Minor League Game

We always enjoy a good minor league baseball game. The crowds are fewer, we get a wonderful view, and the tickets cost less than $30 for our whole family! We are fortunate enough to have a stadium less than an hour away. After every home game, they have fireworks and the kids can run the bases. We just layed out a blanket and enjoyed the game from the lawn. It was so much fun!

To the Falls

In our attempt to make up for not going to the beach this year, we tried to take the kids to a fake beach with some cousins...sort of the cheap way out. Cedric didn't have any vacation saved up since he just started a new job a few months ago. We weren't sure how Baby B would do on a long drive and then all the sun exposure...so we headed to a state park about an hour away. It has a sandy area for the kids to play and a little lake for them to swim in.

I hesitate to post my feelings about this trip because we have heard nothing but great things about this place. I have to say that the kids had a wonderful time, which is all that matters. I do, however, want to get on my soapbox for just a minute about this place. The signs were all there from the time we stepped foot out of the car. First, as we are walking into the park, I see dirty socks just lying in the parking lot, along with a bunch of trash. No big deal. Then, we get there and lay our stuff down and see dirty diapers, just left right there on the sand (if you look closely enough at the very top picture, you can actually see one). Disgusting, but I can handle that (as long as the "goods" stay in the diaper). As we were there, I looked around and there were at least three small children (obviously not potty-trained aged) swimming in the "lake" area...with nothing but their birthday suits on. Wishful thinking was that they'd hold it if they had to go. And what topped off the day and what completely culminated my feelings of utter disgust was the trip to the bathroom when we had to go home. I have seen filth, but never like this before. People just did their business right on the floor next to the toilet. Seriously, is that necessary? Women's hygeine products that weren't so hygenic, left right out in the open. I felt like running into the woods and doing my business there...it would have been cleaner! What's sad is that the facilities are so nice (several stalls and showers) and have great potential to be a wonderful family place. Why do people have to be so lazy, dirty, and inconsiderate enough to turn it into a disaster?

Anyway, one of these days I may be brave enough to go back, but if I do, I will make sure we do not have to use the bathroom, and that the kids do not do any scuba diving in that water! Maybe that's what we get for taking the "cheap" way out on the beach experience!

Reason #1 to Never Fall Asleep Before Your Brother...

You will find a cat on your face...



We had been spending quite a bit of time at my brother's house. They have this neighborhood cat that roams around and likes to hang out in front of his house. The kids took a liking to it and named him "Gnochi (from Curious George)." Well, one night T decided she wanted to sleep with her pretend Gnochi. I came in to say goodnight to her and found her passed out, with Gnochi plastered to her face. I think we all figured out who the culprit was pretty quickly.

All Because of...

Gobstoppers, Pixi-sticks, lollypops, popsicles, cupcakes, Air Heads...anything and all things sweet...used as potty bribery. I can say that we are about three weeks into this with no accidents and I couldn't be more proud of her. One day, she just decided that diapers were for babies and she wanted to give them up to her baby brother. From that day on, she just started going on her own. I am a huge fan of letting kids go when they are ready. I've tried agonizing over it, spending hours trying to get them to go, resulting in no progress, screaming kids, and messy accidents (with G and T). Then it was like a light went on for both of them and they decided one day to do it...no coaxing or kicking or screaming. The same happened with M. She also, of course knew that if she did go in the potty, there'd be a nice hunk of sugar (in one form or another) waiting for her afterwards. That was enough to get the job done!

Way to go, M!