NOT the contest winners!

My friends and I did not win the MOPS Send us to Convention Contest for which we filmed our crazy mommy video. The convention is Oct. 2-4 in Dallas.

Now we have to decide if we can go... not sure how we are going to make it work, but I may be able to do some creative work for $ on the side... we shall see. Pray for us about making this decision; we will have to be 100% at peace about spending such a large amount of money (there is no issue of whether it is worth it- it is worth more than we would spend), but it is still a lot of money. We aren't taking a family vacation this summer, so that is a factor, but I will update once we've decided.

Daddy is Home for the Summer!

Today was David's last day at work at the school for the summer... and Drew and I are THRILLED that he will be home with us for the next couple months!

We have lots of fun things we want to do together as a family, and a list of home projects we have put off for quite some time, along with some we've just come up with over the last month.

We can't wait to get started- we are celebrating tonight by grilling hot dogs on the grill (not a fancy meal, but a fun one, anyway).

5/16-5/18: Our 6th Anniversary

We went up the road a piece to Bonita/Estero and the Coconut Point Hyatt Resort. We were so excited to go, but also so sad. It was the first time we were ever away from Andrew. We knew he was going to have a great weekend at the Patterson's, and he did. We just missed him so much while we were gone. However, we had a great time to just catch up together(!), talk for several minutes at a time (!), eat out (!), sit on the beach/by a pool and enjoy the sun (!): all things we had almost forgotten how to do. The best way I have been able to describe our time was that I got to have my best friend back, all to myself, for two whole days. That was the best way to spend an anniversary.

The boardwalk to the marina to get to the beach with the hotel in the background- sorry for the cloudy photo; the camera was next to a cold bottle of water in our beach bag and fogged up the lens!

Me, rubbing it in to myself, that I did get to enjoy some time doing nothing on the beach one day!

David landing in the pool from the waterslide!

5/14: Meeting the Birch's in Siesta Key

Jeff, Vanessa and Barb traveled down from their vacation in Tampa to spend a few hours with us in Siesta Key. We met at Tommy Bahama's for lunch, then visited while walking around the shops at St. Armands Circle.

Walking to Tommy Bahama's

Vanessa and Jeff

Barb and Auntie J

Barb and Andrew

Jeff taking Drew and Elmo for a ride

Drew was quite punchy on the car ride home!

5/12: Double Birthday Dinner

We had a Double Birthday Party at the Japanese Steak House for Auntie J and Grandpa Ricardo. It was very entertaining, especially when Andrew saw the chef light the onions on fire.

Andrew really liked the soup, especially because of the funny spoon they give you at this type of restaurant.

Uncle Gary and Grandpa Ricardo chowing down!

Papa, Nana and Uncle "Sh"acob ready to eat!

Grandpa, Grandma, Momma, Drew and Daddy.

Auntie J, silly girl, she thinks she's Batman!

This morning I am waiting for our little guy to wake up... once I get him fed and dressed we are off to Sarasota with Nana and Auntie J to visit Jeff and Vanessa while they are on vacation in FL this week. We are going to meet for lunch and then we will drive back in time for me to be at work at 7:30 tonight.

I feel like I have been running a marathon for weeks now; we have just had one event after another. Tomorrow morning is the last MOPS meeting until fall, and after we come home for a little while, it's back to the church/school for An Evening of the Arts for which I have submitted a series of photographs. Then we come home to pack and get ready to leave for our anniversary trip on Friday. I think we will have really earned our rest this weekend!

Oops, I think I hear my little cherub playing in his crib now, so I am going to cut this short- have a great day!

Men and Potty Humor

Why is it that men are fascinated with any conversation having to do with the bathroom, bathroom words, bathroom noises and bathroom items? I am repeatedly surprised when my husband and another man (brother, brother-in-law, close friend, etc) start a conversation completely unrelated to the bathroom and somehow always end up talking about bathroom stuff!

Today David made a point of showing Gary a segment on Andrew's video (Elmo's Potty Time) where Elmo, Baby Bear, Baby Bear's little sister and a Sesame Street Human talk about the various names for #1 and #2.... I must then tell you, although it should come as no surprise, that Andrew, David and Gary all erupted into many tones of laughter that can be described as none other than "male bonding." As child after child shouts their respective 'names' for #1 and #2, the laughter gets louder and louder. Then, to allow themselves to hear this banter continue, they raise the volume on the TV because they are all three laughing so loud, and Andrew shouts "Poo Poo!" ****This is where I interject that silly as this may be, I am definitely a mom, because there is some special proud feeling that I get when Andrew says this new word, but I'm sure it's novelty will wear off- I hope****

And amongst two other guy friends of Dave's, he managed to get the conversation to go there again tonight, and they all laughed and thought it was great! Potty humor this, few seconds of men grunting and laughing, a little knee slapping, more potty humor, and the cycle continues... what is it that is SO appealing about this subject for guys? It does not irritate me, but it sure baffles me each time it happens, and I don't know why I act surprised. I should know it's coming, I should almost be able to anticipate it by now....