Alyvia's no clothes policy!

I think just about every baby goes through this stage, if not then mine are just plain silly. When Brock was little he had a fascination about taking his clothes off. For some reason he just did not feel the need to have to wear them. James and I thought it was cute of course but then it gets old because we were having to constantly redress him. Anyways the point of this whole story is that little miss Alyvia is starting to do this. She thinks it is so cute to just take off her clothes. Now it has gotten to the point where sometimes when I dress her in the morning or even put her pajamas on at night she will throw a fit about having to wear clothing. I know it is a stage and she will grow out of it, Brock did thankfully sooner then later.

I did catch her in the act a few days ago and luckily my camera was near by so I took a few shots. She is truly happy when she gets those pants off. It must just be that feeling of no restrictions or something.

Awww the joys of being a child!!!

Part II of Vacation

So part II of our vacation was that on Saturday the 15th we decided to head back to Carlsbad and take the kids to the Sea Life Aquarium. They both are such animal lovers and from the reviews I read, it sounded like a lot of fun. They kicker was that my mom and Chad were going to be there to surprise the kids. They decided they also needed a quick out of Las Vegas mini vacation and followed us up there late Friday night. Brock understood we were going to the aquarium and of course had a list of things he just had to see. Alyvia really doesn't care what we do as long as she gets to run around. So James and I are telling them all about what to expect and then all of a sudden we point out some "strangers" and it took only seconds and both kids were running shouting "Nay-Nay!" "Papa!".

We had a lot of fun seeing all the different types of fish. Brock's favorite of course were the sharks and he really liked the sting rays. Alyvia went around calling everything "puppies" and would get super excited about being able to touch the glass and get a little bit closer. I know the things that seem to amuse kids.

Afterwards it was lunch time so we headed towards the beach to find somewhere to eat. We ended up eating at this really good Mexican restaurant and then afterwards headed to the water. This was going to be Alyvia's first time at the ocean and Brock's second. As we were walking down the stairs I saw a squirrel hiding in some rocks which to me was a little random but apparently there are a lot of squirrels at the beach. So anyways, Brock headed right for the water with James right behind him. Those two were so excited and James took Brock pretty far out. Now Alyvia is more like her mother; she did not like it at all. My mom took her in just to about her knees with alyvia hanging on for dear life in her arms. Every time a wave would hit my mom Aly would say "All done!" because she just wanted to be back on dry land. It was so sad but funny too. James tried to take her out with him but she would just keep her head on his shoulder and say the same thing too once a wave hit.

I think we were only at the beach for maybe a little over an hour. Alyvia went back with my mom and James to sit on the towels and play in the sand while they sun bathed. That she loved! Brock being mister sociable ended up befriending another little boy and his grandmother and played with him making sand castles. Chad stayed with Brock while I alternated running back and forth between the kids taking a million pictures. Brock and his new friend also found those little tiny sand crabs and had a bucket full of them. He thought that was pretty awesome and was showing me how to catch them. When it was finally time to go we headed back to the hotels to get ready for dinner.

So for that last night in San Diego we met my parents in Seaport Village and decided to eat at a restaurant called the Fish Market. Ok food and okay service not something I would personally recommend but it was right on the pier and absolutely gorgeous outside. The kids loved it there and directly next to this restaurant is this huge navy ship that has all these different helicopters on it which Brock was so fascinated with. It was a perfect ending to our day.

So that was our short vacation but it was so forth while. I can't express enough how wonderful it was to just get out of town and have a worry free time somewhere else!

Morris Family Vacation Part I

First, lets just say this was a much needed vacation for us and a long time coming. James and I took the kids to San Diego for the first time and had the time of our lives. We packed the kids up on Thursday and headed on out. There wasn't really a whole lot planned for us but I did find us a deal for tickets to go the Legoland and the Sea Life Aquarium which is in Carlsbad, CA. The drive to San Diego went better then expected as both the munchkins slept the first three hours. The last two hours of the drive went smooth thanks to the DVD player. When we arrived I realized that we still had about three hours until check in time at our hotel so James diverted us to Seaport Village so the kids and us could get out and stretch and play the tourist scene. It was so beautiful outside and Aly and Brock especially loved seeing the ocean.

On Friday we made our way to Carslbad, CA and treated ourselves to almost 8 hours of legoland fun. It was such a neat experience and one we hope to enjoy again some day especially when Alyvia gets a little bigger. Brock was able to go on most rides while Alyvia was only able to go on about three. But it was so amazing to see all sorts of different animals, cars, towns, and even movie characters all made out of legos! We did so much there that I won't go into detail about but here are a few pictures to outline our day.

Part of the Las Vegas Strip made out of legos

Sleeping Beauty and her prince

Brock's first roller coaster ride

Daddy and Brock on a water ride

Alyvia cheering the boys on

The boys in another ride

Brock with a lego character

A lego buffalo

Darth Vader Lego man

Good-Bye LegoLand

Alyvia being silly at the end of our day

That was part I of our vacation but as I do not want to bore anyone I will write the rest at a later date.

