Oatland Island Wildlife Center

We finally, after at least 2 years of trying, managed to visit the Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah, GA.  This is a cool little wildlife area owned and managed by the department of education.  They feature animals that are either currently or were historically native to the area.  Pictured below are a handful of the featured critters:

Sandhill Crane

Mountain Lion

Wild Toddler

Red Fox

Spanish Moss

Quinn was very excited to have the opportunity to handle an Indigo snake.  This was one of the highlights of our visit.

Christmas in Savannah

Christmas in Savannah is beautiful.  I love the city, the spanish moss, the many parks/squares.  It's great having Andy and Colleen here.  It's also great being reunited with the other two black cats (Tori and Big Wilie).  

Q is enjoying being surrounded by family.  He wakes up every morning in the carriage house saying, "Want to go see Nana and Gogo and Uncle Andy and Aunt Coween." Gotta say thank goodness for the Red Bullet, the tiny little balance bike that Andy and Colleen brought with them from Cincinnati.  We've had hours of fun in the park on this.

This has been the first Christmas where Q has any awareness of Christmas and presents.  It was fun watching him tear into the wrapping paper.  He even unwrapped everyone else's gifts when we weren't looking.

It was a dino Xmas for the kid.  He received a new dinosaur lunchbox, water bottle, stuffed animal, dino rain boots...

Christmas morning we had our traditional eggs benedict with mimosas.  This occurs before we head over to my parents' friends' house for milk punch.  Needless to say we're all pretty "happy" by lunchtime given the multitude of alcoholic beverages consumed early in the day.

Cheers!

This was a book Christmas for the Houston family.  

Thank goodness for the rain boots!  We've had a lot of rain.  This morning we went out to Forsyth park during a nice rainstorm to take full advantage of the big puddles.  Q loves riding his bike through the puddles.  The bigger the puddle the better.

As nice as it is to be here it's also a tad challenging with Quinn.  This seems to be a tough age for traveling.  After 7 days on the east coast he may FINALLY be adjusting to the time zone change.  Of course tonight will be the real test.  We've been having to lie down with him each night until he finally manages to fall asleep (this can take multiple hours - until after 10pm) so it kinda kills our evenings.  Fingers crossed that tonight will show some improvement!

Tybee Island on a warm December morning

We arrived in Savannah on Tuesday evening.  As we headed towards the airport exit Quinn spied Nana and Gogo on the other side of security.  He pointed excitedly, squirmed to get down, and ran through the crowd of people and into Nana's arms.  It was a fun reunion to witness!  

We had a rainy day Wednesday, but today is beautiful, sunny and in the 70s.  It was a perfect morning for a trip to the beach!  I didn't expect that Quinn would want to get in the water, but it didn't take long before he was asking to get nekid so he could get in with Dad.  

Lots of dolphins were out VERY close to shore!

 Snacktime on the pier

Stockings Round Two

Got another email from the Falklands today with photos of Jeff's recently completed stocking.  So who's ready to order these for everyone they know?  Could they be any more lovely?!!  Go ahead and contact Kim now via her easy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/isopod and put in your requests for next Christmas! :)  

Amazing Christmas Stockings!

 I've been on the search for a quilted stocking for Q since his first Christmas.  I'd previously found a few that were okay, but they didn't really jump out at me at being the perfect stocking...until now.  I stumbled upon this Etsy store.  After many emails back and forth with the artist (and marine biologist!), Kim, we decided upon a design for Quinn's stocking and she just sent me the pictures this morning.  I LOVE it!  The back of the stocking is kelp.  I asked her at the last minute if she could put some kelp on it, because as some of you may remember, this is what we referred to Quinn before he was born....he was our little Kelp.  Silly, yes, but it is what it is and we have several kelp decorations in his bedroom.  :)  Anyway, had to put the kelp on the back, because penguins and kelp don't really go together.  :)  The most exciting thing is that we've got two more stockings coming!  She's making ones for Jeff and me too!

It's beginning to feel a lot...

...like Christmas!

Christmas decorations up thanks to a Toyon foraging trip by male family members yesterday morning.  The boys collected enough native toyon branches to make a festive wreath, and even a makeshift Christmas tree!  

Q Tucks North in for Bed

Apparently North requires an awful lot of toys for bedtime.