Beach Trip!

Woohoo - it's September which means that it was time for the annual Flack family beach trip! We had a great time again this year, filled with lots of fun times together.

We went to the beach our first day down in Litchfield. Lucy went right up to the water when we got there - she was so excited to see the ocean! The first wave that came up though gave her a nasty little tumble. She still loved the ocean after that. . . but from quite a distance! :) She did enjoy playing in the sand though. . .



We also went to the pool several times. . .unfortunately, since everyone was swimming we don't have any pictures of that. But Lucy loved throwing her beach ball back and forth, jumping in, as well as splashing her Daddy!

We ate very well while we were at the beach. Daddy even made Cheerwine ice cream on night which was a very big hit. . .

We took daily walks out to the pier to look at the crabs and birds and fish and water and whatever else we could find. Lucy always had to bring a toy with her whenever we went. . .sometimes it was Pig or Elmo, but here you see Dora. . . .


Lucy even drove a hot dog truck while we were waiting one morning for Books A Million to open! :)

We enjoyed lots of Bubbles this week too. Thanks, Grammy, for our bubble blower!




There were so many wonderful places to eat breakfast. . . we decided to enjoy as many as we could! :) Lucy discovered at the Spring House that she really enjoys Chocolate Chip pancakes!



She liked them so much she wanted to eat them again the next day at the Applewood House of Pancakes! :)

We also got to see "Tay-wor" for dinner one night which made everyone happy! :) It turned cold over the weekend so we enjoyed some quiet time inside before returning back home. What a wonderful, relaxing week!!!

ELMO!!!!

Fall break has officially begun and we kicked it off in style with a trip to see Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music! Lucy has a great love affair with Elmo going on right now and so we knew that she would be thrilled. So this morning, we got up, had breakfast and got ready to go.

Lucy's Elmos had to go as well! :)


On the way out the door Lucy grabbed her Dora hat and insisted on wearing it in the car. . . I think she's got our trip to the beach mixed up with our trip to see Elmo! ;) But the hat just cracks me up!!


This is how Lucy sat through the entire first act. . .she was absolutely mesmerized!!


She couldn't believe she was getting to see her favorite character in the whole world - ELMO!!
And of course, her second favorite was there also - Abby Cadabby!

In the show, all the characters from Sesame Street are discovering that they can make music using every day things so there was a lot of shaking of cookie jars, squeezing rubber duckies, and banging on pots with big, wooden spoons!


During the second act, Lucy made her Elmo dance along with the songs!

The characters also came down in the audience and we got to wave to Zoe!


It was a lot of fun seeing all of our favorites from Sesame Street.

At the end, we waved goodbye to all of them. . .


And then after they left the stage, we wanted them to come back out!!!!

We had a great time. . .

And we were sad when it was time to go. . .


It was ok though, because for lunch we got to have a yummy meal at Steak and Shake!

And everyone got a milkshake as a special treat for dessert! The Flack family had a wonderful day together - fall break is off to a great start!!

ABC's and 123's!

Lucy has been hard at work learning her ABC's and how to count up to 10. Hope you enjoy these video clips! :)

At last - new pictures!!! :)

Today while I was cleaning, I found my old memory card! Recently, the dog had gotten a hold of my 8 GB one and chewed it to pieces. . . which means that my camera was useless. But have no fear - we're back and better than ever! Here are a few from today.

Taking pictures like Mommy

Ready for a nap!

Starbucks on the way home from the store!
(Don't worry - it's coffee free!)

Showing off our bathtime hair!

SHARK!!

We've got clean teeth!

Playing before bedtime

Reading the letters on her rocking chair

Cheese!

A silly girl, ready for bed!

A few Lucy stories

Here's a few "Lucy Moments" for you!!

- Lucy spread out her blanket on the floor and pretended to jump off the edge just like she jumps into the pool. When she jumps into the pool, I always count "1, 2, 3 - jump!" Apparently we need to work on her counting skills some more because she said, "3, 4, 9 - jump!"

- Today, when I sneezed, Lucy looked at me and said, "Bless you, Mommy!" We are working so hard on our manners but every time she says an unprompted "Thank you" or "Please" or now, "Bless you," my heart just melts.

- Lucy is speaking in many phrases now - sometimes even complete sentences. Like all two-year-olds , she often gets her pronouns confused and says things like, "Me want" instead of "I want." So the other night I was eating and Lucy wanted some. . . so how did she ask? "Bite Me!" Ha ha!

