Buzz Lightyear

When we got to Florida, Carter became slightly obsessed with Buzz Lightyear.  I'm not sure when the obsession began.  We have a handful of Toy Story toys at home and have all the movies.  A couple of weeks before our vacation the boys got a new Toy Story toy that included a Buzz figure but while Carter liked it and him, he wasn't obsessed.

In the parks, we did the Toy Story rides and saw the characters in the parades.  Carter was excited about everything but seemed most excited about those things (especially Buzz Lightyear).

We weren't extremely strict about the furniture in the hotel room like we are at home because there is only so much space in the room to play and we only brought a handful of toys.  Anyway, Carter started standing of the arm of the sofa and jumping onto the couch while saying "To infinity and beyond!" (which is what Buzz Lightyear says).  He would do this over and over and over again.

And he still says it (this is a video from today at the zoo) ...

On our second day at Magic Kingdom (I'm working on that post now, promise), I saw a short line for Buzz in the Tomorrowland area.  I knew Carter had to meet the character he was imitating all week.  When we got in line, Carter wasn't so sure.  He kept asking me if he was real (I wasn't sure what he wanted to hear so I gave the honest explanation of it's a guy dressed up as Buzz).

When it was our turn, Carter was SO EXCITED.  He went up to Buzz, gave him a five, and told him, "To infinity and beyond!"  Carter was so proud of himself.  These pictures show it all.  I'm so glad to have this little series!

All Boys

Unlike in Knoxville, almost all our playdates here are with boys.  Today we went to the zoo with Missy and Jen and their kids.  Missy got this picture of the boys checking out the fish (Rylan, Carter, Luke, Will, & Chase) ...

We had a few families over for dinner on Saturday night and again we had all boys - Silas (Dana & Jason's newborn), Charlie (Rylan's friend - we don't get to see him much now that Kelly went back to work), and Will & Luke.

Carter makes up for all the boys though by only talking about girls from school.  Lately it's been all Sarah Kate (instead of Sophie - oh no!).

Here are a few other pictures from the playground at the zoo today.  Carter decided to go all the way up the cargo net for the first time ever.  I think he gained his confidence from the ones in Disney - they are much easier to go up because they are a lot tighter.

After Carter went up, Will decided to try and also got all the way up ...

Carter had to wear his gymnastics medals today (both the one from awards earlier in the week and the one he got at his birthday party).  Here he is posing on the hippo ...

Preschool Pictures

On the last day of school, Carter's teachers gave the kids a sand bucket filled with a few toys (a ball, watercolors set, some temporary tattoos, a pair of sunglasses) and a photo album filled with pictures they had taken during the year.

The first day of school (I think) ...

On the playground in the fall ...

The day the fire truck was at school ...

Carter apparently had some funny ways of napping.  Eventually he (as did a lot of the kids) started sleeping inside his mat cover directly on the mat.

The day the kids collected leaves for an art project ...

They didn't truly celebrate Halloween (the kids weren't allowed the wear costumes), but this was their fall celebration day ...

Thanksgiving celebration ...

Random day in winter ...

Christmas celebration ...

The day Carter and Sophie shared her Pillow Pet at nap ...

Valentine's Day ...

"P" is for Pajamas day ...

Spirit Week (the kids were supposed to dress wacky - Carter had his pants turned inside out) ...

Look at the hold Carter has on Sophie!!!

The day the kids made their "wind kites", as Carter called them ...

Dancing with Sophie ...

The day Carter was line leader and brought his safari hat for show and tell ...

Tired Boy

Rylan really can nap just about anywhere ...

These are the seats attached to the new carts at Target.  I was a little worried that Rylan would slip out somehow, but he was fine.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is almost over for Carter.  He has one more class next Monday.  Today they let the parents come in and watch the preschool class from the gym (instead of just through the window in the waiting area).

First the kids stretched.

Then was the first of two courses.

And here was the second course.

Next they worked on their jumps on the trampoline.

Then they did some jumps on the trampoline runway.

Last was the awards ceremony.  Each of the kids got a medal and also a paper saying which skills they had mastered (they did two weeks of testing a few weeks ago).

I have no idea what a lot of these are, but these are the skills Carter has mastered:

Vault Jumps:
1. Straight Jump
2. Chasse
3. Running
4. Jump on / Jump off (Board)
5. Hurdle (One Foot to Two Feet)
6. Hurdle (One Foot to Two Feet) Board

Bars:
1. Touch Toes to Bar
2. 3 Tuck Swings
3. Chin-up @ Wall
4. Forward Roll

Beam:
1. Bunny Hops
2. Jump Dismount
3. Bear Walks

Floor:
1. Spider Walk Handstand
2. Jumps over Mat w/ Hands
3. Cartwheel

Positions:
1. Jump & Stick
2. Lunge
3. Squat
4. Knee Scale

Carter has loved gymnastics.  He is always trying to do handstands on the couch and practice other skills.  I didn't sign him up for summer and I think we're going to try to do soccer in the fall, but I do think he'll be doing it again at some point.

Recent Pictures

Last Friday we met Lauren with Sophie (Carter's friend from school) and Blake at Monkey's Treehouse.  Carter loved climbing up and down the cargo net but that meant Rylan also wanted to do it.  He's a bit too small right now - there were only a few falls (there is a gym mat underneath it).

I'm not sure Sophie liked Carter's outfit as much as he did ...

On Saturday morning I took the boys to Missy's house for Will's birthday party.  They rented a bounce house for the day that they put up next to their playset (which is what my boys played on most of the time).  Here they are swinging with Heather's son (Dowden).

The birthday boy with his Thomas cake ...

After the party we took the boys to Home Depot with Brian's parents to do their Kids' Workshop.  This week's project was a planter.  The boys LOVE getting to paint their projects.  Again, Carter only used orange paint.

I was finally able to get Rylan to put on his apron and that mostly saved his shirt.

We were off schedule the whole weekend and Rylan never got real naps.  On Saturday Rylan fell asleep on Brian watching a movie before dinner.  I ended up picking him off of Brian and moving him to the living room rug where he continued to sleep until we woke him up an hour later.

On Sunday afternoon we were playing in the family room.  I left the room for a minute and came back to find Rylan passed out on the rug again.

He slept through dinner, again.

And a couple of pictures from yesterday afternoon ...