Pre-K Halloween Party

Thanks for all the input on the baby names! It looks like Nicholas is the front runner....and nearly everyone has said that sticking with the "N" is the thing to do....guess you all know my OCD's all too well!

Yesterday, Nolan had his Halloween party at school. Matt was going to try and make it so he could help me with the kids, but he wasn't able to leave work. Thankfully, though, the kids were no problem at all. All the preschoolers did a parade through the halls of the school, and I pushed Nathan in the stroller with Natalie either by my side or trying to walk with Nolan. Once we got back to the classroom, Nathan got out of the stroller and played with the classroom toys and actually didn't try to escape! The parent volunteers had enough cupcakes and snacks to share with Natalie and Nathan as well, so they were both in hog heaven eating all the yummy snacks. Natalie was even invited to sit at "circle" with Nolan while the kids sang songs. She looked like she could have fit right in.....she sat quietly and took it all in. Even when we came home, she was trying to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" just like they did at school....it was too cute. When it was time to leave, one of the teachers stayed with my kids so I could get the van and drive it to the door closest to the classroom....and I must say it was a great help!

Here are some pics from the party.

Circle time.

I couldn't get their attention....so a back shot is the best I could do!

Nolan and Eddie...

Eddie begged me to take his picture...it was just too cute.

The Name Game!

So Matt and I still haven't officially decided on a name for the new baby. Here are some of our suggestions.....and I'm open for any feedback!!!

Sticking with the N's:

Nicholas Andrew
Neal Andrew
(by popular demand, I'm adding another):
Noah Andrew

Going in another direction:

Curtis Andrew
Andrew Drake
Colton Andrew

Obviously we both really like the name Andrew....and it has Biblical and family ties....which both boys have as well. Again, I'm open for suggestions....shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment about what you think!

Parent/Teacher Conference

Yesterday evening, Matt and I had the opportunity to talk with Nolan's teachers at the school's first Parent/Teacher Conference. As soon as we all were seated, Miss Aimee simply said, "He is just sooooo bright." She said that Nolan was so far advanced in class and is doing great as far as social skills are concerned. She also said that if Pre-K had a gifted program, she would definitely put Nolan in it.

She gave us a handout of observations she had done on Nolan. She even laughed because his observations are quite lengthy compared to the other children...simply because Nolan provides so many opportunities for observation. One of the things that cracked me up on the observation list said, "Nolan counted 119 spiders with the spider game." I asked Nolan how the game was played, and he said they had to count spiders as they put them in a box. To me, it was just amusing because who has the patience/attention span to pick up and count 119 toy spiders??? Miss Aimee also shared an amusing story about how Nolan asked her if she knew what all the poles outside were for. Miss Aimee played along, and asked Nolan what they were for. He then went on to explain to her how the poles ran electricity to people's houses and this enabled them to turn their lights on! But I guess since Matt works for Verizon, it's no wonder Nolan knows about utility poles. Also, she was working with the children on recognizing parts of a book. She asked Nolan to point to the title of a book, and instead of pointing to it, Nolan reads it....."Fall Leaves Falling" he told her. She said she laughed and thought to herself, "well, he didn't POINT at it, but I think he knows."

Of course, all of the "smarts" she talked about concerning Nolan came to no surprise to Matt or myself....we know he is above average. It was the social aspect that we were more concerned with.....and simply because Nolan would rather carry on conversations with adults for the most part. Again, Miss Aimee said he was doing fine. She said he interacts well with the other kids, but he still likes to play by himself some too. She told us about a little girl in class with special needs, and that sometimes this child doesn't get to go outside and play with the others. One day, Nolan asked if he could stay inside with her as well. Miss Aimee said it was great because Nolan would come and talk to the other child and was trying to include her in the things he was doing. Miss Aimee said that Nolan was an absolute pleasure to have in class and said when she goes home at the end of the day, it's Nolan that she talks about.

