Long Overdo Update

Wow, I didn't realize just how long it's been since I updated the blog. So much has happened this summer that I don't even know where to start. We have spent the majority of the summer at Lake Keowee, it's been super hot and the kids love going to the lake. Anthony has learned to ride the water sled, ski, and tube like a 16 year old boy! He has no fear of anything and the faster and rougher you are the happier he is. Caroline, on the other hand, won't even try the water sled. We have gotten her on the tube one time and she had a good time but she didn't stay on for long. She won't jump of the dock because she hates to go under water and she doesn't like to get her hair wet. She is such a girl in all ways (except when her brother is messing with her, then she beats up on him!) Both of the kids ask me everyday when it will be time to go back to the lake.

Anthony also graduated from WEE school this year, which means he starts Kindergarten next week and Caroline will start her first year of WEE school. I am not sure that I'm ready for both of them to be gone because I'm so used to having them with me all the time but I know when I adjust to it I will enjoy some alone time. Anthony is finally starting to get excited about his "big school". Mom and Dad took him to the playground at his school and let him play and since then he has been ready. I took Caroline to open house at WEE school and she is finally excited also. Hopefully next week they will still be this excited becuase it sure will make it easier on me!

We also had a week long vacation with my family and it was wonderful. I still have tons of fun on family vacations! Can't wait until we can do it again. It was a week long of riding the boat, tubing, and just laying on the beach at the lake.

Anthony learned to ride his bike without training wheels. Mom and dad took him to the baseball fields and he learned in no time! So proud of him and he was super proud of himself. We haven't been back to the bike trail for him to ride for a while because it is just to darn hot but when we were at the lake with my parents he got to ride at the campground. He had just learned to ride and at the campground he was already trying to jump the speed bumps! See, no fear!

I'm sure there are plenty of things that I'm forgetting but that's all for now!

Caroline got her fingernails "professionally" painted for the first time this summer and she LOVED it!

Lacey, Mark, Chad, Anthony, and Colton went to TN and the Dixie Stampede for Colton's birthday. The kids and adults all had a great time and Anthony can't wait to go back.

Anthony riding his bike

Caroline napping on the boat

Just hangin' out on the boat

Anthony on the water sled

Caroline "taking care" of her baby

Caroline's first s'more ever! She liked it but loved eating the Hershey bars better.

Watching Anthony ski

July 4th we decided to stay home and do our own fireworks. Caroline had never seen them before and loved them. Both kids thought they were great and we had a wonderful time.

Playing in a HUGE puddle at the bike trail. Mom and Dad let them play in it forever and they talked about how much fun they had for days after!

Play date at Melanie's house. Super hard to get 6 kids looking at the camera all at one time!

Anthony's new 4-wheeler helmet

Riding his tube

Skiing

Anthony's graduation

Happy Easter!

We had a great time today with my family for Easter. We dyed eggs this morning and the kids thought that was great. It was slightly messy and Caroline still has multiple colors on her legs and arms but hey, they had fun and that's all that matters. Messes can be cleaned up! After dying eggs we had an Easter egg hunt. Charlie bought some great things to stuff the egg with and it wasn't candy so I didn't have to have heart palpitations about it! We had a total of 2 egg hunts today and the kids thought it was just fantastic both times. Glad the weather was so awesome that we could be outside for the entire day. We grilled out so that we didn't have to spend the day inside cooking and it worked out great. After we finished eating and had the second egg hunt the kids played with the kites that ChaCha got them. I have figured out that I am not a gifted kite flyer. The kids pretty much ran around the yard pulling the kites behind them! Here are some pictures from the day.

After the first egg hunt, the kids were seeing what their eggs were filled with.

Caroline showing off her new earrings.

Nanny was helping Caroline a little

Lots of new pictures

I have been such a slacker lately and not updating much at all. Things have been busy around here and now that it is starting to be warm a little more we are spending a lot of time outside and going places. Colton's 3rd birthday party was Saturday at The Little Gym. We had never been there before but the kids LOVED it. Caroline has already told me that she wants her birthday party to be there.

Caroline really did have a great time, I don't know why she has such a serious look on her face. It's the only picture I could get of her the whole time because if she was doing something I had to hold on to her. I don't trust her on the balance beam or bars, she's a little too clumsy for those things alone!
Anthony loved the uneven bars. He did them tons of times and after having help the few couple times he started doing it all on his own.

