So far, so good!

School is out and we have survived the first weeks of summer! 

I went way, way back in my brain to my psychology schooling days and remembered that it's not about the event, but ones perception of the event.  Meaning that if I am dreading summer, it will be dreadful.  So, I have changed my way of thinking about this summer and so far we are having a blast!  I saw the idea on Pinterest of making a summer fun to-do list so we made our own.  We are having so much fun marking things off the list!!! 

 

Gram and Grumps took Banks on his first train ride!!!  He tells everyone we see about how he got to ride on the top of a double decker train. 

 

First sleepover!

 

We also spent last week at my parents house in Jackson.  The boys had a big time playing with Gram and Grumps and all their fun/different toys.  They even made play-doh!

 

 

Eating it...

 

Since we've been home we've been pooling it pretty regularly.  Banks is way, way too confident in the water.  And that nearly gives me a heart attack.  Andrew won't get in the water (it is freezing) so he just walks around and around the pool which also gives me a heart attack.  Needless to say, there's not much lying around at the pool these days!!!

Only 3 more days...

...of school left.  Panic is setting in.  It happens every year at this time.  I dread the summer...trying to find endless things to do to entertain a never-stopping almost four year old.  But somehow we always make it out the other side and have a blast doing it.  This year seems a little different though.  Banks will be starting Pre-K in the fall.  He will go to school EVERY SINGLE DAY (yahoo and boohoo!).  He will officially be a big kid.  Banks will be starting at public school where he will eat breakfast and lunch, carry his own tray (eek), and might even ride the bus.  Such big kid stuff and I can't handle it.  So we are going to spend the summer soaking it all up.  We have several trips to Jackson planned, VBS, we joined a pool and lots of other fun things scheduled to pass the time.  I might want to choke him some (who am I kidding...I WILL want to choke him) but I'm thinking we'll have a blast this summer.

Speaking of blast!  We had some friends come for Double Decker this year and the boys had a BALL (as did their parents ;))!

Walking to the Square!

 

A little Octonauts break...

 

 

 

 These two are thick as thieves.  No telling what they're scheming here...

 And poor Andrew...he was there but I didn't seem to document any pictures of him.  Bless him.  So here's what he's been up to:

 

Climbing.  On.  Everything.

 This little boy LOVES the outdoors.  And it shows on his grimy little scuffed-up hands.  Somebody tell that kid's parents to cut his nails.

 And finally, just a little brotherly choke-hold to send you off on this Wednesday afternoon!  Hope it's a great one!!!

Germs, germs go away!

Today is the first day since last Sunday that any of us have put on "real" clothes.  We just cannot manage to stay well around this house.  In the past two months, we've had the stomach virus twice and now Andrew has had some strange fever virus/upset tummy thing going on.  I mean, white flag.  White.  Flag.  Everybody is hungry and annoyed.  There's been lots of sheet washing and crying going on around this place.  And I'm over both.  In between sick spurts, Banks had a program at our church called "M & M" (music and memory work).  His class learned Gen. 1:1 and said the first three catechisms.  It was just too sweet!

Hugging his bestie Will after the program:

Ok, enough of that sappy stuff...showing how tough they are!

Andrew hanging out at the reception:

Because we've been home bound a good bit, we've had to get creative on ways to entertain ourselves.  Double decker ride...

 Here's to a healthy week next week!  Lord knows we need it!

Easter!

We had a fabulous Easter "season" this year.  The boys had several egg hunts, Banks had a fun school party and my mom came to stay a few days last week! 

 

School egg hunt!

Mom brought Andrew his first coloring book and some chunky crayons.  Can you tell how pleased he was to be coloring like a big boy???

Matt's mom came Saturday for more Easter fun!  The boys loved having both of their grandmothers together!

 

Dying eggs!

 

They're getting ready to leave their baskets at the back door!  As well as a little lettuce and carrots for a snack for the bunny!

 

Easter morning we made Resurrection Rolls! We read the story of the Resurrection and then ate the rolls!  So fun...



And the joys of taking a family photo...

Take two?

And he's outta there...

 OVER it.

 But we did manage to get this jewel before church.  Love my babies in some lace!!!

The stomach virus is the devil.

I'm sure most of you spent your Spring Break on a beach somewhere sipping a fruity cocktail and yelling at your kids not to throw the sand.  Us?  We spent ours in the bathroom.  And it was awful.  In a 24 hour period, Andrew, Banks and I were all taken to our knees and I'm just now able to get back up.  Poor Andrew still isn't well and he's going on day 7.  Not only did we go down, but we took 6 other friends/their kids down with us.  Yikes.  We definitely get the bad friend award for that one.  There is a special place in hell for the stomach virus and mosquito's.

