Why is sand so scratchy?

I pooped my britches this morning, big time!

It was so bad Daddy yelled for Mommy to help him change my diaper. Yes, it was THAT bad. What can I say... I can make quite a stink.

So, we've been busy... last weekend Mommy and Daddy put me in the car for a lonnnnng trip to the beach, now this wasn't just a trip because this was my first trip to the beach. We got to spend time with Mamaw, Papaw, Aunt Mandy, Uncle Kelly, Everett & Nanu. I throughly enjoyed myself. Sand is kind of scratchy though, I will say. But, the ocean tastes funny... I still had fun... I really wanted to help in making the sand castle, but my sand castle making skills need perfecting. I'll work on it for next year!

This weekend is a busy one too!

Mommy is going shopping with Aunt Amy, Aunt Jenn and Nana and I get to stay home and spend some quality time with my Daddy. I can't wait!!! Later we will be going to see Nana & Papa and celebrate Nana's birthday!

Oh, and I can't forget... NEXT weekend we will be going to see Mickey Mouse's Club House... or is it just Mickey's House? I'm not sure... I sometimes get those confused. Nonetheless... I'm a little excited!

Today's blog entry was brought to you by the letter "V"

"V" is for Vacation!



And by the numbers:

24 & 39... why? Why you ask? Well, those are the magic numbers for today children!

Because, you see, we will be going to the beach in.. ahh, ahh, ahh.. 24 days!

And, to Disney World in.. count them.. ah, ah, ah 39 days!

So, what have we learned?

We have learned Eric has become obsessed with counting down the days until we go on vacation!

Summer vacation in the fall?

Today, while my boss is out-of-town on her week-long vacation, I am reminded that I have yet to take a vacation of my own. I sit at my desk looking longingly into the background scene I have plastered across my computer screen. The water looks so cool and inviting. I can almost feel the warm breeze, the sun and the wave mist splashing in the distance. I am then rudely awakened by a ringing office phone.

I mean my wife, Laura, and I have been on a short, quickie trip to Chateau Elan, a much-needed overnight stay, for our one-year wedding anniversary, but that’s it! I need more, I need more…

That’s my summer, happy freakin’ summer!

No, seriously, we are going on vacation, don’t get me wrong, but not until, okay, wait for it…. September. That’s is so many months away!!! Many, many moons.

However, the Skates family will be making up for our lost time-off, this fall, trust this.

Labor Day weekend we will be going with my family to Panama City Beach, FL. Yes, you read me right, the “Red neck Riviera” here we come. This will be our annual “beach” trip with my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, Everett, and my nephew’s Nanu. We will only be there Friday to Monday, but it will be worth it just to have some time to slip my feet into the sandy beach and warm Gulf water.

Then it is back to work, for us, for about two weeks and then we are off to… wait for it… are you waiting for it or just reading on? Dammit, you spoiled the surprise. Anyway, Disney World! We have been planning this trip for what seems like forever, but it is finally winding down. It won’t be long until we will be in the presence of the Great Mouse, Mickey. (Cue angelic music from above.) We will be there for a whole glorious week of fun and well-mannered frivolity. Hopefully my niece will not run screaming in terror from Chip & Dale or Lilo & Stitch. She is a bit skittish with “plushies.” I have a feeling this was fostered and inherited from my sister-in-law, her mother, Laura’s sister, Jennifer. I heard word that she has never done well with things like this from theme parks.

We will be traveling to Disney and staying at the Wilderness Lodge. All of Laura’s, immediate, family will be in attendance. Of course, me, Laura and MJ; her mom, dad, older sister, brother-in-law and nephew, Drew; also her second oldest sister, brother-in-law and Annagrace, the aforementioned niece. I have only been to Disney World with a “group” of people once before and that was in high school when I went on a band trip, no band camp jokes please. Yes, I went to band camp. Moving on…

All I am saying is I am due for a nice vacation and sadly I won’t be able to enjoy time off during the true “summer,” but I will make up for it on the tale end. So my summer vacation will be in the Fall. Is that weird? Hope you all are having great fun summer vacations with your families.

Have you ever been to the beach with a six month old? What about Disney World?

Oh rest and relaxation, how I long for thee.

Out-of-my mind

Vacations are an important necessity… I have discovered. It has really started to effect my wife and I that we have not been out-of-town for a while. The last time, that I can actually recall, that we were gone on a true “vacation,” was probably, oh dear Lord, I cannot even remember! I think it was before Christmas, sometime in November, before even Thanksgiving… September maybe? Don't people in Europe go on "holiday" for like, months?

