Hagerstown Fun

Late last night Adam and I decided to check out the Agriculture Expo happening in Boonsboro. We figured animals, fun and good eats. 2 out of 3 ain't too bad ;~) The food wasn't really up and running but we were there somewhat early so they were forgiven. Although I didn't see corn dogs on any of the menus so maybe I am bit to quick to forgive. I am jonesing for a corn dog like none other (and no, I am not pregnant ;~)

The cows were the first animals we happened upon. Meet Cookie's and Cream, Vanilla and Chocolate...

Ok, those aren't their names but if they were my cows... they would be. A world where I even paused to think about owning a cow... weird.


These 2 pigs were pretty animated... the one that you can barely see just wanted a bite of food but the one in the forefront would have none of it. Lots of grunting, pushing and munching going on.


The baby chicks and the baby ducks are what really got Chase animated. Up until this point he was a little awe struck and had no words or facial expression. These adorable little guys got him laughing and smiling.


Hmmm... me thinks someone really got a kick out of making this slide.


After this, I am seriously considering filling a sandbox with dried corn... way too cool.

They had a great area where you had to be UNDER a certain height to ride... genius! Chase thoroughly enjoyed this...

We tried out the John Deere first...


Then hopped onto the Ford.

Unfortunately they are pedal cars which even if Chase understood the concept, his legs are too short to complete the task. Luckily just the mere climbing off and on was thrilling.

Once we had enough of the small tractors, we moved onto the big guns.


Hmmm... I may see a future here.


He was in heaven running around to all the different tractors.


Now that is a lawn mower!

We stumbled across the tent with bunny rabbits where we just happened to discover Scout's rabbit twin!

Separated at birth?

I can't even say anything about this next guy...

except that I love him and wanted to take him home. I figured Riley might disown me so I didn't.

On our way back to the car we made full use of the large open field with a hill...

Story of my life these days... the kid is happy, crazy and running.

But he is still sweet enough to take time out, pick some 'flowers' and give them to daddy.

I love this kid.

My little man following my big man.

My world is good.

Snippets

Warning you now... this may be an somewhat incoherent post. I passed tired a few hours ago and am bordering on sleep torture. Yeah yeah, I know... I should go to sleep now (is what many people will say). To that I say 'what the heck would I do when I woke up at 3 am?' And trust me, it would happen. Adam has the distinct ability to sleep... wake up... roll over and go back to sleep (and repeat as many times as necessary). I do not possess that skill.

Anywho... that's a big paragraph without any real meat in it. Is anyone still reading?

We officially booked our flight to CA! THIS was the last time my dad and his girlfriend saw Chase... what a difference a year and a half makes!

I am slightly terrified about the plane ride. 2.5 months was one thing... he slept on me (heck, that's the only way he slept!) and if he fussed... well I was still nursing so instant quiet! Now... sometimes nothing will calm the screaming beast. I have already started collecting fun distractions... a new slide and find book with his favorite: TRUCKS!, puzzles from Moe's (perfect travel size!) and crayons and paper. Also, several moms are lending me Elmo* DVD's which we plan on playing on my computer (the battery life on this thing is like no other ;~)

If anyone else has any good ideas, please feel free to chime in!

I am scared but I also know that I will just have to man up and deal with whatever he brings. I have to perfect my "I don't give a damn that you are shooting me full of daggers because my son is screaming" face. Maybe work on my "I want to pull my hair out but I have to keep cool so these people still think I am in control" demeanor. If all else fails rely on the "Have you ever had a 2 year old... Yes... Then you know my hell" eye roll. I have that last one poised and ready most days.

And you better believe he will have a haircut and the cutest damn outfit on so I can try to win people over with his charming good looks. I will be working those dimples for all they are worth.

