The Davis Family

"All Big Now" Gets A Big Bed

2012-02-26T20:31:00.005-05:00

Big change for David this weekend! We took the front off of his crib so it's a little toddler bed now. We surprised him with it when he came home from school on Friday. He's been so precious about it! There wasn't any reason why we decided to bite the bullet and go for it this weekend. Sweet little David has loved his crib, never trying to climb out, but we wanted to beat him to it. We didn't have any big plans this weekend so figured it may be a good time to try in case there was any trouble. Luckily it was as smooth as can be. He's gone right to sleep both nights and for both naps too. Sometimes you just never know what is going to be a big deal and what is not. In the process of making some changes in his room, we decided to get rid of the glider that's been in there. Uh oh. I put it on Craigslist and someone called to take a look today. David was napping so I quietly pulled it out into the hallway. The guy who came to see it decided to purchase it. When David woke up a little while later the first thing he said was "Where my chair go????" He was not happy. It didn't occur to me that he would care about the chair. I felt so bad for him that I immediately promised to go get him a new chair (something I was going to do anyway but maybe not that instant). He continued to cry saying he wanted "that chair" and accused an imaginary girl of taking it. "Her bring my chair back now!" So, what did we do? We loaded up the family and headed to the mall to get David a new chair. He tried them all out, not caring one bit that they were identical except for the color. He decided on the rhino one which was a great choice since his room is working a little animal theme. Other than the bed and chair news, we had a great weekend doing a bunch of nothing. The boys were thrilled to just play at home. I've noticed that since they spend so much time at school now during the week that they really enjoy playing at home when they have the chance. Drew can go in his room and play for hours and hours. David joins him sometimes but is also content to play by himself or with me. George and I did lots of little projects around the house this weekend and just high-fived each other as we slumped on the couch to get comfy for the Academy Awards.

David and "lovey" are deciding whether or not to try out the new bed.
He likes it!

Room for Drewby too!

Tucked in and ready for the first night. He did great. He slept all night and didn't wander his room at all.

I checked on him before going to bed. Had to fix his position of course but was happy to see him all snugly.

Drew's "American party." Wow. That kid has some serious toys. I was amazed at the detail he put into setting up the party. Can you see the Lego's he placed on top of the bear on the dresser? Or all the figurines lined up just-so along the edge of the castle table? I want to brag on Drew by sharing what a great cleaner upper he is. He may pull out every single toy but he does a great job of putting them away. It takes forever but each item goes right back where it belongs.

Moving on to costumes. I bet the boys played with every single toy in the house this weekend.

David's new chair! As soon as George put it down, David grabbed a book and climbed in. No more tears over the glider.

The Davis's Do Disney

2012-01-31T15:15:00.029-05:00

Get ready for the longest blog post ever. Seriously, I have an obnoxious number of pictures. But that's because our trip to Disney World was absolutely wonderful! We had a blast starting with the minute we left our house, even with Drew asking "are we there yet?" before we hit the interstate and David saying "My go home now." Yep, we drove to Orlando and I would do it again tomorrow. Nine hours, including quick stops, was easy peasy thanks to some fresh Disney movies we borrowed from friends and also because we met my folks and Judy in South Carolina and did some seat swaps. We stayed right outside of Orlando the first night with plans to drive straight to Disney the next morning. CC, Day Day, Me-Ma and our fam had a fun night hanging out in the hotel. We packed a nice little happy hour of snacks and wine and hung out in the hotel room while the boys ran wild. They were so pumped about adjoining rooms and quickly created a little racetrack. George picked up take-out, everyone ate and then it was bedtime. The next morning, Day Day headed to the airport to pick up the Watson's while the Grandmas came with us to Hollywood Studios. We chose to start there because we heard you could manage that park in 3/4 of a day and we met the Watson's there in the late morning. I have to say, Cristie and I did a swell job of planning the trip. Hee hee. We researched what parks to go to on what days and what attractions to do first. It seemed to pay off because we rarely waited in line. The trip was much more relaxing and vacation-ish than we anticipated. We rented a house so we could all stay together and I think that played a big part in how much we enjoyed the trip. It was so nice to go back to the house and hang out together. We spent the evenings playing, swimming (mostly just the kids), and eating in. Another major plus for our trip was our adult to kid ratio :) We had 9 adults and only three kids, definitely the way to go! There was always an adult willing to do whatever the kids wanted to do. Drew had plenty of takers for the adventure rides while Whitley and David had an entourage for their character meetings. The kids were spoiled rotten but isn't that the point? Heck, we were all spoiled. We're already talking about our next trip! I'll let the many photos tell the tale of our trip...

Thanks to our wonderful family for such a memorable week!!!!

Our awesome crew!
First character we ran into. Hello Hollywood Studios!

Drew was part of the Jedi Training Academy at Hollywood Studios! Pure luck scored him a spot. We were told the sessions fill up as soon as the park opens. By the time we made it over to the Star Tours area it was 11:20. Mom encouraged me to check it out anyway and I felt soooo lucky when the lady ahead of me in line canceled her child's spot for the 11:45 show! It couldn't have worked out any better! At best, I was hoping for one of the night spots to still be open. Drew was very proud to be a part of it.
Drew gets some tips for defeating Darth Vader.

Go Drewby!

Most of our group stops for a quick pic.

The Toy Story ride was every bit as fun as we heard it was.

Whitley and David check out Lightning McQueen, the kids can't take their eyes of the hydraulic, music-playing cars.

Drew proudly poses in front of Tower of Tower! My brave boy! Still can't believe he rode that. Tom and George did say that he got a little confused right before the big drop and asked, "Where am I? Where's my Mom?" Course it was too late by then and he said afterward that he liked the ride. George got him a t-shirt :)

Star Tours or Toy Story? Can't recall. 3-D is popular at Disney World.

Getting ready to enter the Magic Kingdom, the start of Day 2.

So glad we were there for rope drop! The train comes in with all the characters on board. What a cheery prelude to a wonderful day.

Yep, let the memories begin!

Big smiles everywhere we went.

Cute couple on the tea cups.

David became an expert at meeting characters. Pen ready, autograph book in hand, hug, turn around, smile and wait for pic. He was precious.

Drew took a few pictures with characters but overall wasn't too interested. He was too busy being mega adventurous :)

Mom and son shot - love this picture.

Dick and Judy Watson, Tom's parents, are so sweet.

Ready for the Aladdin ride. You think David is excited?

There we are. David is next to me but can't be seen in this pic.

The guys on Splash Mountain. Day Day and Drew in the front, George in the middle, Tom and Dick scream in the back. Drew is definitely the calmest. Hee hee.

Jungle Cruisin'

David got a little show with Princess Ariel and Prince Eric.

Cristie and I wanted to get in to.

Tuckered out and waiting for the Dreams Come True Parade. Check out that kiss on David's cheek.

Pretty!

Handsome!

We enjoyed taking a break to wait for the parade.

A couple of characters stopped by to give our group a personal hello.

Favorite group photo. What a memorable day at Magic Kingdom!

Day 3 - Animal Kingdom.

David snuggles with Rafiki.

David heard a choo choo train and was bound and determined to find it and ride it. So we did!

So happy!

Safari time.

Sweet pea has his autograph book ready.

One of the best moments of the trip... Pluto was returning from a break and David was first in line (thanks to Judy who saved it for him while he rode Triceratop Spin). Pluto snuck up behind David and gently pushed him with his nose to lead him to the autograph spot. David was a tad confused and so adorable. The crowd ate it up. When David walked over to us after, he said "Pluto push me him nose. Everybody laughing." It was the story he told everyone that asked about his Disney trip. Pure preciousness!

Pluto teased Drew too by hiding the autograph book in Drew's coat hood.

Pluto has personality.

The Tree of Life

It was chilly that day but the cold didn't keep us from getting our daily Mickey ice cream.

The parents and kids went to Magic Kingdom later to see the night parade and fireworks. The grandparents stayed back, relaxed and called it a night early.

All three kiddos got a light up toy. David shows off his R2-D2.

The Watson's are bundled up. It was cold but we were dressed for it.

Pete's Dragon - one of our favorites!

Drew and Whitley were sound asleep on the way home but David was wide awake and being super silly.

We saw tons of characters the day we went to Epcot. Cristie had heard that's where they hide out and she was right.

It was a gorgeous day! We took some small breaks to enjoy the weather and just be together.

Forward or backwords, David wore his Toy Story glow in the dark hat all week!

Drew and I outside of the Finding Nemo ride.

Snack break!

On the move :)

Our fabulous family!!!

Judy stops for a pretty pic.

Getting ready to get our German beers!

Donald Duck - my personal favorite!

Mickey Mouse personalized Drew's page. It's a story! We got so lucky while walking through the countries - all of the main characters were on their way to a photo shoot and were nice enough to stop to meet some little fans during their trek. It was almost stressful because we had gotten used to waiting in line for a few minutes to meet a character which gives you time to get the camera, autograph book and kid ready. But this time the characters were all together and there weren't any lines so we just jumped around and met them all. Somehow, Drew missed Mickey and when he noticed that Mickey was leaving the area he burst into tears. I was a little shocked since until that point Drew didn't care too much about autographs. Well, Disney being Disney, an employee walked over to see what all the tears were about and when Drew explained that he missed getting Mickey's autograph, the man took Drew's book and ran after the Mouse. Course, us adults assumed that he just went around the corner and signed it himself but who cares! Drew was stoked and all was well again!

David didn't miss his chance! Cute!

Last picture we took. What a trip!!! See you soon Disney World!

My All Big Now

2012-01-08T21:53:00.002-05:00

News alert! David is "all big now." He says "My all big now" a dozen times a day, minimum! Poor baby started saying it because I told him he had to be bigger to ride Drew's scooter, play Wii, the list goes on and on. He got tired of me saying that so one day looked at me and replied, "Well, my all big now." And that is that. Forget trying to tell him any different. He is completely convinced that he's five years old. A typical conversation... David, how old are you? "My five." I thought you were two? "No, my five. My all big now." We may be in for it at Disney when he's not tall enough to ride some of the rides Drew and Whitley are riding. I can see him trying to convince an attendant that he's all big. Oh well, no matter his size he is so perfect!

He got this fun gun from Aunt Kim and Uncle Dreg for Christmas. It has lights and sounds and he loves it!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

2011-12-31T23:45:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful new year! Ours is off to a good start. I regret not doing a Christmas blog right after the holidays because now we're into January and it's just another thing on my to-do list. We're leaving for Disney (whoop whoop!!) in a couple of days so it's now or never. I'll list things out as bullets in order to be a little quicker... laundry and packing calls!

* I enjoyed two fun and festive holiday parties at Duke. It was great to get to know my co-workers a little better in a social setting. New employees are urged (required, more like it) to participate in the holiday skit. I tried not to let on that I actually love that kind of thing! I think it was obvious though. I had a great time rehearsing and performing the skit and we got tons of laughs!
* The boys had fun celebrating the holidays at school and came home with tons of adorable crafts.
* Christmas Bunco for me. We don't play in December but do a white elephant ornament exchange instead. That game never gets old and I was pleased to go home with an ornament I like.
* We went to Polar Express Night at Prestonwood. It consisted of a delicious buffet, train ride around the golf course, reading of The Polar Express, and a visit with Santa. We shared a table with our good friends, The Campbell's. It was a very fun night.
* Judy arrived on Christmas Eve and then we went to the Watson's for a fun afternoon. My parents were there as well as the Gunderson's. We ate tons of delicious food, opened a couple of gifts, played with the kiddos and even snuggled on the couch for a movie.
* I was looking forward to making cookies for Santa with the kids but both boys fell asleep on the way home from Cristie's. They stayed asleep through pj's and potty so I guess they were whipped! It ended up working out well because George and I were able to start our Santa duties pretty early.
* Christmas morning was fun! CC, Day Day and Me-Ma were here too. The strangest thing happened. Drew's alarm went off on his new Darth Vader alarm clock. He got it for his birthday and the alarm never went off the two weeks between then and Christmas. But on Christmas morning it buzzed at 6:45am! He was convinced Santa set it for him which was pretty cute! Obviously, the button must have gotten pressed accidentally. We're just thankful it was set for 6:45 and not 5!
* The Watson's came over around lunchtime and we all had a fun day together. We did lots of eating of course; snacks and a light lunch followed by a turducken Christmas dinner. Yum! After dinner we did lots of singing! More on that in the pictures below :)
* My parents went home on the 26th. I've been teasing them that they must have gotten sick of us pretty quickly. Judy stuck it out one more night and went home on the 27th.
* I worked two days the week in between Christmas and New Years. The boys' school was closed so George took off work. They had a fun time and played lots of Wii!. We have all enjoyed Drew's gift. I am amazed at how quickly Drew picked it up. He is definitely way, way better than me but thankfully has the patience to teach me how to play.
* New Years Eve party at our neighbors' house. It was our 3rd year celebrating there and was fun yet again!

Wishing you a wonderful 2012!

On the front steps of Prestonwood getting ready for Polar Express night. The kids were supposed to wear pajamas. Wish the adults could have too.
The boys with their friends Ben and Nathan (aka The Real Nathan).

Shy David and super-cheese Drewby with Santa.

Christmas Eve

Fun racetrack from Me-Ma. She always find the coolest stuff on QVC :)

Oops! The kids got into Whitley's new make-up set and the boys got pedicures. Cristie said not to worry because the nail polish wasn't real. I've got news, it's January 8th and the boys still have some pink on their toes!

Nice pictures of Judy and George.

T and I with our gifts from Mae Mae.

David can't get enough of Whitley! Sweeties!

Drew with Mario Kart, a game for his new Wii.

So many fun presents!

Even Bailey got to open a couple of gifts!

Cristie got THE BEST gift, a sing-and-stand karaoke machine. You just plug an ipod into it, fade out the "real" singer, and go to town. It is an absolute blast. I sang more than my share of tunes despite the boos and endless pleading to stop. It was a hit with everyone. Drew and Whitley sang together and so did George and I. It was the icing on the cake to our wonderful Christmas! Thanks for sharing T!

Drew and Tom are up!

CC and Day Day with their Grands.

Love this picture. Not sure what they are laughing about but something tells me it was potty talk!

Pretty Grandmothers!

Handsome guys.

Thanksmas!

