Happy Birthday America!

We had such a fun holiday weekend celebrating the 4th of July with family and friends. Who do I need to talk to about extending every weekend to three full days? I know quite a few people who would sign up for something like that. Regardless, I'm grateful for any additional quality time we can soak up together. 

We purchased a mildly entertaining amount of fireworks to light off for the kiddos. I determined Max as dangerously fascinated with the process, whereas Lyla was fearful enough to watch from the back seat of Olivia's car. That's the typical dynamic when it comes to those two, although I don't recall Lyla having any issue with fireworks in the past. One thing I always look forward to the most this holiday is poppers and snakes. Simple, yet classic...and completely necessary. It stirs up my favorite kind of nostalgia and it was imperative we find those two items. I have a secret stash that should get me through the next few weeks. Kirk is having a real great time making fun of me. 

We skipped out on the parade and firework show mostly due to lack of parking and the unavoidable infestation of irritating humans. I don't have any childhood attachment to those traditions in Texas which made it easier, but I think I would feel more inclined to attend such patriotic activities if they were within walking distance. Thankfully our kids are unaware these events even exist, so they didn't really get a vote. Kirk's vote was a definite no. And it's freaking hot. There's always next year, or never! 

We spent the actual holiday at home enjoying a pool extravaganza with family and friends. I think we are getting maximum usage out of our new pool this summer and it's been a real treat. We all stuffed our faces with some summertime favorites including piles of meat prepared by Grill Master Kirk, bottomless snow cones, and themed desserts. We ended our day with smores...fresh off the stove. Haha! It feels good to be an American.

Mini Vacay

We were feeling spontaneous and decided a family trip to Galveston would satisfy our desire for adventure. Kirk was able to schedule a couple extra days off work, giving him some much needed relaxation time. This trip we decided to explore the attractions offered at Moody Gardens, rather than spending most of our time at the beach. I've read one too many reports lately about a flesh eating bacteria that's been lurking the waters along the coastline, so obviously avoiding the beach was the most sensible option. I really don't think anyone was devastated over it. The kiddos are always most impressed with the hotel room itself anyway. I can only hope they will always be so easy to please.

We arrived to Galveston with the expectation we wouldn't be able to check into our room until 4pm, so it was a really pleasant surprise when they had a room ready for us at 11am. We ventured over to the pyramids, featuring the aquarium and rain forest exhibits. Lyla and I enjoyed the penguins best, while Kirk and Max were fascinated by the sharks. Max was asking a lot of questions about sharks for the remainder of the day, mostly where exactly they live and whether or not they eat people. He has become increasingly more suspicious of sharks. The pyramids definitely kept us entertained, but afterward we were all ready to swim.

We opted for the hotel pool first, as we wanted to save the water park for a full day. I was swimming with Max when I remembered the last time we were together in that pool he was still baking in the womb. I informed him of this fun fact and he thought it was very funny. And Lyla was only one year old during our last visit to Moody Gardens. Once again, I can't believe how fast they grow up. They are both little swimmers now, although the swimming activity lost its appeal quicker than we expected. I guess that's what happens when you have a pool in your own backyard. I saw Max sitting on the ledge of the pool and his expression was pure boredom. It was pretty funny actually. I asked what was wrong and he said, "I just want to go jump on the beds." Hahahaha! SEE! The hotel room wins yet again. We were able to soak up a little more sunshine by holding him over with a scoop of ice cream, but then we headed back to the room. We were getting a little crispy out there anyway.

While in our room, we were pampered by two of the cutest hotel service attendants. They served coffee, tea, and I even got a back massage. They played telephone, making sure every button worked properly. Then we hunted monsters in the hallway and filled the ice bucket. Oh, and we can't forget about the ultra exciting elevator. Those things were seriously probably the highlight of their day. Haha! Lyla opened the curtains in our room first thing and said, "just look at this view!" This is a very ordinary observation, but I guess hearing such a grown up thought coming from a four year old really made me laugh. She is a funny one.

