Back at the Playground...

Team Super Fast Sharks

On Saturday, my friend Jen brought her kids over for a sleepover. I took the 3 kids to the playground and I told them since there was 3 of them and 1 of me, they had to stick together at the playground. "We're a team," I said. "What should our team name be?" Sydney said "Team Super Fast Sharks!" and so we were so named. Anytime the kids split up, I'd say "Where's your team?" and they would find each other. It was really cute. These three always have a great time together. 

At the Playground (Part 4)

These kids have so much fun together...not looking forward to it getting dark at 5:30PM!

At the Playground (Part 3)

Its amazing the things kids will come up with to entertain themselves when you get them away from the tv!

Labor Day Weekend 2010

We had a fun and low key long weekend. I can't believe summer is over...this summer went by way too fast. I am excited for fall this year - I love fall festivals, apples, cool weather and especially Halloween candy:)

Sunday morning, Kristal and I brought Marino and Gabby to the awesome playground nearby. It was a gorgeous day so there were a million kids there but they had a great time.

Gabby checking out the sea monster

Checking for teeth
Sunday we got a chance to visit with my grandfather and his wife who are visiting from Florida. My cousins Miranda and Blair came with their children, including the newest member of the family, Darian.

Here's Pap with all the great grandkids.
Pap and Darian - finally another boy!!

We found a painting that looks just like our dog, Max!
Marino ate 2 whole slices of pizza, but he eats them crust first and upside down!


Serious chat with his Great GrandPap
Pacey loves babies (which is good news, since she has a baby sister coming in January)

Snuggles with Pap

Monday, we met up with Jen, Matt, Sydney and Noah and Kristal, Kris and Gabrielle at the splash playground. The water was super cold (having only been in the 70s the rest of the weekend) but the kids had a great time.

Jen and Noah (happiest baby in the world)
Sydney checking out a turtle

The Dynamic Duo back together

Lots of splashing!

Short video of Marino having fun in the fountains

Bye bye, summer! See you next year!

More Fall Fun

Now that we're all on the mend, we had another busy weekend. Saturday, Evan took Marino for his 2nd haircut. I really didn't realize that a toddler would require haircuts as frequently as Marino does. It's only been a month since his last one, and he really could have used a cut 2-3 weeks ago. His curls are out of control! This visit wasn't as successful as the last one. Evan took him to the same stylist, and he was an angel again, but this time she knicked his ear with the clippers! Evan also claims she ruined his shape up (I can't see a difference). So, we will probably go to someone else next time. They were much busier this time, so maybe that was the issue.

Saturday evening, the 3 of us went to Macaroni Grill with friends to celebrate Evan's friend Brian's birthday. Marino was the only kid there and he was awesome. He is obsessed with bread now and he was mad when the bread ran out. He kept checking Evan's hand to see if he was hiding any bread in it! He was very well behaved and I was impressed, since we had him out past his bedtime. By the way, Macaroni Grill at the Rio has the WORST service I have ever encountered. Again, it was a busy night, but our waiter was ridiculous. I asked him to make me a salad with grilled chicken and said I needed it to be gluten and dairy-free (not so hard with a salad). I said "I'm sure the kitchen is familiar with accomodating those 2 things" and his response was "Yeah, but I don't speak Spanish." Klassy. Needless to say, my salad came out full of cheese.

"Don't touch my bread!!"

I think I am sort of addicted to fall festivals! They're so much fun and I am just dreading it being too cold to be outside with an active toddler! On Sunday, Evan and I took Marino to the festival at Butler's Orchard. Grammy Deb and Auntie Chelle joined us and we had a lot of fun. We got there nice and early, so we got a great seat on the hayride (hayrides are very comfy, who knew?) and our pick of pumpkins.

Here's Evan and Marino being swallowed by a scary witch!

Playing on the wooden train

Serious face (no nap this morning, so he was sleepy)
Playing in a pile of hay (I was cleaning hay out of his diaper later)

Daddy and Marino in their Redskins gear (they won!)

Evan getting acquainted with a goat

Richelle, Evan, Marino and I being silly

Marino looks a little scared to be going down this slide

Me with my favorite boy

He really loves pumpkins - he keeps mistaking them for balls

Grammy Deb and Auntie Chelle with Marino

Auntie Chelle, looking adorable

Enjoying the hayride

On the hayride with Auntie Chelle, Daddy and Grammy Deb

He tried to pick up every pumpkin he saw!

Marino looking pleased with the big pumpkins we found

Marino and Daddy at beautiful Butler's Orchard. As a Community Planning Master's student, I really appreciate how our County has managed to preserve agriculture in the midst of urban sprawl. There's lots of great farms and parks here!

You know how you know you have a big boy on your hands? He walks (runs) to the playground with you, climbs up the jungle gym and slides down the slides! It was sort of surreal to remember how tiny he was this time last year and to see him now!