Friends and Cousins

 

 

At the end of March, the boys got to have a visit with their cousins. One day, we met the Big One’s best friend at the park, so in this picture, we have Little One, Big One, Best Friend, and Cousin enjoying an ice cream at the park.

Cedar Point

 

 

The boys enjoyed the trip to Cedar Point for their Daddy’s birthday. Uncle Kevin came and played with with Big One almost all day, while Grandma played with the Little One. The Little One got a little sun, but it was gone the next day. Everyone had a great time!

A Saturday in Southport

Southport is just a ferry ride away from Pleasure Island. We brought the Big One to satisfy his boat interest. We met up with family friends who live nearby to Southport and they showed up around town and we all enjoyed a wonderful lunch together.

We met our friends at a local park, right on the waterfront. While we waited we swung together and enjoyed the view. Once we met up, we walked through downtown, a short distance filled with all sorts of fun little shops, including a fantastic toy store, at which we bought little pirate toys (fashioned like the old school toy soldiers) that the Big One has played with for weeks.

 

We even found a small museum full of information about the local maritime tradition. Apparently, “Frying Pan” is a common name around here for boats and other locals. While at the museum, the Little One passed out in the wagon, while his friend slept in the stroller.

After a wonderful lunch of local seafood, we returned to the park to pick the van. My boys, my family, had a wonderful time.

A Return Home

Some of you remember that when Momma and Daddy first moved to Wilmington, we lived in a state park for a week before finding a place to live. We returned to the park for a walk in the woods with the boys. The Big One explored and touched everything, a practice we were less indulgent in as the heat of the day hit and 90 degrees plus humidity set in. But until then, the morning was a wonderful exploration of all that nature had to offer. 

 

 

A Visit from Gumbo, Part III

The Big One loved playing and reading and being with his Gumbo. However, trying to get a nice posed shot of a two-year old is a bit like nailing Jell-O to a tree. Gumbo said for almost a full week, and the boys loved every minute of it (despite this humorous photo evidence)!!

Pint Sized Farm Boy

The Boy discovered the joys of fall and farms on Saturday. Momma really wishes there were an apple farm near by; fall just isn’t the same without picking apples. So the family settled for a local farm, filled with chickens, goats, horses and pigs. Tall corn stalks, tractors, and pumpkins to play with. Here, the Boy is in a teepee (or possibly wigwam, I’m not really up on my dried corn husk housing).

Judging by his laughter and big smiles, the Boy’s favorite part of the farm was right here.

Barbara Manatee…

… You are the one for me!!

Mimi and Papa Strat took the Boy, Momma and Daddy to Homosassa State Park, which sounds suspiciously like “Home Assassin State Park” if you aren’t familiar with the area. The Boy saw manatees, a hippo, jumping fish, pink birds, bald eagles, and all other native Florida wildlife.

He also saw non-native wildlife, which was eagerly trying to escape:

Play Time at Kelly Park

Over Memorial weekend, the Boy’s Mimi and Papa Strat took him to Kelly Park in Orange County, Florida. This county park has a great natural spring that flows clean for about a mile and is open to the public to float or swim down. The Boy thought the water was a little too cold for his taste, but Momma and Daddy thought it was relaxing and refreshing.

Momma and the Boy floated down the spring, running into weeds and rocks, and sharing the stream with fish completely unafraid of the human element. Momma and Mimi spent lots of time chatting and catching up. Uncle Jed kept poking Papa Strat while he was trying to rest, pouring cold water on his head and generally jabbing the metaphorical sleeping dragon in the eye.

Auntie LE practiced her swimming and Daddy scraped himself on the rocks, lost his sunglasses and burned himself. Only Aunt Livy stayed home; the spring water gives her hives. But she had a good time too, playing Sims 3 on the computer.

A good day had by all!