E-L-M-O

Elmo is becoming a popular figure in the Boone household. Popular enough for the stuffed animal version to join us at the dinner table each night (Mackenzie won't say grace unless Elmo is present).

Josh thought it'd be awesome to take Mackenzie to Sesame Street Live! to see the red fella in person. With hundreds of other fanatic children. In an enclosed area. On his birthday (I heart this man).

Mackenzie's love of her Elmo doll, Elmo books and the TV version of Elmo was quickly replaced by utter fear of the real deal (remember--it's taken months to warm up to the Miami mascot). I'll give her credit, she never cried, and within about 10 minutes warmed up to the idea of her role model singing and dancing in the flesh.

The most wonderful time of the year

College football season is here!

This means long days at the stadium for Josh and me--and Mack is happy to come along. Props to Josh for doing most of the heavy lifting on game days.

So far, Mackenzie can say "Go Canes," give half of a "U" and will get within 3 feet of Sebastian the mascot without collapsing in fear.

Oh, and her favorite part of the game is getting to eat pizza--seen post-pizza slice above.

Summer Vacation

We were lucky enough to take two weeks vacation in July--and naive enough to think that traveling to the remote locations of the Outer Banks and Maine coast would be a fun adventure with a 1 year old.

OBX:

Maine:

Happy 4th!

We enjoyed 4th of July this past weekend with our friends Chris, Courtney and Dayton at Vero Beach (picture Nags Head-esque with more retirees), which-in theory-is a 3 hour drive north of Miami.

Whatever driving estimate Google Maps provides with its directions, add at least an hour for the Boones to make the same journey. Between South Florida traffic, diaper changes and bathroom breaks (remember, I drink at least 5 L of water a day for my kidneys), we give the old school Oregon Trail dysentery/snake bite/ford a river venture a run for its money. A 3 hour trip took us 4 1/2. Good thing the beer was cold when we arrived!

Dayton making sure that Mackenzie was safely strapped into her beach chair.

Outtakes

I love Mackenzie. Her candor and discernment are both amusing and honest.

Below are 'outtakes' of our professional photography session. We had them taken at a beautiful park on the beach at dusk--sounds intimate and romantic, right? Well, not if you're Mackenzie and are trying to figure out why some strange lady is trying to make you smile.

Seriously, why does this lady insist on following me around?

This is weird, guys.

Is she stalking us?

And, then, this beauty. This picture captures the essence of Mackenzie: curious, confident and on a mission.

U-S-A, U-S-A!

Someone has gotten into the World Cup spirit! And, Mackenzie just likes the snacks served at game watching parties.

Poo = Pool

Last week Josh and I had a conference in Orlando for work, and, as we view our jobs as a way of life and not just a job, we carted Mackenzie with us.

This was both easier and harder than last year when Mackenzie accompanied us. Last year, there were a lot more late night cries and feedings. But, last year, we could simply put Mackenzie in her stroller and attend conference sessions and post-session cocktails. This year, Mackenzie is fully mobile and able to express her confident personality--at times creating a danger for a toddler trying to navigate a busy hotel lobby. But don't tell her that she is short compared to adults.

And, this year, Mackenzie is just a lot more fun. Don't get me wrong--she was fun as an infant--but it's different when you can watch your child fully embrace and experience new things.

Some of Mackenzie's favorite things at the Marriott WorldCenter in Orlando:

The Pool. Hands down. This kid is a water baby. And, in case you need help in deciphering toddler-speak, "poo" means "pool." Let's hope she never has to really poo in the pool. That could get confusing.

Breakfast buffet. Clearly, this is something Mackenzie has been sorely missing at home.

Grandparents.