Matt and I were so pleased to hear these wonderful things from Nolan's teacher. We are both so very proud of him in every way imaginable. I tend to brag on him quite a bit, but it's hard not to...he gives me a lot to brag about. I love all of my children more than words can describe, and they are each so unique. Their individuality's are what make them so special and are all such a joy to have. I am proud to be my kids' mommy.

Quick Dr.'s Appt.

I had to see another doctor in the practice yesterday (one whom I've seen before and didn't care much for). I was hoping my opinion of him would change this time, but it didn't.....I'm sure this means he'll be the doctor on call when I have this baby! Anyways, he decided not to give me an exam, so I have no clue if I've progressed in the past week. My next appointment will be next Tuesday....so I'll have to wait until then unless baby decides to come beforehand.

Time Alone

Matt took all the kids to his parents house on Saturday, and returned on Sunday afternoon with just Nolan. Natalie and Nathan will be spending the week with Mom-o and Pops again. I miss them already, but it is nice to have some time to myself. I actually took a bubble bath on Saturday night and used the jets in the tub; then, treated myself to a self-performed manicure and facial! Sure it would've been nice to go to a spa to have this done, but maybe some other time. I'm actually considering getting a pedicure today before my doctor's appointment since I can't reach my toes very well! I'll try to update again after my doctor's appointment to let everyone know if any change has occurred....with every exam, I get a little more anxious!

I'll leave you with some pics of the kids.

Ready to go to Mom-o's house! Nathan wouldn't cooperate for this pic...

I guess he wanted a pic all to himself!!!

All of Granny & Poppy's great-grandchildren.

Uncle Jason trying to get Natalie to relax with him....obviously this didn't last long!

Natalie was giving Poppy some kisses, but getting a picture of this didn't exactly work.

Nolan and Judson had a blast wrestling with each other.

Another Prego Update

Again, I will apologize for not having pics to post this week.....the past few weeks have been more about keeping this baby from making an appearance than anything else. I've had help the past few weeks from my grandma, Matt's parents, and my dad and his wife. I'm actually expecting my dad again today in a couple hours.

I had an ultrasound on Monday to get an estimate of the baby's weight. I look smaller than my other pregnancies, but it's because I've carried extremely low the whole time. Anyways, the ultrasound looked great, and they estimate the baby's weight at 5lbs 12 oz....give or take 13 oz.....so it appears we're still on track. I also had an exam this morning, and to my relief, I'm still only dilated 2cm. My doctor is pretty confident that if I can refrain from over-doing-it for another week, that everything will be fine. She told me that after next Wednesday, I can "nest" and clean to my heart's content....but to also be aware that it will probably send me into labor! I will have to fight the urge to get back to my normal self and work myself to death, but I'll at least hold off until next Friday. Matt has a ticket to Thursday night's WVU game, and I definitely don't want to spoil that for him. However, if I'm at the hospital the night of the game, he can just walk back and forth from the game to the hospital and tailgate along the way!

Well, that's the latest news. I will try and do a little better blogging with some kid pics, but don't hold your breath!

Pregnancy Update

So my thoughts of delivering early are looming. I spent Monday night in the hospital on 24 hour observation. I had gone in for a doctor's appointment on Monday, and during my hour wait in the waiting room, I was having contractions about every 2 minutes. I told my nurse as soon as she took me to the exam room, so she promptly informed the doctor. They did a FFN test which is basically like flipping a coin to see my chances of delivering in the next two weeks....the test was positive, but again, it's NOT a sure thing!!! She also gave me an exam, and I am dilated to one already and 50% thinned out. The doctor hooked me up on monitors at the office to observe my contractions, and it was confirmed that I was having contractions every 2 minutes.....so I was immediately instructed to drive myself to the hospital. I was given some medicine to help slow the contractions....it took a few doses to kick in, but luckily, they slowly vanished. Before being released from the hospital, I was examined again, and had no change in dilation.....so it's not preterm labor, just preterm contractions for now.