In completely unrelated news... Chase and I started our mommy and me swim classes today! Let me start by saying that if I could do this once a week for the next 5 years, I totally would. I had a blast... and for the most part, so did Chase. He wasn't thrilled when the instructor held his hands and he splashed into the water for the first time... he looked at me with terror. He didn't go under or anything, I think it just caught him off guard. I quickly took his hands and showed him that mommy was bobbing around in the water too and that was all it took. He smiled ear to ear. I really hope that either daddy or grandma can come along one day and get some pictures... his face is priceless.

I did dunk him once with unfavorable results so we put that on the back burner for now. Even with the ill fated dunk, he bounced right back and was having a great time. The kid recovers like a champ when it comes to water.

The class is 4 days a week for the next 2 weeks. They aren't always like that... just for the summer course which is good because this schedule may break me ;~) Even still... totally worth it.

Now for a few recent Chase pictures... because it just wouldn't be my blog if I didn't.


Using Grandma's new lawn chair as a trampoline.


Being a little boy... down and dirty.


Gigantic baby here to take over your world... oh, just mine... got it.


Chase playing Peak-a-Boo. Notice Grandma and Grandpa really did up the fort. They cut back branches, added a Chase chair (he confiscated Grandma's lawn chair), made a sandbox out of a storage bin and filled it with Crayola Color Sand!

*Elmo is loved.

Meet Spike

Adam, Sandy, Chase and I were on our way to pick up the new Roof Shampoo van when we came across a dog on the loose.

Now my 11 years with Riley has given me an extreme soft spot for runaway/loose dogs. Riley hasn't gotten out in at least 6.5 years but only because of my insane hyper-vigilant protectiveness. In the previous 4.5 years... well that is a different story. I could go on and on, story after story about Riley getting loose. Man has he taken us (my family, friends and I) on some whoppers. I won't bore you with the stories now (maybe later) but know that a lot of times it is because of a kind person or a friendly stranger that I still have Riley.

So when we saw this dog, I knew we had to find the owner... either that or we just inherited a new member of our family!

I should also mention that the dog was neither a pit bull, rottweiler, german shepard or any other dog that could take me down with one paw. While I feel sympathy for them and their owners, the police and animal control can take care of the situtation... they don't need my help. And please don't anyone chime in about how nice pit bulls can be. I don't like them, I don't want one around me and I will never think they are ok. I digress.

I made a make shift leash and checked his tags... which is when I found out I was dealing with Spike. Scary name... not so scary dog.

We called the number on the tag but didn't get an answer. So we called the vet number on the rabies tag and almost immediately they knew who we were talking about. They tried calling but still got no answer. They asked if we could bring him in and they would take care of him until they got a hold of the owners.

Perfect! So we drop Spike off at the vet where one of the techs informs me that she has known Spike since he was a puppy... and he is currently 13 years old! She is very familiar with the owners and knows they will be thrilled to get their dog back.

Mrs. Owner ended up calling Adam and thanking him. They didn't even know he had gotten out... they were out running errands! Tricky little pup!

Anyway, alls well that ends well. I am just glad we don't have another mouth to feed!

After all that... we got the van!

Isn't she a beaut! If you need a Roof Shampoo, tell them Jessi sent you!

Peach Story

Chase was whining for a snack before dinner so instead of goldfish or pretzels (both of which are a current obsession with my son) I thought we would each have a peach.

Not even wanting to bother with a bib, I just took his shirt off. Dribble away little man, it will come off with a wipe.

I hand him his peach and he promptly digs in.

I pick up my peach and go to take a bite when I hear...

"Mamah Shirt?"

Another road trip

Even after last weeks traffic insanity, Chase and I went for another road trip! Funny what no holiday will do for traffic patterns around here!

As is customary when we go anywhere near Pasadena, Chase and I stopped to visit Kare Kare... oh and Daddy too!

Kare Kare lets Chase type up a motion or 2 when he visits... and Chase is more than happy to oblige!

Next we headed to see the B's. I have spoke about them a few times... HERE and HERE for instance. They are one of my favorite families... of all time. I can't even begin to express how much I love them.

