It's your Birthday, we're gonna party!

Today You are 7! I can't believe you have grown so much it seems like yesterday I was holding your tiny hiney wrapped in a blanket looking into your soulful eyes. You're such a sweet kid and still at this point love us unconditionally. I love that you still get excited over stuffed dogs and your room is still full of them. You're growing into such a little man and to see you at school in the second grade or playing soccer with such determination my heart could just explode. I look forward to so many new days with you and I pray the unconditional love never ends. I know mine for you will never fade.

Happy Birthday My Little Man!

Thursday Thoughts

I think people that have a brother or sister don't realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there's always somebody there, somebody that's family.

First Day of School; Check

Whew, the first day is done with and they came home very excited and ready to go back. They both said their teachers were really nice. Here's hoping the rest of the year is just as good!

No Worries

The boys had physicals last week. Both are obviously growing like weeds, Sean is just about as tall as I am and moving in on the weight quickly. Evan is growing taller, but his weight is not going as fast as Sean's does. He wants to gain 30 pounds by his 8th birthday, so he can no longer sit in the car seat. I think he may be closer to 12 by the time he makes it to 80 pds.

During the physical they checked their eyes, ears, hearts, etc. and in the end had to get two shots. They do not like shots, neither do I, but at least I don't scream and thrash around like some crazed animal. After much coaxing, Sean decides he'll go first. He does, does great doesn't even flinch, no problem. One would think that Evan would follow suit seeing that his brother didn't die right there on the spot. No! He cries, fights, screams like a crazed animal. The nurse and I both had to hold him down, he had to get his finger pricked, so yeah, I agree that does hurt. But even after the shots were over and he was free to go, he stood there screaming. We finally leave and he's okay after we exit the door.

Fastforward to Monday morning, first day of school, Sean had a reaction to the chicken pox shot starting Saturday that was localized, but not spreading or causing any other reactions, so on Monday when it still looked bad, I took him to the doctor's office after dropping Evan off at school. On the way to school however, Evan had some sage advice for his brother.

"You're going to have to get another shot, BUT DON'T WORRY IT WON'T HURT!" says the boy who was totally traumatized by his shots just two days earlier.

Thought for the Day

Cherish your vision and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.
--Napolean Hill

The Cool Crisp Mountain Vacation

Being a beach comber my first thoughts in the mountains were, what do these people do? Where do the kids ride their bikes or skateboards or skooters? How do you drive up the side of that mountain? I just couldn't live here. It's beautiful to visit but living here, I couldn't do. (although a few years ago I wanted too)

Our vacation started great though, we laid in bed and watched movies until 12, we had popcorn and oreos for breakfast, no compliants from the boys at this point. They were even happy to hang out outside because there's a big dirt pile of red clay that they drove their trucks on, dug holes into, fought in, rolled in, jumped in and loved every minute of it. We finally got up and dressed and went over to Boone and ate lunch, then went to the shops downtown, picked up some brochures and found some hiking trails. So we headed over to Blowing Rock and hiked a trail around a lake, it was so peaceful and nice. The hills/mountains were growing on me. I certainly can't hike around the ocean.

The next day I found out where you ride your bikes, you go to Damascus, Virginia and rent bikes they drive you up a mountain and drop you and your bike off, and you ride down 17 miles on an old train track across tressels, by streams, you can stop twice to eat or rest. The only thing needing rest though is your brake hand, it's all down hill. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. We can't wait to go back when the leaves are changing to do this again.

Riding down the Creeper Trail

Whitewater rafting is next. I mistakenly made reservations with the wrong outfit. It was very important for us to arrive at 10:15 am because we would be leaving by 10:30. At 12:30 we finally pull off after having to wait for them to blow up rafts, funyaks and then Sean and two other men had to wait for more rafts to be brought to them. Once we finally got going the water was so low from lack of rain, we had to paddle five miles. Not much rafting, but Evan's still not old enough to do a larger river. We paddled the Nolichutky and while it was beautiful, the paddling and heat overtook the fun. Sean paddled his own funyak though and did a great job. We were spent by the time we finished and starved since we hadn't had lunch, so we took our river funked selves to the Olive Garden and piged out.

