Dad you have to see this!

Oh Mr Ian, you are still quite the gregarious and funny little man.  Within minutes of my return back to Chez Rea I hear "Dad, you have to see this!"  Whether I've been gone a week for work, or a few minutes for an errand, it's absolutely critical that I observe your latest feat of acrobatic prowess.  It could be a wicked summer salt after full sprint over a couch cushion or a flying leap over the back of the couch, otherwise known as the "work" wall.  This is actually an attempt to refer to the "warped" wall on our current favorite TV show American Ninja Warrior.  You pretty much always make it over the wall but when you don't, it's usually intentional in order to add a bit of drama to this incessantly repeated acrobatic feat.

What I love is that no matter how many times you show me your stuff, you're still as incredibly enthusiastic as the very first time.  I in turn never get tired of watching, your enthusiasm is absolutely contagious and I absolutely love that about you!!!  For the past year I've been worried that you would grow out of your inate exuberance for just about everything.  I'm happy to say that while the object of your excitement continues to change and mature, your level of craziness remains the same.  You have my promise that I will do my best to encourage that approach to everything in life.  Why mot make it fun right??!!!

There might be one small instance where it's gone to your head...at gynmastics while you were waiting in the lobby with mom, you got into a "discussion" with another little kid and mom said you told the boy "everyone knows that I'm the funniest so let's go...".  It was probably true but we'll have to make sure we teach you a bit more humility.  That was definitely an isolated incident and was sorta funny when it happened but definitely not a trait we want you to expand upon. :)

You're still a bottomless pit of energy and can go go go without food it seems.  It's definitely a little draining trying to keep up with you but I love it.  I love playing with you and chasing you and trying to "get" you.  You totally love whenever we play "Dad, try to get me".   We can play forever and it seems you never get bored of it.  Dad tends to run out of gas but I don't think anyone would blame me if I couldn't keep up with a 4 year old!

We celebrated your birthday this year, your 4th, up in Seattle with friends and family and it was great.  No "formal" birthday party but a series of get togethers to have fun celebrating your birthday.  I love how you articulate all your funny thoughts and have zero filter.  It's just a job listening to you and you aren't hard to hear with your loud voice for all the world to hear.  Many a times out in public I see people smile after hearing your antics on how you totally love the grocery cart or something otherwise mundane, save your 4 year old description.

Stay that way buddy, I know I tell you that all the time.  I'm hoping it sticks.  Love you tons!!!

-nick

Your first cone!!!

Fun times in Arkansas!

Last weekend we made the long (7 hour) trek out to Greers Ferry Lake north of Little Rock Arkansas.  Mr Matt's (Heil) family has a fantastic Lake house up there and we were lucky enough to get invited for the weekend.  The lake is absolutely fantastic, crystal clear clean water surrounded by lush green forests and small mt peaks.  It was sparsely developed with few docks on the lake.  This is truly one of the most spectacular recreational lakes in the entire country.  We were very blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy it!

The lake had all sorts of fun things to do and we did them all.  We did cliff diving, tubing, hiking and feeding the fish.  I'll save the hiking and tubing for Emilie's blog.  Ian was a trooper and totally got into the cliff diving.  If fact, he was super excited about being in the water in general.  The first night we got there we went out for a sunset cruise and he was all up in the water like a champ.  Jumping off the boat like it was nuthin!  We went out to the short cliffs on Saturday AM and Ian jumped off the low cliffs which were about 8 feet tall which is pretty high for a 3 footer!  When we went out to the big cliffs he was awesome there to jumping off the short sections like it was nuthin!  There were a few belly/face flops but he shook em off pretty good.

We went into the marina and they had a fish feeding area on the dock.  It was pretty crazy, there were hundreds of good size carp all snapping their mouths on water trying to get some food.  The more food you through out the more they went crazy.  It was a regular fish frenzy and Ian definitely got a kick out of it!

We had just an awesome time out on the boat and hanging out with Matt, Leah, Liesl, Angie and Isabella.  Such a fun weekend it was worth the 14 hours worth of driving!

American Ninja Warrior is Awfully Good!

Oh where to start.  Ian has become such a sweet little boy.  His mother and I are often the recipients of random "I love you's" from out of the blue.  Complete with a hug and a kiss.  This little boy is about as sweet and caring as they come.  Of course he has his moments where the tazmanian devil comes out if things don't go his way, but 99% of the time he is super lovey dovey.

He's also been in the habit of using the word "awfully" to describe something as superlative.  "Mom, I'm awfully hungry" or "Wow, that motorcycle was moving awfully fast!".  It's really funny to hear and we have no idea where this 3 year old came up with it.

He's in that stage where he knows what he wants to say and for the most parts know which words will allow him to convey his thoughts.  However, sentence structure and syntax fly completely out the window.  It's hilarious to hear he describe things in his own little dialect.  I wish I could remember some specifics but they are so weird and random if you don't write them down immediately there's no way you'll remember them.  I will try and come back and update this blog with some of the funny ones, as they happen! 

