Belmont

Saturday we met GramZ & Grandpa, the Sullivan's, the Finn's and the Lazarro's at Belmont Park for a day of fun! While no one went home rich, we certainly had a fantastic time and look forward to doing it again soon!

It was GREAT to see everyone!

From left to right: Danny, Andrea, Tara, Kathy, Shawn, Melissa, Jeff, Kristin, Chris & Shane


Uncle Jay studying the horses!
Daddy chatting away!
Shane and GramZ:
And he's off!
I've got another picture or two from the day, but we'll save them for later in the week!

The Future Mr. & Mrs.

More pictures from our trip to Belmont Park tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait to share pictures of Shane with his future wife, Miss Tara!
Look how he looks at her!!
They both have wonky expressions in this last one, but it shows just how cute they were together all day!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!!

Happy Birthday to the best Daddy in the whole world!

Shane and I are extremely lucky to have you in our life.

We love you more than you know! Enjoy your day! You deserve it! I know how hard it was for you to wait 364 days for this day to come around again!!

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

5 On Friday

1). TODAY is Chris's birthday! FINALLY!!! Once today is over he'll start the countdown for next year for a day or two and then we won't have to hear anything about his birthday for another 3 months or so!!! Yippee!! See above for his dedicated "birthday post"!

2). We're finally going to get the floors in our kitchen and computer room replaced!! Thank God! Our current floors are being held together (and held down) with masking tape - they're THAT bad. And our poor little boy has tripped over this horrible flooring, not once - but twice. For sure it had to go. We've chosen a new vinyl floor that has the look of tile. With the unlevel surface we have in our kitchen, vinyl is pretty much our only option right now. Well, that or carpeting! We hope to have the new floors installed within the next 2 weeks, just in time for our Florida house guests and annual summer BBQ!

3). We're off to Belmont tomorrow! For those not in the know (which would pretty much be anyone not currently living, or having ever lived, in NY, Belmont is a (very nice) horse track in Long Island. We're meeting up with some family and friends and will spend the afternoon, out back behind the grandstand , on the lovely grounds of Belmont park! There will be lots of other kids there Shane's age to play with, so everyone should have a great time! We've very much been looking forward to it!

4). Shane LOVES to throw out garbage. If you have something that has to go into the garbage can, Shane will be more than happy to help you out and do it for you! He runs into the kitchen and opens up the lid to the garbage can VERY carefully! He then, very gently, places his garbage inside of the garbage can, closes the lid, and turns and runs out of the kitchen with a huge smile on his face! He runs right over to us and gives us each a "high five" for a job well done! SOOOOO cute!!!

5). New flooring means new photographs to print BIG and hang, right?!?! Shhh, don't tell Chris! ***Wonder which images I'll choose!***

A Tip

Not sure if anyone knows this, but if you click on any of the pictures in the blog, they'll pop up bigger for you. You can then just hit your "back" button to return to the blog.

I'm a BIG fan of BIG images! Colors pop more, details are more precise - they're just yummier! So I always save my files at a high resolution, Blogger just limits the size I can post - but you can still click on it to make it larger!

***and sometimes you can even click again to make it larger still!!!***

He's Trouble In So Many Ways

But he's also pretty dang cute! It's a good thing, too!!!

The Kids

"Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na"

" Just kidding, Kylee! I love you!"
"And I love you, too, Zoe!"

Huh?

Notice, too, the staining from his orange popsicle around his mouth and on his shirt. Nice. . .

"Where Is Daddy's Hiney?"

Cute story.

When Shane was an infant, every night before his bath we would get him undressed and while taking off his diaper I'd keep saying "We're going to find your hiney!" and "Where is Shaney's hiney?" and once the diaper was off, we'd playfully slap his bottom and go take a bath.

Now that Shane's a toddler, we get him undressed, take of his diaper and ask him where his hiney is. He now reaches behind and slaps his own little hiney - seriously the cutest thing ever.

Until this weekend.

Late Sunday morning we were all getting ready to go next door to celebrate Brooke's 9th birthday. Shane and I were playing in the playroom as Chris was getting ready to get into the shower. On his way into the bathoom, I caught Shane looking at Chris. So I said to Shane "Where's Daddy's hiney?", much to my surprise he ran over to Chris and slapped his hiney! He then turned and ran back to me laughing with a huge smile on his face!

Of course I thought this was the funniest thing in the world and I think I asked Shane 3 or 4 more times where Daddy's hiney was, and sure enough, each time he ran into the bathroom to slap Daddy's hiney!!!

