Pool time

We are all really enjoying the pool this summer.  Both of the boys are swimming independently, and Ridley is a water baby.  We splashed and played all day.

Play group at the spash pad

Our play group met at the splash pad to enjoy some fun in the sun and water.  The boys had a blast playing with their friends and getting wet.  The splash pad is one of our favorite places to spend a summer day.  Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy it all summer without water restrictions this year!

Slip'n slide

I have been telling John Chris that Ryland needs a slip n' slide since the beginning of the summer. I have had several other things going on, so I haven't had a chance to actually find one. I was shopping at Marshalls for a bathing suit appropriate for aqua class when I saw a slip n' slide out of the corner of my eye. I probably looked like a complete nut, because I got so excited. I showed it to Ryland, and he got super excited too.

I made him take a nap as soon as we got home, so he would be rested to play outside. The second he woke up, he wanted to slip n' slide. The kid had no clue how or what to do. He just wanted to slip n' slide. We set it up in the backyard and turned on the water. He ran down the slide and splashed in the water.
He was laughing and giggling. He loved it!

After explaining that he was supposed to slide down it, he decided to get on his stomach. He crawled up the slide! Gosh! I was afraid of hurting myself, so I decided not to show him by example. I tried holding his arms and dragging him down the slide, but he kept sticking to the plastic. Hmmm. Nothing a little bit of joy soap can't handle. I squirted an ample amount of soap over the slide and slung him down it quickly. He loved it.

John Chris joined in the fun as soon as he got home. He and my dad took turns throwing Ryland down the slip n' slide. John Chris changed into his swim suit and demonstrated the correct way to run and slide down. Ryland loved this but was still a bit hesitant to run and jump head first. Maybe he will always be this cautious. Doubtful.

Outside fun at Nana's

Ride 'em cowboys! Ryland rode this horse to town and back and back again. He loves this old stallion. It was a bit funny to watch him slide around. He just wasn't dressed in his cowboy best. Nana knows who to call if the horse ever comes up missing.
Drinking from the sprinkler.

Loving every minute of playing in the water.

Splash park fun

Grandpa Dave has awesome neighbors that have a little girl, Sienna, who is Ryland's age. They really hit it off and enjoyed playing together. Sienna invited Ryland to the splash park for a little outdoor fun. It was cute to watch them interact.
Ryland's favorite thing to do was catch the water in the plastic cup. I think he could have done this all afternoon long.

Graduated swim school

Ryland had his last swim class tonight, and I am kind of glad it is over. I feel that he has learned to play more in the water, but the past couple of weeks have been a scream fest. He now knows when he has to go under water, and he doesn't want to participate. When we start singing the little song where they come to us off the wall, he goes nuts.
He has had fun playing with the other kids, and I feel more confident about what to do to help him relax and have more fun in the pool. Congrats, Ryland, you graduated Waterbabies.

Splash pad

We can't get enough of the splash pad. It is the perfect place to cool off on a hot day. Ryland had a blast as always, but I did notice him taking other kids' toys. He loved filling the bucket and then dumping it on himself. I plan on bringing toys for him next time.

Watering the plants

It has been incredibly hot here over the past few days, and our plants are really parched. John Chris has been watering them in the evening in hopes of saving them all. Ryland inched his way over to completely taking over this activity tonight.


Dad's little helper. He thinks he is a big boy, so John Chris finally just gave him the hose.

Ryland listened to Daddy's coaching on where to point the hose and which plants needed a little more water.

Patriotic fun

Aunt Emily and Uncle Jeffery came out to visit for the weekend. We had a great time hanging out and relaxing. We decided to visit Town Square for the patriotic festivities. There were tons of activities for kids, but they were just a little over Ryland's age. We did enjoy walking around listening to the live music.

Ryland spotted this fountain and wanted out of his stroller immediately. He ran right over to the fountain and tried to climb up the side.


We quickly figured out that Ryland wanted in the fountain. We were such fun killers by not letting Ryland get in the fountain. He immediately started screaming and crying. He was not happy!

Look at that bottom lip. He was really upset.

After walking around for a bit, we quickly worked up an appetite. We went to Gloria's for some delicious Mexican food. Ryland loves the bean dip, and he forgot all about the fountain. He starts with a chip by dipping it in the beans, but he doesn't bight the chip. He licks the beans off and redips the chip. Yummy!

Splash pad

Ryland and I visited the new Splash Pad that just recently opened at the park. He had a blast playing in the water.

He watched all of the big boys and copied what they would do.

He didn't seem to mind if the water was splashing in his face. He was having fun!

Ryland's fun was interrupted by a messy diaper. He lost his shirt and his swim suit as casualties.

It didn't phase him. It was time for a snack and back out to play in the water.

Ready for the beach

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!

Fun at the beach

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.

Orange Beach, Alabama

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.