

And that'll do it for the year!

More family time, more fun, and s'more memories!

Vacation a success!