catching up

Yesterday at nap time I guess Caroline didn't want to go to sleep. I layed her down in her crib and was walking to the door when she stood up and threw herself out of the crib. She did a flip and landed on the floor because I couldn't get to her quick enough. So I decided today that she needed to be moved to her "big girl bed". I converted her crib in to a toddler bed and here she is, her first nap in her new bed. She was none too happy about it at first. I closed her gate at her door and she kept opening the door yelling "Mommy, it lock". But she did finally lay down and is right now sleeping away! Let's hope bedtime goes as well.

Lacey and I ran in a 5k on Oct. 2 for Alzheimers. Lacey came in 3rd overall for girls and 11th overall. I came in 1st in my age group and 20th overall. We decided that we should take a picture because it will be the only time we ever get a medal for running!!! It was frigid that morning and neither one of us had bought pants to wear running so we froze to death in our shorts, I totally went and bought pants and shirts after the race.

Since I had to work after the race and for the rest of the weekend Kim took the kids to Farm Day. They had a blast and did lots of fun things. Anthony apparently talked to a fireman because he walks around the house saying "Stop, Drop, Roll if your clothes are on fire. Ok Caroline let's practice cause you never know when you will catch on fire!" So he puts Caroline down on the floor and rolls her through the house, she thinks it's funny for the most part.

Here is Caroline playing in a box full of corn kernels. Anthony decided he didn't want to do that.

Coloring pumpkins.

We went to the fair when it was in town. Anthony loved all the rides and would have stayed all night riding if we would let him. Caroline didn't like the rides as much.

Here they are on their first ride. Caroline looked so excited and happy but as soon as the ride started she decided she hated it. After one lap around she started crying and yelling to the top of her lungs "I'm done Mommy, I'm done" and reaching for me. We tried one more ride with her and she did the same thing so the only other thing she rode was the merry go round because I could ride with her. She loved that and kept saying "Yeehaw Yeehaw, giddyup". I think she just liked it because I rode with her.

Anthony loved all the rides.

After we tried the rides and Caroline didn't like them I took her to jump while Anthony finished riding. This she absolutely loved and when it was time for her to get off she looked at the man and pointed her finger and said "No touch aroline (Caroline)".

Anthony started preschool again for the year in Sept. He for the most part loves it and wants to go everyday. Every now and then he will cry because he wants to stay at home but after he gets there he is fine and has a great time. Here is a picture of him on his first day of school. He was up and ready to leave at 7:30.

a girl's weekend

A few weeks ago I went to the beach for a girls weekend with some of Chad's family. We had a good time and it was good to get away for a few days without the kids. Although, the whole time I was sitting on the beach reading a book I was thinking about how much fun the kids would be having. Anthony and Caroline stayed with mom while I was gone. Here is a text message I received from mom:

Is this really the face of a little boy that likes to pull the legs off granddaddy longlegs? Yep sure is.

The first time she sent this text she sent it to the wrong person. They texted her back and said he is a cute boy but who is he? So some random person knows that my son likes to pull legs off animals!

The reason that he gave to mom on why he pulled the legs off is "Nanny I didn't want it to run away". LOL. How does he come up with these things? Just wondering if I should be worried. He has cut an inch worm in half with a plastic knife and now he is pulling the legs off granddaddy longlegs!?!? Oh dear, but dang he is so cute!

Here are a few pictures from our girls weekend:

While we were at the beach we went to eat at Dicks. I had never been there before but oh boy was it an experience. I laughed so hard, it was ridiculous. Of course our waiter made us all hats. Just wanted to share with you what they said.

Shaina: The health department closed my legs.

Melissa: I see tables and poles in my future.

Me: SL_T all I need is U

Kimberly: I have been around the block more times than the paper boy

Betty: My crotch is so dry that my crabs ride dirt bikes

How in the world do they come up with that stuff. LOL. Too funny.

more beach pics

While at the beach Anthony learned to swim on top of the water. He just jumped in the pool and starting swimming and when I said something about him swimming he said "Yea I guess I am." Just like it was no big deal. Now every time we go to the lake he has to practice swimming so he "doesn't forget how to swim when it's snow season and we can't go to the lake."

He also loves to be thrown up in the air at the pool. Charlie and I tried but we couldn't get him high enough so while Quentin was at the pool he threw him. Mom almost had a nervous breakdown and I probably would have to if I would have realized just how high in the air he was. But he totally loved it and he thinks the higher the better.

Anthony swimming.
Good gosh I can't believe Quentin could throw him that high.

If you look close at his facial expression you can see just how much fun he is having.

Our last night at the beach we took the kids down to the ocean to try to get a few good pictures of them together. Caroline insisted on taking her purse and her necklace and that's how she walked down the beach that evening. No amount of talking, bribing, or asking would make her give up her stuff. And we still didn't get but just a couple of pictures of the two of them together, dang it's hard to get them to sit still long enough!

In none of the pictures of them together are they both looking at the camera and smiling. Oh well, it is what it is.

a pirate party

I still can't believe my "little" boy is 4 years old. Here are some pictures of him from the time he was little until now. I can't believe how much he has changed, except the fact that he still is the clone of his father!

