Just a quick update now that we are half way through the year. Project 365 is {surprisingly} still going strong. I've skipped a day here and there but I doubt I've missed more than a handful of days. Some days pictures are more important, creative or memorable than others but each picture is a true look into our daily lives. I love being able to look back on our year and am so happy that I decided to dive into this project. I'm also happy that I put that blog on private as I feel I can be more real. Since this is an update and nothing last week is considered a security risk, I'll post the past weeks pictures as an example of a typical week.

June 28, 2010
I've been toying with the idea of {trying to} potty train Colin during my vacation. Truthfully I'm not sure he's ready yet so I kept pushing the idea away. I read an article about potty training this morning and figured what the heck. So on came the underwear. I made two signs and had him help me hang them on the back of the bathroom door. Clearly he was excited about his "Colin car" underwear and his signs.

June 27, 2010 First picture with the 5 cousins.

June 26, 2010
I couldn't choose just one picture.
This one is again another camera picture but I love how Colin wanted to join in and help Daddy and Grandpa.
but I also loved this one. While it isn't the greatest picture we took, I love how you can see how wet Colin is. He was much less timid this time at the Splash pad. He had such a great time that he didn't even want to get ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa afterwards. Just wanted to keep playing in the water

June 25, 2010
Mike drove to Detroit to help his Dad move. Here's a quick camera phone picture showing them hard at work.

June 24, 2010
Colin and I enjoyed dinner outdoors while Mike was working late.

June 23, 2010
Colin helped me bake banana muffins. He loved dipping his fingers in the batter just "one more time."

June 22, 2010
I loved seeing Colin's class' bathing suits all lined up outside.

Time flies. There's no doubt about it. It seems to fly even faster since Colin was born. Can you believe June is almost over?

I do not want this summer to fly; I don't want to make it to the end of August and wonder what the heck we did. Even more so, I don't want to make it to the end of summer wishing we had done more things. I want to be intentional about doing some fun things together. So I decided to make a Summer Fun Jar.
I came up with a small list of things we could do together. Each paper has a different idea and each day we pick a new one to do. Some examples: build a tent in the backyard, go get ice cream with Daddy, make a pinata, make musical instruments, make green eggs and ham. As new ideas come to me or new interests develop, I'll add ideas.
This morning I wrote them out on colored paper, had Colin fold them up and toss them into the jar. Each free day, I'll have Colin pull out a piece of paper. Since he's only 2 and can't read, I can do a switch-a-roo when needed depending on the weather and temperaments.I can't wait to see what he pulls out for tomorrow!

More funnies from my funny man ...

Background: Colin loves to shake people's hands at church. I mean LOVES to shake hands. We are on our way to church:
Colin: shake hands
Mommy: yup, we can shake hands
silence
Colin: How are you? Thats what man says. Yeah. How are you? That's what the man says.
Mommy: laughs. What does Colin say?
Colin: Hi man. Colins happy. That's what Colin says. Yeah - thats what Colin says.
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Fast forward to getting to church. New greeter this morning.
Greeter: Hi little buddy. High 5?
Colin: Shake hands. Colin sooooooooooooo happy
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First picture with all 5 of the cousins... Ethan, Norah, Micah, Colin, and Alexander

Colin loves calling his beloved Paityn. Here's one of his many phone calls.

More pictures of what we've been doing the past few days...

He's a Daddy.

A Good Night Moon reader. A horsey ride giver. A human jungle gym.

He's a Daddy.

A teeth brusher. A banana peeler. A time-out keeper.

He's a Daddy.

A singer. A dancer. A drum.

He's a Daddy.

A bubble bath giver. A tower builder. A race car partner.

He's a Daddy.

A jumper. A pair of shoulders to ride. A laugher.

He's a Daddy.

A hugger. A kisser. A everything-will-be-alright-er.

He's a Daddy.

A teacher. A prayer say-er. A owie fixer.