When I was younger all I wanted to be was a mom. I used to day dream about my future life something fierce... vivid 'stay at home mom' visions. I used to day dream about the day when I was a mom and brought my little one over to play with Vicki's kids. They would be older, maybe even babysitting age... and Vicki and I would sit back and chat while her kids entertained mine.

It looked a lot like this.

This is one of my day dreams come to life... Joy and Josh playing with my son. It happened again when I looked into their school room and saw Josh engaging Chase... I think he was teaching him something but I was too far away to tell. But here it was... one of my childhood dreams realized.

Sometimes there are no words.

*ahem* back to the world of dry eyes.

The B house... or rather backyard, is a virtual wonderland of fun.

Chase hiked with Jack Jack, bounced/ran around on a trampoline for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the tire swing (once Joy and I taught him how to keep his tush on the tire ;~)

Here is my boy with my kids...


Brooke... I will always have a special place in my heart for Brooke. He was my first real live baby doll. I used to feed him, push the stroller and carry him everywhere... and Vicki was more than willing to let me ;~) He was the kid that kept you on your toes... the one that would scale a fence if your blink took a little too long. I will always see that twinkle in his eye.

Unfortunately Jon wasn't there today... he's off at college... well technically an unpaid internship. Ahhh, those were the days. Anyway Jon... my ridiculously sweet kid. The smile he had was unreal... it made you smile right along with him... and then wonder what was going through his mind to make him that happy. Jon was my first baby with the B's... Brooke was 6 months old when I met them but Jon... I got to hold Jon when he was brand new to the world.


Joy... my princess Joy. For a very long time Joy was the only little girl in a sea of rambunctious boys. When she was born I was totally smitten with her. In fact at her baby shower I made every effort to hold her the entire time. And if I had to give her to someone else, I waited patiently until it was my turn again and snatched her back up. I remember smelling that sweet newborn smell on the top of her head... I don't think I ever noticed that before her.


Josh... the former baby of the group. I have the distinct honor of being the first person (besides mom and dad) to hold Josh when he was born. The B's lived a couple streets over and they called me as soon as they were home... I think I lit the path of fire I moved so quick. He just turned 17 a few days ago... where did that time go?


Julia... I say former baby for Josh because Miss Julia came along and took the coveted position a few years later. By this time I wasn't babysitting like I used to and didn't see the B's as often as I now wish I could have. But Julia... oh did this kid breathe new life into the family. She is a whirlwind of fun and sweetness. Vicki reminded me today that I was Julia's age when she first started babysitting me... and I was much like Julia was with Chase today.... helpful, entertaining and completely smitten.

Vicki... my second mom. I loved my mom then but there were things for my future that I couldn't model after her. When it came to a role model for marriage it was Brooke and Vicki who I looked to. Brooke walking in the door after a long day at work. He and Vicki chatting about their day... the kids clamoring to tell/show dad what they did. When it came to day dreaming about being a stay at home mom... Vicki's life is what I used as the baseline. I think my mom knew that... and I think she was grateful that God placed someone like the B's in our lives. Quite literally the B's feel like home to me.

After a very fun and exhausting day, Chase zonked out about 3 minutes into the ride home.


Julia gave us carte blanche to come back whenever we want... I think Chase may be her first real live baby doll.

Buch Metter

Thankfully Chase is feeling much better! His fever has been continually going down and he was acting more normal this morning. His first word as I entered the room... "Daddy?" I would feel bad but I happen to know that when Adam enters the room his first word is "Mamah?". What can I say, he is happiest when we are all together... and that means Riley too!

Having grandma nearby is such a blessing...

it allows me to do such things as get a haircut! Granted I only get a haircut once every 8 months but still... when it happens, I have a willing babysitter!

For some reason I always forget what it's like to have thick long hair. I cut it short and start to think 'I should grow it out... long hair is so beautiful'. So I let it grow... and grow... and grow... and grow. Until I have a massive head of thick, long, unwieldy hair. At this point I am wondering why I get headaches for no reason... I also start to wonder why my scalp hurts when I pull the ponytail out (you know, the bending roots in the opposite direction pain... does anyone know what I am talking about here... work of the devil my friend, work of the freaking devil).

