Alligator Adventures

When we woke up this morning the plan was to go to the beach so we ate, lathered up in sunscreen and got our sand toys and headed down to the ocean. At first we were thrilled that it was overcast that way we could play and not be too hot...well when we got to the beach we were the only ones on the beach other than a couple of runners and some elderly people...I thought, "hmmm, maybe everyone else is thinking that the possibility of rain is going to be stronger than I did?" None the less we spread out our sheet, opened our bag of sand toys and just as we were filling our first bucket of sand Chris felt the first drop..."its just a drizzle" I said. Mason didn't mind and Micah didn't either but the drop turned into a steady drizzle and I didn't think Micah was gonna care for it if it got too much stronger so Micah and I headed back in for some R&R and Chris and Mason stayed building castles on the sand in the rain... right before I turned the corner to head back up to our room I looked over my shoulder and all I could see on the huge beach was Chris and Mason looking so small sitting right beside each other building castles and the sky was dark but right above them the clouds were broken with a little light peaking through as if God had cleared the morning just for the two of them. No one else seemed to be around just Chris and his little boy building Castles in the Rain! What a great daddy Mason has!

A rainy day for the beach called for Alligator Adventures! Of all the times I've been to the beach I've never been here...SOO many alligators and reptiles, my dad would have been in heaven.

I'm not really sure why they called it Alligator Adventures...in reality all the alligators seemed to do was just lay there, so still, resting for their opportunity to attack I guess? But I have never seen so many alligators and turtles. Big and little alligators and turtles. And how is it possible they can be soo huge and just float on the water? They had a house full of snakes I knew before today that I wasnt too fond of snakes but I discovered today that I have a fear of snakes. It was all I could do to keep my fear hidden from Mason when we were in the house of snakes. In the house of Lizards I saw my first legless lizard...looked like a snake with a lizard head.

Before I took this picture Mason was nervous that Chris was going to drop him into the gate with the gators.

We watched two shows. The first was the alligator feed and the second was meet some reptiles. We sat on the front row as the lady gave us some facts about a blue tounged skink lizard, a python (which Mason informed me will "Squeeezzzzeee you Mommy") and a 3 year old alligator whos mouth she had to tape shut with electrial tape to keep it from biting her and us. The lizard I was okay with the python I didnt want to hardly even look at and at the end of her talk she sat the alligator whos tail was slapping her hard on the back and looking for his opportunity to attack on the ground infront of Micah and he jumped and I jumped...the crazy instinct to protect your child came over me and I was fully prepared to attack that alligator...thankfully the guide realized my fear, called me out infront of everyone and moved the alligator over to the other side....on that note our alligator adventure was over...but we can if we wish, return for a second day free! I really did enjoy the place just feel more comfortable with seeing the animals from a distance behind glass or in a cage...far away from my baby.

First Haynes Family Vacation

Thanks to my parents Mauch Family Vacation is something that I've always loved! I have such fond memories of being a little girl and packing my suitcase (or maybe mom actually packed it?), getting crammed into our car...I'm talking CRAMMED! We would put all of our stuff and tons of extra stuff in and when we couldn't fit anything else THEN we would try to cram ourselves in and somehow thanks to dads amazing gift of packing things tightly everything would manage to fit, even if we did feel like we needed to sing the theme song of Sanford and Son driving down the road with all our junk! I loved that where ever we went I knew that we would have fun because we were a family! Our family always did everything together on vacation...it didn't really matter if we were camping, at the beach, in the mountains or where we were there were some things that would definitely be on family vacation! Mom would have tons of food and would cook like every meal, not just mac n cheese but a really great full meal! Dad would have made sure we had plenty of games like 15 board games a ball and some made up group game and occasionally we'd have some kinda matching article (hats, shirts, a pin...something) I did none of the planning or packing but did plenty of eating and playing! Its odd how you can live under the same roof with 5 other people day in and day out but getting away from your house and your normal life causes you to spend some really quality time with each other! I guess its possible at times that my parents forced us to have quality time but in the end I'm pretty sure our faces had smiles on them.

