Rehoboth Beach

Every summer my sister and I take a little girl's trip. Last year Maggie Grace was a newborn so we just did the girl's trip at our house. This year we hit the road and headed to Rehoboth Beach, DE. Rehoboth is a fun family beach and since it was the anniversary of my grandmother's death we thought it would be a fitting destination. We stayed with our cousins who were such gracious hosts. Our cousin Jackie gave up her room for us and they had selected all kinds of goodies for Maggie Grace. Every morning they had the best breakfast and dinner was delicious. I felt like I was in the lap of luxury.

We took the first flight out of Atlanta and were in Washington DC by 9:00 am. After renting our car and the ride to Rehoboth it was noon and the three of us were starving. My cousins had lunch ready to go for us, BLTs! I only mention this because BLTs are my favorite sandwich and theirs were delicious. After lunch Susan, Maggie Grace and I headed to Georgetown to the cemetery. Thankfully Maggie Grace fell asleep, as it gave Susan and I time to visit and reminisce. By the time we got back to Rehoboth dinner was waiting, a full BBQ spread out on the front porch. Then off to bed.

Maggie Grace woke up Saturday morning at 5:30! I did my best to keep her occupied while everyone slept, but decided to get in the car and find a park. Instead we headed down to the beach. It was wonderful. The boardwalk was scattered with joggers, walkers and other parents of early morning kiddos. I let her loose and off she ran. It was the most precious thing in the world. After about three hours we headed back to the house for a delicious breakfast and then off to the beach. We played on the beach for a few hours and then grabbed a bite to eat on the boardwalk and then we headed to Funland. This was the moment I had been waiting for probably since I had dreamed of having children. Maggie Grace did not disappoint. She had such a blast on the boats that parents were watching her instead of their own kids. Some Japanese tourists were snapping her photo and videoing her. She was in her element. Next we hit the fire trucks. She had a blast ringing the bell. Then it was on to the cars, where she was mesmerized by the clown in the center of the ride. Our poor cousin, folded herself up and got in the backseat of the car so she could ride with Maggie Grace, who only cared about the blasted clown. Lastly we rode the carousel, it had been a full day at Funland. All of the rides Maggie Grace rode on were the exact same rides I rode on at her age. Life was coming full circle, all I can say is wow. After another delicious meal it was off to bed, we were beat.

Saturday morning, Susan, Maggie Grace and I headed down to the boardwalk and rented bikes. It was a blast. Maggie Grace's helmet was too big and kept falling over her eyes, bless her heart. She was a real trooper. After our morning exercise it was back to the Joseph's for a plate of delicious pancakes. Were they fattening us up for slaughter? I can't help but think so. We went to the outlets and did a little shopping and went and visited our Great Aunt Mae. Back home it was another delicious dinner and back to Funland for a bit more fun.

Unfortunately it was Monday and time to head home and even more unfortunately our flight left out of Washington at 5:55 am, add in a 3 1/2 drive, an hour to fill up the gas tank and return the rental, an hour to check-in, we had to wake-up at 12:30 so we could be on the road by 1 am. The things I do for free travel.

Baby Rose

On Wednesday Ben, Margaret Grace and I hopped on an early morning bound flight to Memphis to meet the newest addition to the Jackson family-Rose Ryan. I could hardly wait to get my hands on her. She is absolutely stunning! Becca was doing wonderfully, she looked terrific as always, and was up and about as if she hadn't given birth the day before. Here is a sweet little picture of the three cousins. Sol and Margaret Grace were more concerned with their pacifiers than Baby Rose. Sol and MG were so cute, it was a massive love fest for the two of them. Unfortunately we had to head home that evening, though I was secretly wishing our flight would cancel.

Kicking It Into High Gear

Maggie Grace is walking! She picked the best weekend in the world to do it too. Everyone was in town for her baptism and got to see her walk. In my opinion it's all due to Sol, Maggie Grace decided she just had to keep up with him. It was such a wonderful weekend. We went to the Atlanta aquarium and then had a big pizza party at our house. Sol and Maggie Grace played like there was no tomorrow and Maggie Grace ate pizza like she would never get a chance to taste it again. Sunday morning Maggie Grace was baptized and then Ben and I made lunch for everyone before they headed home.

