They really are the best dogs. Before Colton and Kelsey, there was Logan. Our chocolate lab who we love so dear. Ryan’s going to take Logan camping for the first time. This should be interesting, eh?

Sunday was a fun day indeed. It was spent celebrating their Papa’s birthday. Afterwards, we raced to the backyard and enjoyed our final days of good weather (before it’s over 100 degrees 24/7). Everyone dog piled on Ryan (the highlight of the night), we played pretend airplane (a childhood favorite) and then Ryan and Kelsey had a sword fight with pool toys.

These are the moments when you forget all the worries of work, stress of life, and you just enjoy. Besides, how kissable are Colton’s squishy little toes? I could eat them up!

With their wives in the room, they undergo contraction simulation.Which, come to find out is a real thing. Every doubtful male should have to go through this exercise. Right, ladies?

Labor Pain Simulation from Kensington on Vimeo.

He’s such a chill dude … until he wants something and then it’s game on. His scream still goes into octaves that I can’t even comprehend. He has the cutest cheeks around and lately we’ve been watching him eye his sister with such love. I just know he’s going to want to follow her around everywhere.

Here are two pictures of Colton this afternoon. Instead of napping (his choice) he laid in bed with mommy and daddy just oohing and ahhing. I seriously think Ryan and I could sit around all day, just watching him look at the world around him. He’s our favorite little mister.

(one of my favorite pictures of my mom. how did they get their hair to do that?)

All of the sudden, she spots that dang end-cap where they feature all of the toys, candy and magazines that you don’t need – exactly at kid eye level. And what does Kelsey see, but a little toy airplane that she has to have.

Her face lights up and she is so excited about this toy. It has a little button on it that you press and the airplane’s propellers spin really fast. It’s only $3.99 so I say, what the heck, and put it on the conveyor belt. We check out and she is glowing. I totally made her day.

We arrive at the car and I put her in her car seat. She’s still holding and spinning her new airplane toy. She loves it. I lean over to buckle her car seat and my hair gets caught in her airplane propellers. Yep. My hair gets wrapped and wrapped and wrapped around this annoying $3.99 toy that I never wanted in the first place.

It hurts. And Kelsey is not understanding why I won’t give her the toy back. Someone walks by and does a double take at me, as if to say, “Does that lady have an airplane dangling from her hair”. So what if I do. This can’t be a parenting first.

Anyway. I jump into the driver seat and start our drive home. One hand on the wheel. One hand on this toy that has such a tight grip on my hair. I run inside and ask Ryan to get me outta this thing! ”What is that thing in your hair?”, he asks. Understandable, but I’m kind of annoyed at this point. It’s an airplane!!!!

Kelsey waits in the background as Ryan passes Colton off to me and (ever so seriously) gets me out of this contraption. How much hair did I lose? Is what the vanity in me is thinking. “Your hair is all out. No damage was done.” Phew.

I hand Kelsey back her airplane toy and dodge her like a bullet every time she gets near me with this thing. Dang marketers, keep those $3.99 toys far, far, far away from us girls with long locks.

Now for the fun part? He doesn’t sleep. Can’t eat. And only wants his mom (well, that’s the good part, actually). Here is my love bug at the doctor with me and dad today. He’s still such a darling, isn’t he? What’s that giant yellow thing you ask? That’s his toy moose. I was jumping up and down like a crazy person waving this moose, trying to get a smile out of this sick little boy.

PS – He gets whatever he wants today. Whenever he wants it. This means extra kisses and hugs from mom and dad and attention 24/7.

The minute Colton would find a comfortable spot on my chest was the minute my arms would start to fall asleep. I wouldn’t dare move them (you never want to wake a baby) so instead, I just sat up all night. Literally.

Ryan did amazing too. Switching off with me and running up and down stairs with bottles, medicine and burp cloths. As tired as I am this morning I’m reminded of another quote my friend said to me about kids, “The nights are long but the days are short”. Ain’t that the truth.

We drove to the bottom of the hill where we were greeted by a pretty tent and a local, Hawaiian band. We ate – oh, how we ate – some great food. We listed to amazing music, by Taimane Gardner, an electric ukulele player. She was amazing – she even played some of my husband’s favorites – Pink Floyd.

We mixed and mingled with other Starwood folks and then a select few of us closed down the after party. Hey, when we don’t have kids around, we’re known to be a little cooler.

Celia and Christy – two of my favorites in Starwood.

Ryan and I, after the sea sickness wore off. Man, that was rough.

After she played one note, we were on our phones downloading her music.

More entertainment.

The after-party.

Yep, we hung out here until it closed. So?