Garden Party, Birthday Parties

Confession: I dislike our neighbors' yard care men. It's not their fault; they are actually nice people. But I get disproportionately angry at them for using a leaf blower and weed-eater next to my napping son's window. I mean, it's yard work between noon and two - that's asking for a heat stroke....and for an irrational woman to come outside and shout at you for doing your job because she needs nap time to happen so she can write a blog post or take a nap herself (don't worry, I've never actually shouted at them, or asked them to stop work). 

Please don't email me to let me know what this particular confession infers about my selfishness for my quiet, alone time.

Moving on. The week before last we ventured north again to celebrate with C and TPIII on their upcoming marriage, and L and my dad on their birthdays. As always, it was comforting and fun to be around our family - and we ate a lot of food. Our first weekend started with a Garden Party for C and TPIII and we got to meet TPIII's parents.

C, I want you to know that your brother took a lot of pictures of you during present opening. And I believe we could have a slide show of just your facial expressions - awesome. But, I was afraid that you might stop speaking to me if I posted all of them online....we'll save them for the rehearsal dinner.

Those flowers are real.

The happy, and well-gifted, couple.

Shower fun.

Monday, after a doctor's visit, the kids and I headed over to crash my parents' beach vacation. I think they probably wanted to rest and relax during their vacation but I brought an eleven month old with a fever and an energetic two year old to see them. The Great decided that since he didn't feel well, he would revert to his newborn sleep schedule; thankfully my dad is also not a great sleeper and didn't mind the company, and my mom says things like "Well, I normally get up at 4:30 so I'm awake. Why don't you go back to bed?"

L came on Wednesday, R on Thursday, and H and CT on Friday night. The water was warm and perfect for the kids to play in. Squirms called herself a fish and the Great crawled to the water each time he was put down on the beach.

As a gift to Auntie L, Squirms got a hair cut. Her aunties had been threatening to take her for a hair cut if we didn't do it, so, we visited a hair place in Panama City and asked for a trim "so that it doesn't look like a mullet anymore". I found it a bit funny that we were asking to remove the Mullet-look while in Panama City.

Two weeks later and Squirms is still talking about the pink candy they gave her to be still, and the sunset she saw on the beach with Grandpa and Gran.

And we wonder why the Great gets kicked out of church nursery for tackling other babies....

Squirms was ever so helpful to Auntie L when it was cake time.

Auntie L and her card from the niece and nephew.

Back in central Florida, R has had some work travel, Squirms keeps reminding us to look at sunsets, and the Great has recovered from his virus. 

This morning on the way to preschool, we pulled out behind a backhoe. Reflecting on my first response, I was surprised. I didn't think: Oh no, we're going to have to go slow, we might be late; it was: Best Morning Ever, a backhoe!! Look Squirms, a backhoe! because she gets gleefully excited over construction equipment. I am glad that Squirms makes me actually look at the world around me - we never miss an excavator, airplane, cow, bird, or sunset.