Fun with Cousin Erin

As we all know, Liam loves the zoo. He always has fun and recently had an extra special time with Mommy, Aunt Jane and cousin Erin. We enjoyed all the animals from the bats and turtles to the orangutans and lions. Liam and Erin also had fun playing at the zoo playgrounds, riding 'round on the carousel (Liam chose the Gorilla again, I think Erin chose the Lion) and ending our trip with a ride on the zoo train. While on the train, we had an extra special treat and spied the new baby giraffe...what fun!

After our adventures at the zoo, Erin came home with Liam and I for a sleepover. I thought for sure they'd pass out in the car as we enjoyed the zoo ALL day. But, no. They did quite well, however, on the ride home save a couple of moments that took me back to my childhood. It was at this time that I realized that Liam and Erin are exactly the same age apart as my brother and I are...so, I really had to chuckle as Liam tried his hardest to annoy Erin and she tried her hardest to ignore him! After playing outside on the swing set and eating dinner it was time for bath and bed. Since Liam went to sleep first, Erin and I had a chance to play a game of cards. She's really good at Uno!

In the morning we headed to the community center for fun in the pool. Liam loves the little playroom there which worked out great. It gave Erin and I a little girl time/8 year old time before adding Liam to the mix. After a couple of hours it was time to head home for lunch, bath and play. It wasn't long before Aunt Jane arrived to bring Erin home. Both the babes were so beat and ready for some quiet time!

Erin's visit went exceptionally well. I told the two of them that they could be honorary brother and sister. They thought that sounded great and hope to do it again during summer break.

Liam's 1st Dentist Appointment

Liam had his first dentist appointment with Dr. Chris. His first dentist is very serious and a bit quirky but Liam didn't seem to mind. We walked into a very friendly and clean office. Liam enjoyed the books, toys and friendly office staff. Dr. Chris explained all of his cool tools to Liam before getting started. The room was very child friendly with giraffes hanging out for company. Liam had to sit straddling my lap and facing me. He laid back into Dr. Chris' lap and allowed Dr. Chris to look at all of his teeth while the assistant noted everything into the computer. There were no tears until the brushing and cavity paste - yuck, Mommy! Dr. Chris was done in no time, Liam wiped his tears, and said "Tank you, Dr. Chis". Ohhh, too sweet! And, great news: no cavities, very little plaque and great spacing between his teeth. Liam left with a new toy airplane, a sticker and a big smile!!!

Celebrate St. Paddy's at the....ZOO?!

Yes, of course, we had to celebrate St. Paddy's day....our son's name is Liam McConnell. But, this year, Daddy is traveling on St. Patrick's Day (enjoying, I'm sure, a few pints & an Irish band at a local Irish Pub) and Liam's favorite thing to do is visiting the zoo. So, after school, I picked Liam up and drove to Louisville without any word of where we were headed. We were both sporting our green and had lots of fun...starting with Liam's expression when he realized where we were.

Ganny Spencer has been asking us to spend the night so before we left for the zoo I packed an overnight bag...just in case. Well, Liam was sooooo exhausted after walking the zoo grounds but when I mentioned going to visit Ganny, he perked up right away. We were greeted with a big smile and open arms and then, of course, the question. "Are you going to spend the night?" You should of seen Ganny's face when I replied, "Yes". She was so surprised and had a lot of fun chasing Liam about...too much fun, I do believe.

The next day I took Liam and Ganny over to the a nearby playground. I'm not sure who was the bigger kid as they both enjoyed swinging and making new friends!

Well, this year, we really did have a Happy St. Patrick's Day...Erin Go Bragh!!!

Newport Aquarium

We recently had the privilege of enjoying the Newport Aquarium in northern KY. Although Liam loves animals including sea animals, the aquarium doesn't hold his interest quite yet as the zoo does. He sort of took a look at the fish as he walked through the maze of people. We had to focus on him more than the fish at times because he's so independent and fast. It makes you a little nervous with all the people waiting their turns as our little guy can slide right on by them and, well, we can't.

After stopping for a quick look at the lion fish, we finally made it to the larger tanks. I couldn't believe how excited he was about the sharks. He sat in the tunnel and watched, watched, watched! An added surprise was the divers in the tank. One of them found a shark's tooth and held it in his hand against the glass for the children to see. Liam thought that was something else. We stayed in the tunnel for quite a bit before moving to a bubble where he could have what felt like one on one interaction with the sharks. So exhilarating!

I'm so glad he had the opportunity to enjoy the sea animals. I'm sure we will try another aquarium trip next year to see what new adventures he may have with his shark friends.

Toddler Fun!!!

Liam is so much fun to be around and has a great sense of humor. We just had to jot down these LIAMisms!!!

We've had the honor of many birthday invitations since the new year began most of which we have attended. He enjoyed Lilly Kate's birthday picture invitation despite our not being able to attend, had so much fun at Erin's Chuck E Cheese party, a limbo of a time at Lily Star's party and Maura's Horsey party was Giddy Up Fun!!! But, Liam's so looking forward to his Zoo Birthday party. He's talking about it all the time now. The other day he held his cup up high to announe Happy Juice Day and told me how his party was next and it was going to be Zoo Animals. He went on to say how his school friend, Nate, was having a Monster party. I asked Liam's teacher and Nate's mom and neither one of them were aware of the party. Liam's imagination at work!