We found a really awesome spot for dinner. I am really excited about it because I feel like I never have a casual go-to restaurant to take our guests when we visit Galveston. It's always been a lottery and, I'll admit, we've picked some bad ones in the past. However, this new find is local, has a funfunfun (beachy) atmosphere, located right on the seawall, and best of all....super crowded. Ha. I'm just kidding. I wasn't a fan of that part, but sometimes crowds are unavoidable. I felt it was crowded and there wasn't even a wait yet, so I was surprised when I saw a line to the restaurant doors going down the stairs and around the corner by the time we left...hmm haha! Lines are generally a good sign when it comes to food, but I'm thankful we avoided that part.

Anyway, Max gave the mac & cheese two thumbs up. It seems he is a mac & cheese connoisseur these days, considering that is all he ever wants to order. My shrimp tacos were the best e.v.e.r. It could have something to do with the ocean being footsteps away, but amazing regardless. And Kirk had a burger, which he refused to give a five star review, but still found it quite satisfying. His onion rings could have made up for everything negative anyhow. Omg. And waffle fries. Omg. I probably ate most of Lyla's. Okay. This is turning into a Yelp review. But at least I have somewhere decent to take my peeps now, unlike a couple years ago when my dad was visiting and we ended up at Murder Bar & Grill. Yeah, that place was the worst.

We spent the next day at Palm Beach, which isn't a real beach and it isn't a real water park either. It's just the hotel fake beach and mini water park. I mean, it does have a lazy river, splash pad, and a couple water slides. That was plenty of stimulant for my little people. The kiddos especially enjoyed the water slide area, which was the perfect size for them. We were really surprised when we only had to join Lyla the first couple times before she was racing up the stairs on her own over and over and over again. She loved it. We had to peel her away from that thing in the end. I'm hoping all the fun she had will give her some confidence to finally go down our water slide at home. She has always insisted doing things on her own terms, even as a baby. And I'm continually learning better ways at responding to her personality. We finished our session of swimming with strangers, with the promise to both Lyla and Max that we will come back again soon. Although, it would be nice to visit those types of places without my brain automatically looking around and wondering what kind of body fluids every person is leaking. Yum.

The hotel hosted a fun movie night and we wrapped up our trip with a little shopping on the way out of town. It was our first official round of school shopping, which was exciting. Lyla is an expert shopper these days and I'm learning to keep my mouth shut if I want her to choose items I find fashionable. Any outfit suggestion that comes from me immediately gets the thumbs down from her. I'm all too familiar with that dynamic, except it appears the roles have finally reversed. Ha!

It was a wonderful weekend and we are grateful for the extra time Kirk was able to take off from work. We made lots of fun memories together. And great news, Max only injured himself once! That kid should probably just constantly wear a helmet for the next few years. I love my little family!

Maxwell: Third Birthday

I finally have real internet access again. It was getting a little tricky living off cell phone data only, but clearly it's a manageable lifestyle. Although I still take full advantage of all the luxurious amenities offered to me, first world problems typically get a huge eye roll from this lady. Hopefully I can get in the habit of blogging on a regular basis again. There has been so many fun things happening in our lives, I would probably overwhelm myself trying to blog about all of it. So, with the exception of the birthday bash of sir Max, the past will be left behind and I will start blogging about life moving forward. 

We celebrated Max's birthday shortly after returning from Idaho. I was feeling like the energizer bunny, trying to adjust back to normal life after our trip while simultaneously plan a birthday party. Max requested a dinosaur party and we managed to pull it off, considering the short amount of planning time that went into it. As Kirk pointed out, Max will never remember the small details that I seem to dedicate to party planning. But let's be honest, I love parties! It's a happy kind of stress, for me at least. First world problems. 

We enjoyed an afternoon of swimming, eating cake, and digging up dinosaurs in the backyard. Yes, technically one would dig up fossils, but luckily none of the diggers made that connection. We all watched as Max ripped through his presents in record time. I would normally supervise a more thoughtful present opening process, but he was so incredibly fast and aggressive --- it was too funny to watch. He did stop for one second to read a birthday card. I found his intent focus to be humorous, considering he can't read yet. 

