the lazy hazy dayz of summer

i am finally having the chance to sit down and write a recap of the past week. about four days late according to my husband, who has been expecting daily blog updates so he could see pictures of bennett while we were gone.

the whole fam went to the beach this past weekend, which appears to be our last beach trip for quite awhile. i decided earlier this month that bennett and i would also stay and spend the week at the beach. it is his {and my!} last week of no mothers day out, and stephen had a two day business trip to new york so he would be gone anyway.

we actually only had one night completely by ourselves: stephen and the rest of the fam left sunday, erin and ben stayed over sunday night, and friends came down for monday night. i thought i would stay until thursday, but decided to come back yesterday. which was great timing bc the rain is back :)

the weather was intoxicating the entire week - cool breezes, cloudless skies, calm seas {at least right off shore}.

i have a plethora of pictures, and i would apologize for posting so many but that apology would be in vain since i know thats why 99% of you come read this blog anyway...pictures are the best part!

being a big boy, eating fruit loops

playing in my fort, my new favorite thing to do

spur of the moment stop at the public beach after an invigorating trip to publix {i love that place}. it was out of a movie. sun setting, acoustic band just playing down the beach a ways, people with blankets and wine, kids flying kites, my baby marveling at the white sand. yogurt and sandwich meat and produce all-the-while melting in the car, but at a decelerated speed due to the amazing weather.

bennett's first trip to the beach since last year....trying to figure out how to walk

my fave

there were flecks on my lens that were driving me crazy. act like you dont see them...

cause eyelash pictures are pretty

and so are chubby baby legs

took the boys {bennett, steele, harper} on a boat ride on saturday while the entire family was out fishing. i dont know why i think i can do these things...bennett screaming crying thinking i am leaving him while i am letting the boat off the lift, steel so excited his legs were melting, harper so frantic that he jumps in the water and heads straight to the running motor, to then be lifted onto the boat and shake salt water all over everything. BUT we did see dolphins {or porpoises as we call them, so as not to be confused with dolphin the fish {mahi mahi}} and were some of the only people on the river. and bennett was leaning in on me the entire time, which made for some great quality mama-baby time.

can you ever have too many yogurt pics? {the answer is no}

monday night my friends sarah beth, jill and rose came down for the night. we had a blast staying up way past our bedtimes {thank you julia childs - see below} and watching rose and bennett interact.

rose and bennetts first co-ed bath. they kept copying each other - splashing, laughing, etc. bennett was loving having "baybee rooh" spend the night. he wanted to do everything she did: she would be sitting with a pillow behind her on the floor, and he would go grab himself a pillow and sit right next to her. she sucks on two fingers, he tried to suck on his two fingers {didnt like it much}. he wanted to hold her, and he kissed her every chance he got. she just sat and smiled at him. they are bff's i believe. bffaeae.

we decided to attempt julia child's beef bourguignon. we attempted this bc we

a)are crazy

b)apparently are crazy and

c)bc we like to eat

i have to say, it was delicious, very very delicious. but it took about 6 hours and honestly, i think there MUST be a quicker, easier way to the same results. there MUST be.

i had to take a picture bc this trick really does work and i have never done it before: dry off the meat and it will brown perfectly!! true.

um, yum

bathing beauty. {jill let me know if you dont want your half naked babe gracing the internet... i would be happy {but sad} to take it down. she is too much!!!}

all i can say is that yes, it is real folks. i need to find a pic of me at his age, bc mine looked just like it.

bennett's first skinned knee. {i tried to write "skint" - like i say it - but it informed me that was not a word. what do i know. im from the south and i say it IS a word} he tripped coming back from lunch and after initial shock and pain, started waving to his knee saying through tears "mama, byebye bobo. *sniff*tear* bybye bobo." i literally melted right there on the pavement. i wish i could make it go away babe, i really truly do.

and then he decided he must kiss the bobo {bc we are firm believers that it makes all things better}

dining al fresco

this little critter met his demise on the front porch. and i had to photograph it. not a huge fan of creepy crawly insects {mainly the roach-y type....ok literally just had a head/neck twitch reaction to me even typing it. uck yuck ew} but i do love {for some reason} dead insects {except those previously mentioned. i dont like those ever. ever}. or pictures of insects. and this baby was too pretty not to photograph. i mean, look at all that detail!

yep, more yogurt. and more bennett looking at the camera when i ask him too. it is something he basically refuses to do these days. it is a b.i.g. d.e.a.l. round here when he does.

tuesday night we packed up a picnic dinner and headed to a nearby beach. not the public beach, bc i was a little wary of public beach go-ers. since it was just me and b.

so i went over to my inlaw's condo's beach, where a gaggle of women were nearby playing cards and drinking margaritas. i thought they would be good backup if any sketchy "public" happened our way. good thing we didnt see, or get within 200yds of another human being the entire time.

the beach was ours..and yes, that is the gulf of mexico. hard to believe

im not a large fan of the sand-and-body-combo...never have been. im pretty girly in that way - was never the kid who ran down to the waves and rolled in the sand. or even sat in the sand. ewww. but it sure does feel good between your toes!

look mama i can do it too! actually, "mo mama mo mama" {more mama, more mama}

i borrowed an umbrella from some nearby deserted chairs...and it just looked so purdy. but i have a thing for blue and white...and sunsets...and the beach...and....

there was a lot of this going on

6 o'clock shadow {where is daddy and his backwards-facing razor when you need them?}

the spread: turkey cheese and yellow mustard sandwiches, strawberries and grapes, goldfish, and a cookie {note to self: strawberries are m-e-s-s-y}

byebye beach

and it is good to be home...