We love listening to Liam sing: Ring around the Rosy, Row your boat, Twinkle little star, Baa Baa black sheep, Sing Hosannah, Hickory Dickory, Old McDonald, Happy and You Know It and Happy Birthday (his favorite!).

Liam loves to play chase/peekaboo/hide & seek. He likes to hide while you count to five and then pops out to say Boo! He loves to hide in the same two places!!

Liam enjoys the Lion King...lately he likes to stand up on the ottoman and holds his arms up high with his hands together. He's pretending to be Rafiki the Wise Baboon holding Simba up for all the animals to see. Also, you may catch him bowing down like the animals or rolling around on the ground like a lion cub.

He loves to open the car door for his Ganny.

He enjoys matching memory games especially Goodnight Moon from Gandma and Papa.

He enjoys his sandbox...thanks, Ms. Julie! He has blue sand that has turned to blue mud as the sandbox lid blows off when it's windy. Liam loves the mud so I put his new yellow rainboots from Gandma & Papa on the other day. Apparently, they're still a bit big. The poor little guy got stuck in the mud and slurp went the boot as he pulled his foot right out of the boot into the blue mud. He didn't seem to mind and went running after the robin in the yard saying, "My get it" (he thought he would get the bird for me). Instead he got a big surprise when the bird flew up on the fence and then back towards his direction. He ran back to Mommy saying "My scared". So much fun!

He loves bugs! He searches for them inside and outside. Please, let me define inside...that is...inside near the front and rear doors. He has seen ladybugs, small beetles, ants and worms and enjoys studying them with his magnifying glasses. He even brought a beetle to the bathtub one night and lathered it up with his yellow body soap paint...poor beetle.

We've been enjoying the sprinkling of warmer days lately. Our backyard and neighborhood has turned into a bird watching haven. So far we've seen robins, mourning doves, wrens, blackbirds, cardinals, hawks and a redwing blackbird. It's very exciting for Liam to see the Mommy Wren come and go from his birdhouse which Gandma and Papa gave to him last year as a housewarming present. The birdhouse sits in our pear tree and can be seen from inside and outside our home. Birdwatching is also a great way to discuss senses. Liam has fun looking and listening for his birdies. He's already able to point out the call of the mourning dove and cardinal. Nature is so fun!

Pajama Party with Aunt Jane

We've been trying to find some extra time to share with our Aunties, Uncles and Cousins since we moved to KY. It's amazing how busy we all get with our day to day lives. Liam goes to school twice a week and the weekend is devoted to our family time. Every time we drive to Louisville, we find it so important to devote that time to my Granny so it seems like the only time we get to share with our KY Family is at family events which is wonderful except it is always hard to really spend quality time with anyone in particular.

So, for Aunt Jane's Birthday, we told her we were going to put a day aside to spend together. She suggested coming to spend the night and going to the Science Center the next day. She just new Liam would love it there...and boy was she right!

Our visit started out great with a wonderful dinner - Liam loved the mac n cheese & watermelon! Liam did a great job with his BBB (bath, books and bed) especially since we weren't at home. Auntie and I sat up all night visiting and catching up with one another. It's really nice to transition from a niece/aunt relationship to just friends!

The next morning, as planned, we got ready to head downtown to the Science Center. Liam had so much fun in and out of the Kid Zone. A middle school was visiting the center so at times Auntie and I were playing zones trying to keep Liam in check...a little guy can slide through a crowd much easier than Mommies and Aunties! He enjoyed everything from driving the Wheels on the Bus, puppets on screen, water tables, reading books, bubbles, scary water creatures, real stuffed animals from and outside of KY and the gift shop. Thank you, Auntie, for my wonderful Animal Counting Book!!!

Another wonderful visit! What a great way to continue building relationships with those we love!!!

From Mimi to Ganny...Overnight!

Liam and I drove out to Louisville a couple Wednesdays ago to pick up my Granny for an overnight visit. Liam has called her Mimi for some time now but I suppose with the family's influence of calling her Granny he has made the change. She went to bed as Mimi and woke up as Ganny.

It was a great visit. She was very excited about coming to spend some time with each of us and wanted to treat us to dinner. Well, we all know she loves Cracker Barrel and Golden Corral...I chose Cracker Barrel. Liam was very well behaved and quite the gentlemen. When I suggested opening the car door for her, he wanted to oblige over and over. Then he took her hand walking past the fireplace explaining it was very hot and not to get too close. After dinner, Mimi insisted he find a little something in the shop and, of course, he was very thorough in choosing the right toy (an M & M dispenser with a foam fan that spins when he pushes the button). I told Mimi there was no need for us to point out that there was actually candy inside.

Mimi had the enjoyment of reading Liam his goodnight stories and tucking him into bed. She and I enjoyed playing cards...Rummy is her game and she got me good!

The next morning was a school day so we had a chance to play some more cards before it was time to pick Liam up...I had my turn as the Rummy Queen. Then, off to get our boy. Liam was so happy to see his Ganny and wanted to show off for her. She enjoyed seeing his school, classroom and meeting Liam's teacher, Ms. Kelley.

When we arrived home, Liam wanted to play before settling in for lunch and rest time. He introduced Elefun to Ganny and handed her a butterfly net. What fun we all had...but watch out!!!...Ganny is very competitive and likes to win at Elefun as much as Rummy!

We're looking forward to our next visit with Ganny...until then...we love you very much!!!