Playing with our new toy

Thanks to Woot.com, we are the proud owners of a Flip video camera. I had Flip envy when the Clarkes were here visiting for Tyler's birthday party, and when one was being sold on Woot for a discounted price, I jumped on it. Our digital camera has the capability to take videos too, but we've already found that the quality is 100 times better with the Flip. So, enjoy a few videos from the past week.

Ring Around the Rosie

Bedtime stories or be silly? Be silly.

Just some new stuff

We've been pretty busy here lately - another Home Depot kids' workshop (he made a racetrack this time, well, I did), testing out a new jogging stroller (I'm determined to get in shape this spring), a little bit of grilling outside (Tyler loves to help cook!), getting 2 year pictures taken (I am so glad that we don't have to do THAT for another year - whew!), and just enjoying the gradual change to spring (though we wish it would come on a bit faster). We have lots coming up too. A quick visit from our dear friends the Bowlers this weekend while they are in town from Florida, a visit to Lynchburg to see Grandpa, Uncle Eddie, & Miss Emily next weekend, then Easter the weekend after. Busy times ahead! Before we know it, the pool will be open, Aunt Jenn & Uncle Brian's little boy will be born, and we'll be heading to the beach (with Grandpa & Eddie, AND meeting up with the Bowlers there!.

Snow in March!

We got our first real snow of the year. On March 2nd. Crazy! We got about 8 inches, and I can honestly say that I don't think that I've seen that much snow in Richmond since I moved here in 2002! The news claimed that we did have this much snow a few years ago, but I certainly don't remember it. It started on Sunday night (thankfully our friends the Clarkes, left earlier in the day!) and continued along with some very high winds throughout the night. Our power flickered a few times, which made me nervous, but we never lost power. Whew!

We woke up to a winter wonderland! We found out that Tyler's daycare was closed for the day, and were shocked to find out that Travis had the day off as well! I had just a little bit of hope that we might be able to spend the snowy day together only to have that hope shot down. Yep, I had to be at work that day. But since the roads were horrible, we decided that we had time to dress Tyler up in his snow gear and take him out for a little bit. (And I'll admit - I was glad that I needed to go in late because I was not about to be robbed of being able to make a memory of Tyler's first snow with him by having to rush to work.) Several months ago, I bought some snow boots and snow bibs for Tyler, knowing that if I DIDN'T buy them we'd get 2 feet of snow.

So I got him all dressed up and ready to go! He was really good about putting on lots of layers, and did well with his boots and mittens too. The mittens were a little harder to get on, but once they were on, he was OK with it - he just couldn't pick anything up! He stepped outside, and walked fairly well. He seemed to really like it, and then he was nailed in the face with a snowball by one of the neighbors. Once we corrected that situation, he was better and played for a little while. He stayed outside until the winds were so bad that he was getting snow blown in his face, and was almost getting knocked over. Then he was most definitely ready to come in. But I'm sure it'll be another 4+ years before we ever get this amount of snow again so I'm glad we got to enjoy it now. (And also glad that it was gone before long, as we had temps in the upper 70s just days later!!!!! BRING ON SPRING!!!!)

2nd Birthday Fun (and more)

We celebrated Tyler's 2nd birthday yesterday. Where has the time gone???? We had a great time with his party. We had it at the Children's Museum of Richmond and I was so happy that we did it there. It was so nice to have someone else set up and clean up. That was worth its weight in gold. All of the kids got to play in the museum before the party started, and after it was over. It was really crowded though, since it was a rainy day. Everyone in Richmond was looking for an indoor activity, I guess. But the kids still had a great time. I decided to get ambitious and made a dinosaur cake for a dinosaur themed party, and I thought it looked great! I got lots of compliments on both look and taste, so that's good.

Tyler got a ton of great stuff. Lots of spring and summer clothes (since I overestimated and bought a bunch of 3T stuff last year for this year that won't fit til next year - whoops), trucks, lots of Play-Doh, puzzles, a Little People barn (I love that thing! It reminds me of the old barn when I was a kid!), and lots of other great toys. We're very fortunate to have such great friends and family.

