Halloween

At the beginning of October, we took the boys to the pumpkin patch with their friends Claire and Henry.  It was cute to see them pick out their own pumpkin.  Carson got a small one and Jackson got a big one. 

For Halloween, the boys dressed up as the Man in the Yellow Hat and Curious George.  Their cousin Kaia, was a princess.  We had a potluck dinner with the neighbors before going to trick-or-treat.

Birthdays - 4 Years Old and 2 Years Old

Carson's Birthday
We had a train themed party for Carson's 2nd Birthday.  We took all of his friends on the light rail to a pizza place.  The kids and parents had a great time!

Jackson's Birthday
We invited all of our friends and family to join us in the backyard for a Camping birthday party for Jackson's 4th Birthday.  We had a tent up that the kids loved playing in.  We made smores for dessert instead of having cake.

3 Years Old and 23 Months Old

What a busy month!  At the first of September, we took Daddy to Auburn to see a football game as a family.  On Friday, we enjoyed walking through campus and visitng all the book stores looking for t-shirts.  The boys got matching Auburn shirts.  On Saturday, we tailgated before the game.  The boys made it to half time during the game but then it was time for bed. Their favorite part was the football and watching Tiger, the eagle, fly through the stadium.

Preschool started just after Labor Day.  Jackson and Carson are going Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.  We have a nanny that comes on Monday because Mommy has gone back to work.  It has been an adjustment for us all but the boys love school.  Carson is known for being really sweet.  He pats his friend Millie when she cries.  Nana and Papa stayed with the boys one week while Mommy was in Erie working.  When they asked Jackson what he learned at school that day, he said "To not throw sand."

Jackson takes everything so literally.  Drew told him to put on his poker face.  Jackson came over and poked me in the face!

Jackson has learned how to ride his bike without training wheels.  In fact, he jumped on and took off without Drew holding the bike and running behind him. 

We went hiking at Table Rock in Morganton, NC.  It was a beautiful but step one mile hike to the summit.  You could see for 100 miles in every direction.

 

3 Years Old and 22 Months Week 4

The boys and I went to Tennessee to see Poppy, Nana and Aunt Aimee.  They kept Zoe and Riley while we were on vacation.  The boys were very excited to have their dogs back.  They made a Christmas tree out of Nana's blueberry bush and clothes pins.

The boys have been dirt biking in our backyard.  They go up in the mulch bed with the "bikes" and ride out into the yard.  It is cute to see them in their swimming goggles a.k.a dirt goggles.

We met the boys teachers at school today.  The boys enjoyed playing in their classrooms.  They are looking forward to starting school next Tuesday.

3 Years Old and 21 Months Week 4

This weekend with went to Nana and Poppy's house in Tennessee.  The boys got to play with their cousins, Emma-Catherine and Christopher Jr.  We all had a lot of fun!  On Friday, we went to Poppy's secret fishing pond.  Drew had the a fish on the line on the first cast.  When you are fishing with kids 3 years old and younger, it is always more fun to catch fish.  I bet we caught at least 10 fish in under 2 hours.

On Saturday, we took the kids to play at Grandmother Adsit's while we took some pictures of her antiques.  They had a great time running all over the yard and getting into all of her things inside the house.  After playing, we went to Mayfield's for ice cream.  I got Carson birthday cake ice cream but he decided he liked my German chocolate better and asked if he could have it.  Next time, he is getting his own German chocolate!  Bessy is the Mayfield's cow.  The kids loved playing under her on the trailer. (She is not real.)  They also had a cow inside that you could "milk." 

On Sunday, we got to see a friend from college, Matt, and his son Matthew.  They had a Razor and 4 Wheeler that Jackson and Drew got to ride.  Carson and I hung out and he rode a little power wheel.

3 Years Old and 21 Months Week 3

The boys and I watched Drew race in a Xterra race on Sunday.  It was pouring rain.  He had to swim a 1/2 mile, mountain bike 13 miles on muddy trails and then trail run for 5 miles.  The boys loved watching the racers and did not even complain about being soaking wet.  I guess it was better than being blazing hot!

There is a program called Kids Bowl Free.  We took the boys to bowl last night.  They had a blast and Jackson cried when it was time to leave.

