I can't believe that Marin is 2 1/2 now. It is November already. Where has the time gone? I'll be 33 this month. That is just crazy.

Marin has gotten so funny lately. I need to keep a notebook handy, so I can quickly jot down the things he says and does before I forget them all. Here are a few of the ones I can remember from the past week.
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We're at the ice rink watching the Zamboni cut the ice. Marin picks up the handle of a shovel and asks with great sincerity, "This Coach Korn's?"

Coach Korn is the Nashville Predators Goal Tending Coach. I'm pretty sure that the answer is no little buddy. :)
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When asked what he'd like for dinner tonight: "Ummm, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Cones."
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After collecting his candy at each house last night during trick-or-treating, he politely thanks each person then runs back to us saying, "I want MORE candy!"
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When I told him I was going to go take a shower today and that he needed to come with me to the bathroom he says, "No shower! Not a stinky mommy!"
(well, that's good I guess. ha!)
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While attempting to dry him after a bath, he takes the towel out of my hands and starts drying his own face with it because, "Nashville Predators do it like this."
(after seeing hockey players dry their faces and visors off during games).
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He caught a puck at the Predators game this past weekend and every day he brings it to me and says, "Ryan Suter give this to you."
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He's picked up the really nasty habit of spitting. Hockey players spit on the ice during games.
Guess who thinks that is the greatest thing ever......It lands Marin in time out every time. As he runs to his time out spot he says, "No spitting. Only in sink brush teeth." Five minutes later, he's spitting on the floor again. Gross!
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The only thing more exciting than having an unlimited supply of candy to a 2.5 year old on Halloween is discovering that the automatic garage door will indeed lift you off your feet if you hold onto it as it opens. This scares the ever loving *hit out of your mother and causes you to die in a fit of laughter. Luckily, you have enough sense to let go while you are only 2 feet off the ground instead of level with the roof line. Ahhhh, boys.....

As you all well know, Marin doesn't look a lot like me. He looks like his daddy. Apparently though, he did inherit some of my acting skills.

When I was a little girl, I used to say that McDonald's french fries would make me feel better if I was sick. My dad would load me up in the car and we'd go get them. I'd smile at my mom over his shoulder, as he carried me to the car since I was too weak to walk. :)

During Marin's bout with the fever this morning, he was standing by the refrigerator looking all pitiful. I said, "Do you feel bad baby?" He croaks out a pathetic, "Yes." As I'm hugging and petting on him while Matthew looks on, Marin says, "Juice make it feel better."

Matthew and I start dying laughing and he says, "That's you with the french fries!" Of course I got that baby some apple juice and carried him over to the couch to sit on my lap. All the while, he's grinning like a fool at the both of us. That's my boy!

Nothing gets under my skin more than a blog that is never updated. So, I've let a month pass since I last updated this one. That's just sad.

Everything that I talked about in my last post is old news. I guess most of my readers here also read Marin's blog. Marin's blog has all the good pictures. Mine has the commentary.

The beach trips were both great. We really enjoyed the last of the hot weather down in Pensacola Beach. Marin had to be literally dragged out of the pool each evening. We also enjoyed our time with Matthew's parents at Myrtle Beach. Their condo was beautiful and Marin didn't let the cooler weather keep him out of the pool. I was less brave and opted for the hot tub. :) The aquarium was enjoyed by all and I think the sharks were the biggest hit with Marin.

The yard sale back in September was a big success. I donated all of the proceeds towards our Pensacola Beach trip. It was enough to get us an extra night there!

Marin has found a new love to go with his old love of Zambonis. A John Deere Tractor. He got to ride behind one on a hay ride at a pumpkin patch. Apparently, 2 half hour trips around the farm were not enough to suit him because we are going back again soon.

Marin is not feeling well today (fever) so he took a nap. Naturally, as soon as I booted up this computer and got onto the blog, he woke up. He's now screaming "ALL DONE" at the top of his lungs as he wants me to quit blogging and hold him. The 3 foot dictator has spoken, so I'll talk to you all sooner than later (hopefully).

Most years, I dread fall. I'm a summer kind of gal. But, when you throw in 100 plus degree weather nearly every day, I'm over it this year. I'm totally ready for fall.

We've had fantastic weather the past week and it just looks like it will get better. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70 and sunny. I'm so thankful for the cool down because it means that I can take Marin outside without cooking him. He really enjoys the park and we've been spending a lot of time there lately. He doesn't even seem too bummed that the pool is closed anymore, though he does still ask about it.