We had lots of out-of-town guests for the day too. Of course, Grandpa & Cindy were there, along with Uncle Eddie & Emily. Our friends, the Clarkes, came all the way from South Carolina, and friends the Springsteens came from Northern VA. It was so great to have so many people travel for the big day!

Before Tyler's birthday though, we did have to make a quick trip back to Lynchburg. Sadly, my Nana Woody passed away on February 23. So we went to Lynchburg for the services and were there from Tuesday through Thursday of the week. Aunt Kay & Uncle Mike from Singapore were in town, as well as my 3 cousins - Gray, David, & Anne. As sad as the situation was, it was great to spend time with all of them. Rest in peace, Nana. We will miss you.

First manly project!

We found out that our local Home Depot does a kids' workshop on the first Saturday of every month. It's completely free and kids get a new project to complete each time. So we took Tyler to his very first workshop this past weekend. He got his very own Home Depot apron, a pin for his apron (there's a different pin for each workshop that he will complete), and his to-be-completed project. This week's project was a wooden trinket box, built using only wood glue, so no nails or screws or anything else sharp. Tyler had a great job, and quickly took credit for all of his Daddy's hard work! And when he was finished, he even got a certificate for his hard work! We can't wait to take him to more workshops.

Cat toys that double as toddler toys

At the advice of our veterinarian, we bought a laser pointer to help encourage Beemer to be more active. It works, and he loves it. Tyler loves to watch him play with it too. He also loves to shine the laser for Beemer. But apparently, he also likes to try to squash the laser himself!!!! (sorry if it's a little dark....)

First haircut!!!

So after months of deliberation, Tyler had his first haircut this morning at the same salon I go to. We were hard pressed to want to get rid of those beautiful curls. It went pretty well, and we are sooo happy with the cut. We got there and Tyler wasn't sure about anything. We took him in and showed him what was going on, and he wasn't buying what we were selling. We introduced him to Katie, who would be cutting his hair. So finally we brought out the big guns - we set up the portable DVD player with a fresh Backyardigans DVD. Worked like a charm. He wasn't a fan of sitting alone, so he sat on my lap, and he really hated having the cape put on him. But again, once he saw his Backyardigan friends, he was cool.

Katie asked if we wanted a "little boy cut" or if we wanted to keep some of the curl. Well, damn, given the option, I want the curl!!! lol So she called it a "little boy shag". And the cutting began.
Tyler did awesome. As long as Tyrone & Austin were singing and dancing on the screen, he didn't care. She clipped away. And boy did she clip. We didn't realize just how long his hair had gotten until we watched her cut. lol I did keep some of the curls, and they are secure ina little envelope. But we love it. He looks so much older, at least to us. His hair is out of his face, which I know is a relief to him. And while he has the curls still, they aren't hearly as out of control as they were. LOVE IT!!!!

Here are a few pics from the day (OK, a lot):

Christmas fun

Christmas was so much fun this year. Not that Christmas wasn’t fun last year or anything, but it was just different this year. Tyler really got into everything this year and it was so fun to watch his excitement. We had Grandpa & Uncle Eddie arrive on Christmas Eve for dinner and we all opened our traditional present – an ornament. Tyler got a “Horton Hears a Who” ornament this year, for his love of Seuss. We dressed him in his new Christmas pj’s and off to bed he went, to get ready for a busy and fun day ahead.

First thing Christmas morning wasn’t so fun, as we found Tyler in his bed covered in poop. Poor thing seemed to have a bit of a tummy bug but he wasn’t going to let that slow him down. He was in a pretty good mood for a majority of the day, he just didn’t eat much. He went downstairs and took a look at the loot that Santa had brought the night before – a train table complete with tracks, trains, and all sorts of other accessories, Elmo legos, books, wooden puzzles, Little People galore, and so much more. He loved exploring everything, and really loved playing with his new train table. He especially loved ordering “DaPa” (aka Grandpa) to come in the playroom & play with him at the train table.

