Desert Livin'

As you well know, we went to El Mirage this weekend. We had a blast. It is in the desert and about five miles from civilization, but seems like further out and remote. Some friends that always go to El Mirage with their family invited us to join them. There were eleven RV's total and easily 60 people. Speaking of numbers, there were probably more kids than adults, so Grant was in heaven. There were several "bests" of the weekend. So, here goes...

First, I would like to say that the weather was perfect (minus the wind). I was very timid about going camping without any hookups and in the desert. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't deal well with the heat. It was beautiful!! The high was 80 and the low was around 40...not bad at all.

Second, I love the people that we went with and their family. You definitely are made to feel like you belong (instantly). It's kind of a "jump in" as soon as you get there! Everyone was having fun with Grant. Carlos (family to one of our buddies) had an electronic car. That was great fun watching Grant chase the car around (as you see from the picture above).

Third, we went to the "river" yesterday and had a blast (even though the water was so low that Grant was able to sit and lay down in it. Grant was excited and kept saying he wanted to go "schwimmin." Seriously, it is probably the cutest thing he says right now.

Oh, speaking of now...I tend to tell Grant to do something and when he doesn't respond, I say, "Grant now." This is my attempt to let him know I am being serious and I need for him to do what I am asking. This morning Grant came to the back of the camper and said, "Mommy, car now." I looked at Scott and he said, "I wonder we he got that from...not you?" It was a fun morning and I did retrieve the car for my demanding son after I taught him to say, "Car, please" (not "now").

Fourth, I always love to "get away" and be a family unit. It is nice in the RV because there is no other stimulation than what you create with nature (i.e. no television, no cell phones, no computers, no distractions). We had fun spending time together as a family.

Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures above.

Pockets? Pockets, Daddy!

Grant discovered that his shorts had pockets. After that, he decided to use them both at the same time. He went around our campsite saying, "Pockets, pockets, Daddy!" He was so impressed with the fact that he had pockets and he knew what he was supposed to do with them...put your hands in. LOL

We Went Out-of-Town and Grant Didn't Miss Us!!!

Well, luckily enough we have the ability to go out of town and leave Grant with people who love him dearly!! We went to a Paso Robles Wine Festival and Grant went to the Aunt Kris' and Gramma Carol's!! In the picture above, you can see that he had fun with Aunt Lisa in the hot tub! Don't worry the hot tub wasn't turned on and he loved every minute of it! He should have been born under the aquarius sign. :) We are off to the desert this weekend and will have to show you pictures when we get back.

Edwina's Pomegranate Jelly...The Finer Things in Life

Every Christmas, we have a family Christmas party where it is custom to receive a jar of Edwina's Pomegranate jelly!!! It is such a treat for Scott and I that we literally have to consult one another before eating some throughout the year because it cannot be replaced until next Christmas!! It must last us a year!! It is what we consider a "finer" thing in life. We often joke after having a bad day and say, "at least we have Eddie's pomegranate jelly." It has become a phrase that makes us laugh!!

So, tonight I decided to make some biscuits (no it's not on our low-carb diet...shh!!! don't tell anyone). Anyway, I ask you this, "what goes better with biscuits then pomegranate jelly??" Some would try to argue that gravy does (hey, I am from the South), but once you tried the jelly, you would change your answer. Anyway, as you can see, Grant feels the same way Scott and I feel about Edwina's pomegranate jelly. Thanks, Eddie!

Did Someone Say Sprinkler?

Well, I believe I have done a good job describing our son's love for water. However, this is something new. Daddy and Gman were outside doing yard work yesterday. Daddy decided that the lawn had some "dead" areas that needed watering. So, he put out a sprinkler. He said before he had a chance to see where Grant was...he was already doing his "happy feet dance" (that Gramma taught him) over the water. Of course Grant did this dance for a good five minutes before Scott thought to get the camera. So, he said he ran inside to get the camera and when he came out the pictures above are the results! I think it is so funny. I love the fact that he and Grant can hang out all the time. Enjoy the small things in life is what we are told, how about jumping into a sprinkler today. Why not?

We will have to bust out the fancy, Elmo sprinkler Grant got for his birthday last year from Gramma and Grandpa. I am sure he will just flip out. It will be Elmo with water coming out???? Grant will probably look at Daddy and I in amazement!! lol

A Boy and His Dogs!

Well, everyone that knows us is aware of our personal petting zoo that we have at home. We have three dogs and a cat. The three dogs think they are human and the cat is convinced she is a decendent of royalty (seriously). Anyway, Grant is convinced that all four of them are his siblings. He has a special bond with the cat (see the blog for "Splish Splash...") and Maggie.

We played out back tonight and we had a ball. Actually, Lola had a ball and Grant tried to get it. As you can see, Lola is the successful one. Grant ran around the yard, climbing the slide, pushing his car (Grandpa Bill gave him) and talking to the "burrdies." Some neighbors stopped by to talk about how much thinner Grant looks. I explained that he has gotten much taller. He is 36 inches or as we say in adult language 3 feet tall!! They say that when a boy turns two, you can double their height at the time to determine their adult height.