 

 

The boys went to camp last week while I filled in for Amy at the office. They loved it.  I think their favorite part was making lunch and putting it in their backpacks.  They brought home cute artwork everyday.  They painted a lot of cute things with their hands - jellyfish, birds, and alligators.

3 Years Old and 21 Months Week 2

Happy Independence Day!  The boys have had a blast this week.  It started with a grilling party at our house on the 4th.  On Friday, Drew wanted to go kayaking at Wilson's Creek but the flow was five times the highest point at which you can kayak so we ended up going to Lake Jocassee.  It is one of the prettiest lakes we have ever seen.  It is feed by mountain streams and surrounded by mountains.  Along the way, we stopped for peach slushies, a hike at a waterfall and boiled peanuts.  Saturday we went swimming with Lillie at her community pool.  I think we are all water logged except Jackson asked to go swimming again this morning!

3 Years Old and 21 Months Week 1

Carson has decided that he is a big boy and no longer needs to be carried which is great considering he weighs 35 lbs but his timing was not great.  He decided this as I was trying to get the dogs and the boys into PetSmart and out of a crazy parking lot.

The boys spent the entire weekend swimming.  First, we went to Lake Wylie and they were jumping off a dock into the water and swimming to a ladder.  The last time we were there they did not want to jump or swim.  Then, we went to see Grammy and Poppy in their "car home" or RV at Lake Greenwood.  The boys swam off the boat in the lake and then at the pool at the resort.  I am so proud of them.

They are loving summer - everything from homemade Popsicles to splash pads to watermelon.  Today, we went to get their free Frosty's at Wendy's from the library's summer reading program.

3 Years Old and 20 Months Week 4

We took a mini vacation to Grammy and Poppy's in Savannah.  Everyone had a wonderful time!  The boys fished, fed turtles, swam in a neighbor's pool, went for a boat ride to the beach, and rode the bike, scooter and golf cart. It was an action packed weekend.

Mommy and Daddy enjoyed going for a run and bike rides through the neighborhood.  The dogs loved swimming in the marsh.

3 Years Old and 20 Months Week 3

I took the boys to the NC Tranportation Museum in Salisbury, NC.  We took a ride on the round table that is used to get the engines out of storage and onto the tracks.  We also rode on a train through the facility.  The boys had lots of fun climbing on all the different engines.  The museum even had a mail car and a hospital train car.  The boys were asleep as we left the parking lot!

Nana, Papaw and Aunt Aimee came to see us this weekend.  Nana and Papaw kept the boys while Drew and I competed in our first sprint triathlon since before we had the boys.  We had fun celebrating Father's Day with both Daddy and Papaw.

3 Years Old and 20 Months Old Week 2

Carson has been trying to jump for ages now but on Friday he got both feet off the ground.  It is a big milestone for the kids turning two.  Now he can truly "hop, ribbit."

We took the boys to Lake Wylie to swim with Travis and Amelia on Sunday.  All the kids enjoyed jumping off the dock.  After lunch, we took them for ice cream and they all ordered dirt cups - vanilla ice cream with crushed Oreos and gummy worms.

The library's summer reading program starts tomorrow.  The boys love going to story time each week and picking out new books.

3 Years Old and 20 Months Week 1

 

We took the boys camping for the first time this weekend.  We went to Hot Springs, NC and stayed at Creek Ridge Campground.  It was a beautiful location on Silver Creek.  We had a little rustic cabin which was nice because it had a bed, bathroom and mini fridge which made camping a little easier. Nana, Papaw, Aunt Aimee and Uncle Anthony joined us on Saturday.  We spent the afternoon lounging at the creek and fishing.  Jackson and Poppy caught little fish.  It was fun to watch them fish together.  Jackson said he caught five fish but he only really caught three.  Poppy said he was going to be a great fisherman because he had the most important part down pat - the fishing stories.

The boys and I have some fun play dates already planned for the summer.  Our first was at Millie's house.  The boys painted with sponges as well as their hands and feet.  Then, they washed off in the sprinkler.

3 Years Old and 19 Months Week 4 - Memorial Day 2013

The boys had a great time this weekend celebrating Memorial Day with their friends.  On Friday, we went to "big guy's" house for Popsicles and sprinklers.  Big guy is the little boy that pushed Jackson down the first day of preschool and then they became fast friends.

