Grammy and Grampa Visit!

Gammy and Grampup (formerly known as Apaw) drove down to Lafayette the week before Thanksgiving to visit. They were like fresh meat to Will as from the moment they got here until the moment they left, Will had them playing constantly. It was pretty much like having a 24 hour babysitting service, because Will wanted nothing to do with me while they were around, because as all grandparents, they pretty much did whatever his little heart desired :) And that was certainly fine with me!

From reading books, to playing in his Toy Story tent, to going to the zoo, to opening early Christmas presents, you name it, it was done while they were here. And Will clearly enjoyed his special time with Grammy and Grampa!

It seems as quickly as they got here, it was time for them to leave, as they had to head over to Dallas to visit Aunt Carrie and Uncle Ryan for Thanksgiving. We missed their company so much we asked them if they wanted to come back to Lafayette before heading back up to wintery Michigan ;)

As always, we had a great time, and look forward to seeing them again. (Which I don't see as a problem considering Carrie, Ben's sister, is pregnant with her first baby and now they will have 2 grandbabies down South, which should keep them down here throughout the year ;)


Being silly with Gammy


Chillin with Grampup

More pics to follow

Will's First Haircut

I always knew when it came time to cut Will's hair it would be a spur of the moment decision, as if I thought about it too much, I knew I wouldn't be able to go through with it. As predicted, Ben called me to remind me of his 4:30 hair cut today and I told him that we needed to bring Will to have his cut as well. And so we immediately took him so neither of us could change our minds and it went very smoothly.

Will sat down in the chair like a big boy, smiling at the look of the "cape" draped around his neck and did not say one single word the entire time during the cutting of the hair. He just sat there staring at himself in the mirror in wonderment. Here are just a few pics we took to capture the moment.


The beginning.


A nervous smile.


He did not take his eyes off of the mirror.

Tastes Like Chicken

Lately Will has picked up an awful habit, one that we're sure parents from the beginning of time have had to learn to deal with. What I'm referring to of course is picking his nose. When Will was little we would hold him down and remove any booger that was blocking his nasal passage, but now Will has learned that he can do it all by himself. We often find him riding in the car or sitting amongst his toys just picking away.

Well beyond the nose picking habit, Will has also decided that tasting his boogers is also enjoyable. We can tolerate the picking to a point, but the enjoying is really gross! The other day Krissy asked Will, after he had just snuck a booger in his mouth, "What does your booger taste like?" He quickly replied, "Like chicken Mama." There you have it, our kid is a booger eating cono sur. I wonder what wine he would recommend with his boogers?

The Caped Crusader

Gotham City's best line of defense against crime! Yes the costume is cheap, but boy does Will take on the persona of Batman when he puts it on!

One day something weird happened, out of nowhere our sweet little boy William Pierce disappeared into his room. Then not five seconds later another little boy equally as cute but wearing a towel over his head appeared and pronounced himself as "Batmen!" Yes, Batmen not Batman.

Honestly, we have no idea where this came from. Neither Krissy or I have watched Batman recently or have really ever even discussed superheros. I'm sure this is something he picked up from Eli and Ezra, but that doesn't even make much sense. Regardless it appears that Batman is now a part of the Pierce family. If we used the word obsessed to describe Will's interest in the Caped Crusader, we wouldn't be that far off. Initially the only time Batman would appear is following bath time. When we would dry Will off using his hooded towels, he would pretend that they are Batman's cape. Once dry he would run around the room yelling "Batmen!" punching the air and jumping off the furniture until it was time to get his pajamas on. For a while, that was the extent of the Dark Knight's presence.

Then one day I decided it would be fun to try to find some old Adam West 1960's "Batman" TV episodes on YouTube. Boy was that a mistake!!! After watching only a few minutes of the show with Will, I was transformed in Will's mind from his loving, caring Dad into the sinister Riddler or "Ridder" as Will calls me. No I couldn't be Robin or even Alfred. I had to be a bad guy and chase Will around and around and around until Batman decided it was time to tackle me (though I am now physically exhausted from being the Riddler, the joy on Will's face is worth every second). For a while my name wasn't even Daddy. If you asked Will who I am, his response would immediately be "Daddy Ridder." No one was sparred. Krissy soon became Batgeeurl (Batgirl) and Lulu was Batdoggy. Even Will's clothes and other things were given very 1960's "Batman" names. Diapers were now Batdiapers and boots now Batboots. Will had adopted the ways of Batman like a brainwashed disciple. I've since introduced him to the other villains, and we enjoy 10 minutes here and there watching the old reruns and laughing at the horrible acting and props.

