We went on vacation....like a million years ago

I won't even mention my lack of up-to-date blog posts, (other than mentioning just now that there is a lack of up-to-date blog posts). With that said, I bring you Speed Blogging, in the form of random pictures from our vacation with captions that may or may not be entirely accurate due to the amount of time that has lapsed since said pictures were taken.

Thomas watching the Southwest employee grill burgers on the tarmac (it was the 4th of July)

This was the only happy moment of our flight out to Missouri. Thomas happily watched the grilling and the passing luggage cars for about ten minutes of our layover. The other three hours and twenty minutes, he was throwing himself in a screaming heap on the ground as I tried to prevent him from boarding other airplanes. Luckily, he wasn't too bad on the actual flight.

I have discovered that traveling with a toddler is like wearing people repellent: nobody wants to sit by you on the plane (Soutwest, so no assigned seats) and people will quickly scoop up their laptops and carry-ons and move to the furthest seats away from you at the gate, just to get away from you and your screaming child.

Once we made it to Missouri, there was a lot to keep him occupied and plenty of space to run around:

Thomas at the dock, watching the catfish eat

Playing with the dollhouse. This was probably after breaking up a fight between him and [insert cousin's name here] for the umpteenth time.

There was a lot of (potential) cousin bonding time. I say "potential" because Thomas probably hit/bit/shoved every single one of little cousins at least six times a day (each). Needless to say, they were all avoiding him like the plague after a few days.

Thomas and Molly

Don't let that smile fool you. He would have probably eaten Molly for breakfast if he had not been restrained in the high chair.


One of the babies jumped in the water, so they all wanted in. Luckily they had their own individual pools - Owen ended up pooping in his.

Overall, it was a good visit with the baby cousins (and their siblings). I can't believe how much they've grown in the past year:

July 2009

July 2010

Please note that they are all wearing tie-dye shirts. Please also note that Thomas is slyly twisting Owen's arm.

Thomas also got to hang out with his grandmas:

Grandma (my mom)

Great-Grandma (my mom's mom)

After a week in Missouri, we headed down to Oklahoma with Soren, Natalie, and Owen. I sat in the back seat between Thomas and Owen (someone had to keep those two separated).

It was a long drive and the kiddos were tired.

Owen stared at me for most of the four hour trek (we stopped for the night with Natalie's parents).


Thomas ate a cheese stick to keep his mind off of how tired he was:


While Owen willed himself to stay awake:


These kids worked really hard at not sleeping in the car. Obviously.

Thomas read his truck book:


Owen played with his car:


At 10:00 p.m. these boys were still going strong. So, of course, I entertained them with the flash:



I finally got a smile out of Owen:


When we got to Oklahoma, we spent the rest of our vacation with Kenta's family. It was SO STINKING HOT in Oklahoma. I don't know how I put up with that kind of weather for 25+ years. I had forgotten just how hot it was, until I realized that Thomas was only wearing a diaper in like half of the pictures:

Watching cars and dealing some serious crack

Playing in the sprinklers

The heat must have friend my brain in Oklahoma - apparently I forgot to take pictures. I don't have a single good one of him and his cousin, Dane. For shame.

Before we knew it, it was time to get back on the plane and go back home:

Saying good-bye to Ojiichan and Obaachan

Luckily Kenta was with me this time. The plane ride/layover went a lot more smoothly:



As nice as it was to visit family and friends, it was so nice to be back home again. Dorothy was right: there's no place like home.