Mommy can be so mature sometimes!

Look Up

We have a new header on the blog!

This is what I spent my time doing last night, instead of cleaning the house like I should've been doing.

That is also why this is the only post there will be today!

This Time Last Year

We were starting our 1st family vacation at Wildwood!

Only another 12-14 months until Ocean City, MD!!!!!

5 On Friday

A lot of really great blogs that I visit do something similar to what I'm calling "5 On Friday".

Essentially, it's 5 little "tidbits" from our week. Things that happened, things that were said, memories we want to keep.

I'll be posting "5 On Friday" every Friday from here on out. Hope you enjoy!

1). Shane's favorite new word is still "garage" (only he pronounces it without the "ga"). Every day after daycare when I reach up to hit the button on the garage door opener a little tantrum erupts from behind me. I turn around and Shane is reaching for the button to. Yelling "door" "rage" the entire time. Apparently he wants to press the button, the magical button, that opens the garage door. Once I pull the car into the garage and we're all safely inside (can't you just imagine Shane closing the door ON the car??) I hand him the remote. He gets a huge smile on his face and proceeds to hit the button that closes the garage door. He continue to yell "rage" until I get him out of the car and into the house. Good times!

2). Chris has started the annual countdown to his birthday. Ok, so really he started it about 3 months ago, but now that he's down to one week it's become serious business. Chris's birthday takes top priority in our house! Every year! The celebration lasts at least a month!

3). Shane loves running around in his diaper (funny, because his father loves to do the same thing!) He gets out of bed in the morning and if he slept with some kind of shorts/pants on, they're off. Immediately. Usually before he even eats breakfast. And when we get home from daycare in the afternoon, not long after he's eaten his dinner, they come off again. School ought to be a real hoot with this kid!

4). Shane wants to go "bye bye" all the time. He sees a door and he wants to exit it. He loves to stand at the door that goes out into the "rage" and tug on the door knob. He also loves to do this first thing in the morning. How exactly do you explain to a 2 year old that Mommy and Daddy need to have their morning coffee before they're even capable of walking out that door? Also, how do explain that everyone needs to keep their pants on once we actually do walk through it?

5). I think my son has a foot fettish. Honestly. He has this thing about taking off my shoes, getting down on the ground and SMELLING my feet! And trust me when I say that I don't have very nice smelling feet. He'll do this 2 or 3 times in a row and each time he "comes up for air" he has this look about him as if he'd just seen Santa Claus. It truly is the funniest thing.

Holding On

A Look Inside

We often talk about just how busy our little guy is, but I thought it would be nice if you could all appreciate JUST how busy he is!

This is a picture of ONE HALF of our playroom at the end of the day - the end of ANY and EVERY day. Keep in mind, too, that Monday-Friday he's in daycare the entire afternoon, which means even less time to get his playroom the way he likes it, nice and messy!

As a side note, Mommy and Daddy actually clean this room EVERY night. Once he's in the bath, or in bed, we tackle that room. Silly move? Probably. Because 10 hours later he's right back at it, making his mark!

Determined

Shane's sporting his new swimwear in this shot. Looks so determined, doesn't he?? Like he's REALLY concentrating on where that little foot will land next!

On a side note, our poor little boy has an AWFUL rash on his inner thigh. He's had a bout of diarrhea the last few days, which has led to this diaper rash. It actually doesn't look all that red or painful, but once he sat down in the bath last night, the poor thing grabbed his thighs, started screaming and jumped right up out of that water. And this from a kid who LOVES his bath. Broke my heart. He didn't even want me to touch him to put on any powder or ointment. He seems a little better today, but his thigh is still pretty red. Needless to say, I'm terrified to try to give him a bath tonight! Fingers crossed that he's feeling better soon!!

A Boy And His Dogs

Just a few, quick pictures for today. Busy weekend and today we were all up at 5:30am. Chris had to leave for work at 6 (he's working a double today) and I was up because Shane was up!! After a quick and unhappy daycare drop off (Daddy usually does those) - we're all finally where we're supposed to be for the day!

The Three Amigos! Excuse the slight blur on this one - it was too damn cute to not post:
No, Kylee. It's MY popsicle!!!
Until next time . . .

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Chris! You truly are the world's greatest dad (and husband)! Shane and I are the luckiest people on earth. . . we love you!

This is one of my new "Daddy and Shane" favorites! Leave a comment and let me know if you prefer it in color or in black and white!