I got home from the hospital at about 10pm on Tuesday. I had an uneventful night and thought I was going to be in the clear. However at 9 am Wednesday, I began having contractions again. They were about 3-4 minutes apart, and more discomforting than the previous ones I had before. I waited about 2 hours before deciding I should head back to the hospital. Again, they examined me, and no change had occurred, and they also administered the same medication to slow the contractions (which again worked). After asking the doctors if I could get a prescription of this medicine to take at home, they decided that I could. I was prescribed to take it every 6 hours for the next 2 weeks, but I'm actually disobeying and am only going to take it if I feel contractions coming on again. The side effects to me aren't worth taking it when not necessary, so hopefully I'm not making a bad decision.

Today, everything has been great so far. I've had no contractions and haven't even had to take any medicine since leaving the hospital yesterday. If I begin labor as of about Wednesday next week, they won't do anything to stop me, but everyone seems to be working hard at this point to try and get me to term which would be 36 weeks (Oct. 22). And again, there's no predicting when this baby will come....he may even continue to give me fits and wait to come past his due date!!! Wouldn't you know it....I've had nearly perfect pregnancies for the past 3 kids, and number 4 is giving me fits!!! I guess someone is just making sure that this is the last time I get pregnant!!!! And believe you me, it's working like a charm :)

8 Weeks and 2 Days To Go....But Who's Counting?

So I'm 2 days away from being 32 weeks pregnant. I usually don't complain about my pregnancies, but this one is different. I had some discomfort (to say the least) about a month ago, but was able to fix it with some new sleeping positions, but now I'm afraid, all my "fixes" are down the toilet! Sleep is very difficult these days, and even being able to pick up Nathan, carry laundry up and down stairs, or take the kids out by myself is extremely difficult. At this point, I think 8 weeks is out of the question.....I'm thinking more like 4-6 more to go....but who knows.....these things play out themselves.

The kids are doing well. I have no pics this time...surprise, surprise....but I wanted to update anyway. Natalie had a good morning today. My neighbor called to see if Natalie could come over to play with her little girl. She was gone about an hour and a half, which gave me sufficient time to do a load of laundry and even bathe myself alone!!! I must say I have the most wonderful neighbors here. Not only was Natalie invited over this morning, but Nathan as well....but I opted to keep him here. My neighbor also asked if one day this week she could keep both the kids for me while Nolan was at school so that I could do something for myself....like get a haircut or something! I told her I may take her up on it, but we'll see. Nolan also has a new playmate down the street, and he was invited to his house on Saturday. This neighbor also sent me an e-mail this morning offering to help with the kids anytime I needed a break. So, all in all, living here hasn't turned out to be as horrible as I had anticipated.

Lastly, I'll share one cute Nolan story. We were playing with refrigerator magnets the other evening. He was shocking me at how many words he knew. I would make 3-4 letter words, and then he would sound them out to guess the word. Also, I would tell him a word, then he would find the letters and place them on the refrigerator. Anyway, one word I spelled was "damp". He studied the word for a second, then looked at me and said, "Mommy, I would have to say a bad word first." I told him it was okay, because there was still another letter after that sound....so he was alright with that. (To Jenn: thought this was funny cause you heard him say a bad word the other night, and he didn't ask for permission then!!!)

Big Girl, Natalie!

On Saturday, Natalie's new furniture was delivered. She was very excited about getting a "big girl" bed, but was at first a little upset when she saw Matt taking her crib and dresser out of her room. Once the delivery guys had the room all set up, and we got Natalie's new bedding on, she was ecstatic once again. Since she's been in her big bed, she's actually been sleeping in past 7 o'clock!!! So hooray....an extra hour or so of sleep! I did her bedding in ladybugs thinking that I had enough sorority stuff left over to completely accessorize with....but unfortunately, I gave most of my stuff to my sorority sisters when I graduated thinking, "I'll never use this stuff again!"

