Daycations

This summer we didn't really have the time or money to take a real vaction. So we took a couple of day trips. Wet n Wild Emerald Pointe's theme is all about Daycations. So we took their advice and had 2 daycation trips to Greensboro to visit the water park. Matthew loves the "waa waa park". Our first trip was with Gma and Pop-Pop on July 28.

Matthew was intially a little timid. Could have been the new environment, the overwhelming amounts of people, or the fact that his grand entrance into the water was down a fast kiddie slide with daddy.

Either way it took him a little while to warm up to playing in the water. But after a little while he was running around in the Happy Harbor kiddie area, crawling through submarine tunnels and sliding down slides.

It was fun for us, not in the way we used to have fun when we went to a theme park. This was fun because we truly enjoyed watching all the fun Matthew was having. It isn't very exciting for a grownup to hang out in knee deep water dodging little people all morning. But watching Matthew as he tried to "swim" (crawl around in the water on his hands with his legs floating behind him), as he independently climbed up the slide ladder among all the big kids and said "I be awright Ma-Ma",

and as he discovered the water jets were priceless moments that I wouldn't trade for more adult fun on big slides in the big pool.

After a while we did convince Matthew to leave the kiddie area and go to the wave pool. Once the sun really started beaming down the kiddie water was too shallow to offer any relief from the heat. Matthew really enjoyed the waves, but held on for dear life when the water was too deep for him to touch bottom. We were a little too deep when the waves came (or not deep enough depending on your prespective) so they crashed right on top of us. Watching the wave when it first forms, you think in your mind "I've got this" but that instant right before it breaks on top of you you think "Oh crap!" Whoever happened to be holding Matthew at those moments had only one thought - keep Matthew up high, save the baby. Gma had the best example of this. She was holding Matthew just playing along. A loud cheer errupted signalling the approach of the next wave. Gma braced herself and the wave crashed. She lost her hat, her sunglasses and one of her earrings, but she held Matthew up over the top of the wave. Matthew thought it was hilarious that the wave knocked Gma's hat off.

The wave pool got boring after a little while for Matthew. Waves only come every 5 minutes, so in between was just floating around. The grown ups enjoyed it though.

We did do a float down the lazy river. I don't know if it was just me and because I am grown now, but the lazy river wasn't so lazy and relaxing on our trip down. There were so many floats in the river that you had feet in your face and people bumping into your tube. It certainly wasn't worth the wait in line or the effort required to hoist myself up into the inner tube to play bumper tubes with everyone in the river.

We did visit a pool with a "pirate ship" in the middle, since Matthew is very much into pirates. We swam out to the 8 ft deep water so that Matthew could jump off the pirate ship. He enjoyed that. Swimming in water over your head with a small person clinging to you for dear life is quite a workout.

We finished up the afternoon in the kiddie pool, which was very warm by this point (from the increased weather temps or from all the kids peeing in the pool). Matthew was much braver by the afternoon session going head first down the slides and every other direction he could turn himself.

We called it quits by 3:30 that afternoon. Half of us slept the whole way home.

Our second daycation to Wet n Wild was with Katrina, Carlos, Ethan and Bentley on August 18. Matthew was excited all week long about going back to the "waa waa park". He was too excited to nap on the way there even. As soon as we got inside, he knew which direction we needed to head in to get to the Happy Harbor kid area. He wasted no time getting into the water. The weather for this visit was cooler and overcast, which meant that the first steps into the water took my breath away. After being in there for a little while I got used to it. Matthew was shivering, but it didn't slow him down. Bentley was having none of it to start with. Ethan liked it right away. Matthew took a couple of rides down the "intimidating" kiddie slide with Brian and Katrina. We couldn't get him to go down it the last time once he took the first trip down.

This second daycation was even more fun for Matthew than the first one. He had less fear. He swam around, put his face under and was even more relaxed in the deep water. He didn't cling to us in the wave pool or pirate pool. He laid back and floated. He tried to really swim and he really enjoyed the waves. He also tried a new slide with a double tube.

Bentley and Ethan had a ball as well (once Bentley warmed up to the idea).

With 2 successful daycations under our belt, I think it is safe to say that if all goes well next summer will hold a few daycation trips for us.

SUMMER (so far)

Our summer this year so far has been much like last year's. We spent a lot of it just playing around the house, going to parks, etc. We were able to do more this year since Matthew is getting bigger.

We really got to appreciate what summer is all about. Eating fresh corn (Matthew loves to eat corn on the cob),

playing outside (heat doesn't matter to Matthew),

swimming in the pool (we got a bigger pool this summer),

playing with sparklers (Matthew was very fascinated by the fire),

riding in the boat (he loves to drive real fast), etc.

Matthew again went to visit Me-Ma and Pappy. This time I was able to actually let him go for the whole week. My mom and dad picked him up from our house on Saturday July 14. Matthew had packed his little backpack with all the things he wanted to take with him (toys and books). He grabbed it and walked out the door, without a backward glance. He tossed a "bye-bye MaMa" over his shoulder and was ready to leave with Me-Ma and Pappy. He didn't cry, which worked out better for me. It was easier to let him go this time than it was last year. He had a blast with Me-Ma, Pappy and Ayden. They had a new adventure everyday - golf cart rides (Pappy strapped a car seat to the golf cart for them to take turns in; the other one got to drive), visiting the farm (they played in the dirt and took a nap in the tent), going to the petting zoo (Matthew bravely tried to pet a Canadian goose, who tried to get him), driving the boat, watergun fights (the boys ambushed Me-Ma), etc. Each day I talked to Matthew on the phone and he excitedly told me of his adventures. Matthew and Ayden shared a room and slept on big boy beds that Pappy built for them.