2011-12-20T21:25:00.001-05:00

We celebrated "Thanksmas" over the weekend at my Aunt Betty and Uncle Mike's house in New Castle, VA. Their daughter and son-in-saw, Jenny and Nick, were in town from Seattle for a holiday visit. They termed the occasion "Thanksmas" since we all got together between Thanksgiving and Christmas to celebrate the holidays. We sure had a great time! Drew and I went along with CC, Day Day and Cristie. Since we were just going for the day and it's about 3 1/2 hours away we decided to take only one car. George stayed home with David cause we thought the car ride would be too much for the little guy (he's not the biggest fan!). Drew on the other hand stayed busy talking to us, watching movies and playing Angry Birds on CC's phone (I refuse to put it on my phone in fear he would beg to play it constantly). Aunt Betty had yummy food, lots of drinks (maybe too many for some people reading this??? Not me, I drove us home!) and games. We all had a blast and enjoyed lots of laughs!

Aunt Betty, Mom and T when we first arrived.
Most of the crew outside of the new cabin Uncle Mike built. He is so talented!

Drew thought the cabin was his own personal playhouse. Here he is in the loft :)

"The mule." So fun to ride around in around their property. Not that I actually rode in it myself! Drew was first to get in every time and somehow Day Day always managed to squeeze in too!

Drew took full advantage of being the only kid there (Whitley didn't join us on the trip because Tom's parents were in town). I was beginning to think Drew continued to run back to the cabin just to see who would race after him and bring him back. This time it was Aunt Cristie AND Mel Mel!

The guys. Drew loved being in that photo!

The cousins from oldest on the left to youngest on the right.

Uncle Mike built an incredible tree house! I wish I had a picture looking up at it. Wonder if it would make you as queasy looking at the picture as it does seeing it in person. Holy cow, it must be the tallest tree house ever built! It has three levels. Here's Drew going up just a few steps.

Jedi Training for Drew's 5th Birthday!

2011-12-14T21:45:00.007-05:00

Our Drewby is 5!!! Gosh, that seems like such a big birthday! From the minute his 4th birthday party was over, he's been talking about the Star Wars party he would have for his 5th birthday. He stuck with that theme all year so that's what we went with! He only listed a few kids when we talked about the invite list so I decided to have the party at home this year. Thanks to the internet, I found lots of "Jedi training" games for Star Wars birthday parties. Drew celebrated with David, Whitley and seven good buddies. Although there were ten kids in the house, it didn't seem all that chaotic to me. I tried to organize lots of games to keep them busy and although they enjoyed those, they also just wanted to play. There were lots of costumes, light sabers and other Star Wars fun. Then on Monday the 12th, Drew's actual birthday, he celebrated at school with his classmates. He has really made some good friends there so I'm glad he was able to celebrate with them too. Thank you Sam's Club for the delicious cakes for both parties! Happy birthday to our smart, handsome, funny Drewby!!! We love you to pieces!

We went out to dinner at Red Robin on Drew's birthday. We had such a nice dinner out. It made George and I laugh that we all had such a good time. Drew turning five made me feel kind of old and then the fact that we had a fun dinner at Red Robin just confirmed that fact. Oh well, can't remember a time that I've been any happier than now :)

In costume (of course!) for his party.

Drew really wanted cool decorations. Here's what we did with the dining room table.

Whitley plays "Pin the ear on Yoda"

Stomping out the hot lava (red bubble wrap).

Grabbing the candy after attacking the Darth Vader pinata.

The whole group.

The "Yoda soda" was probably the biggest hit of all! See the empty punch bowl? Green sherbet and Sprite, an easy and fun treat! I glued Yoda ears on the green cups and George drew Yoda faces on them. They turned out really cute!

Tiger Fan Heaven

2011-12-07T20:48:00.001-05:00

We seem to become bigger and bigger LSU fans the more time goes by! Seeing the Tigers play is definitely one of the biggest things we miss about Louisiana. We have been yearning to see them this season and were finally able to last weekend at the SEC Championship. Big thanks to Ward for the tickets! Not only did we see the Tigers play (and win!) but George and I had a fun little getaway as well. We drove to Atlanta, but without the kiddos, it was kind of relaxing. We talked and listened to our Tiger tunes and before we knew it we were there! Our first stop was dinner at Kelly Butler's! She is one of my best friends and I was beyond thrilled to see her!!! She and her husband Jeff were fabulous hosts and made a delicious dinner. Their boys, Clay and Austin, were sweet as pie and I enjoyed reading them a bedtime story since I missed my own little guys. After lots of laughs and good food, we headed downtown to our hotel. We grabbed a beer at a nearby bar and enjoyed seeing so many people in purple and gold! There was a dessert cafe attached to our hotel so we ended our fun evening with two huge pieces of delicious cheesecake. We slept pretty late on Saturday (8:30 I think!) and then went on a run. We ran through the College Gameday area and tailgate spots sporting our purple shirts. Gotta love those Tiger fans that screamed out to us that we were nuts and should be drinking! The morning flew by and soon it was time to go see Ward at the pep rally. We were like kids at Christmas when the band started playing! Makes me giddy just thinking about it! We sure enjoyed catching up with Ward and wish it wouldn't have gone by so quickly. We met up with Kelly and Jeff for a quick drink before the game and then headed for the Georgia dome! If you watched the game, you know LSU didn't exactly start off strong. But when they got ready, they really got ready and and we had an absolute blast cheering for them! Geaux Tigers! A couple of more beers post game with Kelly and Jeff, some yummy greasy food and another piece of cheesecake later, we called it a night. We got up and on the road pretty early Sunday, excited to see our the boys. They had a fabulous weekend as well, spending it in Myrtle Beach with their grandparents. Thank you to CC, Day Day and Me-Ma for all you did! They entertained the boys with a movie, Christmas train ride at the mall, visit to see Santa, beach trip, shopping and lots of good eats. A text I received from Daddy before the trip? "What do the boys like that you won't buy them?" I think they were a tad spoiled!

Me and Kel!
George and I on top of Tiger One at the SEC Fan Fare pregame.

In front of all of the LSU scores. Impressive season!

Geaux Tigers!!!

When I told the boys they were going to the beach, David went and got this suitcase of CC's that is at our house, wheeled it to his room, threw five pajamas in it, sat inside and grinned! Hysterical!

Me-Ma knew that the local mall does train rides during the holidays. It was a big hit with the boys!

And Bass Pro Shop does free pictures with Santa. Mom took a picture of the picture and texted it to me. She's pretty darn good with that smartphone! The grandmas said David was very shy and Drew spoke real softly to Santa.

Thankfull (as in, stuffed!)

2011-11-29T21:38:00.008-05:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving with Judy, my parents, the Watson's and Tom's brother and sister-in-law, Dave and Terri. We hosted but it was so easy since everyone helped by bringing a dish or two (three for Cristie and Tom!). We had way too much food but it was all delicious. I thought it was one of the best Thanksgivings. The weather was perfect so the kids were able to play outside and we enjoyed our fried turkey right by the pot! Of course the occasion was extra special because we were able to celebrate with our loving family which we are so thankful for!

We went to see Mom and Dad the weekend before Thanksgiving. It was a gorgeous weekend so the boys were able to play at the beach for a bit.

The Davis family went out for the Cary Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. Drew ran his first mile as a participant in the fun run! Way to go Drew! Then I ran the 8k. I placed in my age group and won a gift card to Inside Out Sports! It wasn't much but covered my entry for the race.

Drew proudly showing off his participation ribbon.

The David's didn't run but sweetly came out to cheer us on! We missed having CC there but it was nice of her to offer to stay behind and get the turkey started.

David wanted a shirt like Drew so I gave him mine :)

The first of two delicious Thanksgiving meals. Thanksgiving day warmed up and we had a great afternoon outside. We dug into our first turkey, a fried one, as soon as it hit the table. After pigging out, we played and hung out, hoping to work up an appetite for round 2, a more formal sit down dinner. I can't believe how much we ate!

Sweet Cristie brought Christmas ornaments for the kids to decorate. They were really into it! We also had some other crafts which kept them busy. Cristie did an awesome job of entertaining the kids which earned her a seat at the head table for dinner, meaning the non-kids table :) It was a funny story! Mom, Dad and I sat with the kids but actually had a very nice meal and good conversations. Well, except for one little incident. We went around the table and shared what we are thankful for. I broke Drew's heart when I didn't say his name first during my turn. I didn't name people, I just mentioned some things I was thankful for. When I looked at him I could see the hurt as he started to tear up and I realized what I had done. It was hard to explain to him that as a Mom, of course he and David are what I'm most thankful for. All he kept saying was, "Well, if you are most thankful for me than why didn't you say it first?" I couldn't dig my way out of it! I spent the next few days reminding him how thankful I am for him and he eventually got over it. Whew!

David and Me-Ma preparing the whipped topping for pies. David always makes his way to the kitchen, stool in hand, if he hears someone cooking!

I love this picture!

Whitley with her Uncle Dave and Aunt Terri.

Silly Drew making us laugh.

Had to get a picture of Tom and George.

We put a movie on after dinner and those little rascals asked for popcorn. Day Day delivered of course, not one but two bags of movie theater butter.

We worked on Christmas decorations over Thanksgiving weekend. Had to share this picture of the tree after the boys put the ornaments on. They were so proud of their work. Their work is very clear, David's ornaments are all at the very bottom and Drew's are about a foot higher. It's been three days and I'm embarrassed to share that I haven't gotten around to fixing it. Hope it doesn't tip over before I do!

Little Piggy

2011-11-27T20:42:00.003-05:00

The David's were having some serious laughs playing "Little Piggy" so I recorded a short piece of it. David insisted on doing both of Day Day's feet, both of my feet, both of Drew's feet and then would start over. Even with all of those turns, he still didn't have it right. Bless his heart.

Blog Catch Up

2011-11-17T15:38:00.006-05:00

To play catch-up on the blog, I have a few pictures to share with news on what we've been up to the last couple of weeks...Drew was part of another research study. This one was an EEG (Electroencephalogram) study at Duke, studying brain wave activity in four and five year olds. It took close to an hour to prepare the cap. Then the study itself lasted 40 minutes, plus an additional 15 minutes spent trying to fix a problem with one of the electrodes. It was a long process but Drew was super cooperative and even a bit funny. The lady in charge commented that he was one of the best participants they've had! I was proud :) She said that with kids this age they have to double the amount of participants because so much of the data can't be used due to kids moving their heads, etc. Even a quick blink blurs the data so you can imagine what results they must get from most squirming preschoolers! I watched the whole thing from a viewing room next door. That's where I took the picture above. A student entertained Drew with cars, books and stickers while he remained still and looked straight forward during the capping process. Each of the 32 electrodes on his cap had to be filled with gel and hooked up to wires. Then the study began which consisted of Drew watching objects flash on a screen (two dogs, four chairs, one banana, etc) and a voice in his ear bud would call out what he was seeing. But sometimes the number of objects shown and the number said were different. They were trying to determine the connection with what kids see and what they hear. Pretty interesting. Come to find out, you don't need the brain waves to figure out whether Drew noticed the numbers were different. He let us know by rolling his eyes and shrugging his shoulders. It was pretty funny. The research folks keep the kids interested in the video by playing clips of Toy Story in between. It gets them focused so when the lame pictures start popping up again they will continue to focus on the screen. It was two minutes of Toy Story followed by two minutes of pictures and that continued for forty minutes. They took two breaks as well in which Drew was showered with compliments and bribed with Goldfish and M&M's. One of the students asked us before they began if Drew would like Goldfish or M&M's to enjoy on the breaks. He happily said both. Of course he did! When it was all finished, Drew got to pick a toy from the toy chest and then we headed home. During the drive home I asked Drew what he thought of the research study and his response cracked me up. "Well, it was a little bit boring because there were so many commercials in Toy Story and I really wanted to watch Toy Story. And the commercials were kind of annoying Mom because sometimes the guy couldn't even count. He said, 'Look it! Three chairs' and you know what Mom? There were only two chairs. Isn't that annoying? May I have more M&M's Mom?" They gave us the leftover snacks which we happily munched on the whole way home. We were glad to help with the study and hope it's a success!
Geaux Tigers! We had such a great day on November 5th when LSU played Alabama. George cranked up the Tiger tunes first thing in the morning and we got more and more excited as the day went on! The boys were dressed in their Tiger gear and looked pretty darn cute :) We made a couple of cajun snacks and settled in to watch the Tigers win! David watched the first quarter and Drew stayed up till halftime. That was pretty late here on the east coast!

Big news for our family!!! Day Day retired on November 4th and he and CC moved permanently to their house in Myrtle Beach. Whoop whoop!!! They came through on their way and we celebrated with a homecoming, retirement and birthday celebration (Day Day's 64th) at the Watson's. So fun! In this picture, the boys are excited about opening Day Day's gifts for him.
Welcome to the Carolinas Mom and Dad! We are SO HAPPY you are here!!!

CC and Whitley sing Happy Birthday.

Soccer is over for the fall and as much as Drew loved it, he may love this trophy even more! The ball spins (cool stuff!) and his name is on it - what's not to love?! The season ended kind of crappy though because the last two games were rained out. Due to tournaments and other scheduled games on the field, Drew's games weren't made up. What a bummer! Guess the U5's get the short end of the stick when it comes to game importance. Can't say I'm surprised! Looking forward to the spring season already!

Halloween

2011-10-31T23:00:00.000-04:00

With Drew's costume craze, it's no wonder he was a big fan of halloween this year! He's been talking for months about what costume to wear. He has so many good options that he really had a hard time deciding. I thought Jack Sparrow was going to win (it was also my favorite) but he decided on "Spider Man with muscles," probably because it was new to the collection. A few minutes before heading out to trick or treat he tried to switch to the Green Lantern but I put a stop to the madness! David was a precious little pirate! The Watson's joined us again this year and the three kids had a great time trick or treating. I couldn't believe how quickly we moved through the neighborhood this year! We have an obscene amount of candy. When it was all over the boys asked when it would be halloween again?!? I responded that thankfully it would be a whole year.

