Wordless Wednesday-with words

Poor Collin has pink eye in both of his eyes-the kid is a mess! I felt so bad for him when he woke up this morning. I asked him what he wanted for breakfast. In the most pathetic little scratchy voice he squeeked out "tot-tickle" AKA popsicle. Oh alright! Breakfast of champions it is! It's amazing what a popsicle can do to make a kid feel better.Now we have to work on looking better!!

FFF-Red,White and Blue

Check out that big cheezy grin-now if I could just get a real smile out of him!!

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Great Parenting

Our parenting skills never fail to amaze me. On the 4th while Wyatt and I were getting the house ready, Collin was keeping himself busy playing. He would play outside for a bit then come in and play inside. I checked on him every couple of minutes to make sure he was okay. Wyatt was outside and I was inside. I decided it was time to go do the kid check so I went upstairs to peek in his room since that was the last place I saw him. He wasn't there. I checked the rest of the upstairs, then the downstairs, I yelled outside, I went back inside, I yelled at Wyatt to see if he had seen him and he had not. The panic began to set in! I ran back upstairs to check his usual spots again and then headed back outside when I heard him crying! Not a happy cry either! I looked over and saw my new neighbor in his boxer shorts scoop up Collin and start to carry him inside. Yeah-panic level code RED!! I ran over and the neighbors said that they were in the back bedroom and heard a loud noise so they came out to the living room to investigate. Collin had let himself in to their screened porch and then into their house. Their dog had knocked him over and had him on the living room floor licking him. They said they thought he got scared when they came out and he took off running out of the house so the neighbor chased after him to make sure he was okay.I'm sure my neighbor was embarrassed being seen in his boxers but I think I was more embarrassed that my kid had escaped and made it into their house. Thank goodness things worked out the way they did and my little Guatemalan Ninja was back home safe and sound! No thanks to our stellar parenting!

Wordless Wednesday

Our Fun Holiday Weekend

Happy Belated 4th of July to everyone! I know I am behind as usual but we had a very fun and busy weekend so I am just getting around to posting. The 4th is my favorite holiday of the year. My birthday is on the 5th so we usually end up celebrating for at least three days if not more. We usually go to Red, White and Boom a giant fireworks display downtown but Wyatt and I both had to work this year so that didn't happen. Wyatt was off at 9pm so he picked up Collin and I was able to meet them on the outskirts of downtown to watch the fireworks while I was working. We were really far away so it wasn't very impressive-didn't even hear one BOOM! Collin could have cared less and he was up way past bed time so we paid the next day with the messed up sleep crazy kid syndrome.

On the fourth we went to the Doo Dah Parade. Anyone can go to the old hometown parade with marching bands and cub scout troops but this parade is an adventure to say the least! It is pretty much a parade of spoof and parody. Anyone can get in but you have to be funny-no serious stuff allowed. Even if you are a politician you have to do something to embarrass yourself-no dignity here! We sat by the judges so I think we got a really good show! What do you think?







Later in the evening we had a cookout with some friends and family. Pops made fried chicken! Yum!! Collin raided my birthday cake. Then we hit the Hilliard fireworks. We have a great spot that we sit at every year. It's not crowded, it's easy to get in and out and it is VERY CLOSE to the fireworks. After that we came home and had "adult" party time after putting the kids to bed-but this is the story of Collin, not the story of crazy mom an dad that think they are still 20 somethings so that is all I will say about that!!









Sunday morning was a bit rough for Wyatt. But we were having a clam bake for my birthday so we had to get moving. My good friends Amy and Em came over to help celebrate. The food was out of this world-one of my better ideas if I don't say so myself! Not bad for our first clam bake!

Collin hasn't been eating much the last few days so I was a little disappointed when he showed no interest in the lobster, clams and shrimp. We actually bought a lobster for him but he missed out this time! For some reason he always shows an interest in cake no matter how he feels! It was a really nice weekend. We got to know our new neighbors a little better and visit with friends and family-a great American holiday!

WHY?

Collin is 2 1/2 and has started asking "why"? I thought this happened at around 4 or 5?? WTH? How do you explain the "why" of anything to a 2 year old? I thought I had a lot more time before I had to start coming up with quick and age appropriate answers to his every question. And trust me, he's not just saying it to say it. He asks at very appropriate times. This child is keeping me on my toes!!I wouldn't have it any other way!!

NO!

NO_This is Collin's new favorite word. He has always said no but not always with such attitude. "Collin sit down-NO, Collin, time to go-NO" you get the picture. He spent a lot of time on the step this weekend-I want to nip this one in the bud as soon as possible. There is nothing that fries me more than a snotty kid yelling "NO" at their parent (of course I'm not speaking of my kid, he's an angel-lol). That said, why is it so hard for me to keep a straight face when he does it? I think he enjoys the whole sitting on the step thing!He sits and fake whines and then when his time is up and I go to get him he grabs my face and gives me a kiss and hug then goes off and plays again. Two minutes later..."NO"!!! Oh boy-maybe I need to re-evaluate my technique??? This parenting thing is no joke!

FFF-Collin' Favorite Thing...BASEBALL GAME!

Headed into the game.


Mentally preparing for the "Running of the Bases" with a little help from a furry friend.



Ready...Set...GO!!




Coming into HOME!



He did it!!






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FFF-Favorite Foto Friday

Collin's Funny Faces-even funnier when he is wearing his bike helmet. What can I say? He's special...so very special!!!







