Family Vacation 2010

We were all so looking forward to our family vacation. We had booked a trip to Mexico many, many months ago. By the time the trip rolled around, we all needed a getaway. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Alex decided to join us on this trip. Let me explain....Tropical Storm Alex is in now way shape or form a reference to Alex Spanos (although you can imagine how many jokes were born of that coincidence). Tropical Storm Alex ripped through the Yucatan Peninsula and then over to mainland Mexico as a hurricane. Good times.

The storm pretty much met us coming off the plane. I'm not going to say it ruined our trip, but it definitely limited our tanning and ocean-going opportunities. It rained 4 of the 6 days we were there and the winds were so strong the marina was closed the whole time. We never saw a boat on the water, other than a cruise ship. We did make the best of the situation though.

This was Joe's first plane trip and we were really worried about how he'd do. He actually did great considering he's the busiest child I've ever seen. He is constantly on the go. So thankfully he had 6 laps to go back and forth between. The plane ride is only about 2 hrs, and on the way there, he fell asleep just as we were making our descent (perfect timing). I timed it all out so we'd be getting on the plane right during his nap time.....he wasn't having anything to do with my well laid plans.

As I said, we made the best of the situation. Since there was rain, but no lightening, all the people at the resort continued on with the pool festivities rain or shine. The resort was really nice, and the food was great. Joe had a great time exploring and almost never napped the whole time we were there (except either on the beach or in the lobby with Do). There was just too much to see. This picture of him walking in front of the stroller seemed to be a good representation of how things went. I tell you one thing I learned above all else.....traveling with a 1 year old isn't relaxing no matter how you look at it. I can't even imagine if we hadn't had Do and Grandma there to help.

Here's a picture of the view from our room during one of the sunnier moments. There were live crocodiles in the swampy area. I was the only one that saw one during the trip....and the housekeeping lady pointed it out so I know I wasn't crazy. It was HUGE.

On the first day, the rain was coming down in sheets on and off through the day....so we decided to team up and play a game of walkie talkie hide and seek. Paul, then added the rule that the clues had to be given in rhyming form. We had a lot of fun with this game. Alex, Do and I won....Paul and Maddie would debate that.

This picture is when we found Paul and Maddie hiding in a hut.

And this one is when they found us at the end of the pier. This picture shows how windy it was.

This picture is of Joe looking at us through the window as we ate dinner. He wouldn't sit still long enough to eat so we had to eat in shifts.

Do and Joe had a great time hanging out. One day they went off to explore and we couldn't find them for hours. We searched and searched. (We had walkie talkies but Do always forgot his....mostly when he was going off with Joe.) Paul, Alex and Maddie found them asleep together on a couch in the lobby. Later that evening at dinner, a lady walked up to us and said, "Oh, I saw the two of you sleeping on the couch. It was so cute. I wished I had my camera to take a picture."

There was this sculpture of the Tree of Life in the Lobby and Joe LOVED it. Anytime he was there he had to go see it and tell us what all the animals say.

Joe partaking in the chocolate fountain in the lobby. Do really showed him a good time....

One of our neighborhood friends....He lived under the sidewalk on our way to the restaurant from the room. We always looked to see if he was out or hiding. He was giant. And he's why Joe now knows what a lizard "says". (He sticks his tongue in and out when you ask him. Very cute.)

The pool at the resort was really cool and had a big water slide and a really high cliff you could jump from. Here's Maddie's mid-air cliff jump.

And Alex's.....

Joe hanging out at the pool. (That's the lower cliff behind him)

Alex and Maddie as we were waiting for the shuttle back to the airport.

Even with the storm, we had a lot of fun. And it wouldn't be a typical Paul/Nikki vacation if something a little crazy didn't happen. We are pretty much known for that. I'm really surprised people still travel with us to be honest.

I have no idea where to even begin!

There's just too much to tell when you wait over a month to update the blog! Must remember not to let that happen again (sorry Tina!!)

I guess the biggest news is that Joe has been walking now for about a month. That would explain the big blogging hiatus on my part. Wow does walking change everything! It's like his whole world has just been opened up! He's off exploring the house and wants to walk everywhere we go.

Not only is he walking, but he's saying a few words like dog, duck, uh-oh, wow, and a few others. We went to the zoo recently for his friend Cameron's birthday party and he was just amazed by all the animals. He's very into animals right now and has learned that a cow says moo thanks to his favorite video, Baby Einstein's Old MacDonald's Farm. He actually requests it and if I'm not paying attention, will go get the case and bring it to me so he can watch it. The kid catches on quickly. While we were at the zoo, Joe got to pet some goats. Paul wanted me to make sure to clarify for all of you that these were REAL goats, not our dog Abby who he CALLS a goat. Paul can't let that go.....