Carving pumpkins with Daddy. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the finished products, they were quite good! We also caved and got some outdoor decorations this year. After taking the boys on a tour of the neighborhood one night, Drew sweetly asked why we didn't have anything spooky at our house like so many of our neighbors. We didn't get a five foot black cat with a moving head or a RIP tombstone with a skeleton in the bushes but did hang a big spider web from our porch and added a bat too. The boys seemed pleased :)
"Me help" turned into David going back and forth to the kitchen getting more tools. Here he is with two scoopers he thought George may need. He wasn't happy with how long it was taking to carve his pumpkin, hense the fake smile.

I got the boys pirate earrings and although they wore them around the house quite a bit, they weren't worn on actual Halloween. Spider Man doesn't wear an earring and David decided it hurt his ear.

Puss in Boots! Sweet Mae Mae took Drew and Whitley to see the movie and Drew was only home about two minutes before coming out in this get-up. I thought it was pretty darn good considering what he had to work with!

George and I went to a halloween party at Cristie and Tom's the weekend before halloween. We dressed as vampires so had lots of scary makeup on. Drew was very impressed and wanted to do the same. He made me promise to give him a scary face in the morning and as you can see, he didn't forget and I kept my promise. David wanted to get in on the action too of course and loved saying "me scuwey" as he checked himself out in the mirror.

Halloween! It was rainy and cold but it didn't put a damper on the excitement!

David's ready.

So is Spiderman. He was kind of glad it rained because then his spider rainboots became the perfect accessory!

Drew rocked the Spiderman poses all night long!

A Royal Fair

2011-10-25T21:04:00.001-04:00

After going to the Renaissance Festival in Minnesota with my parents, Cristie and I knew we wanted to go to one here and take the kids. Luckily, the Carolina Renaissance Festival takes place every October and November so we didn't have to look far to find one! The Watson's and us packed in the van and drove to the festival outside of Charlotte on a beautiful Sunday. The kids were darling in their medieval costumes. It was a fun day. I took a ton of pictures although the quality isn't very good. It was very sunny and my camera must have been on the wrong setting because there is quite a glare. Sorry!

Look at those cuties! They are ready to go!
Drew and Whitley with a duchess at the entry gates.

Drew watching a jousting competition.

Whitley too!The kids enjoyed the human-propelled rides. Pretty neat!

Settling in for a show.

The kids got be knighted by the king and queen! It was very exciting for them and precious to watch! Whitley went first. She had to give her name which the queen then announced, step upon the the stage, and then kneel before the King, who knighted her. Each child was given a wooden medallion.

Drew's up! He took it so seriously!

A skip in his step after :)

Sweet little David was in line and said he wanted to do it. The duchess said I could stay with him but when we went up the step he grabbed me and ran back to the benches where George was sitting. When we asked him what was the matter, he replied, "Me go myself!" I snuck back up and asked if he could try again. They were glad to announce his name once more and my darling little guy walked up and did a great job! I have to say that everyone watching oohed and aahed and when we passed by those folks later in the day they smiled and winked at him. He was popular!

They used a rose instead of a sword for David.

Everyone loves a turkey leg! The one in MN was so good and I was excited to get one here! Yum!

David helps polish it off!

Drew wanted to do everything they had, including the rock wall! He didn't get very far but good for him for wanting to try.

What's next?

Whitley got a cup of ice cream. We laughed because the boys didn't leave her side for a second, begging like a couple of puppies! She sweetly shared with everyone.

I loved the tree-man!

Another ride.

Family pic.

There is some form of entertainment every step of the way. This guy was playing dead. They asked Drew to check and make sure so Drewby tapped him with his new ax. You can't fool Drew though. I asked him if the guy was okay and he said, "they said he wasn't alive Mama but I saw him move a little bit."

Go Daddy Go! Go Mama Go!

2011-10-21T22:38:00.005-04:00

George and I both had races this month. George did an international distance triathlon in Myrtle Beach on October 8th. He did great despite being sick. The location was very pretty and the weather was great! We had fun cheering him on! I did a 1/2 marathon in Durham on October 16th. I did well, finishing in 1:34:52. I placed 3rd in my age group and I'm super excited about my award! It was another beautiful day and the boys were so sweet to cheer me on the whole way! I was impressed by how quickly they moved around the course, catching me at miles 2, 5, 6 and 11. It was great to see their smiling faces!

George on the run in Myrtle Beach.
Our cheering party!

Cristie helped me make the posters :)

Proud of Daddy!

Post race with my boys. The poster David is holding reads "My Mommy is faster than yours." Talk about pressure! With my running partner and friend, Camille. She finished 2nd in our age group.

Birthday Fun!

2011-10-13T14:51:00.006-04:00

Early October was filled with lots of birthday fun around here! Whitley and I both had birthdays and there was definitely lots of celebration! It started off with a tea for Whitley at the Carolina Inn hosted my Mae Mae. Wow, what a treat! We had a great girls day chatting, eating, enjoying delicious tea and celebrating Whitley's special day. The following weekend we all went to Myrtle Beach, along with CC & Day, and had birthday parties for Whit and I. Good times! The only thing better than cake is two cakes! Drew traveled to the beach early with CC and Day Day (David got to do it last time and we have to keep it fair!). He, Whitley, Cristie and Mom decorated the house, mailbox and door for my birthday. Drew and Whitley were proud of their work (Cristie too!) Judy had a nice dinner and cake for my birthday Friday night. On Saturday afternoon we celebrated Whitley's 4th birthday. She is really into Cars 2 so we had a Lightening McQueen birthday party. We also squeezed in lots of other fun that weekend including two great trips to the beach (it was a perfect 80 degrees!), a triathlon for George (more to come on that in another post), a trip to Ride Makerz for cars for the kiddos and lots of fun family time. It was an awesome weekend and I was so very happy to spend it with everyone. Cristie did a great blog from the weekend with much better pictures than mine, check it out if you can. http://whitleygrace.blogspot.com/2011/10/beach-birthday-weekend.html

Tea with Melanie, Cristie, Whitley, Mae Mae and Judy Watson - Whitley's Grandma and another Judy :)
Happy birthday Whitley!

A special treat for the Grands. Me-Ma took the kids to Ride Makerz to make cars! It was a big hit! Poor David is pictured without pants. His pants were soaked when we arrived at the store and although I had three extra shirts in the car, I didn't have any spare pants. Honey badger doesn't care! For those of you that don't know it, yes, we refer to David as a honey badger and have been for months. The nickname is full of love, promise :) Happy kids showing off their new cars with Me-Ma!

Dad and daughters :) Bummed I don't have a photo with CC and Me-Ma.

Getting ready to start another game of Simon Says with Day Day. We all love this game when we get together. We just laugh and laugh! Dad makes it pretty tricky, even for the adults!

Darling little helpers.

Just ridiculous! David absolutely LOVES cake! He talks about cake all of the time, he even randomly brings up his Elmo cake from two months ago. He climbed on Judy's dining room table to get to the cake prior to dessert. When we moved it to her bar, we caught him climbing the stools to get to it again. Relentless!

"More cake!"

I was spoiled with gifts! Pandora charms from the Watson's, Judy, George and the boys!

Corduroy Toms from Mom and Dad! And a charm too.

Sweet Whitley getting ready for her McQueen party!

Drew enjoying the party favors.

We were prepared this go round! CC on standby for cleanup and no shirt for David.

Fall is here!

2011-10-05T21:55:00.001-04:00

Fall has arrived in North Carolina! It's been so nice and we have taken advantage of the beautiful weather. I have lots of photos below of a morning spent at a nearby corn maze and pumpkin patch. We look forward to this outing every fall, it's so fun for the kids. The nice weather has made soccer more enjoyable as well. Drew continues to love it and asks most mornings, "Do I get to play soccer today?" The weather isn't the only thing changing around here (cheesy I know!) - I rejoined the workforce! I am so excited! I am working on the Annual Fund Reunion Giving team in Duke's University Development department. It's part time for now but I hope to go full time at some point. The boys had to switch schools since they were only going to preschool three hours a day. Even working part time, those hours wouldn't cut it. They are adjusting well to their new school, Drew more easily than David. It will take some getting used to but I'm confident we'll get there.

Pictures from our fun fall day at Phillips Corn Maze...

They have so many fun activities. Here's David on the mini tractor race track.

The boys try out one of the real tractors.

Making corn angels in the corn box.

My fav - the corn shooter! I want to point out that George and Drew tried to hit the target three times with no luck. David and I? We hit the target on the first shot! Whoop whoop!

Ready for a ride on the cow train.

Family pic with the "corny" decorations :)

Drew led us all the way through the corn maze. No joke! He answered all of the questions correctly (kid version of the questionnaire) and his sense of direction was pretty impressive. We never had to raise the flag for help :)

David's turn to carry the flag.

Tractor ride on way to the pumpkin patch.

More September

2011-09-22T21:10:00.006-04:00

We've had some fun times in September that I haven't posted about. The beginning of the month started off with a special treat for me! Cristie and I flew to Minnesota for a weekend with Mom and Dad. Carrie Underwood performed at Daddy's casino that weekend and Mom, T and I love her. Sweet Daddy shared his Delta sky miles with us and treated us to the concert. We had a great time at the show and had fun throughout the weekend. Without the grands around, Cristie and I were spoiled :) I was only home from MN a few days before CC and Day Day arrived for a visit. Me-Ma wasn't far behind them. We had a great weekend celebrating Judy's birthday and all being together!

Posing with the "The real Jack Sparrow" at a Renaissance Festival in Minnesota. Drew could not believe this picture when I showed it to him. He wants to go there and meet Jack Sparrow too :) I felt a little guilty going to the festival without the boys. Drew would have been in awe of the costumes and activites.
Cute Mom and Dad!

Ready for the concert.

The boys made signs for picking up Day Day and CC at the airport. Precious.

David trying on one of the pirate head wraps we got the Renaissance Festival.

Drew showing off his pirate headgear and sword holder.

Day Day and CC took the Grands bowling. Look at David's bowling shoes!

Whitley anxiously waiting to see how many pins she knocked down. Sweet Whit was the best sport! She cheered for everyone, every time.

Drew doing the "Come on ball, turn!" move.

Licking the icing bowl for Me-Ma's cake! The strawberry cake (still the best recipe ever Aunt Kim!) has the most amazing icing. I told the boys they could have a lick and David went in with his whole hand. It was the biggest mess but they loved every lick :)

Happy Birthday Me-Ma! We love you!!!

Little pic of David just cause he's so irresistible.

Soccer Star

2011-09-20T13:36:00.003-04:00

I am officially getting my soccer Mom on! Whoop whoop! Drew's first soccer game was the 10th and he had another one this past Saturday. We are off to a great start! All we hoped for was for him to enjoy the game and want to play and we've been proud so far. When his team, the Razzles, got together at the first game and the coach asked who was ready to play, Drew was one of the only ones to raise his hands and say "Me, me, me!" There are 10 kids on his team, 8 showed for the first game and three cried throughout most of it (I felt bad for those kids and their parents. I've been in that spot before and it is not fun at all). Drew ended up playing quite a bit since they were short a couple of players. It was a hot day but Drew was a trooper and he had a blast. He scored three goals including the first one for his team. That was fun. I have no intention of being an obnoxious parent but it was a blast to cheer for him and his team! I even teared up a bit when he ran past us with a huge grin after scoring. He was so happy. We had family in town that weekend so Drew had quite the cheering section. After scoring, he wanted to be sure that Day Day saw it so would run to him for high fives. Very sweet. The 2nd game went well too. All of the players were there and only one didn't want to play. Way to go Razzles! Since there were more players, Drew didn't play as much. He also didn't score right away. About half way through the game he looked at me and asked, "Why was I good last week and not good this week?" Uh oh! So I started the speech of scoring isn't everything, support your team, yada yada yada. It helped a little bit but he was still a tad bummed until he scored. We'll have to keep working on that. Here's some cute pics of our little soccer player...

Dressed and ready for the firs game. Drew was begging me to hurry so we could get going. He was so excited!
Part of our viewing party. What a good lookin' group! Thanks for coming fam!

Drew and one of his teammates ready to get started!

Drew after scoring his first goal! Way to go Drewby!!!

Two of the three girls from across the street came to Drew's 2nd soccer game. It was so sweet of them! Drew was very proud to have them there. Watch out for these girls to be pro players in a few years. They are ridiculously good.

Running toward us after a goal. He makes the cutest faces!

Major weather change. The 2nd game was chilly and rainy. Drew looks like a real athlete all bruised and dirty :)

School has Started!

2011-09-08T13:53:00.005-04:00

Preschool is back in session! I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited. We had a fantastic summer but the last couple of weeks got to us all. Vacations were over, company came and went, museums were toured and our interest in the pool and park faded big time. Drew is going to school Monday thru Thursday mornings and little David is going on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Yep, David is in the 2 year old class at preschool! He is by far the youngest since he turned two on August 10th and the cutoff is August 31st. I kind of felt guilty when we went to the open house last week and he was smaller and younger than the rest of the kids. One of his classmates turned three this week and many of the others will turn three this Fall. I told myself that it's worth a try and I can always pull him out if things don't go well. So far it doesn't look like that will be necessary! He did fabulous both days this week! We are so proud of him! No tears for David. Can't say the same for George though, he teared up when David went in his classroom :( I asked George to go with me in case there was a problem with one of the boys. Everything went so smoothly all week. Drew really likes his teacher and described her as "nicer than the whole world!" His classroom is really neat. We are looking forward to a great year! Did I enjoy my two mornings alone this week? You bet! It did feel a little lonely and I couldn't wait to get to carpool but it was great to run errands and get some things done. Oh, one funny thing I want to share. I asked Drew if he saw David at school and this is what he said. "Yes, they were coming in from playing outside and were walking in a line. David's teacher asked David to get in line Mama but guess what, he didn't! Then I heard her ask him again but he didn't do it Mama. I told her it's okay cause he doesn't know any better." A line? Uh, that's one David's going to have to learn. It's strange to pick David up from school and not be able to discuss his day very much. He will answer a few questions but for the most part I have to assume if I wasn't called to pick him up that he must have done alright. I've gotten used to picking up Drew and hearing every small detail. Today he informed me that Owen, a boy from his class last year but not his class this year is leaving for Disney tomorrow. Maybe Drew can be my little spy for David for the time being :) Here's quite a few pictures from the first day! They are pretty much all the same but I couldn't resist their darling and excited little faces...

"Me bag for me school."

So excited!

