Beach Trip Update

We had an eventful Tuesday at the beach. Rains have threatened us the past two days and will continue to throughout the rest of the week. Today, we took advantage of the sunshine break and made a 40 mile run to Niceville, home of Peggy's mother and brother, otherwise known as Gigi (or Grandma) and Uncle Mike. Mike instantly greeted the two boys with some nice beach toys, which they loved. Perhaps, more popular was Gigi's piano. Jacob would not separate himself from it and Patrick joined in on the fun as well. Perhaps, some family genetics have been passed down!

Later in the day, Su took Jacob down to the beach to search for seashells and sand dollars. I took the camera and snapped some shots from our fourth story balcony. I thought these turned out really well.

Jacob showing off his collection.

Beach Trip, Days 1 & 2

We are at the beach this week, our annual trip to Destin with the Heberts. It is a lively household with baby William Clements joining youngsters Jacob and Patrick in the "beachhouse." We rolled in late Friday and have had two good weather days thus far. Jacob is not too keen on the beach, because of the seaweed, at this point. Patrick doesn't like getting anything on his hands so that tells you what he thinks. Nevertheless, we are all having a good time. There are a TON of people here, much different from last year, just after the BP oil spill. We are still getting some quality pool time and I managed to sneak Jacob to the beach late this afternoon for a few shots. The other true beach pictures (including Patrick) are from Saturday morning.

It is nice to have a week off to actually post pictures! Here is the first batch from the first two days of the trip.

Big Boy Bed

We have reached a new milestone in the Brister household. Three nights ago was Jacob's first night in his "big boy bed." He was so excited to get in. Of course, transitioning his 17 stuffed animals helped smooth the ride as well. The move has gone off without a hitch. He loves his new bed!

Happy 7th of July!!!

To commemorate this 7th of July, I wanted to post pictures from the 4th of July. Isn't that convenient?

We spent the day with our trusty friends, the Parnells and the Mills, starting with a parade and concluding with a trip to the swimming pool!

We were also joined by Paw Paw for the adventure, plus dinner at the club. It was all around a fun day.

Conversations with Jacob

I am posting on a whim here because Jacob's at the age where some really interesting...and funny...stuff is coming out of his mouth. Here are some examples of recent conversations.

JACOB: "I want to go on an adventure."
DADDY: "What kind of adventure?"
JACOB: "Just a regular adventure."

DADDY: "What did you do at Gymboree today?"
JACOB: "Went to the grocery store."
DADDY: "And what did you buy?"
JACOB: "Fake apples and fake bananas."

DADDY: "I don't know how to play Candyland."
MOMMY: "You should read the directions."
DADDY: "I don't like reading directions."
JACOB: "I read directions all the time."

MOMMY: "Jacob, do you want to go to Target with me?"
JACOB: "Yes (pause) I need a special prize. I'm so good right now. I'm happy."

The Latest

It's been a busy summer thus far for all of us. Jacob and Patrick have been going to the pool regularly. Plus, Su has them signed up for Gymboree classes which have been great. Jacob has picked up right where he left off with school, as Gymboree has several hands on projects available throughout the week. Plus, there is plenty of room for Patrick to play. He is REALLY growing up. I finally took the time to upload some videos to show his progress. Below, are two. He has started walking just a bit and I've got to get that on video next!!!


Patrick's new trick

Patrick speaks!

Comings and Goings

Lots has gone on the past three weeks so there's some catching up to do. One, to keep all of the loyal followers out there up to date on all of our very important life happenings...and two, so we won't forget this stage of life in future years! There's certainly a lot to remember.

Jacob recently completed his second summer of swimming lessons. Coach Bill is a tough yet respected coach amongst two year olds and mommies alike. Jacob seems to be doing pretty good to me. He even jumped off the diving board twice one day in the sessions! And quite candidly, he already knows the fundamentals better than myself. I was never much of a swimmer. Perhaps, a visit to Coach Bill should be in the works for me! Su also has him enrolled in a local Gymboree, which is an indoor play and learning facility. They also frequent the library where he's enrolled in a summer reading program. He and I have long had a tradition of bedtime stories and it's truly one of my favorite experiences as a father. As you see from the pictures, he has really gotten excited over accessories. He has never had an interest in hats, yet wanted to put one on over the weekend. Mommy also got him some cool shades, plus he frequently wears a watch that he got from his nana and pawpaw when he turned two.

Patrick is really growing up, which shouldn't be surprising. He is beginning to utter words, which include: daddy, mama, tick tock, kitty, puppy, baby, and even Patrick!!! He really gets on talking kicks lately. He'll start babbling and pointing and you can pretty much figure out what he's saying based on that combination! He also eats like a horse. I frequently love to compare Patrick and Jacob's mealtime eating habits. For instance, for breakfast on Sunday, Patrick had two pancakes, a half a banana, and a cup of yogurt plus milk. Jacob had......a half a waffle and milk. There have been times where Patrick finishes his plate of food and then polishes off Jacob's. Pretty soon, I have a feeling he may just go ahead and try to eat his brother. Enjoy some random pics from previous weeks!