Lately, where ever I go I am reminded of places I am not. My very computer background mocks me with its sandy beach and shartuse, blue-green, gorgeous water. I imagine the waves lightly crashing on the shore and the sky as blue as can be. It allures and disgusts me at the same time. My very being wants to be in a warmer climate and is ill, no, just plain sick of all the cold weather. Hotlanta, my ass.

Mauldin will actually be six-months old before Laura and I will be able to set our sights on our true vacation. We will be heading to none-other than Walt Disney World. Yes, I don’t even wanna hear it, we will be accessing one of the most populated amusement parks resorts in the world with a six-month old in tow. It seems everywhere I go I am seeing ads for WDW. I am receiving emails, I see TV commercials making me want to make an impromptu trip to the inner Orlando area… did you know they are offering three nights free when you book a four-night trip between now and August? Blimey! Although, that is sooooo not gonna happen for us.

The other day I stumbled upon my friend Jim’s blog: Busy Dad. He took his little son Fury, and some other munchkins, to the Happiest Place on Earth. Impressive man. Then we had a shower this past weekend and I discovered that my wife, Laura’s, cousins are heading there in a couple o’ weeks! It took everything within me to not cry. (*tear.)

This coming September, Mauldin, my wife and my wife’s family and I will be trekking down to the home of Mickey Mouse, Brer Rabbit and Space Mountain for a week of well-mannered and joyous frivolity! Our Grand Gathering, if you will. So, are we out-of-our-minds to take a six-month old baby? Maybe so, but Laura and I made this decision together. We could not even fathom going off to Disney without our son. It is our choice to do so and I am actually pretty darn excited about making all new memories with my little family.

When I was younger, about eight years ago to be exact, I would go on vacations probably every three months. I had the money to do so then because I was still living with my mom and dad and had no other aspirations at the time. My frivolous nature was sparked by the very reason of I had no true responsibilities. No wife, no pets, no job I really liked and, more importantly, no baby on the way. At one time, I think, no, I know, but I didn’t want to divulge this information, I went to Disney World five times in one year, ok two years (2000 and 2002). Sad, yes I know, but I had the means to do so and I loved it! There were times I went for a weekend and other times I drove down to spend a day in the park and then drove home. I would love to have that kind of stamina now… Don't get me wrong... I would never go back though because my life couldn't be any better, well... mostly because I love my wife. I couldn't dream of a better life without her in it. (Cue sensitive music) Life is good, but it can always get better, (or worse), however, if we had a little more money, a little more time off... ok I digress.

So back to the real world, the grind and the true reality of knowing I have a while to look forward to a day at the beach, by the pool or even moments with my wife in a hot tub. But, when I do get that chance it will make that time even sweeter… C'est la vie, eh?

You know you are a fan when...

You know you are a fan when…

You certainly know you are a fan when you plan your life around a vacation to the sacred place that is, Walt Disney World. Well, that is just what we did… In September 2009, Laura’s family and mine will be going to Disney World at the same time!!! Not sure if it will be the same resort, but… we’ll see if that happens.

Somehow the stars have aligned and it has given me, oh I’m sorry, us, the chance to experience our favorite vacation spot with our immediate family members!!! We knew we had to plan it or Laura may be at Disney World 8 months pregnant or even possibly we could have just had the baby and how would we swing that??? So, we figured if we didn’t get pregnant by September of this year then we would have to stop trying until this Spring… so that way, Laura would just be pregnant at Disney and not actually about to give birth! But, wouldn’t it be cool to say “I had my baby at Disney World?” LOL! Just kidding, but seriously!

Another reason for thinking ahead is because of Laura’s job… she is a teacher, so we thought if we plan this just right she can have more time with the baby during the summer and that is less time we have to have childcare!!! So, planning ahead is not just crazy… it’s very economical! As you can tell…we are the type of people who like to plan ahead, but this is a little out there, right? Well, not if you think about how many people if effects! You try telling three kids under the age of 5 “no, we cannot go to Disney World because you are getting a new cousin!” Drew, Everett & Annagrace would probably never forgive Aunt Lala and Uncle Eric if they were the reason they didn’t get to go see Mickey Mouse!!!

So far we have planned it just right… I never once thought, in December 2007, the last time I was at Disney, the next time I would return I’d be a DAD! Try to wrap that around your head… It still boggles my mind that we are actually going to have a baby! I hate that our child won’t be able to remember anything from this trip, but there will be plenty of pictures and family members around to tell stories… Dad J So, not only are we planning for a baby, we will also be planning a trip of epic proportions to the happiest place on earth!!! Pray for us, will you? HAHAHA!