Visiting Pappy & Nannie

My grandfather and his wife are now living in DC for part of the year - YAY! We went to visit them for lunch last weekend and had a great time. Marino taught them how to play Go Fish;)

Go Nats!

I'll be honest and say I'm so woefully behind on blogging that I've thought about giving it up altogether. But I still feel the urge, and I love documenting my boy as he grows, so I'm sticking around for now. 

Last weekend we took him on his first Metro ride. He had been asking for months to ride the Metro, and he was so excited. He didn't stop talking the entire way there or back! He loved it and loved checking out the map with Evan to see where we were and how many more stops we had. 

Our destination was the Washington Nationals game. We had a great time, even more so because the Nats were playing wonderfully. Marino was very into it and would throw his arms up and cheer whenever they made a run. 

Nationals Park has a great little playground for kids and Marino had a lot of fun there. 

We had good seats, but whoa, was it hot! The sun was really rough. We had to take shade breaks!

The park is gorgeous. And they have gluten-free snacks, including GF pretzels!

It was a fun adventure!

5 on Friday

As always, here are 5 special reasons I am loving my boy this week:

5.  The other day I took a picture of Marino (at the park with friends) and he announced, "I'm gorgeous in this picture"

4.  I told Marino we were going to see Alex at a magic show this week. He said, "Alex? I love that guy! We're so crazy together!"

3. The other night we went to a local Mexican restaurant, Mi Rancho. There was a song playing, all in Spanish, but Marino picked up on "Mexico" in the chorus and was stopping by tables on the way back from the bathroom and doing this while pretending to sing the song. Such a ham!

2.  Marino kept coming home from camp last week and insisting on wearing costumes. The other night I found him watching tv like this:

1.  The other night he said, "Mommy, when a girl talks to me beautiful, my cheeks get red." 

Back at the Playground

Its been too hot lately to hit the playground (we're talking heat index of 105+) but today we had a beautiful day, so we hit the park after camp with some buddies.

Today You Are 5

Fun, Brave, Silly, Chatty, Loving - Marino at age 5

Dear Marino: 

       
Today you are 5. Where does the time go? You're no longer a toddler; 5 year olds are "big kids." You make Daddy and I so proud as we watch you grow. You love to make everyone laugh - who knows where you come up with half the things you say??!

You love sports, and are always asking Daddy to practice baseball, football, soccer and basketball. You are the fastest 5 year old I know...I can't wait until you can run track and races with Mommy. Superheroes are your favorite thing. Other loves:  swimming, cars and bikes, Transformers, board games (we play CandyLand and Go Fish almost every day), music (your current favorite songs are "Die Young" by Ke$ha and "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore), dancing, bowling, tv and movies, science, and animals.  The other day, Max had a seizure and you asked me if you could help "protect him."  You were beyond thrilled with the seals at the zoo last weekend.  Daddy just got you a fish which you named Spiky and you insist on saying goodnight and good morning to her every day.

You're still a star eater - your favorite foods right now are hamburgers, "spaghetti soup" (pho) and chocolate ice cream. You eat tons of fruit - generally 3-5 apples every day (and any other fruit you have access to). You also love M&Ms, popsicles, and italian ice. When we go out to eat, you order for yourself. You're also very good at explaining your food allergies to new people.

Your personality is still the same as its been for years, but you've really opened up a lot with people. You freely give hugs and high fives to everyone...no more hiding behind Mommy. Your social skills are remarkable - you will go up to strangers and ask their name, introduce yourself, and ask them to play. We get lots of comments about how assertive you are and that you possess leadership qualities. You are still super stubborn and love to debate, but primarily just with Mommy and Daddy.

You have tons of friends - mostly boys with similar energy levels. Its rare for you to cry and throw a fit... you are very adaptable. You love travelling and are always enthusiastic about our adventures. Daddy and I have been amazed at how seamlessly you adjusted to 2 new camps this month...you just walked in and got started playing...no hesitation. You are a born leader.

You are still very snuggly with Mommy, and always ask for Mommy's hair when you are tired. We read every night before bed, and you always pick a different book from your collection for us to read you.

You've started asking tough questions like, "What will happen if you and Daddy both die?" "What will happen if Max dies?" and "Why do I have to be allergic to eggs?" I wish I had all the time in the world to figure out the right way to answer these questions for you.

Marino, its been such a joy to watch you grow from a tiny preemie to the boy you are today. You are the love of my life and I am so thankful for each day with you. Happy birthday! We love you!