Texas has been on the receiving end of some atrocious amounts of rain lately, but I was grateful it took a short break during the party. I think Max had a fabulous time and enjoyed being the star of the show. Max turning three reminds me of how much he has changed since turning two. He remains pretty easy going most the time, but the layers of his personality are beginning to unfold. He is an adventure seeker and never lets fear stand in his way, which can be a bit terrifying at times. He is funny by nature. I always smile when I can hear a good belly laugh coming from him as he is playing...by himself. It usually involves any predicament he gets his action figures into, but I love a guy who can laugh at his own jokes. [insert Kirk emoji here] And above all, I admire how thoughtful he is, especially when it comes to caring for Lyla. Max is a big piece in our family puzzle and we are so lucky!

It's hard to believe we have a three year old again, for the second time. I'm pretty sure Lyla was just three. Life isn't slowing down and somehow that 17 month age gap just keeps shrinking. My heart does this funny thing when I think about what life was like when they were babies. It seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago all wrapped into one. The reason I try to capture so much of it is because I never want to forget. They are going to grow up tomorrow and their little voices, their laughter, and even their cry will never be the same. I know these are all precious moments, even on the days they make me feel insane. This motherhood business is a lovely experience and I'm looking forward to all the birthdays to come. 

Oh, and speaking of insanity. Max is on day seven of no pacifier. This comforting little item is known as the "baba" in our house. And I'm not sure who misses it more --- me or Max. The withdrawal symptoms have been super pleasant at bed time and I've definitely had to resist picking up another one, but I think we are through the worst of it. I can't blame him, the baba got us through some tough times together. We were building up anticipation for months about throwing away his baba when he turned three. He was even pumped about it, because obviously being three means you are way too old for a baba. I used this theory on Lyla and it worked like a charm, so I was hoping the same would unfold for the second child. Funny enough, I took three baba with us to Idaho and came home with only one lone survivor. We were keeping it around until the official throwing-into-the-garbage ceremony, but it vanished on its own. It was slightly disappointing, but it's gone and over with now. Bravo Max, Bravo!

Hello From The Other Side

Hello my old and forgotten blog. My grandpa joked that this website is most likely going to get shut down for neglect and I think he is right! I guess between moving and our trip to Idaho, keeping up with the blog updates fell to the bottom of the priority list. But here I am.

We rallied the troops at the beginning of the month to help us get moved into the new house. After mysteriously losing the keys to the moving truck, we somehow still managed to finish the move in one day. One very long day, but still one day nonetheless. We are so appreciative of everyone who came to help. We are lucky to have such great family & friends. It was my first time moving with children, which added another element of fun to the circus. Lyla was nine months old last time we moved, so that doesn't count. The biggest obstacle was trying to keep the overall move mess organized, while still keeping up with the inevitable everyday kid mess. But we did it. And thanks again if you helped out, whether that be lending your muscles or entertaining Lyla and Max.

The new house is wonderful and we already had our first visitor, Madison! It was her first visit to Texas during her adult life and, although she was surprised by the humidity, her only complaint was her visit being cut too short. She is the sweetest and I enjoyed spending time with her. She promises to be back for round two next year and I'm really happy about these annual traditions we have going with our Idaho family. I'm hoping to keep it going for years to come. I can still remember getting on an airplane to visit my aunt and cousins when they were just babies, so it's been fun for me to experience the roles reversed.

The new house was just beginning to feel like home when it was time for our trip to Idaho to begin. I packed our suitcase like an idiot. Forgot practically everything, probably because I was so focused on unpacking the house. Luckily Idaho has stores and stuff. I was able to get all the essentials unpacked and put away before we headed out, but I'm looking forward to getting back to cozy it up even more. However, I'm curious how Lyla and Max will react when we get back. It's possible they completely forgot we even moved. Haha! I know there is one part of Texas they have not forgotten and that is their Daddy. We are all missing that guy like crazy!

Anyway, Kailipalooza 2016 is in full force. Yes, I guess that is a thing. No, I did not make it up. We are having a blast and I'll catch up the blog on more details about our trip once it's over. Idaho Falls has turned into a time capsule of sorts for me. I've had nothing but memories flooding through my brain as I drive among the streets I used to call home. It's very strange to me that I no longer make new memories in this place and all I can do is remember everything that once was. It's like visiting a past life or something --- okay, not exactly, but you get the idea. Hi old life. Hi old family. Hi old friends. Hi old school. Hi old work. And then I leave all the old stuff here again until next time. Weird.

Okay bye. Be back soon!

PS. This is how I feel after 14 days in Idaho... get me out of here!!!!