That Face - Take 2

Played around with post-processing techniques on this one. The picture was grainy because of poor lighting conditions inside (and my refusal to use the onboard flash) - but I added some texture, turned it into a black and white image, and I think it may actually work now!

Naked Yo-Baby

Two posts in one day?!?! Two posts in one day with pictures?!!? I know, I know - but it is Friday afterall! And this one is just too cute to not share!

Let me set the scene:

It's about 6:45pm on Sunday - just a few minutes before bathtime. Shane is BANGING on the door of the fridge because he desperately wants another yogurt - this would make 4 for the day. I approach Shane in the kitchen and I know, well before I even reach him, that his diaper needs changing!! It was THAT bad!

So we change him. And we don't see the point of putting a new diaper on when he'll be in the tub in 10-15 minutes. So we decide we'll risk it and let him run around naked for the last few minutes of the day.

Our son doesn't forget things. They say toddlers are easily distracted, but not our boy! The second he's off the changing table, he's right back at the fridge! So we give in and give him his 4th yogurt (feel free to buy stock in Yo-Baby, I promise you it will be money well invested!)

Two minutes later, this is what we find:

Fun With Water

I had mentioned in a post earlier this week that we all had a fantastic time in the sprinkler this past weekend!

Here's some proof! I just adore the looks on both of their faces!!!

That Face

Love this face! Crumbs and all . . .

A Conversation with Shane

I saw this on another blog one day last week and saved it to use here. I just thought it was too darn cute to not share!!!

**************************************

My name is... Shane Patrick O'Connor

Mommy and Daddy's special name for me... Shaney, baby, or buddy

My age... TWO!

My height... 35 inches, I'm in the 75th percentile for height!

My weight... 28lbs 5 oz, right in the 50th percentile for weight.

My biggest accomplishments this year... starting to talk. Learning to run, jump and climb. Feeding myself with a fork and spoon. Learning to identify a car from a bus from a truck from a train. Learning that doggies say "grrrrr" and kitty cats say "mowwww". Figuring out how to get out of my crib. Sitting in a big boy chair at the table. Learning all my body parts. And figuring out how to break off the tip of every single crayon in my crayon drawer.

When I grow up, I want to be... just like Daddy. Or drive a truck. Or be a fireman.

My favorite foods are... yogurt, yogurt, yogurt and yogurt. Yo-baby brand only, please. And I suppose peaches and bananas, too. Also, my two new favorites are Cheerios and chocolate ice cream.

I don't like to eat... Eggs, oatmeal, toast, pork or mashed potatoes. Everything else is hit or miss.

My favorite toys are... my cars and trucks. Hands down. No contest.

My favorite "toys" of Mommy and Daddy's are... the computer, the telephone, their cell phones and the remote. But only the real remote, not the old or fakes ones that they try to fool me with.

My favorite books are... Any of my truck books or my bedtime books. My favorite bedtime books are "The Going to Bed Book" by Sandra Boynton, "Mommy Hugs" by Karen Katz or "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown.

My favorite things to do outside are... climbing up my playground and going down the slide. Playing in my sand box. Shooting my trucks down the slide. Going for wagon rides. Walking around the neighborhood. Chasing the dogs. Eating ice cream cones (mom says they're for outside only!) and also playing in the sprinkler - but only if Mommy or Daddy will go with me.

My favorite things to do inside are... play with and line up my trucks. Ride my car and kiddie tricycle around the house like a mad-man. Lay on Mommy and Daddy's bed and watch Elmo. Take food out of the pantry and pile it up in my playroom. Torment my doggies. And also, help Mommy mop the floors.

My favorite colors are... I guess blue since that's mostly the color Mommy and Daddy dress me in. But honestly, between you and me, I really don't care!

My favorite things to do with Daddy... Go for long walks around town and go to the stores with him. He lets me walk around by myself and doesn't make me sit in the cart like Mommy does. I also like to dance with Daddy.

My favorite things to do with Mommy... Read books, play in the bath and play outside. I also make Mommy lay with me when I watch Elmo in her bed and I like to help her in the kitchen a lot, especially if she's doing dishes or cleaning up!

My vocabulary includes... about 30-40 words right now, which is way more than I was saying even just 6 months ago! I'll try to repeat almost anything now, too! My most recent word is "garage" - Grandma taught me that one when Mommy and Daddy were away last weekend.

