Block Party Videos

I apologize for not getting these uploaded sooner. There was an issue with Google and blogger in that many users could not upload their videos without receiving an error. At least that is what I gleaned from the FAQ. There was some technical mumbo-jumbo, but I didn't bother to try to understand it all when I saw the words, "The problem is being worked and should be resolved." Now, eight days later we can finally see some videos!

First, here's Bode going down the slide. Sliding has been a bit of a theme these past few posts, and will probably continue as we're heading to the pool tomorrow. He probably wore down the asphalt between the slide termination and the castle entry.

Next up we have Bode, Mommy, and Emma having a blast bouncing around. The fans that kept the castle inflated were rather noisy, so it is impossible to hear Bode laughing and screaming the entire time.

Mommy returned from a week-long trip to Monterey, California. She saw a house she really liked and we're thinking about putting in a bid. Since the market is so bad, we're going to offer half the listed price. Anyone have $10 million we can borrow? :-) Pleasant weekend.

Block Party

We had our somewhat-annual block party on Saturday. Since Bode's birthday is always around Thanksgiving, meaning we don't really get to have a party with his friends due to the holiday, we decided to do something special for the little guy. We rented a bouncy castle (his words), and it was a huge hit (literally--the thing was huge). First, here's a shot of the castle in our driveway. Also note the Auburn flag is still hanging prominently.

Before the party started, Bode needed to give the slide a couple test runs. Here he is, first climbing up the wall on the inside, and then going down.

Soon it was time for the party. We had a great turn-out this year, and the weather was perfect. It was a little cloudy at times, but that kept the temps low.

In addition to the castle, we also had the pool out. I am amazed that in the presence of the montrous castle slide, the kiddos still wanted to play in the pool. Evidently water has Pied Piper-like qualities. Here's Bode and Estelle splashing about.

Bode's friend, Emma, and her Mom, Beth, were up for the party. The two of them adore Harley and spent the afternoon wearing out our little working dog.

The adults also enjoyed the slide. Here's an action sequence of Mommy. Note the perfect smile in both pictures--she's like a figure skater.

The inside of the bouncy castle was just as much fun. Mommy is getting some big-air. Look out X-games.

Finally, we have some pictures from Bode.

It was a wonderful day. We all were exhausted :-) Pleasant Father's Day to all.

Another Pool

We woke up today and decided to give Bode a second chance at the pool. We decided this before we saw the forecast was for a high of only 75. Even though it was colder than yesterday, Bode had no trouble getting into the water, which supports my theory that he wants to swim but prefers to not do the class.

We spent the majority of the day at the center water fixture. That's Ashley there on the left (don't confuse her with the woman on the right :-)

Here's an action sequence of Bode going down the slide.

Finally, here's a movie of Bode crawling in the water.

Below is a of picture of Harley and me. She's now almost four months old. I guess she's grown some, huh? To see a picture of Harley at six week, reference the April 2011 section of this blog.

We can't wait for next weekend--we are having our block party. There should be plenty of photos from that event. Pleasant week.

In the Pool

We had another swim lesson today. Temperatures were in the 90's all week...until last night. We had rain, more rain, and a cool down. When we got to the pool, Bode was willing to stand on the stairs. He refused to get in the pool and participate in the class because the water was too cold. It was a bit chilly, but certainly not as bad as last week. He was just being difficult. We tried to reason with him--told him there'd be no videos, no chocolate, no fun. His response: "I don't care." Stubborn little sh*t.

Needless to say, we were disappointed in Bode. We thought he'd want to swim, and I think he does. However, I don't think he wants to do the organized class. There are a lot of other things at the swim park that he'd like to do. Unfortunately, swim lessons are at 0930, and the rest of the park doesn't open until 1130. Here's hoping for good weather next week.

We had the camera out because we thought we'd get some good pictures. Instead, Bode took some time to take a self portrait, albeit one that is upside-down.

He really enjoys taking pictures. Most of them are blurry, but he gets the occasional gem. Sometimes he doesn't realize he's taking a movie, so instead of a picture, we get an action sequence. He's a good shot of me (and my butt), cleaning up the kitchen. You can also see Harley's profile.

Since we failed miserably at the public pool, we decided to try our luck with the inflatable pool in the front yard. This was a smashing success. In the pictures below, you will see Bode, Mommy, Daddy, Harley, and our neighbor's daughter and granddaughter (Beth and Emma). We had a lovely afternoon lounging by the pool.

Bode must have gone done that slide 100 times. Here's a movie.

Harley also seemed to enjoy the pool.

Finally, an action shot with a big smile.

Little fellow is/was exhausted. It's only 7:34 pm, and he's getting into bed, which is nice because even though we didn't play as hard, we are also exhausted :-) Pleasant weekend.

Nine Cubic Yards

Summer is here! To kickoff this fantastic time of year, we signed Bode up for swim lessons. The first one was Saturday, which seemed like a great idea. However, we chose the 0930 start-time. Overnight temperatures were in the low 60's and the pool's heater broke on Thursday. Suffice it to say, the water was C-O-L-D. You could hear many parents inhale deeply was we entered the water. Bode was not a fan of the cold, and cried for five minutes. He wanted me to carry him, and then we sat on the edge of the pool.

Sadly (fortunately), there was lightening in the area, and we had to prematurely end the lesson.

Today, we went to park just up the street that has both playground equipment and water / splashy stuff (Bode's words). First, we stayed on dry land. Bode is quite the little climber. Below is an action sequence of Bode getting to the top of the structure and taking the big slide down.

Next, we headed over to the wetlands. Bode is always a little tentative about getting wet, so he had to study the landscape before commencing.

He quickly loses his fear, and before you know it, he's sopping wet.

He even managed to get me to play a bit.

Yes, I am wearing a Mississippi State football shirt. We were working in the yard before coming to the water park (more on that later), and I am supposed to wear my "bad" clothes when working in the yard (Heaven forbid I get dirt on any Auburn attire).

Below are a few more action shots from the water park. He really loves it, and we enjoy not having to entertain him :-)

We then headed back to dry land. Bode wanted to do some teeter-tottering with Mommy.

Finally, the kiddo played on the smaller apparatus, climbing, running, and sliding.

We had a very busy weekend. We ordered nine cubic yards of mulch, and spent about seven hours spreading it around the yard. It looks great...if only mulch looked good for more than two weeks.

Harley is doing awesome. We think she must like it here. I left the fence open earlier this afternoon. We probably didn't realize this for twenty minutes or so. Ashley asked me if I'd seen the dog, and I said I had not. We looked around the house, didn't see her, and then went out back. Immediately I noticed the open gate, so I raced around to the front of the house. The little pup is just sitting by the front door, wanting to come inside. Such a good girl.

Yes, she is getting bigger. Pleasant week to all.