So now that I'm 30 and have 2 kids of my own its time for the Haynes Family Vacations to begin! Chris and I love to travel we both crave quality time with each other and with our kids and we hope that every year we can take the boys on a family vacation! Good thing for me that Chris is a planner, in fact, when he retires he'd love to be a travel agent...too bad that due to the Internet travel agents probably wont be around anymore...but that's okay he can keep planning trips for me for the rest of my life cause hes REALLY great at it! So Chris did the research and found us a great deal on a great place! And I made some home made banana bread and started packing! Clothes, snacks, diapers, games, toys, cameras, sunscreen, sand toys, pack n play, beach tent.... We loaded the Camery and borrowed the car top carrier from dad and it appeared that some other family vacation prior to this one the car top carrier was over loaded because the back of it was a little bent but that's okay we got some bungee cords and strapped them on and started singing the theme song from Sanford and Son! We were set, ready for fun! We had a great car ride down, Mason ate from the time we left the house till the time we stopped to eat at Hardees. He had cheese its, an apple, string cheese, and a strawberry rice crispy treat. By the time we had checked in and unloaded the car and found our room the excitement began to rise! Chris played Checkers with Mason, I read a chapter in my book and Micah napped then Mason and I went to explore the hotel and the pool while Micah took a nap and Chris watched a little of a basket ball game. The idea was to just let Mason LOOK at the pool but I guess I got a little caught up in the excitement too and told Mason he could take his shirt off and ply in the kid play area...it was so fun! It has water guns, a big tree that has water running down, a squirting hippo and alligator, big water slide, lazy river, hot tub...lots a fun! I cant wait till we are in our swim clothes and can really play in the water. Micah woke up, Mason had a spanking, everyone was happy again and we had a pizza party at Basil's, went to the grocery store (sorry mom, I'm not planning any elaborate meals just some chicken nuggets, mac n cheese and sun butter and jelly sandwiches) We got back from the store and unloaded the groceries and headed down for our first look at the beach. Its amazing to me that even though I've seen the ocean lots of times I'm still amazed at the awesomeness of the never ending ocean, sand as far as you can see to the right and to the left, how the first step in the sand feels so soft and smooth and a little difficult to walk in but the closer and closer you get to the waves the sand gets easier and easier to run in as if the waves are pulling you closer and closer till you stop and let the foam from the waves wash over your toes...and how fun to watch my little 3 year old boy experience the sand, and the ocean and to watch a smile and wide eyes come over my 6 month old little boys face as he felt the wind, heard the waves and the squeal of his big brother. Micah and I sat on a towel and watched Chris and Mason jump waves, chase waves, race waves, laugh, smile and as I looked at Micah just learning to sit and watched Mason jumping it was one of those moments that people tell you about before you have kids, a moment you wish you could just bottle up and save forever!

Well, its day one of our first family vacation at the beach and the forecast is calling for thunderstorms everyday...hopefully we wont have to give out any more spankings and hopefully we'll get a chance to use our sand toys... but even if we don't, I have no doubt this will be a great vacation because it doesn't matter what you do it just matters that you're doing it together! Let the fun begin!

Growing Up

Mason is getting more and more independent everyday. He loves that when we go to a public restroom that he can reach the paper towels all by himself, that he doesn't have to stand on his toes to reach the light switch or to turn his sound machine off and that he can stand on his stool to help me cook and reach the spices all by himself! These accomplishments are causing him to see what else he can reach or do by himself. Last week during quiet time he decided to change his clothes and put on his Buzz PJ's so he could pretend to be a super hero during nap time. One day this week he had a friend over and they were playing in the bonus room and I left them for a second and Mason had gotten his stool, reached the scissors and cut a hole in the top of his card table and when I came back in he said, "look what I did mommy" Earlier this week he came down the stairs in the morning and greeted Micah in his exocauser and Chris and I laughed at each other, without Mason knowing, because he had undressed and dressed himself...backwards. I thought wow, he's really ready to dress himself in the morning! Later I discovered he had leaked thru his nighttime pull up!

Micah is following right in his brothers footsteps wanting to be independent himself. He is loving to eat! Some days he eats three solid food meals his favorites are Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Pears, green beans, avocados, butternut squash he doesn't care too much for peas or bananas. And recently hes been practicing with a sippy cup of water! Boy oh Boy does he love to jump! He jumps in the JumpeRo and he even jumps in the exosaucer! Hes also getting really good at sitting up. As long as there is a toy in front of him he will hold onto it and sit with an occasional wobble which he can correct...however sometimes he will still over correct and fall, thank goodness we have carpet! If he ends up on the ground he will cry a little if left on his tummy but if you smile or laugh he will respond with a belly laugh followed by a tiny cry which leads to another belly laugh...Hes so happy he hates to have to cry! Its as if hes acting like an adult who has every reason to cry but feels silly they are crying and so they laugh in the middle of their cry...that's what Micah does.

Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child is a book that I read to have a guide to helping Micah sleep well! He has been a good night sleeper for a while! His sleep schedule can be flexible, here's a little preview of his sleep habits...he wakes sometime between 4-6am to eat then will go back to sleep until 7 or 730 (sometimes he leaves this early morning feeding out all together) Typically he wakes around 7 takes a nap from 9-11, takes a second nap around 1 and a third nap around 4 and is in bed between 630-7. We are really trying to stretch him to go to sleep no earlier than 7 so that Chris can have a little time with him at night. I love having this video monitor so we can watch him roll around in his bed with his duck that Aunt Jackie gave him and find one of the 4 pacis that I put in his crib. He has fun taking them in and out of his mouth, and he reaches over and pushes or kicks on his little ocean wonder crib toy that lights up and plays music and it seems that at night he likes to lay sideways in his crib or maybe he just gets stuck in that spot??? But hes sleeping so I guess its not bothering him! I love the early morning with Micah, hes so happy to be awake, in my arms and his little ears are sooo cold...I just love cold ears!

Now that its warmer outside Mason loves to play in the backyard, and I'm SO thankful we have a fence and a kitchen with a window! He plays in his pirate ship or on his blue boat, with his bubble train or sidewalk chalk and sometimes at night while I run in to check on dinner not but one or two mins will pass by and I'll hear a knock on the door and open it to see a cute little boy smiling so big his eyes are shut holding out his hand to bring me a tiny little flower that he has picked just for me! Hes so proud of this little flower, so I guess I dont mind that our yard has weeds its giving my little boy an opportunity to think of me!

Hot Hot Lava!

Poppy and Mammaw gave Mason a Childrens Encyclopedia for Christmas this year and it has a whole section beginning on page 61 about "Our Violent Earth" Thats where Mason first really learned about the "hot hot lava" Our neighbors down the street have a 2 year old little boy who came over to play one day and Mason was telling him all about volcanoes ....well...Corbin brought a volcano he made at preschool home with him and he invited Mason to come over to watch the eruption! How cute that kids remember things and think of others (or maybe his mom reminded him, either way, a very cute invite for Mason) Ever since then Mason has been wanting to make a volcano of our own. But he asked if we could make it bigger than Corbin's volcano, which consisted of one little plastic cup with some foil around it. So I asked him what we could do to make it bigger and he said let me get my chalkboard and draw it for you (its the little board right there on the table) He began, very seriously, drawing and mumbling to himself while scribbling harder and harder and then he said, " how bout we use 3 cups" so I said okay and our volcano was underway!

Of course he knew I'd have the camera out but he made me laugh out loud with this particular picture...he wanted to pose for it he said, "Okay mommy you take my picture when I'm ready" So I waited, expecting a big cheese smile, you know the kind where Mason is smiling so big that his eyes are shut tight,...I waited and waited and he was frozen in this pose then I realised that he wasn't painting the volcano, that he was pretending to paint to capture the moment! Once I snapped the shot he said, "Okay mommy, let me see that one"...LOL

Micah was there all along too...just watching on the table in his bumbo...Mason really wanted to touch him with his painted fingers and I did consider stripping Micah down to his diaper and allowing him to finger paint too to help with this family project but it was too close to his nap time...sorry Micah.

Here we are in the bathroom the volcano erupted in the bathtub (which, was a nice way to clean the tub ...baking soda and vinegar) The eruption wasn't too grand we didn't really have to evacuate but later in the evening while Mason and I were hiding our eyes while daddy hid for hide and seek Mason leaned over to me and whispered, "Hey mommy, I really had fun doing the volcano"...aww...sigh...he has my heart erupting!

KISSES

Micah is full of hugs and kisses...he grabs my face with his cold, wet, and sometimes sharp fingers opens his mouth, smiles with his eyes and with all he has in him he kisses and hugs...its the most adorable thing and wonderful feeling ever! And it stays with you because he leaves behind so much drool and scratches on your cheeks and neck...I love it!