I think it's funny when... Mommy tells me not to do something! Even when she tries to raise her voice or make her voice stern, I still laugh!! I also think it's funny when my doggies "wrestle" or when someone tells me my piggies are stinky!

I like to help Mommy and Daddy around the house by... mopping the floors! I also "help" to put my toys away in the playroom and I help to bring the groceries into the house from the car after Mommy or Daddy go to the grocery store.

When we travel I like to go... to visit any of my grandparents. I also like to go to the Children's Museum or to the Zoo.

My favorite music to listen to on our road trips (or any other time in the car) is... Elmo or the Wiggles. I'm also getting to like Daddy's favorite band - The Grateful Dead. But don't let Mommy know!

Right now I'm learning how to... brush my teeth. I'm learning how to identify different animals and the sounds they make. I'm also trying to learn my colors and my shapes. I also just recently learned how to turn the TV on/off again, too!

I get very happy and excited when... Mommy or Daddy come home after being gone. When Grandma or Grandpa and GramZ come over. When Aunt Kate takes me out. When I see my doggies. When I see a truck. Or a bus. Or a train. Or a plane. And also when I get to eat yogurt!

I can't go to sleep without... my favorite blanket or the 5 pacifiers that are currently in my crib. I also can't go to sleep without having my bedtime routine. I like having a bath every night and I like sitting with Mommy while we watch a little Elmo and read a few books. I also need to have some noise in my room, like the air conditioner or the humidifier.

I get mad when... I don't get what I want as quickly as I want it. I also get mad when Mommy or Daddy tell me no or when I get frustrated because I can't figure out how to do something. I also get mad when I get hurt.

I get scared when... there are a lot of people around. It takes me a while to warm up to a crowd, even longer if it's a crowd of strangers. Loud, sudden, noises will spook me sometimes, too.

The best part about turning two was... going to the Truck Museum, getting a chocolate shake with my lunch and having an Elmo party with all my family that I love very much! (It also didn't stink that almost everyone gave me a truck of some sort!)

This next year I hope to... finally convince Mommy and Daddy to let me sleep in my big boy bed. I hope to be potty trained. I want to learn my ABC's and my numbers. I hope to start using 2 word phrases and talk in full sentences. I also secretly hope to get a lot more trucks to play with. Maybe someone can pass that along to Mommy and Daddy??? Thanks!

Outdoor Fun

Sunday was a "chill" day for us.

This was our first weekend of crazy busy summer weekends! Chris and I attended a wedding in VT on Saturday for one of his college friends. It also marked the first time that we left Shane overnight. Shane spent the night at home with Grandma and with Aunt Kate. As nice as it was to get away and have a quick 24 hour break from parenting, we missed our little guy a whole lot and spent Sunday afternoon hanging with Shane and playing outside.

We pulled out the kiddie pool and the sprinkler for the first time this season and, as expected, the pool didn't go over very well at all. The sprinkler on the other hand, after some coaxing, turned out to be a huge success and by the time we were done playing, all five of us (dogs included) were fully dressed and soaking wet!

It truly was a fantastic afternoon.

We went for walk with the wagon after our "sprinkler fest". Here's a shot of us on our way out. I'll post some of the sprinkler shots tomorrow. The expression on Shane's faces from those images is priceless!!

Trying Something New

I've been thinking about this blog a lot over the last few days (it's been too hot to actually sit down and proof images so that I can post them) and I've decided that since this blog is supposed to be a gift to my child, the chronicles of his childhood and my (our) thoughts at that time - I've decided to start posting more often. My goal is to post every day.

There may not be a picture every day, but I promise (to try) to post, at the very least, a blurb about something that happened that day.

Shane's journey through life doesn't just happen on the weekends when Chris and I aren't working, his journey happens everyday - and all of it deserves to be chronicled.

Stepping Stones

We had a fairly low key couple of days this past weekend, though we were still very busy!

GramZ and Grandpa came up on Saturday and Grandpa and Daddy went to a Mets game. With the guys gone for the day, GramZ and I took the little guy over to Stepping Stones, a Children's Museum in Norwalk.

We had a FANTASTIC time at the Children's Museum and with a late game win coming from the Mets, even Daddy and Grandpa had a great day!

Shane is busier than ever these days, exploring and trying new words. He's getting so very big and it makes his Mommy so very sad! Still feels like he was a newborn just a few days ago.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it really is amazing how quickly time goes by. . .

Playing in the water area of the museum:

Driving the ambulance:

Outside with the bubbles: