Labor Day Weekend

Last weekend we were invited to join our friends, Hunter and Blakeley and their kids Jude (2.5) and Jasper (13 months) at their family's lake house on Lake Martin.  We were thrilled when they invited us to go with them, and we knew we would all have a great time!  And we did!!  On Friday we loaded up the cars and caravaned to Lake Martin (near Auburn, Alabama).  All the kids did great, and we only had to make one stop on the three hour drive down! 

We had been telling Dawson for a while that he was going to get to go to the lake with his friend Jude, ride a boat, and swim in the water.  Dawson could not wait to get there!  As soon as we got the cars unloaded, Jude, Jasper, Dawson, John, and Hunter went for a swim while Blakeley and I took care of dinner. 

Saturday morning all the boys got up early ready for a fun day at the lake.  Before even getting dressed for the day Jude and Dawson had fun swinging on the tire swing in their pajamas.  While they were swinging the two boys were making up tall tales about all kinds of animals that lived in what they were calling a forest (it was a little wooded area next to the boat ramp).  They said there were tigers, skunks, and several other animals.  John assured them that none of those animals were in the "forest," but the next day they actually saw a small black snake slither out of the "forest!"  Haha!

After breakfast and some time on the tire swing we went for a morning ride on the boat.  It was Dawson's first boat ride-EVER!  He wore his life vest like a champ, and LOVED being on the boat.  Lake Martin is a very nice, clean lake with a lot of cute lake cabins, so we enjoyed riding around on the boat checking it all out. 

When we came back to the house Blakeley's Aunt Sandra stopped by the lake house for a visit.  She was so sweet, not only did she bring gifts for the boys-including Dawson-she also brought treats for the dogs.

During nap time Sandra listened for the kids while the adults swam over to a nearby sandbar and back.  When first asked if we wanted to try to swim there we said YES! and I even challenged them to a race, but the distance was definitely deceiving!  Whew!  John rode in the kayak w/ life vests in case anyone needed them or a ride.  We all made it there and back, but I definitely did NOT win the race!  It was much, much further than it looked!  Haha!

After the kids got up from their nap we took another boat ride, did some swimming, and then had dinner on the screen porch.  The house itself was wonderful, and we loved being able to eat almost every meal on the big screen porch! 

I should also mention that not only did Dawson LOVE playing in the lake, but Bentley had  blast!!  She is a water dog!  We took her tennis ball and would throw it REALLY far out in the lake, and she would swim way out and bring it back.  I think she would have done it for hours if people would have thrown it for her that long.  Luckily for Bentley, Hunter and Blakeley enjoyed having a dog that would fetch, so she got a lot of attention.  Bentley also got to ride on the boat.  She has slept A LOT since we got home, and I think she's exhausted from playing ball, swimming, and playing with our friends' dog, Tessa.

Sunday morning we woke up to rain.  :(  We were all disappointed that we weren't going to get to go out on the lake.  After the boys were over being cooped up, Blakeley did some research and found that there was a museum open on Sunday mornings in Montgomery.  So we headed to the Mann Museum!  The boys did have fun looking at all the animals, but possibly the best part for them was just being able to run around in an open area since we were the only people there!  After the museum we had lunch at McDonalds and decided to head back to the lake house since it looked to be clearing off. 

I'm so glad we did because we were able to spend the entire afternoon on the lake.  We went on a boat ride, and then we got out the tube!  Blakeley and I loaded up in the tube first with Jude and Dawson, but that lasted about 30 seconds before Dawson was terrified.  We were going extremely slow for the kids, but it was still scary to Dawson.  When we stopped both Jude and Dawson got back on the boat, and Blakeley and I rode.  Then I hopped on the boat with the boys so John could have a turn.  I felt bad Hunter didn't get a turn, but he was our faithful captain! :)

We got back to the house and had dinner.  Every night we let Jude and Dawson take a bath together, and they had so much fun splashing and pouring water on each other!  After the kids went to bed on Friday and Sunday nights we played one of our very favorite games, Catch Phrase!  We ended the weekend in a tie between couples!

