The Big Birthday Bash

We gathered the whole family together at Dan Nicholas Park to celebrate Adam's fourth and Jackson's eighth birthdays. Gramma, Grandad, Nana, Aunt Jamie, Natalie, Philip, Philip's friend Val, Aunt Emily, Uncle Joe, Ivey, Grandma, Papa Jack, and Aunt Jeanne all came to help celebrate. Grandad left the hamburgers and hot dogs at home and had to go back to get them. Thank goodness they lived the closest! Grandma, Papa Jack, and Jeanne took the scenic route but made it just in time for Grandad's return with the food. We ate just a little later than planned which didn't leave us a lot of time to play. The kids (and several adults, too) rode the train, the carousel, and the paddle boats. Adam was a little upset about not getting to play on the playground, but heading for ice cream at the end of the day made it all better.

Sarah loved blowing bubbles.

Baseball and soccer was the theme this year. Baseball for Jackson and Soccer for Adam.

Sarah got some presents too! She was very excited about her purse.

Adam riding on the carousel.

Sarah refused to get on a horse so we sat in the sleigh to go round and round.

Kevin took Adam and Uncle Joe took Jackson for rides in the paddle boats. They raced each other all over that lake. The rest of us (Emily, Gramma, Grandad, Sarah, Ivey, and me) sat in the shade and watched.

Thank you to everyone who came and made the boy's birthdays extra special. We love you!

Jackson Turns Eight

Jackson's birthday fell on a Thursday this year. He started the day with some blueberry birthday muffins. We all sang "Happy Birthday", and he blew out a few candles- only three since we couldn't get eight to fit on a muffin. He celebrated at school with cookies and cheese puffs. I was actually able to sneak down and join the party myself. Well, when you are the host you get to pick the time and so I timed it perfectly to be during my planning time. (I do love teaching at the same school my kid attends.) Jackson had a baseball game that night so we grabbed a quick dinner at Moe's and headed to the game. Unfortunately the Red Sox lost, but Jackson did have two good hits. He quickly opened his presents right before having to head to bed. He got a snow cone maker, a baseball bat, helmet, and a bag to put it all in. A pretty good birthday for an eight year old!

Soccer Festival

The soccer season finally ended today. It was supposed to be over before Easter, but the rain and thunderstorms kept canceling our games. We would schedule a time to make-up a game and that game would get canceled due to the weather. The league decided to just forgive the unplayed games, end the season, and host the festival for Jackson's age group. We had some pretty hard rains last night and were expecting them to cancel the two games we were supposed to play today. It was looking like we were not meant to play soccer this season! Our theory was that it was the end of the season, and they felt there was no reason to "save the fields" and so let's play some soccer. Jackson played one game this morning and one game this afternoon. The afternoon game was a little warmer and somewhat sunnier than the morning game, but the rain didn't hold off. It started pouring at half time, and by the time we all put our chairs away, it stopped. Unfortunately, it started again and we ended up watching the second half under the umbrella. Adam, Sarah, and I sat in the car while Kevin and Jackson met the team under the shelter of the concession stand for the end of season team "party".

Sarah was not happy about having to stay in the stroller to watch the game, but it was way too muddy to let her run and play.

Adam entertains himself during the games by playing on Kevin's iPod. He cannot, however, wait to play soccer. In fact he thinks that when he "changes four", he can play. We are going to have a hard time explaining that he has to wait until August.

The rare occasions he sits in my lap are at soccer games.

Jackson and his teammates eat their party foods.

Instead of a trophy, he got a small soccer ball used for training.

Big group hug!

Mother's Day Weekend

Our church hosted a fishing trip last weekend at the Atlantic Beach Pier. We (well, the boys) signed right up and took advantage of the weekend at the beach to visit Grandma and Papa Jack. They were kind enough to watch the kiddos Friday night so Kevin and I could go eat with the church group at Captain Bill's in Morehead City. The boys headed to the pier on Saturday morning while Jan, Sarah, and I headed to downtown Swansboro to do a little shopping. We met the boys in Morehead City for dinner that night and were able to walk on the water front and watch all the fishing boats come in. We all enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning and then Kevin, the boys, and I went for a stroll on the beach while Jan and Jacky stayed with Sarah while she napped. We couldn't have asked for a better weekend. The weather was perfect- not too hot and not too cool!

