James Learns to Swim

We moved here on July 4th. We hit the pool on July 5th. James started swim lessons on July 6. We don't waste any time. Since all the group lessons were done for the summer, James had a little lesson with the "Lifeguard Jason" every morning at 9:30.

He really progressed and can do the breast stroke and freestyle, but refuses to come up for air. Maybe next summer?

Birmingham Science Center

So nice to have kids that are easily bribed with a "trip to the science museum" in order for us to do a little Birmingham furniture shopping. Ok, really they have no choice, but we are NICE so we bookend ottoman shopping with a toy store and a science museum. I know, best parents ever. And so that's how we ended up at the McWane Science Center.

Amazed by the maze.....

Dancing for the motion TV thingy....

and digging for fossils.

This is an enlarged version of one of those things you put your hand in and you can see the imprint on the other side. BUT this one was TWO SIDED.

James kept trying to put all the "needles" in and Brian kept sending Molly to the other side to do the same.

BWA-HA-HA

Best parents ever, indeed.

Besties

Of course, James found a bestie in our first week in Alabama.... Because really, how must that intro go?

"Oh you're four and you're a boy? Let's be best friends!"

and in the case of James, upon knowing someone for five minutes... "I love you."

Meet Haydn. (NOT a typo - it's the traditional Gaelic spelling of that name so don't email me!)

Haydn IS James, born into a different family all the way on the other side of the country, but still, they are the SAME PERSON. It's awesome. They hold hands everywhere they go, they like the same superhero/super spy/drawing on any surface/fire-looks-like-fun activities, and they have been known to "go vigilante" on a boy at Chick Fil A who was picking on Haydn's younger brother, Connr. Just kidding - it's Connor.

The best part about this whole "relationship" is that it has procured us two (TWO!) invitations to join Haydn's parents (Angie & Jeremy) on their boat! Well done, buddy. You get to eat tonight.

Ok, so the first invite resulted in a broken boat, but we had fun none the less. A&J rented a cabin on the Lake Martin military property (about one hour from our house). We took the kids to a little swim area and they did what kids do.... James & Haydn repeatedly tried to swim outside the "swim area rope," Connor complained about Molly stealing his bucket/shovel/sand/lake, and Molly almost drowned herself three times. You know, the usual.

But after all that, the boys got to make s'mores.... in their underwear.

It's hot here, people.

Seriously H.O.T.

Angie and I quickly worked out a "playdate exchange" where we take the older kids while the younger ones sleep and it allows us..... wait for it..... a LONG, QUIET, HOT SHOWER. Angie may be regretting this little setup as it seems I have introduced Haydn to Trix cereal, "food experiments," and lots of other activities that involve a mess. BUT Angie and I share a mutual parenting philosophy - it's all washable - even the kids so the playdates continue...

The last time I had Haydn over, I let him and James make their own ice cream.

James picked out the "special ingredients." (Please note his bowl of DOTS is already gone)

They both chose blue for the color and named it "Superman Ice Cream."

Really, who WOULDN'T like that ice cream?

2nd trip out on the boat was far more eventful. Wakeboarding, swimming, and lunch at a lakeside restaurant.

It made us simultaneously miss our boat and be grateful that we don't own one.

Our fearless driver, Jeremy.

Look at grumpy gus. He actually had a great time, but this picture makes it look like we forced him onto the boat and then told him he hate to eat liver and onions.

Molly LOVES Jeremy. She screamed her head off (that life jacket can't be comfortable) and Jeremy holding her, while driving, was the only thing that calmed her down.

Not pictured: me, in the back, eyes closed, while everyone else takes care of my kids....

After lunch snoozer.

Well, good work buddy.

You found your hooligan soul mate.

Southern Livin....

It's an easy way of life here.... grab some sunglasses,

wander down to the local fishin hole (this is literally IN our housing community),

and do what you need to do.

LOVING the South...

We Zoo, Do You?

Boy, do we love a zoo. You would think (THINK!) that the Montgomery Zoo would be a total letdown after two years of frequenting the National Zoo in DC, right? WRONG! In fact, could not be more wrong!

Not only does the Montgomery Zoo have some interesting animals (15 kangaroos, Bengal tigers, bison - bison people!! have you SEEN the heads on those things?!?), but they have the ONE THING we love the most.... no crowds. This might have something to do with the fact that we live in the bible belt and tend to visit the zoo on Sunday mornings, but whatever.

Here we are on our first visit (FREE thanks to a reciprocal agreement between the Mont Zoo and the Natl Zoo). We were the ONLY people on this train.

See how happy we are?!

Enormous Bengal tigers sitting about 2 feet from the glass....

Molly, pretty excited about that.

And (AND!), you can feed the giraffes! I think it's 50 cents for a branch of whatever it is giraffes eat and you can walk out onto a platform and beg the giraffes to eat out of your hand. These are particularly smart giraffes because they came nowhere near James or Molly, but....

... came right up to me

closer...

eek! I am that close to a giraffe!

So cool.

as an aside.... James kept yelling "Here, Melman! Here, Melman!"

That, my friends, is the name of the giraffe in the movie Madagascar, oh and Madagascar 2. It was like he was yelling "Hey everybody! My mom lets me watch too much TV! And a a lot of it is too old for me! Here, Melman!"

Well, at least there weren't any crowds.... but the bison. Oh, the bison.

I could just feel them judging me.

Molly - 18 months

and she gets weirder and weirder....

Cute headband from Nanet.

Weird baby knee pads from Korea (thanks Angela!)

The combo? That's all Molly.

Painting in an old apron of mine...

Current paint ratio: 40% on the paper, 40% on the counter, 20% in the mouth.

This is Molly putting HERSELF in time out.

For nothing.

She's just mimicking James, including the fake cry.

I wouldn't know what to do with her if she weren't just EXACTLY me at that age.