Before going to Sanibel Island, we knew there were nice shells there. But, we had no idea how nice they were. So nice, that most of them still had critters in them! The kids were thrilled…okay, well, maybe Soren was thrilled, and Bodie was um…curious at best.
There were conchs, crabs, olive shells, starfish, sea cucumbers, and clams. It was very cool to say the least.
It was a sunny day 4 years ago (on April 30) that little Soren entered the world. At 759am, weighing 8lbs 11oz, slight he was not, but charming from the start.
On Soren’s birthday, he had a lot of questions about what he was like as a baby. Here is a bit of our back and forth with the questions…
Soren: Was I little in your belly?
Me: Yes, you were little when you were in my belly, but you did like to spread out a lot and while in my belly, you had your legs and arms spread out straight! Luckily, I provided a nice big environment for you.
Soren: Did I come out with my legs straight?
Me: You curled up when you were actually coming out, but that is about the only time you curled up. Soren, you have taken up a lot of space in a room (both figuratively and literally) since you were born. Most babies stay curled up in a ball, but not you. You needed your space!
Soren: Did I cry a lot?
Me: You really didn’t cry much at all until you were about 5 weeks old. You spent a lot of time sleeping and you started babbling very early. From a few weeks on, we would put you in your seat and you would sit and babble by your self for a long time. I don’t think you have stopped talking since.
Soren: Have I grown up a lot?
Me: Soren, you have grown more than I could have ever imagined. But one this is for sure, your personality has stayed about the same since you were born. You were a silly, fun-loving, loud, crazy baby who took up a lot of space in a room and you are now a silly, fun-loving, loud crazy little boy who takes up a lot of space in a room!
Happy 4th Birthday Soren!
So well, that I am just going to steal her blog post…
http://adventuresofthestpierrefamily.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-warm-is-it.htmlOur condo was right on the beach so the boys enjoyed…
Digging…
Body Surfing…
Having sand fights…
Looking for shells…
Building sand castles…
Chasing Daddy and Beepa…
Burying Beepa…
And of course, Bodie’s favorite, snacking…
While hearing about every detail of our family vacation may be exciting for us, we realize it may be a little less exciting for our loyal followers, all three of you. So here is a little story that perfectly sums up Boodles new found personality…
On the way home from vacation, we dropped Kevin off in Rhode Island so he could attend a week-long conference on how to be a leader. Meanwhile, I got to try to tame the children after their week-long sugar and sleep-deprived high. While Boodle is proving to be a challenge even on a good day these days, his vacation recovery was an extra treat. By the end of the day on Monday, I was beat. I spend literally, 20 minutes trying to convince Bodie to lie down so I could change his dirty diaper. Finally he asked me where he should lie down. I was so excited that he was going to comply, that I ignored the little mischievous look in his eye and replied, “Anywhere! I don’t care, just lay down so I can change your diaper!” With a smirk that let you know Bodie knew exactly what he was doing, he proceeded to climb into the large magazine basket in our living room and lay down…Kevin better get a promotion for this week away!
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Once arriving in Sanibel, we were tired, stinky, and ready to get off that bus! But we were greeted with 90 degree weather, a beautiful sunset, and an awesome condo! Our first order of business was to jump in the pool! And then we checked the place out…
We got to spend the week with our roommies, Nana and Aunty Sharon. We thought that after a couple of days with the boys, they may run screaming to someone else’s condo, but they toughed it out the entire week!
They ended up having a great time with the boys and the boys did too. And of course it was nice to have an extra set of hands around for our little hoodlums. Of course, those hands’ weren’t ALWAYS helpful…Like the time Kevin went into Sharon’s bedroom at 10pm only to find that she was feeding cotton candy to Boodle! I guess those are the privileges you earn when you are a great aunty!
Yes, it was a true Griswold experience for our family trip to Florida. After the Easter egg hunt, we all hopped in the Kettell van and went to meet “The Bus”. The Peterson/Brunette Family and their significant others pulled up in an empty parking lot so we could hop on. It was a cozy ride down with 12 passengers. However, this was not just any bus, this was a rockstar bus, so the ride was about as good as it gets (other than flying). The bus is equipped with a full kitchen, 3/4 bath, living area, and bedroom with a queen size bed. Yeah, I guess you could say that the ride could have been worse. It surely pays to know people (Thanks Joe and Sue Cyr!).
Kevin and Beepa did a great job driving. And the rest of the family did a great job helping me keep the kids from flying through the windshield. Thanks everyone! And by the end, Soren was so proud that he could pee standing up without assistance as the bus moved…ah, it’s the little things in life…
We left Massachusetts at 630p on 4/16 and arrived at our condos on Sanibel Island, Florida at 7p on 4/17. And vacation continued…