There are a few other things that have me pretty psyched.

1) The community wide yard sale for our neighborhood is this Saturday. I always set up to sell Marin's outgrown clothes. Plus, 2 of my good friends from college usually join me in hawking the wares, which is a huge bonus. We sit on the driveway and gossip all morning. Plus, we make money doing it. The sale draws people from all over Nashville, since there are so many homes that participate. It is a lot of fun.

2) We are going on a trip. Actually, 2 trips. Both of them to the beach. Marin is really excited about our trips too, which makes me grin. He randomly says, "Go beach, dig sand". When I showed him pictures of the hotel pool, he nearly lost it. All he kept saying was, "BIG pool! Go in there!" I'm sure there will be many pictures on Marin's blog of these getaways.

3) The first pre-season Nashville Predators game is in 5 days. Not that I'm counting or anything.

4) We have ordered Marin's Halloween costume. I'm hoping it is as cute as it looks online. I'm not sure if we'll post pictures of him in it before the big day, but we are going to have portraits of him made in it this year too. Marin understands the concept of trick-or-treating this year. I did not think he would "get it" but after I explained it to him, he got this big smile on his face and said, "Ring bell! Get candy!" He was a bit overwhelmed last year, but I think he'll really be into it this year. Of course Matthew is already planning his candy-buying spree. He's still a bit ticked off that I know what kind of candy that the kids like and he doesn't. Skittles are a big hit. Chocolate bars, not so much. You have no idea how vindicated I was when all the kiddos yelled, "SKITTLES!" and passed up his chocolate last year! ha!

5) Our "home" ice rink is back in business. Due to maintenance, we were not able to skate there the entire month of August. We made do with the "other" rink in town, but it is just not the same to us. We really like our rink. Along with re-doing some of the boards, they put down a brand new sheet of ice. With the drop in temperatures outside, the cooling system isn't having to fight as much to keep the ice frozen. This means that the ice is no longer "soft". The new "hard" ice was perfect last week. The sound of hockey skates cutting through the ice is one of my favorite sounds, especially when a really good, fast skater races past you.

I think I'll leave it at that......Talk to you soon!

We eat out a lot. Marin knows most of the restaurants in our town by name and the people that work there know him by name. I don't know if that is cool or sad. Probably a bit of both.

Tonight, we went out for steak. Actually, Matthew wanted the steak. Marin and I were undecided. But, let me get back to my story.

Matthew ordered a steak with blue cheese crumbles on it. When the steak came out, it had some sort of green paste on top of it that the wait staff said was blue cheese. Uh, no, that's not blue cheese. When it was put down at our table, the conversation went something like this....

Matthew: (too stunned to speak, looking down at the goop on top of his steak).
Me: "Dude, I don't know about that...."
Marin: (said at full volume in the best redneck twang he can muster...)
"That's nasty!"

O.k., I lost it. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to die. I could not breathe. Matthew is humiliated beyond belief at this point and I'm hyperventilating.

Marin, who has just used the word "nasty" for the first time in a sentence could not be more proud of himself. Since the word got such a positive reaction out of mommy, he keeps repeating it, louder and louder. Matthew sinks lower and lower into the booth. I am in tears at this point.

And, then, Marin throws in a "That's gross!" just for good measure. It was priceless. I gave Marin a high five and Matthew threatened to leave. Good times all around. :)

What is it about 2 year old kids that makes them fixate on something and just not let it go? A lot of kids go through phases, in which their obsession changes from day to day. Not Marin. There are only 2 things on this planet that thrill Marin beyond belief. Industrial sized ceiling fans and Zambonis.

When Marin was still being carried around in his car seat, we'd go to home improvement stores and let him look at their ceiling fans on display. His face would light up and he'd get the biggest smile on his face. Little did we know, the obsession would only grow! Fortunately, Wal-Mart's garden center is a treasure trove for the industrial sized fans. We went there tonight and he stood under them in awe saying, "Round and round and round". There is also one on the ceiling in his gymnastics class. To say that it is the highlight of his Monday morning would be an understatement. None of the other kids in class seem to notice the fan. I guess only my kid is weird. :)

