What a difference a year makes

Tyler hasn't always been the most adventurous kid. Even as a little baby, he rarely put things in his mouth, really didn't climb up on much or try to jump off of things. At first, I saw it as a really good thing. I didn't have to worry too much about him doing anything too dangerous, because for the most part, he regulated that himself. But, as he got older, it turned into something that I feared would keep him from having fun in life. His fear of animals kept him from enjoying my sister's two dogs. His fear of heights kept him from going down the big slide at the playground. And his fear of water kept him from even enjoying a sprinkler on a hot summer day.

Towards the end of last summer, we started to make a lot of headway with his water/swimming issues and actually got him into a pool for the first time since he was six months old. Going into this summer, I wasn't sure how the water/pool would be received. We had made some great progress with his other fears, particularly animals, and he was even getting more adventurous in his eating. How would the water go this summer? Well, here's a little video to show you how it went this weekend.



This is a pool that our neighbor sets up and Tyler has watched from afar, sometimes afraid to even come near it. Well, this weekend that all changed. He had the time of his life! And that laugh of mine at the end? It's the sound of parental giddiness and relief all wrapped into one.

Jake also got in on the water festivities this weekend and spent a large part of Monday wading around in his baby pool. He loved it and I figure he'll be jumping around in the water just like his big brother soon enough!

Boogity Boogity Boogity

My mom won two tickets to this weekend's Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte, so Scott took Tyler to his first NASCAR race this weekend. Here's a little clip that pretty much sums up the day. 

Bike to Work Day!

Today is National Bike to Work Day, so my co-workers and I took the opportunity to practice what we preach and organize an event. And before you ask, No, I did not bike all the way from my house. That's like 30 miles. Maybe one day, but not today. 

We all met at University Mall and biked the Bolin Creek Trail. It was so much fun and so much easier than I had expected it to be. I have to admit, riding in the road WITH traffic was a bit daunting, but I was with a bunch of people who do it everyday, so I felt comfortable riding alongside them.  And it was just at the very beginning. The rest of the ride looked a lot like this...

We all had a blast and I will definitely be doing it again!

 

Catch me if you can!

Scott and I are getting a glimpse of what we are in for with these two boys. With Jake on the move now, his absolutely favorite thing to do is chase Tyler around the house. I didn't expect them to really play together until a little later, so this has been a pleasant surprise. With the boys giving each other their undivided attention, it certainly makes cooking dinner a little easier in the evenings! Here's a video of their nightly ritual...

Wordless Wednesday

Patio Bliss

Scott, the boys and I spent pretty much the entire weekend outside enjoying the wonderful weather. Most of the time was spent on my wonderful Mother's Day gift - getting the patio and garden ready for the summer. 

Last year, our garden quadrupled the crop from our 2009 garden. Considering the output was a whopping two tomatoes that year, that's not saying much. We decided to move the raised bed we built a few years ago closer towards the house so it would get more sunlight.Tyler had a blast helping me plant and water everything.

We also spruced up the deck with some new furniture. Here's what it looked like before...

Pretty sad, right?

Well, here is the after!

I absolutely LOVE it! Scott and I celebrated our hard work Saturday evening by grilling out surf and turf and eating outside on the new setup.

We also got the herbs planted.

Ready to watch our plants grow and can't wait to enjoy everything later in the summer!

Jake's on the move!

The big news in the Jones family this week is that Jake is on the move! He's got the crawling thing down pat. Here are a few photos from my attempt to get one of the boys together. Jake was much more interested in the camera lens than my photo wish. 

 

 It's about to get really interesting around our house! Getting those baby gates put back up pronto!

A little cuteness for your Monday

Someone actually reads this thing!

When I started this blog, I though it would be a great place to post pictures of the boys for the Nanas (who aren't on Facebook) to see. It's turned into a cathartic outlet for my perfectionism and self-doubt. And Shannon bestowed me with an honor recently...she thinks my blog has substance! 

Shannon is one of my closest friends. She's what I like to call a "3 AM Friend." Someone you can call at 3 AM with whatever issue and she wouldn't bat an eyelash. In fact, I recently got stranded in DC overnight. I was with a co-worker and we were able to get a hotel room no problem, but while waiting for the reservation to finalize, I gave her a call just to say hello. She lives in the area and without hesitation said, "Do you need me to come pick you up?!?" I didn't, but knowing you have someone who will help you when needed is pretty awesome. 

Thank you SZ! Thank you for showing me the ropes around the blogosphere!