Matthew's First Bike

Matthew is cruisin' the neighborhood on his new set of wheels!

Cedar Point 2009

We packed our bags again for another whirlwind weekend trip. This time, we headed north for Cedar Point! It was a "LaFleur Affair." We met up with Grandma, Grandbanjo, Uncle Jim, Aunt Jenny, and Cousin Ben! Unfortunately, Uncle Tickle and Aunt Pam were not able to make it... but we missed them!

Our trip began with a stop at Uncle Larry and Aunt Deanna's house in Lakeside.

After a nice visit, we headed for the Point!

Noah's "Super" Birthday Party

Earlier this month, Matthew attended a birthday party for his buddy Noah at "SuperGames." He's a classmate at Matthew's pre-school and is probably his closest friend there. "Spider-man" was the theme. The kids, and even some adults (including myself), had a blast playing in all the "bouncy houses!" Matthew and I also tried the climbing wall... it's not as hard as it looks. Oh, and Matthew enjoyed chocolate cake!





Check out all the pictures HERE!

Cincinnati U.S.A. 2009

Summer vacation isn't complete without a trip to an amusement park for the NaylorNutHouse! This year, we decided to take the boys on their first trip to Kings Island near Cincinnati. Matthew was so excited because it's home to "Son of Beast" (of course he's read about it in his roller coaster book). While he wasn't tall enough to ride that one (and it was closed), he was happy to learn there was another wooden coaster just his size: "The Fairly Odd Coaster" (formerly known as the Beastie).

Here he is riding it with Mommy. There was another roller coaster in the Nickelodeon-themed area called "Little Bill's Giggle Coaster." It is just like the Jr. Gemini at Cedar Point. Unfortunately, Adam wasn't quite tall enough to ride it.

Adam wasn't completely out of luck. Several rides were just his size including the Dora Train Ride and Diego's Jeeps!

Matthew and Daddy took on Plankton's Plunge (despite his worried face in the picture, he really wasn't scared)

Both boys rode Swiper's Sweeper. Adam wasn't too crazy about it. Matthew loved it. Mommy and Daddy were happy they didn't have to ride it with them!

The boys even took a spin on the Nick Jr. Drivers together.

Day 2 of our trip to Cincinnati took us to the Newport Aquarium, just across the Ohio River. I think Matthew was more excited by the fact that we were in a different state! It's fascinating to him. He's now been in four total: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Kentucky.

We made an effort to get there early to see the daily "march of the penguins." But they never did walk the "red carpet." Oh well! However, they did have time to strike a pose with Matthew. Adam wasn't so sure about them. He didn't get too close.

It's hard to believe the aquarium is 10 years old. It was very nice inside! And the exhibits are well designed. The boys really liked the Alligator Bayou with the glass bottom bridges. The alligators kept swimming right under our feet!

There was also a frog exhibit with some of the biggest frogs I have ever seen. Granted, they were made of fiberglass and the boys could climb all over them...

The best part of the aquarium was the shark tank!! Talk about up close and personal!! Adam wasn't afraid at all. Matthew wasn't so sure about it. He kept leaving the tunnel because "he was hungry for lunch..." hmmmmm

We also learned an easy way to get the boys to pose for pictures... just tell them to hug each other... awe!

All in all, we had a "whale of a time" in Cincinnati. Can't wait to go back!

Our Boys Are Getting BIG!

Don't blink, these boys are growing up fast!! This was taken during a recent trip to Stow (an unplanned trip-- those always seem to go as planned!) In this picture, Adam is almost 2, Ben is 2, and Matthew is 4 1/2.

Are you sure there is no way to stop time?!

Patio Project 2009

Summer vacation is finally here! I thought it would be fun to tackle one of my major "to-do's" on the list.

Here's the "before" picture. The previous owners had a small patio in the back corner of the backyard. I had to take it out in order to put in the fence (a project that I DIDN'T do myself!) We've been talking about adding another patio since then.

So the digging begins. Matthew was a big help. He was in charge of digging out all the roots from all the dirt. He called them "little trees that were buried in the ground."

Of course, Adam couldn't resist a big dirt pile!

Here's one of me trying to remove the biggest root I encountered in the "big dig." I hope I didn't kill the tree by removing it and the others. After all, it's the tree that provides the shade all day long in the back corner.

The mega root!

Once the hole was complete, it was time to fill it up again, first with a gravel layer, then sand. Here's me laying out the pavers and hoping they were level.

And TA-DA!! The final product! It turned out really nice. Now, just imagine a nice patio swing instead of the chaise lounge, and it will be complete (with a little landscaping too in the corner). I guess I can be handy around the house. It must be all those HGTV shows we watch every weekend. Just don't ask me to remodel a bathroom!!

Now, the rest of my vacation will be recovering, with a bottle of Tylenol nearby!