This week was Nolan's first full week of school (with Fridays as the exception). So far, he's done great! Monday was the first day that he got to ride the bus to school, so he was super happy about that. Natalie, on the other hand, was quite upset that she couldn't get on the bus too! So far this week, she has thrown a fit about not getting on the bus....but I'm hoping it will wear off soon! On Monday, she was so upset with me for not letting her on the bus that she came home an peed in the rocking chair! I'm telling you now, this little one is gonna be a handful! But as the morning drug on, she eventually got over it and had a pretty good day....I think she likes being the big kid of the house while Nolan is gone....less competition.

As far as it goes with Nolan and school, I have got some more information out of him. He has come home with a stamp on his hand for being good. I'll ask him if all the kids got stamps, and so far each day, a boy named Eddie has not! Eddie likes to throw rocks on the playground....so he always gets time-outs. Nolan says that he's NEVER going to get in trouble at school, and hopefully this will be a true statement. He also has told me who some of his new friends are. He said one little girl told the teacher, "Miss Gena, I have a friend." Miss Gena asked her who it was, and she pointed at Nolan. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since he's so social, but it still warms my heart to know he's making friends so quickly at school. Carl is still his best bud....they ride the bus together in the morning and afternoon. This morning, he and Carl were running up and down the street together at the bus stop...with Natalie fast on their heels trying to keep up! Carl's mom is expecting a baby in October, so she and I have something in common to talk about at the bus stop too! Out of nine women in our subdivision who are pregnant or have recently given birth, all of us are having boys! We do have one other pregnant neighbor who is having an ultrasound next week to find out the sex of her baby, and she thinks that she will be the trend-breaker....so we'll see....otherwise, I'm convinced that there is something in our water that's producing so many boys!!!

Natalie is headed to Mom-o's house today to spend the night. She was very excited about going, and marched around all morning wanting to know if it was time to go. We packed her clothes in her new Hello Kitty backpack (which she had to get when we bought Nolan's backpack). She looked so cute prancing around with her backpack on, waiting for her daddy to tell her it was time to go! She's ready to go hang out with Mom-o and pinch Pops and pull his hair too!!! Gotta love a girl who knows how to aggravate!

Nolan's First Day of School

Nolan's first day of school was "excellent" as he put it. He still hasn't gone into too much detail....but here is what I've gathered so far. The class went outside 2 times, they read 2 books....one called "Listen" and one called "I Go to Preschool" (which was provided to us as well), his favorite thing to play with was an accordion, and his favorite time of day was circle time (though he didn't elaborate on what they did at circle time). There were no problems at all in the morning when we dropped him off. Matt, myself, and all the kids took Nolan to school. Natalie was a bit upset when we left because she wanted to stay too....but once we were back in the van, she was fine. I knew Nolan would do fine....as soon as he saw his teacher, he immediately called her by name and told her that he had played a game with his mommy and daddy a couple days ago, and that he was excited to be at school.

It was hard to let him go today. I got up at 6:30 and cried a little bit. After Nolan was awake, I fought tears, and left the room anytime I started to tear up so he wouldn't see me upset. I was fine at the school until we headed home, and I cried just a little....then cried a little again when we got back to the house and there sat Nolan's cup. It was strange to just put his cup in the refrigerator cause I knew he wouldn't be there during the day to ask for it. I tried to relax during the day, but to no avail. I just kept checking the clock and counting down the hours until he came home. Finally, at about 3:40, I headed to the bus stop to pick him up (Matt joined as well). He looked so happy. He loved riding the bus and said it too was "excellent". Another boy in his class rides the bus as well, so that's who Nolan sat with. The boy's name is Carl, and he's the only name that Nolan could recall after his first day. Nolan shared with us that Carl had a "brown face" and I merely responded, "just like Little Bill". And Matt too told Nolan that people have different color faces and that we're all different from each other. This is the first time that Nolan has really pointed out any differences in people, but hopefully it will not become an issue. I know there are some kids in his class with special needs, and when the whole class is together next week I'm sure he'll have some questions....