Unfortunately, on Monday morning it was time to pack up and clean the house.  Now that we're home Dawson thoroughly misses Jude and Jasper and being able to play in the lake all the time!  He has asked what Jude is doing only about 100 times since we got home yesterday afternoon! Haha 

We had a wonderful weekend, and we're so thankful to have such great friends who invited us to join them for Labor Day!

Enjoy the pictures from the weekend below...

Since we knew we would be in swim

clothes all day Saturday, the day

of the UT game, we all wore our

orange and white on Friday in the car.

We got Dawson this jersey a while back,

and we have could not wait any longer for

him to wear it!  It's still a little big, but

he loves it!  He calls it his Smokey shirt

since it's what Smokey wears in "Hello,

Smokey."

We were singing Rocky Top, and he

even put his arms up at the appropriate

time!

This is his "I'm going to tackle

you" face!  :)

Dawson, Daddy, and Bentley on the boat

for the first time!

Jude, Blakeley, and Jasper on the boat.

Captain Hunter let Dawson have

a turn driving the boat.

John and I took Dawson for a ride in the

kayak.  It's obvious who is doing all the work,

since I don't even have a paddle.

Dawson and Jude swimming in the lake.

Saturday morning the boys wanted to swing

on the tire swing while they were still in their

pajamas.

More swinging.

A little later Jude decided to get

the kayak with us too!

The boys being wild and getting out some

energy on Sunday morning at the Mann Museum.

Dawson and Jude checking out a rattle snake.

The boys touching some antlers.

Dawson and Jude smelling the skunks.

The museum we visited in Montgomery.

Blakeley and I tubing.

Blakeley and John tubing.

The Zorio Family Update: August

Over the past several weeks we have stayed very busy!  Saturday, August 13th, we had a surprise going away party for our friends, the Heaton's.  They moved to Illinois, and we are going to miss them a lot!  I know John will miss golfing with Eric, and Dawson and I are going to miss having playdates with Jack, Gabriel, and their mom, Heather.  It was fun to get together one last time before they left Alabama, though.  I think there were 10 adults and 5 kids that were at their going away party. 

Dawson has continued to LOVE checking books out from the library each week.  A couple of weeks ago we checked out a book titled On Our Way Home.  It is about a Daddy Bear and a Boy Bear and what they see on their way home.  On one page the bears are high up on a mountain watching the sun set, and for some reason Dawson LOVED this page.  Every time we read this book he would stop on this page and ask, "Dawson go on the mountain, please?"  He couldn't stop talking about the mountain and wanting to go.  Finally we took him up to Rainbow Mountain (not a real mountain compared to those in East Tennessee, but it worked).  We walked along a very short trail on the mountain, like the bears.  We also played on the playground up there.  Dawson claimed he saw a frog two times, but John and I never saw it!  Then John and Dawson climbed up on a big rock just like the Daddy Bear and Boy Bear in the book.  Dawson was thrilled with Rainbow Mountain, and he has continued to talk about the mountain ever since.  It's so funny what he becomes interested in!

Last week I took Dawson to feed the ducks at Dublin, and he had a blast!  We have been saving and freezing our bread ends for a long time for the ducks, and we still have enough left for several more visits to the ducks.  Dawson had a ball feeding the ducks.  After spending about 30 minutes at the pond, we went up to the Kid's Kingdom playground there where Dawson always has fun! 

Dawson continues to love to play with his grill he got from Jeannie for his birthday.  He grills hot dogs and hamburgers for me, John, and Bentley....all topped with ketchup!  He loves to wear his little apron while he's "cookin'" (as he calls it) and warn us continually that the grill is HOT! 

John has been working some different hours recently (just temporarily), but it left Dawson and I to find fun things to do over the weekend.  I was so excited the Huntsville Botanical Gardens was having their Green U on Saturday.  It was the third time they have held this, but the past two years we have been traveling so I was excited to get to go this year!  It was all (obviously) outside, and there was surprisingly a nice breeze blowing.  We had fun visiting all the different booths.  Dawson had fun making a bird feeder out of a pine cone, Crisco, and bird seed.  We're planning to hang it outside this afternoon. 