On the fourth day we hiked again, one of the brochures we found mentioned a swimming hole and rock sliding which sounded like fun. We hiked and hiked and hiked, Evan even went skinny dipping. Finally we find the hole and it's breathtaking. Three waterfalls, three little swimming holes and a large one at the bottom. The water is cold, too cold for me, but the boys got in of course.

At the waterfall


Pure Beauty


Sean swimming


Evan swimming in the very cold water


Daddy taking Evan to the very cold waterfall

All in all it was a wonderful time. Very relaxing, probably because I didn't have to go to work, I didn't have to cook, I didn't have to wash clothes, I didn't have to walk the dogs, I didn't have to do anything but have fun.

PS. I'm still a beach girl though, simply because I don't like driving up the side of the mountain, especially when my car starts sliding backwards. I know, I know next time I'll have tires with tread. I probably should have mentioned that before going.

Cape Field Trip, we didn't do these kinds of field trips when I was in school!

The whole second grade class went to Cape Lookout for a field trip at the end of last school year. They drove buses down to Harkers Island and ferried the kids across. We took our own boat and man was it so much fun. When I was in second grade I think we may have gone to the zoo or something and it wasn't a great zoo either.

Anyway, the kids had a great time. Evan of course got to be a second grader for a day as will Sean when Evan's classes go this coming school year.

Snacks Definitely



Boat Jumping

Becept Pruberty!

These are two of Evan's word pronunciations. He says becept all the time, I've tried to get him to say except, but it just comes out wrong.

Last night while playing around with Daddy, Daddy says "wow, Evan you've got lots of little blond hair on your legs." Evan replies with, "yeah, becept I've got Pruberty now."

He thinks he's going through puberty, he says his brother told him the word and it means when you get hair on your legs, under your arms, down there, and on your feet.

oh boy, it's going to be a long road with these two, they already like to use "manly" soap in the shower and then they have to dot on some deodorant and of course comb their hair just right.

"That's my boy..."

Sean calls Evan his boy who looks after him. ( In other words, Evan's his little runner, his slave)

I guess when you're six, you're big brother is your hero and you'd do anything for him.

Summer Fun

The boys spent a week down in South Carolina with their Gunny and Grammy and they had a blast, riding the horse, grooming the horse, Evan played with new puppies and luckily did not bring one home. They are already planning for next year. So am I, I didn't think I'd have fun, but I really did, don't tell them that though.

Sean and I got to do lots of things we never do, eat in peace, go to the movies, go out with friends, shop in peace, go to bed when we wanted, all the things you take for granted when you have no kids.

It's great having them back though, they've been hanging out with Daddy every since, going to work with him, helping him, distracting him, going swimming, playing golf. They are having a great summer vacation. As long as they stay away from the Boys and Girls club, they are happy.

We are planning on going on a family vacation to our mountain house and take the kids white water rafting and tubing down the mountains. We may do the water park on the way over and possibly the zoo too. I'm just looking forward to a week off from work.

Next week we're going to meet Mimee in Myrtle Beach for the weekend. We always have a great time when we do that. Then they start soccer camp the next week, should be good and hot for them by then at least they'll be playing at night, when it's only 90 degrees instead of 100.

I wish it was summer vacation year round. It's so relaxing not having to run around with all the activities during the school year, we can ride our bikes after dinner instead of running in at 8 or 9 taking a bath and going to bed.

The Second Grader

I put a picture of the third grader up but didn't put one up of the second grader. He did great this year and gets cuter everyday, along with taller. His stitches are all healed up and his arm seems to not bother him either. I thought he had broken his arm this past weekend, but the swimming healed it miraculously. It's amazing. The sheer will they have when they want to do something or not do something. And this little guy here is the king of all stubbornness!