Today was the only day of school for Nolan this week, and next week he'll start in for his routine of 4 days a week. Here are some pics.

Nolan and Natalie playing at a table at school.

Matt and Nolan at school.

Natalie enjoying some time to herself.

Getting Ready for School

Our home visit for preschool is over. I'm not sure if Nolan's teachers got to see what they wanted. I think they may have wanted to see Nolan more one-on-one in his home environment, but Nathan and Natalie were both awake when they were here, so it was mainly some running around the house, an attempt for coloring between Natalie and Nolan (which didn't last long), and then the kids brought me some oatmeal to fix them and Nolan picked out some Pop-tarts to eat. The teachers asked if there was anything in particular that we wanted Nolan to learn at preschool. Matt and I told them that we mainly wanted the social aspect of things with the preschool. We told them that Nolan is a very bright child and told them how he could recognize every letter before age 2 and that he is counting to 200 in English and at to least 30 in Spanish. They said that 2 other parents had mentioned that they had bright children as well, but I think we floored them with the aforementioned information we told them. Not to sound like the "mother crow", but I am apprehensive that Nolan will be bored with some of the things they will "learn" in preschool since he's pretty smart already. I'm hoping they will work on some writing and reading as well, but I didn't ask. My neighbor's child starts kindergarten this year at the same school. She said that the school really emphasized reading, and that her son's teacher said the kids should be reading on their own by the end of kindergarten. So it appears this is a very nice school.

The kids will get to go outside at least twice a day, weather permitting, to a little playground that is right outside the classroom. This will be great, since I will once again be hindered for energy and the ability to keep up with the kids once the new baby arrives. Nolan's first day will be next Thursday. The teachers encourage parents to stay the first day, but I know this would be an impossible task for me, so he's gonna be on his own....which I hope he won't mind.

Froggy Birthday Party!

Our neighbor's little girl had her first birthday this weekend, and we were invited to her party. The party was just in the backyard of our group of townhomes, so it was real convenient for bathroom trips and such. The kids enjoyed the party even though there were mostly adults there. My neighbor said that her family was talking about Nolan and how much information he provided them with. The kid is so social. When we're playing outside in the evenings, he scouts out everyone coming home from work and plays the "welcome wagon" role by riding his bike right up to their cars and talking to them before they can even manage to get completely out of their car!

Anyway, at the party, one of our neighbors found a frog in his garden and gave it to Nolan. He had no problems handling the frog whatsoever.....I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to hold the frog, cause I used to LOVE catching frogs when I was little. I think the frog held up pretty well, and I explained to Nolan that we couldn't keep him, and he was just fine to let the frog go back into the garden. Natalie was then upset because she didn't have a turn holding the frog. We tried to locate the frog again, but he must have been a smart frog, cause he was nowhere to be found within seconds!

Here are just a few pics of the kids. I'll be updating again very soon to talk about Nolan's preschool. We had a meeting last night and our home visit is scheduled for tomorrow morning....so I'll blog about that soon ;)

This was a little tiny frog.

Searching for the frog, but he's hopped away to freedom.

Nathan LOVED the pink lemonade.

Nolan and Natalie chowing down on some birthday cake.

The Park and Pretending to be Pregnant

I don't have much to say today. Nolan and Natalie are visiting with Mom-o and Pops this week, so I rented a carpet cleaner and have been pretty busy trying to get the house SUPER clean. I thought I'd take a minute to update my blog and post some new pics.

Nathan enjoying the little swing at the park.

Nolan playing in the sand.

Natalie waiting for Nolan to come help her get up to the big slide.

Nolan pretending to be pregnant. He said he was having 4 boys, and no mommy....only boys at his house!

Natalie was going to have a baby girl, or course.

Even Nathan got in on the "pregnant" party!

