Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

The whole reason we went to Disney world last week is that my Grandma, Mom, and Mom's friend were going to a Convention down there. We were lucky to be asked to tag along. The hotel was AWESOME and huge. Lucas loved the playground and the pool was really neat too. It had a water park type slide that Lucas went down 3 times by himself (with the help of a life jacket.)

Pictures from the Last Few Days

Every once in a while Lucas stops pretending that he hates Maybe and climbs in her kennel for a cuddle.

Flags in front of the Savannah Mall

It's finally Swimming weather!

Doing a little gardening by reusing water bottles to plant seeds.

Can't wait to see what will pop up!

This is the Life

On Wednesday we were supposed to head to St.Simons Island by 10:00 AM but my mom ended up getting called into work. We finally ended up making it there a little after 10:00 PM only to find out that to get to our hotel room we had to go up steps. Only problem is my Grandma can't get up steps so the resort we were staying at upgraded us from a room with 2 double beds to a condo with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms! We also had a full kitchen so Lucas and I made a food run at 11:30 at night. He was so excited to be out that late (he slept in the car on the way there.)

Lucas and I ended up picking the master bedroom because it came with an awesome bathtub (I lost track of the amount of baths Lucas took while we were there.) Our room also had two walk-in-closets that Lucas said were his "clubhouses."

When I finally got Lucas to crawl up in bed he told me "my baby is sad, he misses Jadie."

It was after 1AM before we went to sleep.

Even though we didn't get to bed until LATE it didn't stop Lucas from getting up before 8AM. I woke up to him saying "The Sun is up mommy. NO SLEEPING!"

Lucas found a new love... honey nut cheerios. He had two BIG bowls of cereal for breakfast.

I'm so glad that he brought his train set. We had a lot of down time in the condo since my Mom was at conference attending classes during the day. Lucas and I came along to take care of my Grandma and keep her company.

Right outside our condo was a private pool and we had it to ourselves the whole time. Right behind the pool is the marsh and we kept finding fiddler crabs in the pool.

We rescued one of the crabs from the pool and he grabbed onto my camera strap. Lucas loved getting a closer look.

Lucas also really enjoyed the balcony that overlooked the pool. He liked that he was allowed to play "outside" by himself.

There was also lots of naked time. For some reason Lucas discovered his love of being nude this week. He loved yelling "I'M NAKED!"

Since we ended up having all the extra room in the condo I was able to talk my sister Lori into coming down for a night. It was even more fun with her there.

Dear Lucas (37 Months),

I wish we had a camera crew to follow you around and record all the funny things that you say everyday. I can't believe all the funny stuff that comes shooting out of your mouth and there is just so much that by the end of the day I've already forgotten the funny thing you said over breakfast. So far 3 has been so much more fun that 2 (with a little bit more attitude on the side!) Tonight we were just hanging out and you asked me a random question and I just shrugged my shoulders and you crouched down in front of me and with every bit of seriousness you looked into my eyes and said "Use your words!" That is the phrase I always tell you when you are whining or throwing a fit. I cracked up laughing and you did too.

Lately you have become OBSESSED with "Toy Story!" I am not willing to admit how many times you have seen it in the last few weeks (let's just say you already know just about every single word to the movie) especially since you've been sick the last few days. Yesterday when you begged to watch it for a million and two times I told you that we couldn't watch it because the DVD needed to rest and if you kept watching it over and over it would break. I don't know how you fell for it but you did and I silently celebrated! Well, the first thing you did this morning was walk straight for your DVD and pick it up and say "It's rest! Look Mommy, all better! It is all rest!" You talked on and on about how rested the DVD looked and how Woody and Buzz had a great nap and you were so serious.

Another thing you are into lately is pretending you are going to school. You will put your backpack on and tell me "Goodbye Mommy, I go to school now! I love you! I'll miss you" and then you come by for a kiss before you "go to school." School is in mine and Daddy's bedroom and I'm not sure what goes on during "school" because you never stay long. After a minute or two you come back and say something like "We went to the beach, there was a crab. It was fun! I missed you!" Then you repeat the game over and over. It is so cute!

I think tonight I was speechless for the first time in maybe my entire life. You came running up to me with a tampon swimming from your fingers going "What's this?! What's this?!" I didn't even know what to say. I knew if a named the thing in your hand that then you would ask me what it was used for and I'm just not ready to go down that road with my three year old son. I just laughed and told you to go ask your father. Your Dad (who won't even be SEEN within 2 aisles of the feminine hygiene aisle) told you it was a "pop gun" and then from there it was a microphone and a rocket ship. You even wanted to sleep with it... this will be one of those stories that you will probably "cringe" if we ever retell it in front of you when you are about 15. Is it wrong that I am looking forward to those times just a little bit?

