With both boys home for the summer, I'm trying some new things for playdates. Baylor's little buddy, Landon, has an older brother, Ryan, that is Jax's age. So my friend, Alaina, and I thought it would be fun to get all the boys together for a playdate at the local skate park. Ryan has been skateboarding for a while now, and I thought it might finally be time for me to ease up on my "hell no attitude" towards the idea of my boys and skateboards. I mean, I had one growing up, and I managed to never break a bone. Surely the same is possible for my kids!
Jax gave me a "who are you and what have you done with my mommy?" look when I took him to the store and had him select his first skateboard. Along with the skateboard, we picked out a cool helmet and pads to protect his knees, elbows, and wrists. After examining all of the gear, Anh asked, "Is all of this necessary? Do the other kids wear all of this stuff?" My response, "I don't care about the other kids. If Jax wants to skateboard, he'll wear it...all of it!"
Once at the park, I was in for a shock. Jax isn't quite the daredevil he once was. I guess that's what happens when you get hurt a few times. You start to proceed with a bit of caution. Baylor, however, hasn't learned those tough lessons quite yet. Nope, he's still in Evil Knievel mode. He hurled himself down the ramps on the scooter he inherited from his brother. Who needs a scooter when you now have a skateboard? I nearly had a heart attack as I watched barely 2-year old Baylor fly down the ramp without any pads or a helmet! Thank goodness he survived the plunge intact, but he was not very happy with me when I dragged him outside of the fence surrounding the skate area and refused to allow him to return. Yeah, I suck! Whatever! Maybe when you're five, we'll talk. It depends on Jax's injury report.
In addition to the stressful skateboard outings, we've started meeting Baylor's friend, Ethan, at our neighborhood pool. Sure, we could just hang out in the backyard, but this way it feels like we're actually doing something. Effort is required to get there. Although, it is minimal which makes it an ideal scenario.
Here you can see that Jax has done little to improve his sliding technique from last summer. He's tall enough now that you don't have to catch him at the bottom, but he's still such a light-weight that the force of the slide's current causes him to flip over on to his belly which sends him into the water backwards. Oh well! It's still fun!
Baylor and Ethan still don't really play together. It's more like playing near each other. I guess as they get closer to 3, there might be more interaction.
They did, however, share a few giggles over the fact that they already attract the attention of the ladies at the pool...much older ladies! Lord, help us when their preteens or even worse teenagers!
The park was packed! I guess that's to be expected with intense Florida heat. Thankfully, Baylor had enough toys to share with all of his buddies and a few strangers. We even ended up leaving behind a few items that the other children weren't so eager to return. At this rate, visits to the free park could get kind of expensive.
Here's the look I got when I tried to coax Baylor from the fountain. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of leaving. He didn't understand that I only wanted to check out the beach for a bit. So, we lingered for a while longer.
Eventually, I was able to clearly communicate my plan for a walk on the beach and to splash in the waves. Confident that the fun wasn't coming to an end, Baylor agreed to accompany me down to the sand. However, he was a little uneasy about entering the water. During our last playdate at the beach club, Baylor had a bit of a scare when a large wave knocked him down. Luckily, holding my hand instilled some confidence in him. Good to know he trusts me! Sometimes I wonder.
Very quickly, my little man was back to his usual dare devil self. His smile is what convinced me that we needed to schedule another playdate at the park, and Baylor's friends were quick to agree. Fun in the sun, is there anything better? 
The boys were a little hesitant about entering the waves, but with some encouragement they eventually took the plunge. Thankfully, the water and beach showed no signs of contamination from the Gulf oil spill. Everyone has been a little on edge around here since a few tar balls washed ashore last week. Although, we've been repeatedly warned to prepare for potential problems in August, no one was prepared to see contamination this soon. Tests are being conducted to determine whether the tar balls that washed up come from the leaking Gulf well. Local officials are saying there is no link, and the long-time residents are screaming cover-up. It's bound to be a heated debate. That's for sure.
For now, the beaches and water are clean, and we intend to enjoy both as much as possible! Sadly, this was our trip to the beach of the summer. I guess it's true that you start to take the locale for granted when you live here. The convenience of the pool has truly spoiled us, but now that I've splashed in the waves, the allure of the ocean has swept back over me. I'm certain we'll do a better job of visiting the sand this summer.
The boys did a thorough job of exploring the entire area. Running up and down the beach takes a lot of you which works out well for us moms that look forward to the post-playdate naps! 
After rinsing off the sand, we took a dip in both the kiddie and family pool before ordering lunch. Had I turned the menu over and noticed the extensive cocktail menu, the playdate might have lasted a bit longer. As it was, we dined & dashed hoping to make it home before our tikes crashed. No such luck in our car, but Baylor didn't seem too upset about being stirred from his slumber during the car to crib transfer.
I will share that it was a milestone year, and therefore, something special was in order. Aunt Nguyen's first choice was a weekend in South Beach, but given that her nephews were part of her birthday entourage, we opted for a somewhat more child-friendly locale. Orlando seemed like a nice compromise with something for everyone.
We took Aunt Nguyen shopping at both outlet malls (Although, she really didn't buy much.), and then spent the evening at Universal Studio's Citywalk. The adults could enjoy adult beverages while we all enjoyed the musical acts and street performers, the exhibits at NBA City and Hard Rock Live and dinner at the Nascar Sports Grill. I was surprised by Aunt Nguyen's choice for her birthday dinner, but I think she had some help with the selection.
After dinner, the boys were treated to a tableside performance from the restaurant's balloon artist. Jax received a nifty alligator hat that made it's rounds through the group.
Nice purse, Uncle Al! You know how gators like to accessorize!
Baylor would have preferred a creature to wear on his head too, but he was granted an adorable little turtle instead.
We all agreed it was the perfect choice. Can't you see the resemblance?
If family time isn't enough to lure Uncle Al back to Florida on a regular basis, then I imagine his popularity with the ladies will do the trick. It seems Alex has quite a few love interests here in the Sunshine State. When you're 22, it's good to keep your options open and play the field a bit.
Most of the birthday festivities centered around the pool. What else would you expect with temperatures soaring into the upper 90's! I can imagine the groans if anything else had been suggested. It seemed everyone was content to simply float in the cool water while sipping on fruity concoctions spiked with the rum that we brought back from the Caribbean.
Baylor had to settle for soft drinks that he stole from the pool fridge. Isn't this the best trashtastic photo of him in his floaties & swim diaper? He has something against his bathing suit all of a sudden. Maybe I should buy him a little Speedo?
Exhausted and water-logged, we eventually pulled ourselves away from the pool. Birthday cupcakes were the perfect incentive! I think we may have a new favorite bakery, and that's saying a lot because we've sampled some excellent cupcakes in the past few years.
Of course, it wouldn't be a birthday post without including a picture of Baylor enjoying his cake. Slow down, boy! Save some for the rest of us!
