Another weekend...already!

Saying "Cheese!" for the camera. Imagine what his future school photos will look like with a tilted back grin like this!
We had lots of fun with Aunt J and Little Miss yesterday! Here are the kiddos, eagerly getting their snack. Aunt J said she felt like she was feeding little birds. So true!
In the frog pool for some fun in the sun.
Both of our kids were on lookout duty this morning...again, the famous "Cheese!" grin.
This boy of ours got the mop out on his own this morning...Do you think I'll be able to get him to do this when he's a teenager? I think not...

Well, here it is... the last day of May and I can hardly believe it. Where in the world has time gone? A whole school year has come and gone, making it a full year since I've worked (outside the home). It's just unbelievable to me. Yet still, this time last year, we were anxiously awaiting a phone call from our adoption agency telling us good news of a court date. In fact, we would still be waiting another 22 days before that wonderful call would come. Wow...how things can change in one year!

Here are some pictures from the past few days! Have a great weekend - and adios to another month!

Busy days...

We had a very busy holiday weekend...a birthday party on Saturday and then a family BBQ on Sunday. It was all a lot of fun and Bear Cub did great at all the events! We had just bought the book, Go, Dog. Go! in which all the dogs are on their way to a dog party. Well, the BBQ on Sunday was a lot like a dog party...as there were about 10 dogs there, too! BC loved it and had a blast running around outside with the dogs. As we left to go home, he said, "Bye, dog party!" Perfect timing with the book, wouldn't you say?!?!

Here are some pictures from yesterday with Bear Cub helping his Daddy clean off the back porch. And then a few of a future father and son circus act....just to let you know, no one was injured during these crazy stunts!

A great way to cool off - blasting the porch off with the hose!

Watering the plants...the ones outside of the screen!

BC helping Daddy push the water outside. He loved the big broom!

Heading for the hills so he wouldn't be recruited for more chores! :)

Here comes the circus trick...

And he's up!

Whoa, baby...he's STILL up!

The safe and happy landing...oh what fun my boys have together!

Thank heaven...

for electric toothbrushes! Thanks to the idea given by Mimi, Bear Cub now brushes his teeth with an electric toothbrush. It is a marvelous thing!! So if any parents of toddlers out there are struggling with this fun aspect of parenting, give the 'ol electric toothbrush a try! He will keep that thing in his mouth for more than a couple of minutes, turns it around and over when we ask him to, and generally is happy about the whole thing! He was fine before with the regular toothbrush, but all he wanted to do was suck on it and it was hard for us to really get in there to brush for him while he wiggled and squirmed away. Granted, I still get in there every couple of days for a "Mama Power Brush", but I feel a lot more confident that things are getting scrubbed...thanks to the new toothbrush. Great idea, Mimi!! :)

Look at him go!

Kick, kick, kick!

The fun never ends when you have empty bubble containers to play with!
Hey, sweet cheeks...
Zoe likes the new pool too!! Have to watch those sharp nails of hers though...

Well, we don't have too much new and exciting to report around here. We continue to be amazed by Bear Cub's talking...one more quick example for you (this one impressed us BIG time!). He had just finished a yogurt drink and said, "Dada, mo yo-yo, pease..." Daddy, more yogurt, please! You can bet that Daddy jumped up for the yogurt after that one!

He's doing great in the pool, hence the title of this post. We have been practicing kicking and today he did it so well! I discovered that if I put one of his cars on the edge, I can get him on his belly and get him to kick over to the wall. Cars and trucks are MAJOR motivation for this guy! He starts his swim lessons on June 23, so I'm hoping to have him swimming a little underwater to the wall by the time that gets going. We are making progress!

Here are some pictures of him in his frog pool in the yard. He's a little cautious around this for some reason -- even without the big eyes blown up on the pool. But he had some fun pouring water and playing with his boats. He also likes to put his rocks in the pool -- great fun, I know. ;)

Have a good rest of the week and happy Memorial Day weekend coming up!!

Our man of many words...

I have read in different sources that a child seems to have a "language explosion" all of a sudden. Bear Cub has consistently learned new words and I'd say over the past month or two, his vocabulary has grown at a slow, yet steady pace. He would learn one new word every few days, and he may or may not say the complete form of it. Of course, we were thrilled with every new "word" that came out of him and always anxious to hear more. Well...the EXPLOSION has happened! WOW! I would say in the past 2 weeks his vocabulary has grown exponentially! He is constantly repeating new words and is starting to string 2 and even 3 words together now. Daddy Bear and I looked at each other several times over the weekend and said, "Did he just say what I think he said??!!" And sure enough, he would of. Here are just a few of the new things that he saying. Who knows what will come next? It's an awesome thing to hear your own child's voice and be able to honestly and easily communicate with him. And of course, he is just SO pleased with himself when we understand exactly what he is saying! Oh, happy days for us all!

• Hi (and bye) car wash! (ok...sounds like "Hi tar wa" when he says it, but it's so close!)


• Pull car back


• Car down slide ("tar dow sli")


• Big rock


• New rock Daddy (Daddy found him a new rock on one of our walks -- he loves rocks!)