Last week Ben, Maggie Grace and I went to Savannah on vacation. We had such a blast! We did a lot of walking around the historic district, it was simply beautiful. One day we went to Tybee Island and took Maggie Grace to the beach. The temperature was okay but the wind was blowing so it was a bit chilly, we only got to play in the water for about 20 minutes or so.

Here is Maggie Grace with her purse, ready to run some errands. She loves this purse! Last night while cleaning up her room before bed I couldn't find a puzzle piece. I looked high and low. Imagine how hard I laughed when I opened up her purse this morning and there it was! She is hilarious. She will put anything and everything in there and she loves to walk, stop, check the contents of the purse, and resume walking.

She has also decided she wants to use silverware. We've been giving her a baby spoon but tonight she wanted the real thing. She looked at me while eating dinner, looked at my fork and started talking, so I handed her my fork. It's pretty funny because she can't really work a spoon or fork well, so she will place the food on the fork and then take the food off, and put it in her mouth.

Moss Won't Grow On a Rolling Stone

We have been busy! Last week Ben was called into work so Maggie Grace and I hit the road to go strawberry picking. It was about an hour ride one way but it was worth it, the strawberries were delicious. We ate a gallon of strawberries in two days! They were that good.It was such a great experience. I put her in the Babyhawk on my back and we got to picking. We had our first pail full in about 15 minutes, so we decided to pick another pail and give the strawberries out to friends.
Last Saturday Maggie Grace had her first haircut. Our hairdresser was wonderful and did such a great job. Especially considering Maggie Grace kept trying to turn around and see what the hairdresser was doing. Later in the day Maggie Grace and I walked up to our town center where the annual Jonquil Festival was taking place. There were all kind of yummy goodies and beautiful items for sale. I picked up a little hair bow for Maggie Grace's new do. By the time we made it back home the girl was out.
Sunday afternoon we headed to the town next to ours for the Taste of Marietta festival. All in all I'd say there were about 70 different restaurants selling little samples of food around the town square. Maggie Grace and I picked up some yummy treats and headed to the grassy part of the square and listened to some great music from a local band.

Tuesday we headed to the Ted to watch the Braves beat the Cardinals. It was the first game we've been to this season and I can't believe we won! Maggie Grace had such a great time and was a real trooper staying awake for the whole game which didn't end until about 9:15.

Stay tuned for out next big adventure!

Lovin' Life

Maggie Grace, Ben and I spent a couple of days in Charlotte this past week. It was an absolute blast. The reason for going was so Susan and I could go see Death Cab For Cutie in concert. Oh my goodness we had such a great time! We had a 45 minute ride to Davidson College, where the concert was taking place. The college is so incredibly beautiful. We grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the arena. The concert was fantastic, it ties with Tom Petty for the best concert ever. Plus we got to hear a new band, Ra Ra Riot, they have a great mellow yet vibrant sound. Even Maggie Grace likes them, I was listening to them yesterday and she started clapping.

Friday evening we met up with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins for dinner at the Olive Garden. What a great time! I always love seeing them and catching up with them, and most of all laughing. It is always such a good natured time with them. Maggie Grace had a good time, after she got sick on the breadsticks I had been feeding her, UGH. She had such a great time being passed around the dinner table and having the spotlight. What a ham!

Momma Needs A Break

Well, the title pretty much says it all, if only you could have heard the desperation in my voice. Ben had a long overnight in Baltimore this past weekend so Maggie Grace and I hopped on his plane and went with him. We had a great time and it sure did give me a break. If nothing else it was a nice change of scenery. As soon as we checked in, Ben changed and we headed for lunch, since all three of us were starving. We found a great little pub, the food was delicious. I got a crabcake sandwich and Ben got fish and chips. The only reason I mention this is because Maggie Grace loved our food. Before I slathered my crabcake in tartar sauce, I pulled out a couple of pieces of crab meat for her. She loved it, I couldn't hand it to her fast enough. After she had devoured her crab I knew we were in trouble, so we gave her a bit of Ben's cod. She woofed it down. I just hope her palate stays so adventurous. After lunch we headed down to the Inner Harbour where we people watched and looked at the ships that were docked. We also spent a considerable amount of time at the Barnes and Noble, not like this isn't something we can't do at home.