Of course we knew that when we asked Will what he wanted to be for Halloween what his answer would be. Of course he would go as Batman, but news to us, Daddy would have to wear Riddler's outfit and Krissy Batgirl's. Unfortunately Riddler wears spandex and the only Batgirl costumes you can find are a bit on the risque side. I'm sure you'll see how that all pans out on October 31st. I'm still looking for ways to be the Joker or Penguin. Both of them don't have to be squeezed into their costumes.

Little boys and their imaginations are so much fun, and with Will approaching two and half, our play time together will only continue to get more elaborate and exciting. We still see Will from time to time, but we've grown accustomed to having a superhero living among us.


An early version of Batman's costume. I think this is the western gunslinger style.


Batman and his protective eye wear.


Batman and Batdog discussing ways to foil the Riddler's plans. Notice the small Batman and Riddler toys.


"I'm Batmen!"

My Butt Hurts

On Friday, September 2, Will pooped in the potty for the first time! Woo Hoo! I was in the living room with Ben and Uncle Biscuit (Corey) and heard Will in our bathroom playing with the toilet. Thinking that he was shoving something in there, I rushed in to find him in the process of climbing onto the toilet saying, “I have to poop Mom.” Sure enough, he sat down and did the deed. Of course this was followed by a potty dance from Ben, myself, and Uncle Biscuit. We were so proud!

Then the following week, while in Michigan visiting Ben’s parents, he pooped in the potty every single night after saying, “My butt hurts.” While this is probably way too much information for everyone, of course I must document it and think of it as a pretty major milestone! We are especially excited about it as we haven’t really attempted to potty train him and kind of felt like he would learn when he was ready on his own and sure enough we were right. Although not out of the diaper all the time yet, we are definitely on our way to underwear!

Too funny!

Michigan!

If you recall, at the beginning of the summer my parents left Lafayette after 24 years to retire to Michigan where my grandparents live. Even though we got a chance to see them in July for Carrie and Ryan's wedding, not having them around at any given time made us miss them pretty badly. We decided to take a flight up to see them and their new place during the week of Labor Day.

Traveling 1,200 miles by plane with a two year old may sound like a rough journey, but for us that was far from the case. Our first flight to Houston was a short little ride which was perfect for our very curious traveler. Will loved looking out the window, staring at the wing, and talking about the stewardess... calling her the pilot because of her uniform.

After a nice layover of riding the Tram back and forth and back and forth, we boarded our long flight to Grand Rapids. Two minutes into the flight Will was asleep and didn't wake up until we landed! All of the other passengers who thought they were going to spend 2.5 hours with a whiny kid were very pleased, and complemented us on his behavior.

When we got off the plane we were greeted by a group of LSU fans! My parents and Grandpa were sporting their LSU gear for the big game with Oregon. A side note, apparently my Grandpa is way too cool, as he decided to wear sunglasses in the airport. I think his collar was even popped!

Finally we made it to my parent's house. It's really nice! A perfect woodland retreat with a beach on a small clean lake in a quiet little Lake Michigan town. We kept calling their house a "rental home" while we were there because it is nice enough to be just that. It has lots of great amenities and is laid out for activities to happen throughout the house without disturbing everyone. Perfect for a little boy who wants to play with his Ammy all day in the toy room.

While at the house we did plenty of kayaking and exploring of the lake (formally on a Boy Scout camp), a little swimming (the water wasn't too cold, but highs in the upper 50's were a bit of a change for us), and digging on the beach. Will seemed to have a great time at Ammy and A-paw's house! Not only did he have plenty of old toys to play with, he also had a very captive audience of two. You could tell while we were there that Ammy and A-paw wanted to savor every second they had with him. Very sweet, but also bittersweet with them now being so far away.

While in Michigan we also had a chance to spend time with both Grandpa Ed in Pentwater and Grandma Dee in Norton Shores. My parent's place is so close to both of them that it makes travel a breeze. Though temperatures were colder than we would have liked, we had some great time playing in the sand along Lake Michigan, and Grandpa Ed was excited to have us as company, especially on his 86th birthday. It was nice to spend that time with him and it was great to watch Will get a chance to jam with Grandpa Ed on his big drum while Grandpa Ed played the bones.

