A Child Runs Through It

There's nothing like running through the water on a hot August day! Paul was in heaven. He's a big fan of the pool, but we were unsure of how he would do with the fountains. I'd say he had fun, check it out:

The Before and After

So the exciting event of this week was that they painted our apartment complex! It took a few days, but overall the place looks ten times better. It was definately in need of something, the faded blue was probably from the 80's. Check out the before and after:

Can Paul borrow some sugar?

For the first time since I started working, I've had weekends off on a regular basis this summer. That has left us trying to find something new to do every week, which is why we keep traveling to these out of the way historic sites. Today, it was Ormond Beach and the Bulow Sugar Plantation Ruins.

The day didn't exactly go smoothly. First, Becky missed our exit off I-95 and we argued about how to get back. We drove over to the coast to catch A1A because I knew the road we needed would connect somewhere. Too bad it wasn't marked. We drove past it two or three times and then decided just to have our picnic lunch by the beach. Paul destroyed his diaper and filled the car with a pleasant odor, and I had to wash his pants in the ocean so he would have something to wear. When we finally found the turn, we drove down this tiny backwoods road to the park, only to discover there was a $3 parking fee. Honestly, who carries cash? Most of the parks we've been to require it, and the last time, we had to dig through the car to find every nickel and dime we had just to pay... so you would think we would learn. Nope. We had to drive back out and find a grocery store, and we missed the turn again and had to drive another mile out of the way to turn around. But we did make it, and of course our camera's battery died after about three pictures. Yeah. But we did get this:

It was Florida's largest sugar plantation back in the day, and the ruins were pretty impressive. Paul enjoyed running down the paths. As you can see in the picture he's in full sprint... though I'm sure Great-Grandma Steele could probably still outrun him. The plantation shut down in the 1830's after the Seminole Indians killed everyone. I guess it was one of the few times the natives came out on top, and that's why today it's the Florida State Seminoles instead of the FSU Sugar Farmers.

Big Wheels Keep on Turning

Not a lot of excitement today, but we did go to the park this morning to take a few pictures. The nice thing about the digital camera is that you can take loads of them with no cost, but our computer seems to be running a little slower these days. I guess that can happen when you overload the hard drive with baby pictures.




In case anybody hasn't heard, Paul will be visiting Big Sky Country for Christmas this year. He is scheduled to arrive in Spokane on December 4, and will not be returning to the southeast until January 8. But I'm sure by that time we warm blooded Floridians will have already frozen to death in the arctic tundra that is Montana winter.

Swinging Child

On this episode of Paul TV, well... he plays on a swing. Definately nothing exciting, but check it out. I'm still waiting to capture that moment that makes Paul a Youtube star. One of these days...

Sand Tastes... Oh, So Good

The sun was dying behind the steel and brick towers placed amongst the dunes like guardians over the endless stretch of sand. As the waves rolled out across our feet and the sand slowly swallowed our toes, our eyes took in the never ending sky, resting above the water and scattering the clouds to capture the final rays of light left above the Earth. The ocean was calm, ready to join the sun in settling down. It's at this time that we remember our motivation for being here. Paul walks out bravely into the water, unafraid, as it rises up above his knees and surrounds him on all sides. He reaches his hands out, his tiny fingers dipping into the swirling tide as it carrys the broken shells up from the depths to abandon them upon the shore. And then he falls... not just on his butt, but all the way into the water. Covered in salt and clumps of ocean mud, he waddles his bare feet out of the waves and puts a sand covered hand into his mouth. His mother informs me, "We didn't bring a towel."

Shortly thereafter, Paul learned that nothing tastes better on the last day of July than a sandy vanilla cone, and nothing makes more of a mess in our car.

Swimming Child

Paul and his mother spent last week taking swimming lessons at the YMCA, and it's looking like the lessons paid off. Here's just a quick video of him showing his stuff in the pool. We're preparing for the 2024 Olympics, go for Gold!!