Made me think

On the way home from the grocery store this afternoon, I was searching through the radio and stopped on a country stations. Now, I'm not normally a country fan, but there was really nothing on! So this song came on the radio, and surprisingly, caught my attention.

Just Fishin' - Trace Adkins

I’m lost in her there holdin’ that pink rod and reel
She’s doin’ almost everything but sittin’ still
Talkin’ ‘bout her ballet shoes and training wheels
And her kittens
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

I say, “Daddy loves you, baby” one more time
She says, “I know. I think I got a bite.”
And all this laughin’, cryin, smilin’ dyin’ here inside’s
What I call, livin’
And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside

Throwin’ back what we could fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She’s already pretty, like her mama is
Gonna drive the boys all crazy
Give her daddy fits
And I better do this every chance I get
‘Cause time is tickin’ (Yeah it is)
And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside
Throwin’ back what we could fry
Drownin’ worms and killin’ time
Nothin’ too ambitious
She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout
What’s really goin’ on right now
But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in
And she thinks we’re just fishin’
Yeah, aww, she thinks we’re just fishin’
We ain’t only fishin’ (This ain’t about fishin’)

Now it wasn't the fishing part that I liked so much - after all, I am as far from "outdoorsy" as a girl can get! What struck me was the thoughts from the Dad as he and his daughter made memories together. The child was just enjoying time with her Daddy, while he was learning about and building a relationship with his little girl.

And as the lyrics to this song has replayed itself in my head, I keep drifting back to moments with my Daddy. Some of the best times from my childhood that I remember of just me and my Daddy are the times where we were out running errands together, riding around and talking. . . sometimes shopping! :) A memory that stands out above many is when Daddy took me shopping for school supplies. He bought the things that I needed as well as bunch of stickers so I could decorate my notebooks. That was a great evening. . . not because my Daddy bought me stuff, but because he was meeting me where I was at, enjoying the things that I enjoyed. I love those times with my dad. . . running errands, going to breakfast, talking about everything and nothing at the same time.

Now as an adult, I look back on those times and realize that it wasn't just about the stickers.. . it was about the conversations, the relationship between me and Daddy.
I am so blessed and proud to be able to call Latimer Alexander my father. What an incredible man he is. I am so thankful for all those "just fishin' " times in my life that we have shared. And I find such joy in all those "just fishin' " moments that Lucy already has shared with her Poppa - I know there will be many more. Love you, Daddy.

These are a few of Lucy's favorite things!

Lucy grows and changes everyday, so these favorites could change tomorrow! But FOR NOW . . . .

Lucy's Favorite:
- Foods: chicken, broccoli, cheese pizza (chee pee, as she calls it), yogurt of any kind (but her very favorite is "Dora yogurt"), sweet potato fries, ice cream, chocolate of any kind, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, applesauce, green beans
- Toys: the sandbox (or hey box, as she calls it), her baby doll and blanket, puzzles, Toy Story Memory Game (not to really play - she just likes to pull out all the squares and spread them around)
- Games: Online games at Fisher Price and PBS kids, Ring Around the Rosy
- Books: All of the "If you give a Mouse a Cookie" series, Fisher Price lift-the-flap books
- Movies: Wee Sing Together, Wee Sing Mysterious Musical Mansion, Wee Sing Old King Cole, Wee Sing Big Rock Candy Mountain
- Things to Do: Play at the park on the "big slide", ride her car and tricycle, go to "new church", get Baxter a treat, EAT :)
- Words/Phrases: No, Daddy please, more, New Buh (her word for Wee Sing), Dora Yoburt, Get Down Baxter, L-U-C-Y - Lucy! (she pronounces her name though as "Luli"), I love you Dadda/Momma (ok, maybe that's our favorite phrase. . . )

I'm sure there are plenty of things I have forgotten, but these are just a few of her favorites. Everyday she is learning something new and changing and growing. She knows all of her capital letters and several of the lowercase ones. She can count up to five and recognizes those numbers when she sees them (although she gets 2 and 5 mixed up!). She understands most sets of opposites (up/down, on/off, under/over, etc.) Lucy can label a circle, square, and triangle. She is beginning to use please and thank you without being prompted, which I will admit, touches my heart every time she says them, gazing at you with those big, sincere brown eyes. She also wants to be where ever you are, doing whatever you are doing. She repeats most everything you say, so watch out! :)

She has her moments. . . some days she seems to spend more time in "time out" than time playing! But what a smart, sweet, precious girl she is! One more month until our fall break and I can't wait!