Sunday, July 31, 2011

New Kids in Town

Anh & I have often discussed how we plan to eventually lure all of our close out-of-town family & friends to our adorable little beach town. I'm talking relocation not merely to visit. Well as luck would have it, our plan is coming together! Both Aunt Kelly (from NYC) & our friend Brad (from Las Vegas) decided to move here within days of each other! Both are looking for a lifestyle change from their fast-paced cities, and obviously, Anh & I are thrilled with their decision to move here even if it does mean losing our tour guides when we visit Vegas and New York.

Two down...about 20 to go!

Friday, July 29, 2011

My Two Pee Wees

It's that time of the year again...GOLF CAMP! And once again, Baylor was disappointed when he learned that he's still too young to participate. One Jaxon's first day, I explained to Baylor that he was only 3-years old and the coach says you have to be at least 4 to participate in the camp. Let's just say that news was not well received. Thank goodness, Anh had scheduled the day off on Friday, Jaxon's final day, to go and observe the camp. When Daddy invited Baylor to join in the fun, there wasn't even a nanosecond of hesitation, just a huge "Yippee!" that could be heard echoing throughout the house.Armed with their clubs, all three boys set out for the clubhouse. Baylor took a seat at the table along side the older boys and made himself right at home. After warmly greeting everyone, he let out a huge "toot" and then proudly claimed his handiwork. Despite all the "Ewww!" and "Gross!" comments from the gang, everyone giggled. I guess Baylor was accepted. Boys! I just don't get them.Coach Mike arrived shortly after Baylor's performance and welcomed Baylor for the day's activities. Coach casually asked Baylor, "What's your name?" to which Baylor responded accordingly. However, when the Coach followed with, "How old are you?" Baylor looked him dead in the eyes and coolly answered, "Four." Nice try, buddy! Coach Mike knows the truth. Anh told Baylor to tell the truth, and Baylor corrected himself with a hesitant sounding, "Three." That kid!As he always does, Coach Mike praised Jaxon on his "natural" golf talent and encouraged us to keep him interested in the sport. It's truly impressive to see how much Jaxon has improved since his first camp. Gone are the days when Anh & I would joking say Jaxon could be the next Tiger Woods. Gosh, I hope not! However, it would be great if we've discovered a sport Jaxon can enjoy throughout his life and possibly earn some college scholarship money. A parent can dream!Apparently, Coach Mike was impressed with Baylor as well because we were invited to enroll him in the weekly Pee Wee lessons despite his age. Baylor demonstrated that he does indeed have the attention span to participate in the program. So, it looks like Jaxon will have some company in the foreseeable future.The only disappointment in this year's camp was the lack of a bobblehead trophy for the participants. That's okay though. How many bobbleheads does one really need? We'll make do with the two we already have, and Baylor will never know what he's missing.
It looks like I better dust off my clubs and join in on the action or I'm going to be left behind. On second thought, maybe those clubs will just disappear...

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Sailing...Takes Me Away

We can't let the Grandparents receive all the praise for this Summer's fun. Uncle Travis played a role too by taking the boys out a couple of times on his new catamaran. Fun in the sun with the wind in your hair!I'll admit, I was a little nervous when the idea was first mentioned, but I was determined not to let MY fear of water ruin the boys' opportunity. Plus, it wasn't exactly settling to learn that Uncle Travis would be taking them out alone. I don't doubt Travis' abilities, but being outnumbered while out in the middle of a lake with two small children isn't something you should dismiss. Yet again, it's a good thing I wasn't around to let my paranoia take over. The boys were on their best behavior throughout the adventure.Both Jaxon & Baylor thoroughly enjoyed themselves while sailing, and I'm sure they will jump at the chance to go again. Travis plans to bring the boat down to Florida in the future which will lead to all new excitement, I'm sure. Again, I will do my best to keep MY issues from transferring to my kids. It's going to require some effort, no doubt.For now, I will simply say, I wish Captain Travis & his pint-size crew years of smooth sailing!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Adventures in Grandparenting/Scouting

Hello, Readers! It's been a while...to say the least. Please don't think for a second that my absence means we have been suffering from boredom this Summer. It's quite the opposite, actually! Our whole crew has been on the go since the last school bell rang dismissing Jaxon for Summer break, and it's looking unlikely that we'll be able to catch our breath before the school bell rings this Fall. Busy, busy, busy!