When it came time to open presents, Tyler was a pro. He quickly & easily ripped the paper off of each of his gifts, and would promptly hand it over to Uncle Eddie saying, “Open.” No box left unopened that morning. Toys everywhere. We started getting Tyler to help hand out gifts, but I think the excitement of the day got to him. We would ask him to take a gift to Uncle Eddie or Grandpa, & he would sit down in front of whoever was to receive the gift & proceed to open it for them. Oh well, he had a blast & that’s the point, right? He got lots of great gifts, including a Little People raceway from Eddie, a musical instrument set from MawMaw Ange & PawPaw Jim in Lynchburg. Our house definitely looks like a mini version of Toys R Us.

After breakfast, Grandpa & Eddie headed back to Lynchburg, and we got ready for Part Two of Christmas. After Tyler’s (short lived) nap, we headed to Louisa to visit with Travis’ parents & grandmother. There he got to open even more gifts & added to his toy count with a toddler-proof CD player & stuffed Curious George among other things. Thankfully, he got a little bit of his appetite back while we were there so it was a good thing that we came armed with lots of snacks! We had a good visit there and then headed back home to rewind.

Tyler was a bit confused, I think, the day after Christmas when there were no more new toys laid out for him. I had to have a chat with him about the fact that Santa only comes once a year and that new things weren’t going to just “appear” everyday. Not sure that he gets it yet, but he will. And after that chat, he was perfectly happy playing with his train table again. I have a feeling that will be a favorite toy for years to come! Even with the fact that Tyler wasn’t feeling 100% that day, we had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to so many more. I have a feeling that each year will become more and more magical as we see Christmas through Tyler’s eyes.

On a final note, a big heartfelt congratulations to our close friends Laura & Matt. They welcomed their first child, Mason Kencaid, to the world on December 30 at 8:34 am. He weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and both Mason & Laura are doing well. We absolutely can not wait for Mason & Tyler to grow up together and become playmates. Congratulations you guys! We love you!

Chri-mas 'ights, Mama. Chri-mas 'ights.

Well, folks, we are just shy of 3 days away from Christmas morning. And we are really looking forward to it this year. Tyler did well last Christmas, but this year he's really gotten the hang of unwrapping gifts (he had practice the other night), and he's been intrigued with all of the lights and trees and sounds of Christmas. He loves to announce (loudly) to us every time that we pass a house with lights on it. He yells, "'Ights, Mama! Chri-mas 'ights!!!! Man!" (That's "snowman" in Tyler speak.) I want to take him downtown to see the lights at the James Center sometime before the New Year, because I know he'll love it.

We put the tree up last weekend, and we are pleased to announce that Tyler has left it alone - for the most part. He attempted to help me decorate, but that was quickly suspended when he just started chucking ornaments onto/into the tree. I finished the decorating when he went to bed, so he awoke the next morning to a fully decorated tree to which he just stared at and said, "Oooh, 'ights." We even have fulyl wrapped presents under the tree, complete with bows. He has just recently started to notice them and slowly inches his way to the gifts to lightly touch them, but so far so good. As long as we can make it 60 more hours, we're golden.

We've gone a bit overboard on the gifts for Tyler - something I said that I just wouldn't do. But it's so hard not to pick up a little something here and there for your favorite little man. We had Tyler with us when we bought a lot of it too - I'm going to miss being able to do that in the future. We also had him with us when we bought our gifts for the Salvation Army Angel Tree, a tradition that has been in my family & Travis' family for years. We're happy to be able to share this with Tyler to show that Christmas isn't just about "gimme gimme gimme". Hmm, I wonder if Santa went as overboard as we did??? Guess we'll have to wait until Christmas morning to see.

Tyler has a party at daycare tomorrow that I'm going to go to. I'm excited to be able to spend the afternoon with him. We have Grandpa & Uncle Eddie coming to town on Christmas Eve and we'll have the traditional Christmas Eve dinner that my Mom started so many years ago. They'll be here with us on Christmas morning to see what Santa has brought, have some breakfast, then head back to Lynchburg. Then we will head out to Trav's grandmother's house in Louisa County. We were originally going to have Christmas at our house, but Trav's dad is having some tests run at UVA on the 26th and they will be spending Christmas night in Charlottesville, so this is the best way to see them. (Please keep Steve in your prayers.)