Summer Fun

We've had a great summer so far. Throughout July, on Fridays, admission to the pool was free. We hit the pool each Friday, and the kids had a great time. The final Friday was the best, because Matt went with us, and 2 of our neighbors came with their kids as well....so the kids had lots of familiar friends to play with. I don't have any pool pics this year cause it's just too hard to take pictures and chase Nathan as well....so I'm sorry.

Last Friday, we went out to eat, and were seated at a table beside Jeff Hostettler, which I thought was pretty cool. We didn't ask for an autograph or anything, but I thought it was neat to be sitting close to a retired NFL player! We had originally told the kids we would go to the mall afterwards to play in the play area, but instead we just decided to head home and let them ride their bikes....which they thought was a great idea! I had the kids dressed in their matching outfits that Mom-o bought them. All their outfits had orange on them, and they just looked so cute....even Natalie sported her orange necklace and bracelet that Granny and Poppy got for her.

The kids also assisted Matt in cleaning his company truck the other day. I had taken Nathan with me to pick up some KFC, and when I got back to the house, the kids were soaked from head to toe and equipped with sponges and brushes. The had a fantastic time helping their daddy but were absolutely drenched! Since I didn't want our food to get too cold, I just put some clean underwear on them and let them eat their dinner in their undies!

Ready to ride....she's sooooo close to being able to reach the pedals. But for now she rides the "Flintstones" way.

Out of the way, Mom.....let me at least get out of the garage!

It's hard to ride and hold this ball at the same time.

Natalie giving the tire a good scrub.

Dripping wet and proud of it!

We've Got Personality!

My little ones are so very unique. Nolan is what I would call very affectionate and caring and also very intelligent as well (not that my other one's aren't smart too!). This little guy has me give him a back massage, back scratch, belly rub, and eyebrow rub each night before bedtime. He loves the touch sensation, and is always eager to give lots of hugs and kisses. Maybe he is this way because I always wanted to hold him nonstop as a baby, since I was still freshly mourning the loss of my mother....this little guy helped me through the worst pain in my life...he's my little angel, and doesn't even know it!

There's no need to mention, at this point, that the kid is obsessed with laundry. Our new neighbor borrowed Matt last night to help hook up her washer and dryer. An excited Nolan got to accompany his daddy for this event. To my surprise, though, he ended up telling me more about playing Wii with our neighbor than the details of her washer and dryer!

Then, there's my precious little girl. Natalie isn't exactly what I would consider a typical girl....which may sprout from being surrounded by boys! She's as rough as they come, and tough as a pine knot! She's the most independent, strong-willed, and determined little girl I have ever been around. She has recently started playing some Dora games on the computer, and within a few days, she no longer needs any assistance....in fact, she becomes agitated if I do try to help her. She still has quite a temper, but is much better controlled than before. She loves to give love as well, but only on her terms! She's become a Mommy's girl here of late, and nothing could make me happier....

Natalie's food allergies are gone....enough so that the doctor felt there was no reason to test her for food allergies at this time, since she has no adverse affects from any type of food now. However, I did tell the doctor about her sneezing fits and that I suspected seasonal allergies....so she was tested for that, and of course she's got them! Some trees, grasses, cats and dogs.....her worst time of year will be the spring, so if the medicine the doctor prescribed doesn't do the trick, we'll have to try some nasal sprays or possibly some shots down the line.

Finally, my little man Nathan....who is as "boy" as they come. He loves trucks and balls and is as awnry as they get! I can't seem to get upset at the little guy no matter what he does because he is SO sweet. He holds his little lips pursed together and grins, walks with his hands behind his back, and is always looking to find something to get into. He is also my little charmer with the females. Anytime we're out (especially restaurants) he's looking for a lady to woo. Last week when we ate out, we were seated beside a table of two young women who were noticeably on a date with each other. Nathan tried his best to win them over, but was unable to do so! Luckily, a little later, a mother and her two girls came to another table close by, and he was able to ham it up with them really well.

