Playgrounds!

Pretty much all I've been doing in my spare time these days is taking Teigan to the park.  While we have a stellar playset in the backyard, it's always fun to take our super social wee-one to public parks so she can play with all sorts of new and exciting things - and other kiddos.  And, lesbihonest, I kind of enjoy swinging, sliding, and monkey bar-ing it, myself... love it, actually.

Having such an independent, resilient, curious, and genuinely happy little girl makes me the happiest, proudest mama around.  But I have to say, I'm starting to go through infant withdrawals.  Teigan is practically a toddler now and growing up so incredibly fast.  Everyone warns you that this will happen and, honestly, I didn't really believe them.  Well, now, I get it.

Here's to freezing time and never taking advantage of all of these precious playground moments... if just for one day,

E

Siesta Key!

This past weekend my close college girlfriends and I [sans Angelica, our Europe-touring, Latina amiga] did something we’ve never done before… a girls trip!  Without our boys!  Without our kiddos!  With no agenda!  Glorious, therapeutic, and ridiculously fun doesn't even cover it.

We met up in Tampa late Thursday night in which we all proceeded to gab incessantly about absolutely everything and at only one volume – loud.  Really loud.  [For the record, that was the same volume we used the entire weekend and my ears are now humming.]  After Stephano picked us up in Giovanni’s car [not kidding], we drove the hour+ to our beautiful destination for the weekend, but only after walking, yes walking, through a Wendy’s drive-through at 12:30 in the morning.  Poor Stephano.  We stayed up until 4:30 in the morning that first night catching up, dancing in the mirrors, telling stories, and laughing at eachother at our own expense.  It was awesome.

Meredith, Haely, me, Meg, and Lauren

Around 11am on Friday, we woke up and got started with the day with a lovely little breakfast at a local breakfast spot.   Then it was off to the ocean!  You know; sunbathing, playing in the water, shelling, and basking in the glory that we had absolutely nothing to tend to.  Later on, we got cleaned up and headed out for dinner ‘n dancing.  We had so. much. fun! 

Haely and I started dancing before there was even music playing and, before we knew it, all five of us were entertaining what-ended-up-being a packed joint with the Running Man, a congo line, twirking, and, of course, my infamous Roger Rabbit.  Oh, and did I mention the near chick-fight that Haely almost got into with one of Siesta’s locals who had a serious problem with the fact that we were… gasp… having fun?!   The stories from this night are neverending… and it was hysterical!

Laaaadies!

We woke up on Saturday and did just about the same thing we did on Friday… exactly, actually.  This time, though, we were acting like we were six years old as we laid down in the sand at the  ocean shore and played with all of the little critters, made drippy sandcastles, and had tea parties on the sand bar.  We rounded off the night with a nice dinner, walk around the island [in which Lauren mooned an entire Italian restaurant... sober], and crashing early. 

All in all, saying that this trip was a success is a vast understatement.  It was absolutely wonderful and I’m so glad we took the time out of our crazy-busy lives to do this.  I can’t wait to do it again – and this time, Angelica will be in tow!

YOLO!

Kreider

PS – Many thanks to Meaghan and her family for letting us stay at their place.  It was perfect and we were so lucky to have such a great place to call home while in Siesta Key!
PSS - E! Entertainment Police, care to cash in on this...?

Thai 'n Sunnies

Mom was in town a couple of weeks ago to wrap-up some of the final details on their house, which, lemme tell you, is looking absolutely fantastic and at about 85% complete!  We had a great time and ran out to the patio of my favorite Thai place in town - Taste of Thai - for a little lunch date pre-Lowe's and various other home stores.  Not only did Teigan enjoy her first Thai experience, and look totes adorbs doing it, [see picture above], but Mom had, what she called, the best Thai meal, ever.  Reason #543,890 why moving to KnoxVegas is gonna rock their socks off... :)


Love!

E

Sittin' Around

It's not so often that Teigan is sitting still these days, so I relish these moments... and I'm not kidding.

Big-girl chair

Daily night-time reading in the sunroom

Grammy 'n T swing time

Teigan pulled her chair out of the shopping cart, immediately post-purchase, and sat in the parking lot waving at every single person that drove by.

She pulled up her chair to read next to Grammy and Mama - who were also reading. Adorbs!

Teigan sitting in Daddy's lap while working on her second masterpiece

16-month Activities

Just in case you're wondering what our fearless, little sixteen-month old is up to these days, she's...

