Ahhhhhh summer......

What is better, I ask then a warm summer/spring day, a swimming pool and otter pops? Nothing. (well maybe a warm summer day, the BEACH and an otter pop, but take what you can get right??) What a fun day we had. We just bummed around all day and soaked up the lush rays of the sun. I am ready for it to stay this way forever.

The Great Escape

We found this snail today, playing on Austin's slide. Naturally Austin LOVES it. He has been walking around saying, "Hi little snail" and "Wook (look) cute little eyes. He is busting out (very slowly) of his lovely jam jar home. Cry freedom little snail.

Looking for Worms

I have to admit, the one thing I was not entirely prepared for with having a little boy, was all the dirt, mud, and bugs. Austin loves everything that creeps, crawles, hops and slithers. There have been countless times that he takes my hand and deposits a lovely worm, potato bug, millipede or my personal favorite, a slug. YUCK! Did you know that slugs leave a yellow slime trail that DOESN'T wash off, even with soap and a lot of scrubbing??? Yeah me neither. I do however, love that he is so interested in the world around him, and all the creatures that inhabit it. That is something I want to teach him, to respect and love the beautiful world, and all the amazing life that God created.

Austin's Funny Face

Austin and Hailey being silly. I love these pictures!

Tub Time

Bubble beard

The Big 28

So yesterday was my birthday. The big ol' 28. Ryan took the day off, and asked me what I wanted to do. We decided to take Austin to Cabela's. Yes I know fun way to spend my birthday. For those of you who have never been there, it is like a really cool museum. They have a lot of cool displays. Conservation mountain is one of them and, is just that a huge fake mountain with a lot of stuffed animals all over it. How it got the name conservation is a mystery to me since it is an exact contradiction. seeing how everything was hunted and stuffed for our enjoyment. But anyway right below it they have an open trout pond that you can feed for a measly 25 cents. The fish are not to enthused about it however, since they are feed all day everyday. They look at you like, "are you kidding me?" then just to be nice take a bite and then spit it out. Austin just loves it.
They also have a aquarium area that is huge. They are also full of HUGE trout and bass, and other unknowns to me. We just happened to be there during feeding time, and it was awesome. They tossed in a ton of the same pellets we were feeding the other fish, and then when we thought the fun was over, in went the live goldfish. They went MAD! It was gruesome, and spectacular at the same time! Anyway it was a fun day. Luckily we ended up at lunch, and to Market Street Grill with the family for dinner. What a Fun Birthday!! I hope next year brings as much joy, love and friendship as this one did!

Potty Training Advice

Toilet, potty, think tank, throne, whatever you like to call it. To Austin it is the black hole, vortex of terror, which at any moment could suck you into it and go the way of the "poopy". Ahhhh what are we to do?? How, I might ask do you get a stubborn almost 3 year old to use the "big boy toilet"??? That is my question.
So to all you seasoned mothers out there, or anyone who has any good ideas or strategy on how to go about this monumentally frustrating task, I would LOVE any advice.