Happy Birthday to me

Yesterday was my 22nd Birthday. I can't believe how fast this last year has gone. It seems like I waited forever to turn 21 and then all of a sudden the days are flying by and its my birthday again. I don't think I want to get any older now. LOL So it wasn't really all that big of a deal but the kids both were excited for me and Brock helped teach Aly how to say "Happy Birthday". I think just about everyone I know out of state, in the state called me or texted me or sent me a post on facebook to wish me Happy Birthday so that made me feel special. We did go swimming for a while with my Nana and cousin, which the kids enjoyed so much especially out in this heat. I made dinner while James and the kids went out and bought me a delicious ice cream cake. It was so cute because after dinner James ended up putting Aly's candle from her birthday on it and they all sang me the birthday song.

Hot summer days

So the kids and I have been stir crazy lately. There are only so many things we can do indoors to make the time go by when it is 110 degrees outside. So our neighbor a few weeks ago took us to a new park down the road that has a really big water area for the kids to play in and a shaded playground. I think we have been going there almost every other day now. The water area has the foam so the kids don't burn there feet or slip and fall. Alyvia will not go all the way in so I usually end up just as wet as all the other kids playing and Brock, well he ends up in his own little world running around like a crazy child and playing with anyone and everyone. It is so nice to get out of the house and after a couple hours in the sun and water both are usually passed out in the car before I even pull up to the house.

Happy Birthday Uncle Scott!

Last Sunday the 2nd, Aunt Sarah hosted a surprise party for Uncle Scott's 30th Birthday. All the family was invited to Memphis Barbecue at 6pm where Scotty would arrive around 6:30 from work. Right before he arrived Sarah had everyone stand up and move to the opposite side of the room and then she left to meet him out front. What he thought was going to be nice sit down dinner with his wife turned out to be a wonderful birthday bash with about 22 of his friends and family. Sarah said she would walk in first so we would know when to shout and then came the birthday boy and he was greeted with a chorus of "Happy Birthdays" and a running start hug from his nephew Mr. Brock.

It was so nice to see all the family again and especially Scott since he did turn the big 30. It's funny how we all live in the same city and less then 10 miles from each other but we are all so busy with our own lives that we hardly see one another. So thank you to Sarah for inviting us and we had such a great time.

Month of July

Ok so I'm becoming a slacker at this. Don't worry I will be trying my hardest to keep this up. Now things are a lot calmer around our household it should be a piece of cake to blog more frequently!

So I'll back up a little ways seeming how I haven't written anything since the end of June. Our 4th of July went great. We didn't get to go to any parade's or huge party but we did have a small gathering at our house that entailed a barbecue and fire works. We had family, neighbors and friends come over and it was so much fun. The kids loved watching the fire works that James, his brother Steve, and our neighbor Ryan put off and they got to enjoy waving their sparklers. Unfortunately at the end of it I had to take Alyvia to the 24 hour quick care. A few days before hand she was sick with a really high fever and her diagnosis was a bladder infection. So all was dandy until three days into her antibiotic the poor thing was covered in a rash that affected her face, arms, chest and back. So the doctor took her off the antibiotic and told us to just give her benadryl and if it gets worse to come back in. I ended up taking her back in two days later and this new doctor prescribed her a steroid that cleared her right up. I really hope we do not have to go through that ever again. From start to finish it was only 8 days but in that eight days between James and I we took her to the doctors 4 times.

Our next great adventure was Chad, both kids and I decided very last minute that we would take a trip to New York to visit with my brother's family. James and mom stayed behind because of work but the 4 of us went and we had a lot of fun. The airport and planes were not fun at all. Alyvia did seeming well for her first time on an airplane since she was 4 months old. She sat on my lap while Brock sat with Papa. She did sleep majority of the time but when she wasn't asleep it was a lot of work to keep her in my seat occupied. And at the airport in between flights she just wanted to run like crazy, and once she got started Brock wanted to join in. Needless to say I do not believe I will be flying anytime soon. Brock and Alyvia had a blast though! Brock and Kenzie were so adorable together and to watch them play and use their imaginations was so amazing. They have both grown up so much. Titan and Alyvia were fun too, they both seem to pick on each other not sure if that is because of there age or because they are both the youngest but man or man did they go at sometimes! It was cute and Shelby and I did our best to contain them but you can only explain so much to a 17th month old and 21 month old to be nice. We were able to do some sight seeing and swim and I took a ton of pictures. It was perfect weather and at one point I even put light jackets on the kids and I at night because it was actually a little chilly. We were able to stay for 8 days but by the 5th day the kids and I were really homesick for James. It was so hard to be without him for so long, but the homecoming was worth it. We had a blast but I hope next time we decide on a trip it will be with James.

A little update on the kids... they are driving me nuts!! Seriously I think because of the heat and being couped up in the house most of the time because James takes the truck they have all this energy and its like they both are just bouncing off the walls. Don't get me wrong it is fun, but I feel old now because by nap time I am ready to just pass out.