We also had the first work trip for Mom come up in the last few weeks. This was the first time I was away from him overnight and it was for 5 nights! I was in Krakow, Poland for some meetings. Loved Krakow by the way. Beautiful city and very tourist friendly. Now that the first one is over with, I'm really looking forward to planning a trip later in the year for Paul and I to go somewhere. This is our 5 yr anniversary, so we are in negotiations over the location at the moment.....

We went to help Grandma with her garage sale. Joe was a BIG help and a big hit with the ladies too.

Here's a video of him the first week he started walking. This was around the last week of May. My, oh, my what a difference a few weeks makes. He's practically running now!

These two are of him "attacking" his sisters with love.

Last Sunday he had his first haircut. He went from baby to little boy instantly! It was very sad! The next day at school, the teacher at the front desk said "Why does Joe look older today?" So I told her he had his first haircut and she said "You took away our Precious Moments baby!" They all thought he looked like a little Precious Moments figure. (He is pretty cute.)

Here's "before" with the crazy baby mullet hair.

During (this picture deceptively makes it look like a calm event. It was not.).

Here's the "after" picture with his smashing new haircut.

The girls are out of school and really happy to have some time to relax. Maddie just got back from a little trip with a friend of hers to Chicago. They had a bit of excitement with a big storm coming through and the power going out. They ended up having to switch hotels. Also, they learned how to play poker from some older folks playing in the lobby. Interesting vacation activity!

Alex was busy with a running camp, but has hurt her knee and is going to have to have a little surgery to fix it. They said she should be up and walking within a few days and back to running within 6 weeks. We are hoping this helps with the pain so that she'll be more comfortable next year for track.

I think I can, I think I can!

Not much in the way of updates this week other than the fact that the habitual biter in Joe's class that has gotten him good about 6 times is no longer in his class.....YEAH!! We are so relieved!

And in other news....Joe is trying like crazy to walk these days! He was very motivated by the stack of blocks Daddy was building and just toddled right on over to knock them over.

Mother's Day and Lots of Other Stuff

Oh my gosh. It's been a while since I've had an opportunity to post anything new and I have so much I have to try and remember! The pressure!!!!

First of all, a big congratulations goes out to Do (aka Grandpa) who has officially retired on April 30 after 35 years working for Bell County. He and Grandma wasted no time packing up their house to get it ready to sell so they can move on down to The Woodlands and be near us! We are so excited they are coming and can't wait until it all gets settled!

Joe has had lots of "stuff" going on lately. His favorite teacher, Ms. Sandy, from his first toddler class left the daycare. Even though he wasn't in her class anymore, he still went to visit her every morning. Here's a picture of the two of them on her last day. He still misses her.... Mornings just aren't the same.


Joe has been really trying to walk a lot lately. He's started just standing up on his own in the middle of the floor. He used to only stand up when he crawled over to a piece of furniture, but now his first instince is to stand unassisted. He'll take a few steps and then decide to fall down and crawl the rest of the way, but he's trying! I'm sure it'll be no time now before he's off and running. He already loves to climb up and down the stairs and he's super fast. We are in t-r-o-u-b-l-e.

He's also started swimming classes. Joe and I go to the YMCA twice a week and take a 30 min class with other little ones and their parents. So far, Paul hasn't been able to stay long enough to see the class start (he has to go tend to the dogs), so we have no pictures.....yet. There will be some for sure though.

I think I said I would include some of Joe's 1 yr old pictures we had taken right around his birthday and I never did do that. So here they are. My FAVORITE is the one where he's looking down. Precious! There were other shots, but my scanner isn't cooperating.....sorry.

Mother's Day was so special. We took our Mom's (and me!) out to a really nice Mother's Day brunch and then Mom and I got to spend a little time shopping. Then to end the day, Paul and I took Joe to the park. It was just perfect. Last Mother's Day was really my first, but things were so crazy with him only being home from the hospital for a few weeks and we were all still in a daze. I was really able to enjoy this one much more.

Here are a few pictures from that day. The ones of Joe were taken Sunday morning when he was just goofing off.

Look....he's winking. He loves to push the buttons on our new oven....luckily, it has a "lock" feature.

Alex and Maddie are about done with school. Just two and a half weeks left! I can't believe how fast this year has gone. I'm sure they would say otherwise. Next year is going to be crazy with activities now that Maddie will also be in Junior High. Wow they have grown up so fast.