One of the many sharks Jackson caught. He said he caught 11 fish in all!

Adam holding one of his catches- another shark I believe.

I was told that Adam's favorite part was throwing them back.

Fishing is hard work- can't you tell!?!?

Kevin and I strolled along the beach- the boys chose to run the whole way. We finally got them to stop to snap a few pictures.

Miss Kim's Showcase

Adam takes "dance" lessons from Miss Kim at his daycare. He looks forward to every Wednesday because that is Miss Kim day. She really just teaches the boys gross motor skills through stories she reads and has them act it out. She let them pick what they wanted to do for this parent showcase. The boys chose to do "Going on a Bear Hunt". Then they wanted to show off their cartwheels. Miss Kim said they'd only been working on them for a few weeks. The last part of the movie is her Mother's Day treat. She had each kid skip to their mother and give them a hug and a flower. I had to take the hug from Adam and then he wanted to keep the flower. By the time we got to home, the stem was on the floor of the van and there were only a few petals left on the flower. He claimed the van was too jiggly and made them fall off. He by no means pulled them off himself! Hmm... Enjoy the movie!

More Easter

Jackson and I concluded our Spring Break with a trip to Gramma and Granddad's. Sarah went to her 18 month check-up (she weighed 26 pounds and was 33 1/2 inches long) and then we went to pick up Adam and headed towards the lake. Kevin stayed home to work on the porch steps. On Saturday, everyone came down for an Easter lunch. After lunch we all headed out to find Easter eggs. We had to come home on Saturday night so the Easter bunny could find our Easter baskets and fill them with goodies.

Bedtime stories with Gramma.

Dying Easter Eggs at Gramma's. Adam and Sarah are taking their naps or they might have been dyed themselves!

Adam's job was to put stickers on the dyed eggs. Gramma used the dyed eggs to make deviled eggs for Easter lunch. Yum!

"First of all, Granddad, why are you holding Ivey and not me? Second, Ivey, why don't you have much hair on your head?"

Don't you just wish the two of them could talk so you'd know what they were thinking?

Sarah's favorite place: in Grandad's arms (as long as he is standing and walking around!).

Adam and Jackson looking for the hidden eggs.

Chillin' out in the shade.

Look what the Easter bunny left us!

Adam loves his Peeps!

Sarah got some new barrettes.

Adam got a book with a dry erase marker that teaches him all about colors which he has yet to put down!

Easter Egg Hunt at CDC!

YAHOO! This week is Spring Break for me and Jackson. We have waited a looooong time for this week, and it is finally here! I've been staying home and getting some closets cleaned out without a three year old and toddler underfoot. It's been wonderful! Today Jackson and I ventured out to Sarah and Adam's daycare to help out with the Easter Egg Hunt. We hid more eggs than I have ever seen in one place for Adam's class. It took us about 30 minutes to hide them all (with the help of two other moms) and only about 5 for the kids to find them all. They made these cute little bunny baskets out of milk cartons. They would fill the baskets and then dump the eggs in a shopping bag and start all over again. Those eggs that I thought I was getting rid of by sending them to the daycare multiplied and then came back home with my children. We will definitely be having our own Egg Hunts here at home over the next few days!

Sarah never smiled but got the hang of picking up eggs and putting then in her teacher's bag.

I got lucky. I hid the eggs for Adam's class, ran down to Sarah's playground, watched her egg hunt, and then ran back up to the front of the church for Adam's egg hunt. I didn't miss a thing!

After Sunday's practice, Adam knew exactly what to do!

He would pick up all the eggs in one area and leave one laying on the ground. Jackson would try and get him to pick it up but he would say he wanted to leave it there!

This was his third time filling the basket.

Adam's class sitting down waiting to go inside.