Alyvia is the most energetic kid I know. She is non stop from the moment she wakes up till the moment she goes to sleep. If she is not talking she is running circles around me. Her latest thing is talking on the phone. It really doesn't matter who she is talking to she will talk their ear off. We usually call mom at the end of the night and as soon as Aly gets that phone she just starts pacing the rooms or swaying her hips and jabbers away. You really can't make out a thing she says except for hi and bye and possibly that persons name, because she talks so fast. Hmm I wonder who she inherited that trait from? Her vocabulary is expanding a lot. I think a lot of it has to do with being around Brock, Kenzie, and Titan. She loves saying "hi puppy" or "hi kitty cat". She learned how to say "aww man!" and "uh, uh" for no. We tried teaching her to say Shelby but it sounded like puppy so we were never sure who she was calling and uncle is "dunkle". Brock has been showing Aly how to clean up and she is getting really good at it. She absolutely hates having her teeth brushed she wants to do it on her own but her idea of brushing her teeth is sucking on the toothbrush. And the latest and greatest on our every so growing Aly is her tantrums. I never thought she would be the one who would throw a tantrum. I honestly thought Brock would be it because, well he's a boy but he never really had a tantrum. Now alyvia on the other hand is a master at tantrums. If she doesn't get her way, which is more often than not, she will throw her self to the ground and arch her back, scream at the top of her lungs and bang her head on the ground. If I'm holding her at the moment she will throw her back out and head down and I have to almost bear hug her just to keep her in my arms. Now if she isn't quite in a temper yet she is into throwing and hitting things. I just love this age. I mean she is in that stage were she can't express herself with words so everything frustrates her. But when she is over whatever made her mad she is always smiling and laughing and giggling. James and I recently exchanged her crib for a toddler bed and now we are getting to experience all over again the midnight wake ups from little feet we hear coming down the hall at 3 am just because she can get out of her bed. She loves her new bed but that doesn't mean she will stay in it all night. If she sleeps through the night she up at the crack of dawn and in my room waking me up all happy probably just because again she can. It's a little bittersweet because she is growing up and entering that toddler age but then that crib was my last string of that innocent baby. I am having to really let go of her being a baby and moving on to her toddler stages. I'm happy but sad.

Now for the latest and greatest on Brock. Well, he is a very outgoing, opinionated, demanding, loving, headstrong four year old. He can do everything by himself is what he tells me day in and day out. It doesn't matter if it involves tying his shoe, pouring a glass of milk or going to the mail box, he can do it all by himself! He has an explanation for everything he does when questioned about something. Patience really isn't in his vocabulary all of a sudden and rules just disappeared. I'm going to look back at all this in a few months and hopefully be able to say it was the heat. LOL On a serious note Brock is doing fantastic. He is a typical happy four year old that just enjoys life. Everyday he amazes us. He can't sit still for very long and wants to be doing something all the time. I bought him these brain quest cards for preschool aged kids and they have three questions on one side with the answers on the back. We have been going through a couple cards a day and it amazes me how smart he is. I mean things that I really didn't think he would know he would answer the questions right on. He is getting really good at the questions that will ask about identifying the one picture that is not like the other three. He knows so much about animals and can identify ones that I didn't think any four year old would know. He is such a smart little thing. I think he will be just like his mom when it comes to school. LOL ok James was a smart kid too I just got better grades! He is still helping around the house and usually likes to do chores. He is such a big help when it comes to Alyvia, because he wants to be busy playing something and Alyvia just likes to be entertained. He gives the true meaning to big brother. I also took him to the adventure dome at Circus Circus for a birthday party and James was able to hang out a little since he works there. Brock had so much fun and he rode so many rides and was never once scared. I was a little impressed because they can be intimidating but he has that adventurous side and he just wanted to go on as many has he could. Now, we still haven't decided if we will be putting him in a fall sport. James will be starting EMT classes end of August and they will be all day Fridays and Saturdays so really any sport Brock may play, James would miss every game. Something we really need to think about.

James and I are doing great. We just finalized our plans for a mini vacation and are going to San Diego on August 13th through the 16th. We can't wait because we are taking the kids to legoland, the aquarium, the beach and piers, and Old Town San Diego. We should have an absolute blast. We need to get out of Vegas for a little as a whole family and do something fun. It will also be James' last little break from everything until November when his class finishes up. Other than that James has been working his tale off at work, sometimes 12 hour shifts or 6 days a week. It's not the greatest for him but we try to help out with keeping the house clean and making dinner for him. He does this for us and the kids and I appreciate him so much and think the world of him. He is truly the best father and husband ever. I'm doing fine staying busy with the munchkins and playing the stay at home mom role. I love being here with the kids being able to just watch them grow.

Well hopefully everyone is doing great and we love and miss you all. I have uploaded a ton of pictures and movies so click the links below. I promise to be blogging at lot more frequently and if anyone actually read this whole thing, thanks I think sometimes I just start to ramble and can't quite stop in person or online.

Love,
The Morris Family

4th of July pictures
http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/lexi_051/Our%20Family/Holidays%20-%20Special%20Events/4th%20of%20July%202009/
New York Trip
http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/lexi_051/Our%20Family/Trips/New%20YorkTrip%20July%2009/
Newest Pictures
http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/lexi_051/Our%20Family/
Newest Videos
http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/lexi_051/Our%20Family/videos/