Drew outside of his classroom.

I wasn't able to get one of David outside of his classroom because he just strolled right in and went to the play mat!

Talking to the Boys

2011-08-30T13:49:00.008-04:00

The boys are hysterical to talk to. George and I are constantly laughing at something they come up with. Drew is a true conversationalist! He no longer talks like a young boy, he understands everything and speaks like a grown up. It's good and bad! David is talking more and more every day and we are loving his sweet voice and growing vocabulary. Here are a few things they've said recently...

* David calls ketchup "French fry dip"
* David can't stand it when I am chatting with friends. He often gets in between me and the other person I'm speaking with, shakes his hands at each of us and says, "No more talking!" Not exactly the most polite thing but since he's so cute and has a sweet voice it comes across as funny!
* David is in a major "me" stage. An example of one of his sentences: "Me Mommy, me help, me slide." Everything is "me," rarely does he use "My" or "I." One of his favorite things to say is, "Me help." Like most two year olds, he wants to do everything himself so we hear "Me help" a lot!
* Drew and I were having a disagreement the other day and I finally said, "Drew, the bottom line is I'm the boss and I said no." He came right back with, "The top line is I still want to do it!"
* I often have to ask Drew numerous times to do something before he ever does it. I was frustrated recently and said (mostly to myself but definitely out loud), "Ugh, why do I always have to repeat myself when I ask you something but when you ask me to do something you want me to do it immediately?" He looked at me and said, "When I ask you to do something it's always fun Mom." Duh!
* We were at the pool when an older (and annoying!) kid starting asking Drew a lot of questions. She told Drew that she was smarter than him and then wanted to prove it. I tried to get Drew to just ignore her and do something else but he kept trying to answer her ridiculous questions. When she asked, "Do you know where karate originated?" Drew said, "Of course, at the karate store." It made me laugh :)
* Drew went out to dinner recently with our neighbors. When I went to their house to pick him up Xavier said, "Hey Stacy. Thanks for saving me $50." When I asked what he meant he said that after having dinner with Drew they no longer needed to see Captain America so I therefore saved him $50 in tickets and concessions :) Drew spent the entire dinner giving them the blow by blow. They honestly felt like they were at the theater. Beth said Drew was not only giving every detail of the plot but also described each outfit and acted out all action scenes with weapon sound effects. Sounds like Red Robin got quite the show! That's Drewby!

Obviously there are many, many more little stories but those were just a few that I can recall right now. Here's some random photos from August that didn't fall into any other blog posts...

David helping me with the paperwork at his two year well visit. He did great at his appointment and is a perfect little two year old!

Stopping for a snack during a recent bike ride.

Drew loves riding behind Daddy! We are so glad our neighbors passed this fun thing on to us. Now we can ride places as a family that we aren't comfortable with when Drew is on his own.

David being a sweetie in the bike trailer.

We stopped by Mae Mae's house earlier in the month to wish her a happy birthday. We made a quick stop by Harris Teeter on the way because the boys asked if we were singing to her and having cake. Sounded fun to me so we grabbed a small cake and surprised her with our own little party :)

A hot day at the park.

Captain America on a mission through the woods. David just followed along saluting Drew whenever he was ordered to do so.

Marbles Museum Visit

2011-08-25T19:47:00.006-04:00

The boys and I had a fun-filled day! We spent hours at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. Visiting the museum was on my summer to-do list but as the summer flew by I decided to wait a little longer and go once the elementary schools started so it wouldn't be so crowded. It worked out well as traditional school started today and the year round students weren't on a track-out break. We literally had the place to ourselves for the first part- we got there when they opened at 9am, not bad for this crowd :) Those kid places are usually destroyed by the time we arrive so it was neat to see the grocery store organized, the costumes folded and placed on shelves and the blocks and tools all in their appropriate bins. I have a ridiculous amount of pictures from our outing but since I had the camera with me I figured I should click away. Enjoy!

Drew makes an announcement from the bank armoured car in the Moneypalooza area.
Working at the pizza parlor.

"Me cook pizza."

Drew delivering his pizza with David anxiously waiting his turn.

Hockey time. It was fun having the rink to ourselves!

Yep, I played too. We were the only three people on the entire 2nd floor of the museum and the boys needed a goalie.

Not as easy as it looks! I almost sprained an ankle trying to stay balanced.

Drew looking like Daddy.

Tool bench with real tools! Seriously, do you see the sharp saw in the background? Don't know how I've missed this in the past but next time we go the Davis's will bypass the work bench station.

David found his way to the splash zone. At least there were some available smocks today.

Drew at work in the submarine lab.

There's always a train set at these museums and although almost every boy has trains at home, it remains a must-see!

David working in the garden.

David, pictured as a volunteer EMT, was obsessed with the flashing lights on this ambulance.

Drew never meets a stranger; he jumped right in with these girls when he found them in the ambulance and quickly dressed as the Doctor.

He jumped right in with these kids too, just assuming they would ring up and bag his groceries :)

At one point, David stayed put long enough for me to look up and this is what was painted on the wall. Very fitting!

We had lunch at Roly Poly after the museum. Here the boys are enjoying their "Sprites," codeword for anything that comes out of the fountain machine.

We wrapped up our fun day by sharing a snowcone!

Drew the Patriot

2011-08-19T21:29:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share a cute thing that Drew did. I mentioned in my last post that he is heavy into Captain America after seeing the movie. He likes to act like Captain America and he also likes to wear "the colors of the United States" if he can find anything clean that will suffice. He asks daily to browse Captain America stuff on the computer. Today we found a You Tube video that he loved... www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qMRVwAvufA and he asked to make his own video to mimic it. Here it is, he recorded it himself :) I love the shield taped to the molding. That was a must for Drew!

David's Birthday Weekend

2011-08-15T21:42:00.002-04:00

David had an awesome birthday week following his actual birthday. My parents needed to go to their place in Myrtle Beach for a couple of days and wanted David to join them. What a special treat for him...and me :) Cristie and Whitley joined them too and they all had a good trip. Drew had camp that week so he stayed behind and we did some fun things together. His favorite? Seeing Captain America! He absolutely loved it! We had the best time on our little date and haven't stopped talking about the movie since. The Myrtle Beach crew had a blast on their trip; they went to the beach both days and also did lots of playing at CC and Day Day's house. My sister has some great pictures on her blog. Check it out at http://www.whitleygrace.blogspot.com/ They returned from the beach on Saturday and then we celebrated David's birthday later that afternoon . We had a family party with CC, Day Day, Me-Ma, the Watson's, Gunderson's and Whitley's. It was great! We set up the water slide which David absolutely loves and that entertained the kids. Judy and I prepared a pretty yummy dinner if I do say so myself! Then we ended the party with cupcakes, ice cream and gifts. David had an Elmo cupcake while Drew and Whitley had Cookie Monster cupcakes. The party theme was originally Cookie Monster but David kept talking about Elmo so I changed his cupcake at the last minute. The fun continued on Sunday with a movie outing for CC, Me-Ma and I. We went to see The Help! LOVED it. George stayed home while David napped and Drew went shopping with Day Day to get all of his soccer gear - Drew starts "real" soccer soon! Then we all got together at the Watson's that evening for a BBQ and more fun. We had a great time playing and ate a delicious meal. It was a great family weekend! Happy 2nd birthday David! Thank you to CC, Day Day and Cristie for taking care of David in Myrtle Beach and showing him such a good time. He was spoiled with your love (and patience!) Thank you Judy for all of your help with the party! I enjoyed cooking with you :)

He loves his waterslide so it was a birthday must!
Having yummy dip with his Mae Mae!

Cuties taking a quick pause for a picture.

Splish splash.

David is ready for ice cream.

Clapping for himself. He got the Elmo cupcake he wanted!

Blue mouths!

My party favors :)

Sunday at the Watson's!

David is the king of messes.

We had a blast watching Day Day and the kids do a show. The kiddos got dressed up and then Day Day announced them one by one as they came through the porch to the "stage." Dad came up with lots of creative titles and spoke like a real announcer. The kids ate it up. Here's David raising his arms during his turn.

What a cute little Nemo. We left shortly after this picture was taken. A fun evening came to an end when David started ripping the costume from Whitley's hands, screaming "Me Nemo!!!!"

The kids thought they were famous after the show so were pleased to pose for pictures.

Drew was especially into it and asked everyone if they wanted to have their picture taken with him :)

Posing with Me-Ma

And even me too!

"Me slide" for "Me birthday"

"Me Two!"

2011-08-10T21:05:00.002-04:00

Sweet, hilarious, darling little David is 2!!! He melts our hearts with his hugs, kisses and sweet voice. But he also cracks us up constantly. He has the funniest, most wild little personality! And he's so darn adorable :) Oh, and did I mention he's quick? Seriously, I can't describe how fast he is when he's on the run! We've been talking about his birthday for weeks - Drew has been super excited about it which made it extra fun. We taught David his age so when asked he replies, "me two!" but instead of holding up two fingers on the same hand he jabs both of his pointer fingers forward like they are weapons. A few weeks ago when Me-Ma was visiting, we asked David what he wanted for his birthday. He immediately replied, "cake." It was crystal clear and he was so matter-of-fact about it. Since then we've asked him daily just to hear it again. His answer varied, it was just "cake" for awhile and then became "yummy cake." The last week or so was "Elmo cake." Since all he wanted was cake for his birthday we made sure to celebrate with cake twice! His party was planned for Saturday, the 13th but we had to have a cake for him on his actual birthday, the 10th, as well. Since he wasn't specific on the flavor of cake he preferred, George and I voted and a Goodberry's frozen custard cake was chosen unanimously :) Goodberry's doesn't really decorate their cakes so I printed an Elmo picture, covered it with tape and placed it on the cake. Didn't want my sweet boy to be let down. CC and Day Day landed the evening of David's big day so they were here to sing along with us. Happy birthday David! You are loved so very much!

Cake!

Digging into some presents! He had to fight Drew and Bailey off but did a good job opening the gifts.

More interested in the napkin than our singing.

Random Summer Stuff

2011-08-09T21:03:00.005-04:00

Most of my posts this summer have been from trips or other special occasions. Figured it was time for one of just some random stuff. We have had a really nice summer so far. We've stayed pretty busy with trips to the pool, play dates, story time at the library and also lots of playing at home. Here's some pictures from the past few weeks...

Like many parts of the country, we have had an incredibly hot summer. The kids were helping me water the plants when they started intentionally spraying themselves. Drew had the fun idea of getting umbrellas and making rain. Our neighbors Lauren and Andrea joined in on the fun!
George and I went out to lunch and bowling with three other couples two weekends ago. Here's the girls.

Sweet boys watching cartoons in our bed, a morning ritual this summer.

We have eaten tons of ice cream! The boys insisted on these colored cones.

David is ready to tailgate! Bring on Fall!

Drew did this picture for a National Night Out art contest. Our neighborhood had a pretty large event for NNO August 2nd. There was an art contest in order to gather pictures to display at a new Police substation nearby. Kids were only allowed to use one piece of white paper with markers or crayons and absolutely no adult help. Drew did a police monster truck with a police man. You can't see it here but there is another policeman driving the truck and two bad guys in the back. He even included 911 on the side of the truck. I was very proud of his work! If you have small kids, you know it's hard to get them to draw something completely from scratch. Way to go Drew!

We went to the mall with Drew's school friend, Hayden, and the Chick-Fil-A cow was there. This was big time fun for them!

David getting comfy at the mall.

David with more ice cream! He seems to make that face every time he has ice cream.

Getting ready for story time at the library.

The boys coloring at David's new table. CC and Day Day gave it to him for his birthday - he will be two tomorrow!

Boating and then Bye Bye - A Great Week in MN

2011-07-31T22:08:00.001-04:00

We went out with a bang in Minnesota. On our last day, my parents dear friends, Veronica and Ralph, invited us on their boat for a day on Lake Minnetonka. It was lovely. My parents have raved about that lake over the past few years and I am so glad we got to see it ourselves. Wow! The homes on it are indescribable! The lake is huge and the water is very nice. Ralph, our captain, showed us quite a bit of the lake and stopped frequently for swim breaks for the boys. It was a wonderful day. We had an early flight the next morning so planned to wrap up our day on the lake around 7:00 in order to get the boys bathed and in bed at a decent hour. We were having such a large time that we scratched that plan and then decided to prolong our night even further by going out to eat. I'm not one to be real strict on the kids' schedules but can't say we usually take them to restaurants at 9:30pm either! We ended up having such a great night out. We laughed so hard at ourselves. We were the most disheveled looking family walking into the restaurant. Windblown hair for all of us (the guys tried to fix that with bottled water and a comb in the car but no real progress), bathing suits, wet clothes on top of our suits and a look of being on a boat for six hours. Lookin' good! The icing on the cake was the fact that poor Daddy lost one his front teeth! Long story short, he had a temporary tooth while awaiting his permanent crown. The temp broke but since it was a Sunday there wasn't much he could do. We felt bad for him but it didn't stop us from laughing hysterically every time he opened his mouth. I'm sure Daddy is wishing I didn't share that story but I never want to forget that fun day and night and I can't help it if part of the fun was at his expense :) We love you Daddy! Thanks CC and Day Day for a wonderful week! It was a blast!

Drew loves boating!
CC and the beautiful scenery.

Ralph, George, Day Day and the boys. Fun guys!

Ralph was so sweet to the boys!

Love those guys!

David chowing down on some fried chicken. We realized this was his first piece of fried chicken. Big fan!

Enjoying some swim time.

Captain Drew. Ralph seriously let Drew drive for the longest time. He was so patient with Drew and taught him a lot.

He sleeps! We laugh that David is the most active kid around. Here's proof that occasionally he does crash!

He sleeps again. Our flight home departed at 7am. It was an early morning. David was WILD the first hour or so of the flight. I'm sure the plane full of Monday morning business travelers appreciated the overhead light clicking on and off two hundred times. David eventually crashed and so did I! Entertaining him in flight is exhausting!

