The Land Down Under

AUSTRALIA (said in my best Oprah impersonation)! As everyone knows, Jarrod and I spent the Thanksgiving holiday in the land down under. We had an amazing time. The first few and last few days were spent in Sydney with our good friends, Alan and Danelle Bronowicz, while the middle of the trip was spent in Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.

The flight was L - O - N - G. No matter how many free cranberry and vodkas I consumed or bad movies I watched, there was no getting around the fact that 15 hours in a 30 inch seat is miserable. We did somehow manage to get some sleep and, according to Alan, looked better than most weary travellers upon our arrival in AUSTRALIA at 8:00 a.m.

The next few days were spent in Sydney. Some highlights included Manly Beach, fish and chips on the beach, and snorkeling (Jarrod saw incredible fish and a huge octopus).

We then flew to Melbourne on Tiger Air (their slogan should be "the ghetto airline of the land down under"), rented a car, and drove to our B&B in St. Andrews Beach on the Mornington Peninsula.

The B&B was incredible. Gourmet food, comfy beds, outdoor bathtub, on and on. While on the peninsula, we went to a hot springs resort, ate, visited vineyards, ate, shopped, ate, went kangaroo spotting, ate, explored Melbourne, ate, got couples massages, and ate.








Jarrod also got breathalyzed. Yes, breathalyzed. We were driving along the coast, headed home from a day of shopping, when we noticed all the cars forming a line to stop and speak with a policeman. We followed suit, rolled down our window, and waited for (what I assumed) was a wreck or construction. Suddenly, the police was at our window, sticking out a tube and telling Jarrod to "blow." He did - and I guess passed, because off we went. Apparently, it's common practice to avoid civil rights in Australia and require breathalyzers without any cause. Fun fact for those travelling abroad!

After four solid days exploring, we said five hail Mary's and boarded Tiger Air back to Sydney. On our return trip, we climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, explored the Rocks, ate at Cafe Sydney, and attended the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonic Choir's performance at the Opera House. We also cooked and enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast with our hosts and their friends. Overall, it was an incredible time. We dearly missed Spence but are so thankful for such an amazing opportunity. We're already planning our next couples vacation!














Thanks to all who watched/loved Spence while we were gone. Although we're going through Papa and Kiki detox (i.e. telling him "no" and watching him throw fits), we appreciate them more than they know. Love to all!

Fall Update

This fall I have been horrible about blogging. Am I too busy at work, you ask? Oh no, that is not the problem. I'm just too lazy. I read other blogs and get annoyed when they're not updated with regularity but, for my own, I just stare at it and click to the next link. So, here is a general update on the fall.


We had surprisingly nice weather here. Relatively mild, gorgeous leaves, lots of sunny days! In September, we went to the Johnson family reunion (Jarrod's mom's family). We drove to Silver Mines, MO to visit with many, many cousins, aunts, and uncles. Spence always loves playing with all of his cousins (second cousins in this case).






Then, came my FAVORITE weekend of the year: the Balloon Glow! This year we didn't plan quite as well. We grabbed wine and cheese and hopped the metro to the park. Unfortunately, we forgot to feed Spence and the food lines were ridiculously long, the weather was less than perfect (a windy night made for some difficulty), and we arrived way too early! Oh well, it was still fun and we learned what not to do for next year. Seriously, people, if you're ever going to visit (which, for most of you, I have completely given up hope) - this is a really cool event!





In October, my parents came to visit. My dad got to hit with McEnroe/Chang on Friday which I thought was fun to watch! On Saturday, we headed to the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins. Kiki then made me work all afternoon carving masterpieces which rotted prior to trick or treat! :)











Then, of course, came Halloween! Our Halloween turned out to be VERY hectic. At noon, I ran to Spence's daycare, got him dressed, and Jarrod and I accompanied him on a parade through the neighborhood with his whole class. Spence loved seeing all of his friends dress up - and I'm pretty sure they all napped in their costumes.








That evening, we went over to our neighbor's house for a quick dinner then lined up at the end of our block (along with the other 40 or 50 kids from our block ALONE - I kid you not) for a 1 block parade for all the parents to see. After that, we had a never-ending stream of kids for trick or treat!






It's definitely been a busy fall! In addition to all the above, Spence started soccer again, we saw Toy Story on Ice, Spence saw his first movie in the movie theater, and we had lots of fun visiting parks, the zoo, the Magic House, etc.



We miss everyone. Love from the Taylor Trio!

Parenting the Little Boogers

Jarrod and I really are spoiled. We honestly wonder if we should have other kids because Spence has been relatively (dare I say....) easy. Now, while he is pretty compliant and tender-hearted, he definitely has his moments of madness. He can be whiney and stubborn (both things I'm sure he gets from his dad). :)

Anyway, I have felt at a loss recently. It's so difficult to see the bigger picture of discipline. Often, in the middle of a trantrum where we're both buckling down hard, I think "I should've just said 'yes'." We've tried time-out, awards charts, spanking, taking away privileges...all work at temporarily changing the behavior but I'm unsure about real long-term change.

This weekend, Jarrod and I went to parenting conference here in STL with Paul Tripp. I expected a typical conference where I'd be ready to peace out the door about an hour in. However, instead, I found myself really entertained, educated, and enlightened (he should use that on his website). Anyway, he began by saying that if a parent's goal is to simply constrain and control behavior, you will have failed as a parent. I immediately realized that was me. I don't care if Spence cusses me under his breath as long as he doesn't throw a tantrum in the bathtube. I'm so concerned with his BEHAVIOR rather than his HEART.