Mr Ian is a BIG fan of American Ninja Warrior (as is Dad) and he constantly asks to watch it.  Which is actually pretty cool since Dad and Mom like watching it too.  It never gets old and heck, Dad might even try and find an AMW gym to join so he can go on the show...we'll see. 

Ian is so bold wherever we go.  If he sees fun he'll go right for it.  If we're at a festival he'll bolt to whatever he sees as fun.  If we're at a restaurant he'll bolt to the play area and start playing with whomever is there.  I love his attitude, he's just there to have fun and enjoy it all with anyone who will enjoy it with him.  We were at Katy Trail the other day and he wanted to go up to the back where the bean bag toss was and we told him to just go.  Without batting an eye he headed up there and went for it.  He got right in the mix and had a blast with mom and dad keeping an eye on him from afar.  Most kids would be too scared to do it, not Ian, he's all about it.  I hope he never loses this part of his personality.

Ian is one super fun, super loving little kiddos and he's super funny too!  Perhaps a career in the comedic arts awaits...we'll have to continue to encourage his antics and fun loving nature.  Go Ian!

-dad

 

 

 

I hurt my ....

Hey Buddy!  You have a pretty funny moment a few days ago.  (at the age of 3.5)  You were attempting to pull the big cushion of the couch in the playroom and took a spill. Gamma and Papa were in town but noboday saw you take the fall.  We did however hear you erupt in tears and came running over.  Upon arrival you informed us, through heavy tears, the you had "broke your vagina"!  Hahahaha!!!  Oh man, when I heard that story I definitely had to laugh!  You said it like 3 of 4 times, and you were totally serious about it too, quite worried about your vagina!

Oh man, priceless stuff buddy, priceless!

We also had some fun going to a Dallas Stars game and oh yea, dad got to go to NFC Championship game with Uncle Fred where they beat the 49ers.  Then, dad actually got to go to the Superbowl where the Seahawks trounced the Denver Broncos.  It was absolutely awesome and I hope that someday I get to do it with you too!!!!!

-dad

New Year's Resolution - 2014

It's the beginning of 2014 and you are 3 years old Mr Ian.  I know I've only done one blog entry since you were born so I decided to make it a new years resolution (which I typically don't do) to write more regularly in your blog.  By that definition I only need to do one more entry this year and that would technically qualify as "more regularly" than the past.  But, that's obviously not the spirit of what resolutions are all about.  So, I'm going to give myself the goal of twice a month to start with.  In case you aren't aware, Dad is fairly busy guy at Samsung Mobile these days so time is limited.  But, guess what, so is life!  Nuf said.

We had a great Christmas, this was the first year where you really knew what was up and were very excited about Santa making a visit to the Rea household.  You were so excited that you even opened up the only present I got for mom by going out of eyesight and catching me in a distracted moment.  There were many of those moments during yours and Emilie's frenzied present opening romp.  But it was a ton of fun, the excitement from both you and Emilie was over the top.  I can't until next year, both you and Emilie are going to have a blast!

We also just made a fun road trip in a single day to Shreveport LA for the Advocare V100 Bowl!  Mom's Arizona Wildcats put a beat down on the Boston College Eagles. I think the finalscore was 48 to 13 or something like that.  Heather Woller came down with Ellie and Alex and we all piled into a rented minivan.  The minivan had a DVD player and boy oh boy, you and Emile really loved it.  We watched Doc McStuffins, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and all other excellent Disney movies.

Speaking of Disney, we went to Disney World for the first time back in September, Gamma and Papa came with us, it was awesome.  We had a full week there and we went to the Magic Kingdom for 2.5 days, Typhoon Lagoon for 1.5 days and Hollywood Studios for .5 days.  You really liked the dumbo ride and were a super trooper as we went non stop.

In general I just love your exuberence for life!  You are such a fun and incredibly excitable little boy.  Everywhere we go people are amazed out how much joy you experience AND express for whatever you're doing.  It's totally hilarious.  A few weeks ago you went crazy over the fact that a big shopping cart at target was available for you and Emilie to sit in.  It wasn't anything knew, but for some reason that day you seemed to be espeically excited about it.  A perfect stranger saw the whole thing and came up to Mom and said how lucky she was to have such a fun little boy!  This was not the first time someone had told this to Mom and it will undoubtedly not be the last.

While you're not quite potty trained yet you're getting there.  Not too many accidents but we also can't get you to go poop in the toilet, only a pull up.  Not to feat though, I know you'll get there...eventually.

One other funny thing, for a while there you were using the term "double"to describe anything that was large.  If the pillow was big to you, it was a "double pillow".  If it was a big swing, it was a "double swing".  Soooo cute and funny to hear!  I'll try and remember some other funny use of words, you have plenty of them.  More to come.

Until next extry...love you Ian!

Getting It Starte

Ian,

I've written about you in Emilie's blog but I figured it was high time that you had your own, seeing that you're the ripe old age of 9 months. I should have done this long ago. Doesn't mean I don't love ya, cuz I love you more every day I know you. :)

Unfortunately I have to turn the laptop off before mom kills me. I'll flesh this out more later buddy. I love you!

-dad