Vacation is Awesome

Looking at the bug larvae LittleUncleJon found while fishing.

Yes mom?

Matey is hard working farm hand driving tractors all over the place.

Lining up his toys, just like at home.

Snake! This was taken at Great Grandma's house but Matey was asleep and missed it.

He's not so sure about Fergus, and Fergus isn't so sure about him.

The most tame Irish wolfhound they had.

Matey wasn't able to pet the others, they were too jumpy.

We went to Robert and Cathy's and Great Grandma's and Pat and Carols. Matey loved each place but his Favorite was the Cows (Cathy's). I hope to be able to take him up there again soon, but for a longer visit.

Vacation is Fun

Help! Help! We're stuck! There was an 8-10inch gap between the house door and the screen door and we got stuck! Oh no! Matey btw didn't think it was very funny.

Step, step, step...

... step, step, step, step. What's a vacation if you can't trudge through mud?

"Fishing" with LittleUncleJon. We stopped at McAllister on the way home from Great grandmas so Matey could stretch his legs. They sat on their butts for 15 min "fishing" but when we put the boy back in the car he was as happy as could be (we kept the stick/fishing pole).

SO Big! It was very nervous to have him up there by himself but I wanted the shot. He's about 12 ft off the ground and LOVED it. We had been in the barn multiple times and he thought the hay bales were interesting but when I told him he could climb them his face just lit up. I had to threaten him with a time out for him to come back down on his own (for a second I really thought I was going to have to go get him).

This was not very tall at all- like 4ft high at the center- but after I let him climb the hay he wanted to climb everything. After I took the picture he told me to climb up too and held out his hand to help me when I got close to him. He is the sweetest boy.

Vacation is Chickens

While the cows could wander places we couldn't see, the chickens were always available to chase.

This is as close as Matey ever got to touching one (that I know of).

LittleUncleJon took this picture so that's why its blurry. Matey in the hen house.

Putting out some feed for the chickens (they also got kitchen scraps).

They would RUN past him when he opened the door in the morning and it was very hard to get a picture.

Shhhh... He's hunting wabbits chickens.

He woke up the earliest so we would go and feed the chickens and let them out while people woke up and got ready to do the cows. And we would also visit the chickens at some point during the day to see if anyone was willing to let him pet them yet.

Vacation is Cows

"Mere tow! Mere! Moo tow, moo" *Come here cow! Come here! Moo cow, moo.

"Whoa tow, down. Down!" *Whoa cow, down. Down!

"Nye tow. Mere tow. Shoo fy. Shoo." *Nice cow. Come here cow. Shoo fly. Shoo. (there were flies all over the cow.)

"Tow Ma! Milk tow. Milk. Moo tow. Brn. Tow brn moo." *Cow Mom! Milk cow. Milk. Moo cow. Barn. Cow barn moo.

"Poo tow. Poo brn. Ma tow." *Cow Poop. Poop barn. Mom Cow.

*For those of you who don't speak Matey. Also its "tow" as in the first part of "tower" not as in "tow truck". And "here" is "her" and "come here" is "mere", its little nuances like that you pick up from living with him.

Every morning it was all about the cows. Nothing held a candle to them. Nothing. Not the dogs, horses, chickens or baby kittens. They were the coolest thing and milking them was the funnest thing. She (not the cow pictured, they only had one milk cow) got milked twice a day and he watched at least once a day. No fear, trying to get as close to the teats as possible (including constantly trying to go under the cow or between her back legs) so he could see how things worked. 

Every time he could convince someone to take him to the barn he was happy right up until the cows weren't there (most days after milking the doors are opened and the cows go out to pasture and don't come back till called). But there was a huge hay bale pile that had holes in it he would look into and tell you about. He climbed it as well. 

I don't know why or when or how come cows are so cool but its very obvious to Matey that they are.

Vacation is Happiness

I'm sure Cathy thought Matey was one of the guests that brought Happiness by coming.

the BEST smile Ever!

What could be better than fresh strawberries that you helped Mommy pick? Maybe her not trying to get a picture while you're wanting to eat them...

Happiness... Apparently includes a Mom, Dad, and three kids! Hmmm... AuntValinda is winning this one, I only have two out of five. (it actually says in faded wording underneath: is family home evening)

Oh No! The car! It's EATING him! Help! Help!Grammy's car has a built in car seat that folds down and LittleUncleJon was making it eat the poor Matey.

Matey riding his Ho (not being crude, that's how he says "horse"). They had real horses that he got to see and pet and feed but the day we were supposed to ride one, Cathy had to help a lady have her baby and then we left the next day... (the lady we were visiting is a midwife, Mateys midwife in fact).

We left last Monday and got back Friday and took the weekend to rest. Now we're back in action and will be posting pictures of the Vacation all this week. 

He had the BEST time up there. Absolutely loved it. There was a barn with cows, hay bales, tractors, kittens and assorted tools. A big back yard with a trampoline, fire pit, dogs and a few sheds to poke your head into. A chicken house with CHICKENS! A greenhouse with plants you're not allowed to touch. A front yard with rusty old machines, strawberry patch, wagon, rock pile and a tiny little creek/irrigation trickle of water to play in (it was less then 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep). What 2 year old boy wouldn't love it up there?

away for vacation

We're headed to the beautiful part of the state for a few days of vacation. 

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post them as soon as we get back (Friday or Saturday).

Here it is: The Moment You've Been Waiting For

How to get Matey to eat raisins/craisins: put them in an M & M dispenser.

Matey is a big boy now and refuses to drink from normal sippy cups like a baby so this is one of this new ones (it has a straw).

Matey and Grammy made cupcakes and this is one Matey did all by himself.

Curly little boy.

This is an awesome pop up tent I got for him at Winco. I like it more than he does, but hopefully he'll grow into it.

Its a bit blurry but I LOVE this picture of the boy wonder.

I know what you're thinking: were we playing peek-a-boo? No, I had just said "smile so I can take a picture of you".

Just so you all know: the curl in his is Natural. There was no gel or products on his hair when these were taken, one of the reasons his hair was so unruly was because it was growing in curly. SO while it looked straight by the roots was not. Grammy took him to get a hair cut at a Real barber shop for kids and he apparently loved it (I wasn't there). There was a Thomas the Train movie and chair and they gave him candy so he didn't even notice his hair was being cut. 

It was a shock for me when I first saw it but it needed to be done. He reminds me much more of Leucas now when he was younger with the shorter hair and I can also see more of thePirate in him now.

pictures by Matey

i think i'm going to have to post the videos to fb

Explorer Matey crashing through the underbrush.

Look! A stroller! What an amazing discovery!

My precious boy.

Whoa dude! This was the first time I let him go off the path and into the belly of the forest. He loved it.

So we've been taking pictures of Matey here and with his newest haircut ... will be posting them soon, especially since how I can't upload video on Moms old slow computer.