Summer Fun

The Walkers went to Florida last week!  We spent a few days with my Gramma Sullivan (Kirk's Great Grandmother) and we visited Adam, Kate, and new baby Jax in Orlando.  We spent a day with my Gramma and Aunt Terry at Silver Springs, and Kirk loved looking (but not touching!) all the animals.  He was very demanding that I feed the giraffe, and he kept telling me, "Giraffes is hungry!"  

I included a TON of pictures below.  Sorry, I just couldn't choose!  

Enjoy reading about our trip and holiday weekend!

So Kirk was a bit obsessed with the carousel.  This is a picture of his first of many rides over the next few days.  He chose the elephant to ride on.  He wanted to ride it...again, and again, and again!  Jeremy finally told him it was the "last time" they would ride, and when it was over, Kirk said "More last time!"  Ugh!  It sure is tough having such a smart and vocal toddler!

Kirk and Daddy on the jeep safari ride

ANOTHER ride on the carousel....he wanted to ride the horse this time.  He kept calling the peacock beside him a turkey!  Ha!

Kirk liked looking at the alligators.  He asked Jeremy, "Are alligators hungry?"  I think he either wants to feed every animal he sees, or he's afraid they are going to eat him!

Kirk liked looking at the flamingos ("pink birds") until some other bird squawked at him really loudly.  He climbed Jeremy like a tree!  He was scared to death!

The Walkers at Silver Springs

Aunt Terry, Gramma Sullivan, Kirk and Mommy 

Kirk loves his Lego tractor from Gramma Sullivan!

Kirk waving to the monkeys at the Tampa Zoo.  He really liked the monkey with the "blanket."  He still talks about the monkey dropping his blanket!

How cute is this?  Kirk loved seeing "mommy and baby" animals.  I swear, they posed for this picture!  

Kirk is investigating the manatees.  He kept saying they were hippos.

Kirk hopped all over the wallaby exhibit.  He laughed whenever they would hop around!

Kirk said, "Pin-gins swim under water!"  He liked watching the penguins swim fast.

Thank goodness, we finally saw some "e-nuts" (elephants), and we even saw a mommy and baby.  He loved the baby elephant and said, "Go get your mommy!"

Of course, the zoo also had a carousel.

Kirk and Mommy on the train

after the zoo....all tuckered out...headed to Orlando to visit the Blacks!

Adam really wanted Kirk to wear his ATF helmet.  Too bad he wanted it back....haha!

Kirk, Daddy, and baby Jax

I was so happy to visit Downtown Disney with my baby boy!  We have just started our Disney education, so Kirk doesn't know all that many characters yet, but we WILL work on it!  We posed in front of the Lego seven dwarfs, and I think you can tell that I'm more excited than he is!  He does know all the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters, and he watched Finding Nemo a few times in the car on our trip.  It was so funny, the first time Marlin (Nemo's Dad) gets attacked in the movie, Kirk cried "No, no, no!" from the backseat!  Jeremy and I had to keep telling him that it would be ok!  Every time he saw Nemo at Disney, he would say, "Nemo is OK!"  

Kirk and I checked out the Lego Buzz Lightyear while Jeremy paid for our new Lego zoo! 

This is a picture of Kirk BRIEFLY wearing mouse ears...I told him he better get more comfortable wearing those, 'cause he's going to have a pair with his name on it in a few years!

Kirk and Daddy are working on a Potato Head at the Disney toy store

Kirk and Daddy watching the train at the toy store

Kirk is waiting patiently to eat at the T-Rex Cafe

After Kirk ate most of his meal clinging to my arm, we managed to get one family picture (thanks to our nice waiter!).  Kirk hid his head most of the time, even after he said a million times "I like dinosaurs!" before we went in to eat.  He of course asked us if the dinosaurs were hungry, and he asked me "Dinosaurs see me?"  (their eyes DID move!).  We laughed at how he looked at them and as soon as we left, he of course said, "I really, really, like dinosaurs!"  Geez.

Kirk and Daddy outside of the T-Rex Cafe

Kirk wanted to "push the button" on Buzz!

Kirk liked running through the letters at the rest area in Virginia

We went to Jeremy's family reunion on Sunday, July 3.  Kirk liked the water gun Gramma Debi let him play with.  He squirted everyone with it!

Kirk pushing his Thomas the Train "bicycle"

Kirk, Poppy, and Tanner eating outside on July 4th

Kirk loved fishing in Poppy's pond!  He talked about "catching a fish" all night.  He kept saying "I catched a fish!" and "I catched TWO fish!" 

We had a great trip to Florida and holiday weekend at home.  Kirk was a very good passenger in the car and slept well at my Gramma's and the hotels we stayed in.  He kept us laughing and it seemed like everywhere we went, someone commented on how well he spoke and how smart he was!  He started swimming very well while we were in Florida, and we were so proud of how sweet he was with baby Jax.  I can't believe in a few weeks my baby will be 2 years old!  He is growing up so fast!  He is such a funny little guy, and he comes up with something new every day.  He now pretends that he's different characters, and says things like "Roar!  Dinosaur is hungry!" before taking a bite of his food, and he says "Elmo say, 'La, la, la, la' " and pretends to play "pee-no" (piano)!  How imaginative is that?  He was looking at my Aunt Terry's hutch and the dark spots in the wood kind of made a paw print shape and he said, "Blue's clues!  Paw print!"  So funny!  He's using so many new words and phrases like "I think so.." and "I'm pretty sure..."  Jeremy and I laugh so much each day!

