Father's Day, better late than never, right???

So, I am back to "old" posts that I have been too busy to get up on this blog...just wanted to share a couple of pictures from Father's Day, and yes, I realize it's been almost a month but it really is crazy around here lately!!!!

We spent most of Father's Day hanging out at home and then went out for an early dinner (to beat the crowd). The kids had special matching shirts to wear just for Daddy's Day and got Victor a couple of gifts, which he actually liked (for those of you who know Victor, this is a huge accomplishment for us!!!).

Tristan and Victor, wearing the shirt that Tristan gave him

Most of Tristan's day was spent doing this

Showing off his special shirt

Victor and Parker...excuse the milk drool on Parker's chin:)

Hehehehe, Parker's face cracks me up in this one

Sometimes Bribery Can Go A Long Way!!!

I know bribery probably isn't the best thing I should be teaching my young children, but sometimes it really helps me to keep my sanity, and get through the day!!! Last Friday I promised Tristan that we could go ride the train at the park (in the 105 degree heat) if he would just be good and sit and eat his lunch, and lo and behold, he ate almost all of his two huge chicken fingers. It's so nice that Tristan is getting to the age where he can truly comprehand what I am telling him and even nicer when he responds to what I am saying in the way I intend him to!!!

My babies braving the heat to ride the train...Parker naturally ate all of his lunch withut any objection so the train ride was just an added plus for him!

Something caught their attention

Tristan posing by the train...doesn't he look so big lately???

Sitting in the conductor's seat (if you click on this picture to enlarge it you can see his huge grin...he loved sitting up there!)

Oh, and kudos to me for getting up another time-relevant post...I still have a couple to post from the last month or so.

The 4th

I still have some other posts that I need to get up, but I thought I would go ahead and actually post something a little more relevant (time-wise that is!).

Victor had the whole weekend off...oddly enough, the Fourth of July is one of the few days that the dealership is closed and it just worked out quite nicely that it was on a Saturday this year so he had the whole weekend off! Since two days off in a row (without using vacation days) isn't normal for us around here we thought about spending the weekend out of town but instead opted to stay home and hit up some of the local entertainment/attractions.

On Saturday we took the kids to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. This is supposed to be "the greatest show on earth" and maybe it would have been a little more enjoyable had Tristan not been scared the first 20 minutes and Parker squirming in my lap the entire show, which lasted almost 2 1/2 hours including the intermission, but I guess in the end the kids had a good time. Tristan warmed up to the circus and then couldn't get enough (doesn't it always happen that way?) and Parker sat still during the parts he liked (or at least I assume he liked them because he was quiet and mostly still watching the show).

Mommy and Tristan right before he "settled down" to enjoy the show...not his best picture!!!

Tristan's favorite part was the motorcycles in the caged ball...actually pretty amazing that 7 guys on motorcycles can all ride around in there at the same time without crashing...how exactly do you learn to do that???

A little bit of everything

One of the few still moments for Parker

Victor was obviously focused on something!

Another favorite part of Tristan's...the tigers!!!!

The oh so cool elephants...get off my back would ya???

Finale

More finale


After the circus, which seemed like a lifetime to me, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed home for the kids to nap. Of course both kids fell asleep in the car before we got to the restaurant and we had to wake them to go in and eat, which could have been disasterous, i.e. 2 cranky, tried kids whom you are trying to get to eat! Luckily, they both woke up happy and ate their lunches.

But, our luck ended there. Only one of them, Parker, fell back asleep in the car and actually took a good 2 hour nap when we got home. Tristan was tired, but wouldn't go to sleep and I really wanted him to take a nap since we were planning to go to Sea World that evening to see the fireworks. Needless to say, he fell asleep int he car on the way to Sea World at 6:30 that evening...oh well, at least he got a 40 minute snooze in!