Saturday, we went to the Buffalo boys' annual party here in the neighborhood.  It used to be a party full of dogs but now there are tons of kids. 

On Sunday, we spent the day with Lillie.  The kids played inside and out before we took them to the pool to swim.  The water was still a little to cold int he big pool but they had a blast in the baby pool. 

Monday, we were supposed to have dinner with Travis and Amelia but we did not finish with our chores in time.  Drew was going back and forth between the office and fixing our leaking shower.  Jackson was so tired after his big weekend that he fell asleep on the couch.  Carson was in bed at 6PM Monday night.

We started potty training Carson this week.  He went several times in the party and his brother has been trying to explain how you pee in the backyard.  Every time Carson goes to the potty he and his brother get an M&M so Jackson has a vested interest in helping me potty train Carson.  Also, Jackson asked if he could have an M&M if he did not wet his night diaper.  I thought that was a great plan!

3 Years Old and 19 Months Week 3

The boys have been swimming twice now at the YMCA on Sunday afternoons.  Last week, Carson would not let go of me.  This week, he was jumping off the side and swimming like his big brother.  I would love to think that it is my fabulous teaching abilities but I think it is just confidence on Carson's part.  Jackson has been "swimming" in our hot tub during the week.  He dives down to the bottom to get his torpedo.

Last week, Drew and I were in Erie for meetings.  The boys stayed with Grammy.  They got to go to the park every morning and even had a picnic one day.  It sounds like they may have had ice cream at night.  Jackson went looking for it last night in the freezer but it was all gone.

We got some rain over the weekend and it flooded the backyard.  We found the boys hopping in puddles.  They were covered in mud from head to toe!

3 Years Old and 19 Months Week 2

The boys planned a picnic at the park for Mommy on Mother's Day.  We had a lot of fun feeding the ducks our leftovers.  Later in the day, we took the boys swimming at the YMCA.  Jackson is doing really well swimming.  Carson is still a little clingy.

3 Years Old and 19 Months Week 1

The boys are loving their new house.  They really like being able to play in the yard.  We kick balls around almost every night with them.  They also love watching the garden grow.  Everything is coming up and we just planted it a little over a week ago.

The boys are quite the little helpers.  Everytime I go to mop the hardwood floors I have two helpers.  Let's hope they continue enjoying helping with chores.

We got our library card for Charlotte renewed so we have been going to the library once a week.  Each boy picks out five books for the week.  We read a lot at this house.  There are books in every place they play.  Jackson's imagination is really wild.  He loves to tell us stories.  Carson likes to sit and look at books by himself.  He is such a big boy!

We have gotten to see a lot more of our friends.  Sharon came down with Carly and David.  Carly and Jackson are two peas in a pod.  They are full of energy.  Elizabeth brought Millie over to play.  The boys taught her all about dinosaurs.  I am sure she will teach them about tea parties one day.  Today, we are getting to see Allison and her twin boys, Henry and Bennett.  We have not gotten to see them since last March when we moved.  They just moved back from Greenville last week.

3 Years Old and 18 Months Week 4

The boys were invited to David Orr's 1st Birthday party.  They love going to parties!  This was one was a Lego theme.  They had sweet tart candy in the shape of Legos that actually snapped together.

We went to pick up some of our things out of the warehouse that had been in storage over the last 6 months.  One afternoon, Mommy and Jackson put together a tree.  When Carson woke up from his nap, we carried the tree into his room.  Carson was jumping in his crib saying, "Oh, wow!"  It was really cute.  Jackson told him that now Santa would come to his room.  It is really funnyt o listen in on their conversations.

Mommy ran a half marathon (13.1 miles) this weekend.  She finished in 2 hours 5 minutes and 31 seconds beating the goal that Daddy set for her of 2 hours and 10 minutes. Grammy and Poppy kept the boys at home for us.  They boys had fun playing with Grammy and Poppy's new puppy, Beau.  Beau got a hold of one of Carson's wet diapers and was running around the backyard.  No one could catch him!

3 Years Old and 18 Months Old Weeks 2 and 3

We have had a very busy two weeks.  Daddy has been working in Charleston so Mommy has been home with the boys alone.  One night the boys and I went to Chick-fil-a to play and get ice cream.  We try to find fun things to do to pass the time when Dad is gone.