Jaxon & Baylor kicked off their Summer vacation with two weeks at BaBa & Ong Noi's house in Georgia. Spending time with Uncle Kyle is always entertaining, but I was a little surprised at the end of the two weeks when the boys seemed a little disappointed to be returning home. I tell myself the boys were merely sad to be parting ways with Uncle Kyle's PlayStation and Ong Noi's steak dinners. I'm sure BaBa's endless praise is missed as well.

What Jaxon & Baylor didn't realize was that their Summer adventures were only just beginning! In July, they spent two weeks with Grandfather & Grandma in South Georgia. As an added bonus, during the visit Jaxon was able to attend his first Cub Scout Day Camp, and of course Baylor was invited to tag along as well. Both boys learned the basics of Scouting like the Scout Sign and how to properly fold and handle the American flag.With the basics out of the way, the Scouts could move on to more important matters like sword fighting! In case you're confused, there is no badge for sword fighting. At least, I don't think there is??? The activities were all based on this year's day camp theme, Knights of the Round Table. To say the boys liked the theme would be a gross understatement! As it turns out, Baylor has quite the future ahead of him. Lately, when I've asked Baylor what he wants to be when he grows up, his response is always, "A knight in shining armor!"Well, apparently, Baylor at the ripe old age of THREE has the sword-fighting skills necessary for a successful career as a knight. Not only did he defeat his big brother, Baylor also took down all except one feisty competitor. In the final round of the tournament, Baylor accepted defeat at the hand of his opponent's flour-dipped sword. Accepting defeat doesn't mean he was happy about it though. That kid better watch out next year!Mid-week, the Scouts moved on from foam swords to actual weapons. Yikes! That's a big leap! Baylor needed a little help on the archery range, but according to Grandma, he's an excellent shot.Thanks to his age and greater arm strength, Jaxon was able to tackle the compound bow on the range. The next thing I know, he'll be asking me for camouflage hunting gear!As if the thought of the boys on the archery range wasn't enough, their next stop was the GUN range! Yes, that's 3-year old Baylor anxiously awaiting his turn to shoot! These are the sort of activities that I'm glad I miss out on.Thankfully, the next tournament once again involved makeshift weaponry. Jousting afforded Jaxon the opportunity to redeem his honor when battling his younger brother. Baylor proved to be no match for Jaxon in this arena.In fact, Jaxon went undefeated and claimed the title & trophy for jousting! He showed ZERO pity for his adversaries along the way!Baylor, of course, was his brother's biggest supporter!Much to Jaxon & Baylor's excitement, they spent a second day on both the archery and shooting ranges. It's doubtful that either of my boys will ever brainwash me into purchasing them a BB or pellet gun, but I will tell you that their targets prove they are a force to be reckoned with. Future burglars, you've been warned. Stay away from my house! I've got two Top Shots looking out for me!While the week's activities proved to be highly entertaining for all of the Scouts, their efforts also resulted in badges for their uniforms. Jaxon racked up quite a few honors during his first week of Scouting. Surely, it was a proud moment for Grandfather!The award ceremony even included face painting...the ultimate form of recognition for young boys.On their final day of camp, the Scouts were put to one final test...Dragon slaying! Jaxon once again proved to be a fierce competitor and took top honors. It's good to know that my boys are so skilled at self-defense. Well, at least when there's a weapon involved. Sounds like the NRA has a couple of future members to recruit.In all seriousness, both Jaxon & Baylor made a lot of new friends during their week of day camp and came home with countless stories of their adventures. The badges and trophies they received were just an added bonus that should serve as reminders of the fun they experienced along the way!
Thank you, Grandfather & Grandma and BaBa & Ong Noi, for making this their best summer yet! We can always count of you to go above & beyond!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

GONE

July 24th was a BIG day for Jaxon. He finally lost his first tooth! This was a long awaited milestone for our little guy. Jaxon waited patiently for this moment throughout the past year as he watched friend after friend reap the financial rewards a visiting Tooth Fairy.Finally, it's Jaxon's turn! Well, that's IF the Tooth Fairy deems his tooth worthy of collection. I'm sure this beautiful case will prove to be entirely too hard for the Tooth Fairy to resist. It was a gift Jaxon received as a baby, and it added a bit of formality to this special occasion.Congratulations, Buddy! We're all excited for you!