Pre-Christmas Fun

Today Susie and I took Jack to Leu Gardens, a nature park full of much flora for looky loos and the very same park that I formally proposed to Susie on both knees. Jack loved it as did we. He loves to walk up to flower beds, sit in the middle of them and carefully touch every one of them while giggling.

Future botanist, florist, Ralph Waldo Emerson??? Or, maybe he just likes nature like his mother and father or the "f"ing nature like his Uncle Joe (so, my wife tells me).

After walking about a mile through the park, which is several acres, Jack suddenly went of the beaten path, found a small labeled tree, and sat down next to it. As I walked up to him, I read the label...it was a "Jacktree". Jack began digging into the ground, covering himself in dirt as if doing some strange ritual only Jack's would know. After about 10 minutes of picture shooting, Jack decided he was done, returned to the beaten path, found a puddle and washed his hands off.

A great time was had by all!!!

Christmas is coming and Jack is getting phat...

That's right...Jack is getting P-H-A-T which means cool...at least it did in 1996. He has a huge vocab now, has begun singing his songs on his favorite shows, and even counts when someone else does.

Our weekend getaway was a huge success as we slept in late, went to bed late, consumed adult beverages and ate very expensive food.

Then, after the weekend, Susie went to work and I took Jack to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Jack had his first snow cone, played at the playgrounds, rode the Seuss Merry go round and went on the Cat In the Hat Ride. Then Jack picked out a present for his mother. Cool thing is, I have a season pass and Jack is free so it was a very fun and inexpensive outing.

Yesterday, Jack got to visit the Animal Kingdom lodge, one of the Disney Resorts. The lodge is set up so it feels as if you are on a savannah in Africa. Jack saw his first Giraffe, Zebra, and Bison but it was Susie that seemed the most excited.

I think Jack is being so good as to prevent a coal filled stocking. Hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Back in the Blog Saddle

Let me recap the past 3 weeks. Thanksgiving was great but the days following warranted a renaming of the entire weekend as Angstgiving. Then I got sick, Jack got sicker, and Susie got a bit sick but mostly tired as hell from taking care of the sickos. Now we are all better. Except Jack is still coughing and phlegmy but better all the same. Somewhere in there we bought a tree, hung the lights and worked too much. Then we tried to get a family photo but Jack decided to flip out right at picture time resulting in us leaving and deciding to take our own photo at home...as if we don't have enough already. Oh, and Jack now has about 12 teeth including a couple of molars. So that certainly flavored the past few weeks mood wise.

Blogging has not been on my radar to say the least.

This weekend Susie and I are off to stay in a resort hotel, eat at Emeril's Chop Chop while leaving The Boog with my parents. WE CAN'T FREAKIN WAIT!!!

Thanks to my mother-in-law I may even have some new digs to wear as she sent me a gift card to Kenneth Cole...thanks ma'n'law.

T-Dinner is good for you!

Finally, Thanksgiving dinner is upon us...here is a link to a page which somehow finds a way to make Thankgiving dinner, including the pie, healthy. http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/4761/hidden-nutrition-gems-in-your-thanksgiving-feast Yes! I'm printing this out for all the health nuts who don't eat T-dinner or even talk about how unhealthy it is. True, it's a bunch of crap, but who cares....it's f-ing Thanksgiving! Be sure to read the angry comments that follow at the bottom of the page...they make me laugh out loud...and "laughing's my favorite" (name the movie this quote is from and the actor who says it and you will be added to my best friend list--does not include a Christmas present but, instead, a special place in my comedic heart)

The school I work at just passed some sort of school law (for those of you in schools, you know that they think they can make their own laws), that kids can no longer bring "unhealthy snacks" to share with others at school. This means, if some kid's Martha Stewart mother bakes them cupcakes to share with the other students on their b-day, they are not allowed to have them. In fact, when the child arrives with the cupcakes, smile on face, proud of mom and the sharing that is about to make them the classroom favorite, the teacher of the class has been instructed to remove the cupcakes and take them to the front office. Here the cupcakes shall sit until the end of the school day when the birthday boy or girl must pick up their cupcakes and return home with them. What! Way to go Orange County schools...you've succesfully made every kid in America, especially those who get no birthday cake at home, hate you and the schools you run even more! No wonder kids are toting guns to school...they can't even eat a freakin' cupcake!

The Boog has a cold

Jack's nickname for a long time now has been Boog. I morphed Luv Bug which is what we called him in utero and Booger together and formed his new name.

Anyway, he has a cold now. Yesterday we took him to the ICE extravaganza at Gaylord Palms. This consists of 2 million lbs. of ice sculptures and Christmasy fun...Boog decided it wasn't fun! He cried, fussed, yelled, screamed, and pretended he was 2 years old the entire time. Meanwhile, being that we were actually there to celebrate my sister's birthday, we decided to stay thinking Boog would eventually come around. Nope.

Today he slept in, still sleeping when I left for work. This morning I was notified by The Mother that he is sneezing, coughing, and his nose is running. Poor kid has a cold and we dragged him around all day through 9 degree temperatures...oh yeah, and he's only one!

Oh well. Hopefully we don't have to cancel our Thanksgiving plans which include dinner at the beach with my mother's family and two nights in a cabin style hotel. Worst case scenario, we stay home and watch free HBO all weekend...hmmm, perhaps this cold thing isn't so bad afterall.