We also had a nice visit with Grandma Dee when we visited with her. Again, Will just loves getting a chance to play with new old toys. It's like Christmas during every visit. Since the weather was warming up we had Grandma Dee join us on a trip to a local park. Boy was she amazed at the courage of our little guy. Will showed her how he could climb up the playground, and without question go zooming down the slides. We had such a nice time visiting with Grandma and showing off Will!

On our last day in Michigan we did the tourist thing an took a ride on the Mac Wood's Dune Rides. This is something that Krissy hadn't gone on in ten years, so it was nice to take a scenic ride up in down the massive dunes near Silver Lake. Will was his goofy self the whole ride screaming "Whoa!" with every bump and dip! It was an entertaining ride and something we will definitely do again when Will is older.

Before we knew it, our week in Michigan was over. We had our traditional pizza at Johnny's and took the customary hat picture before it was time to say goodbye. It's safe to say we had a blast! We just wish everyone lived a little bit closer!


Lovin' on Ammy and A-paw!


Enjoying the alligator-less lake.


Jam session!


What a big sandbox!


Warming up to Grandma Dee.


Lots of cool toys can be found in the basement at Grandma Dee's!


What a cutie!


Pentwater pier following Johnny's.


Four generations of Pierce men.

Marker Man

This is what happens if I leave him alone for a few seconds! It never gets old.

To New Friends

Last spring, Will and I were at the park and met another mom, Vanessa and her 2 year old son Aiden. She was new to the area, so I suggested she join a mommy and me class at the Little Gym so we could all get to know each other. While slow to interact in the beginning, Will and Aiden are becoming fast friends. In fact at The Little Gym the other day, they were both swinging from the bars together and dropping down fast, laughing the whole time. As we were getting ready to leave, Aiden reached for Will’s hand as if to ask him to come home with him, which was so cute. It’s funny to watch both boys as they both seem to be in the rough housing stage. My hope is to get them together more often so they can wear each other out so Vanessa and I can take a little break ;) Hopefully there are many more play dates in our future.


"Ring around the Rosie" or "The Wheels on the Bus." at a barbecue at Mark and Vanessa's.


Just hanging out waiting for food.

Aunt Carrie and Uncle Ryan get Hitched!

On July 12, Ben, myself, and Will headed up and over to Dallas for Carrie and Ryan's wedding. We arrived in Dallas at around 2:00 am on Thursday morning, and wouldn't you know our little booger was up and ready to play when we stopped at the hotel.

Thursday came around quickly and we rushed to get to Carrie's so we could see everyone including Carrie, Ryan, Grammy, and Apaw. Once we arrived, the wedding festivities took over and it seemed to go by in a flash. The girls spent the afternoon getting our nails done while the men got their tuxes taken care of and played around the house. Before we knew it we were already at the rehearsal and dinner, which was just lovely. Will looked absolutely precious in his Ring Bearer Jersey. Thanks Aunt Carrie for getting it for him!

Before we knew it Friday, the wedding day, had arrived and everything was a hustle and bustle. The girls were doing their hair and makeup, the boys were swimming at the hotel, and the last minute odds and ends were being taken care of. Time kept rolling fast and within a flash the limo bus had picked us up and we were going to the chapel to see Carrie and Ryan get hitched. The ceremony was absolutely perfect and even though Will didn't make it down the aisle by himself, he was definitely the cutest ring bearer ever.

The reception followed and we (including Will of course) danced the night away. And yes, my little man made it again until 2:00 am without so much as a whimper. He was all smiles all night long and we were given many compliments about how awesome and well behaved he was. Insert proud parent smiles here...

Both the ceremony and the reception went off without a hitch and Carrie and Ryan's "Do-It-Yourself" Wedding was stunning and perfectly executed. In short, it was so them.

We had an absolute blast and are so happy to have Ryan in the family. We look forward to watching their little family grow as ours has.

Congratulations Carrie and Ryan on your wedding. Enjoy this amazing new journey in life together! We love you!


Enjoying the rehearsal dinner!


The RB (Ring Bearer) was all smiles! He put on a good show for everyone.


Proud parents of the bride, Ammy and A-paw.


The beautiful couple after the ceremony.


All cleaned up!


The names Pierce, William Pierce.


Ammy with her favorite date.


Gramps, Daddy and one worn out little dancer.


Will with Dadda and Grandma Dee after the reception.


Someone had a good time!

