Tuesday, August 17, 2010

1st Day of 1st Grade

Can you believe it?  Daulton is in 1st grade.  So far, he loves it and is doing really well. 

Here are a few pictures from his first day.  Sorry for the haze, a camera in the air conditioning gets a little foggy when you take it out into the humid August morning.

Also, I won't be posting his school or any other identifying information on this blog.  If you want the details, send me an email or give me a call and I will give you the scoop.  




Sunday, August 8, 2010

Trip to Indiana Beach

Last week we took a family trip to Indiana Beach.  We stayed for two nights and two days and we had a great time.  We spent our first day in the park riding rides.  I loved the log flume and Matt and Daulton learned sometimes I scream like a little girl.  Daulton loved the airplane ride and Matt enjoyed riding in the back of the antique cars while Daulton drove.  I asked Matt why he picked that ride and he said, "because we did it 5 times" but I think its because he does most of the driving and it was nice for him to be a passenger for once.

They also had an awesome water show.  We were amazed at the water skiers, divers, and the crazy kid driving the boat really fast right next to the dock.  They had people driving jet skis while they were on fire.  Yes, I said on fire.  At one point they drove by were we were sitting, while on fire, and the heat was intense.

To be honest, I did not take many pictures because I was too busy watching the show with my mouth hanging open. 

We also hit up the splash park for the last 15 minutes it was open.  It was hot and we needed to cool down fast.  I am a big chicken and only got my feet wet and lounged in the chairs while the guys took their shirts off and proceeded to get refreshingly drenched.  After we dried off, we headed to dinner (in the air conditioning) and then it was back out to ride rides until the park closed.  We rode the Schafer Queen and Daulton feed the really gross carp.  I wish I had a picture to show you how disgusting they were, but then I would have a picture of disgusting fish.  Click here for an idea of what I am talking about.  Daulton and I rode the Scrambler twice to end Day 1 at Indiana Beach.  We made our way back to the hotel and crashed.

Our plan for Day 2 was to hit up the water park as soon as it opened.  We noticed on Day 1 that the water park rides were really busy in the afternoon, so we wanted to do as much as we could before the crowds showed up.  So at 11 AM sharp, we were sunscreened and had inner tubes in hand to do some water slides.  I could not believe how fearless Daulton was.  He didn't hesitate, he just threw his tube down and went down the slide.  Matt got dumped out of one of the slides and I got a little panicky in an enclosed, pitch black tube (can you say "control issues"?).  So I was more than excited to go on the lazy river when Daulton suggested it.

You would think lazy river means you can just float, right?  Wrong.  The lazy river is not lazy at all, especially if you are a competitive 6-year old who feels the need to ditch the adults.  So, Matt and I took our time and were actually lazy while Daulton practically did laps around us.  This was about 11:30 AM, Daulton and I went again at 4:30 PM and it was crazy.  The kids were racing and the adults were trying to relax which resulted in pandemonium for all.

After some lunch we hit up the splash park.  I should clarify, Matt and Daulton were in the splash park and I was laying out.  Its funny because I never could understand how my mom could lay out for hours and my dad would call her a lizard.  But now, I totally get it.  Yes boys, go play in the splash park while I take a little cat nap here in my chair.  And I napped until some family tried to steal one of our chairs.  Here's a tip, if you are trying to hijack a chair that is clearly claimed by someone else, pick it up.  The chair dragging on the concrete will wake the other person up and cause you to look like the asshat trying to steal a chair.

After the water park closed, we rode some more rides and played a few more games.  They have a couple of games that are in air conditioned buildings that we found on Day 1.  We had made it a family mission to rack up as many points as we could.  The picture is a result of our hard work. 

Daulton is clearly happy with the results and now uses the giant stuffed animal to practice WWE wresting moves with.  (Note the mattress that is askew, this is what happens when you trap a 6 year old in a hotel room when he wakes up at 8 AM and your park doesn't open until 11 AM.)

The park was a perfect size for us.  We could walk from one side to another several times a day without exhausting ourselves.  The hotel met our needs, but it wasn't great.  The staff at the hotel and park were hit or miss, some were really helpful and others not so much.  The rides were more carnival than huge roller coaster which was nice for Daulton.  We also brought our own breakfast and lunch.  That saved us a lot of money and we felt better throughout the day because we weren't eating fried food all day. 

I am sure in the next few years we will go to larger parks, but for this year I am glad we went to Indiana Beach.
















he was not the only kid squatting on the sprinklers
















the definition of concentration















Saturday, August 7, 2010

Furminator + Dixie = Giant Hairball

Dixie joined our family around Christmas 2008. She was originally a gift for Matt's grandma but after a few days together, we decided that Dixie and grandma weren't a good fit for each other. Matt and I picked her up and after a few hours, we decided that unless Dixie and Daulton didn't get along that we were going to keep her. 

After a few months together, we realized we had an issue. While adorable, Dixie sheds a lot. So after trying a conventional dog brush, a late night infomercial for the Furminator caught my attention. We looked into buying one from PetSmart, but that was more money than I wanted to spend. Matt found one on eBay and Dixie and I have been hooked on it every since.

Usually, I brush her outside where the hair is outside of my house instead of inside. However, I can't get her to lie down on the concrete or grass to do her belly, so sometimes I brush her inside. I brushed her his morning and this is the result.











getting Furminated makes me smile



Wednesday, August 4, 2010

That's What I Call Good Service

One of Daulton's chores around the house is to make sure that Dixie has enough food and water.  Its a chore that he can handle by himself and he learns that part of having a dog is helping to take care of her.  He has also been working on taking Dixie to the bathroom by himself and handling the leash on our walks.

So one night Matt and I noticed that Daulton was taking an exceptionally long time filling Dixie's food bowl.  Turns out, Dixie got some excellent customer service that night. 

Daulton learned if he holds still enough, she will eat out of his hand.  Dixie learned that maybe the boy isn't so bad after all.




































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