Labor Day weekend

For Labor Day this year we decided to extend our long weekend by taking a couple of extra days off from work. We figured that since we hadn't really taken a vacation this year that we could use the extra time off. So bright and early Thursday morning we headed to Lake Gaston to spend a couple of days with Pop-Pop. Matthew was very excited about going to the "ake". Pop-pop had promised him if he was a good boy at school the whole week before then he would take him shopping to get a new toy. (We had been having some problems with Matthew biting at daycare. Mostly it was just one child who is a little older and bigger than Matthew. Matthew was using biting as an equalizer in their disagreements.) All week long Pop-pop would ask Matthew if he had been a good boy. Matthew's response was always "I ain't bite nobody today". So he chose a Spiderman hideout (as he calls it Spieman cave). He didn't care that we were at the Lake, he just wanted to sit on the living room floor and play with his new toy. He did enjoy driving the golf cart around, but he definitely doesn't have a license to drive. He kept getting distracted by everything he saw along the way. We spent time at the little playground at the Lake. Matthew preferred playing at the playgound to swimming in the pool.

The grownups would have rather been in the pool. It was very hot to stand in the sand while Matthew ran around. He also enjoyed showing off for Aunt Debbie and Uncle Everette and Rebecca. He danced and sang and was pretty much the life of his own little party.

There wasn't a conveinent place for him to sleep by himself at the Lake, so I worried that having to share a bed with me would negate the six weeks he has been sleeping in a room and bed on his own (but it didn't). On Saturday morning we got up and headed to Tunis. Matthew was excited about playing with Ayden and seeing Baby Keeton. We went for a boat ride (several in fact).

Matthew bravely jumped off the back of the boat (and the side and front too).

He also went for his first inner tube ride sitting in Brian's lap. He really enjoyed that and wanted to go faster. 15 mph wasn't fast enough for him (but it was for Daddy).

Ayden took a turn riding as well. Then Brian rode holding both Matthew and Ayden. That trip didn't last as long.

Brian and Brandon rode the tube together. Pappy had some fun swerving and circling trying to throw off his son-in-laws. Matthew and Ayden were a little worried initially about their daddies, but soon they were laughing at them. They really thought it was funny when Brandon fell off.

Matthew just really enjoyed playing in the river. (Oh how I remember those days. Matthew and Ayden both seemed to catch river-itis, which means that they wanted to swim, jump or ride "just one more time". That phrase really brings back memories.)

I know Fall isn't officially here. But traditionally Labor Day signals the end of summer. So goodbye Summer, until next year. We had a blast.