Pool

As mentioned in a previous post at the beginning of the summer, we finally got an Intex pool for Will thanks to Nonna and Poppa. It's a perfect size for him to feel comfortable in the water and practice his skills he learned during swimming lessons in May. As of right now, he is able to kick his feet and do round and round arms, and he loves going under, which has been a complete surprise to all of us. The other day he even dropped under and kicked his little way to the side of the pool all by himself. His favorite thing to do though is chase Mommy and Daddy around and around until we make a whirlpool. We all have a lot of fun, and don't mind cooling off considering there are no trees in our still very new and young neighborhood, which was previously a cane field. We definitely have a water baby on our hands.

Just chillin in the pool with Elena.

Hot Springs Village Vacation

This post is way overdue, but better late than never.

Towards the end of June, Ben, Will and I joined my family on a vacation to Hot Springs Village, AK. We stayed in a beautiful lake house in the gated community of Hot Springs Village. It was wonderful as within the community there were multiple golf courses, pools, lakes, tennis courts, etc. You name it, it was there...

On Sunday, we decided to head to downtown Hot Springs so we could actually see the Hot Springs. While downtown, we took a duck tour on both land and water, and did the touristy things like mini golf, go karts, and visited the wax museum. We also took in a little history of the city at the tourists center and felt the actual Hot Springs water. Of course, the idea of the hot springs was neat, but being that it was in the upper 90s there anyway, just a dip of the finger in the water sufficed for us. That afternoon, Ben, Will, and I rode the elevator to the top of the observation tower which overlooked what seemed like all of Arkansas. Will enjoyed running around the circle at the top and giving Ben and I both near heart attacks.

During our stay, we also took a side trip to Magic and Crystal Springs Amusement/Waterpark. The crowds were minimal, and the rides were so much fun, which made for an amazing day. Will enjoyed the kiddie rides, but his favorite was sliding down the kid water slides into the pool below. He was so cute. Thank goodness he enjoys amusement and water parks as much as his parents do :)

Another day was spent on Lake Balboa, which was one of the lakes located within the village. We rented a pontoon boat and spent the afternoon tubing, swimming, and just cruising around the water. The lake was crystal clear and the temperature was absolutely perfect. Will much preferred riding the boat to the tubing, so he spent most of his time in Nonna's lap.

Towards the end of the week we visited a Science museum that was very cool and the kids had a wonderful time.

In between all of our fun activities, we spent a lot of time swimming in the lake at the house, and fishing. The men played quite a few rounds of golf, and most importantly, we just played it low key and relaxed.

A fun vacation was had by all :)


Enjoying the view from the tower... after feeling like vomiting while riding the glass elevator all the way up.


History buff.


Nothing's more exciting than a Duck Tour. I mean what beats a truck/boat that has a max speed of 20mph on land and 2 mph in the water? Hold on to your hats!


The cousins by one of the hot springs. Yes, the springs are very hot!


Bonding in an old dirty bath house!


The water felt great, despite his face.


Swimming in the lake. We were the only ones doing this. Seeing and feeling our "lake itch" at the end of our visit, we now know why.


After striking out during our last fishing trip, Ben was the big winner this time!


High speeds on the water and a nine year old Eli behind the wheel.


Great time, but it was a bit cramped. Our driver did a fantastic job!


Will's favorite spot on the boat.


Poppa and Ezra "The Dare-devil" Hoover.


The big lake was much nicer than the small one.


Bebe fixing her hair on the tube. Let's just say we weren't flying around the lake.

It's (Pretend) School Time!

We love school! (When Mommy is teaching it)

One of the many perks of being a stay at home mom is that I get to play a major role in Will's early education. In the beginning, when trying to teach Will new letters, numbers, sounds, or what have you, I found it very difficult as he naturally would not be able to focus for any amount of time, as was expected of a very active toddler. As a result, I decided to start playing school with him and his little stuffed friends, which has proved to be very effective.

Each morning, Will and I go into his room and pull out his various classmates that he enjoys learning with. Spongebob is always the first chosen, followed by Barney, Orange Man, and Curious George. We line them all up against his bed and Will sits in line with them, always covering himself up with a blanket.

We then begin our so called lessons, identifying and sorting shapes and colors, reviewing picture cards, and reviewing letter sounds and completing our alphabet puzzle and counting items. As we go through our routine, I always ask "the class" the questions and Will answers for them. He then takes whatever is in my hands and passes them out to his friends accordingly.

Once school is over, which basically happens when Will decides it is over, he typically throws his friends back in their basket and they don't come out until the next school session.

Hopefully he will find school just as exciting when he actually starts going with real classmates:)


Working on the letter "A"


It must be nice to go to school in Toy Story pajamas!