Enjoy the videos of the boys at the Georgia Aquarium.

Fun at the Aquarium

Rick and I took the boys for a fun little getaway to the Georgia Aquarium a few weekends ago. We had never been to the aquarium, but we thought the boys would really like it, and when Rick's co-worker/friend mentioned he was taking his family we accepted his offer to join them. We drove straight to the aquarium, and quickly realized how lucky we were that Rick purchased our tickets on-line before we left--the line wound around the building! As we breezed through the "pre-purchased tickets" ropes (Shrek-style), I felt so relieved that we wouldn't be waiting in that long line after a four-hour drive.

The aquarium was awesome! After a quick lunch, we made our way through the five galleries. The second photo is of Rick and Jack "petting" the stingrays in the petting pool. There were sharks in the pool, too, but they were very elusive. The third picture is Rick and Jack with the aquarium's mascot, Deepo. Next, is Sam enjoying the colorful fish in the saltwater tank. Finally, Jack and I are pictured in front of a whale skeleton--it's twenty feet long! Our absolute favorite part of the aquarium was the Ocean's ballroom. It's on the upper level and away from a lot of the madness. It's actually the top of the largest tank in the aquarium, where you can get a great view of some really cool--and big--fish. I have a video I'll post of Jack watching and commentating on the fish that pass by.

After a long, fun--yet tiring--afternoon, we found our hotel and settled in. The boys really enjoyed playing in the pool with their dad. We had dinner with our friends, who have three young boys, so needless to say, the meal was a comedy of errors. Try eating dinner with five boys, ages 3-months, 10-months, 2, 3, and 6! Complete craziness.

We'll definitely be returning to the GA soon!

Stinker!

As I was preparing for our trip to the aquarium, Sam took advantage of my busy-ness, and...well, this pretty much tells the rest of the story. Along with this talent for keeping me on my toes, Sam Cash can also:

*Wave like a maniac and say "Bye-Bye"

*Say Mama and Dada (although, he tends to only say my name when distraught)

*Go up the stairs quickly (and he's learning to come down, too)

*Clap his hands and groove to a beat

Happy Valentine's Day!

In celebration of Valentine's Day, please enjoy some beautiful artwork from the artist currently known as Jackson:) We hope everyone had a "love"-ly day.

Making Dad's Cake

Jack made Rick's cake from scratch (okay, from a box), but he did crack the eggs and measure all the ingredients! I even let him control the mixer, and he really handled it well. He was very proud of himself.

3rd Anniversary of Rick's 29th Birthday!

Happy birthday, Hon! You are the man of my dreams, an amazing father, and my best friend. Thanks for all you do for our family...I love you!

Get out da Noise, Get out da Funk!

I'm spoiled. The realization of this came to me over the last week. People who know me well, know that there are two things that make me look like this (a self-portrait, thank you): #1- lack of food and #2- lack of sleep.

Sam came down with a bacterial infection a week ago; last night was the first night since then without crying...screaming...coughing...gagging...more crying and screaming. One night, we were up together for almost two hours and actually watched Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde on television (hey, it was the only thing on that wasn't an infomercial--Snuggy, anyone?). My little boy had gone six full months without so much as a peep in the middle of the night, but this infection rocked his little world, and all the sudden he's noisy at night, and--as if I'm the mom of a newborn--I'm suffering from #2-induced self-portrait. It's my un-spoiling.

It didn't help that Sam got the funk the very day that Rick returned from an 8-day business trip. I was looking for relief, but I just couldn't find it! Now, Sam is better just in time for Rick to leave town (this time four days AND over a weekend) and Jack to...get funky himself (cold, cough, fever, pink eye). I'm tired, I'm cranky, I'm funky. And now I'm going to bed...shhhhhhh.

Not-so-Snow Day

Upon waking up one morning last week, Jack noticed that there was snow on the ground--the news called it a "blanket;" really, it was more like a doily. With excitement, he ran to the closet and began pulling out his sleds, assigning the names of friends and relatives to each one. I tried to break it to him gently, "Hon, I'm not sure...there doesn't seem to be enough...well, let's try." I poured myself some coffee and him some hot chocolate into mugs, and we headed outside--sleds in hand. He put my sled down on the snow (grass), looked up at me expectantly, and as I plopped down, he squealed, "Wheeeeeee! Go Mommy!" I tried, I really did. But in the end, we used the sleds as seats, which kept our bums warm as we sipped our hot beverages.