Camping and Happy Birthday Julian!

We finally managed to get away for a little bit and do some camping. With the shows this summer, my weekend schedule has been really full, but we headed out this past weekend. Brian found a campground near Galena that had a lot of amenities. He traveled up Friday morning and got everything set up. Friday night I had a show so he took Jimmy up and I came up later. The plan was for Jimmy to be fast asleep but that didn't happen. When I finally arrived around 11 Brian was at the end of his rope and Jimmy was wide awake. It didn't take too terribly long after we were all together for him to fall asleep but it was a late night for us all none the less.

Saturday I noticed some kids hanging around a tree near the playground. I saw they were looking at a huge hornets nest hanging in the tree. Brian decided to say something to the woman in the store... She replied that they knew already and the owner wanted to see how large it would get before he took it down. Now, had it not been about 5 feet off the edge of the playground I would have totally supported this endeavor but as it was right by the playground the plan didn't seem that smart to me. But whatever! What do us city folk know, right? I should have heeded my guts and given a little reflection before taking part in other activities.

We headed down to the petting zoo, which had a a couple of goats, a mini-donkey and a pot bellied pig when all hell broke loose. The goats were fine. The donkey was sweet. The pig... a big jerk! The pig wandered over and Jimmy was a little stand offish. Let's face it, they're not the cutest animals ever. When all of the sudden the pig sticks his fat head through the fence and grabs hold of Jimmy's thigh. When Jimmy started screaming bloody murder (and who can blame him) I tried to pull him away... the pig pulled back. That's when I went all sissy and screamed and slapped the pig. Now, had I been able to say punched the pig I would be proud of myself, but no, I slapped the pig. Wussy. I finally got him away. We headed to the camp store for ice. The woman charged us. Then proceeded to tell me that the pig had done the exact same thing the week before. Okay, what?!? Give us our money back for the ice and HANG UP A SIGN WARNING PEOPLE THE PIG BITES!

Needless to say, Jimmy survived the vicious pig attack with some bruising. And he has enjoyed telling everyone he meets that the piggy bite him! Tonight he pulled down his shorts while on the phone with Aunt Katy to show her the bite mark.

Candy for breakfast! Mom did not agree to this one!

Fishing in my pjs

Me & Dad

Nice Donkey!

Mean Piggy!

More fishing

Feeding the ducks from our tent during the rain


On Sunday after we got home we got to go to Julian's pirate themed party. The Bair's once had pirates living at their house and they left buried treasure in the backyard... which the kids had a super fun time finding. Thanks for having such a cool birthday Julian!

Our first bike ride!

Our first bike ride as a family and my first real bike ride in about oh... 9 years?!? You do remember but none the less I was a little shaky. We went down by the river and rode on the bike trail. Very pretty and now that we have been on the trail I am even more excited about the renovations to the Whittier Pennisula down by our house. We decided we will definitely have to do a lot more riding and are going to take them camping with us this coming weekend.

We went Friday night and picked out his bike helmet. He had asked for a yellow one and when we arrived the salesman picked out a really cool, old school looking black one. He was a little shy around the salesman and wouldn't let him put that one on. When the guy just happened to pick out the yellow one Jimmy let him put it on him. Luckily they had a yellow one!

Jimmy loved the ride and was really good in the little tow along. We were afraid that he wouldn't be happy with just sitting back there and would want to ride his own bike... Which is a tricycle and he still isn't very good at. He is getting better but there is no way he is up for the bike trail yet. Soon, I am sure and I am sure I will miss the time when he was too little to ride in the tow behind.



After the ride we stopped and walked around by the river. Jimmy liked this viewing area and kept looking down through the grating claiming he saw a fish or a frog or other such things. I have to say I didn't see squat... But whatever!

Once he figured out how noisy the viewing area was, he just couldn't help himself. He had to be extra noisy!




Mom came down this weekend and she got a hotel room with a pool so we were able to go swimming on Saturday. Then this evening she watched Jimmy while Brian and I snuck out and finally saw the new Harry Potter movie. I have to say that I read the last book so quickly I don't really remember what happens. After seeing the movie I know I want to read the last book over again. Thanks Mom for letting us get out!

New Post for J.P.

Unfortunately with everything that is going on this summer I have been a little busy... Sorry for the delay on new posts.

Brian downloaded some pictures off the camera we broke over a year ago. These are a flash from the past...







Jimmy's language has just blossomed. He is a chatter box and occasionally he'll start saying a new phrase out of the blue... Or at least out of the blue to us. Last night we went to the park and he was messing around in this pavilion area singing us a song. All of the sudden he held up a finger and said, "Be right back." Then he turned and sprinted off. Not too long afterward he turns around and runs back where he stops short, puts up his hands and says, "Presto Chango." Where the heck did that come from? Too funny.

He also has a quite impressive memory. Tonight I was getting ready to leave for the show I am in and instead of explaining to him that I have a performance I just tell him I have to go to a meeting. I figure he has heard that one before. One of the shows I am in I use a picture from the house as a set piece. Because I don't want it to get broken on our off nights I bring it back and forth each time. I think I have now taking it out of the house maybe three times? Tonight he points to the wall and says, "Taking that with you?" I had no idea what he meant and had to ask him several times... He had noticed me taking the painting down on the couple of times I have taken it out of the house and wanted to know if I was taking it with me. Impressive! Now its really time to pay attention to what we are saying around him... Ugh!

Hope everyone is having a great summer! Miss you all!