Bug Box

T finally found a worm to put in his bug box that he and Daddy made at Lowe's together. He was all excited to touch it and hold it and watch it squirm around his fingers. I also love this picture because Matty is just as interested and trying to figure out what's happening. Nothing says summer like some boys playing in the sprinkler and dirt!

Hershey Park Happy

We really wanted to take all the kids to Hershey Park as a great way to celebrate the culmination of a successful "Camp Lebanon". It was a beautiful, 85 degree day at the park and we were not the only ones with the idea. The first 20 minutes or so, I wasn't so sure how everything was going to workout, but in the end the day couldn't have gone any more smoothly. The kids were incredibly well-behaved, patient, happy. We started with a few kiddie rides in first section of the park.
The whole gang rode the train first. Zach, Julia, and Tyler were the "conductors" in the front of the train. They were ringing the bell and saying "all aboard" and having a great time. Matty seemed to enjoy himself too!

Then we made our way over to some of the rescue cars. I had to include the following picture because I give Grammy a lot of credit for getting on this ride with Julia and being such a good sport!

Julia decided she didn't want to ride the helicopters, so Ty and Zach did it together. When I was getting them organized I was explaining to Tyler that he can tell Zach if he wants to stay low or go high. He immediately said "stay low, I want to stay low" and I asked Zach to keep him safe. As soon as the ride started they went up as high as it can go. Tyler looked scared and anxious the entire time but he never cried and then felt really proud of himself after the ride because he was all excited that he did it with Zach and kept saying that they went high. It was a cute bonding experience with his big cousin.

We eventually made our way towards the comet roller coaster. It was decided that I'd wait in line with Zach to ride the comet while everyone else went over to another kiddie section so the other kids could have some fun. Zach and I waited in line for an hour and 15 minutes and it was totally worth it! Zach's face was priceless and the first thing he said was "what's the next roller coaster going to be" and then "can we wait in line and do it again!". Clearly he enjoyed himself. As Zach and I were bonding in line, apparently Tyler and Julia were having a great time riding all sorts of different rides together.

Tyler was really feeling comfortable and somehow learned about holding your hands in the air and was starting to do it for several of the rides.

I didn't see him on the swings but Adam said he was probably most animated during the swings. Every time he go by Adam he'd yell something out and start hollering and smiling. The picture doesn't do it justice but Adam said it was priceless.

We were able to bring in a safe lunch. Somehow it came up in conversation that Zach was going to get some cotton candy for being brave. He was excited and celebrating like any 5-year-old would do and, of course, Tyler started asking if he could have some cotton candy too. Well, Adam made it his mini-mission to find out what the ingredients were and to our delight it was safe.

The very last ride of the day was the carousel thanks to Julia really wanting to ride it. It was a nice, relaxing way to finish out the day. As we were getting our things organized to leave the park we noticed the Reese cup character and the boys were all excited to get their picture with him. Julia wasn't so sure about it and by the time we got Matty the line was long enough that I felt bad. The boys looked so cute and Ty had to give him his high 5. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day. We left the park around 4:30 and I think everyone was about ready to collapse.

The ride home was quiet as we all enjoyed the air conditioning and some down time. What a day it was and it made everything so much more special that we were able to share it with Grammy, Baca, Zach, and Julia. No doubt, we were all "Hershey Park Happy"

Friday morning with Bea

It was a special morning for us because it was one of the first times Beatrice was going to spend some time with us while Aunt Willa went to the doctor's office. She arrived around 8:00 and the first thing we did was color and I was so impressed with how well she can hold the crayons. Tyler woke up just after we started so we all went upstairs together and helped get him ready for the day. They played a few games upstairs and read some books together.
The kids had some breakfast together. Tyler was showing me his cinnamon toasts for the picture below and...

and Bumble quickly picked up on it and wanted to show me her plate for the picture too. It was so sweet.

All three of them were playing on the couch together and then I nursed Matty downstairs while the other two watched some cartoons. We put Matty in his crib and then went outside for some more play time. Bumble was adorable and so well-behaved that I hope this turns into a much more common occurrence.

Body Art

I was getting lunch ready and all was quiet in the house. Anyone with little children knows when it's quiet it's usually when we should be most concerned I could see Tyler sitting in the animal chair in the playroom. His back was to me and I could tell he was doing something to occupy his time but I couldn't tell what it was. So I quietly walk into the room and this is what I found...
interesting...body art? How do I handle this situation?? I obviously couldn't cut off his arm and hang the beautiful masterpiece up on the fridge. Instead, I started laughing, ran to get the camera, and decided I'll post it to always have a keepsake.

Then as any dutiful mom would do, we had the "you're only supposed to color on paper" talk and took the markers away.

Look at that smile, though! He was very proud of his masterpiece as was I. I mean, seriously, what great color choices, right??!!

"FOURRRR!"

