Hi to Grammy and Dee!

From Crackle: Sep 11 2008 - post nap

Back from Mexico!

We just got back from a great week with my folks at their place in Puerto Vallarta. We played at the pool, the beach, in the city and up in the hills. We had lots of cervezas, and my dad's new invention out of neccessity, which we dubbed the "Sangre de Coco" or "blood of the coconut." (It got down to the last day and we had coconut rum and cran-grape juice in the fridge, so there you have it. ) Anyway, a few pics to share:

The view from our balcony. The pyramid has a big water slide coming off of it, and the big pool is the "alberca de olas"--wave pool.
Banderas! Here we are getting ready to take off on our dune buggy adventure. The banderas were to keep dust and bugs out of your mouth, but its importance increased when Matt hit a pile of wild donkey shit and it splattered all over me.

They had a great kids' water park at the resort that only guests could use. Asa went down this slide about 20 times in a row.
Ace and Grammy in our bed by the water.
Matt doesn't resemble a happy camper OR sex machine in this photo. We hit one touristy spot in Vallarta--Senor Frogs--and paid the price, literally and figuratively.
Ahhhhhh, here we are with Senor Frogs several blocks, two bridges, balloon hats and a rain storm behind us at Cuates y Cuetes, a recommendation from our good friends who visit here often. $2 Coronas on the beach.

Juice!

Poor, deprived Asa rarely gets juice, so when he does it's a monumental event. He's actually very good and not squeezing the boxes too, or else he just drinks it so fast by the time he squeezes, it's empty. Here he is playing by the cool dog house our friends made for their son J.R.s doggie-themed party.

Is my kid normal?

I think this is a question every parent asks. Like when all the other kids can walk. Or talk. And your kid can't yet. Or if they get lots of ear infections and it's scary. Or they won't sleep, or hate eating or refuse to get in the tub, or a myriad of other things you get paranoid about. In that realm, Asa seems fine. He's on schedule, healthy and a pretty coordinated kid. No, I ask the question, "is my kid normal?" every day while I watch him play, in hopes that the answer is undoubtebly "NO! He's not!" becuase as strange as he is, I totally get him. And he's a rock star.

Now I know you're thinking, "ohhhhh, Kirk, you're crazy!", so here is a "Candid Camera" video I took of Asa, who was supposed to be eating his dinner. (We are working on his table manners, but he's not there yet.) He was just being a weird kid as usual, and so Matt could see it, I quietly put the camera at the end of the table and walked to the other side of the kitchen and just let him go ahead and be, well, not normal. He's real into smelling things and going "blah" (like feet and armpits, and pillows, blankets, the dog, the potty, food, and well, anything else) which seems to be the core of the hilarity here.

Help!

More Party Pics

Not everyone was all smiles at the party. My friend Ariel's son Barrett had seen a truck inside he really, really wanted. I feel bad laughing in what Barrett saw as a terrible situation, but that bottom lip is just the cutest:

Here are some neighbors going down the slide...

Asa and Caitlin in the pool:

Kayla showing off her alien cupcake:

Asa is 2!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! What a ride the last two years have been. We celebrated a week after his birthday with a good old-fashioned backyard party. Matt set up sprinklers and pools--and the ultimate hit of the party...an inflatable pool at the end of the slide on the fort.

Here is Ace's cake (obviously made by mommy)...the red planet surrounded by menacing aliens.



A close up of the aliens.


I was busy keeping everyone happy and finally noticed Asa was lingering around the muffin/mini donut basket. My sister informed my that he was double-fisting the powdered donuts and had eaten eight of them, followed by a watermelon chaser. Powdered sugar + watermelon juice = thick pink paste that sticks to everything.


Here are some of the kids going for the water baloons.


Here is Asa atop the "water slide."

Fun Weekend

This weekend my sister and brother-in-law came to visit with thier two kids, and we had a blast. For Kayla's early bday present, I took her to the new American Girl Place and she loved it. That place was nuts, and I tried to think of a boy equivalent of it, but couldn't think of one. Maybe 50-yard-line tickets to the national championship or something?

Here is Kayla at dinner with her doll Nicki. They give you a special seat so your doll can eat at the table with you.



Here are Ace and Kendall (who is 11 mos) looking out the window.



I took Ace to the sprayground by our house the other day and he loved it:

Hulk Face!

Okay, one more pic tonight, then I have to go to bed. Ace has this t-shirt with the Incredible Hulk on it, and one day when he had it on, Matt taught Ace to do "hulk face." He'll look at you and frown real hard and scrunch up his mouth...usually while trying to surpress a smile, making it even cuter. This photo doesn't do Hulk Face justice, I caught it just after the good frowning part. I'll try and catch a better one.

Festival Fun

The Lake Highlands Jr. League does a big 5K fundraiser with a family festival thing at the end. Um, we didn't make it to the running part, but took advantage of all the fun anyway. Ace is real into cows, however, even with a real one an arm's length away, he was more interested in the other kids playing behind him.

Asa's favorite cow of all...the Chik-fil-A mascot. Poor guy is so small he was following cow around forever waving and saying "Hie, Hieeeee" and couldn't get his attention. After mommy tugged on cow's tail and pointed down, Asa got an up close meet and greet.

Petting the baby goats was a favorite.

Party time...

Asa got a snake painted on his arm at our neighbor's birthday party and he LOVED it. He kept looking at his arm and going "ssssss." Then he woke up from his nap and had green paint all over his face, so the snake had to go.



Tons of stuff going on at this party, and Ace kept sweeping with the broom. I hope this habit sticks.

Asa's first boat trip

Our next door neighbors have a boat and invited us for a quick outing since they needed to get it out of storage and into the water. Asa LOVED it, though he insisted on being in the driver's seat most of the time...



Our nieghbor James was nice enough to let Asa be captain.



We docked up across the lake for some good cajun food, and Asa was wound up for the ride back. He liked the wind on his face...

Egan's Visit

Our friends have a new baby on the way, so they came up to Dallas for a baby shower and to get the boys together to play. Amy had another shower to go to for a friend here, so it was me and all the boys at the arboretum. Here are Asa and Egan at the "Mug Shot" area by the root beer float stand.

Asa was absolutely enamored with Egan the entire time, and the picture below is a moment repeated all weekend long...Egan was all about Asa's trucks and Asa just wanted to play.

Asa giving Egan huggies...


Asa on daddy's shoulder leaving the arboretum.