Happy Anniversary to US!

It is so hard to believe that Jeremy and I celebrated our 8th anniversary yesterday!  It sure doesn't seem like that long ago.  I can still remember meeting him about this time 11 years ago.  That sounds like a really long time ago! Our lives sure have changed over the years, but I have never doubted how much he loves me and now our family.  Funny how I always pictured us chasing after a little boy named Kirk, and now we are!!  I thought I'd post some 8 year old pictures of us...how funny is it that my wedding pictures have negatives?!  Ahhh!  I have a wedding album (printed pictures!) and instead of scanning them and posting grainy pictures, I thought I'd post a few from our honeymoon.  We took pictures with our FIRST digital camera at the Dominican Republic.  The camera was a gift from our very awesome wedding party!  I am also glad to say that we are still good friends with all the people who stood up with us that day.  We are so thankful to have shared that day and our lives with our friends and family!

Happy anniversary to the Walkers!

Summer Fun

We enjoyed a concert in Pullman Square with our friends the Franciscos.  Kirk kept asking to play the drums! 

We went to Central Park in Ashland last week.  Kirk liked playing on the playground, but of course wanted to do all the things that he was too little for...the merry go round and monkey bars!  He was ready to go play basketball with the big boys, too.  It's tough being little!

Kirk was excited to open Daddy's presents for Father's Day today.  He kept saying, "Happy birthday, Father's Day!"  I guess presents mean birthdays to him!  And yes, he is wearing snowman pajamas.  We just bought some new ones so we can give the winter ones a rest!  Haha! 

We got Daddy a seat for Kirk for his bicycle!  Too bad it didn't fit on his bicycle!  Jeremy is going to work on it this week.  He may have to get a new bicycle...Kirk is ready to ride!

Kirk liked his helmet for a few seconds, and then he wanted it off quick!  I think he likes the idea of it, but doesn't like the chin strap at all.  I think he will tough it out whenever he finally gets to go on a bike ride!

We had a nice day at home for Father's Day today.  I must say, Kirk has the best daddy ever.  Jeremy has been there for us through it all and has never complained about anything.  He plays with Kirk everyday and has taught him so much (especially about sports!).  He holds him when he's sick and wipes away his tears when he's sad.  He has always changed diapers, cleaned up puke, wiped snotty noses, and cooks dinner for us almost every night.  He gets Kirk up for day care, dresses him, and drops him off  (even when he's crying!).  Most weekend mornings, Jeremy gets up with Kirk and I get to sleep in.  He never hesitates to get up with him in the middle of the night, even when he has to work the next day.  He knows how to do everything that I do....he even reads to him with "voices" for characters!  I couldn't ask for a better husband for myself or a daddy for Kirk.  We love him so much and we wish him a VERY HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

                                                

Birthdays and Barney

 Happy 2nd birthday to Kendall!  

We celebrated Kendall's birthday with her today at her home.  Kirk got to play with his friends Caden and Caroline, too.  He had a good time and is really good at saying "Happy birthday!" and can even sing the happy birthday song....to everyone!  

 Kirk liked Kendall's purple mirror that said "You're beautiful!" when he pushed the button.

Kirk also really liked Kendall's pink dress!  He had to check it out for a while before giving it back to her.  He's amazed by girly things, I think!

Kendall got a really "awesome" (as Kirk says) water table for her birthday.  The kids had a great time playing in it.....and basically swimming in it!  They were all soaked! 

Kendall also got a house.  Kirk loved opening and shutting the door!

Kirk loved "cooking" on Kendall's new grill.  He made hamburgers and hot dogs.  He was pretty good at scooping them up with the spatula!

We went to see Barney Live on Tuesday, May 31.  Kirk had a blast!  He knew the songs, and sang and danced all through the show.  He didn't take his eyes off the stage once!  Angel, Riley and Brad went with us.  I included some video of him dancing above. It's sideways (because of the way the camera was held....we just got a new camera, so now we know you can't edit video angles!) but I included it anyway because it's hilarious how hard he was dancing!  He loves the "Dino Dance" song and he danced his little heart out.  He was super excited the whole time, and was even looking for Barney under the bleachers and in the bathroom afterwards!

Kirk smiled and clapped along through the whole show.  He did the moves to the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "If You're Happy and You Know It!"

Kirk refused to take a decent picture with Riley after the show.  This is the best we could do.  Everyone had a great time!  Barney is "super-dee-dooper!!"  Haha!

I hope to post more regularly over the summer.  I am so glad to be on summer vacation and we have already had some crazy trips to the pool.  Kirk acts like the Tasmanian Devil for the first hour or so we are at the pool, and then he calms down a little.  He has absolutely no fear of the water (or anything else, for that matter) and he loves "swimming."  He told me on our way home yesterday, "Mama, swimming is so fun!"  I had to laugh!  He also has learned to count to 13 (I count with him to 20 before I throw him in the pool....he loves it!).  He gets a little messed up after 13, but he loves to say "seventeen" and says it about 5 times before he moves on!  He also said "Hey ladies!" to some women who were hanging out around the pool....what a ladies man!  Haha!  He makes me laugh so much and I never know what he's going to come up with next!  It's going to be a fun summer!