One final note on Nathan....which he will love when he's older (yea right).....he normally has a dirty diaper after he wakes from his morning nap. Yesterday was no different. As soon as I walked in the room, I knew he had pooped. When I got a little closer to him, I noticed something on his face.....it was poop! He had taken off his diaper and pooped in the bed. He apparently played in the stuff because he was covered from his head to his toes...and of course it was all over his hands, and he was still sucking his thumb....GROSS! I got him all cleaned up and have decided to never put him to bed again with no pants over his diaper!

Midday Matinee

Matt played 36 holes of golf yesterday, so it was up to me to entertain the kids all day! We decided to have a movie day. We watched "Cars" and I fixed the kids some popcorn, set up their "special seating", and had them pretend to pay me for various things. My name was "Moviena" and I was the movie attendant. Nolan really loved it, and called me Moviena for the rest of the day. Even when the kids had dirty diapers, Nolan asked me how much money it cost to have a diaper changed....and he paid me to change Nathan's diaper, cause he didn't want to sit with him with dirty pants. Nolan even pretended he was at the movies, cause he asked me if we had a bathroom, and I had to show him where it was! It was really cute....I love playing pretend more than anything, because it stretches their imaginations so far.

Ready for the show to start.

Just a cute pic of Nathan that Nolan took. Check out his new big boy haircut :)

Nathan eating a S'more a couple weeks ago! What a mess...and a cute little boy who was proud of it!

VBS and Birthday Party!

A few weeks ago, we sent Nolan to Vacation Bible School at one of our neighbor's churches. He went last year as well, but this time he had a friend with him....or should I say he had his "girlfriend" with him. He had a great time. The kids got "money" for attending each night, bringing a bible, reciting their verses, and answering questions. At the end of the week, the kids got to spend their money on various toys. Nolan had racked up by the end of the week, and had lots of goodies to show for it. I was even shocked on Friday when the shopping was over, and he was showing me all of his stuff. He got a yo-yo, frisbee, baton, etch-a-sketch, slinky, football, and he even knocked me off my feet when he revealed that he had purchased a mirror and some stickers for Natalie!!! I asked my neighbor, who was in charge of the gift table, if she had coaxed him into getting something for Natalie, but she didn't....he did this on his own free will!!! Nothing makes this momma happier than when my kids are super sweet to each other!

This 4th of July weekend, we were pretty busy as well. The 4th was pretty much a wash with all the rain we had, but luckily in the evening it had cleared up enough for Matt and our neighbor Matt to pull out their fireworks. Matt had taken Nolan to see Kung Fu Panda earlier in the evening, so I think all in all, Nolan had a good day....seeing his first movie at the theater and then getting to watch some fireworks in the street. I decided that night to take Nolan downtown to see the actual fireworks show, but it began to rain and Nolan wasn't too interested in these fireworks since we were so far away....so we only lasted about 5 minutes before we headed back home.

Saturday was Morghan's birthday at the neighborhood park. We had a cookout and cake, and the kids got to play on the playground so it was a great day for them as well. The weather was cooperative that day, and thank goodness, cause Nolan had been looking forward to her party for about 2 weeks!

On Sunday, we had been invited to 2 different outdoor events....one being a family reunion on my dad's mother's side, and the other being a cookout at one of Matt's good friends' house. Since my sister was in town, I couldn't miss the opportunity to see her....so Matt and I split up for the day. I took Nolan and Natalie to Spencer for the reunion, and Matt took Nathan to the cookout. I think it was good for Matt and Nathan to have some one-on-one time since it is very rare to have that opportunity. He said Nathan was great as usual, but had a little issue with a little 2 year old girl who only found pleasure in shoving him to the ground. But all things said, they still had fun. As for me and the other two, we had a blast. The reunion was held a park across the street from my dad's house. Nolan and Natalie had so much fun playing at the playground and totally wore themselves out. Back at Dad and Shirley's house the kids got to play with 3 little kittens that Shirley had just acquired from a stray momma cat. They each had to hold all 3 kittens, and Natalie actually picked out one that she called her own....poor little kitten got dropped twice cause Natalie didn't fully understand "placing" the cat down on the ground. We headed for home at around 7 o'clock and got home a little after 9pm. The kids, of course, slept for the entire ride home, and were deliriously tired when I pulled in the garage and told them it was time to go in the house. They both began crying from exhaustion and wanting nothing more than to climb into bed and finish their sleeping.

