Hey Mom, the salt is STINGING my owweee!!!

Little note to all you people planning to visit the beach this summer...don't let your kid take a face plant, skin their knee and expect the next day at the beach to be a picnic. Salt stings we've learned. But also, after the initial pain and screaming, it also heals. Colin is just letting me know, as he's trying to play with his friend Lizzie, that he's not liking the stinging part so much. But I just love that my kid spends at least one day a week at the beach every week regardless of whatever "owee" we might be suffering - that includes me too.

Flew The Coop

Remember in my first update how I mentioned we have wildlife in the backyard. Well, our little family of birds, layed, hatched and raised 4 chicks to flying freedom. The picture is of the morning when Mamma Bird (in the middle) is giving encouragement to her babies and letting them know it's time to leave. It was a great moment to watch and fun to be the guardian angel over their little nest while they were here. Farewell. We'll miss the song.

Colin and the Princess

When Andi was planning her recent trip, I suggested that she bring Calleigh so that Colin would have a playmate and we could visit better. My suggestion worked out great. What I didn’t calculate was the amount of estrogen Colin would be exposed to and how very girly everything would become. Let’s just say that Colin experienced Disneyland in a way he will probably never do again – through the eyes of a four-year-old princess, a very serious princess who loves pink and loves Aurora (Sleeping Beauty for those of you who don’t know). Colin saw parts of Disneyland that we didn’t even know existed: Princess Land. He waited patiently for about 30 minutes for what I'm sure he expected to be a ride of sorts. However, to his suprise he rounded the corner to personally meet Aurora, Snow White, and Pocahontas. Oh the delight from Calleigh was palatable. The confusion from Colin, just as palatable. However, he quickly got into the scene greeted each princess with caution, wonder and, in general, refused to get too close. He then proceeded to hear Cinderella’s story from Cinderella herself, and colored at the craft table while we waited for the big event. Soon it was time for the Coronation Ball. Oh the colors and music were fabulous and Colin, against his better judgement, learned to bow and curtsy and dance. Shortly after that we watched the Parade of Dreams where all the beautiful princesses waved and smiled at him. He did all of this with the lovely Calleigh Bell as his side, holding his hand, leading him along with the greatest enthusiasm you can imagine. For Calleigh, it was a dream come true. For Colin, I think it was just a dream – good or bad – who knows? Truly, it was an experience none of us are soon to forget.