As if being a single mom for a few weeks was not enough, our tenants in the "big" house in Charlotte moved out early.  As soon as we found out, we started cleaning up the house so that we could move in.  We spent two weekends just doing yard work.  The boys and Mommy found two baby snakes in the leaves we had just bagged up.  Jackson said one day on the way back to Fort Mill that he "loved the HUGE backyard."  Drew and I just started laughing because "huge" is not a word we would use to describe the yard but when you go from no yard to some yard I guess it is just a matter of perspective.  Nana and Papaw came to help us with the move since Drew had to be back in Charleston for work.  They got our garden ready to plant after Drew built the raised bed.  We found a birds nest in one of the bushes so we have been looking at the eggs when the momma bird is not home.

We had already gotten to see a lot more of our friends since we are closer to them.  Millie has been over to play in the backyard.  The boys were invited to Lillie's 3rd birthday party.  They loved playing with the balloons and eating pizza and cupcakes.

I threw out the moving boxes.  Three moves in one year to date is about all I can handle.

3 Years Old and 18 Months Old Week 1

Carson turned 18 months old this week.  It is wild that our baby is no longer a baby.  He is 30 lbs and 35 inches tall.  He is off the charts for his head and height.  Nana says he is going to be a linebacker but Daddy is still hoping for a tight end.  The doctor was shocked at how much Carson was talking.  We are too since Jackson did not say a word until he was two.  Carson knows all of his body parts.  He loves to read books.

We made it to the library for the first time since we moved to South Carolina.  We just happened to show up in time for preschool story time.  The Easter Bunny hid eggs on the front lawn of the library while we were listening to stories.  Jackson was too concerned with where the bunny had gone to hunt many eggs but Carson picked up a bunch.  Jackson decided the bunny must live in the neighborhood somewhere.

Jackson is able to count to 10 now.  He counts before he takes off running or riding his scooter. 

The boys had fun at the Easter egg hunt in the neighborhood on Saturday.  There was a bouncy house that Jackson got in for a minute.  Carson wanted to get in too so I took off his shoes and got ready to stick him in and he backed out.  The Easter Bunny was there for photos.  Our boys just wanted to look at him from a distance.

The Easter Bunny visited our house on Saturday night.  When Jackson woke up, he found an egg in his bed.  The boys loved their play dough and candy.

3 Years Old and 17 Months Week 3

We took the kids out to the Whitewater Center on St. Patrick's Day.  They were turning the water green.  We did not get to stay long enough to see it.  The kids got tired and the crowd was getting too big for us to feel comfortable having the kids running around.  It was nicer when no one knew about the Whitewater Center except us.  Jackson wanted to climb on the big rock walls and would not listen when we tired to explain that he was too young.  They have bouldering rocks but he accomplished climbing them easily.

Drew and I had to travel to Erie on business at the beginning of the week.  Grammy took care of the boys.  Jackson asked Poppy if he could have two water guns.  I said that was nice that he wanted one for his brother and then he changed his mind and said he needed three.   Poppy got the boys water guns.  Poppy got one that would shoot further than the boys.  Smart thinking on Poppy's part!

We took the boys to ride the light rail again this weekend.  They love sitting behind the conductor.  The conductor even let them over to sit in his chair but they were both too scared.  They decided they would let him drive.

On Sunday, the boys had a play date with Travis and Amelia.  Jackson was so excited that he woke up at 3:30 AM and brought us his clothes.  We had to explain that it was still night time.  We made birds nests out of granola, yogurt and blueberries with a Peep on top.  Then, we dyed Easter eggs.  The boys really enjoy hunting the Easter eggs this year.

3 Years Old and 17 Months Week 2

The boys got to see their cousins Emma-Catherine and Christopher, Jr. for the first time in a year.  Jackson and Emma-Catherine played really well together.  The younger boys are too young to really play with others.  The kids loved hunting Easter eggs at Nana and Papa's house.  We colored Easter eggs.  We took pictures at Great Granny's farm and we stopped at the co-op to see the bunnies and baby chicks they had for sale for Easter.  Jackson said Papa had a great birthday party.

Carson has started saying yes instead of shaking his head yes and saying no.  He is also interested in everyone's belly.  He wants you to lift up your shirt when he says belly so that he can tickle you.

Jackson's ear drum burst again last night.  I cannot wait for cold season to be over!