Anthony also learned how to drive the Bobcat all by himself. I came home from running one day and saw Chad on the bucket. I wondered what the heck he was doing until I noticed that Anthony was sitting in it. He then cranked it right up and starting driving. He drove it all over the place. When they were finished for the day, Chad got off and told Anthony to park it. I almost had a heart attack but Anthony parked it just perfect. I'm pretty sure Chad forgets that he is only 4!!!

Charlie bought Caroline some princess stick on fingernails and Caroline absolutely LOVES them. She wore them for the longest time until she couldn't eat her Cheetos that she always gets from Charlie. She pulled the off and ate then put them right back on. It's so funny to watch how she plays when she has them on, she doesn't want to mess them up so she is so super careful.

Just a couple of cute pics of the kids.

Our new puppy Bingo. The kids love her and she follows them around everywhere they go.

Anthony's Valentine's Day party at school

Caroline thought it was super cool that she got to go to school with Anthony since I helped with the party.

daily conversations with the kids

There are certain conversations that the kids and I have almost on a daily basis, especially when it's a WEE school day for Anthony. So here goes:

About 7:30am

Anthony: Mom, where are we going today?

Me: School

Anthony: I don't want to go to school today! (carried on in his whiny voice most of the time)

Me: You have to go to school

Anthony: Why?

Me: Because you have to learn so you can go to Kindergarten this year

About 8:30

Anthony: I have to poop!!!!!!

Me: Well go but you have to hurry, we have to leave for school in 5 minutes

Anthony: Mom, you can't hurry pooping, it just happens!

8:35

Me: Anthony, are you done yet we have to leave for school

Anthony: Not yet

Then we finally get out the door for school

8:55 as we are getting ready to pull in the parking lot at WEE school

Anthony: I have to poop!

Me: Anthony, you just went before we left the house, can you hold it until after school?

Anthony: No, I'll poop all over myself and then Ms. Babb will be mad at you.

Me: Well let's go but next time make sure you go completely before school because we are not doing this every day at school. You will be late for class.

Anthony: Ok Mom. Let's hurry and get to my class, I can't wait to go to school, it's going to be so much fun.

Me thinking: Wait, didn't we just have a conversation at home about him not wanting to go to school?!

(and it happens again and again. He ALWAYS has to go before we leave home then when we get to WEE school or church or anywhere else we happen to be going for the day)

After dropping off Anthony

Caroline: Let's go see ChaCha and Pam and get some Cheetos

Me: No, I think we are going to go home today, we need to clean up a little bit

Caroline: NNNNOOOOO, I want ChaCha and Cheetos

So 3 days a week after dropping off Anthony we go see ChaCha and get Cheetos. It kills me to give her those that often but there is no putting it off. I have tried and she cried for an entire hour about needing to see her ChaCha and Cheetos. LOL. So we go and she has fun and ChaCha loves to see her. If we miss a day then Charlie is calling wanting to know where I am at. While at Hair Mechanix we also have to go over to Pam's shop for her to see all the dresses and look at the jewelry.

After school:

Anthony and Caroline: Can we go see Nanny?

Most days we do, but if not they are never happy about that either. They want to go see Nanny on her lunch break because she always has snacks for them.

On the way home after seeing Nanny

Anthony and Caroline: I'm hungry

Me: We are on our way home and I'll fix you some lunch

Anthony: I can't wait any longer, I'm starving!

Me: We are only 2 minutes away from home, I think you will live

Anthony: No I won't, I'm gonna starve to death!

These conversations happen on almost a daily basis at our house. There are more that I will post later, jut thought you might find this humerous!!

Here are some pictures from the eyes of a 4 year old. Anthony got my camera last week and asked if he could take some pictures, I thought sure, why not and this is what I got.

Yes, I know Caroline has no pants on. You try getting either of my children to leave clothes on for 5 minutes while we are at home. I'm lucky she is even wearing a shirt.

We had just finished dinner and were getting ready for baths so Caroline's mouth is still dirty and she had pulled her hairbows out already.

Getting water in her cup and drinking it out of the bathtub faucet. I don't know how many times I have told her not to do this but she does it anyway

Guess he thought a picture of my bed was a good idea! Least I had made it up half way that morning! That doesn't happen on a daily basis.

Random picture in the bathroom. Caroline had opened my drawers and gotten out a few things she wanted to play with, like makeup and fingernail polish.