Maddie, in addition to making the Gingham Girls team (junior high dance team), also changed the dance company she's going to be dancing with going forward. She is now with a new group of girls and really feels like this move is going to make her an even better dancer. She started classes with them last week and is loving it! Bring on competition season!

Ok, that's all for now. My computer break is almost over.

News From the Homefront

Maddie had a great week! She had her try outs for her Junior High Drill Team and she made the team! As if we had any doubt at all....ha!

The girls are so busy now I feel like I never see them anymore! I bought Alex a dress the other day posted "Thank you for my dress Nikki!" on my wall on Facebook. I think that's a combination of sad because I hardly see her anymore and sweet because she wanted to make sure and thank me. I hope we that isn't a sign that going into the teenage years, we will only communicate by Facebook....sigh.

I got to spend a day last week with my friend Jenny who lives in Carson City, NV. She was in Austin for a business conference and had a day free between her activities. We were roomates when we did our internship at GM in Michigan and I haven't seen her in years. She had her baby Kenley one month before Joe was born. It was so great to catch up and explore Austin together! Not to mention that I had a "Mother's Day Out!" (Thank you Do and Grandma!)

We are eating Amy's Ice Cream in this picture. That was on Jenny's "must do" list for Austin.

I think we've mentioned before that Joe is a puff addict. For anyone unfamiliar with puffs, these are gerber toddler treats. Little star shaped flavored wheat puffs that disolve in your mouth. He goes insane for them. One morning, I had him in the booster chair in the bathroom while I was getting ready for work. There was a canister of puffs nearby on the counter. Next thing I know, I look over and he's gotten the canister (from behind his booster seat), has opened the lid, and has his whole arm in there. Another time, he had the canister up to his mouth with puffs pouring out over his face. I tried both times to get video but no such luck.

We have a new game in our house. It's called "So where did you find puffs today?" We've found puffs in his pants, in the garage, under the drivers side of Grandma's car, and in Grandma's suitcase. He's like Hansel leaving a trail of puffs behind him.

Joe's been getting into all kinds of mischief lately. I've had a glimpse into the future and I'm not sure I like it. He's started laughing when I tell him no. For example, he bites my shoulder and I say sternly, "Joe, that hurts Mommy. We don't bite." and he looks at me, smiles (devilishly) and laughs. I'm not trying to be funny. I really hope that's just a phase that he'll grow out of.

On his other list of new fun things to do....

*Explore the pantry, freezer and refrigerator. Our refrigerator door beeps when it's been open for a certain amount of time and he kept crying when we would try to shut it. So the alarm just kept going on and on. See pictures below

* Feed the dogs. He MUST have learned this from Grandma.

* Climbing down off the couch. He's figured out he can turn over on his belly and scooch backwards off the couch.

* Climbing up the stairs. He really likes to do this himself and really, really doesn't want any help. He pushes hands away when we try to help him.

* Winking - Not sure how he learned to do this but it's hilarious.

* Clapping. He's so cute when he claps! He claps even when we say the word clap...or when we say "yeah Joe!!" It's the new trick I use to keep him still while I change his diaper. Normally it's like a wrestling match to get his diaper on. But if I say "where's my clapper?" he just keeps clapping and stays still. I'm sure this will only work for a few days, but I'll take it.

"Wabbit Season!"

This week was a big week for Maddie. She got her braces. We had only a few months between Alex's braces coming off and Maddie's braces going on. She still looks beautiful though! This picture is of GMS (Grandma Sherri) and Maddie on Easter Sunday.

We went over to Alex and Maddie's Mom's house (Nada) so that Joe could go to their neighborhood Easter party. He was napping so he missed the egg hunt, but he did get to see the two pet bunnies. He wasn't so sure about the bunnies....and it looks like the bunny wasn't too sure about him either.


We had Joe's one year pictures taken yesterday. Once we get them in I'll put a few out here for everyone to see. He was not in typical laid back Joe form. He pretty much cried the whole time and the poor photographer definitely had to earn her money that day. Paul and I still have nightmares where she's screaming "WASADOIN" and the stuffed bear is floating around above our heads. As much as that might have creeped us out, Joe thought it was hilarious and we got some good pics.

After pictures, we had lunch at Panera Bread. While we were eating, a little girl, maybe 10 years old, at a nearby table walked by and asked what his name was. We told her his name was Joe and she paused and said "he's beautiful." It was the sweetest thing! Paul still thinks she was really asking about him, and not Joe. I'm certain it was the other way around.