• Russia Bear baby (sounds like "Ru Bear be-be" -- my Aunt Audrey sent him a wooden toy that has a bear on a rocket going to the moon -- from Russia, some 30 years ago. Bear Cub says Russia Bear baby because he knows that he was a baby in Russia.)


• Mama nice -- one of my favorites! :)


• Cool truck ("tool tru")


• Quiet Zoe! ("qui Zah" -- too funny....you know we must say that one a lot!)


• Shoes on and shoes off


• Throw ball and throw golf ball


• Baseball

So, there you go! I know there are more, but I think we've lost track of them at this point! Here are a couple of new pictures for you, too. Have a great week!!

Here he is...showing us "how strong" he is by lifting his toy fire truck. Daddy was so proud!

Just cracking himself up the other night in his high chair! He is a riot!

Cruisin' fun!

Hi everyone!! Well, we safely returned home two days ago from our fabulous 5-night cruise! Remember, this was my surprise Mother's Day gift...thanks so much to my awesome husband! I could do that every year, for sure. We left last Saturday morning. We made sure we got Bear Cub to his grandparent's house a couple of hours before it was time for us to leave. Being the nervous "I'm leaving my baby for the first time" Mama, I wrote out the Bear Cub Bible -- his schedule, what he eats, what he likes, what he says...oy. You'd think we were leaving him for months or something! Well, this whole writing process made me feel more confident, although I lost sleep each night leading up to the cruise. Silly worries -- I realize that in hindsight -- but nonetheless, worries that at the time seemed very critical to me. He did great with his grandparents and his Mimi! They all kept him very busy and from the sounds of it, he was a happy camper for his little 5-night getaway from Mama & Daddy!


Another awesome surprise from my husband...my cousin Amy and her husband Mike also went cruisin' with us! They live in Atlanta and made the drive down to catch the boat. It was SO fun having them with us...we lived it up BIG time! I don't think we made it to bed any earlier than 1 a.m. on any of the nights -- that was late for all of us! We did lots of eating (ugh..too much!), soaked up some sun, ate some more, and then karaoked the nights away. It was a blast!


Here are some pics of our trip. We had perfect, sunny weather and the ports of call were great. In Grand Cayman we took a taxi van down to the beach and enjoyed the day in the gorgeous water. In Cozumel, we went on an excursion to the Mayan Tulum Ruins. It was really interesting and we had some delicious Mexican food at a little place near the ruins. Lots of fun!


So it's back to reality now. It was late yesterday afternoon that both hubbie and I finally felt like we had our "land legs" back on. We both felt like we were swaying, as if still on the ship. Crazy! Bear Cub was happy to see us and loved getting back to all of his toys and of course, to Zoe. She also had a relaxing time away from us all -- staying at our good friends and neighbor's, whom we lovingly call "Nana" and "Papa," as they truly are like grandparents to BC and Zoe here in the neighborhood.

Our first getaway was a success, I'd say! Thanks to everyone who helped make it all possible! Mark your calendars for the same time next year.... ha, ha ;)

Here we are on a small boat that we had to take from the ship to the dock in Grand Cayman.

Grand Cayman...with our ship in the background. The water here is the most incredible blue that you will EVER see!

The cuzzies at the Tulum Ruins, which were built right on the sea. Gorgeous!

Our awesome travelin' partners! They are the best!

The whole gang...including our waiter and assistant waiter, on the last night of the cruise. It's always hard to let it go at the very end!

A very special day to honor...

I want to wish every mother out there a wonderful and happy Mother's Day this Sunday! It is truly a day to openly show and express how grateful we are for these powerful and important ladies in our lives. Since becoming a mom myself, I have learned what hard work it really is to be a mother. It is a constant job that can be so challenging and worrisome at times, yet so rewarding and joyful, all the same. It is amazing. As a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be a mommy. I am incredibly happy to be a mother. The process and journey to motherhood took a little longer than expected for me, but thank goodness it did! Motherhood is a miracle, regardless of how you come into it. It is the best thing that I have ever done. My Bear Cub really is my dream come true!

I wanted to honor and recognize the special ladies in my own life. They are not all my mother, but mothers all the same, that have in one way or another, influenced my life, loved me, and taught me things, as a mother does. Thank you to these beautiful, beautiful women that I feel so privileged to have in my life! Happy Mother's Day!

For my own Mama Bear...thank you for your never-ending encouragement and love that has meant so much to me! You are wonderful in countless ways. I love spending time with you, hearing you laugh, and knowing that I can always turn to you when I need someone to listen or a shoulder to cry on. You have taught me how to be patient, kind, and loyal, among so many things. When I think back on my own childhood, your face dances in my memories, as you are what created a safe and happy place for me to grow. You mean the world to me and you make the world a brighter place! I love you!For my talented sister, Jessica...thank you for always being there for me! I can't tell you how much I learned about motherhood and parenting (and continue to) from having you as a role model. Your children are amazing and that wholly reflects back to you and your awesome mothering. You have many skills and talents, but wow, you were supposed to be a Mama, there's no doubt about that!