Then like a light bulb it dawns on me... the hair, it's all because of the hair.

So I make another appointment.

And the cycle continues.

I digress. When I got back to grandmas, this is what I stumbled across...

So precious! Grandma had cut back a few branches from this bush to make Chase his own fort.

He absolutely loved it in there... he had his cars and trucks... his bucket and cup... and most importantly his spoon for digging. Grandma sure does know how to entertain!

After nap we had a peach break... well Chase consistently called it an orange but we are working on that.

Whatever it was, he liked it... a lot. I gave up on the bib and just took the shirt off. It's easier... in fact I have been known to do that in Chick-fil-A. We are classy.

Just before bath and bed time we decided to go on a daddy hunt. He was mowing the lawn so we had to do some searching to find him...

Luckily Chase is just tall enough... we found him!

Hershey Park vs. 105 Fever

The 105 fever won out....

did that need to be said?

After a call to the doctor, Adam and I settled into a chill day with a very lethargic little boy.

We started him on some Tylenol and basically did whatever made Chase happy. For the first part of the morning that was sitting in my lap, on the glider, cuddling. No complaints here... I relished the thought that I was making him feel as good as I possibly could. He fell asleep on me for about 45 minutes... it was the most heavenly feeling.

We then moved the operation to the living room... mommy desperately needed coffee and everyone was hungry.


Chase and I snuggled on the couch, ate some toast and watched some Sesame Street. Chase has a slight obsession with Elmo these days ;~)


Daddy and Chase cuddling on the couch... watching Sesame Street. We sat like this for 2 and a half episodes of the Street. I don't think Chase has been this stationary since he learned to crawl.


Daddies make everything better.

Chase did perk up a little after lunch which was nice to see... and he even gave a little laugh and smile when Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to see him. Now he is down for his regular nap and I am just crossing my fingers that it's a good one.

His fever has been trending downward ever since the morning so hopefully soon we can put this behind us and get on with enjoying the summer!

Fourth Fun

Uncle Jimmy invited us to celebrate the fourth on his boat... which was docked in the Baltimore Inner Harbor this year.

Celebrating on a boat with an active 20 month old... a life jacket was a must. Grandma, Adam and I made an event out of picking one out at Target. We read through the tags, we compared pros and cons, we hemmed and hawed over the right one. We tried several on Chase... which if anyone out there has tried to convince a 20 month old to try clothes on... yeah, it ain't easy.

Finally we settled on this one. It was brightly colored... it was USCG rated... it was the perfect size... and best of all, Chase seemed very comfortable in it. He wore it all around the store.


Lovely isn't it? Hold onto that thought.

We make the drive in record time... we are actually a half hour early (before Uncle Jimmy planned on pulling off and taking us for a spin). We get Chase out of the car and start to unload the things to bring on the boat. Let's go ahead and put the vest on Chase so we don't have to do it when our hands are full.

Shuffle, search, move, shuffle... is the life vest on the backseat? Adam and I look at each other with disbelief. Our wonderful thought out life vest is sitting on our floor at home. 'No need to pack it in the bag, Chase will be wearing it' I said...

We cannot go on the boat without the vest... no way no how. We put Chase back in the car seat... much to his consternation... and head to the closest store... Walmart. On our way we call the MIL to let her know we will be a little late. She calls back minutes later.... Jimmy has a kids vest on the boat. We pull a u-turn and head back to the marina. Jimmy calls... 'yeah, no problem, bought it for a friends' kid... 50 - 90 lbs'. We pull another u-turn. Chase is not even 30 yet... if he hit the water in a vest too big, it would fly right off.

I am actually glad we have turned around so much at this point because it is IMPOSSIBLE to be mad anymore... the situation is so damn funny I can't help but laugh (and maybe swear a little).