Wanna Ride on My Ship?

So Mason is on and off with playing with his toys he'd much rather simply look around the house for anything he is allowed to use and create something. For a while he was always wanting to wear his Buz Light Year PJ's that he got from Poppy and Mam Maw for Christmas. These are no ordinary pajamas, according to Mason, the screen printed buttons all have different functions and his favorite button is the "fly button" when he pushes it he says "uh somethings growing" as he raises his arms out to the side all the while some lime green netting that is attached to the sleeve and sides of the pajamas is now seen and they form wings so he can then push the "Fly button" and take off...he then instructs that as he flys by you are supposed to say to whomever is in the room "_____ whats that zoom? Did you see that zoom?" So in the evening and mornings when he has those PJ's on he pretends he is "a superhero with wings"coming to your rescue...which has been wonderful because his super hero skills have included things like getting a diaper, pacifier, toy or simply talking to Micah or he'd also pick up trash, take things to the sink, clean up... while he still enjoys to be a super hero, his newest joy and satisfaction in playing is in the form of building. Not your typical building with blocks, Lincoln logs, Lego's (which we have plenty of in his room and the bonus room)...no... Masons building requires the use of our 4 throw blankets that I keep rolled up in a basket by the couch, our two large floor throw pillows, three blankets from his bed, three pillows from his bed, 4 step stools (yes I have lots of step stools...remember I'm short) and sometimes he uses Micah's little ocean gym and little bouncy seat. You can see the wheels turn in his head as he invisions his masterpiece. Its more than simply blankets, pillows and steps stools its a ship with rooms that have made up names like "haplash, careifshish" and sometimes the rooms turn into swimming pools that are hot or warm or ice cold. Some of the rooms you must hurry to get to so that you can be protected from the dragon, while another room keeps you safe from the hot lava and still another allows you to transform the ship into a rocket that takes you to outer space and the moon. He is the captain and everyone else must follow his lead! And whatever you do DO NOT step off of the ship or you will sink into the deep deep water...however if there is an emergency like Micha's diaper needing to be changed or dinner needing to be cooked then Captain Mason can give you special shoes to walk on the deep deep water, a special suit to protect you from the hot hot lava and a cannon ball to throw at any dragons or pirates that might try to get you. So, if you come to my house at any given day you will see this ship sometimes its in the living room, sometimes the hall, sometimes it can cover almost every piece of carpet upstairs. At times I've thought, "should I really let him be dragging out the blankets all the time and then I think...why not?" I like the ship, I have fun on the ship and the most wonderful thing is that as long as he is on his ship he is safe. I hope and pray that he always feels safe to explore, create, pretend, and imagine. I hope that the many journeys in his life and the attacks of 'dragons' or 'water to sink in' or 'lava to burn in' that he will always have a way 'out' a way to be safe, a way to overcome and I hope he always wants me to help him so yes Mason I wanna ride on your ship!

Tooo Long

Okay so its been like 6 months since I've made a new blog entry...in my defense I have had just a little going on bringing a new human into the world on Halloween...but come on...6 months to get back to blogging? And really, how long does it take to enter a new post?? Shame on me, now I've missed all the entries about Micah Christopher Haynes from the story of my labor 2 weeks early with the break of my water, the delivery...all 6lbs 10oz of it, bringing Micah home, big brother Masons awesome adjustment, his first time at the gym nursery, going back to work, his first time at church nursery, how cute he was all swaddled to sleep, me stopping work, his bellybutton falling off, his first bath, his first outing, the updates on his growth from the pediatrician, his diagnosis of torticollis, his amazing grins and giggles, his recovery of torticollis, unswaddleing, finding his hands, sleeping through the night, his first foods, rolling over, finding his toes, all the similarities and differences between he and Mason... obviously the list goes on and on...there's just too much to go back and cover so...sigh...I guess I'll just have to start from here.

I love this kid so much! He has to be the happiest baby ever...really, I'm not just saying that because hes 1/2 me and I'm pretty happy all the time...he really has been laughing out loud and smiling for well over 3/4s of his life! He is such an awesome addition to make our family of 3 a more comeplete family of 4!