For my mother-in-law...thank you for always listening and being there for me and our family! You are a joy to be around and can light up a room with your smile. I give you so much credit for raising 3 great children...and for obviously playing a huge role in making my husband the man he is today. I can never thank you enough for that! I feel so blessed and lucky to be able to call you "Mom."

For my own Grandma...who passed away several years ago...thank you for showing us how to love unconditionally. She was a strong woman who lived through many challenges in her life. Yet despite these hardships, she always had a smile, a warm hug, and plenty of love to share. She was a lady with a hearty laugh, a huge and forgiving heart, and was always wanting to help in any way she could. I know she dances with the angels in heaven now.

For Grandma S...thank you for always loving me and making me feel as if I were really your own granddaughter. You are an amazing and strong woman, and I have complete respect for you. Also, you are a fabulous cook and baker...so I thank you for always sharing your secrets and teaching me the ways of the cooking world!

To Grandma C...thank you for your constant love that you provide. I love spending time with you. You are a great listener and have a sweet, kind heart. You've taught me to listen to the birds and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. And I bet you didn't even realize that. It goes beyond that...you've taught me to enjoy the pure things in life, as simple as they may be. You teach by example. And of course... we are quite a Euchre team when we play cards!

Sending out hugs and kisses to all the amazing mothers that I know and respect! I love you very much!

The "Man" on a Bug Hunt!

"Here's looking at you, babe."

I've mentioned before how much Bear Cub loves to go on bug hunts in the evening. Well, here are some new pictures of him, using his owl magnifying glass (thanks again, Betsy!!) and checking the sidewalk for his beloved ants and bugs. He's really starting to repeat words and use new ones every day. His language growth in the last few weeks has been amazing! He can not say the hard "c" or "k" sound right now...so any words starting with those letters come out with a "t" sound. So, when he thinks something is great, he yells out, "TOOL!" for "COOL!" It is just the funniest thing and so cute!! So, we saw lots of "tool" bugs on our walk.

And be sure to check out his shirt..."I may be small, but I'm still the MAN!"

Isn't that the truth though?!!?

Thanks again, Aunt S & Uncle T!

Family fun for everyone!

Just thought I'd share some pictures from the other night. We ALL had fun playing with the big ball in the house! We find lots of things to amuse ourselves around here....

The gift that keeps on giving!

Yesterday we took Bear Cub to the zoo, courtesy of the annual passes my dear sister gave us. We all had a blast! We met up with our good friend, Matt (or "Uncle Matt" to BC) and enjoyed a fairly uncrowded day at the zoo. We told BC on Saturday evening that we would be going the next day. He said "zoo" for the rest of the night and just about the whole trip there the next day. He was really excited to go! He is an animal lover, so he's basically amazed by every creature there. We were able to get really close up and personal with a giraffe this time, which was awesome for us all! Wow...the tongue on a giraffe is REALLY long!! BC also loved the walk-through aquarium and tried to catch every fish that swam by. Experiences like this are so great for him -- you can just see the learning happening right before your eyes!

The last time we went to the zoo, BC was all about the trash cans and soda machines...this time...the ROCKS. I would never have noticed how many rocks were there, but thanks to BC, we were all well informed of every "rah" in the park. Truly amazing what can be done with rocks! BC might just take after his Uncle Matt -- who really is a geologist!

Ahhhhh....the joy and wonder of rocks! ;) Enjoy the photos!

Ready to take on the zoo! He walked most of the day at the park...while Daddy pushed an empty stroller!

Check out the giraffe's tongue! BC just about got eaten up by that thing!

Trying to touch the fish as they swam past.

Now that's the look of pure amazement - I love it!

Just hanging out with the fellas!

Happy weekend!

Hi everyone! I just realized that it has been more than a few days since I posted! Everything is fine here...we just had a really busy week! After trying out the 2 gymnastic classes in the beginning of the week, my mom came over for a couple of nights. We had a great visit! Bear Cub is very lucky to have his grandparents live so close! Last Sunday, Grandma & Grandpa Bear came over for the day and as usual, we all had a wonderful time. :)

It's a good thing that BC will have recently spent some time with his grandparents & Mimi, because he's going to be with them for 5 days coming up soon!! Dear Daddy Bear surprised me with a cruise for just the two of us! Wow, was I surprised! I'm really excited and looking forward to some "us" time, but I know I'm going to be missing my baby terribly! Everyone is so excited to be finally baby-sitting him and I know he'll have a fun time with them all. But again...I am going to miss my little partner in crime SO much!! :)


Here are a few new photos from the last week. Enjoy! Have a restful and wonderful weekend!!

Reading a book with Mimi

The fun with the bucket just NEVER seems to end!

I guess he decided he wanted to enjoy the outside view for a while! I love that smile of his!

Look at that tomato plant grow! This week he started repeating "No" back to me. On this day, I had to remind him that there was no touching of the plants, only watering and sniffing. So he really loved telling me (while shaking his pointer finger back and forth...yikes...you really can see yourself once a little one starts mimicking you!) "No, no, no." And then he bent down to "sniff," or basically whistle at, the plants. He got my drift! Check out the new shoes....yes, MORE new shoes! The last pair only lasted a little over a month!

He's a growing boy!