Brian and I didn't do anything out of the ordinary without Matthew. We still had to work everyday. The living room did manage to stay clean. We ate on our schedule and watched what we wanted to on TV. By the middle of the week we were anxiously counting the days to get him back. I am so impressed that he didn't cry for us (at least not that we are aware of). I am sure it helped that he had a constant buddy in Ayden (even though he was a little rough on Ayden sometimes). At the end of the week, Brian and I headed to Tunis to visit and retrieve our boy. We sure did miss him. Me-Ma and Pappy looked tired when we arrived. Matthew was happy to see us and that evening he told us he wanted to go home and lay on the couch. So I think it is safe to say that he missed us. A week was long enough for him to be away from home. A week was long enough for us to be without him. And a week was probably long enough for Me-Ma and Pappy to try to keep up with him. We stayed the whole weekend. We went out on the boat and just relaxed.

At church that Sunday Matthew showed off his drumming skills. He also danced and sang along with praise and worship.

(Pappy says Matthew should get a drum set for Christmas.) Summer has been fun. I won't miss this heat when it's finally gone, or the humidity. I am looking forward to fall (not winter's cold though). I will miss the playing in the pool, the green grass and the light in my son's eyes each afternoon when I reply "yes" to his request to "play outside five minutes ma-ma."

Cool in the shade

Brian wants to make sure that we aren't just parents who sit on the couch and watch TV with Matthew. He wants to do things as a family and make memories. So along with our fun in the sun, I have voted for some indoor fun as well - like a trip to the science museum or a visit to Jumping Jax.

The older I get, the less I seem to be able to tolerate the heat. Matthew likes the science museum for the most part. A lot of the exhibits are a little too old for him. He can't really appreciate a blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling or the giant shark jaws. But he does enjoy the fish and dinosaur exhibit (I am beginning to notice a pattern with him). He liked the walk through the butterfly area and looking at the snakes as well.

While Jumping Jax is an indoor play area so has AC, it definitely requires some energy. We have to run around to keep up with Matthew so we work up a sweat. Especially Brian who climbs up in all the jungle gym equipment to play (he loves it as much as Matthew). I walk really fast trying to capture photos.

Fun in the sun

We've been trying to beat the heat at home with sprinklers, water guns and a kiddie pool.

We generally have at least one watergun fight per weekend. Somehow I usually end up on the losing end of the war because I am armed with a small gun that runs out of water too quickly when I am having to fend off Brian and Matthew.

When Matthew's gun gets empty (his battery powered gun that he doesn't have to take time to pump) he usually grabs the water hose, which is filled with a never ending supply of cold water. Usually I call it quits soon after that.

We've been to outdoor birthday parties several weekends (so much so that Matthew asked me "Mama, when Matt-Matt's birfday pardie?")

So far the summer while it's been hot and looks to get hotter, we have been able to enjoy some outside play with the aid of a lot of water.

Let's play pretend!

Or as Matthew would say "play 'tend". I always knew kids were full of imagination. I remember pretending to drive, being a teacher, an adult, a mom, pretending with my barbies, pretending with others or by myself. But it still surprised me when Matthew started pretending all the time at such a young age. First it started with pretend phone calls. Now he goes on imaginary hunts for dinosaurs, lions, bears, and bugs.

He goes on these hunts armed with a plastic water gun and he arms me with a miniature chainsaw. He tells me "ti - toe mama". Then we stalk around the living room and kitchen. And oddly enough whichever imaginary creature we encounter it is always small (thank goodness I wouldn't want to encounter a full sized imaginary T-Rex!) He pretends to teach his stuffed animals. He will sit them in a row and hold up a book asking them to identify objects in the book that he points to with his drumstick. He pretends to cook and eat (and no item is off limits for cooking and pretend eating - lions, bugs, T-shirts, mud, etc.) He will walk up to me with his little hands cupped and tell me to "just try it Ma-ma". After I have tried his imaginary offering he will tell me what it is so I can either pretend to spit it out or enjoy it.

Daredevil

I think I am reaping some of what Brian sowed as a child. From the stories I have been told of Brian and John, they managed to pull all kinds of stunts and get into mischief. Matthew is a daredevil. He is increasing my number of gray hairs. He has no fear. If it can be climbed, he is going to try to climb it (you can't tell him that he is too little - he will still try).

If it can be jumped from, he is going to jump off.

He will go over, around or through any obstacle.

In his mind, if it is fun to go down the slide normally, then it must be even more fun to go down head first or sideways. He wants to run, gallop, skip and jump all the time.

Over Mother's Day weekend, my dad (Pappy) helped Matthew climb a small tree at my grandma's house. Once Matthew got about 4 and a half feet off the ground, he let go of the branch and fell out.

He landed flat on his back with a thud that knocked the wind out of him. Did he cry - oh no, he brushed his hands off and climbed back up the tree.

I was too busy taking pictures to actually react to the fall. Ever since then he wants to climb trees.