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (in case we don't update here before then). Enjoy your time with your family and friends! Much love to those that we don't see often! (PS - Sorry about the one lone picture. We just got a new laptop yesterday, and I have not had time to move the files over. This is all I had to work with.)

Santa!

We took Tyler to see Santa over at Short Pump Town Center again this year. We didn't have high hopes for this visit this year, seeing as several of our friends with toddlers at the same age had some less-than-pleasant experiences. When we got there, there was a bit of a line, so Travis took Tyler to the play area while I stood in line. Travis took him over to Santa's exit to see the big guy in action and Tyler even waved to Santa and got a wave back! We started to think that we might not have such a bad visit after all! Next thing we knew, it was our turn. Tyler started to look a bit anxious, and once he got up close & personal with Saint Nick, he was suddenly VERY unsure about it all. But we brought Marcie the Bear with us, and Santa picked her up and hugged & kissed her. He talked to Tyler while we sat him in Santa's lap. Tyler fussed a little bit, but the photographer managed to get a brief smile from him with a quickie game of peek-a-boo. This picture was taken as the smile was fading, but hey, at least he's not screaming, right?

Our Thanksgiving

It’s hard to believe that the holidays are upon us! I feel like this year has just flown by. We certainly hope that everyone had a safe & wonderful Thanksgiving! We know that we did!

We had Thanksgiving lunch with Travis’ family – Gramme & Granddad Snead, Great-Grandma Smith, Aunt Jenn & Uncle Brian (and Aunt Jenn’s little peanut in her tummy – Tyler’s going to be a cousin in June!). It was a great meal and we had a nice time visiting. While Tyler napped, I perused the Black Friday ads and determined that Travis needed to get to Sears before 5:00 am the next day to get a front-loading, high efficiency washer & dryer pair that were on a BIG TIME sale. That was nice of me, wasn’t it?

Anyway, after we left Gramme & Granddad’s house, we made our annual trip to Wal-Mart. Before Tyler, it would be that we would only make a trip to Wal-Mart once a year, and that was on Thanksgiving Day. While I enjoy Wal-Mart’s prices and selection, I’ve never been a fan of the crowds, the parking, and so on. Thanksgiving Day is heaven in Wal-Mart. No one there, no lines, no fighting, no parking issues. It’s truly a lovely experience. But we’ve found ourselves shopping at Wal-Mart more often now, so we’ve had to just learn to deal with it. It was nice to have one calm shopping day there though. We were able to buy lots of gifts for our Salvation Army Angel, a tradition that Travis & I both grew up with and hope to continue with Tyler so that he can see that Christmas is also about helping others in need, not just about toys for him.

On Friday, we packed up and headed to Browns Summit, NC to visit Nana Scoggin. She had a full house there – Heath, Maureen, Kayla, & Bryan; Nathan, Donna, Jessi, & Becky; Harry, Jayne, & Harry Lee; Kevin, Debi, Kevin Jr., Mike, & Amy. It was so nice to see everyone. We hadn’t had the opportunity to see them in quite a while. Tyler had a great time playing with his cousins (well, my cousins, so I guess they’re his cousins once removed?). He has a blast riding in the golf cart, and visiting with the miniature horses across the street. I’m glad that we were able to get down there, and hope to make another trip sooner rather than later.

And I’ll leave you with this. Tyler has recently become attached to a stuffed teddy bear that I have. This bear was a gift that I gave to my friend Heidi in college when her best friend passed away. Years later, it shows up on my doorstep after Mom’s death. Heidi wanted to share him. Well, this bear has been in our bedroom for 2 years now, and Tyler never really noticed it. Until about a week and a half ago, when he picks it up, gives it a hug, and decides that this bear must go everywhere with him. I asked him what this bear’s name is and he replied “Marcie”. Marcie is the name of his daycare director (who also has a little girl in Tyler’s class). Marcie does everything with us, but we won’t let her leave the house (unless it’s an out of town visit). Marcie said she’s flattered that he’s named his bear after her, and I guess it just shows that he truly is well taken care of at daycare. And that’s extremely comforting.