We fly into Walmart... which why is that when you are in the biggest hurry, the slowest people are in front of you? Hello Murphy.

Quick glance in the pool sections reveals no life vests.... onto sporting goods.

Now, I must take the opportunity to tell you that I NEVER ask store workers where things are... especially at Walmart. I can almost bet that I know where everything in the store is better than the gum smacking person pretending to stock shelves.

I broke my rule and asked. She looked at me with a blank stare. 'you know, life vests for boating?'. 'kiddie pools' and a quick point to where we just came from. 'yeah, I didn't see any there, I just thought you might have them in sporting goods... (continued blank stare from said gum smacker)... yeah, never mind, I will look myself'.

Not one aisle over is there a plethora of life vests... all different sizes and styles. I throw a yell over to miss helpful 'they are right here'. I doubt she heard but I stand firm in my conviction that I know Walmart better than the employees.

We quickly shift through some life vests... try a couple on and settle on the one you will see in the absurd amount of pictures yet to come.

As we are leaving the store we realize Chase has already leaked through his diaper and onto his shorts... seriously laughing at this point.

After paying and changing we jump back in the car, fly (I am driving now ;~) over to the marina... hightail it to the dock and gladly jump on board to relax.


I can't even believe this is just a year. He looks just the same but completely different. (Nice life vest, right?)

Being back in Baltimore was pretty exciting for me. I kept pointing out my old memories... everywhere I turned there was something else to remember.

The best memory was this...

Just over 5 years ago Adam and I were married on the patch of grass on Pier 5 and celebrated our nuptials with a party at Pier 5 Hotel. It was a great day...


Just call him Captain Pacifier.


Epic Baltimore Baby.


We motored over to the Bay Cafe to have lunch... which I learned from my mom, if you don't have anything nice to say post it on your blog don't say anything at all. So armed with that advice, I will say this. We spent too much on crap food. If you are in town... save your money and go elsewhere. This concludes my public service announcement.

It was evident to Adam and I at lunch that Chase needed some sleep. He had napped for about 30 minutes on the way down but he was definitely getting crabby.

After some cuddling and convincing, this finally happened.

My beautiful little boy's eyelids finally got too heavy for him and he fell asleep on my chest... where he stayed for 45 minutes. That was actually way more than I thought he would get considering all the excitement of the day so I was pleased. It seemed like just enough to last him the rest of the night!

After his nap we basically ended up with a giant playpen for Chase... people were sitting at all the various points where Chase could potentially escape so he was forced to play on the aft of the boat.


Playing with his new Elmo ipod... and yes Chase says ipod... although it sounds more like 'ipahd'. This thing is awesome... you can click the wheel to scroll through songs or just hit shuffle to get a random selection. Chase would hold it and dance around on the deck.


Love these boys!


I made sure to have 'pwrt-sewels' for Chase as those have no become an obsession for him.

Since we still had 2.5 hours left before the fireworks, we decided to take Chase for a walk. Interesting idea since he hates to hold just one parents hand... he either wants both of our hands so he can then 1. drag his feet behind him or 2. pull his knees to his chest OR he wants neither of our hands so he can go tearing off in any direction he pleases.

So it's either hurt arm muscles for mom and dad or chase the toddler... fun.

We remedied the situation with this

It worked for a while.

Paula and Johnny got some glow sticks for Chase when they were out walking... which Chase thoroughly enjoyed when the sunset...

Just some streaks of fun!

We were all interested to see how Chase would react to the fireworks. He didn't seem to care last year but he is so much more aware now...

Interestingly enough, he didn't like the fireworks when we stepped off the boat. He would get a very scared look in his eyes and start pointing back at the boat saying 'boat, boat'. Once I took him back on... he calmed right down and stared wide eyed at the display. I think a combination of tiredness and awe made him speechless and motionless.


Once the disappointing fireworks were over, Chase was all cuddles. It was about 10 at this point and he was definitely tired.

Seriously, could not love them more.