I'll be getting a little break mid-week, as Matt has to go to Charleston again for a meeting, and he'll be taking Nolan and Natalie to spend the night with Mom-o and Pops. So I'm kind of letting the house go for a few more days until I have a good opportunity for some heavy duty cleaning with less interruption! I'm even considering taking Nathan to the pool as long as we can get a day without rain...which has been nearly impossible so far this summer!

P.S. - Sorry for the lack of pictures....I can't stress how horrible I am at thinking to take lots of pictures!!! I'll try to do better next time. :)

It's a.....

Boy! My cravings were right on...grease, sugar, and anything unhealthy seems to be my prelude for having a boy. Poor Natalie, I know from experience that having brothers can be tough, and I only had two....little Natalie will definitely be a girl who can hold her own...and she already proves it through her toughness now! Next, we'll have to start coming up with some names, though Nolan has already decided on Nathaniel....so we'll see!

Ahh....The Beach!

It's been a long 3 years since we've been on vacation, and we finally were able to go this year.....what a wonderful time we had! I had no doubt that Nolan and Natalie would take to the ocean, but I was a little apprehensive that Nathan wouldn't dig the water at his age, but he proved me wrong! All the kids enjoyed every bit of our beach trip....from the sand to the ocean, the pool to all the fun outings....we had a BLAST!!!

We went to Myrtle Beach (well, Cherry Grove to be exact) last week with Matt's parents. Thank goodness we had them with us, cause it would have been chaotic keeping up with the 3 kids on our own. We spent a few hours each day at the beach playing in the sand and ocean. I was really surprised at how warm the ocean water was for this time of year, but it was just perfect! In the evenings, we planned some outings to the aquarium, the amusement park, the arcade/ice cream shop, and Build-A-Bear. One of the things we did twice was the arcade....which was fantastic because it was the cheapest....and I think the kids enjoyed it just as much as anything else. We had dinner out every night except for one....cause the kids were just too exhausted.

For the most part, the kids were on good behavior all week. Natalie had some issues at the restaurants because she is just 2 years old. One night we went out to eat and sat across from an older couple who were probably in their 70's. Natalie started up her fussiness, and to Matt and my surprise, the older woman across from us started shushing Natalie. Matt and I were appalled by this woman. We did take Natalie out of the restaurant to let her regroup, so I don't know what else this woman expected from us. I guess some people just don't understand that a two year old doesn't act like an adult in restaurants!!! Nathan spent his restaurant time finding people to flirt with. He had so many people to choose from, and won everyone he looked at over with his bright eyes and charming smile!

We ended up doing a couple loads of laundry while we were there, which tickled Nolan. He even offered to help the woman across the hall from us do her laundry as well. He was fascinated by the coin slots on the machines, and insisted on doing that himself. I laughed when I read the directions on the machines, because they said "Never let children operate the machine"....yeah right, Nolan probably could do a complete load by himself, except for the folding!

We are glad to be back home and are settling back into the routine of things....but really hope to be able to go back to the beach in the next year or so! Here are some pics!

Our first night. Flying a kite with Natalie and Nathan.

Nathan figuring out what this sand "stuff" is all about.

Nolan standing in the middle of the sandcastle that Pops built.

Natalie taking a break to have a snack.

Nathan wanted to add his apple to the sandcastle.











Mom-o and Natalie going to find seashells.

Nolan checking out some fish at the aquarium.

Nathan getting a good look at the fish overhead.

Our group...minus Pops, he was the photographer.

Riding the rocket at the arcade.

Fun at the amusement park.

Nathan's favorite ride was on Pops' shoulders.