He's a Daddy.

A early morning riser. A Curious George fan. A sleep deprived man.

He's your Daddy.

Your hero. Your biggest cheerleader. Your protector.

He's your Daddy, Colin. The man who will love you no matter what. Colin, we are incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful man in our lives. Happy Father's Day babe. We love you more than these simple words can say.

{Picture: Father's Day 2008}

We've been spending alot of time doing a little of this ...
and a little of this ...
mixed in with a little of this ...
and this ...
and a whole lot of this ...

ahhhh summer how we have missed you and happily welcome you back.

I bought this little beauty a few weeks ago.

First attempt - Cake Batter Ice Cream




Second attempt - no pictures. I rushed the cooling process in hopes for making two batches so I could show off my wonderful ice cream making skills for Sunday dinner. It tasted fine but the texture wasn't right. No pictures.

Third attempt. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! Delish!!! Mike loved it and keeps asking if he can go get more from the freezer

Hmmm what to make next?

Recent conversations:

Mommy: Colin where are your listening ears?
Colin: hiding
Mommy: apparently
Colin: yup. a-berrily Mommy.

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Before school the other morning I showed him two pairs of shorts.
Mommy: Colin do you want to wear these shorts or these shorts?
Colin: ummm ::pointing at his bathing suit:: bathing soup
Mommy: suit baby. it's bathing suit, not soup
Colin: noooo silly Mommy. bathing SOUP!

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We took Colin to Big M (aka McDonalds) which is a rare and big deal for this 2 year old. He sits down to pray and says extremely loud: "GOD is GREAT. (quieter but still loud) Thank you for Daddy and Big M and Mommy :pause: car and french fries and man walking fast and Colin. Amen"

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Mommy: Do you want to watch George or Mickey Mouse?
Colin: Mickey Mouse
Mommy: ok
Colin: I like Mickey Mouse. I LIKE Mickey Mouse! I like it, I like it. I liiiiiiiiiike it! I like Mickey Mouse!

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Colin: ice cream please
Mommy: we aren't having ice cream today
Colin: ice cream please
Mommy: Colin, Mommy said we aren't having ice cream today. You had ice cream yesterday at Grandmas house
Colin: Grandma's House? OK!
Mommy: well we aren't going to Grandma's house today
Colin: Colin go to Grandma's house and eat ice cream. ok!
-runs off to grab his sandals

Colin LOVES bubbles. They play them often at daycare and he always excited talks about him and Paityn or him and Jack will "POP! them with hands!" When he gets home, he often and frequently asks to play bubbles. So needless to say, we've been playing alot of bubbles in the backyard lately. He alternates from using this cute Monkey bubble blower to wanting us to use good ole fashion bubbles from a bottle. Here's a few pictures from the other night.

Colin's daycare had a Summer Kick-Off Carnival tonight. Each classroom had a few different carnival games and each kid was given tickets to use towards those games or food. Colin had a fantastic time and a few {literally only a few this time} pictures were taken.

For whatever reason it won't be upload two videos in the same post. I've tried like 3 times. Annoying! The video in the next post down was taken first. I love how he randomly said Mike needed "to get home and give Colin a kiss" but I wasn't sure if I'd use that video. So I asked him in this video what was going to happen when Daddy got home. There's some prodding in this video but he actually looked at the camera a few times which is why I liked this one and because he kinda explained who Mike was. Silly kid! Also check out his 'tude at the end of this video!

I took a couple of these videos and couldn't choose just one. Backstory: Mike called to say he was coming home. I told Colin that he could stand by the window and would be able to see him come home. I went into the kitchen to stir something and walked into his room to see him sitting on top of his storage unit! I grabbed the flip camera to ask him what he was doing and he screamed "Daddy! Mike!" I am not uploading that first video but he says it in the other videos too. The funniest part of him saying Mike is that I hadn't said the name/word Mike all day and I rarely even call Mike by his name.