It's a sin

The boys started the summer camp program at boys and girls club Monday. This year is different because they separated the 6-7 from the 8-9's therefore leaving Evan with only one person he hangs out with. But that one friend of his hasn't been coming this week. The first day he comes home and says, "I only have one friend and he didn't even come today." So I tell him maybe he can make some new friends. He says, "I'm just real quiet and I sit by myself, I don't get into trouble that way."

So Tuesday he decides to take his stuffed dog, Belle, but when we get there they tell him he can't have the dog there. ( I don't know what that stuffed dog was going to hurt) So he starts crying and finally agrees to let her come to work with me. So I pick them up and he says, "I could hardly eat my lunch I was so upset over not having Belle with me."

He's completely serious with all this and while it sounds completely heartwrenching and sinful, when I pick them up I have to drag him off the playground from all of his non friends.

And That's the ballgame!

I promise to play fair and enjoy the game. Amen.

Sean's team played last night in the second round of tournament play and they in all aspects of the game outplayed this team, this team who went undefeated the entire season. Our boys should be very proud of themselves, most have either never played baseball before or they had just moved up from Coach pitch which is not like playing baseball at all.

I think they all had a good time and no one is the least bit phased by it, they each started a whole new day and now baseball is in the distant past. I am going to miss going to the ball field and eating hot dogs and cheering for our team. It's a summer past time and it was really fun. The one thing I will not miss is the boys being drama queens. Each one of those kids pouted if they struck out, each one pouted if they got on base, but didn't cross that glorious finish line with the neon lights flashing "You're Home Safe" I think next year instead of purple jerseys they should have pink. But this last game they did do much better with their attitudes and hopefully next year they will be a year more mature.

The pouty face!


Swing batter batter Suwing!!


AHHHH, YOU'RE HOME SAFE!

And that's the ballgame, until next year!

Bandaids, stitches and suits of armor!

My kids have not been out of school a week yet and one already has stitches and the other ate asphalt yesterday. I hope this is it for the rest of the summer. Last night I had to buy the mother load of bandages to make sure everyone had all the antibotic oitment they needed on and all the scrapes and things covered. My hieney can't take anymore! Everytime Evan jumps or falls or rides his bike or whatever my hieney hurts for him. Then Sean crashes on his scooter and gets one of those scrapes that doesn't bleed at first it just turns white, then starts to bleed. When it started it didn't want to stop. Ugh, I don't do blood, it's just gross.

Music

Sean got his report yesterday and it was very good and by way he's promoted to the third grade. Last semester he did really good except in music he had an "N" needs improvement. So I told him that was crazy to end up failing second grade, because basically he couldn't behave in music.


On his report card this time, he got an "O" Outstanding in music. Not just a satisfactory, but he made sure he got an "O" he wasn't about to tell anyone he failed second grade because of music.


Think I should tell him that he really would not have failed because of that or just let him figure it out.



Here's the third grader!

Stitches

I bet you can guess which one too, yep, Evan. He and a friend were playing at the ball field and he fell on a log and cut his leg (near his privates) and ended up with six stitches.

Getting them was not fun, but now he thinks it's pretty cool. Everyone he sees that's the first thing out of his mouth. "I've got stitches"

I'm sure when he's older, he'll want to show all the girls his "scar" considering it's location, oh the stories he'll tell.

Day 700 Pacified

He got him a new puppy. Not the one he's been begging for, but when Daddy and I went out of town we found him a cute little soft German Shorthair Puppy that we couldn't see him living without.

I don't know where he gets his craziness from.

More Wild Horses

A family of horses we came upon on Taylors Creek. They did not even look up when we pulled the boat right over to them and took pictures. It's really too cool.

Oh wait these aren't horses these are wild Banshees! But they are cute. They too were not bothered by the camera.

Day 698

We seemed to have forgotten about that cute little puppy!