• running everywhere [with absolute control and balance]
• climbing the three different sets of ladders on the playset in the backyard, including a rope ladder, and then going down the slide on her own
• gone to the bathroom in a toilet [sans proper-kiddo-toilet-seat and only once, but still...]
• absolutely obsessed with removing everything in sight, playing, and then putting it away - and then repeating over... and over... and over
• insistent on waving and speaking to every single person [or ghosts, we're convinced] that's within a 1/2 mile radius
• loving throwing everything away in our trash can, including, but not limited to, shoes, watches, bottles, greeting cards, and... my iPhone.
• feeding Hoolie and Rica all of her food, hence the reason why she's got built-in best friends in our four-legged ladies
• walking up and down stairs
• "reading" books like its going out of style!

You could say we've been busy lately... but that would barely skim the surface of the craziness of our little premature toddler running around!

Promise I'm back to blogging more frequently soon.  I pinky swear!

E$ Mama

Naked time

So, whether this is normal, encouraged, or praised in other households is beyond me, but daily infant naked time [hereby referred to as DINT] is a must here at the Slocum casa.

It all started when Teigan was a newborn. Not only is a smiling, naked baby the most adorable thing, ever, but the "airing out" was encouraged - and we just never stopped. And now, well, DINT is standard practice.

That being said, there are some obvious reasons why DINT could cause problems...
1. Unannounced visitors, particularly the precious [but curious] five-year-old twins from next door.
2. Unannounced pizzles, particularly on our [slick] wood floors which therefore causes a slip hazard for both parent and child.
... and finally, the latest addition...
3. Unannounced # two's, particularly when mama is home alone, dinner is [burning] in the oven, the dogs think they've gotta cover it up, and your child steps in and all-around said poopage and proceeds to get on the white couch to continue playing.

Not that number three happened to me yesterday, or anything... Sigh. Funniest and most disgusting thing I've dealt with in a while; no doubt.

Let's hope adults practicing DINT don't have these same problems!

It's Boomsday in East Tennessee!

There are a few things that Knoxvillian's are die-hard about... Volunteer football [as long as they're on a winning streak]; moonshine [as long as it's Popcorn's variety]; hanging out on the lake [as long as it's sunny and someone has a fast boat]; bluegrass music [as long as you don't have to pay a cover]; and Boomsday, the finest display of fireworks put to music on any river, any where [as long as it's not raining].  

"Look at the plane, daddy!"

Boomsday can bring out the classiest of the eclectic groups of people hiding under rocks this end of Tennessee.  The people-watching is absolutely magnificent so you know I'm sold!  

Well, Boomsday was on Sunday and our dear friend, Rachael aka Diva, happens to be event manager.  Thanks to her elite status, we were able to get not only amazing seating arrangements, but the most stellar parking spot, ever [the real shiznit, if you ask me!].  

Now THAT is a good-looking group!

Teigan soaking up her first fireworks show!

Despite the sporadic bouts of chaotic rainfall, it was a super fun evening with our super fun friends with whom we ate far too many cookies with, laughed at fellow patrons with, and danced the night away to radio's Top 40 [in the rain] with!

Another great year, Diva-licious!  Phenomenal job - and you looked great doing it!

Adios, Norris.

This is a hard time of year for us Slocum's.  The past three months have consisted of us bonding with you nearly every weekend as we wore out your back deck with late-night convo, ate all of your food, played music on your speakers nearly non-stop, and slept in your beds. 

Slocum Cabin, it's been a good summer.  We've shed some tears over having to leave you, toasted to you as our friend, smelled that amazing cabin smell until we fell out of consciousness, and had our final goodbye's.  It's been good.  Real good, in fact.  We'll see you a few times over the next nine months, but it's just never the same as it is during the warmer months.  

We enjoyed every second of our pseudo-final weekend at Norris Lake.  That sounds depressing, doesn't it?  Well, it is.  And it was.  But we made the most of it!  Here's to great friends, sassy literary reads, homemade sangria, wonderful weather, and Better-than-Sex cake [apparently that's the legitimate name...].

MK, Kate, me, Ashley, and Christin

BJ, Donald, Jim, Ben, and Matt

Tucker, Teigan, and Emma

Emma, the dog!

Until next year... when there is a two-year-old running all over the place... aye!

E