Next on our agenda, back to the room for a little siesta. Well, the only person that slept was Ben. After a failed attempt at getting Maggie Grace to take a nap she and I headed out to explore on our own (read, shop). Ben met up with us and we headed to Little Italy. Oh my goodness it smelled delectable, if only we weren't still stuffed from lunch. We just wanted a little bite, luckily we found a little bakery where we had a sampler platter of various goodies for dinner. I don't think we set the best dietary example for Maggie Grace that evening, but on the fun meter we should her how it's done. We walked around Little Italy a while and then headed back to the hotel for bed. Hopefully I've been energized enough to last me another week or two. All I have to do is hang on for two more weeks before we are off to Charlotte to see Death Cab For Cutie.

A Day In the Life

Today was an absolutely splendid day! We had our first music class this morning and Maggie Grace loved it. There were four other children in attendance which was the perfect number. Before the class even started Maggie Grace was handing out hugs and kisses. We were sitting in a circle and Maggie Grace crawled to the girl next to her, hugged her, and planted a big, wet, juicy kiss on her. She would clap and yell in excitement to the music. I can't wait for next week, I'll try to snap a photo.
The afternoon was just as exciting. Last night I purchased a little push toy so she could try walking. I know I said I wouldn't encourage it but, oh well. Well, this afternoon she stood up behind it and started pushing it around the house. The poor little thing was exhausted, each time she ran it into a wall or furniture she threw the biggest fit. I tried to get a couple of shots but she is fast!

Then this evening we had another great time after Maggie Grace's bath. We are going to visit Ben tomorrow in Baltimore and I wanted Maggie Grace to be all fresh and clean. So, into the bath she goes. She has a wonderful time but it's getting late so we bathe and out of the tub. I always rub her down with lotion after a bath but this evening something was off. As I was rubbing the lotion on I noticed her skin wasn't really absorbing it. I figured maybe her skin is really dry, which doesn't make since, but it's been a long day. I'm just ready to get her in bed and do the same myself. So, I had put the lotion on all of her body except her face which was next and her leg which I was working on when I realized it wasn't lotion it was DESITIN!!! UGH! I just died laughing, at that point it was either laugh or cry. She started laughing because I was laughing hysterically. Back into the tub we go!

Swimming Lessons

Today Maggie Grace had her first swimming lesson. Yesterday was Ben's birthday and Maggie Grace gave him 6 Baby and Me swimming lessons. This would be a chance for daddy and daughter to get to spend some real quality time bonding. I had been so excited all morning for the both of them, finally it was 11:30, time to go to the pool. Ben and Maggie Grace went in his car and I went in mine, so I could complete some paperwork and help him get her situated if he needed it. In all honesty, I was hoping he would ask if I wanted to stay and watch, and he did, YEAH! She was by far the youngest of maybe four other children. The first thing they did when they got in the pool was float around using a noodle. She was content but unsure. Then the parents and children got in a circle and sang a welcome song. About ten minutes had passed and I decided I better leave and let them do their thing without mommy watching. Ben and Maggie Grace finally got home around 12:30, MG was sound to sleep in the car, it was only a three minute ride home, but she was out. Ben said she had a ball. Just like gym class she was a lot more interested in what everyone else was doing. He said she put her head under the water and was okay with it. She let the instructor hold her without a problem. In fact, Ben said they played a game, after the count of three the instructor would pass MG to him under the water. I can't wait for next weeks lesson!

