Fourth of July

So it hasn't been quite a year since I blogged...but almost. Marty Jr. is finally making his debut on the Wayman Family Blog today. He'll be ten months on Saturday! And sweet and sassy Anne just turned four.

We just got back from spending ten days up at the cottage in Frankfort. The highlight, of course, was the Fourth of July. Anne enjoyed catching candy during the parade. Marty Jr. loved playing in the sand on the beach. Mama relaxed on the porch (with drink in hand, of course). Daddy did some work with Paul on the back cottage (it's looking great). We all had a blast at the fireworks on the beach with Mom, Uncle Roy, and the aunts, uncles, cousins, and Ingram family.

Oh, and Mom Wayman & Lynn made that yummy cake...I can only take credit for eating (several) pieces!

More photos from up North to come...Anne & Emerson (who is only 5 days older than Anne and lives next door to our cottage year-round) were obsessed with picking our blackberry bush and Emerson's raspberry bush. I'll post tomorrow!

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer :)

Playdate dance

Anne had a playdate last week with her little buddy Jack. Jack used to live two doors down from us, but moved just as we were becoming good friends. Jack is exactly a month younger than Anne, but you'd never know it by the difference in height!

During the playdate, Anne told me to put some music on and went upstairs to get her "bride" (veil). She insisted that "Jacky" dance with her! It seemed like he was trying to be nice and danced with her a little, but he was obviously more interested in playing with toys. They played so well together, even though Anne was cranky from refusing to nap.

It was nice to have Gail (Jack's mom) and Paul (Jack's baby brother) over, too. Pretty soon Baby Paul will have a Wayman friend his own age to play with (or dance with)!

Potty training (finally)

I guess I thought Anne would just give up the diapers on her own and I wouldn't really have to potty "train" her. No such luck. She's just learned to change her own pull-up (for pee pee) and tells me "This is not going to be good!" when she comes to me to change one for number two. She is now 3 years and 2 months old so I know there is no question of her being capable or ready. So yesterday I finally got really frustrated when she was stalling and refusing to change altogether. I grabbed the bag of diapers and ran (well, went very quickly...I AM 8 1/2 months pregnant!) downstairs and told her Daddy was going to take the diapers across the street to baby Jacqueline who is one. I told Anne she could have a pull-up at nighttime but that's it and got some underpants out of her drawer to choose from. She threw a pathetic FIT!!! For about an hour, she threw herself around and screamed and asked where the diapers were. She put the underwear away and refused to put those on. After a few episodes in time out to cool down and some cuddling and crying dramatically in my arms, she broke down and put the underwear on. I had a coupon to Sanders so we went and got an ice cream and then went to the tot lot. She peed on the toilet when we got home and then two more times before bed. However, she kept reassuring herself that "Maybe tomorrow I can wear a diaper." So we'll see how today goes...

Didn't take any pics during the drama yesterday, so I'll just post some pics from up North that I like. I took SO many pics this summer as usual! The caricature will be hanging at the cottage alongside one of Nicole and Mark. We had these done at the art fair that was in town. Anne is screaming and crying in the one in front of the cottage (note to self: Get a good family pic in front of the cottage next year while everyone is in a good mood, not one minute before leaving to come home). Love the Annie-sandcastle pics myself!

Oh, the news on the baby coming...c-section is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 17th. Had an ultrasound last week because doc wanted to check baby's wait gain and the fluid. All was fine, baby was almost 6 lbs. so if I go close to the due date should be at least 7 lbs. or so (Anne was 7 lbs. 5 oz.). I thought this one was going to be an 8-pounder but guess not (not that I'm complaining)!

Now to find something to do today with Anne for my LAST DAY OFF, boo hoo! Have three teacher days this week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and then kids start next Tuesday. I realize I will not be working much this Fall but I still dread starting anyway!

The Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre

The Waymans finally enjoyed a late night out at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In! It's located in Honor, only about a 15-minute drive from our cottage. This is Northern Michigan's only drive-in theatre (and I'm wondering how many are actually left in all of Michigan anyhow). It opened in 1953 and still retains its 50s-style flair. The double-feature included "G-force" (kids movie about some guinea pigs, pretty much) and "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock. Marty and I thought for sure that Anne would be asleep before her movie ended. Hardly. She stayed awake for her entire movie AND also watched "The Proposal" as well! Nice parents we are! Her first PG-13 movie at only three! We didn't get home until after 1 am and she was still awake. Amazing! Anyway, we had a great time. Anne especially enjoyed the popcorn, cuddling with us and pretending to steer in the front seat, and dancing whenever music came on during the movies. We are definitely looking forward to more trips to the Cherry Bowl over the years during our visits to the cottage.

