Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Animal Kingdom!

Andy, Reid, and I enjoyed our second trip to Animal Kingdom as a family this past weekend. We went when Reid was younger, but it was nice to see how much more he was able to interact with us and with the world around him on this trip. We watched the Nemo show and the Lion King show, ate at Restaurantosaurus, visited Donald Duck, waved to Goofy and Pluto, etc. Reid and Andy rode the twirling triceratops ride, and Reid dug in the sand pit and rode down the slide at Dino Land. We also walked through a jungle trek in Africa, and Reid loved seeing the gorillas, monkeys, and fish most of all. He was particularly drawn to the gorillas and told us immediately upon seeing one that "Gorilla sad." Soon afterwards, he told us the gorillas were happy and that they like to eat grass, but his initial comment was heartbreaking and warming at the same time. We told him that gorillas eat "bamboo, leaves, and fruit" (thanks, google), and he was very excited to learn that gorillas like fruit just like him! Another thing that excited him during our trip- his new bubble wand. It plays Little Mermaid music and spits out an obnoxious amount of bubbles at the same time. Sensory overload if you ask me, but Reid can't get enough. Speaking of sensory overload, it was a beautiful day and Animal Kingdom was pretty crowded, so Andy and I really enjoyed our serene walk through Asia's jungle trek during Reid's nap time. It was a peaceful respite in the middle of some true Disney chaos. The chaos had its own charm, though - anything for our boy!
Reid cheesin' on the train on our way to the park
Although we didn't make it to Rainforest Cafe this time, Reid was happy to pose for a picture in front of the animal sign.
Hugs for Donald Duck!


Watching the gorillas- safe in daddy's arms...
More gorillas- Reid really loved watching them.
The bubble wand- it seemed like a good idea at the time...
Reid was totally captivated during the entire Lion King show.




Thursday, January 25, 2018

Things to Remember

I get so caught up in my daily routine that I often forget to write down the funny things Reid does and the ways he has grown. Andy and I talk about new things Reid does and how cute and smart he is on a daily basis. However, taking the time and effort to write them down is a different story. Yes, I have baby books. Yes, I have this blog. And yes, I have numerous other ways of tracking Reid's developmental victories. BUT, life is very, very busy. And Andy and I are often very tired and preoccupied with enjoying Reid in real life, rather than worrying about stopping in the middle of playtime to document the life we have been enjoying and trying to soak in (in between toddler temper tantrums, frazzled evenings, and never ending to-do lists). Here are some things Reid has been loving lately.

MUSIC. Reid has a love of all things musical. His Honeybells teachers tell us that he is always front and center during music class, and he loves singing along to every word. He emulates this at home by asking to play his "'tar" (guitar) throughout the day, as well as breaking out his "'monica" and singing himself to sleep at night. Often, he asks for his "'tar" first thing in the morning and on the way home from school in the evenings. He likes when Andy or I (or anyone, probably) plays guitar with him. He also loves listening to Winnie-the-Pooh, Moana, and Frozen songs on repeat. Recently, he has shown an interest in Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds." Although he still loves books, he also started asking Andy and me to sing him songs at bedtime. Some favorites are "Jesus Loves Me" and "Twinkle Twinkle," in addition to the ever present "Winnie-the-Pooh."  When we sing "Twinkle Twinkle," he turns on his moon and stars nightlight (if it wasn't already on) and points up at the stars. When we sing "Jesus Loves Me," he sings along merrily, and even changes his voice to deep husky tone when singing "He is stroooong."  Christmas tunes like "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" are still going strong, as well as "Happy Birthday" (almost always to "Gandma"- Grandma). Such a funny little dude.

SCOOTER. Reid still loves his scooter, and he even knows how to "scooty" with both feet on the scooter. He especially loves when his cousins come along for the ride and will often "scooty" over to the Clarks' house to see if Dylan or Ellison are home to go with him. Twice, he took his scooter to Dommerich's playground with Dylan, and I am still fielding random requests to go "on scooty to paygound with Dylan" (intentional mis-spelling). He is also pretty good at stopping and waiting for cars and letting us know if "car coming." If any other cousins want to come over and go "scooty" with Reid- please do!

WINNIE THE POOH. Reid's love for Winnie-the-Pooh has barely fizzled, if at all. He loves Pooh Bear and Tigger the best, although he will sing about any and all of the characters. He has toy figurines and will take them in to the shower or bath to clean them at night, he sleeps with a stuffed Pooh and/or Tigger, and he listens to the soundtrack on repeat. We recently watched our first Doc McStuffins episode and it was about saving and fixing a "fy-ing Pooh Bear" a.k.a. Pooh Bear after a bunch of balloons whisked him away. Now, Reid has watched the "fy-ing Pooh Bear" at least 3 times. Reid also loves honey and will remind us that Pooh Bear eats honey whenever he has an opportunity. He also tells us that he "yikes" (likes) honey like Pooh Bear.

FRUIT. Reid pretty much starts and ends his day with fruit, every.single.day. Strawberries are the current favorite, although the offer of any fruit will get him smiling. He is even back to eating bananas, which he stopped eating for a while. "Mingos" (mangos) are another favorite, especially when frozen. And, of course, "boo-berries" (blueberries) remain a must-have.




Beaman Christmas 2017




           Beaman Christmas 2017 began with a delicious Christmas Eve dinner at Palmer with our traditional crew (Laura, Brett, Aunt Joann + the regulars) and wrapped up with a waffle breakfast at Choctaw's inaugural Christmas day brunch. For the past 33 years, my parents have hosted both Christmas Eve and Christmas Breakfast at their home. While wonderful, I felt like it was time to pass the torch. I'm not quite ready to host Christmas Eve, but we have gladly assumed Christmas Day duty. Of course, having my sisters bring egg casserole and my mom bring some items (cranberry muffins!) helped ease the hosting duties. Also, Andy and I invested in a waffle maker, so a large portion of the food consisted of make-your-own waffles. Kids were hyper, parents were tired, and everybody was happy and full (I hope)! Cheers!
Reid basking in the glory of a Palmer Christmas Eve!

Fast asleep and waiting on Santa (complete with new Christmas pajamas and Olaf)

   


Friday, January 5, 2018

Layden Family Christmas 2017

Reid and I had a great time celebrating Christmas (on the 23rd) in Sun City Center. Unfortunately, Andy spent his day on the couch fighting a fever, but we were able to facetime with him throughout the day. Next year, he is not allowed to get sick over the holidays!

We started off our road trip with Uncle Aaron and Aunt Dom, which made the drive to Sun City Center much more enjoyable. Plus, we stopped at Starbucks on the way, and Reid was able to enjoy some bagel poppers while hanging in the backseat with mom (me). Don't mess with Reid's bagel poppers!

We arrived at Sun City Center right around Reid's naptime, and he took a quick snooze in the driveway before joining the party. With the exception of another afternoon nap later in the day, Reid's day was filled with fun. In addition to spending time with cousin Gage and running around the golf course with Uncle Aaron, Reid was able to spend time on Apa's shoulders, enjoy Nee Nee's delicious food, and open lots and lots of presents. He especially loved the legos he received from Uncle Scotty/Gage and the guitar he received from Uncle Aaron and Aunt Dom. I'm sure he will get a lot of use out of the obstacle course he received from Apa and Nee Nee, too! Oh, and I think his favorite food this year was the cranberry relish. Lucky little boy!