Beach Babies No More

Marci (2 1/2) Osten (4 1/2)

Our very first family vacation was to St. Simon's Island when Osten was just nine months old. We didn't even step foot in the sand that trip as he was thoroughly amused with dips in the pool and trips in his stroller to the nearby village for dinner. Fast-forward four years to our trip to St. Simon's earlier this month, and the kids couldn't get enough of the beach. It was so much fun to share beach picnics (small boxes of Cracker Jacks were a surprise hit!) and play with them in the sand. One night, Tom had a dinner to attend for work and Gramma Sue was tired from a full day of activities, so just the three of us walked to the beach for an early picnic dinner. I tried to snap a few pictures of them in the sand for posterity's sake, but they were having way too much fun to be bothered with posing for Mommy. So here are my best action shots of our "beach babies no more" playing and playing and playing some more on the beach.

Bye-Bye, Bed Head!

While we were at the beach, Gramma Sue shared her secret weapon in the bed-head battle. The kids loved playing with her wig.

Marci, is that you??!!

This is the same wig that made a memorable appearance at Tom's 40th birthday party. Apparently, the kids aren't the only ones who like to get under a rug!

Daddy's Girl

These days, Marci is coming to enjoy more Daddy time. Daddy's pretty excited about the extra time together, too! On a recent outing, Daddy took Marci on a solo fishing trip at the lagoon near our house and to the cigar store while Osten and I went to see Toy Story 3 with Hudson and his mommy.

More Backseat Chit-Chat

My mom has always said how much she enjoyed listening to our backseat chit-chats. As the kids get older, I tend to listen more and more when I'm behind the wheel. Just the other day, Osten and Marci had the cutest conversation that went something like this:

Osten: But Marci, you're just a kid.

Marci: Oh.

Osten: You like to play with toys and have fun.

Marci: Oh.

Osten: When you get older, you'll just have lots of pants and shirts and underwear.

Marci: Oh.

It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud! Usually Marci has more input to offer, but on this particular occasion, I think she was all ears as her big brother shared his worldly insights.

I love it!!

NOTICE OF PETITION TO CHANGE NAME

In the matter of the petition of:

PARKER PIGGY

Notice is hereby given that PARKER PIGGY through her legal representative has announced her intention to change her name to CHARLIE PIGGY. Any interested party must file an objection within thirty (30) days.

(This is big news in a little girl's life! She very quietly but proudly told me of this news yesterday afternoon, and she filled Daddy in on the new name when he got home from work. It didn't come as too much of a surprise since she names everything Charlie these days!)

A Growing Vocabulary

Life is as entertaining as ever as the kids' vocabularies and language skills expand. For as long as I can remember, Marci has waited for me outside of the shower door every morning, and apparently she has been paying careful attention to my morning routine. Just recently as I was stepping out of the shower, I found her waiting for me with my towel in her hand. After she saw the excitement on my face, she quickly reached into the cabinet under the sink and found the box of Q-tips. She proudly asked if I wanted a crouton!!

Summer Fun

There's nothing quite like bathing suits and popsicles in the backyard during the summer!

Dee-lish!!

Squirt gun, anyone?

Buckets, balls and water make the best backyard summer fun!