He wasn't too cranky when we got there since he absolutely LOVES Shamu and recognized the parking lot where we were instantly and perked right up ad started saying "shamu". We got seats at the ski stadium a good hour and half before the fireworks were to begin...let me tell you how much fun that was, keeping two small children entertained in their seats (or on my lap) for what felt like forever in the heat (yes, I know it was night but it was still in the high 90's, at least!). Parker squirmed in my lap the whole time, again, and made friends with the poeple sitting behind us. He would stand up on my lap, look at them, make faces, throw them his blankie, laugh, give them five....he was a pure nut!!! Thank goodness they were such good sports and played back with him.

Finally the fireworks started and Tristan freaked out. Victor had to get up from our coveted seats and take him to the top of the bleachers where somehow he was miraculously fine and told us how much he liked fireworks...I don't get it!!!! Parker and I stayed in our seats and watched most of the show before we went up to meet Victor and Tristan to head over to the Shamu show. Naturally, Tristan LOVED the Shamu show and got into all the music and excitement, so our night ended on a extremely positive note, and both kids fell asleep on the way home, so it was peace and quiet the whole way home!!!!

Anxiously awaiting the fireworks

Parker, tired of sitting in Mommy's lap all day...he was ready to get down and get moving

The crowd cheering, and waving their glowsticks, as the fireworks were about to start

A shot of some of the fireworks...not from our seats, but from above the bleachers...our new seats

A little firework video

Mommy attempting a self portrait with Parker, who obviously didn't cooperate this go-round

Some video of Tristan getting into the Shamu show during the crowd warm-up

Totally impressed

Say "cheese"

Glow sticks everywhere...this Shamu show was packed!

I actually caught this shot with my camera...I always take my little camera that has a delay on it not my big camera that has no real delay so I am impressed that I caught this, even if the picture quality isn't all that great and there is a glow stick in the bottom left corner

A little patriotic touch to the show

Another shot I was happy to get, other than those darn glow sticks


Well, that's how we spent our Fourth, hope everyone out there had a great weekend!!!!

Water Fun

Yay, my very last "old" post! Back in early May, one day before the day after day of over 100 degree weather hit us, the kids spent an afternoon outside playing with the water table. This is a beloved toy of both my children and lately a toy that doesn't get used as much as would be liked by two little boys!

Seriously, the weather here has been unbearable, 100 plus degrees daily, not to mention the humidity that adds a couple degrees onto that. I feel like I keep telling Tristan (and Parker) it's just too hot to go outside...isn't that horrible? It's June/July and it's just too hot, what are we going to do in August?

Anyways, I will stop complaining about our dreaded heat and let you check out these cute pictures!

Parker "drinking" from a cup...he's got it down!

Both of my babies intensely focused on something!

Tristan: "What? I'm not doing anything!!!"

Loves pouring the water out of the table

Such a silly boy!

Look at this face

Or this one...hehehehehe!

I think Parker was actually thinking he might catch that toy Tristan was holding in his net!

I guess Tristan felt like a little alligator for dinner!

Water everywhere!

Not amused

Don't even know what to say about this one!

Much less this one

Don't you love the diaper only look?

Parker got distracted from the water and chose to go after the sprinkler and mud instead

Giving Mommy his "confused" look

Marshmallow baby!

Wondering what his best approach to get back down would be

Can You Believe This????

I just saw this on a blog that I read and was totally shockled and appalled...

There's no "Guinness Book of World Records" category for the world's youngest smoker -- but there might be an opening for World's Worst Dad.

When a 2-year-old engages in behavior usually reserved for adults -- playing piano, calculating complicated math problems -- the world usually sits up and takes notice. But when a toddler has a very grown-up habit of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day the reaction is one of disgust.

What started as dad Tong Liangliang's attempt to help his son deal with the pain of a hernia, has turned into a habit the tot now can't quit -- throwing tantrums if he's denied a drag.
The father wasn't aware of how serious the toddler's habit became until the child began to increase the number of cigarettes he smoked per day, China Radio International reported