Weekend with Friends

I am very fortunate to have friendships that have sustained over 25 years.  We have been there through all of life's milestones and now get to share motherhood and watch our kids play together.  One very big house in West Virginia with 8 adults and 7 children (4 and under) in our second annual weekend getaway.  It was filled with good food, great conversation, and lots of moving as the kids kept us all on our toes in a three story house.  There is such comfort in sitting around on a Sunday afternoon after all the kids are napping (or at least being quiet) and just talking- about mommy guilt, struggles, (and even some triumphs! :-)  Love these girls to the moon and back and so grateful for their friendship.  Here are some pictures from the weekend...

                                                                    Hot Tub time!

                                                           Early morning coloring time

                                                                   Feeding the goats

                                                                  First pony ride

              And in Mateus's words "I ride horse" which he likes to remind of us of....alot :-)

Hiking is so much different with a toddler...who wanted to be held the whole time despite the easy flat terrain and new environment to explore

                                                          Another morning play session

           This is our group making our way through the parking lot to the pool...We are greatly out numbered!

                                                     Swimming gave them their second wind

                                                    

                                    Noodle party!  If the other kids are doing it maybe I can too!

                                              Pretty sure we have a water boy on our hands!

From the farm to the lake....a weekend of new experiences

It's also great to visit family and be surrounded by the comfort of "home."  Last weekend was no exception.  Mateus also experienced his first visit to the farm and his first kayak ride.  Needless to say he loved it all and all the smiles are proof!

                                                            Feeding a baby cow

                                                           Pondering the rooster?

                                                         He loved to touch the chin!

                                                                      Tractor time

                                                                And the real deal!

                                                           Just a boy and his thoughts

                                                                      Kayak ride

                                                                This boy loves dogs!

Vacation Fun

We had a GREAT family vacation in Deep Creek Maryland.  It was a nice balance of activity and relaxation (well as much relaxation as can be expected with a toddler...and one that didn't want to nap or sleep in his own bed...but still :-)  Mateus easily seemed to overcome his initial fear of water that he demonstrated at the beginning of the summer and he was not fearful of the big open lake.  When there was a duck to go after, he didn't care what he had to trudge through to get a closer look. 
We saw some parallel play emerging between the boys and also a lot of jealousy when it came to Grandma and Grandpa's attention.  All in all it was such a nice way for the 8 (and a 1/2) to spend some extended time together.  Here are some pictures that captured our time together:

                                            This was a common occurrence every afternoon

                   Mateus is currently obsessed with watching You Tube videos of  Wheels on the Bus

                  This is what Mateus did when we told him to give his cousin a hug before saying goodbye

Summer Fun

                                                       Playing in the sprinkler with Daddy

                                                    Visiting the fountain in Lancaster

                                                   Meeting and playing with cousins

                                                            Wedding in Lancaster

                                                               Meeting a new friend

                                                         First time sleeping in a hotel bed

                                                        Watching daddy mow the lawn

Mateus at 19 months....

Every month is something new and 19 months is no different.  Mateus is becoming quite the talker. He is starting to put two words together (the speech therapist in me is so proud!) and his favorite combination is "Daddy truck" which we hear many many times a day.
- Did I mention that his current obsession is trucks and cars? and telling you that they go "beep beep"
- Sings often in the mornings in his crib.  He has a "mashup" of Rain Rain Go Away and Baa Baa Black Sheep that is his favorite.
- Gets so excited when he sees a dog anywhere
- Now goes down the slide at the park by himself and is showing no fear with the tunnel slides that he used to be afraid of
- LOVES fruit!  But other food groups not so much.  I feel like we could feed a homeless shelter with the amount of food we throw away!
- Loves to push his lawn mowers up and down the driveway
- Is very interested in birds and knows that they eat at the feeder in our yard
- Has developed a "look" that tells you that he is not going to listen to you and instead is going to do exactly as he chooses....we are in so much trouble!
- Is very interested in Nala's whereabouts whenever we are home and tries to engage her in a game of "catch the fork" during meal times
- Loves to help take the garbage out and insists on carrying bags by himself
- Is obsessed with water and wants to play in it where ever and whenever.
- Is learning the names of his teachers at daycare and will ask for them on the weekends
- Keeps us busy, on our toes, and entertained everyday!

Touch a Truck and Memorial Day weekend

Mateus is OBSESSED with trucks right now!  We hear "Daddy Truck" at least 20x's a day so when I found out that he could literally "touch a truck," I knew we had to be there.  We enlisted the company of Aunt Sara and Aunt Laura and Mateus got to sit in, walk through, and run around a moving truck, mail truck, water truck, ambulance, Swat team car, and more.  Here are a few pictures that captured the day:

After a rough start to the week with a bad fever, we were ready to bring on the weekend of sunshine and lots of grandparent bonding time (all four of them!).  Mateus enjoyed lots of outside time with a trip to the zoo and his first "kiss."