One of the best things I remember about growing up was that my parents were always taking us somewhere new each weekend. Ireland may not be very big, but there is something to see every 2 miles. In the 12 years I spent there, I got to see a lot of it. It felt like every weekend we were heading somewhere new, it was a new adventure every time. Those are some of my favorite memories, and now it was my turn to make some for Desmond.

Recently, Jackie and I have been getting more adventurous on getting out with Desmond. He is getting old enough now were he cares about what he see’s. I realized this the other morning when I caught him peeking out the front door window. He was standing on his tippy toes looking out the window at the water sprinklers as they soaked the front yard, he just kept saying….woaaaaw! He would look back at me, point, and again say woaaaw! So Jackie had the great idea of Callaway Gardens. We have been wanting to go for months. We kept putting it off, making excuses like, its too far, hes not old enough, it will be too exhausting. Well we almost did that again Friday, but we didn’t, and headed off Saturday morning.

We had an absolute blast, the weather was perfect, the flowers were blooming, and he just soaked it all up. It was woaaw this and wooaaw that with Desmond all day. He saw turtles and got to feed the fish, he even ate a little fish food himself, I was not surprised. We planned on doing bike rides, but did not. We will definitely plan on this next time, because we are for sure going back. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day. Enjoy!

Just a fun video to bring in the weekend. Desmond loves to chase, and be chased. Here he is chasing me. Have a great weekend everyone.

down, down, down I go.

So I have noticed a trend over the last few months, and its a hard reality really. My blog is taking a hit in stats, and the numbers are dropping more and more each week. I blame Oprah and Ashton. They single handedly sucked the coolness out of the internet last week. Actually just twitter. Sure I jumped on the wagon for a little bit and followed him. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, that lasted about 4 days. A word of advice, Ashton is not funny on twitter, and Oprah is a total noob, so much so that her 1st tweet had to be edited by twitter.com themselves. Seriously? Yes.

I love twitter to keep me updated with my friends, and family. I love my friends and family, and I love that they can make me laugh 140 characters at a time. Who is my favorite twitters? @kellyrutledge and  @hogi82 and why? Because I have no idea what is come out of their mouths next, they keeps it real YO.

So lets get into facebook, yes facebook is like twitter, but so much more. Actually its too much more at times. They have got to fix some things. Like the stupid apps, I mean who the heck wants to know What Flavor Jolly Rancher Defines You as a Person? or What TV Show Character Looks Like Your Dog? or What City Are You Most Likely to Fart in Next? I do not care! delete, delete, delete. It drives me crazy! I DO want to know what you are doing, and make it witty, make me smile, show me a picture, share your family, your struggles, your laughs, let me get to know you better for who you really are, this is what facebook is about. Connection, laughs and a daily dose of something new each day.

I have had a number of friend requests from people I only knew for half a second 10 years ago. I am sorry “blast from the past” but there is a check list you must pass before I can add you as a friend, and if you do not meet those requirements you will sit in my pending page until I get around to ignoring you completely. Delete

I think some people are in it for the numbers, some people have like 700+ friends. Seriously 700? Ok Ashton wanna be Kutcher. If you really know 700+ people, more power too you, that is awesome, I would hate to see your Christmas Card and stamps bill. Please do not think I am bashing facebook, I LOVE it. I love seeing status updates, and pictures of everyone, this is what I love the most, and chatting back and forth on comments of status updates. I am just worried about it turning into another myspace which I abandoned long long ago. Facebook, please fix the filters so I can have it the way I want it, take Burger Kings idea and give it to me my way. Thanks.

Anyway there is my rant for the year, nagoh.com is loosing the war on visitors, people want there info all in one place, and I can understand that, its just a sad day when I know nagoh.com doesn’t get the buzz it use to get. Maybe I should blame Obama to0, nagoh needs a stimulas package.

With about a week left in his lessons, you can see from the first week photos, to these photos he has come a long way! He is able to swim under water without problem, and has no problem holding his breath. It is pretty incredible to think he is doing more then I could do at that age, or more then what most adults can do now. We are both very proud of him!! He is our little fish. Next stop, finding Nemo.

One day last week we were unable to find the following items, two sippy cups, tivo remote, tv remote, tax paper work, socks, and a shoe. That evening when it was bath time, I go to turn on the water, and as I look into the bathtub, I see all of the above items. As I am reaching into the bathtub to fish all these things out, I am hit in the back of the head with a rubber ducky. You see Desmond it seems is into gathering things, and throwing them over the edge of something.

A few days ago I walk around the outside of the house and see random items laying under each window, again a sippy cup, paper work, vacuume cleaner parts, shoes, whatever he can find. If a window is open, either he is throwing something out it or he himself is trying to climb out it. He also now loves to climb things. Like stand on top of a box, or a toy or whatever is within reach. I think my child might be a squirrel! He likes to gather things, and climb things.

The reality of it is, the little baby has turned into a little boy, a little boy who goes vroom vroom at the sound of a truck driving by. He is all boy! It’s incredible to watch it unfold before my eyes each day. A new fun game he likes to play is running away from me. You see when its time for bed and the diaper gets changed, there is a moment there when I have to let go of him to get his jammies on. In that brief moment he is gone like a bullet, out the door and around the corner into the living room, around the kitchen, and up the hallway. He is ridiculously fast, and I am getting old.

The picture above was taken over Easter holidays, it was in the last post, but I wanted to use it again, because I think it symbolizes a milestone in his life. He is growing up and needing us a little less. He wants to explore, he wants to run away and see things for himself. It is exciting and sad at the same time. I know this chapter in his life and my life will be a recurring one. There will be other times when he runs away, and needs us less. This is just my first glimpse at it.

So the Easter Bunny came and went, and he did not let us down. Desmond had a blast! He knew right away that easter eggs are for picking up and throwing any direction his arm chooses. Usually they ended up being thrown up over and behind his head. It also did not take him long to figure out that you put an egg in a basket, and that there was also something sweet inside the eggs! Enjoy all the photos, as you can see he had a big time!

I really don’t have much to say, so here is a new video. Enjoy.