More Spoiling - Pool Parties and CC's Birthday

2011-07-31T12:00:00.005-04:00

The fun continued in Minneapolis the next two days! On Friday we went to Daddy's office in the morning to visit him and meet some of his friends. The boys were most impressed with the popcorn machine and ate three bags leaving the contents of at least one bag scattered on the floor. Not sure if we'll get another invite to Mystic Lake Casino or not. Then we went out to lunch before resting in order to get ready for a fun night of swimming. One of Daddy's co-workers and friends invited us to his home for dinner and some fun in the pool. It was an absolute blast! We go to the pool here quite a bit but there is something different about hanging out at a private pool. We all enjoyed playing on rafts, swimming around, eating delicious snacks and dinner, eating some more and having a few margaritas. It was a great night! Thanks to Rick and Teresa for opening your home to us. On Saturday we went to the movies. George and I saw Friends With Benefits (very cute by the way!) and CC and Day Day took the boys to see Pooh. David also saw quite a bit of Bridesmaids and a few minutes of Friends with Benefits as he and Day Day toured the theater trying to keep David entertained. I guess Pooh wasn't cutting it. After the movie we got ready for another pool party. Mom and Dad's dear friends, the Walick's, and some other of their local pals were getting together for some grilling and pool time. David only swam for a short while but Drew was a fish as usual. There were some adults in their 20's who cooincidentally taught swimming lessons for years and enjoyed having Drew in the water with them. Drew always leeches on to the oldest people he can find and in this case it worked out great! Another highlight of the day was celebrating CC's birthday. We were in town a few days prior to her big day but couldn't resist the chance to celebrate in person! We had a great little party complete with decorations, gifts and a delicious cake.

We went to lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant that had some belly dancing for entertainment. Our table was as close to the mini stage as you can get (see CC and her friend Cathy in the background). The boys' reactions were absolutely hysterical! Drew was embarrassed and wouldn't watch. He put his head on the table and turned bright red if you even mentioned watching. I was shocked that a four year old would even know to be embarrassed by a grown woman dancing with a bare belly. David, however, was enthralled with it and tried to get even closer throughout the "show." Thank goodness she invited kids to join her for the last dance. David quickly stepped on stage but what did he do? Not dance, not smile his dimply smile. No, he stood completely still and picked his nose. Nice. I didn't get a pic of him doing it because I was about to pee my pants. I did get his statue stance though :) Drew join in on the dancing? No way!

Swimming Friday night. Day Day and the boys had a blast floating around, doing raft races and swimming.

CC and the boys pretended they were part of a sea lion show (we saw one at the Como Zoo the day before) Here they are coming up to the side of the pool for their treats - I had Goldfish.

George enjoyed the nice pool too!

Their backyard was like a resort! Rick is getting ready to grab the pizzas out of the outdoor oven. Yum, yum! We enjoyed having a front row seat at the bar.

Another shot of their gorgeous yard. You can see Day Day chillaxin' :)

Enjoying a delicious meal!

CC's birthday! The boys were so happy to give her balloons (from David) and flowers (from Drew).

CC showing off her birthday decorations the boys colored.

My beautiful Mom, looking nowhere close to 60!

CC listening to her recorded storybook from the grandkids. She loved it so much! It really did turn out cute. Whitley, Drew and even David did such an awesome job "reading" the pages. To get it just right Cristie and I would read the page and then have one of the kids repeat it just as we pressed the button. We were surprised when David tried to participate so we gave him a page too! So adorable!

The boys were so proud listening to the book.

CC helping David pass out cookies at Saturday's pool party.

David with friends Cathy, Deb, her grandson Mason, and Veronica.

Spoiled Rotten in MN - Twins Game and Como Zoo

2011-07-31T09:32:00.001-04:00

We spent a week in Minnesota toward the end of July. Like every visit there, CC and Day Day spoiled us rotten! We had a fun outing every day and also squeezed in a couple of visits to their neighborhood park, lots of delicious meals and of course tons of love and laughs. We arrived on a Tuesday night. The flight was comical as we knew it would be. David was a piece of work! We decided to be cheap and have him sit in our laps (he'll be two August 10th so this was our last chance to get away with that). We quickly realized he is too big and active to be confined to a lap. Always imitating his brother, he wanted his own seat and seat belt so we squeezed him in between us so he could buckle up like Drew. David's behavior wasn't necessarily bad, he was just extremely loud and full of energy. I could see the folks around us giggle and think, "Been there, done that." They were very kind and told us not worry but I'm sure after two hours they had their fill of David and my constant attempts to calm him down. We laughed wondering how many of them updated their Facebook status after that flight. Oh well, the flight was on time and we were thrilled to see CC, Day Day and their new Grandalade, Dad's nickname for his Escalade purchased solely to cart around his Grands. We had a nice ride to their house and finally got the boys calmed down enough to fall asleep close to midnight EST. On Wednesday, Dad took George, Drew and I to a Twins game. The new Target Field is very nice and we really enjoyed the experience. Minnesota was experiencing extreme heat for a few days (described in the USA Today as the hottest place other than the Amazon Jungle. Seriously? Minnesota???) We made the best of the heat by drinking lots of cold beer, cooling off in the misting fans and taking over some empty seats in the shade:) Mom and David stayed behind since the game was during his nap time and we didn't think he would sit still for a baseball game. They had a nice day playing with all of the toys she had for them. She had a little riding school bus that David drove around their unfinished basement. So, it was a great day for all of us! On Thursday CC took us to the Como Zoo while Day Day worked. It was our second trip to the Como Zoo and it was a hit once again! Here's pictures from our first two days of the trip...

Super cool Target Field!
Twins gear, face painted and cotton candy - ready for the baseball game!

Drew and I with a super fan.

Fun for Drew!

This cracked us up! It was the hottest day ever! We were walking the concourse to stay cool when Day Day found this chair (for the security guard) and popped a squat.

CC went to the library before we arrived and picked out some great books. She read to the boys every night in this chair.

Fun day at the Como Zoo!

The zoo has a kiddie park with tons of rides and a splash zone. It really is a fun place. We had a great day!

Drew's first roller coaster! It was pretty tame but still more than I can handle.

David loved the rides! Everything was "My car, my train, my boat."

CC braved the teacups :) David is on it too but is blocked by Drew.

Waiting for the tilt-a-whirl to start. Drew was embarassed by my screaming.

David's favorite, riding the train with CC.

Drew had an absolute blast in the splash zone. He quickly made friends with some big kids and was livin' it up.

Happy 60th CC!!!

2011-07-31T07:15:00.000-04:00

CC, Grandmother extraordinaire, turns 60 today! Happy birthday Mom!!! The kids love a birthday party and they love their CC so Cristie and I decided to have a little party and send it to CC via our blogs. We got together and played, had pizza, decorated cupcakes and then ate our treats. We sang too of course. Enjoy CC! We wish you the best of birthdays! You are loved so very, very much!!!!

Drew and David showed Whitley their library books while Cristie and I prepped the party.

Let the mess begin!

Whitley did a nice job of putting sprinkles on her cupcake :)

Drew too!

David refused to sit down in the chair! CC would not have liked that one bit!

Our CC cupcake display :)

Jillian Returns

2011-07-18T08:14:00.003-04:00

We had awesome company the middle of the month. George's sweet Goddaughter, Jillian, visited from New Jersey for a week! She came last year but I figured we scared her away. I mean, what 17 year old wants to spend a week in this house? I teased her that she only came back so she could also go to Judy's for a week to shop and lay at the beach when she left our place. She swears she loved it last year and couldn't wait to come back! So sweet! We were all thrilled to see her. It didn't take long for David to wrap her around his little finger. He called her named constantly, even more so when I asked him to go to bed or do something else he wasn't a fan of. The way he said her name was adorable. Imagine saying Jillian as one syllable - that's it :) Her first morning here she awoke to the boys talking outside of her room. It was about 7:15, not terribly early but still early for a rising high school senior during the summer. I begged the boys to leave her alone but they were so eager to see her. She was a good sport and woke up early each day to be with them. The week flew by! We went to the pool quite a bit, played outside and one day we went to the UNC Planetarium and then had lunch on Franklin Street. We all enjoyed the Planetarium and Jillian and I laughed about how much we learned as well! George, Jillian and Drew went to Greenville to visit ECU one day. They had a great time and came back with pirate t-shirts and temporary tatoos. We were sad to see Jillian go but hope she will come back one more time next year before college?!? Thank you Jillian! We miss you!!

Me-Ma and Drew at the USS North Carolina. George and Drew drove to Wilmington to meet Judy for the Jillian switch. They all went to the USS North Carolina and Drew absolutely loved it! He has invented so many battleship-type games with his boats since then and has added the Navy to his list of things he's going to be when he grows up.
Darling Jillian and Drewby.

Jillian and the boys at UNC.

David points to The Magic Tree House Space Mission show at the Planetarium.

Cheese!

Jillian gave the boys Toys R Us gift cards when she arrived so later in the week we ventured to the store for them to pick something out. Drew chose a Star Wars volcano. I didn't read the instructions very well or probably wouldn't have approved the baking soda/vinegar/food coloring lava but we sure have had fun with it!

July 4th Weekend

2011-07-04T22:18:00.009-04:00

4th of July weekend was a great one around here. Well, actually the weekend started off with some heavy duty yard work. All four us worked in the yard Friday evening. George usually does all of the yard work (and a great job he does I might add!) but the bushes needed trimming and weeds needed pulling so we all chipped in to help. The boys were adorable in their "working gloves" and were so eager to help. David got so much accomplished! We were very impressed. His monkey see, monkey do attitude really comes in handy sometimes :) He perfectly imitated everything Drew and I did, resulting in a bag full of trimmings. Everyone was rewarded with ice cream! I enjoyed a girls afternoon on Saturday. Some friends and I bought a Groupon to a bead shop for a necklace-making class. We had a great time making our necklaces and an even better time prolonging our outing with a stop at Fosters for wine and snacks. Sunday was an awesome day...boating with the Gundies!!! It is definitely one of our highlights of the summer every year. We took David too this time and all had an absolute blast. We swam, wake boarded, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and Drew got to go tubing for the first time! Would you believe he loved it from the first second? After enjoying a really long ride, I finally leaned over to Uncle Ralph, our captain, and said that he could stop. I knew Drew would never call it quits. All Drew could say when we pulled him to the boat was, "What happened?" He did not want his turn to end. We decided to let him go ahead and tube one more time and then we deflated the tube. Otherwise, Drew would have hogged the day! Our little plan worked and Drew moved on to cheering for the wake boarders. Of course he did ask many times if he could wake board. I made up a number and told him you have to be ten years old to do it. He looked at me very serious and asked, "Well, is Melanie ten?" It was hysterical. Sweet Melanie is 24. We also did lots of swimming throughout the day. That was David's favorite. He bobbed around in his life vest and was happy as can be. Oh, there is a funny story about the life vest. The day before we went on the boat I wanted to make sure the life vest would fit David. When I tried to put it on him he quickly moved and said, "No." So I put it on Drew and made a comment about going on Mae Mae's boat soon. David changed his tune immediately and started hollering, "Me! My vest! Me! My vest! Pleeeeaaase!!!!" Works every time :) I actually had to peel the thing off of David two hours later for nap time. Thank you Gundies for inviting us on your boat and for such a fantastic day!!! After a great day boating we came home for a quick shower and change before George and I went out to dinner with some friends. It was such a fun night. Our pregnant friend Ashley let us pile in her car so we wouldn't have to worry about driving. We all had a blast and definitely owe Ashley a ride next time she's up for it! By the time July 4th rolled around we were all pretty tired. We went to the pool for a couple of hours and then had a relaxing afternoon at home. There was a neighborhood get-together planned for the evening but some pretty yucky storms rolled in. By the time the weather cleared and things got going we were already half way into the boys' bedtime routine. George and I watched some fireworks on TV and called it a night. Lame, I know! We'll do better next year.

We had an awesome night out with friends. Four couples went to dinner and enjoyed hours of good stories and laughs.

Drew was so pumped about this "rock radio" we saw at the mall. He asked me to take a picture of him standing on it because as he said, "Nobody will believe this rock plays music!"

Drew tubbing with Uncle Ralph!

With Daddy too!

David takes a Goldfish break with sweet Mae Mae.

Swimming, a favorite for everyone.

Little David loved it!

Pirates Voyage

2011-07-04T21:42:00.005-04:00

Pirates Voyage was one of the highlights of our beach trip. It recently opened in Myrtle Beach and we were all looking forward to taking the kids. Drew is probably our biggest pirate fan but we all enjoyed the show. They had a huge gift shop of course so Day Day and Me-Ma outfitted Drew in a full Jack Sparrow costume. It is really cool! He insisted on putting it on before the show started. He also wore it numerous times throughout the rest of the week. He asked to wear it for Halloween but at this rate it will be a rag by then. I mentioned in the previous post that I had a lot of pictures. Here we go...

The boys got pirate tattoos while we were waiting for the show to start.

Look at that! George and I were cracking up watching David get his tattoo.

With his tattoo artist.

The show starts and "serious Drew" comes out. He gets really into stuff. This is the exact face he made when we went to Medieval Times. I always wonder if he is enjoying it but of course he is. He asks at least once a day when we can go back to see the pirate show again.

Sweet David was so attentive.

Drew looks like he's trying to solve world peace. Day Day and I asked him many times if he was okay and he always replied, "Yes, please stop it." The show included a five course meal. Drew took exactly zero bites. He did drink three sips of his Pepsi but that was only because Day Day held it to his mouth. Drew just refused to do anything other than focus on the show. I'm glad he enjoyed it that much!

David finally got wiggly during the last few minutes. George stood up with him and all was fine again.

Part of our crowd.

A few more of us.

This picture was totally Drew's idea. I asked him to turn and look at me and he got so annoyed. He had a vision and wanted it done his way. He asked to see the picture and was very pleased with it.

Drew refused to smile. He was in total pirate character.

Jack Sparrow poses again.

My other little pirate.

Another one of Drew's plans :) He does make a darn cute pirate!