I hope you enjoy the pictures, I think they explain what kind of night we had. I think the best of all is when Grant walks up to you now and gives you a hug. He stretches out his arms as wide as he can and comes in for a hug...a good hug...a bear hug!! I've always heard that the moment your child can show you affection on their own will simply melt your heart; they were right!

Splish, Splash, I Was Taking A Bath...A Bubble Bath!

Grant has discovered a new favorite...bubble baths. It was bound to happen because he has been a lover of water from the start. In fact, we were taking "swimming" classes from the time he was six months old. Then add in a few bubbles...well, enough said. Actually, not enough said because I am having troubles with him trying to eat the bubbles (as you can see in the picture). I know we have all done this, but he seems to really be consuming them. He laughs and bubbles are blowing out of his mouth. It was cute the first ten times, now I think it can't be good for him.

Grant has also discovered how to rinse himself with his red cup. He is having a blast rinsing himself, even though he does tend to drink a bit of the bath water (yuck). I will say that the rinsing is cute until he starts rinsing the cat. Sierra loves Grant (and with the way he treats her, I often wonder why). She comes in almost every night to watch Grant take a bath. He decided a couple of nights ago that he would not only rinse himself, but he needed to rinse off Sierra, too. Well, if I poured water on the cat, I would have my eyeballs scratched out. She just stood there having water poored on her head and kept sitting there (calm, almost as to have no reaction at all). After the second cup full of water, she left the bathroom. I couldn't believed it took two cups of water. She went to his bedroom to wait for us to dry off and start our nighttime routine. Grant and his kitty cat.

"An Baa Baa" and "Un Maav"

Tonight we spoke with "An Baa Baa" and "Un Maav." We initially called to let them rub in the fact that the "Kobe's" (a.k.a. Lakers) lost. However, we realized in talking with them that we had not mentioned them on the "blog." It turns out, people like the blog. I have known Barbara since I was five years old. She has lived across the street from me forever and her parents still live across the street from my dad. Barbara and I have been best friends and "sisters" since forever.

As you can see in the pictures, Barbara and Marvin love Grant. The feeling is mutual. Since we live so far away from each other, Grant gets to talk to them on the phone. As any child nearing the age of two, he can sometimes be cooperative and sometimes not! Tonight he wasn't cooperative at first, but as soon as he realized we would keep talking with out his input...well, he wanted to say hi. The most important thing to remember is that "An Baa Baa" and "Un Maav" got Grant started in obsessing about one of three things that he can't live without. That object is a "ball." "An Baa Baa" and "Un Maav" gave Grant a package of three balls and well, things were never the same after this event.

The last picture is of Grant with two things he loves; puppy and ball (one of which came from two of his favorite people). Thanks

"Mommy Come, Puppy"

Just a quick story about a little boy named Grant (a.k.a. Gman, Grantster, etc.). I was walking past his bedroom to into our bedroom. I wanted to put on my pajamas. In the monitor I heard Grant say, "Mommy Come, Puppy! Mommy Come, Puppy!" It was as if he felt like someone had come to rescue he and his favorite stuffed animal, Puppy, from bedtime. (Yeah, I know real original name there. It would much better if Puppy were an elephant, but he isn't just a plain old, cheap puppy stuffed animal).

I just laughed as I put my pajamas on and went back into the living room. He also told Daddy, "Night, night, Daddy." See how much can happen in a day. Our little boy has a growing vocabulary and is starting to formulate sentences that make sense. The excitement is growing!

Dancin', Dancin', He's A Dancin' Machine

Well, tonight I took Grant by our bowling league that we've belonged to for about four years. Anywho, he was a wild, dancing machine. Some of us joked as he danced around like a scene from "Flash Dance." Yeah, that's right, he is dancing like the water is being poored over his head. It is pretty funny because we all joked about how people are no longer going to say, "Oh, your parents must have been hippies" or "your parents are from the 70's." Instead, it will be something like this, "Oh, your parents grew up in the 80's...do you know the 'running man' or the 'cabbage patch?'" Anyone asking themselves what I am talking about is not 30-somethings!

Enjoy the little things like dancing. One of my friends loves the quote that states, "Work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching." I like this quote. Some attribute it to certain authors, however many times I have seen it listed by unknown. I like it because it makes us feel good to experience life through the small joys! That is sometimes hard for us adults.

Karoke King

Carol and Scott are not the only two that like to Karoke now!! They will soon be competing with Mr. Karoke himself, Grant. I find that when we are in the deskroom, Grant cannot help himself. He loves to sing (not that you can understand what he is singing). He does like to sing "Ring Around the Rosie" and "The Hokey Pokey." "Ring Around the Rosie" is actually recongnizable, I cannot say the same for any of his other attempts.

Who knows he might be the next Dylan...especially if he keeps up the slurring of the speech. lol