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Wordless Wednesday

Weekend in Review

Look at me...2 days in a row!! Well, we have had Nana and Pop here for a slumber party the last few nights. It was like having a party every night when I got home from work. I would pull up and hear Wyatt and my mom and dad out in the hot tub.I have to say I miss them a little. It was nice getting up in the morning and sitting outside drinking coffee and chatting while the kids played-in their PJs of course. I don't think we were ever dressed before noon!



I was washing some stuff outside and my two little sidekicks decided to help out. They grabbed the scrub brush and sponge and washed everything in sight.



And, of course, a little sprinkler time. I love summer!!



Here is dad trying to teach Collin how to dribble a basketball. He's a great dad!!

Collin Updates

Due to the fact that I have been handling my blogging so poorly as of late I suppose I should catch up on Collin specifically. It seems like he changes daily! So here is what is new with Collin.

He loves to make "funny faces" whenever I take pictures of him. If he sees the camera I rarely get a picture where he isn't squinting his eyes and sticking out his tongue!



He absolutely refuses to sit in a highchair of booster chair. He will stand on the seat or sit on my lap but NO HIGHCHAIR PERIOD! He has learned to unlock the screen door to our back sliding glass door so he lets the dog and himself out on a regular basis. He also loves to hide and since he has learned to let himself outside this new game has induced panic in me several times already!




Collin knows what kind of car everyone drives and announces it every time he sees it. He also has to say goodbye to it. If he sees a similar car on the road-when I say similar I mean make/model/color, not just any old car that is close-he has to tell you whose car it is.


He is very good at saying please, thank you and excuse me. So good in fact, that he will make a fake burping noise just so that he can say excuse me. He also says hello and goodbye to just about every person he sees. He will sit in the front window of our house and wait for someone to walk by so he can yell "HI!" and BYE BYE GUYS!"


I downloaded some new kid songs on my Ipod and was playing them in the car the other day. The "Chicken Dance" was playing and when it skipped to the next song Collin started screaming "AHBAH GAME AHBAH GAME" which translated means baseball game. I didn't see anything that looked even slightly related to a baseball game and noticed that Collin was getting visibly more upset that I was not complying with his demands! Finally it dawned on me that they play the Chicken Dance song at the baseball game. How in the world did he remember that? Today he sat and listened to that stupid song at least 20 times in a row before I couldn't take it any more-WOW-it was a hissy fit of epic proportion!! It was like he was in a chicken dance trance!!

And last but not least we booked our trip to Guatoberfest in October!! My mom and I will be taking Collin. We had decided not to go but Consuelo and Lizzie our great friends and guardian angels from Guatemala will be going so we had to go. I am really excited to see them again! I don't know how we would have made it without Consuelo! We have lots of fun Guat events coming up this summer. Our adoption agency has a reunion in Indiana and another group is having a gathering the same weekend at an indoor water park in Indianapolis so I think we will hit both! Should be fun! Hopefully we can squeeze some camping in too-minus the rain of course!

Well, I think we are caught up-FINALLY!!

More catching up

I hate when I have to catch up with blogging-it seems like I just don't put as much effort into it as I do when I blog right after something happens. I have a mishmash of stuff an it never seems to flow. We have been really busy since the trip to NC. My parents moved and they brought one of my nieces (Brylie)home with them to visit for a few weeks. Collin has had a playmate but sometimes those two together are a little hard to handle. They both want what the other one has and when they don't get their way they flip out! Not usually a big deal but when tensions are high and time is short it can be a problem. But, we have had a little time to have some fun.

They love picnics so we had one in the backyard. Bosley loves picnics too because the food is on the ground meaning easier access-hence the boo boo face on Collin. Bosley ate his pretzel =*(




Alexis graduated from high school-very exciting! Cool dude made it through the whole thing and dinner!



We ate at Alexis' favorite restaurant-House of Japan. It never dawned on me that it would be so perfect for little kids...entertainment, little bits of food at a time and you don't have to wait very long. I wasn't sure how he would handle the big ball of fire but he didn't seem to mind at all.

Collins first NASCAR race

I realize I am a little late posting this but what can you do? Collin went to his first NASCAR race a few weeks ago. I'm not sure you could really call it going to a race since he didn't really go in but he was there! We went to Charlotte with Wyatt's family and took my mom and dad along. My brother and his girls met us there too since they live in NC now.It rained the entire weekend and was not exactly the fun time we had hoped for but it was still a nice trip. Wyatt was very excited to take Collin to his first race but we decided against it. It is a really big track so he didn't remember it being that loud but once we got there we realized it was probably too loud for him. We were sure he wouldn't keep headphones on or earplugs in so he missed out on this one. There will be plenty of other opportunities for dad to take him to a race. He did get to experience the atmosphere and seemed to do fine camping in a tent. He had a great time hanging out with all of his cousins!

Packed up and ready to go.We lovingly referred to this as the hillbilly ghetto trailer.
Nothing like breakfast on Chinette sitting in a camping chair.

Kickin' it in the tent with KC


Checking out the goods with dad...


But not for long!




Fun times-playing in the mud with Brylie!



Checking out Uncle B's new place! A nice bath and a nap in a real bed, not a tent!!





While the adults were busy packing up I looked around to check on Collin and he was sprawled out in a camping chair chowing down on Fudge Stripe cookies as fast as he can before he gets BUSTED!! He tried to hide the bag beside him but the chipmunk cheeks and chocolate covered mouth and hands kind of gave him away!



Fun is over-time to head back to C-bus.