Road Trippin'

I took my boys on a Road Trip to Texas. It's ONLY halfway across the country, right? I kept telling myself the whole time, thank goodness my parents live in Marshall. If they lived in El Paso, this would truly be terrible!

On the way we did the fourth of July in Atlanta. Here are some of the highlights:

Sam: "Mama, are we going to stay at the Show-and-Tell tonight or at Nana's house?"
Me: "The Hotel, Sam."
Sam: "OK Mama, the Hotel."

Five seconds later
Sam: "Mama, are we at the Show-and-Tell yet?"

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We are at the Fourth of July party at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. It is extremely crowded. They have these cool Olympic Rings that shoot water out of the ground and the kids can play in. The boys have been looking forward to it. We show up and it is an absolute madhouse. I immediately start making categories of worries in my mind about how I'll possibly keep up with them in the crowds if they are running around in this.

Me: "Jack you have to hold Sam's hand at all times."
Jack: "Awwww........"
Me: "Look. Here is the red stroller. I'm parking it here. You should be able to see it. If you can't find me, come here, and I'll meet you here. Do you remember my phone number? It's 999-999-9999. Okay buddy? I'm going to try to watch you the whole time."

We find an area that is not too crazy and Sam of course busts into the water through the people. Jack is hanging back near my legs. He looks really concerned. He is the thoughtful child.

Finally I say, "What's wrong?"
He says, "Mama, what did you tell me your phone number for?"
Me: "In case you got lost, you could call me."
He looks at me like I am an idiot: "FROM WHERE???????"
I laugh. "Good point, buddy. Just go play. I'll find you."

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After the sprinklers, we are at the main area of the park. It is like a huge festival and there are lines of food carts. I start reading of all of the choices for them about what they could have for dinner. Jack chooses something quickly. Sam is sitting in the back of the stroller. After reading about 50 choices to him, he looks at me with big eyes and says "Mama, can you choose for me?"

My children are opposites.

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We are about to get into the car to drive ten hours, at the end of which are Nana and Poppy. The boys are very excited to see them, but they don't realize, of course, the fact that we have to spend the entire day in the car first. As we are leaving our hotel room Jack is staring in the mirror. "Can you fix my hair? It needs to be flatter." I brush it. "Right before we get there, can you look at it again and see how it looks. If it looks messy, can you fix it again?" He asks these things so earnestly, it sort of breaks my heart.

Don't you wish...

we all still loved balloons enough to sleep holding them? :-)

Funky

Most of the time when my kids say stuff, it is easy to see where they got the words from (often from yours truly). Yesterday, I tried to get Sam to lay down on his Elmo couch (it is like a little fold out bed thing that they sleep on all the time) and go to sleep. Jack and I were lounging around reading, and I wanted him to go to sleep. He told me "Mama, this Elmo couch is TOO FUNKY!" I laughed. I have never said Funky to him that I can recall. So, I told him to go sleep somewhere else if he wanted to. I said "Go to your bed or the couch then". He said "Nope. All the sleepin' places here are TOO FUNKY. I guess I just gotta' stay 'wake!"

He's a mess, that child.

Jack is 6! Sam is 3!

Birthday parties are big fun around here. We had a lot of fun at our six and three birthday this month!

We had our own special birthday cakes.






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We had some yummy food

Yes, this is one of our children. He ate BEEF at this party. I'm as shocked as the next guy. This feat has not been repeated since.






We had a cool guy make some balloon art




We decorated our own eco-friendly water bottles (though, Keith did say, doesn't putting paint on them make them no longer biodegradable?)





We had fun!

But we were exhausted!

Mimi and Papa Dean Visit!

Sam trying to say Cheese.

Mimi and Jack at Bee City

Terri held a tarantula when we all said no thanks! She's so brave!

Summerville Snow Day

Larger than life snowman.

Our neighborhood snowman is a Marine.


Our house.




Our kitten, Squiggy, he's an outside fanatic. This didn't dampen his spirits.

Beer

If you listened to my kids often, you would seriously think Keith was an alcoholic. A few nights ago at dinner, Sam asked him "Whatcha got daddy? Beer or coffee?"

Then today he was asking me if Santa was coming soon to give him presents. I said no, Santa was over for a while. He said

"No mommy. Santa is coming to bring me presents. And Daddy and You and Jacky. He is going to bring me a e-phant, and you a bear and Jacky a doggy and daddy a.... he bring daddy a BEER!"

Our little ring "bears"

They surprised us all by actually walking down the isle! More pictures to come, I'm sure ;-)

Really REALLY not a baby anymore

I hate to admit it, but my baby isn't a baby anymore. Suddenly, he is too aware, too inquisitive and too darn verbal to be considered a baby by anyone's standards. Sigh.

He just busted out here and said "Now WHAT is going on out here?"

He has taken to saying "Now THAT'S not supposed to happen!" all of the time.

I have realized that he has memorized the words to several of his favorite books.

He gets an evil look and says "You'll never find that NOW" at least several times a day (sound familiar to any other Swiper/Dora enthusiasts?)

Miss Leigh, his favorite teacher, said that today when they came into the gym, she was holding another little boy. So he just walked right up to her, grabbed her face, and kissed her on the lips. She said he was staking his claim.

Two days ago in the car, he said "Mom, are you a gu-url or a boy?" and I said "Girl" and he said "Yep, That's right!" (another of his cherished lines lately). I said "Is Daddy a girl or a boy" and he said "A boy, like ME!" and I said "Right. What about Jacky?" and he said "Jacky is my brother! And he is a boy, like me!"

I am happy, and he is still so cute. But I have always LOVED babies. I am not ready to have none of them here!

Now we just need to get rid of these pesky diapers....

Ho! Ho! Ho!

These boys are SPOILED ROTTEN!










Sam's stuff (above)

Santa left them both a racetrack
Jack's stuff.