Dawson also dug some worms out of a dirt that we brought home to add to our garden.  He was very careful not to get dirt on himself, though!  (That's my boy!)  Dawson also got to make recycled paper.  We shredded newspaper, used a hand blender (I did this part), poured it over a screen, let it dry, and got to bring a piece home.  Dawson was very proud of his paper!  Dawson also had fun playing in the sand with all the other kids there.  Probably the highlight of the event for Dawson was getting to pet Mighty the turtle.  We have talked about Mighty A LOT since visiting Green U, and that was the first thing he told John when he got home from work. 

That does it for now!  We have a lot going on in the coming weeks so we will have more updates soon!  Enjoy the pictures below...

This picture is a little blurry, but I still had to share it.

Dawson and Jude always have a blast playing together.

We went over for a playdate a couple of weeks ago,

and the boys had fun riding their tractors and trucks

to work.  When asked where they worked, Jude said

he worked in Heaven (so sweet!).  Dawson said he

worked at Target.  :)

Daddys and boys at the Heaton's Surprise Going

Away Party.  Above:  Dawson, Daddy, Eric, Jack, Hunter,

Jude, Gabe, and Jasper.

Dawson swinging with his friend Jack.

The other day Dawson came walking

into the living room wearing my

orange heels.  He could walk surprisingly

well in them, and it was hilarious that

he picked the pair that matched his shirt.

SO FUNNY!

He probably won't like these pictures

when he's older, but I couldn't miss

this photo op!

Daddy and Dawson walking on a trail

on Rainbow Mountain.

Standing on a rock just like Daddy Bear

and Boy Bear in the book!

Dawson claiming he saw a frog and

running around to find the frog!

Throwing bread to the ducks at Dublin.

Chasing the ducks.

More feeding the ducks.

Such a big boy!

Bentley watching Dawson grill.

Waiting for her burger or hot dog from

the grill.

Dawson sharing a burger with Bentley.

Dawson loves playing with Bentley.  I wish the sunlight

wasn't in this picture.

Petting Mighty the turtle at Green U.

"Deere Lawn Mow" and More!

Last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we went to Tennessee for a short visit with family.  When we arrived in Maryville we had dinner with Dawson's Nana, Grandad, Aunt Emmie, Cousin Drew, Lolly, Pop, and Uncle Logan.  When we pulled in the driveway and let Dawson out of the car all of his grandparents were standing with their arms outstretched so Dawson could run to them.  Dawson started running toward them from the car, and I wanted to see who he was going to (I was guessing it would be Grandad or Pop since Dawson always likes hanging out with the men!).  Dawson kept on running right past them all though.  He was so happy to be out of the car that just getting to run was the most fun to him!  Dawson loved being the center of attention while we were visiting.

After dinner we headed to Lolly and Pop's house where they surprised Dawson with a John Deere tractor which Dawson calls his "Deere Lawn Mow!"  Every time we're in Tennessee Dawson obsesses over riding on Pop's John Deere mower, and this time Dawson had one of his own.  He rode it the entire rest of our visit!  Now that we're home all he wants to do is ride it, so sometimes when it's about 100 degrees outside we have to let it "charge."   :)  He absolutely loves this mower though.  He can ride it on the drive way and in our grass, but his favorite place to ride it is in the cul-de-sac because he can get up more speed!  He rides big circles around the cul-de-sac, and all of our neighbors have commented that if the mower had a blade they would happily allow Dawson to mow their yards.  Haha!

While we were in Tennessee I gave John's mom a few aprons I made for her bakery.  I had so much fun sewing these aprons, and I, of course, took some pictures below.

On Thursday John had to head back to Alabama for work, but Dawson, Bentley, and I stayed until Friday afternoon so we could have a little more time to visit with everyone.  I took Dawson by the elementary school where his Lolly works to have lunch with her/show him off to all her friends.  :)  After leaving the school Dawson requested to go to "Nana's Bakie" to eat a cookie.  (He calls her bakery a bakie).  So we stopped by for a chocolate chip cookie before going back to spend a little more time on the John Deere.  We also got to visit with Dawson's Great Mamaw, Great Aunt Carolyn, and Great Aunt Phyllis before coming back home on Friday.