Ah, the Zamboni. Marin has named every Zamboni in town. There is White Zamboni, Red & White Zamboni, Red Zamboni, Nash Zamboni and the all encompassing Predators Zamboni which means any Zamboni that is allowed to grace the ice at Bridgestone Arena. He is also on a first name basis with the Zamboni driver at our favorite rink. Marin is also the proud owner of a Zamboni t-shirt. He wears it every other day. He'd wear it every day if I'd let him. He is really concerned about the status of the shirt and wants to know if it is dirty, in the washer, in the dryer, or on a coat hanger. He's okay with any of the above except on a coat hanger. If it is on a coat hanger, he wants it off the hanger and on him. Don't forget the fleet of Zamboni toys too. I think he's up to 5 now. They are all identical, small scale models of a Nashville Predators themed Zamboni. Like the proud parent of multiples, he can tell the difference in each and every one of them. By the way the paint has chipped, the seat is bent, or any other sign of wear and tear that he's bestowed on them, he knows which is which.

I guess we all have our quirks. My obsessions include the internet, shopping, and shopping on the internet. I guess fans and Zambonis aren't that crazy after all. :)

Ahhh, the pure bliss that comes from being by the ocean and not having a single thing to do. You've got no where in particular to be. You forget what time of day it is, even what day of the week it is. There is no need to worry about breakfast, because you aren't awake for breakfast. The blindingly white sand meets the crystal clear water that is warmer than a swimming pool. Dolphins swim by the same place, at the same time, every day. They are so close to shore that you see the droplets of water being blown from their blow holes.

The only thing that drags you off the beach or out of the pool is the rumble of your stomach letting you know its time for dinner. The only thing you'll hear at dinner is the sound of music being carried on the breeze from the local dives, as you watch the sun sinking lower and lower. You can see the fish jumping from your waterside table. No one talks above a whisper, as the magic of the place is palpable, and no one wants to disturb it.

This is my life. For 1 week out of the year. The other 51 only dream of being this perfect.
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*A huge helping of gratitude to my mom (Mimi) for staying with Marin this year. We love you and appreciate all you do for us. We couldn't do it without you!

The sweltering heat of summer has finally left us. August is typically our hottest month, but with the abnormal 100 plus degree days of June and July, August feels like fall. We've had mid to upper 80's the past few days and it has brought the entire neighborhood out of hiding. People are doing yard work, walking their dogs, pushing their kids in strollers, going to the park, and just sitting outside on their porches again. It is nice to see life back to normal.

We went to the pool this weekend and the water was dare I say, cold?! The crowd has definitely thinned out there. Marin only likes to stay an hour or so now. We used to have to drag him out kicking and screaming. The little guy actually asked to go to the park today instead of the pool. I told him we'd go to the park again after the pool closes. Give him 2 weeks after it closes and he'll be begging to go swimming, cold pool or not.

Matthew and I will be leaving for our anniversary trip shortly. We will have been married 9 years on August 17th. I can't believe all we've seen and done over the past 9 years. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it has been 9 years. Other days it seems like 99 years. ha.ha.

September and October will be very busy months. Our calendar is already starting to fill up with travel plans, both for business and pleasure. More to come on that soon.

Last but not least, hockey season is right around the corner. When we went downtown to do Marin's photo shoot on Friday, he spotted The Bridgestone Arena and asked to go. When we told him it was not time for hockey yet, he broke down into hysterical sobs. He literally begged and pleaded with lots of "Please!!" and "Soon?!" thrown in.

Poor guy. I know how he feels. :)

Marin is just about the silliest, funniest person I know. He's always cracking up about one thing or the other. Today, he had me laughing at him laughing. That's sooo Marin.

He randomly yells out "Free Hugs!" at the top of his lungs and starts laughing hysterically as we drop what we're doing and run to hug him.

A year or so ago, we visited an aquarium and I was introduced to a Cuddlefish, which is super cute. You really should look them up. Ever since then I've told Marin's he's my Cuddlefish. He in turn gets a sly grin on his face and says he's "Mimi's Cuddlefish!" I act really surprised and offended and say, "What?!" which makes him die laughing and repeat it all over again. He laughs till he gets the hiccups during this game.

Marin can barely contain himself if you say the word kiwi. Yes, as in kiwi fruit. He pees his diaper he laughs so hard every time I say it. I have no idea why.

He also cracks up at the words buoy and chewy. If you say "chewy buoy" at the same time he laughs so hard that he can't breathe.

Ahhh, the sense of humor of a 2 year old sure is cute.