Spring has sprung....

Hi family and friends! We hope all is well with you and yours. We are enjoying this gorgeous Spring weather here in FL. Let's see, we have a lot to report on for the month of April...it was a VERY busy, fun month!!
First,just a couple of things I have experienced where I need to vent.... #1)I think grocery stores, Walmart, Target etc. need carts like Sams club has(where you can put 2 kids in the front seat or a toddler and the infant seat in the front) It's very difficult for one person to go shopping with more than one kid with the kind of carts the stores have. I think I'm going to write them and see if they will listen to me and make a change for people out there. Especially people that don't have help and HAVE to go shopping alone with their kids. Also, why can't they have a cart wash where you can put the carts through when your done to sanitize them for the next person. I have seen they have these somewhere(can't remember where) so why not everywhere? Have you seen how nasty, dirty these carts are?? Germs like Rotavirus(which Nicholas and I got a few months back) can be spread by someone not washing their hands and touching the cart and then you or your child touching it without sanitizing it .#2)Also, we went to the park today and there were moms and dads or whoever they were smoking right there around all the kids and us. I KNOW that we are outside, but I don't see how they can't wait till they leave the park to smoke, smoke before you get to the park OR walk somewhere away from the kids where you are down wind from all of us that don't want your smoke getting into our kids lungs or our lungs. Second hand smoke is worse than smoking yourself especially for children. Instead they sit or stand there with the wind blowing their smoke right in our faces. I use to be a smoker and so did Ray and I'm not downing it if someone smokes. I have family and friends that smoke and it doesn't make them bad people. Sometimes I miss it, but made the choice not to anymore once I got pregnant the first time. I was always mindful if others were around me and made a point to have manners and step away and make sure my smoke didn't blow in their face. Especially kids and pregnant women, but anyone deserves the respect of not having to leave the area, b/c they are there to play with their kids. It's not against the law to smoke outside, it would just be nice if they would just be mindful and have a little respect for our kids sake. I try not to start anything, but it is our job as parents to protect our children from things that will harm them. So there comes a time when something needs to be said. There is a nice way to go about it and so that's just what I did. To my surprise(and I was VERY surprised) they didn't have anything nasty to say to me and actually put out their cigarettes. If they talked behind my back....I really don't care, b/c the most important thing is our children. Okay, on to what all we did in the month of April....
Nicholas got his first haircut at the salon by none other than his daddy(Of course)! We did it the day before his birthday. Yes, Nicholas turned 2 this year! I just don't know where the time goes. Before we had our kids the time didn't seem to go by as fast. Now....it just flies right by us. This is why we soak up EVERY moment possible with our kids, b/c in a blink of an eye they will be off to college, getting married and having their own children(our grandchildren). Anyway, we had Nicholas' party at a park here in New Smyrna Beach. It was a beautiful day and everyone had fun! We had pizza and a CARS cake of course(If you know Nicholas he LOVES Cars & trucks, and LOVES the movie CARS). Rays mom came in from Ohio for his party and also to meet Olivia for the first time! It was nice to have her visit us. My mom wasn't able to make the party, b/c my sister in law booked her to go on a Disney cruise with their family. Mom had a blast! Brought back maraccas(spelled worng...sorry) for Nicholas and Olivia. Since mom keeps the kids while we work she always has them a little bday celebration at her house with their friends/family that she keeps also. We had it at our house this time though and her and Addy came over to celebrate with Olivia and Mom Cowan. At his bday party in the park he had a blast playing, eating and opening his gifts from everyone. He got lots of great things. His cousin Austin got him a CARS tent which was put up in his play area and now is in his room. You are a lucky person to be "allowed" in his tent too :o) His Nona got him a lawn mower with bubbles and he likes going outside and pushing that too. That's all he wants to do when we get his toys out when we spend time out in the backyard. His Papa and Granny got him the MACK trucks from the movie CARS and he's always playing with them too. At the party when he opened them he kept yelling"MACK,MACK,MACK!!" Thank goodness Inga was video taping for me, b/c I have that to look back on and laugh! :o) It was SO cute!! Aunt Heather got him a CARS watch which he loves to wear.
While Mom Cowan(Nona) was here we went down to the beach to check out the surf contest and let Olivia put her feet in the sand and water for the first time! She loved it. Nicholas was having so much fun just running around playing in the sand and water. We were just in our clothes so we ended up having to strip him down before getting in the van to go home :o)
Olivia turned 6 months in April so we went to JCPenny's and got her portrait done. We went ahead and did the whole fam and then one of just brother and sister. Nicholas only sat still for a total of 3 pictures. We are lucky we got what we did of him. Olivia did great! Ray picked out the colors for us to wear and what a good job he did with that, b/c they turned out great! Olivia also attended her first Eagle Soar Cole Scholarship fundraiser with us this year. It's an annual event that we attend for a good cause and we enjoy it! The Beu sisters perform there also and he just LOVES to hear them sing. He just sits in awe when they sing....there are a few pictures of him doing this in the April pics.
Easter was also this month. We did baskets for them both. Nicholas was too young his first Easter so we didn't really do baskets that year. This year he walked out and when he saw them got the cutest look on his face and went to check them out right away. The day before we colored eggs to hide on Easter. I didn't get pics of that, b/c I was hands on with him. I did set up our video camera and let it tape while we colored though. He enjoyed some of the candy in his basket and sisters, since she is too young for it anyway(wasn't interested in a lot of it....fine with us). Mostly mama and daddy got to enjoy the candy :o) When he went out to hunt for the eggs....he knew just what to do and did it well.Granny and Papa came over for some Easter egg hiding and hunting too! It was just him this year hunting for them since noone went to moms this year. But we had her over for Easter dinner and another hunt!
Aunt Charlene came to visit us a few times and we are getting to see her more often these days! We had cousin Briana's christening and Kaylee's 2nd bday party we went too this month too. Had fun at both parties! Went to watch Ian(his God brother) play soccer and had fun playing after the game with Ian! We also went to visit an old friend from school and her new baby boy with Aunt Charlene. We went in the pool there, which was Olivia's 1st time in the pool...she liked it! I took pics for Ray.
I have Olivia trying the sippy cup like I did with Nicholas so that she will be ready for it when the time comes. She's still doing really well nursing. She finally started eating the baby cereal and the fruits and vegs too! We have been hanging out in the backyard a lot and in the blowup pool Nicholas got for his birthday. We all LOVE it...can't wait for oneday when we can get an in ground one...this will do for now though! It's just as relaxing :o)
One last thing....we have started the potty training process!! Nicholas wears training underwear(big boy kind with some padding) with the plastic pants over them so it won't make as much a mess. He doing okay. Some days better than others, but we know boys usually take longer . He's still in his crib.....he hasn't tried climbing out yet. When he does then it will be time for the conversion of the crib to toddler bed! Let's hope that's still a little while down the road though :o)
Enjoy the pics(There are 2 April albums and 2 of the professional pics we have had done)and videos. Until next time.....take care and be well! Don't let life pass you by. Soak it all in and enjoy it!! Love to everyone.