Cousin playtime on Zinns Mill Road

It was one of the first mornings that really felt like fall was around the corner. The sun was hiding in the clouds most of the morning and it was the first day of my favorite kind of weather-jeans and a t-shirt. It was windy enough to dust the webs off the kite and give it a few good runs.

The entire gang came to the house for some play time. Lauren, Willa, and I went for a nice jog while everyone else played and when we returned everyone said "welcome back hot mamas". Not quite what we were feeling at the exact moment but it still made us all laugh.

Matty woke up from his morning nap and "Aunt Jenny's little helper" Julia enjoyed playing with him just as much as he did with her.

There were some serious games of hockey going on, some football throwing, swinging, basketball, and dump truck driving. These are the moments when I really appreciate having this kind of space in the backyard and exactly what I always pictured happening here. I'm just thankful everyone wants to and likes to come over to play with us.

Happy 10 months, Matty!

It's been another fun month filled with some major growth developments for you, sweetheart. I would have to say some of my favorite moments with you right now are when I greet you in your crib after a good night's sleep or a nap. You immediately grin from ear to ear and show us your four pearly whites (with a 5th one poking through-upper right). Then you seem to get so excited that you lunge from side to side and giggle and practically crawl in circles. We typically play a few rounds of peek-a-boo and you've gotten so good and speedy at pulling yourself up to the standing position and, of course, start eating the railing. You still nurse approximately 6 times a day and I treasure those moments that you look up and gaze into my eyes as you furiously drink your milk. Yes, you're still my baby. You may be 22 pounds but you're still my baby! It's also been fun watching you trying to feed yourself because it always turns into a messy experience. There's no doubt that buttered macaroni is your favorite but you're wiling to give most anything a try. If you don't like it, you stick your tongue out and let the food fall into the bib. It's a technique that's worked for you, but it's something you've taught Tyler because now he'll try to get away with doing it too. Lovely. You cruise around all the furniture, love trying to open cabinets, have mastered falling gracefully, and try so hard to keep up with Tyler. You even climbed all but three stairs to the third floor and now we're back to using all the safety gates. There are even moments now where you and Tyler are "playing" together and it makes my heart melt. We celebrated your tenth month by going to the Country Club with all your cousins and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to you in the baby pool. You smiled the entire time! It's been a fun month and even this morning Daddy and I were brainstorming some fun ideas for our "little pumpkin". We love you to the moon and beyond.

playground with the cousins

It was a beautiful Monday morning and we wanted to take advantage of the weather so Tyler and I met Aunt Willa, Beatrice, Aunt Lauren, and Julia at the Cornwall playground while Matty was napping in the school with Adam.
The above picture was taken after ordering my hamburger and french fries from the Wendy's drive-thru. Tyler started playing this game a few months ago and Julia picked up on it quickly and for a very long time were selling, buying, and making all different kinds of foods.

Some cousin loving...

The cousins were aboard the ship as all the sharks and fish swam under them pinching and tickling them along the way.

This was my failed attempt at getting all three of them to look at the camera and smile. I gave up after a few tries because it's not often all three of them are together and playing the same thing at the same time, so I just let it be.

Jules was definitely the best at giving me some adorable smiles and happy faces any time I requested one! She's so cute and perfect playmate for Tyler. There were moments during the morning I found myself daydreaming of life with all the cousins being able to play together on a regular basis. Lauren, Willa, and I get along so well and generally have similar parenting styles and it'd be so easy and fun. On the other hand, moments like this morning may not taste as sweet as they do right now. This visit only highlights the importance of making the effort to spend time together and how grateful I am for "Camp Lebanon".

Lobstah Fest 2010

Patrick and Willa came up with a brilliant idea....They were returning home from Maine and thought it would be fun to have a big lobster feast with all the adults. Adam and I were able to have Katie babysit and snuck out of the house around 7:30. We were welcomed with fresh huckleberry margaritas followed by homemade clam chowder. It wasn't even 15 minutes and I was already in food Heaven. Around 9:00 Pat brought out 9 fresh soft-shelled lobster and we all went to town. It was funny because for a few moments the table was completely silent while everyone was finding their way through the shell. The meat was delicious and easy to find. And being able to dip it in a big bowl of melted butter was about as close as it gets to perfection. Just when I thought the meal couldn't get any better and I couldn't eat any food, out comes Willa with a homemade freshly picked Maine blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. Whoa!!! They hit the ball out of the park. Incredible, mouth-watering, deliciousness.

The food was incredible but the company was the real luxury. It's not often all of us are able to sit around and have adult conversation without being interrupted every so often. And nothing feels better than sitting around a table eating delicious. laughing at whatever silly story is being told, and being surrounded by those you love.

My Very Own Blacktop

I was shopping at TJMaxx and upon returning home I was greeted with "Mommy, Mommy I want to show you something!" Humm, what could this be?! "Mommy, I can ride my bicycle on my blacktop on my very own driveway!" My heart tickled as I watched him run down to the little barn with Adam, put on his new helmet, and ride out of the barn onto the newly paved driveway. "Mommy, I'm going to do a circle for you!" Wow! He's even going to do a circle??!! I have to witness this....