3 1/2 years old

2 1/2 years old

16 months old with his hair!

12 weeks old.


Here are some pictures from his birthday party on Saturday. We had it at the house hoping that it wouldn't rain so the kids could go outside and play. Of course it rained the whole time but I think the kids still had a good time.

The cupcakes that Charlie, Mom, and I made. I think they turned out pretty good considering I have never done anything like this before and I am not Suzy Homemaker.

He hated it when we sang Happy Birthday. He got very embarassed and we had to stop half way through singing. Guess next year I will ask him before the party if he wants us to sing:)

The monkey that Caroline made Anthony. As soon as he opened she took it over and has had it ever since. When Anthony asks for it she says "No mine, can't have." He loved all the toys that he got but now I have to go through all his toys in the playroom because we are running out of space.

Thanks everyone for coming to his party! He loved it.

Anthony turns 4!

Anthony celebrated his 4th birthday on August 13 while we were at the beach. He wanted to go to "the place that has a pirate that gives me a necklace and has crab legs". So that's where we went. It's one of my favorite places to eat but I now spend a good portion of the meal cracking crab legs for Anthony!
It seems crazy to me that Anthony is already 4 years old. I can't remember life without him but it seems like he should still be a baby. He can be the sweetest child ever, he still loves to play with my hair and will give me 100 hugs a day and say "I love you" at least that many times a day. Of course he also has his moments but I can't imagine life without him. He has so much energy and there is never a dull moment. He loves to talk and you just never know what he going to say. Some of the things that kid says is just hilarious! He is such an awesome boy! I love you Anthony, my favorite boy!

Quentin, Caroline, Anthony, and Will with the "pirate". Caroline wasn't sure what to think. She would look at him and want to touch him but as soon as he would look at her or speak to her she would almost cry.

The only family pictures we were able to get while at the beach. It's dang impossible to get Anthony and Caroline to stay still long enough for a picture.

We also took Anthony and Caroline to play putt putt while at the beach. I just don't feel like it's a trip to the beach until we play. It's one of my favorite things to do down there. Anthony loves to play but Caroline was totally not interested. Chad would help her hit her ball then she would take off running after it and pick it up. She would also just walk around getting in Anthony's way and make him so darn mad. Anthony started to just hit his ball and Caroline's toward the end. They had a ton of fun though.

Caroline in Anthony's way.

Caroline trying to take off her shoes, we were only on hole #2 at the point. I knew then it was going to be a long game!

Deciding to take a break right in front of the hole when Anthony was trying to hit the ball. He was so mad at her but she couldn't have cared less. She didn't move until I picked her up and moved her.

Just thought these pictures were just too cute.

Myrtle Beach vacation

We returned home today from a week in Myrtle Beach and we had a wonderful time. The weather was great but crazy hot! The kids loved the ocean and the beach, we were down on the beach all day everyday. Totally my kind of vacation, although there is not a lot of relaxing when you have 2 small children to keep up with and they have no fear of the water. Anthony loved to boogie board and just swim. Caroline would run straight in to the water and we would have to be right there with her so when she fell she wouldn't go under the water. The few times she did go under she got right back up and went at it again. Anthony loved to go "way out deep" to jump the waves. Caroline and her daddy playing in the sand
Papa, Anthony, & Caroline building a shark! We had to keep Caroline away because all she wanted to do was destroy it.

Nanny and Caroline sitting in the sand feeding the birds. More pictures of that to come.

Anthony jumping and landing flat on his belly in the waves.

Just playing in the sand.

Caroline just playing in the sand. Don't you just LOVE her bathing suit?! Found it at one of the shops at the beach and just couldn't resist getting it for her.

Caroline and Papa playing in the water.

More beach pictures and stories to come later in the week!

another fun outing with friends

Last week the kids and I went to the waterpark in SC with some friends from work. The day didn't start out so well. First, I was running about 10 minutes late. I hate being late and it just throws my whole day off but I had to stop and get gas or we wouldn't make it. So I pulled in to the gas station and went to take my gas cap off and the cap broke. By that point I was ticked off so I called the Land Rover dealership and I had to go and get them to replace it before I could even go. Well we finally made it and we had a wonderful time. There were 3 adults and 9 kids but it wasn't as stressful as I thought it was going to be. All the kids were wonderful and had a great time. The whole time all the adults were looking at each other giving a thumbs up sign or holding up fingers to show how many kids they had at the time. I think I counted to 9 about 1,000 times that day but I can't wait to do it again. Caroline was a little social butterfly. She was walking around talking to everyone and would even sit down beside some of the adults and play with their bracelets or just touch their arm. She was so cute and everyone was very tolerant of her being right there with them. All the kids love going down big slide but there wasn't nearly enough adults to be able to take them more than 1 time but they had just as much fun going down the small slides and just playing in the water.

I have no idea what Caroline was doing in this picture but she was sure having fun.
Just floating in the water. It was nice that they had places that shallow so the little kids could play.

Caroline and Liam playing.

Anthony had the best time. He can't wait to go back. We didn't get a lot of pictures of him because he just never stayed still long enough to get any.

Several of the kids playing.