Beach Boys

2011-07-01T12:34:00.014-04:00

We were at the beach with family the end of June. We had such a fantastic trip! Just looking through these pictures makes me smile. Our week started off on Father's Day. We enjoyed all being together. My parents hosted lots of folks throughout the week; The Gunderson's and Smith's the first weekend, the Whitley's in the middle and then the Orban's toward the end of the week. The rotating company was tons of fun and the boys enjoyed playing with new folks! Everyone was so sweet to the kids, it make the vacation very easy for George and I! The boys were spoiled with family eager to build sand castles, play in the water, look for shells and give them multiple popsicles . The weather was perfect all week and we took full advantage of it. We went to the beach every day for hours. The boys loved it so much that the time just flew by. David was absolutely hysterical! He just ran and ran and ran. He was so happy to have a wide open play place. We all got the biggest kick out of what a good time he was having. Most evenings were spent eating (so much delicious food!) and drinking at my parents house but we did venture out a couple of nights. One night we went to the Pirates Voyage, a brand new dinner theater show. It was a huge hit! I have so many pictures that I will do a separate post for it. Another night Me-Ma took Drew to play miniature golf for the first time. It was such a great week. We enjoyed every minute hanging out with Me-Ma, CC, Day Day, the Watson's and all of the guests. Get ready for tons of pictures...

David with his movie headphones.

George reaching for the margarita ingredients. Time to kick off of a great vacation! I love T peaking in the corner :)

Look at those two beautiful ladies!

Happy Father's Day to the best!

Couple of great Dad's!

The Dad's on Father's Day. We had a great meal and cake to celebrate.

Look at those curly haired cuties! They couldn't wait to dig into that cake. And dig-in is what they did! Uncle Mike suggested giving them each a spoon and letting them have at it. It was cute! Afterward, Drew said, "Did you see us destroy the cake?" He couldn't believe he was allowed to do that!

Day Day and Drew are always playing rough!

I was busy taking pictures and Whitley said, "Aunt Stacy, take a picture of us!" So we did!
What a cutie!

Tired kids all drinking their milk in "CC's bed."

Cristie and I with the beach-lovin' trio!

Mom took a picture of George and I. I so rarely have one of just the two of us so here it is!

Will the redneck pool ever stop being a hit? They fought over it daily.

Whitley and David spent so much time together at the beach. He loves her so much and she is so sweet to him.

Back in the pool.

The Whitley boys help the Davis boys build a castle.

Me-Ma let the boys eat breakfast in front of the TV every morning, Drew at George's childhood table.

Another great day for Drew.

Pausing for a quick second but getting ready to take off for another sprint.

Handsome fellas.

CC and Day Day did a treasure hunt for the kids one day. Here's CC showing Drew the map and he's trying to figure out where to go. The maps were hysterical. I saved one for Drew's memory box. He will get a kick out of it someday.

David went out with a bang one day! He was absolutely filthy. Not only was he covered in sand but then the red popsicle dripped down his chest and belly and stuck to him. There is even some red juice at the top of his diaper. You can see it really well if you click the picture to zoom in.

A golf cart ride one night. Drew and Whitley are in the back with Anne-Marie, Brian's girlfriend. The kids loved her!

David following Whitley around and imitating her every move. They were so precious to watch.

Three kids, three bags of Goldfish.

Cheese!

Mom and Dad and their great friends, the Orban's.

Best option out of the family pics.

A Little Hi From the Boys

2011-06-16T08:47:00.004-04:00

CC and Day Day are flying in this evening. David was talking about it a lot this morning I tried to get a little video. Of course he didn't say as much when I prompted him but the boys are still cute. They are working some serious morning hair!

Camping

2011-06-08T13:13:00.009-04:00

George and I had a "first" over Memorial Day weekend. We camped (yes, in a tent!) for three whole nights! His college crew has been camping on Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks for 11 years. We finally joined them this year and had an absolute blast! Who knew camping could be so fun?!? I will say it takes a lot of good friends and cold beer to make it enjoyable :) Ocracoke is pretty unique; it's remote and extremely laid back with most people riding bikes or golf carts around the island. We went to the beach, rode our bikes around, checked out the cute shops and ate good food. The campsite was really fun too! It was neat to be with friends all of the time. There was always someone awake and ready to chat. I got teased because I was the first to go to bed each night. Although I was the first to bed, I can't say I got much sleep. The campground was extremely loud; people partying all hours of the night. Since we were the newbies, our tent was set up at the edge of the group spot. The campers nearby were wild. George and I were awake one night just listening to them talk. The conversations were crazy and kept me up giggling. The boys were in good hands at home with both Grandma's. We are so fortunate that CC and Me-Ma are willing to help us out so often! We thought for a couple of days that we may have to cancel our plans. Poor Drew was very, very sick the week leading up to the trip. We figured out it was pneumonia a couple of days prior and once he was given meds, he started improving right away. He wasn't 100% but CC and Me-Ma had everything under control so George and I still went on the trip. The boys were spoiled as always. Drew talked the Grandma's into a shopping trip and he also got to go see Rio in the theater.

Set up for a fun day at the beach. There aren't any houses or hotels on the beach there so folks just drive their trucks onto the sand and find a good spot.

Most of the group!

George outside of Blackbeard's museum & store. We can't wait to take Drew there sometime!

A few of the girls during our nice dinner out.

Lunch on the water.

At a bar enjoying live music and cold beer.

David's Curls Get a Trim

2011-06-05T21:32:00.004-04:00

Sweet David got his first haircut! We figured it was about time since he's almost two. I love his darling curls but they must have been getting a tad long; a couple of strangers have mistaken him recently for a girl. Also, Day Day said it was time for a haircut and when a Grandparent says that, it must be pretty bad! David was sooooo funny during the cut. He just sat there and went along with it like he had been there dozens of times. He was a little under the weather which may have had something to do with his subdued behavior. I was proud of him regardless and think his new do is precious! Here's a few pictures...

Before :)
Getting sprayed.

He loved watching in the mirror.

Lookin' good!

Cutie!!!

A Good Laugh

2011-05-19T14:29:00.003-04:00

So I mentioned in the last post that we spent some time with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Mike on Mother's Day. I shared the coloring book story but I didn't mention one of the things David did. Like most toddlers, he is constantly on the move and can get into trouble pretty quickly. I didn't have a lot of things to entertain him with so I fell back on an ole faithful - handing him my wallet and letting him tear it apart. It keeps him busy for quite sometime considering it's packed with cards to places I haven't been to in years and receipts that are so old you can't read the numbers anymore. When he's done removing every single thing, he usually tries to put it all back which doubles the chore. Aunt Betty and Uncle Mike got a kick out of him doing this (or maybe more out of my lack of concern that my wallet was being torn apart). They sent a package to the boys this week and along with some awesome crafts, David got his very own wallet. I laughed till I cried. The wallet was filled with business cards, rewards cards, stickers, etc. David loves it of course and I will never leave home without it! They also sent Drew a folder labeled "Drew's art portfolio" to store all of those pages he won't part with :) It was a thoughtful package and I appreciated the laugh very much!

As promised, Drew sent a Mickey Mouse coloring page to Aunt Betty. She so sweetly took a picture of it displayed on her fridge and forwarded the photo to Drew.
Drew showing off his portfolio!

Uncle Mike took this picture of David destroying my wallet. Doing some damage to his very own wallet.

He's at it again! Thank you Aunt Betty and Uncle Mike for the big laugh!

1st Weekend in May

2011-05-13T15:01:00.006-04:00

We had a fun and busy weekend. Me-Ma was here which made it extra special. Saturday started off with a community 5K for me. I was the 2nd female to cross the finish line. That was exciting! Drew is in love with my trophy and is proudly displaying it in his room. George left Saturday afternoon for White Lake, NC for his first triathlon of the season. He did well and we are super proud of him! On Saturday evening we went to Cristie's to celebrate her 34th birthday! We pigged out on pizza, cake and ice cream and had fun playing outside. On Sunday the boys and I got to visit with Aunt Betty and Uncle Mike. They were in town from Virginia and it was so good to spend time with them! Drew brought a bag of stuff to show Aunt Betty. He took platty (his lovey) because she gave it to him for his 1st Easter. He took my trophy. He took 8 library books because Aunt Betty works at the library so of course she would want to see them! He also took his Star Wars coloring book and markers. After his little show and tell he set up shop and got to coloring. Aunt Betty was very complimentary of his pictures and asked to have one. Drew said no because "he loves them too much to share." When we got in the car I mentioned that it sure would have been nice to share one of his pictures. He thought about that for a minute and then said he would color a picture out of David's Mickey Mouse coloring book and mail it to Aunt Betty. He was so proud of his great idea! So he's willing to share his brother's things but not his own. Classic. The rest of Sunday was very nice. George got home from White Lake around lunchtime and since it was Mother's Day he and the boys had sweet cards and goodies for Me-Ma and I. Then Judy and I ran off to do a little shopping while the boys stayed behind. That was a treat. George teased me that I was escaping on Mother's Day but I don't think that day means you have to be a Mom every single minute. For me it meant sneaking in a relaxing, no-rush, complaint-free trip to Apex Home & Garden, Lowe's and Harris Teeter. Sorry kiddos! You know I love you :) I hope all of the Mom's out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Pretty girls at Cristie's birthday celebration. I had to crop Drew out because his expression was so ridiculous. He was wild over there!

Aunt Betty and Drew with the famous coloring book.

Uncle Mike and David were being silly.

Aunt Betty sent us home with cupcakes and David sure enjoyed his!

Me-Ma with her three boys on Mother's Day! (one pic where David is looking)

(a pic with Drew looking)

Have you seen my sword? Drew continues to crack us up with his costumes! He thought this was soooooo scary! He stood at the top of the stairs and hollered down for us to "Get ready to be scared!"

Just had to share this picture of David. His hair is really something on humid days :)

Behind on Blogging (Big Time!)

2011-05-07T15:43:00.008-04:00

I can't seem to keep up with doing blogs lately. I think it's due partly to the fact that I traded in my dinosaur for an i-phone a few weeks ago so I'm not on the computer at home near as much. It's amazing how much you can do from a phone! I know, you readers that have had smart phones for years are just laughing at me. The boys also keep me super busy of course but other than that I'm just making excuses and vow to post more often! The rest of April was wonderful and May is off to a good start. We have finally had some gorgeous weather! Not hot or cold, not humid, but just perfect! After monthly winter heat bills that crept over $300 it is so nice to go without heat or A/C, at least if only for a short while. We have been playing outside so much, especially now that we have daylight till 8:30pm. We love to eat dinner and then roam the neighborhood "looking for friends" as Drew calls it. We usually do run into somebody and the boys play a bit more before baths and bed. I was lucky enough to go on another girls weekend in April. This one was with my best friend Angel. We met in Charleston and had such a fantastic weekend!!! It was my first time there and I loved it! The weather was perfect which was great since we did so much walking. We filled our days shopping (well, more like browsing but that's just as fun), eating (such good food, yum!) and chatting non-stop. Seriously, I don't think there was a second of silence the whole weekend. Angel and I chat on the phone pretty frequently but it's hard to really have a conversation with kids making noise in the background. It was awesome to spend time together just the two of us and really be able to catch up. We had a great Easter weekend at home. We went to an egg hunt at Prestonwood on Saturday and then went to the Gunderson's on Easter Sunday. Here's some pictures from the past few weeks...

Angel and I posing with the "best friends" sign in Charleston. So touristy but so fun!!
Crazy picture I know. But there is a story to it. We were at Prestonwood for an Easter egg hunt and George was trying to take a picture of the boys and I with the Easter bunny. Not one, not two but THREE people walked between the camera and us. This is just one of the pictures he got! It was ridiculous. I started laughing so hard that I couldn't stop. I was bending down for the photo and thought I was going to fall I was laughing so hard.

Finally got a picture. Poor David isn't even in it because I couldn't balance and lean due to laughter! See the guy in the upper left corner? Yep, same guy! How's that cookie?

Drewby!

David was a hoot during the hunt! He was out there with kids ages 1-4 but wasn't the least bit scared. They are strict about the "no-parents" rule so I didn't think he would leave me to hunt eggs. I was wrong :)

Easter morning! The boys loved their goodies. David found a Hershey's kiss and is holding it out saying, "Choc choc."

Sweet Mae Mae had the Watson's and our fam over on Easter Sunday. I tried to get a picture of the three kids...forget it!!! Here they are with their eyes closed! What are the chances?

David is heading for his basket. Guess he didn't want to be the only one without a basket.

Back with the basket but still strike three.

Drew gives Mel a hug after they hunt eggs.

Mae Mae got the kids some Easter books. David snuggled with her for a bit and read his. Thanks for a wonderful Easter lunch Gundies! The meal was out of this world and the company was wonderful as always! We love you!

Short Catch-Up

2011-04-15T12:20:00.008-04:00

A little catch up of April so far...

George and I were married 8 years on April 5th. We celebrated with a family dinner at Chili's with a kids eat free coupon :)

Relaxing girls weekend for me at Kure Beach. We had pretty weather but not quite warm enough for the beach. We had a great time just hanging and didn't miss it one bit. We even joked that it was awesome to eat and drink as much as we wanted and not have to worry about wearing a bathing suit!

A fun visit with Me-Ma! She got tons and tons of love from the boys. Both wanted to be with her constantly.

George ran the Tarheel 10-miler at UNC! So proud of him! Judy was in town so she was able to watch along with the boys and I. We got our work out scurrying around UNC's campus trying to spot George throughout the race. Judy was right when she said there is a reason they don't call it "Chapel flat." Geez, that is a hilly campus!

Drew's Easter program and egg hunt at school. Once again, David loved seeing his big brother on stage. Drew happily waved at David announcing to the crowd, "That's my little brother. The one with the really cute face wearing overalls. Hey David!!!" Drew's teachers let David participate in the Easter egg hunt. That was fun!

Girls weekend in Kure Beach

Drew and his buddy Peter camping in the backyard.

Drew and David in timeout for running in the house. Pitiful little guys.

Yummy trip to Marble Slab.

Both boys wanted to hold Me-Ma's hands everywhere we went.

Yay Daddy!!! Way to go on your race!

It was not easy or fun to get this lousy family pic :)

More March

2011-03-28T22:09:00.004-04:00

March is about over and although we had a few spring days, we also had quite a few cold ones too. Lots of rain and even sleet yesterday. Speaking of that, while I was on the porch trying to convince Bailey to go outside in the sleet, David took a pen from my desk and decorated the couch. I wish I had a picture of the guilty look on his face when I walked in! In other March news, George turned 36! The boys and I baked a chocolate cake from scratch and the four of us celebrated during George's lunch break on his birthday. We thought it was a nice little party until Drew asked, "Why isn't there anyone here other than our whole little family?" I told him that not everyone gets to rent out the Jump Zone and invite 25 friends. I think he felt sorry for George. George had a great day though; he got lots of triathlon gear and some clothes from me (which he likes and fit great!) Then he and I went out to dinner that night. Happy birthday George!!! Another highlight of March was running the Tobacco Road 1/2 marathon. It was my first one and it was awesome! I was very proud of my time - 1 hr 39 minutes. The boys cheered for me from two spots on the course and then met me at the finish line. So fun! The rest of the month has been filled with play dates, trips to the park, library story time and lots of play time outside, no matter the weather!

