I believe I have what you would call a "spirited" toddler. Also known as a HUGE pain in my arse. Yes, I love this kid very much, but he knows exactly what buttons to push to send me over the edge. He's only 2 for crying out loud! He is very opinionated. Sometimes I think I'm dealing with a teenager. If he doesn't like something you're doing he lets you know. If he doesn't want your help, he'll let you know. It can get pretty tiresome, but at the same time, I love watching him gain his independence.

This last weekend was July 4th, and to celebrate we went up to my dad's house in Petaluma. I believe Petaluma is one of the only places left that allows "safe and sane" fireworks. I wasn't sure how Manny would respond to fireworks, loud noises tend to scare him a bit. It took him a while to warm up to them, but after a bit he was fine. I think he was a little bummed when we ran out.

These next couple of months are going to be busy, busy, busy. This weekend we have a BBQ to go to, as well as John's Aunts birthday party, all on the same day. It will be interesting to see how Manny responds to the busy day, because I'm not sure we'll be able to squeeze a nap in.

Next weekend will be free, but will be spent cleaning up the backyard. We're finally starting to clean things up so that Manny can play in the back. We cleaned up the garage this past weekend.

The weekend of the 25th John and I are going camping, sans kiddos. I'm so excited to get away with John for the weekend. We haven't had a moment to ourselves since Christian has been born. I am a little nervous to be away from him for the entire weekend, but I think once we get on the road, and everything is set in motion, my nerves will calm a bit.