This weekend we have been riding the "Deere Lawn Mow" during every free moment.  Saturday morning I also took Dawson to his friends, Ethan and Austin's third birthday party.  He had fun playing with his friends and has been singing about their birthdays since the party!  Yesterday we went swimming in the evening which Dawson loved, as usual. 

Here are a few pictures...

 As I've mentioned before Dawson LOVES

to read, and he has become really excited

recently about his library books!  Here he is

looking through all his library books in

the yellow chair in his room.  (That's a sucker

in his mouth that was a reward.)

Dawson runs his fingers across the words

on each page and pretends to read.

He was "reading" one of his favorites,

Rat-a-tat-tat and just suddenly started

laughing.  I guess it was a funny part

in the story to him!

Showing off his sucker and talking about

his books.

Dawson's first ride on his "Deere Lawn

Mow" at Lolly and Pop's house!

Look what a big boy!!

This is my favorite apron that I made for the bakery.

The pocket on the apron above.

Another apron for the bakery.

Another bakery apron I made.

The apron above had two pockets like this on it.

Isn't this pretty fabric?  It was easy to make a cute

apron with all this cute fabric!

I gave this apron a pocket at the top!

The last apron I made for the bakery.

Dawson Says the Darndest Things

John and I have been wanting to get this post together for quiet a while now.  Dawson says the funniest things to us.  Since he always keeps us laughing we wanted to record it so we would remember, but we also wanted to share the laughs with you all!

Dawson is all boy and much of his humor is potty humor!  When I was about to read the book pictured below to him, he pointed to the dog and said, "Doggie poopin'!  Gross!"  Well, the dog is obviously running, but to Dawson it looked like something else!

Dawson does a great job remembering to use please, thank you, and excuse me; however, sometimes he gives too much information.  On a regular basis now he will say, "Excuse me!  Toot!"  I have tried to tell him that you don't have to explain why you're saying excuse me, but he doesn't get it (or doesn't want to).  He will also say, "Excuse me!  Burp!" or "Excuse me! Big loud burp!"  Silly boy!

More potty humor...see I told you he's all boy!  Sometimes Dawson will come up behind me or John and touch the back of our pants.  When we ask him what he's doing he'll say, "Poop?  Noooo!  Jus' checkin'!"  This makes me think I "checked" him one too many times while we were potty training! 

I have stopped allowing Dawson to have "gummies" (fruit snacks) at home because they are not extremely healthy, and he becomes obsessed when he knows we have them.  Anyways, the other day he got in his Cozy Coupe and said, "Bye bye Mommy!  Dawson going to Target!"  I asked him what he was going to get at Target, and he looked at me, smiled, and said, "GUMMIES!  Need wallet!"  No, Dawson I will not give you my wallet to support your gummies habit! :)

If something is dirty Dawson always says it "needs a-washin'!"  I have no idea where he got "a-washin'" because neither John or I say this.  It just cracks us up because it sounds so country the way he says it.

Although Dawson sounds country when he says that, he sounds like he's from New Jersey when he says, "markers."  He asks for his "markers" (use Jersey accent) all the time, and I laugh every time!  I will have to video it sometime soon!

Last weekend Dawson was beyond thrilled to have his Daddy home from work.  The three of us were playing in the playroom until I left to make lunch.  I guess the guys were having more fun without me because when I rejoined them Dawson said, "No, Mommy! No, Mommy!  Go back kitchen!"  John and I both died laughing, and John promised he did not tell Dawson to say that!

We might have a "Dawson Says the Darndest Things volume 2" before long, but these are some of the funniest and most recent quotes from our sweet boy!

And here's the book!  The dog Dawson was talking

about is in the bottom left.  This book belonged to

John when he was little, and Dawson loves to read it.

Unfortunately, now he always has to point out the doggie

on the cover!  :)