What happened to spring? Drew sports his new Star Wars pajamas.

A nice day at the park.

On the tobacco trail. I'm in the pink shorts :)

With my running buddy Camille.

Happy birthday George!

Holding up his new triathlon transition bag.

CC and Day Day's March Visit

2011-03-16T22:02:00.009-04:00

We are so fortunate that my parents visit every 4-6 weeks. We always have such a good time and the boys love it when they are here! CC and Day Day visited the 2nd weekend in March and the highlights were...

Arrival! We love picking them up at the airport! The Watson's came over for dinner when we got back home so CC and Day Day got to see all three grands :)

Drew's shopping trip with Day Day that resembled Christmas morning more than a short trip to Target.

Lunch at our house with Uncle Mark and cousin Brian. Good company and yummy Smithfields BBQ.

A beautiful day with yummy food and family fun at the Watson's.

A day trip to Ringgold, VA to see the Lindsey's.

David was back with his buddy CC! He loves her so much! He wakes up during the night when she is here and looks for her to snuggle. We decided to act like CC was leaving the house each night and had David wave bye-bye to her. He slept like a baby :)

Drew got to sleep in the bed with Day Day the last night! Probably not a highlight for sweet CC who got booted to the other guest room. Also not a highlight for me since now Drew begs every night for "a live person that is not a lovey" to sleep with him.

Day Day, the boys and I snuggle up for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Tea party! Sure David, good spot to pour the water. Drew's in costume...can you believe it? "One more please." The princess and knight giggle during Megamind.

The Lindsey's have a karaoke machine with kids songs. Didn't take Whitley but a second to grab the mic!

David loved watching her! Here he is making sure everyone sees her.

Getting warmed up!

Lafe took us to see his cows. So fun for the kiddos! He showed Drew how to bend down, stay quiet and get close.

See that one Day Day? David was obsessed with the cows! It's one of the few animals he knows by picture and sound so I think he was really pumped to see so many live! He "moo'ed" the whole time we were there.

Do you see that one too Day Day?

What about that one?

A picture of the ladies! Cristie is missing :( She is sick so didn't go with us. Sydney is missing too, she had to work.

Start Your Engines

2011-03-08T19:33:00.002-05:00

David is into riding the truck now. He picked it up right away. His steering needs work but he's got the accelerator part down pat! Day Day gave the truck to Drew when he was 19 months old. Looks like David is following right along in Drew's footsteps!

March Madness

2011-03-05T22:08:00.005-05:00

The first week of March was a rocky one around here. Nothing major, just me being home alone with the boys and having some "woe is me" moments. The boys always seem to be a little more wild when George is traveling and they definitely listen to me even less than usual. Drew busted his chin on the playground at school so that added to the madness. Luckily, taking him to see the Doc wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. David actually stayed still while they worked on Drew. I think he was just in awe of it all. I have to say, Drew is one tough cookie. His teacher has contacted me twice since the incident just to tell me that she can't believe Drew wasn't phased a bit by the fall or injury. If she wouldn't have noticed the blood she said he would have continued playing. He didn't wince once while the gash was cleaned or glued. I was so proud of him until I realized that his tough attitude wasn't going to help the healing process. I have screamed "Be careful of your chin!!!" a hundred times since the incident. He just plays like nothing ever happened which is probably while it isn't exactly healing as planned. He put on a dozen different costume masks today, scrapping his chin every time, until it bled through the band aid - again! So, back to the wild week... George flew back to North Carolina on Thursday but had a conference in Charlotte at the Great Wolf Lodge. The boys and I drove there to meet him. My friend Jodi lives in Charlotte so we visited her and her three boys on the way. It was good to see her precious family! The Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park and it also has some other cool activities. The boys and I stayed busy walking around and checking out the place while George was at the conference. Then we ate a quick dinner before going to story time and then calling it a night. We went to the water park first thing in the morning and had a great time there! I forgot how fun those water slides are! While going up a ridiculously high flight of stairs Drew asked, "Mom, why do you like the rides but all you do is scream, scream, scream?" It's true. I am one of those people that pretty much squeals and screams the whole way down. But I do love it! Drew loved the slides and kept his chin in tact all day. David didn't get in on the action much but he seemed to enjoy people watching. Toward the end of the day, we had a real scare with Drew. In a matter of seconds we lost sight of him. I won't get into the details here (mostly because I don't want to read this 10 or 20 years from now and have to re-live it!) but George and I were beyond scared and when we finally found Drew (in the wave pool!) we called it a day. We were so weak from worry and decided it was time to go home. So, we were happy to get home and have a relaxing weekend in store.

Jodi, Rupert, Drew and the two David's.
Drew and little Joshua.

George and the boys listening to story time at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Drew after meeting Wiley the Wolf.

David wasn't as thrilled to meet Wiley.

David had to stop for a sip on the way to the water park. He is obsessed with water fountains. Constantly repeating, "No, yuk, germs" hasn't deterred him in the least.

Getting ready to play!

This is how David reacted to the water park. A little timid, scared and reluctant to get in the water.

Drew jumped right in of course.

Livin' on the edge!

Miscellaneous February Fun

2011-03-02T14:10:00.006-05:00

I'm just posting some random pictures taken in February.

Mae Mae had us over to make Valentine's cookies again this year. It was such a treat! CC helps Whitley and David get started here.
The boys and sweet cousin Melanie roll out the dough.

David was so cute covered in flour.

T and I in our matching sweaters!

David loads his Nerf gun. Drew always puts belts around their chests to hold the weapons.

We saw The Mystery Machine at the Volkswagen dealership while getting the oil changed. When we walked away I asked Drew if he was excited that he got to see the Mystery Machine. He replied, "Yeah, but you know that wasn't the real Mystery Machine Mom. Those people were just painted on, they weren't really there." Well, good to know.

The costume craze continues. This is Drew as a G.I. Joe.

And some kind of ninja with another belt harness.

George surprised Drew one morning by dressing up and getting a sword. As soon as the battle was over Drew asked me for his Batman sunglasses and "a hat that doesn't have a thing that protects your eyes from the sun." He came back dressed just like George.

I don't even know what this is supposed to be. If you can't tell, Drew is only wearing underwear under the chaps. Nice.

Delightful David

2011-02-23T12:46:00.004-05:00

I mentioned in the skip trip post that David stayed home with CC while we were in Utah. It sounds like they had a great time together. When I called to check on them, CC would either say that he was perfect, super smart or such a sweetie. One day she said that he was a "delight." That kind of made me giggle. I am sure he was sweet and precious but aren't we all a delight when everything is going our way? And there is no doubt that everything was going David's way with CC here. Sweet CC taught David some songs, played with him every minute and spoiled him with tons of love. David didn't sleep very well though so poor CC was probably exhausted from the week. David gave me the cold shoulder when I got home and wouldn't give me any kisses or hugs :( I guess he was a little mad that I left him. He shook his head "no" every time I asked him for a kiss. Then he would lean into CC's chest and snuggle with her. He woke up in the middle of the night screaming but when I went in there to get him he ran to CC's room. I was a little heartbroken but also happy that he loves CC so much. He warmed up to me the next day though. He was so sad to see CC go home and looked for her around the house for days after she left. Thank you so much CC for taking care of David!!! We love you!!! Here are some pictures from CC and David's week of fun...

David is ready to go outside and play with his new golf set.
Looks like they played soccer too.

Mom said that she sat on this stool for a second and then David wanted to do it from then on. It's been a few weeks since this picture was taken and he still takes this stool to the driveway every time we play outside.

Painting! Gosh, seeing this picture makes me realize that our garage needs a spring cleaning!

Having breakfast.

Crafts

CC got David a singing and dancing dog. He's pressing the button here.

Trip to Dairy Queen for cheeseburgers.

Ice cream too!

Drew on the Slopes!

2011-02-22T16:48:00.003-05:00

Here's a little clip of Drew coming down the mountain. I was spying on him; he didn't even see me when he went past. Hee hee :)

Drew's First Ski Trip

2011-02-20T20:02:00.004-05:00

George, Drew and I went to The Canyons, near Park City, UT the second week in February for a skip trip. It was an absolute blast! Jamie and Ty joined us which sealed the deal for best ski trip ever! Having Drew out there was incredible. George and I were so proud of him! Drew has been talking about ski school since he learned about the trip a few months ago. Despite his excitement, we were a little nervous that he wouldn't like it. Unfortunately, the first day was a tad rocky. It was our mistake for signing him up since we traveled so far the day before and had a really late night. The instructor said Drew was very tired and teared up many times throughout the day asking for Mommy. That broke my heart. We talked to Drew about his day and he said he liked ski school but he didn't understand why we left him there for so long. I have to say, 8:30-3:30 is a bit much for a 4 year old but full day lessons is all they offer. He insisted on going back to ski school so we signed him up for another day and hoped a good night of sleep would help get him on track. It did and he had a blast! I spent most of the day stalking Drew and dragged Jamie into my craziness as well. Since his skills improved, he moved up to a lesson area that we could see from the ski lodge and from a few trails too. Convenient for me :) We were all in for a huge surprise when we were waiting to spot Drew on the bunny slope and then saw him come down a green trail and jump right on the chair lift, ready to go again! Would you believe I hurried over to the lift and secretly followed him up? Crazy, I know. I was just so proud and had to see him do it! I was a nervous wreck seeing him on the ski lift but he did a great job and was very safe. The rest of the week went well and was tons of fun. Drew continued to enjoy skiing and the adults had a blast on the slopes too. It was a little cold for my taste a couple of days but overall the weather was great. We spent our evenings swimming in the heated indoor/outdoor pool and relaxing in the hot tub. Then we would go to Main Street in Park City for dinner. Since we've spent a few vacations in the area, we now have some favorite restaurants and really look forward to eating out. Drew was a trooper, especially after such exhausting days. He got to eat pizza every night and stayed busy doing sticker books (Thanks CC!) while we took our time eating, drinking and chatting. I also got to spend lots of time with a good high school friend, Kelly, while we were out there. She is living in Salt Lake City for a year while her husband does a fellowship. They joined us to ski one day and also joined us for dinner twice. It was great to catch up with her! The week was so much fun and we're already looking forward to next year!

Getting fitted for ski boots. When they put on the boots he said, "I'll just wear my other boots, I like them better than these." He was referring to his nice comfy snow boots. Ha! I told him it wouldn't be skiing if his feet and shins didn't hurt.
Drew realized that the gear is not the highlight of skiing.

Jamie and I gearing up for the slopes. We loved our helmets!

Heading out to another yummy dinner.

Checking out the bear in the lobby. It had an, um, I don't know how to word it... bear private part. Let's just say Drew couldn't believe it and had to make sure we all saw it.

Drew and his ski instructor, Cameron. Cameron was such a nice guy. He learned of Drew's Star Wars obsession pretty quickly and used terms and characters to help Drew learn to ski. Drew couldn't wait to tell us about skiing on Star Wars alley and hiding from Darth Vader in the trees. Drew is waving in this picture which is why his face is blocked. We were so lucky that ski school wasn't crowded. Drew had a one-on-one lesson this day and only had one other kid in the group the other days.

Heading up the mountain on the gondola.

Sweet Jamie and sweet Ty at Flying Sumo, one of our favorite restaurants in Park City.

Kelly and I. It was awesome to see her and catch up!

Jamie and I had to get these masks, it was so darn cold!

George and Drewby on the ski lift together. We were so proud of Drew!

The three of us skiing down the mountain together. I can't wait till David can join us! Sweet David stayed home with CC during our trip and had the best week! More to come on that in another post.

Absolutely tuckered out after a fun and exhausting week. Drew fell asleep at a restaurant and remained asleep during the ride home, transfer to the condo and into pajamas. Guess 7 hours of ski school followed by two hours of swimming will do that to you!

Fun and a Little Sun with Day Day and CC

2011-02-08T09:19:00.007-05:00

CC and Day Day were here for a visit and, as always, they spoiled the boys with love and fun. Drew even got to go to Myrtle Beach with them and Whitley! The four of them had a blast hanging out and due to a nice break in the cold weather they were able to go to the beach too. Day Day had to fly back after the weekend to go back to work but CC stayed. Her and I took Whitley, Drew and David to a children's museum in Chapel Hill one day. The kids had a great time and we topped the fun morning off with lunch at McDonald's. Here's a few pictures from the week...

David does a craft at Kidzu Children's Museum.
Drew and Whitley take CC's lunch order at the museum restaurant.

Getting geared up as a construction worker.

Whitley and Drew had a great time at the beach with CC and Day Day and ran non-stop!

Day Day brought David is own Nerf gun. David loves it!!!

CC helping David with some messy cheese.

We had a fun time at the Watson's one evening during CC and Day Day's visit. Drew loves Whitley's four wheeler and is manly enough to wear the pink helmet and not care one bit.

David loves Whitley's play set.

Gotta have some rough-housing with Day Day!

This was so sweet. David was rubbing and sucking on his lovey and Day Day asked for a turn...

David sweetly handed it to Day Day and then smiled when he saw Day Day kiss it and love on it too...

But then he was done sharing and wanted it back.

Day Day and Drew have a Star Wars war.

