Happy Memorial Day!

Summer Kick Off- Part 2

Not to be outdone by her big brother, Leah would like to share her tips on how to have a great summer vacation.

1.  Learn a new form of outdoor recreation, or just steal your big brother's scooter when he's not looking!

2.  Ride around town with the windows down, and go on a date with your favorite guy.   

3.  Read lots of good books.  There's no time like summer to catch up on those bestsellers!

4.  Eat corn on the cob.... often...and make a big mess while doing it! 

5.  Be a good hostess to out-of-town guests.  (Uncle Bob and Aunt Kathy loved their little tour guide!)  

6.   Spend as much time as possible wearing only your diaper.  Naked vacumming is much more fun!

7.  And last, but certainly not least, make a summer fashion statement and wear sparkly shoes with everything!

Summer Kick-Off

We are officially kicking off summer vacation now that all of Luke's preschool end-of-year festivities have ended.  Monday was the last day of school and Wednesday was the class picnic.  The final event of the year was the children singing in their school program on Friday.  What a difference we noticed in Luke's participation since the Christmas program in December!  This time, he actually sang the words to (most of) the songs and, at this rate, he may actually include the hand motions by preschool graduation next May!  We are still astounded at how quietly the children sit for the teachers as they listen to the other classes perform, since Luke's usual limit for sitting still at church is about 7 minutes (or whenever the snacks run out).  Luke is almost a head taller than everyone in his class, and was strategically positioned in the center of the top row when his class sang.  Of course we videotaped every moment, and are so proud of how much Luke has thrived in his school environment.  He has matured in so many ways since the beginning of the school year last September, and had the most wonderful teachers that a mother could imagine for her child's first preschool experience.  I began the year quite anxious and not sure how my son would do away from home.  Now I can't WAIT for next year, and am already counting the weeks until the beginning of school in the fall! 

Luke's 3 year-old class performing:

Luke has decided that the following are essential ingredients for a great summer vacation:

1) Have lots of playdates with friends (including the stuffed, furry kind):

2).  Pose in your super-hero cape.  Captain Band-Aid always rescues those in need and fights off the bad guys!

3.  Throw a birthday party for "Nobody" (yes, that's the horse's name, and he is 900 years old according to Luke):

4.  Eat breakfast in bed (ever since Mark and the children treated me to this luxury on Mother's Day, Luke thinks that he should begin every morning the same way):

5.  Hang out with your best buddies:

We're taking suggestions as to what to do for the remaining 3 months of summer, too!

Around Home

We've done some fun activities close to home in the past couple of weeks, and are enjoying spring! The above picture makes it look like we've been to the beach, but in fact, it was taken at the sand volleyball court at GE. We met Daddy for a picnic lunch at his work last week, and the children occupied themselves playing in the sand for a long time.


Leah no longer crawls at all anymore, and is busy, busy, busy, walking everywhere!   Below are a couple of videos of her new upright mobility. The first video is of her very first steps, on March 28. She walked straight to Luke, and "dove" into him every time. The second video was taken less than 3 weeks later, and you can see how much steadier Peanut is now:

Click HERE for a video of Leah's first steps.

Click HERE to see our little walker.

Ever since big brother's birthday party at the fire station, Leah thinks that she is a little fire fighter, too.  She chortles with delight when she wears her fire hat (and we think it's especially adorable with the "pantless" look):






She also loves modeling her brother's fireman boots, and acts like quite a little grown up reading the Sunday paper:

Mommy tries to steal lots of kisses when Nutty is still (which isn't often):

Leah is such a doll, and is talking a lot! She understands basic directions ("Go get your book"), makes several animal sounds, points to many body parts, and now calls her brother, "Bubba". Are we a true South Carolina family or what?!

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Luke is a very fun little boy. Lately, he has enjoyed wearing his dinosaur towel after bathtime and pretending he is a T-Rex:
 

Somehow, he's too cute to be scary when he "roars":


Luke went to a gymnastics birthday party for a school friend last weekend, and it was so cute.  Most of his preschool class went, and I love watching these children interact with each other outside of school.  The 4 year olds had a ball tumbling, bouncing, while the moms sat upstairs in the observation area, chatting and visiting, child-free, for over an hour!  Now, THAT's my idea of a party!!









We also attended the spring opening of George the Train at our local park recently. Luke decided to make it a date" and held Raquelle's hand.  Such a ladies' man!




Luke has been busy doing lots of spring yardwork recently around home.  Here he is with his new weed trimmer (which he LOVES!):






Luke still melts my heart with those dimples, and really can be the most charming little man. 

With only 4 days of preschool left and our pool opening this weekend, we're wrapping up spring at home, and are eager to begin a fun summer routine!

Road Trips

The children and I have taken some fun day trips over the past couple of weeks.  Last Thursday, my friend, Laura, and I made a spontaneous decision to drive to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC.  This zoo is one of the largest in the southeast, and when we pulled into the parking lot and saw rows of charter buses, countless school groups on field trips, and children everywhere, we weren't sure what we had done!  But we quickly assimilated into the crowds and ended up having a very full day at the zoo.  We lasted for over 5 hours without naps, melt-downs, etc. and on the way home in the car that afternoon, L & L both crashed after such a busy, exciting day.  We were thankful that the weather wasn't too hot yet, and that we created such great memories with our friends.


The train at the zoo was a fun attraction for the big kids. Brooke and Luke had a great time riding in their own private caboose:



The zoo had a neat activity, a ropes course for kids, waaay up high. I was not excited about participating in this, so I volunteered to stay down below with the little kids, while Laura took our brave 4 year-olds on their sky-high adventure:


Here’s Luke, in his harness, intently listening to the instructor.  Age 4 or 24 here?



Fearless Laura guided Luke and Brooke across the first rope bridge. Shortly after this, Luke decided that it was too “dangerous” (aka scary) and joined me on the ground. Brooke and Laura completed most of the course. Way to go, girls!

The happy couple, safely back on land, gazed at the majestic lion exhibit:

The kiddos riding the zoo carousel:

The penguin exhibit was fascinating to all 4 children.  They pressed their little faces against the glass, as the playful penguins zipped right by, darting through the water and waddling on the rocks:

Presley is only 6 months older than Leah, but loved “hugging the baby”. Too cute:

Luke, posing with a penguin:

This week, we drove to Atlanta to see our friends who just had a baby.  Luke was enamored with Baby Ryan, and very sweet to him.  Ever since our visit, Luke has been asking for a baby brother.  When Mark told him that we were all done having babies, Luke asked for "just one bonus baby."  This is his trickiest negotiating tactic: "Just one bonus book before bed, Mommy... just one bonus cookie, please," etc.  Pretty sure it's not going to work this time, buddy!

Big sister, Ashleigh, made sure that her baby brother was in good hands:

Leah wanted to check out this sweet little bundle, too, to see what all the fuss was about:

Here’s our attempt to get all 4 children in one picture:

Our recent road trips have been good practice for our upcoming summer vacations, and give me such appreciation for portable DVD players, carseat naps, and snacks on the go!