Old and New Adventures

Andrew turned on our sprinkler at 6 am yesterday on his way to work. And about 30 minutes later, it poured rain. It poured all morning. Maddox looked out the window and said, "Two rains!" I must say, my  marigolds were looking pretty healthy by the end of the day.

I like rainy days (usually). Maddox knows he can't go outside so he doesn't constantly ask, "Can we go outside?? Can we go outside?" Instead, he makes his own fun. This often includes harassing little brother.

 Jude got stuck under the teepee while making his escape. 

Today, the boys got to experience "open gym" for the first time. We went with our good buddies Erika and Ava. Other than Silas the Terror (a 2-year-old who kept attacking Jude), it was a lot of fun. They had just about every contraption you could jump on, climb on, slide on, roll on...you get the point. 

Maddox is best buddies with Ava. 

Jude is going through the wonderful "cling-on" phase but I think he had fun, too (as long as we stayed clear of Silas and he was no more than three feet from me).

I need to get one of these, whatever it is! Both boys loved it.

Ava takes a turn on the wheels. 

I think the Olympics are in his future. 

Open gym was a hit. We'll definitely be going back.

Free Tuesday

Tuesday is a good day around here. Moe's (only one of our most favorite restaurants) offers free kids meals and then the mall offers free carousel rides. Kids can start to get expensive, so free fun is always a nice bonus for the budget.

Contrary to what this picture looks like, Maddox didn't freak out. He did have the death grip on Andrew but his hand soon relaxed and when it was all over, he said, "I wanna do that again." He is getting a little more brave in life. Later at the "racecars" (the money pits that require four quarters to shake a little bit and say vroom vroom while the kids sit behind the wheel), he walked up to two girls and said, "Wanna ride in my car?"

The carousel ride was Jude's first and Ava's too, I think (remember, Ava is his betrothed). They were buddies in the womb. Just think - last summer they were still in our bellies, and here they are now...nearing their first birthdays. As I near 30, I realize it is true what they say: Life is short. And it can be very sweet, too, depending on what you make of it.

baby love♥

I had a great week planned. It all got canceled, though, because of a rotten cold. Today that rotten cold hit me full force. I still haven't brushed my teeth (it's 7:50 pm) and I've worn sweats all day. But no matter what I look like (or feel like), these two sweet faces adore me. And that is what makes my little world go 'round, sick or not.

Therrell Quarantine

Maddox is still talking about the "Ew Chicken" aka "Gummy" aka man that was dressed up as a chicken at Buffalo Wild Wings. Yesterday a storm came up and every time it thundered, he would say, "That ew chicken is at the door. Lock the door!" I decided to have a little fun with this (which was a little mean, but...I haven't had much fun lately, so I needed a laugh).

Maddox was on the potty when Andrew came home from work. Of course, he heard the door open and immediately announced, "It's the ew chicken!" I whispered a little something to Andrew. Seconds later, Andrew was shouting, "Bak! Bak! Bak!" (you know, the chicken sound?)

Maddox's face was priceless. But, yes, it was a mean thing to do. And a funny thing. That cancels out the meanness. (Kind of)

The last couple days no one has been laughing around my house. Instead, if you sneak up on my door, you will probably hear lots of crying and lots of whining. The crying is mostly from Jude. It turns to screaming once he sees me coming with the aspirator (which is like every ten minutes). Excuse the grossness, but I have never seen so much snot in all my life.

We spend a lot of time in the bathroom these days.

I have been running low on entertainment ideas, so I put the boys in their toy buckets and hoped for the best. 

 Maddox liked it, but Jude...not so much. Nothing seems to amuse him lately. Let's hope the doctor can give him a miracle drug today (for everyone's sake!).

Sick as a dog, but the mischief never ends. 

Billy Bowlegs

Every year, Billy Bowlegs comes to Fort Walton Beach. And with him comes many nights of pirate festivals, topped off with the big Torchlight Parade. We ventured out and returned home with lots and lots of pirate booty.

We had to kick off the parade right with dinner at Five Guys. We tried Buffalo Wild Wings first but it was packed and the man dressed up as a chicken there scared Maddox to death. The creepy chicken waved at Maddox and blew kisses. Maddox was not impressed. He called him a "Gummy" (an insult, apparently) and talked about him all the way until bedtime tonight. But...back to Bowlegs. 

We watched floats (decked out in everything pirate) go by, cheered, jammed to music, and caught candy and beads. Maddox got the most beads. And candy. But then again, he cheated and kept begging for candy from the lady next to us. 

We saw all kinds of pirates. I think these were having a mid-life crisis. 

She tried to dance with Maddox, but he just wanted her beads.

Jude was in awe of the experience. But...it wore him out pretty fast. 

Maddox, on the other hand, never got tired. He collected beads, candy and pirate coins. It was like Halloween part 2 for him. 

Notice the firetruck in the background. It was BLARING a siren. And notice Jude. He never moved. 

Shoreline Church was lookin' good out there!

And then...we looked at each other (and the super super super crowded street) and said, "You ready?" It was a miracle we found our way out among all the traffic and blocked roads. 

Farewell, Bowlegs! We didn't make it to your finale float, but maybe next year.