A Wonderful Week

We had loads of fun this week! The best part about the week was Ben was home for pretty much the entire week. Sunday, Maggie Grace graduated to the crawler/toddler room at church. From what the nursery staff told me she had no trouble fitting in. Our next big day was Wednesday, Maggie Grace went to the Little Gym for some play time. It started out with Ben and Maggie Grace along with five other babies and their moms. I was watching them from another room, I didn't want to be in view because this was daddy/daughter bonding time. I could tell from my spying post that they were going around in a circle introducing themselves and then they played along with a song. Next, everyone moved over to the balance beam. Maggie Grace was enjoying things and then all of a sudden, I don't know what happened, but she wasn't having fun. There weren't any tears involved but nonetheless Ben tagged me and it was my turn. I would have to say her favorite part was all the other children. She absolutely loved watching them. I was afraid to totally let her go because she was the only child who could crawl. I could just see her racing over to another child and taking them down with a big wet kiss. Thursday night I went out to Mom's Night Out with my mom's group and Ben got to put Maggie Grace to bed. He said she was an angel and went down without a problem. Friday, Maggie Grace and I hopped into the car and headed to Charlotte for the weekend. We arrived around six o'clock so she didn't get to visit much before she had to go off to bed, however, we more than made up for it on Saturday. We started the day off kind of slow. Around noon we headed out to get a bite to eat. We went to a really neat soda shop for sandwiches. After lunch Susan and I looked in a couple of shops while my dad pushed Maggie Grace around in her stroller. After a little shopping we were off to check a cute little house my sister is thinking about buying in an adorable neighborhood. Then we were off to the park. We had a great time, it was such a beautiful day outside. We walked around for a bit and then Maggie Grace got to swing some. Finally, it was time to head home. Sunday, Maggie Grace and I went with my dad to meet some of his friends. One of whom has a cute little girl who was enamored with Maggie Grace. After visiting for a while we headed back to my dad's to pack up and head home.

What a wonderful week!

Shop 'Til You Drop

We had a terrific weekend! Debbie came to visit for the weekend, which was so much fun. Maggie Grace and I picked her up late Friday night. Nana and Maggie Grace didn't get much time to chat, but Saturday morning came quickly. Saturday was a nice and easy kind of day. The morning started out like all of our mornings with Maggie Grace playing hard. This morning she had a nice treat because Nana was there to play with her. I told Debbie that Maggie Grace would go down for a nap around nine or so. Sure enough at nine MG crawled into Nana's lap and fell fast asleep. After MG woke up from her nap we decided to hit the mall to get Ben's Birthday present. We had so much fun looking around. We went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and MG was in heaven, there must have been two to three children at the table next to ours. She had so much fun watching them. After lunch we did a bit more window shopping. I decided not to belt her into her stroller and what a surprise Nana and I received. MG decided she was through laying in her stroller and wanted to look around and decided she would stand up in her stroller. It was so funny, what a little character. After the mall, we headed to Target and picked up all kinds of wonderful goodies. We decided to call it a day and head home, we were simply exhausted.

Sunday was another busy day. We were able to get a little play time in before taking Nana to the airport. We dropped Nana off at the airport and decided to stick around because Grandpa was coming in from China. His flight was a bit late, and two hours turned into four, but we had a great time people watching. Finally, Grandpa's flight arrived and we headed home. MG had fun playing with Grandpa and listening to him tell us all about his trip to Vietnam.

We had such a great weekend, if only they all could be so much fun!

Ingenuity

Just a quick little post so you can see what Maggie Grace did this morning. After we completed our wake-up routine, I went into the office to check a few things on the computer. Maggie Grace's room is right across the hall so I can keep pretty good tabs on her when in the office. I heard her bedroom door open and so I went to check and see what was going on, well she was already crawling through the hall to join me in the office. We keep a few toys and such in the office so she can play happily while we work. One thing that she loves to do is run her nails back and forth on the screen on the shredder. If I were a child I can imagine that this would be a lot of fun, it makes a great noise and feels really neat. Well, she had been standing next to the machine for a few minutes playing, and evidently had grown weary of standing. She pulled a file folder over and was sitting on it and playing. I couldn't believe it, man I have my work cut out for me in keeping one step ahead of her.

Have a great day!