Fun at the beach!

We just returned from our annual visit to St. Augustine, where Ricky's parents live. What a great (but all too brief) vacation! Ryan loved the pool, but wasn't a big fan of the rather cold ocean water. Annalise adores the beach and the pool, so she was eager every morning to get her swimsuit on and hit the beach! She made us laugh in the pool as she pretended to be eaten by an alligator (video clip below).

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Ryan on the beach

Annalise with a starfish that Ricky found in the sand

The most exciting part of our trip was when Ricky, my sister-in-law Meg, her husband James, and I rented a boat and went deep sea fishing. The fishing part wasn't exciting (at least not for me), but there were countless dolphins and porpoises swimming and jumping around the boat. So, Meg and I moved to the front of the boat and sat with our feet hanging over the edge in hopes to see more. We certainly did! Each time the boat accelerated, porpoises would gather right around the front of the boat and swim their hearts out. They were directly below us, perhaps four feet below and we could hear them communicating with one another, which was absolutely amazing. At one point there were eight of them surrounding us. They were so close that when they would jump up, we would get sprayed with their blowholes. I'd never been so close to this type of animal in a free environment, and it was wonderful. Here are some pictures and videos. These were NOT taken with a zoom lense - they were actually this close! It was spectacular.

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Another round of Annalise-isms

Annalise is getting older, and she is obviously speaking more clearly. I admit that I miss hearing the words she once mispronounced or used incorrectly. So, I thought I'd make a list of the things she currently doesn't say correctly because they are so cute and I don't want to forget. Soon enough she'll be saying these correctly as well...

• Music is "you-sic"
• Short sleeves are "up sleeves"
• Lemonade is "Len-uh-made"
• Chipmunks are "Chicksmunks"
• Candy Cane is "Candy can"
• The Beatles are "The Beebles"
• A belt (for pants) is a "Seat belt"
• Hospital is "Hoss-tuh-ble"
• Computer is "puter"
• When singing "Twinkle Twinkle," instead of "Up above the world so high," she says "Papa love ya world so high."
• When telling us a story, she always says "Once upon a time, in a very land."
• Behind is "up-hind"
• Instead of "My heart is beating," she says "My heart is beeping."
• And, our all-time favorite, which she's had wrong for years is: Piggy Bank is "Pibby Cake"

Also, a few funny/unexpected things she has said this week:

• When the toilet was running longer than usual, she said, "Uh-oh, we need to call a plumber." (I had no idea she knew what a plumber was!)
• She was showing something or other to my dad, and she said, "Papa, you can blog this!"
• When a friend called, Ricky answered the phone and said, "Long time, no see." Annalise said, "Daddy speaks Spanish!" Hahaha...
• She was singing a song to me and then asked me to sing one. She passionately said, "Mommy, sing loudly, loudly...FROM YOUR HEART!"
• Today she said to me, "Mommy, do you want to come see my little brother named Ryan?"

More Mr. Giggles

Ryan always cracks up when we take his clothes off over his head. Even if he has been crying, this always makes him laugh. I have no idea why! But, it's one of my favorite things that he does, and tonight I captured a few seconds of it. Just wanted to share!


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To the Dads in My Life

I am blessed to have many men in my life whom I love and admire. Some of them are dads, some are not. But, today I'd like to give a "shout out" to the three most important "Dads" in my life.

To Ricky, I am so proud of the Daddy you are to Annalise & Ryan. For someone who was always a bit nervous about fatherhood, you are a natural. The kids' eyes light up when they see you come home every day, and that makes me so proud of you & happy for them. No matter how exhausted you are, you never turn down Annalise's requests for "chase," "Candyland," or "Tick Tock." Thank you for working so hard for our family, and thanks for bringing such laughter and joy to our lives. You are a wonderful dad & we love you!

To my Dad (Annalise & Ryan's "Papa"), you are such a gift to our family. Whether it is fixing our broken appliances or playing Polly Pockets with Annalise, you are always there for us no matter what. And even if I roll my eyes at the silly things you teach Annalise, I actually love it because those are the things that Annalise will remember when she's all grown up. I admire you so much as a father, and I am so happy that my kids love you just as much as I do!

To Ricky's Dad (Annalise & Ryan's "Poppy"), we are always thinking of you even though you are far away. Every time Annalise is with you, she just lights up, and I can't wait to see Ryan do the same in a few weeks. (I will make sure that Annalise

brushes up on her U.S. Capitals before our visit - haha!) You are proof that a grandparent doesn't have to be down the road to be a much-loved, important part of a child's life. We are so grateful for you and we love you!

An Extra Bathroom...Who Knew?

Funny story from the day...

Earlier today I promised Annalise that we'd play Candyland in her room during Ryan's nap. Two phone calls in a row delayed the plan, and when I got off the phone, Annalise asked if it was time to play. I said, "Yes, I just have to go to the potty first." She said, "I have a bathroom upstairs, it is right next to Ryan's room. You can use it if you want. Come on, I'll show you where it is." She took me by the hand, led me upstairs, brought me into the bathroom and said, "See, it is right here. You can use this potty if you want to." I just said, "Oh yes, that's right, I forgot there was a potty here." Haha...I know it was just a scheme to get me upstairs close to her room, where I couldn't escape Candyland!

Too Cute Not to Share

Just had to share this cute picture...I love Ryan's chubby chubby cheeks!

Annalise a Future Hoarder?

So, tonight I looked in Annalise's "playroom," which is just an area behind our sofa in the living room. Even though she has a large toybox and a big cabinet, toys are still piled up everywhere. I said to her, "Annalise, let's look in your playroom and gather some toys that you don't want to keep." First she started dragging toys one-by-one to the center of the room that she DID want to keep. So, instead I said, "Okay, just bring me the things you do NOT want to keep." She walked around her playroom for a while, dug through her toybox, and peeked inside her backpack, all the while mumbling to herself, "Hmmm...what do I not want to keep..." Do you know what she came up with?

A small sticker she peeled from a plastic table, a tiny bouncy ball, and a white crayon.

Hahahaha...this is why all the "toy purges" take place when she is at school or napping. I can fill a garbage bag and she never even knows anything is missing!