For Easter, we had GMS and GPJ (Grandpa Jim) over for dinner. I should say, we had them over, and GPJ cooked dinner. GMS brought the kids Easter presents. Joe's present was a book and Gerber puffs. He is ADDICTED to puffs so he immediately started flailing his arms. She definitely knows the way into his heart. Here's a cute picture of the kids on Easter.

Here's a picture of Joe riding in his new car. He got this for his birthday and he LOVES it. He rides pretty well in the stroller, but after a while he wants out. In this, we can go forever and he doesn't make a peep. He just looks and points and takes it all in. All while "steering" his car. I really wanted to get a picture of him chilling with one hand on the steering wheel and the other draped over the back of the car, but he moved every time I tried to get a picture.

Maddie and Joe have a little thing they do.....here's a video of it. They do this all the time. It's like their own little language.

First Birthday Fun(ish) Part 2

Considering it was Spring Break and we hadn't really been on "vacation" in well over a year, we decided to take a few days and go to San Antonio to have a little fun and continue Joe's birthday celebration.

We got a room at an historic hotel near the Riverwalk. Operative word being historic. Alex kept saying that she thinks Santa Anna must have stayed there before he battled at the Alamo. She was joking....but the joke continued on for the whole weekend. Everything we saw, Santa Anna must have been there or done that. Drank from the water fountain on the Riverwalk, shopped at the mall, eaten a corndog at the zoo, etc. So we HAD to take a picture when we came upon a wax figure of who else....Santa Anna!!!

The first day we went to the Riverwalk. I really, really wanted to take a family picture on one of the bridges but the girls wouldn't take a picture with me. I'm not sure if I should be offended or not. Here is at least one picture from that day. Do with Joe doing what he loves best. Pointing at where he wants you to take him. It's his new favorite thing to do. He is quite bossy.

The second day, Paul, the girls and my Dad (Do) went to Six Flags. I think Do thought he could hang a little bit more than he really could. He hung in all the way up to the point when they got off a ride and he thought he was going to lose his lunch. Then he had to sit it out for a while. He must have recovered because I hear there were funnel cakes and ice cream after that. All in all, a great day.

We were saving Saturday to take Joe to the zoo. I love the San Antonio Zoo and couldn't wait to show him all the animals. We wake up on Saturday morning and it was windy and FREEZING. But the rain cleared and I was determined to go to the zoo. So we semi-bundled up and headed out. Not a good idea. As you can see from this picture, Joe was so bundled and cozy he couldn't see anything and just went to sleep. I had him in the Baby Bjorn and Paul's jacket around both of us. Needless to say, the zoo was a bust. Maybe next year.

But, we did get to go to my Grandad's house and see lots of my Mom's family. This was the first time most of them had met Joe. Some of our family was visiting from Colorado so it was a special treat for him to get to meet them! I was able to capture Joe's introduction to Grandad. Priceless.

As an added treat, Joe chose this setting to take his first steps! He's been standing up by himself for short periods and we were practicing that and then he just went ahead and took two steps to me! I couldn't believe it! Then I made him do it over again for the camera. I didn't know if he'd be able to do it again, but sure enough!

The reason I say fun(ish) in the title of this post is because later that day (Saturday) Joe got sick and had a fever. He was pretty much miserable after that. (I'm really trying to convince myself this had nothing to do with the trip to the zoo so please don't mention it if any of you were already thinking that). Sunday was his birthday and it was pretty well shot with him being sick. So we were able to get one shot of him in his birthday shirt (that's birthday shirt, not birthday suit) and then we were headed back to Houston. No big fun on his actual birthday.

(In this picture, it appears Joe has taught Do his new pointing trick)

Alex and Maddie also had big weeks this week.

Maddie is dancing this weekend at Nationals in Galvestion. Paul went to see her dance and said she did amazing! Results are out tomorrow so I'll be sure to let you all know about that next time. I was really worried about her ankle but it held up. With this being the last competition of the season, you'd think she'd get to rest up. No such luck. She has her recital and try-outs for her junior high dance team coming up in the next few weeks. No rest for the weary.

Alex's choir had their UIL competition on Friday and did really well. They got 1's which is the best score you can get and the judges said they were the best choir they'd heard during the whole competition! This was a tough one for Alex because her track team pictures were scheduled for the exact same time as the choir concert and she was really torn. It's tough being so good at so many things.....

Not many pictures of the girls on this one (go figure), but here are some good ones of Joe from his birthday week.

This was at dinner Saturday night.

This is a rocking horse my friend Aggie got Joe the Christmas before he was born. He's just now getting interested in it.

Here he is using his new swing. This was one of his birthday presents.