We just got back from Nathan's first trip to Wisconsin! We were very excited to take him there to meet the rest of Pete's family, and to finally meet our sweet nephew Sam.
On the flight there, the boys did very well. Brady loves airplanes so much that I think he could fly all the way to Hawaii and not complain about having to stay in his seat. And Nathan napped most of the trip, so he was a piece of cake. When we landed we got a couple compliments on the boys, and we were patting ourselves on the back for being such great parents. Then we get 50 yards into the terminal, and Brady just can't hold it together for one second more. His tantrum got so wild that both of his shoes flew off and nearly hit one guy in the head! Now that's the traveling Brady that we know and love. The return flight was similar. He melted down at the security line, and tantrum-dive-rolled through the x-ray machine. The TSA guy looks at me and asks, "Can he walk?" Um, yeah. Traveling with kids is always an adventure. And here's a little tip for those of you planning a trip across time zones with children... Don't do it the week after we change the clocks. Double whammy.
We had an action-packed five days planned, including several family meals and a trip to the Wisconsin Dells for a little water park fun. Brady and Nathan enjoyed seeing all the family and playing with the dogs, and of course we always love getting to see everyone together.
While we were there, Nathan turned 10 months old and he cut his top left front tooth. We had quite a few cranky days so we are happy that that one is through.
Now that we're back, we are focused on getting the boys healthy again (we brought home some souvenir colds), raking the gazillion leaves that fell in the back yard, and cleaning the house. Time to gather our strength for the holiday trifecta- Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Nathan's First Birthday!
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| He's trying so hard to like candy. He would taste each color of M&M, saying "maybe green will be better!" Then out it would come. |
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| Having some sticker fun. This sequence of pictures cracked me up! |
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| I think he's ready for Thanksgiving dinner |
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| Very pleased with himself for getting his shoe off |
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| In-flight nap |
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| Grandma's house! |
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| Nathan meets his great-grandparents Grandpa Raul and Grandma Mattie |
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| Grandpa sees how much he has grown since his visit in July |
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| Their dog brought Nathan pure joy |
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| But a short nap and painful gums made for a less than perfect first meeting with cousin Sam |
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| Feeling better the next morning and ready for breakfast |
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| Some of Brady's best times were playing with the leaves and the dogs, simultaneously |
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| Grandpa JT and the boys put together a train set |
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| The cousins play at a little early celebration of Pete's 40th |
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| Sam showed off his water drinking skills |
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| Another day, another meal at Salvador's. Brady was a fan of their pancakes and dinner rolls. |
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| Sunday afternoon at Great Wolf Lodge |
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| Sam was kind enough to share his awesome toy. We are totally getting one of these (shh). |
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| This water slide was Brady's favorite |
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| Grandpa JT liked it pretty well, too! |
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| Tina, Sam, Grandma (and the back of Jessica's head) |
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| The not-so-lazy river |
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| Dinner in the lodge |
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| Nathan gulping down some water |
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| These were the cool bunk beds in our room. |
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| And this is where Brady actually slept starting at about 2 am. Those cute bunk beds? Too small for an adult. Trust me, I know. |
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| We even got to see snow while we were there! |
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| Grandma and Grandpa relaxing in the hot tub |
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| Air Brady |
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| Some very tired Mamas and their boys. Even though no one got a very good night's sleep, we all had a ton of fun! |
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| Back home, sweet home |
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| And guess what? He grew! |
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| On to my next goal... |
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| This was pretty monumental- the first time Brady has ever asked to hold Nathan. Unfortunately he's about 6 months too late... Nathan is hard to handle these days. |
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| It looks like we need more cabinet locks. |
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| My handsome boy's preschool picture. I'm still thoroughly shocked that they were able to get him smiling, looking at the camera, and with his hands down. We might have to Photoshop this one into our Christmas cards! |