B-Boy Sam

Ben and I were feeling tired and lazy tonight and NOT like making dinner, so we got out the TV trays and watched tv while we ate dinner. We watched a recorded "So You Think You Can Dance" episode. Sam was so inspired by a break dancer on the show that he decided to try to copy his moves:

Clapping along....very interested....

And he starts breakdancing!

Breakdancing fool

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Jackson turned 4 years old on September 15! It's hard to believe he's already 4 and makes me realize how fast Sam is growing, too. We went down to Louisville to go to his birthday party at this great place called My Gym. Mr. Bill runs the place, and is awesome with the kids. Sam had a blast on all the gym equipment. Mr. Bill even adapted the zip line with a seat for Sam and a couple other little ones. Jackson and his friends were balls of energy - it was the perfect place for a party for a bunch of 4 year olds.

Mr. Bill was leading group time. Sam decided he was having none of it.

Jackson climbing up the ladder to jump into the ball pit.

Sam actually climbed onto this beam by himself! Over and over and over....

Ready to jump! Or kind of step down.

The ball pit was Sam's favorite

The Cooshee

The Cooshee is the name of a booster seat we got in the mail the other day for Sam. He started giving us subtle hints that he's outgrowing his high chair by pushing really hard on the tray, pounding on the tray, arching his back, and grunting really loudly whenever we put the tray on the chair. Our dining room table has a big ledge on the underside, so most boosters don't fit without squeezing poor Sam's legs. We found one online. Sam LOVED it. He sat in it on the chair and got a real kick out of it. But the real fun began when he got down from his chair and started moving it around the house. Here Sam's demonstrating ways to use the Cooshee:

You can carry it around easily!

You don't even need a chair to be able to sit on it!

If you don't like one spot, just move it to another!

And sitting again.

You can crouch down on it!

And the best use of all: you can take flying leaps off of it. In Sam's case, that means big build-ups to jumps, but in actuality just quick steps off of it with a little spring.

Workout Time

Sam decided he needs to strengthen his core muscles so he's taken up pilates. Ben's his coach. Here they are doing the move on the front of the video.

Day Trip

Saturday we traveled up to a winery, Raven's Glen, about 3 hours away to celebrate Ben's uncle's and aunt's 50th wedding anniversary. Jane and Susan were even able to make it in for the trip (Marj - we missed you!). We had a nice time and then a bunch of us stopped in Columbus at Easton for dinner before we made the rest of the trip back.

Jane and Ben

Susan and Sam

Luke, Sue, Paul, and Carrie

Sam trying to figure out a way to get to the train display that was inside the fence

Jane and Susan swinging Sam while we walked around

Shots

Sam had his 18 month well check today. He's a little over 27 pounds and in the 75th percentile for height and weight. That's great. What's not great is Sam's reaction to shots, which is probably similar to most little kids' reactions to shots - lots of red-faced crying, snotty nose, and hugs (which aren't bad at all). Ben took him to get a malt today afterward and by the time he got home he was happily slurping on it and perfectly happy.

Then he had an especially messy dinner...he had dumped all his food that I had slaved away making onto the front of his shirt and tray after he got mad at me when I got mad at him for feeding that dinner to the dogs. We completely ignored him after he dumped his food (all the while he was saying "all gone all gone all gone all gone") and tried not to laugh and eventually he just starting picking the food off his shirt and eating it.

ANYWAY....after dinner his clothes were so messy I just took his shorts off right in the dining room before we went up for a bath. And this revealed the BAND-AIDS, which were very perplexing to Sam. He would try to touch them, which would hurt and cause him to make a funny face and then he'd touch them again and the cycle kept going.

Here's a good shot of him after we made it upstairs. Note the food on his face and all down his shirt. He now tries to smile when I take a picture of him and this is what it looked like. Poor boy got my legs....

He's pointing out his band-aids for me. They were very annoying to him and he was very relieved to have them removed during his bath. No more shots for 6 months! Unless we are one of the chosen ones to get the swine flu shot!

Norris Lake

A couple weekends ago we took a trip to Norris Lake for a last hurrah goodbye weekend to my friend, Emmy, who is starting dental school at OSU this month. Friends of Emmy hosted and we were invited to go along. It was a fun group of people, many of whom didn't know each other before the weekend but who all love Emmy! We swam in the lake, Sam had his first boat ride (he loved it), I went tubing for the first time (and barely lived to tell about it) and Ben and I both jumped off a bridge. I got some good pictures, but then realized once I was home that I didn't get any good shots of me with the girl of honor.

floating in the lake near the dock for the house

the cove where we stayed

the back of the lake house - it was beautiful and HUGE

Sam and his little friend Anna. He was enthralled by her and called her by her name.

Me, Jenny, and Emmy contemplating our jump - Emmy dove because she's braver than us.

Okay....I'm gonna do it! Longest fall ever.

Not me...Ben couldn't get a good shot. But I got a good one of him and Frankie jumping.

This was Sam's boat face when the boat would go really fast. I thought it was hilarious.