Fun in the sun

Yesterday, we rented a car for the day and ventured around the bay to the Vallarta Zoo. I didn't really know what to expect, but I have to say it will definitely be on my list of recommendations for people traveling to this area with kids. It was cheap (they only charged for Todd and I) and for under $5 you could buy a bag of different foods to feed the animals with. Mason was a huge fan of feeding the different animals, especially the monkeys! The only problem is that I'm afraid now he will be expecting to do this at home next time we visit the AK Zoo.

In other news, not much to report other than more sun and sand :) Not a bad way to spend time, if you ask me. Mason did ask today to go back to his "old home", but he luckily got over it pretty quickly. One thing about being here, he is so exhausted by the time he goes down for nap or night time, so his patience (and mine) have been a little thinner than usual. But like Todd said tonight, the times of seeing his sheer joy and elation over the simplest things here totally out-number and out-weigh the tantrums he has.

Here are a few (ok, ten) more pictures....I have taken SO many on this vacation, I'm actually impressed with myself. I think a lot has to do with the fact that I have such a little cutie to take pictures of now, and a lot also has to do with my awesome new camera that is so fun to play with. Pretty sure I'll have to put a slideshow together when we get home to share them with everyone. Don't worry, unlike these, they really aren't ALL just of Mason.

Another disappointment when we get home will be going back to a normal sized tub

My goofy boy getting ready for bed

He is obsessed with all the fountains here (he can't say fountain, and calls them "mountains")

Feeding a llama

Todd looks a little nervous feeding the antelope

Anyone know a three letter word for flightless bird (sorry, I'm a crossword nerd)

The zebras were surprisingly hungry

Look at the tongue on that thing! This giraffe was so gentle. It was my personal favorite

Mason loved the monkeys. And he was so impressed they could open the peanut shells

One happy kid at the zoo

Happy Baby, Happy Mama

Have I told you all how much I love this little boy?

And, by the way, where the hell was Mexico when I had post-partum depression? Seriously, this place is the cure!

Out of the office

The Loy Family is currently out enjoying some sun. Here are a few pictures to hold you all over until our return.

Bieber Fever!

Saturday I took my favorite girl to see Never Say Never...otherwise known as the Justin Bieber movie. Now, if that isn't true love I'm not really sure what is! It was actually a lot of fun to get to hang out with my "Bug"...who is growing up way too fast! We had fun singing in the car and having some "girl talk" and she caught me up on all the things happening in her life. (Don't laugh, for an 8 1/2 year old, she's got a lot of stuff going on)

As for the movie, I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Basically, she was in love the entire time. And I think, if it's possible, she loves the Biebs even more than she already did. To be fair, that dude is definitely one talented guy. It was actually cute watching video of him as a 5 or 6 year old singing and playing drums.

In front of the movie poster outside the theater

It was dark in the theater, but it's still a cute picture

My sweet Bug, looking cute in her 3D shades

New Ride

Mama got a new car! If you ask Mason, he'll tell you that Mama's car broke and needed a tow truck. Neither of these things are remotely true, but Todd and I did trade in my Passat yesterday for a 2010 Highlander. I LOVE it! It has so much more room and I'm higher up off the ground again. The Passat was a great car, but I'm so much happier now.

This is the pic from the Kendall website of it. Mason was so excited to ride to school this morning in Mama's new "truck".

The one in which Mason realizes one of life's greatest pleasures

On Friday I picked Mason up from daycare, and he asked to go to the bookstore. Actually, to be more accurate, he said "Go bookstore, get new Curious George book". He has been obsessed with Curious George lately, and I was growing increasingly tired of the same two books we had...I had no problem heading to TitleWave to get a couple of new ones.

We had a fun time picking out three "new" (it's a used bookstore) Curious George books to take home. It was getting pretty close to dinner and Mason asked to eat at the bookstore. I explained that there wasn't any food there, but that we could probably go to a restaurant to eat dinner.

We soon found ourselves at City Diner in a booth. I was listing the items off the children's menu for Mason, and he chose blueberry pancakes. I'm not 100% sure what he thought was going to be on his plate, but when they came he was so happy. "Mama, blueberry is IN there!" A few bites later, he also told me "This exciting!" He was so happy to be eating out and I was so proud of how well he was behaving. Then came the funniest part of our night's conversation. Mason starts giggling a little and tells me "This funny, Mama." When I asked him what was funny, he looks at me with those wide, blue eyes and says "Breakfast at dinner. That funny!"

Welcome to one of life's greatest pleasures, my son...breakfast for dinner. Yum! I can't wait until our next "date night", little man.

What a difference

What a difference a couple of months makes. Mason is a master at the ABCs now, and can actually identify a few letters himself. Of course, M is for Mason and D is for Daddy are his favorites. I finally caught him on camera again singing his ABCs. It's funny to go back and remember how impressed I was just 3 months ago when he still called them his ABX.