He offered great tips on helping children see that their improper motives in their behavior lead to negative consequences.

It was so great, in fact, that I bought the DVD to share. I realize that if, in fact, ANYONE actual reads this, they probably live in Huntington where (if we're honest) there aren't a lot of opportunities for incredible speakers. I'd LOVE to let anyone borrow the DVD. It would be easy to get through - I think it's 10 sessions of 25 minutes each.

I'm going to be stalking some of you to borrow it (as I've seen your facebook statuses...) :) Anyway, just let me know. While ridiculously convicting it was also inspirng. Love from the big City. :)

September Already...

Summer is over! The positive of this statement is that I no longer have to shield my son's eyes (okay - actually my husband's eyes) from the hoochie shorts and tank "tops" that seem everywhere. The negative is that I no longer get to strut around in my hoochie shorts and tank tops! :)

I still hope to one day receive and, therefore, post pictures of my big 3-0 extravagenzas in both Huntington and St. Louis. But, for now, you'll just have to suffer through pictures of the cutest kid in the world!

We finished up parent and me soccer this summer. Spence loved playing with his daddy and, lets face it, it's all about the free t-shirt anyway. Spence wants to play again but mommy and daddy are hoping to give it a rest for a little bit.




Before leaving for Scotland, my brother came to visit! We actually saw him twice in St. Louis this summer (each time before a trip to Europe - can you say spoiled....?) This time, I was a horrible sister & mother by not taking pictures of them together. However, we did go to dinner just the 3 of us (Jarrod was with a friend at a SLU soccer game) and then to the Fountain on Locust for dessert. If you couldn't tell from the picture below, it's Spence's new favorite place.



For awhile this summer, Spence was by-far the most popular of the Taylor Trio. We had birthday parties, end of summer bbqs, back-to-summer picnics...on and on. Below is Daniel's Birthday at BounceU. I was dreading it as, last time, Jarrod and I had to take turn hiking our big booties up this inflatable slides because Spence was too weak to pull himself up them. Fortunately, this time, Spence was able to play without our help.



For Labor Day weekend, we went to Chicago! A lot of Spence's friends had gone to Chicago last summer so Spence was very excited. It would've been great to ride the train up but we really needed a car. The weekend started out with a Covenant v. Wheaton soccer game with our good friends - the Douglass'. They graciously let us stay at their house so we got to see them and enjoy Chicago. Although we had plans to visit the Aquarium, the crowds were too much. Instead we did a transportation tour (a made-up tour by Lindsay) involving taxis, the El, and a double-decker bus. The best part, however, was eating at our favorite restaurant - Frontera Grill - for brunch! Yum.



It was a miserably hot, exhausting busy, yet incredibly wonderful summer. Our boy is 3, we are settling into St. Louis, and excited about what the fall will bring! Love to all......

Boys Will Be Boys

Proof that from age 2 to 102, boys love nothing more than annoying girls....

Two in Review

For Spence, age 2 brought tons of new, exciting (and some sad) things. We moved to St. Louis, made lots of new friends, lost 2 great-grandparents, moved into a new house...the list goes on and on. I wasn't always the best at taking pictures. However, today, his sweet 2 year old teacher gave me a disk with 120 pictures - all of Spence during the last year.

Year 2 started out in a tiny duplex....with weird neighbors...and kids that don't share.... :)

While that was a huge adjustment, daycare was a breeze! Spence immediately loved his teachers, Jill and Missy, and all of his friends - Mia, Daniel, Finley, Roshan, Lucas, Urijah, Nicholas, Josephine, and especially James.

It was an easy transition and Spence loved all of the boys in his class......

Jill started just 1 week after Spence and he absolutely loves her! Apparently, she's quite the storyteller....

Spence loves puzzles........

and who wouldn't love water play......

"Who gave this kid his medical license....?"

Spence's best friend, James, moved to Florida and a few other boys moved up a room, so that left Spence with a lot of girls!

"The things I do for these girls....."

Overall, it's been an amazing year. Spence is growing by the second. He's funny, sweet, charming, strong-willed, and irreplaceable!

Am I Three Yet?

Finally an update on the Taylor Trio. So far, this summer has been busy and HOT. Spence has become obsessed with sports. In addition to t-ball and basketball in our backyard, Spence and Jarrod started doing parent-and-me soccer on Saturday mornings. Spence (and Jarrod) have really improved!






Also, in case anyone forgot, Spence turned 3! Since his birthday is July 4th and most people are busy, we had his party on July 2nd at the Museum of Transportation. It was tons of fun and Spence was really sweet to his guests. He thanked everyone and really made an effort to play with each kid. We played, ate lunch & cake, and finished with a train ride.








For some reason, no one in St. Louis opens presents at kid's birthday parties. Although, I still think it's odd (and unappreciative - sort of), we followed suit. Therefore, after the party and after his nap, he spent an hour opening all of his gifts. He got tons of puzzles, books, Thomas toys, and other fun things.

Then, on his actual birthday, Kiki, Papa, Nanny, and the Taylor Trio all went to Grandmama and Pa's house for another party. Spence was so confused and kept asking "Am I 3 yet?" We had a great time opening MORE presents, visiting with family, and barbecuing. In the end, it was an EXHAUSTING weekend but we wouldn't have wanted it any other way!


Love from St. Louis, The Taylor Trio!