January Wrap-up

2011-01-21T20:04:00.009-05:00

It has been so cold here so we continue to find indoor activities to keep us busy. I took the boys to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences one day. We were there over three hours which is a long time for us. There was a special exhibit, "Animal Grossology," which screamed our names when we arrived. Blood, poop, slime, and puke? You bet! The boys had a ball matching the dookie (fake but lifelike!) to the correct animal, learning why dogs sniff each other's butts, and sliding down the inside of a snake. The rest of the museum was a hit as well with a favorite being the hands-on Discovery Zone. Another January highlight was a fun weekend with friends. It was the 4th MLK weekend that we got together with George's college friends and had a three day fun-fest. Drew and David had a blast playing with the 12 other kids at the various get-togethers. Drew idolized two older boys, ages 6 and 9. They like Star Wars too and were happy to play it with Drew and watch the movies. Drew usually asks me to read the movie introduction when he watches it. However, when Ben and Henry were here I was asked to leave because as Drew put it, "The older year olds are going to read it." It was a great line! Drew is obsessed with age so if he plays with a 6 or 7 year old he loves to tell me about the great time he had with a "seven year old." Well, he didn't know exactly how old Ben and Henry were but he knew they were older so I guess that's why he used "older year olds." We laughed and laughed. David was a hoot all weekend. He was the youngest of the 14 kids but he didn't know it. He played so hard and enjoyed keeping up with the big kids. Saturday night was adult night and this year we all wore our sport kilts. We went to an Irish restaurant/bar for dinner and dancing. It was a fun time! We hosted the group at our house on Sunday and launched rockets. Good times!

The boys point out a garfish.
Coming down the snake slide.

Drew was shooting balls to help protect the frogs.

David loved it too.

Drew playing a game.

David had to sneak and peek.

Drew finds the costumes!

David gets in on the fun too as a little raccoon.

Drew jumped right in with some kids on a field trip and helped them find some beetles.

My sweeties on the way out.

George and I dressed in our kilts and ready for a fun night.

The group.

It was a perfect day for the annual rocket launch, no wind. Drew and Morgan are ready to watch the show.

George and Drew ready for blastoff!

Marbles Museum

2011-01-17T15:17:00.005-05:00

A couple of Fridays ago the boys and I were in the mood for a fun day out so we headed to Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. We had the best time! My friend Ashley and her son Harrison joined us. Ashley and I had a great time chatting during the 25 minute drive to the museum. No time to chat once we got there as the three boys ran in different directions. David was a trooper and acted more like a 3 year old than a 17 month old. He was so independent, picking and choosing what he wanted to play with and for how long, never looking at me to hold him or help me. I had a hard time keeping an eye on both of the boys since Drew likes to spend hours at each area and David moves through things quickly and is eager to see what's next. After a full day of fun and absolutely zero tears or meltdowns we headed home. Here are some photos of the boys having a blast...

This was the first thing we came to when we walked in. Course Drew grabs a life vest right away and races for the wheel.
Thank goodness this isn't for real.

David making a sandwich.

They had a costume area, Drew's favorite! It went like this... Drew got dressed (sometimes screaming my name for help with a snagged zipper or inside-out costume), then he would head to the stage and make sure the curtain was closed. Then he would instruct me to sit in the front row center. However, he never trusted I was there and would sneak a peak between the curtains to make sure. Finally, he would draw the curtains, quickly show me his costume and then run to the back for another. It went on and on and on. David got bored with it in no time and Ashley and Harrison were well on their way to the 2nd floor so I had to beg Drew to move on, promising to play in the pirate ship next.

David's favorite part of the museum...the Splash Zone. Just great! I had to take off his long sleeve white shirt because it was soaked immediately.

This was his very favorite thing to do. He took all of the cups to the waterfall and filled them up. He did not want to move past this part of the museum! No matter where we went next he would turn around and run right back to this. Fortunately it was located pretty close to the pirate ship where Drew decided to spend a huge chunk of time so I could see them both.

Drew did have to do some serious balancing to stay on the surfboard.

Drew is the one in the uniform and helmet of course!

Scuba man!

I can do it too!

The boys and I (with mouths full of animal crackers) are tired and heading home to rest up and get ready for the LSU bowl game!

17 Months and Growing Up Fast

2011-01-10T22:06:00.005-05:00

David is definitely not a baby anymore. He has entered full on toddler mode and things are pretty much David's way or the highway. It's not all bad; he is so adorable and mostly sweet but he does like things his way. He has smacked Drew a few times recently which has earned him a couple of time outs. Drew doesn't mind David's light smacks and usually laughs. The funny thing is I think David's new attitude has calmed Drew down a bit. I have rarely seen Drew bully David recently. Go David! David knows what he wants to eat and drink and will make it clear by climbing the fridge shelves or pounding the pantry door. He says "All done." and puts his hands out palms up when he's finished eating. He loves to put things away and distribute loveys, drinks and other items to each of us. It's so cute to watch him find Drew's cup, shoe or platty and immediately find Drew and deliver it with a grin. Drew is always thankful and kisses David sweetly on the head while saying, "Mom, watch how soft I kiss David." It's been 17 months and looks like that request may finally be sinking in with Drew. Just in time for David to get rough and rowdy! He loves to climb, tumble, tickle and get loud. He was "talking" so loudly at a birthday party on Sunday that George and I looked at each other and busted out laughing with the "Yeah, that's my kid." look on our faces. All of the adults were chatting while the kids were playing and all of a sudden David just started rambling. The loud sounds were flying out of his mouth and it was obvious he had something important to say although I have no idea what it was. I mentioned in the Christmas blog that Drew got a few Nerf guns. David is all over that game! Drew and I planned to attack George when he got home the other day and while we were discussing where to hide, David caught on and quickly settled into a great spot (gun in hand). He doesn't miss a beat and loves to imitate! He cleans if I'm cleaning, brushes his teeth when I brush mine, washes his hands every time Drew does and knows Bailey's routine so well that I am positive he could care for her all by himself. Here's some recent pictures of our little guy.

First time out. So pitiful. Sweet Drew joined him moments later because he said he was sad for David.

David loves hanging out in Bailey's bed.

Bailey attacks him with kisses!

This cracked Cristie and I up. Drew and Whitley were watching a Tumblebook online. David didn't want to be left out so he pushed a kitchen chair over to the computer desk and climbed up to join them.

He will sit still long enough to watch some TV! I'm sure it's terrible to be happy about that but sometimes you just need a little TV time for the kiddos. The boys and I were watching Star Wars in this picture. Drew is blocking his face with the DVD case. He has to hold the case for movies while he watches them.

There he is! He was trying to sneak up the stairs but paused long enough for a quick pic.

A Jolly Christmas

2010-12-30T22:39:00.007-05:00

We had a fun, family-filled Christmas! Me-Ma, CC, Day Day, Aunt Kim and cousin Matt were in town. We also got together with the locals; Watson's, Gunderson's and Whitley's. It was a busy and wonderful holiday! Cristie and Tom hosted a great Christmas Eve party. Everybody was there and we had tons of fun opening gifts, playing drinking games (On x-mas eve? I know, but it was so fun!), eating lots of delicious food and just being together. Christmas morning was memorable for sure! The boys were darling! Santa brought a pirate tent which Drew spotted from the balcony as soon as he came out of his room. George and I were awakened by Drew saying, "Santa came and he brought a pirate island! Hold on, I have to get my costume!" So before he even came downstairs to see what else Santa brought, he put on his full pirate costume. So Drew! David moved from one toy the next pretty quickly and found his favorite part of Christmas to be taking the wrapping paper to the garbage can piece by piece. What a cute little helper he was! We hosted Christmas dinner and it was pretty darn good if I do say so myself. We had a delicious turducken and some yummy sides. Christmas night it started snowing and we awoke on the 26th to some pretty good snow! I was thankful for the sled George picked up at Dick's Sporting Goods a couple of weeks ago and the proper winter gear we finally got for the boys! This is our 4th Winter in North Carolina and it has snowed every year so it was about time we got the necessities. We had a ball playing outside. Later that day we had a Nerf war with the Nerf guns Day Day bought Drew. At first I couldn't figure out why Drew needed so many but then I realized all of the guys wanted to play too! I think George, Matty and Day Day were having as much fun as Drewby. I have to say, those things are pretty darn fun. George and I are regularly sneaking up on one another with a Nerf attack. It doesn't seem to get old and for some reason I am always shocked when it happens to me! The Lindsey's came to visit from Virginia on the 27th so we had one more day of food, fun and family before the holiday hustle and bustle came to an end. It was a great Christmas and we are so thankful for spending it with our wonderful family. Happy New Year!

CC and Me-Ma with sweet David.
Drew opens a Spider man figure from Day Day.

David opens a gift from Aunt Cristie.

Another costume! Looks like Drew likes it!

A Star Wars ship from Uncle Tom. Wow!!!

Cousins Brian and Danny with David and I.

Some of the guys.

Cristie and I with two of our sweet Aunts.

Drew, Whitley and David get into the play dough set from Aunt Kim (with the help of sweet Cousin Melanie).

Drew the pirate sneaks a cookie that Santa didn't eat.

David tries out his new grill.

David dressed and ready to play in the snow! He was hysterical in that get-up.

Day Day getting ready to push David and I down the hill. Daddy, who lives in Minnesota I might add, didn't have any snow gear. He made do by putting his feet in plastic Walmart bags before putting on his shoes.

Drew enjoying all of the pretty snow.

Happy New Year! George and I at the Mayes' 3rd Annual New Years Eve party. We had a great time ringing in the new year with our friends and neighbors.

Some of the gals (and one guy in the back) at the party. Happy 2011!!!

The Week Before Christmas

2010-12-30T17:42:00.009-05:00

We've had some fun and festive times since my last post. The wintry weather has definitely made it feel like the holidays! There was snow the week before Christmas which resulted in preschool cancellation and a day and a half of staying at home. Good thing we finally got the boys some decent snow gear and a sled this year. We went to Breakfast with Santa at Prestonwood the Saturday before Christmas and actually took a decent family photo! Drew's Christmas school program was held on the 21st. Drew and his classmates were adorable singing Jesus Loves Me, The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rocks and This Little Light of Mine. The best part of the day and quite possible the best moment ever between the boys happened when Drew walked on stage. David was in my arms and when he picked Drew out in the crowd he went absolutely wild. He was squealing with delight and flapping his arms, letting everyone around us know that Drew was his brother. Drew was equally thrilled to see David and let everyone know it by pointing to him and saying, "That's my brother!" while beaming with pride. They were both adorable. Our fun Christmas week with family started that afternoon when Mom and Dad arrived!

Here we are with Santa before breakfast. David wasn't wild about sitting on Santa's lap but he was very intrigued by him. David eyes were fixated on Santa but he finally glanced at the camera when the photographer jingled some bells.
Drew with his teacher, Mrs. M., after the Christmas program. One sweet thing I want to share... I asked Drew what he wanted to give his teachers for Christmas and he so sweetly responded, "Flowers." He was so excited to give the bouquets and gift cards to his teachers. He was downright charming! He will make a sweet prom date someday:)

With Ms. Dale.

Drew and his classmates performing Jesus Loves Me. May I brag and mention that Drew is one of the only kids doing the motions?

Drew's Birthday

2010-12-15T22:51:00.008-05:00

Drewby is 4! If you ask him he will say, "I'm already four and next time I'll be five and I'll have a Star Wars birthday." He is already past this birthday and looking on to the next. He's growing up too fast. He had a great birthday celebration spanning over two weeks. CC and Day Day spoiled him with presents and a shopping trip while they were here for Thanksgiving. Then he and I went to see Disney's Toy Story on Ice December 9th with two of his buddies and their Mom's. Me-Ma arrived on the 10th with gifts galore and we celebrated his birthday before George and I left for the Key West wedding. Yep, we were gone for his actual birthday (the 12th). Ouch! Sweet Aunt Cristie came to get him and took him to see the movie Tangled on his birthday. Mae Mae also stopped and he got to play with Me-Ma so he had a great day despite our absence. We returned on the 13th and his birthday party was on the 14th. He wanted to have his party at an inflatable play place, The Jump Zone, and I am so glad he did! I didn't have to do a thing except bring the cake. How easy! He and 21 pals played, jumped and had a blast before finishing up with pizza and cupcakes. Drew said over and over that he loved his party very much. I am happy that he was happy. Happy 4th birthday to my darling, bright and funny best buddy! You are loved very, very much!

Drew and I at Disney on Ice. That cotton candy and Buzz hat cost me $10 just in case you are wondering. Cake on December 10th.

More!

Silly boys after too much sugar.

Cristie and I with sweet David at The Jump Zone.

David liked the tot area. He also liked trying to escape :)

The group! I think 21 out of the 22 sat for the photo. Not bad.

Drew in his inflatable king chair!

Spider man cupcake cake (thank you Sam's Club!) Happy Birthday buddy!

During his 4 year check-up. He thought wearing the gown with only underwear underneath was a riot. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the appointment. He was silly! When asked if he could hop on one foot he not only showed the Doctor that he could but he continued to do it around and around the exam room. When she mentioned that he was muscular he decided to stop hopping so he could flex his muscles for her. Good grief. The Doctor was nice and looked like she got a kick out of Drew.

More Catch Up: Key West

2010-12-15T22:18:00.007-05:00

We were only home from Mexico a few days before we headed to Key West. Our friend, Ward, got married there on December 11th. Ward is our dear friend who took us in following Hurricane Katrina. Although we were friends before, the three of us (and Bailey too!) became much closer those few months as roommates. Don't get me wrong, Katrina was a horrendous experience, but George and I always think fondly of Ward and the fun we had living with him when we think back to the Fall of 2005. We were thrilled to hear that he was getting married and we were excited to go to Key West for the big day! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and it was a really fun weekend. The ceremony took place on a pier and the reception was on the beach. It was lovely and Ward and his beautiful wife Melanie were the happiest two people on earth! Congratulations Mr & Mrs Wyatt! Thank you for including us. We were so happy to be there! Sightseeing in Key West was great too! I loved that we were able to walk everywhere and it was pretty awesome that we enjoyed two days of mid 70's weather. Judy stayed with the boys and besides the nasty cold weather which kept them indoors, she said everything went well. Thank you so much Me-Ma!!! It wasn't our intention to take two trips back to back but that's how it ended up and we are so grateful for our Mom's who took care of the boys!

Drew was a pirate with a peg-leg this day. Just being a pirate wasn't enough. First he had his leg in an empty paper towel roll (all his idea) but it ripped so he got construction paper, taped it and hopped around. He cracks me up.

David never misses a beat so of course wanted to get in on the dress-up action. He makes a pretty darling Buzz!

Touring Key West. Here I am at the Southernmost Point of the United States. Pretty neat!

Heading down the pier before the wedding. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Us with the happy couple, Ward and Melanie.

We went out on Duval Street after the wedding.