Today we went to Vidalia and spent a little time with our family that lives there. You had so much fun seeing all the animals and just investigating everything. When I was a kid I used to LOVE going to Vidalia and visiting my Grandparents on the farm. I had the best time horseback riding, fishing, and picking fresh corn. I wish you could have known your Great Grandma back then, she was so different then she is now. I remember her playing football outside with us grand kids and "plaiting" my hair. I also wish you could have met your Great-Grandpa. He would have loved you and I know you would have adored him (that is his dog that you "rode" today.)

I have so many good memories from that place of Summers and Christmases that sometimes it is hard to go back there because it just isn't the same. It was so much fun taking you there today though and I realized it is somewhere that we need to go more. I showed you the field where we used to ride horses and jump on hay bales. Then you asked if I ever went in the boat by the pond (I did, and your Dad even did one time too. It was actually the first place we ever went camping together.) and you just thought the whole place was so cool.

I can't believe that summer is almost over! There are so many things I thought we would have done by now. We've hardly been to the beach at all this year and it makes me feel a little bad because you love it so much. Gas has just been so expensive that we haven't gone even a quarter of as much as we did last year. I also haven't taken you swimming that much just in the pool. The last few times we've gone you've been using your water wings and you go swimming by me all on your own. It is such a change from how you used to clutch on to me because you were scared I would let you go. Now you go down the slide at Grandma and Papa's house and you've even jumped off the diving board a few times. I've got to get my little fishie in the water more before it starts turning cooler.

Bugga, I love you to the moon and back,

Mama

Our Little Fishie

First time Lucas let me put him in water wings.

Taking it One Day at a Time

It's day two and a tiny part of me is already over this "lifestyle change," but I've heard it takes 30 days to make a new habit stick so I'm not giving up yet. Last night I signed up for My Fitness Pal, a free online site that keeps track of calories eaten and calories burned. It is making me think about every little thing I put in my mouth (which is something I've never really done before, even when I used to go to the gym on a regular basis.) I've eaten more fruit in the last two days then I have eaten in the last two months.

While I am trying to take it one day at a time I am already worrying about several dates this month. Friday is the 4th of July, Saturday I'm going to a wedding. Then the following weekend we are going to a family reunion with FRIED CHICKEN (my mouth is already watering.) Then later in the month is Lucas' birthday... and we are having 2 parties for him (one with family and one with his playgroup.) Hopefully, by starting being aware of the nutritional value in what I am eating will help me grasp the whole potion control thing that I've never really been aware of before.

I am also obsessing over what we will eat every night at dinner. I'm trying to steer clear of prepacked things and trying to find healthier recipes for dinner but I'm having a hard time finding new things to try. Looking in cookbooks is torture (oh and I never realized how many commercials for pizza and fast food come on TV!!!) So does anyone have any favorite healthy recipes they would like to share?!?!

I've been going back and forth on deciding if I want to join a gym again or not. I was at Curves for a year and LOVED it (at least for the first 6 months when I had a work-out buddy but not so much the last 6 months when I had to keep paying $30 even though I wasn't going.) Then I joined the YMCA and I can count on one hand the amount of times I went there. I just don't want to waste the time or money or something I may or may not do. The plan for now is to find ways out of the gym to exercise.

Today my sister-in-law Angela invited Lucas and I over to her house to swim. Usually we just watch the kids swim while we talk but today we decided to get in with them. Without realizing it we spent two hours swimming and the pool and playing with the kids. It was the most fun I've had exercising in a long time. I think I need to plan more activities like that where I can exercise and have fun instead of feeling like I am torturing myself.

Happy 3rd Birthday Kai

June, Already?!?!?

We had a very busy and fabulous weekend! Saturday night Curt and I went to his uncle Kenny's wedding. It was so much fun. We even did a little dancing (which we have NEVER done in the 7 years we have been together.) I also got to meet a lot of Curt's family that I have never had the chance to meet before. Everyone was so friendly and warm. Today, we headed out to Tybee so Lucas could get to meet the family members too. We had lunch at the Crab Shack and Lucas even got to go in the Ocean for a few minutes.

Curt and his uncle Michael. This is the first time I've ever gotten to see my husband this dressed up!

The newly wedded Mr. and Mrs. O and the rest of the Wedding party.

The happy Bride and Groom

Andrea and Aubrey cutting a rug on the dance floor.

Uncle Kenny and Curtis (They are the same age)

Curt and his baby sister Samantha

Instead of rice all the guests lit sparklers as Kenny and Courtney headed to the yacht that took them to their hotel.

Lucas checking out the gators after lunch.

Enjoying the Sun and the Surf

Just Beachy

My niece Kaliegh's kindergarten class went to the beach for a field trip today. Angela asked if we wanted to tag along with her and her two youngest kids to play at the beach as well. With gas so expensive these days I jumped at the chance to hitch a ride to the beach and I knew Lucas would love playing with his cousins in the sand and the surf.





After the beach Lucas jumped at the chance to cuddle with his favorite kitty. He wants a kitty so bad but I'm just fine with him loving on other people's cats! I'm a cat lover but I do NOT want to do the whole litter box thing right now. These or these are the only kind of cats that I MIGHT let "live" in my house right now.