I finally caught the little monkey in action this morning. He is all about climbing these days. 
I don't think this is illustrated in the alphabet train owners' manual. In fact I am pretty sure it says to sit. Oh well. You have live a little. Ryland likes to stand on the train and put blocks in the engine.
Ryland started swim school at Emler today. It was pretty funny to watch him interact with the other kiddos in the class. It really isn't focused on swimming. It is more about being comfortable in the water. He was nervous and cried a little, but I know he will be a little submarine by the end of the summer.
We almost forgot to take a family picture at the beach. We had to snap a quick one before we headed home. 
Ryland had fun in the pillow pile while we packed. Of course he had to hold on to the remote - typical man.
Ryland realized we were headed home when we reached the airport. He acted like he didn't want to go.
The airport had a play area for little kids that was great. Ryland and Jackson played in this house, and they took turns ringing the doorbell over and over.
Ryland loves to wear his sunglasses as long as someone else is wearing their sunglasses. Both of my boys look so darn cool.
An Oreo cookie came with Ryland's meal for lunch. He was pretty darn curious and tried a bite. He likes the cream filling but not the actual cookie. 
I love watching him explore new things. It is too funny how he has taste preferences so young. Can you tell he enjoyed the Oreo?
We spent the afternoon in the bay on a boat. It was a great way to enjoy the outdoors. I was a little unsure of how the little boys would act on the boat, but I was pleasantly surprised. Ryland loved to ride at the front looking out at the water.
He had a great time chilling and snacking. 
Jackson and Ryland had a ton of fun and now want a boat back home.
Not only did the kiddos love the boat, the parents had a great time too.
We stopped on a little island in the bay to play in the sand.
Ryland loved to drive the boat. 
The key turned into a phone, and Ryland answered the call. He wouldn't say who was calling.
Ryland and Jackson found a buoy and started crawling back and forth over it. The simplest things seem to keep them occupied.
We decided to be silly and take a family photo while at the Flora-Bama. Nice bodies for John Chris and Ryland.
OK, we are finally ready for the beach. Swimsuits, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, towels, drinks, snacks, buckets, shovels. I think we finally have everything together. We headed out for a day of sun and fun.
Are those clouds coming in?
Before we could even get out to the beach and put our stuff down, the clouds rolled in, and the wind started blowing.
We decided to just hang out and see if the clouds would blow by quickly. It was a great opportunity to take a couple of quick photos. 
Ryland did not seem to care about not making it to the beach before the storm. He was very happy playing with the hose and faucet.
He has got it figured out. He knows you turn the top handle to make the water come out, but he isn't quite strong enough yet.
He is one happy boy!
The resort where we are staying had a great playground on the fourth floor deck. John Chris and Ryland had a blast sliding. We had to be careful sliding when we were wet, because you can fly right off the end of the slide.
Right inside from the playground was an indoor pool. The boys had a great time playing on this slide as well.
Don't worry. We checked the weight limit first! It was pretty hilarious to see the slide rock back and forth when the dads took their turns. Poor slide.
Even though Ryland went completely under the water, he was having fun. We slid over and over, and he never seemed to get tired.
Ryland and Jackson had a great time finding new things to play with in the condo. The warming drawer was a huge hit. After we pulled both of them out of the drawer, you could see little footprints on the bottom. I am sure the housekeepers will be wondering, what in the world went on here.
Ryland wanted nothing to do with this float when it was in the pool. He actually had a complete meltdown when I put him in it earlier today, but he has decided it isn't too bad out of the water. 
I slept in a little this morning to try to catch up on the last few nights of less than 5 hours of shut eye. When I woke up the boys were out on the balcony looking out at the beach. I thought it was a sweet moment, and this is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.
Ryland and Jackson are ready for an evening out on the town. Well, at least a nice dinner.
It takes a little while to get everything together, put on sunscreen, and head out to the beach. We were hoping that Ryland would love it today and enjoy playing in the sand. He picked out his Spongebob hat and as long as he had it on, the world was alright.
We played at the shoreline digging in the sand. We would fill the buckets and dump them. We dug holes and made make shift castles.
One of Ryland's favorite things to do was jump over the waves. John Chris and I made a huge deal about the waves coming. We would say "Oh my gosh, here comes a big one". We would all jump over the wave and scream.
We stayed at the Turquoise Place on the 21st floor. It was beautiful with a great view of the beach. 
John Chris and I were not sure how Ryland would like the beach. We talked about it before the vacation, and both of us kind of thought he would enjoy it because it was similar to dirt. Ryland loves to play in the dirt and mud at home, so why would this be any different?
When we first stood him up in the sand, he was not happy. He started screaming, so we carried him down to the shoreline and tried again. Since he was closer to the water, he seemed great. The sand was harder, so he could stand up and walk easier.
He loves it! Ryland is a beach boy!
trying to figure out why it is stuck to his hands
He was very intrigued by the sand sticking to him.
We didn't play in the ocean long before a wave got him.
After a fun new experience at the beach, he played with the water hose. Ryland recharged with a small sippy cup of milk, and he was ready to party!
The resort had a huge water slide set up by the pool. We couldn't resist our inner child calling us to it. John Chris and I both tried the slide out first, but then it was time for Ryland to take his turn.
Ryland didn't make it to the end of the slide, but he seemed to like it. He laughed and pointed at it like he wanted to slide again. So he did.
Also by the pool, there was live music. Ryland had to show off his mad dancing skills. He was the only one dancing, but he didn't care. He was moving and a grooving. 