Had a terrific beach day today and Anne had a great nap. Hopefully this will make for a tantrum-free, enjoyable evening! Marty's brother Steve should be on his way up here shortly and his girls will be here soon as well. Marty's sister Val and her kids are coming Thursday or Friday, too. Anne will enjoy the time with her cousins, I'm sure!

A first (and hopefully last) time calling Poison Control!

Never a dull moment with three-year-old Anne, let me tell you...

We spent a good part of the day at the beach and just playing outside while Marty got a TON of painting done upstairs at the cottage (looks great, by the way, honey!) Unfortunately, I dropped the ball in my only real duty up here, looking out for the well-being of my only daughter. I can add to my list of "I'm a horrible mother" mistakes (which includes letting Anne get her fingers cut by a fan at 15 months and not buckling her carseat two times this past spring).

Anyway, we were across the street just before dinner tonight and Anne was eating blackberries off the bushes with the little neighborhood boys. I am personally very bothered by eating unwashed fruit, but everyone around here just eats them off the bushes. Well, Anne thinks this is just so much fun (and loves to eat anyway). Just as we were saying our good-byes to the boys to go home for dinner, Anne and Emerson pick some berries from another bush. Oliver, Emerson's 7-year-old brother, manages to prevent Emerson from eating the berries, but I, Anne's almost 32-year-old mother, cannot stop Anne in time. I'm PRETTY sure she didn't actually swallow a berry, but she definitely bit into it and swallowed some juice before I got her to spit it out.

So the next half an hour was spent searching the Internet for information about poisonous berries (while mom's tuna casserole dinner was getting cold). Finally, I called Poison Control. Turns out that even for toxic berries, they don't worry unless 3 or more berries have been consumed. I'm about 99% sure she didn't actually swallow a berry but I'm still not completely comforted by this. It will probably be a few days before I stop worrying! She ate a good dinner and big ice cream cone tonight though and is now sleeping soundly.

I'm sure my mother never had to call Poison Control. Julie, Briana, and I never even had stitches or broken bones as kids either. That just seems like a miracle to me. Of course, we weren't even allowed to do somersaults in the backyard, no wonder we never got hurt! Although, I can't believe we used to climb that huge tree in the backyard on Pleasant! Maybe we were just lucky!

Marty's mom made me feel better though. She had to call Poison Control on Marty TWICE! He had to have his stomach pumped once for eating too many Flintstone vitamins and once for too many Baby Tylenol! And he's had plenty of stitches over the years as well!

I think I'll check on Anne once again and have my nightly bowl of ice cream!

Well, it's ONLY been 7 months or so...

Wasn't sure I'd remember how to sign in to my blog! I've faithfully logged into Facebook almost daily over the past few months, but sadly, my blog has been neglected. So now here I am up North for two weeks and have no excuse. PLENTY of time on my hands up here. Trying to enjoy it while it lasts.

We're loving our new cottage here in Frankfort. Anne is enjoying playing with the boys next door, especially Emerson

who is only a few days older. Weather has been so-so, but I really don't care because I dread the hot weather these days.

Pics here include Anne with her new tea set from Grandma Wayman and Anne "making a house" with Emerson outside today. Highlights of Anne's week here so far include a boat ride with Aunt Val and Uncle Paul in Cadillac, the Dora pinata, eating popsicles every day, and drinking her first pop (root beer) on Emerson's porch.

It's a rainy day so we're off to the bookstore and toy store in town!

What a happy new year's day!!!

I'm in a very good mood this morning (er...this afternoon)! Marty actually got up this morning with Anne and let me sleep in! This has NEVER happened! Granted, Anne just watched cartoons all morning and didn't get a diaper change, but still. We just did dinner and a movie last night but we still stayed up too late anyway. Watched that crazy guy's motorcycle jump in Vegas then Marty caught up on his TV shows while I messed around on the computer, searching for bedding for Anne's new "big girl" bed and also downloading way too many digital scrapbooking freebies (thanks a lot Stacy, this IS addicting). Anyway, I haven't yet posted any pics of Grammy & Grand Dad (or Auntie Susie!) from the holidays, so here they are. Also, I have lots of good pictures from the Wayman side that I will try to post soon.