It may not have been a perfect circle BUT he did do most of it ALL BY HIMSELF and this was a huge victory in the 'learning how to ride a bike' department. It all to much reminded me of the Visa/MasterCard commercials where they keep adding up all the money and then at the end say, "riding a bike on your newly paved driveway....PRICELESS!" I hate to admit it...deep breath...umm....yes, Adam, you were right about the driveway. Thank YOU.

troublesome three's?!?

I have been warned many times about 3 being the "new 2". Throughout most of Ty's second year of life, he was a sweet, easy-going, compliant little boy that tested the rules really only a handful of times. Ty's third birthday came and went and this easy-going little guy is still around but things are changing. His little baby face is disappearing and with it comes a bigger, more capable boy. The biggest difference is his vocabulary and the ability to use it in different situations and to express his opinion. Ahh, and now we've come to the root of this massive change; the ability to express an opinion. One of our goals as a parent is to develop a free, independent thinker, right? Well, Tyler, if you can read this....Mommy and Daddy still run the show! Rules still apply! You may have discovered this new voice but you still have to be respectful and polite! Seriously, I think there are times when another little spirit jumps into Tyler's body, throws a fit, and then disappears as fast as he came. I don't know where it comes from but it gives a new meaning to being blindsided. On a intellectual level, I know all kids go through this faze. They're learning boundaries. They're learning the meaning of no. They're learning who is in control and how to express different opinions in a well-mannered way, etc. BUT on an emotional level, it's hard. It's hurtful. It's consuming. It's exhausting. It's sad (fill in the blank with all sorts of descriptors). I know his behavior is not directed toward either Adam or I in a way that's meant to hurt us, but sometimes it does. I hate being an army Sargent but I know the boundaries that we're teaching him now will only benefit all of us in the long run. With all this said, my sweet, tender hearted, all loving, silly little man is still there 90% of the time. It's just that the other 10% can sometimes feel all consuming. With each time out, I love Tyler more and I pray that his love grows too. Some day I will look back at these moments and laugh. Until then, I'm trying to peek through the blindfold of motherhood and put one foot in front of the other and keep my heart as open as humanly possible.

The moments I dream of

We had a big breakthrough moment in the Szajda house. Tyler has been a wonderful big brother up to this point. He's made the transition quite well considering the major shift in his little world. One thing we're starting to consciously work on is playing together. Tyler doesn't quite understand how to really play with his brother because obviously Matty isn't able to respond in the way that Tyler is usually expecting. Since Matty is crawling and more interested in all the toys around him, we're spending much more time and energy in the sharing/playing departments. For the very first time, Tyler came up with the idea of putting Matty in his dump truck and pushed him all around the yard. It was a big deal on so many levels. First, anyone that knows Tyler knows how obsessed he is with the dump truck and sharing it in any way is hard thing for him to do. Second, it was an activity that included only the two of them. And third, it was completely and wholly his idea.

Matty fit inside perfectly. It was a bit snug and probably worked to Matty's advantage because Tyler was driving around a little faster than I'd prefer.

The smile on Matty's face was a clear indication that he was LOVING it. He kept giving some big, hearty chuckles.

And Tyler was just as happy pushing his little brother around the yard. Of course, we were on the sidelines cheering and hollering and laughing ourselves.

Adam and I always knew we wanted more than one child, but we could only hope it resulted in moments like this! Big, warm fuzzies fill the heart.

Wujek Pawel visits the Beach!

Monday was such a good surfing day for Adam and he thought of Pawel right away. On a whim, he called Pawel hoping he could join us for some fun and surfing. Monday didn't work out but much to our delight he was able to join us Tuesday. He arrived surprisingly early (around 9:30) and was eager to play. He was greeted by an even more eager little 3-year-old that was so excited to take him to "Treasure Island". The boys were on the kayak and paddling within minutes of Wujek Pawel's arrival. Captain Tyler was proud and thrilled to take Wujek Pawel on his maiden voyage to the world of pirates, sand castles, igloos, and treasure.

Everyone made it home safely from all their adventures and were ready to explore the world of the "Big Treasure Island" (what Ty sometimes refers to the beach as). Matty woke up from his morning nap and we packed the car with lunch, the bag of fun (the beach toys), and three surfboards waiting to be used. It was a beautiful, clean day for surfing. Adam and Pawel spent most of the time surfing and actually catching wave after wave. It was an impressive show. They were even able to convince Tyler to give it a try. The lesson was short lived but long enough to get wet and have proof of his attempts.

The boys had lunch under the umbrella while watching the men do some more surfing. Once Matty ate an unhealthy amount of sand and Ty was lying with his head on the beach, Mommy pulled the plug and we all headed home for some much needed naps. The evening was filled with play time, margaritas, fresh guacamole, and story time before having to say goodnight and goodbye to Wujek Pawel. It was a fun-filled day and a quality visit with a very special Wujek.