We snuggled into our pj's (not before I was peed on... through the diaper... the kid drank gallons of water!), reclined our car seat, cuddled Elmo and made sure to have a pacifier or 2.

Chase fell asleep on the way home... slept for about 45 minutes... woke up when we got home. He let me change his diaper, we sang a few songs and then into bed he went. We didn't hear from him until 8:30 the next morning when we woke him up!

I was so proud of how he handled the day and the weird sleeping. He was really fantastic the whole day... even when he was crabby at lunch, he was still extremely manageable. Seriously so proud!

We woke him up this morning (as not to throw the rest of the day off) and headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

Adam took this shot which I just think is hysterical...

I am Chase and I have come to destroy you...

Anyway, it was a great lazy day. We came home and took Riley for a walk and played with some toys. Chase took an over 3 hour nap... in which time daddy slept and I rested! After dinner Chase went right down for bed... I think he is still making up for yesterday!

Good good family times! I hope everyone had a great and relaxing fourth!

Road Trip to Crofton

aka our old stomping grounds!

Danielle just happened to have a few days off work this week so Chase and I took advantage and drove down to hang with her and Anna today!

The ride down was so smooth... we hit no traffic and made it there in an hour and 25 minutes. I actually remember thinking to myself, this isn't so bad... we might have to do this more often. I don't think that anymore but we will get to that later.

After a quick morning snack we decided to spend some time at the pool... oh how I miss our old pool. Sigh.


My how things have changed since THIS post. I can't even believe this is the same kid. Although Chase does really well walking in the kiddie pool a couple times he did trip and his head went underwater. Watching that happen is surreal. I know that I am right there to grab him and put him upright but at the same time I am watching my child struggle to breathe (and failing at it)... and I can actually see how easy and horrendous this could be if my eyes were off of him for a minute.

Which may be why God invented these things...

Doesn't she look just like a movie star! This was Anna's first go round with a floaty and both she and her mom were fans! I am fairly certain Anna will own one of these in the next few days ;~)


I can't not take a picture of the ever playful camera loving Scout!

After nap what was supposed to be nap time, we made a run to Costco where they have double seats in their carts which give way to adorable pictures like this...

Love these babies!


One last parting shot before Chase and I start the trek home. Quite a change from THIS!

It was so awesome to spend the day with Danielle and Anna. Thanks for having us over and we miss you guys so much!

We rolled out of the parking lot at 6... on the dot. I remember because I thought Adam would probably be pulling up at home any minute.

So I called to see where he was and let him know we still had the length of the journey to go. To my surprise he was still in his car... on 70... before Frederick. For many of you this means very little... for us that is instant headache. Adam had been sitting for over an hour in the same 2 mile stretch of 70. And I was headed right for it.

Ehhh, by the time I get there it will be cleared up... I will probably sail right through.

Anyone taking bets about how wrong I was? Epic fail. Not only did hit that patch of traffic... I hit at least 4 more 'back ups' along the way home. And when I say back up, I mean 5 mph tops and stop and go... more stop than go. It was unreal how congested it was.


For the most part I was able to keep a positive attitude and entertain a VERY sleepy and cramped 20 month old. There was one point where I really started to get frustrated and angry but with a lot of effort and some Silly Songs, I was able to refocus and try to enjoy the rest of the trip.

At the very end... around 8:30... I started to lose him. The eyes were getting heavy... the head was listing... he was falling dangerously close to a complete pass out. I made it home within 15 minutes, threw him into pj's, put a paci in the mouth, sang one song and out he went. I am fairly certain he hasn't even moved since I laid him down.

To recap... Chase was up at 6:30. No nap on the hour and 25 minute ride down. No nap at Danielle's house. No nap in the car on the way to Costco or Target. No nap on the 2 hour and 45 minute car ride home. And he was still pleasant... I love, and I mean LOVE this kid. So much so that I want to go hug him....

Yeah, I am not that stupid.

I'm going to bed.

My Little Hippie

I love this kid.



If this were 1969, I know where we would have been ;~)