Summer of Travels

Greetings all.  Sorry it has been a couple of months since you have heard from me.  I have been very busy traveling this summer, so I have quite a few pictures to share.

We took a trip back to Mom's hometown of Iowa in late July and had so much fun staying at aunt Stephie and uncle Steve's house.  Aunt Shelley picked us up on her way through from Georgia and away we went.  I got to go on my first boat ride on grandpa Steve's big boat and we had a cookout one night.  I ended up getting hand, foot, and mouth disease at daycare the day before we headed back and managed to share it with my cousins Amy and Grant.  How is that for saying thank you for letting us stay with you?  I may or may not have thrown my cousin Harper's shoe overboard, too... But nobody actually saw me do it, so I plead the fifth.

Mama and I traveled to Atlanta over the long Labor Day weekend to stay with aunt Shelley and uncle Matt. The weather was a bit nicer than the last time we visited, so we went to the pool and had fun in the sun.  I also had corn on the cob for the first time and enjoyed loving on all of my doggie cousins.  We watched fireworks one night - that was a first for me and I loved them.

We also took a trip to the Big Apple!  I loved the airplane rides and the train rides.  We went to The Children's Museum in Cherry Hill, Empire State Building - all the way to the top, Lady Liberty - I got to ride on a big boat, Ground Zero, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Chinatown, and had so much fun.

My fairy princess cousins - Harper, Finley, and Amy 

Swinging in aunt Stephanie's back yard - notice the sweatshirt - it was cold in Iowa in July!

Cousin Grant and myself in the wagon

Grandpa Steve n me having a snack

The fairy princesses getting ready for ni-night - they had a slumber party every night!

Me swimming in aunt Stephie's pool 

Nicholas getting ready to jump in the pool

Me acting goofy

Harper on the road trip back to Iowa

Finley on the trip back

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Enjoying the wind in my hair on Grandpa's boat

Helping Grandpa drive the boat

Not sure who is driving in this picture

Iowa fun can sure wear a boy out!

Hillbilly babies - as uncle Shae put it - RED, RED, RED!  

Some random shots - I love my brother Oliver

Busy, busy writing my blog!

Helping Mama work!

You're my best friend!

I LOVE BUBBLES

On a bike ride with mama!

Hiding from the paparazzi

Oliver doing what he does best

At the pool in Roswell

Mama and me

Playing in the water

At The Children's Museum in NJ

My favorite exhibit - the beach balls were floating in the air

The Empire State Building - a view of the top from the 80th floor

The Statue of Liberty

On the ferry 

A big boat 

Mama n me at The Empire State Building

Pretty view of the city up there

A cool sailboat

The Big Apple from the water

I wouldn't sleep on the trains, but the minute I got back in my stroller it was naptime

Mom n me inside at Lady Liberty

Ground Zero

One of the new towers being built

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

Times Square

Busy Summer!

Greetings and sorry for not blogging for a while.  I keep telling my Mommy that she needs to let me get on the computer more often, but she won't listen.  We have had a fun filled summer so far.  So much has happened so bear with me as I try my best to fill you in.

First of all - I transitioned to daycare in June.  It took me a couple of weeks to adjust, but I love going to school and playing with all of my new friends.  There are 4 others in my classroom and they are all girls - lucky me.  My teacher is very nice and we get to play outside every day.  I only cry sometimes in the morning when Mommy leaves for work, but I am always happy when she picks me up at the end of her work day. 

Secondly - BIG NEWS - according to Grandpa Steve - I got my first hair cut.  I sat still in the chair for the lady and she gave me a lollipop!  I look so grown up and my curls are all gone. 

Another big deal - I started and completed swim lessons.  Miss Lydia was my instructor and I wasn't too excited about them at first, but by the end I enjoyed swimming with her.  They ended the first week of July and I can swim and float now.  I love the water and I especially love floating. 

Over the past couple of months I have added quite a few words to my vocabulary and I love to repeat and imitate Mommy.  We spend as much time outside as we can - either walking with Oliver or jogging.  I love to dance to all kinds of music and Mommy just bought me my first laptop. 

And finally - we took a trip to Atlanta over the 4th of July weekend.  I had a great time hanging out with my cousins, aunts, uncles, and Grandpa Steve.  I hope everybody is having a great summer. 

Love, The Mav

Me pre-hair cut

Me getting my hair cut

Finished product - so handsome

Random shots - Mommy says I am pretty silly



One morning Mommy was cooking breakfast and she caught me up on the ottoman reading my book - I've been climbing everywhere since

Another goofy shot

Happy boy

Swim lessons with Miss Lydia

Brother Oliver and I just chillaxing

Checking out the blueberries at the Farmer's Market downtown

Me being silly - I love playing on Mommy's bed

In Atlanta at the pool - it rained every single day, but the sun came out for a few hours on our last day there, so we took advantage

Cousin Harper in the baby pool - practicing on the pole

Cousin Finley on the diving board getting ready to jump in

Yee haw cowgirls

We went to the Atlanta Fish Market to celebrate Grandpa Steve for a belated Father's Day present - here is my Uncle Shae behind the big aquarium

Uncle Matt and Finley - can you see the noodle?  It was a long one



Mommy, Shae, and Grandpa Steve at dinner

Cousins Harper, Finley, and Teddy eating their ice cream - yummo



Uncle Shae and Cousin Leo

Cleaning up my blocks - gotta earn my keep

One of my first swim lessons - do I sound angry?

My last swim lesson in my winter clothes



Hello and Goodbye to May!

May has been a very busy month for us, but I would like to back up to the end of April.  My babysitter was out of town for a week and Aunt Shelley volunteered to watch me for a few days so Mama took me to Atlanta.  It was the longest amount of time I have been away from my Mama and I had so much fun, but I missed my Mama.  We both survived and I had a great time playing with my cousins, Finley and Harper.  I loved going to their gymnastic classes and playing in their big yard!

I started swim lessons at the beginning of May with mixed feelings.  I wasn't really a fan for the first week or two, but I really love them now.  We are four weeks in with just two weeks left.  So far I have learned to hold on to the bar on the side of the pool, swim to the bar, hold my breath, and float on my back.

We have been enjoying the outdoors now that it is getting to feel like summer outside.  We have had a very beautiful spring and last weekend was perfect.  We were very active every day - either swimming, biking, running, or walking.  Cousins Jessica, Josh, and Zachary were in town and we got to meet up with them for dinner on Saturday.  We went to a Japanese Steakhouse and it was really neat, the fire scared me, but I really enjoyed the food. We took Melissa to the Zoo and loved watching all of the animals.  I loved petting the goats at the Petting Zoo and had my first corn dog for lunch, it was delicious.

Here are some photos taken since my last blog update:

On the dog beds at Aunt Shelley's - with a pink headband on - Mia Margaret

Pegasus Unicorn Finley and Scooby Doo Harper

Superman Teddy and Baby Leo

Me being silly after dinner - showing Mama my belly

Brushing my teeth

Reading a book

Swinging in the park

Oliver chewing on a stick

My new ride

Cousin Zachary and me in the grass

Josh and Zachary

Yee haw - out shopping for a bicycle helmet

The zoo was exhausting

On my first bike ride