More fun with family this weekend!

We were spoiled yet again this weekend with a visit from Mimi and Papa from Ohio! Jackson got to enjoy some special one on one time with Mimi and Papa while I helped out and led the Junior League's second annual bike rodeo, we gave out 6 new bikes and about 60 helmets that we fitted on community children out at the mall yesterday. After that it was off to a bridal shower for my friend Shannon and Jon and Jim golfed while Jack was with Mimi. Despite the busy weekend, we did all still get to enjoy the beach, sunshine and time together! We're now all gearing up for yet another busy week ahead.

The coming week is Law Week in the country and in our community. There is a theme each year selected by the American Bar Association, this year's theme is The Rule of Law. As part of the celebration, most communities, including ours, hosts a week of events entitled "Law Week" and it includes lawyers getting out into the community in various ways. We have ask a lawyer at the law library tomrorow which is open to the public to come for various free consulations, and lawyers in the classroom, a show on our local tv channel and many other activities. We are encouraged to participate so this year for the first time I went out on a limb and I will be presenting two lesson plans to two separte classes of 5th graders at area schools.........one lesson plan involves an eraser game where the kids come up with the rules, etc. I have to sit down this afternoon to make my "lesson plans"...I meant to ask Mimi to help me with this since she is a teacher but I forgot, our time went so fast! I guess I'll have to make my own lesson plans! My presentations are on Wed morning and Friday and in between that I have a continuing ed course on estate planning in Orlando all day Thursday......yep, its another busy week for us!

weekend at Disney with the Burrows!

We had a great time at Disney with the Burrow Family! The cousins had fun together and are almost the same size! We explored Animal Kingdom on Saturday morning, and Jack, Jon and I park hopped to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon while Elisabeth took her nap. THen it was back to the hotel for some swimming time in the big kid's pool, then back to Disney and the Boardwalk to meet up for dinner and icecream at Beaches & Cream. Today we slept in (Jack slept until 8:45 he was so tired from yesterday and staying up late last night) and then we went swimming again this morning before packing up and heading back home. It was a beautiful and fun weekend, perfect weather for this trip, 80 and sunny and NO humidity!!

beach photo shoot

We could not let all of Easter pass without a trip to the beach with the beautiful weather we had today. We waited until the sun was not as intense and the breeze had picked up. Enjoy the photos of our 10 and a half month little man! He is on the move!

Happy Easter!

We have had a great Easter down here, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day with a nice breeze. We attended the 8:45 am mass with Grandma Helen and as we were walking into church I told JOn I can remember Easters where it was this warm in Ohio (Jon said he bet I could also remember Easters where there was snow, I told him I've blocked out those years). Jack did fairly well through mass, but it is not easy keeping a WIGGLE WORM contained. He made it over an hour which is all we can ask, we had to get there early to hold seats, so it was just about communion when Jon took him out and drove him around so he could fall asleep. He was much in need of a nap by then. When we got home we got brunch together and gave Jack his Easter
basket(s)......we got a little carried away and he also had lots of surprises that came in the mail from up north that we put in his basket(s). We had a great afternoon with Grandma, Jack even took a long nap so we could eat brunch as civilized adults. Happy Easter everyone!

A busy little man

Where in the world did my little baby go that would cuddle and snuggle and let me hold him??!! This afternoon Jackson was a ball of fire after he got up from his nap and he is just so very busy these days......his waking hours are spent exploring EVERYTHING, touching, tasting, feeling, MOVING......that does not leave much time for a hug for mom unless he is REALLY tired like first thing in the morning or right before bed. Speaking of busy man.......I just had to restart this post because while trying to type this, he crawled UNDER the table and hit the OFF switch to all the power for the computer and everything on this table! Now he's playing in his contained play pen.

We are spending Easter weekend at home and we have Jackson's Great Grandma Helen visiting. We took her to the local Farmer's market at the beach this morning and went to the beach park and got to swing on the swings, the humidity was high so after that we high-tailed it for lunch at Toojay's in the AC. We had planned to have lunch at one of the great beachside outdoor spots when it was cooler in the week but now it is humid and hot so we nixed that. This afternoon we're getting baking and dishes together for brunch tomorrow morning, we'll color eggs, and then we'll join Grandma again for dinner tonight. Happy Easter everyone, here are some pictures from the park this morning and of Jackson with his blue bunny that arrived yesterday in the mail from Great Grandma and Grandpa O'Bryant, such a lucky boy!!

Super Sunday boat ride

We went for a boat ride and a picnic lunch today with our friends Alex and Ella. Jack even got to try his hand at driving the boat with daddy! I think this child might be slightly spoiled, Easter bunny and swimming in the pool yesterday, then boat and swimming in the pool today........the life of a Florida baby!

Max the Bunny

Today, despite Jackson and I both battling YET ANOTHER cold, we rallied and I took him to the Children's Bookstore in town (I could live there it is so awesome) where they had Max the Bunny and their spring open house! There were kids and moms everywhere, we had to wait about an hour until it was our group's turn to get called up to see "Max" but it was worth the wait. They had treats to munch on while we waited and we found a nice corner of the store with toys (toys for sale so clean and boxed) and Jack proceeded to take all sorts of things off the shelves and "try" them out with one of his friends, Lola, who was also there to see Max! Thank goodness it was worth the wait, we did not have a repeat crying scene like when we saw Santa, he actually let Max hold him and had a good time!! Happy Easter everyone:)

"MA MA"

It finally happened, Jackson has been saying mamama and dadadada indiscriminately for the past month or so and we thought he had down da da meant Jon, as he would say it at appropriate times as if he meant to say it in reference to Jon, but ma ma was elusive and ONLY uttered at times of extreme need or frustration or exhaustion. It was hard to tell if that was just the sound he made as a last resort or if he really meant to use it when he wanted me.

However, last night when I came home from work, it was clear as a bell, Jon was making dinner, Jack was sitting in his high chair waiting for dinner and as soon as he saw me he got a big grin on his face and said "ma ma"and put his hands up in the air! I was so excited and proud of him I rushed right over and picked him up and played with him. I have waited 10 long months for that..........now it is mamamama all the time though, especially when he is really tired and wants a bath or to go to bed, or first thing in the morning when he wakes up, but at least i know he says it and means he wants me. This morning Jon was getting him dressed and I was still in my room getting ready and I heard Jon and Jack talking on the monitor and he just kept saying "mamamama' and Jon said "she's in the other room, let's go find her" and sure enough as soon as he saw me he said it again, "ma ma"! You cannot put a price on that:)