Instead of sitting at home, being completely lazy, I figured it would be a good idea to do something. So, I asked a friend to join me in a trip to the zoo.

Alex had school, so I went back and forth thinking about taking him out of school or not. Should I let him enjoy the zoo for the first time this year? Or should I let myself enjoy taking pictures? It really, truly, was a tough call.

With the zoom lens Zach bought me for Christmas in hand, I made the decision to keep Alex in school. We dealt with the hot day and wandered around the busy, busy, zoo.

I felt some guilt as I looked at all of the animals. “Alex would love this!” I kept thinking. And he would have, but I wouldn’t have had the amazing opportunities to sit and take tons of pictures of animals. Alex never would have been willing to stand still while I click-click-clicked.

And I gotta say, it was totally worth the guilt.

The tigers! I had no idea that we have four tigers and that they do anything other than sleep and pace.

I picked Alex up early that day, and we looked through the pictures I took. He frowned, saying that he wished I had brought him with me. When I explained that literally all we did was take pictures? He was okay with that. “I don’t like when you take pictures. Pictures are boring.”

Now I just have to hope that the next time I go, this time with Alex, the polar bears are in the water. Because the polar bears were awesome.

(I took Alex out for ice cream that day. Any hard feelings were instantly gone.)

He will stay in the same room, with most of the same children, until the end of the summer.

But in the fall? In the fall he will move on. He will go one class up, to the “K-kids” classroom, with two new teachers and a Kindergarten curriculum. He will, as he is now, be the youngest in the class. And at the end of the year, he will have options. It is that option that makes me know that no matter what, everything will be okay.

After the “graduation ceremony,” he got to spend the rest of the day with his grandparents, with a new toy and the promise to play quietly while they both worked from home.

My little man, the preschool graduating class of 2012.

One last summer to go before I can can feel like I don’t need to put quotations around “school.” It really will be school.

Now, I love the heat. I don’t care that I turn into a sweaty, frizzy, mess. It doesn’t bother me that my face is instantly shiny. Who cares that I am less comfortable wearing summer clothes? I’ll take that over being cold any day.

Alex, however, seems to have taken Zach’s stance on the whole heat-issue: extreme hatred.

I’ve never heard a kid complain so loudly about the heat. “The sun is too hot. I don’t like being outside when it’s hot out. It makes me too sweaty. The sun hurts my eyes!” All in a super whiny, gonna-rip-my-hair-out, voice. He just doesn’t like it.

So, what am I to do on a day when all I want to do is be outside and all Alex wants to do is be in air conditioning?

Run an errand to the hardware store and buy a sprinkler!

Problem solved.

It’s amazing that something so cheap could bring so much joy and hours of fun. Of course, the first thing Alex said after running through it, giggling and smiling, was, “Mommy, this isn’t as fun as Alexis’ water thingy.”

But he very quickly forgot about the existence of the coolest inflatable water slide ever.

Who knew water flying into the sky and then falling back down could be that entertaining?

Eight bucks well spent.

I’ve taken at least 2 pictures every day for the last two weeks now. A few days were last minute “oh-my-god-I-need-to-take-some-picture” days. Many days were just me taking pictures of…life.

Life happens, and it’s pretty cool.

Even the most mundane thing has been on my camera these days. I used to only take pictures of events. Now I just capture.

So, Project 365 is a go. I think I can state that two weeks in I’m pretty happy so far.

Alex, on the other hand, is not. “Don’t take my picture! I don’t want that camera here!”

He really doesn’t enjoy the camera in his face. At best, he will look at me and make a funny face.

At worst, he just runs away each and every time I put the camera up to my face.

But that’s okay.

His butt is pretty cute.

Needless to say, in comparison I always look like crap. Utter crap. Even on the days when I try to get dressed up, when I blow dry my hair and put on make up, I still look like I just can’t get it together. I do my best to look cute, to look like I care about what I look like. (You know, I secretly desire to be a MILF. Shhh. Don’t tell!) When you can’t fit into 3/4 of your clothes, though, you have problem numero uno. When you find something to put on, but you have to compete with a baby wearing an adorable hat and shorts that match, you have problem numero dos. And numero dos is a big problem.

But how can I compete?

How can you not love a teeny tiny polo? Or teeny tiny Converses? Seriously, this kid has it made in the style department. Here I am, not quite a slob but definitely not looking my best, next to him, wearing his Rugby Polo:

Although, to be honest, he isn’t always well dressed. Take yesterday morning for example:

No pants and only one sock and he still beat me on the cuteness factor. Not much can compete with a baby, I’ve learned.

Not only was it very pretty, if I do say so myself, but it was delicious, too! I actually made two of them. One full sized one, pictured, and two small ones. They were a perfect way to celebrate!

In true American celebratory spirit, I also drank a bit too much. Yesterday morning my brain was not happy with my behavior the night before and decided to take it out on my temples and eyeballs. Becoming a Mother seems to have aged me very quickly.

In other news, Alex may be the next Schwarzenegger:

…or maybe not. I don’t think Arnold ever ate his weights.

Showing off all of his teeth. There are now 8, four on the bottom and four on the top. My guess is that the molars aren’t far off, because he’s putting everything in the back of his mouth and chomping these days. And the drool. Oh the drool!

Alex already loves Catch Phrase. He’s going to fit into the family so well as he gets older! Once he’s old enough, he, too, can turn it into a fun game to play while you are having some drinks.

Always a curious child. (There was nothing under there, in case you were wondering.)

Every time I see this picture, I just imagine what’s going through his head: “I have the giraffe! If you don’t give me 2 bananas in the next five minutes he’ll be gone!”

Right after I took this picture, I found something in his mouth. I have no idea what it was, or where he got it. He was not amused when I dug my fingers in his mouth to retrieve it.

“Babies are such a nice way to start people.”

9 hours that Alex spent sleeping on the drive from Pittsburgh to Boston overnight

1 amazing lunch in Harvard Square with the wonderful Sarah and her boyfriend, Andy

1 night out on the town with Sarah and a few friends

200 ounces of beer shared between five people in a beer “tower”

3 tiny little finger nails that drew blood on the side of my nose (thanks, Alex)

2 people that ended up whimpering because of that scratch

9 hours in the sun in New Hampshire at a family gathering

200 hugs and kisses for all of the family members

5 short naps for Alex throughout the day

30 sips from a straw in a juice box at Legal Sea Food by Alex

6 pictures taken of the first juice box adventure

13 hours spent coming back to Pittsburgh from Boston

7000 tears shed by Alex on the drive back from Boston

3 million calories eaten on the drive to Boston and back (thank you Wendy’s and McDonald’s!)

1 new (to us!) Honda Pilot

]]> http://allisonsays.com/2008/06/23/vacation-by-the-numbers-and-pictures/feed/ 6 allisonbarton Posing with Sarah in front of a beer truck "Walking" with Andy Alex being cute in his outfit