On a brighter note, the weather this weekend was FABULOUS.  Totally lifted our spirits and we got a good dose of Vitamin D.  We broke out the sand and water table, the bounce house, rode bikes, worked in the yard and played with just about every outdoor toy we own.  Banks played by himself for most of the day Saturday.  Did you hear me???  He played BY HIMSELF for most of the day.  Almost never happens.  And we just left the door from the den to the patio open and Andrew just crawled in and out, in and out all day long happy as a lark.  This time of the year is my favorite.  Lots of outside time, no mosquito's, cool breeze, dirty little boys and everyone just sleeps better!!!  I actually remembered to get out my real camera one afternoon.  I have been so bad about either not taking pictures or only taking them on my phone!

Serious business.

 

Two happy boys!!!

Love me some summer clothes and some chunk legs!!!

Playing nicely together!

 

 

 

Some truths

1.  Yes, Banks is usually in his 'roos only.  I recently had a girl I went to college introduce me to her mother as 'a friend who has a little boy who's always naked'.  Yes, that's me.  She gathered that information from all my instagram posts in which Banks is never clothed.

2.  Banks does have super cute clothes and does wear them in public, just to be clear.

3.  I almost always have a "snail trail" on my shoulder or pants leg.  I swear I cannot make it out of the house before someone snots me.

4.  This is the only picture I have taken in the last month:

5.  I am just returning from a FABULOUS girls weekend in Nashville.

6.  I need more girls weekends.

7.  Andrew is on the verge of walking and it scares the poo out of me.

8.  I joined the gym about a month ago and I've been sore ever since.

9.  I don't think my cottage cheese will ever go away.

10.  I don't know why I suck at blogging these days.

Andrew is one!

Three big events have happened in the last week. 

1) We had a major, blowout first birthday party for Andrew

2) I made it a whole year and three days feeding Andrew breastmilk (sorry, men).

3) Andrew had his last bottle.

As for #1, pictures will have to do.  I nearly crafted myself to death but it was super fun and I'm now officially over my party-hangover.  All decorations are down and we've moved on from the extravaganza.

 

Little Red Wagon was the theme for his party!  This Radio Flyer was mine when I was little.

 

Red wagon cookies and Radio Flyer drivers licenses' for the big kids:

 

And Wagon Wheels for the littles:

 

 

The food table, yummy cake and Andrew's first year in pictures!  We had Red Wagon rice crispy treats, wagon wheels (turkey roll-ups), marshmallow pops, wagon trail mix, popcorn, and twizzlers.  

 

Love that little finger digging in.

 



This is about as messy as he got.  COMPLETE contrast to Banks who had to have a bath after he got ahold of his smash cake.

 

Opening his bouncy house.  Because it is a completely normal, not over-the-top gift for a one year old.  Right?

Getting donuts on his actual birthday.  "Did y'all mean to give this to ME??"

 

 

I mention #2 because it is a hugungo deal for me.  With Banks, I planned to make it six months and then pushed myself to get to a year.  Those last few months were rough.  When I found out I was pregnant with Andrew I said I wouldn't be able to juggle it again with a toddler running around but I made it!  It was easier, this time, for me to pump and give bottles so I think that helped me out.  Which leads to #3.  I was fine the night he had his last bottle.  It had gotten to be a fight for him and he didn't even really seem to want more than a sip or two of it anyway. 

 

 

But the next morning when I cleaned off the bottle rack and pulled out all the bottle brushes, I nearly lost it.  My baby is not a baby anymore!!!  He is waving and clapping and standing and saying "bye-bye" and "ma-ma."  He's pushing cars and trucks, saying "raaaar", tormenting the dog, splashing in the toilet, and loving playing "chase" with his big brother.  He is such a sweet, happy one year old and I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for him.  Happy Birthday Andrew!

I'm Back!!!

Thanks to Jeri Anne and my mother-in-law, I am back to blogging.  Thanks for the gentle nudge, girls.  Something crazy happened and it wouldn't let me upload any pictures.  So I gave up on the blog for a bit.  Every time I thought about coming back, the idea of playing catch-up seemed overwhelming so I'd give up again.  But now I'm back and I'm just going to start fresh.  Christmas happened and it was wonderful and there are tons and tons of pictures and lots of "Andrew's first Christmas" type things.  We were home, for the most part, for Christmas and it was soooooo nice!  I even hosted three Christmas dinners myself (we celebrate with a lot of folks around here).  I'm such a grown up.  Ok, shoot.  My 'momma guilt' won't just let me start fresh so here's just a few pictures from Christmas...

Christmas eve

 

My boys Christmas morning!

 

This look sums up Banks' Christmas.  He is at such a fun age and is so sweet and excited about EVERYTHING he gets. 

 

And this is what excited Andrew:

 

And since Christmas, we've just been doing regular ole stuff.  See, ya'll didn't miss much.

 

Using his tools to construct his car.

 

Looking like a homeless person playing in the snow!

 

Racing around the house:

Playing with trucks in his PJ's...

...and getting geared up for this little misters FIRST birthday.  Tear.

First birthday post coming up next!!!