"Loves cars and books"

We are nearing the point in the school year where it feels like the last lap of Mario Kart and the music is getting really fast and we're trying to reach the finish line without hitting any obstacles. Whew, I hope we make it to June! Things slow down just a bit on the weekends. (Well, as much as they can with two kids, a household to run, a yard to take care of, cars to service, and groceries to buy...) This past Saturday, we went to the Science Center. Emmy loved posing on the kimono dragon, and she especially loved the new treehouse section. Later that evening, we hung out with the Houstons and Williamses. We spent most of the time outdoors, playing cornhole and watching the kids run wild in the backyard. I tried to snap a picture of Emmy and Eli piled on Boomer in the hammock. Luckily no one was injured and no one ended up on the ground!

These two sure love piling on top of Daddy!

Eli will soon have his 18-month appointment. Usually at these appointments, the doctor will ask a lot of developmental questions. My mom and I have been writing down some of Eli's words to keep track of his growing vocabulary. He can clearly say: Da-Da, bye-bye, hi, pizza, water, ball. He continues to imitate the sounds and syllables of many other words. He can high-five, and he can point to his belly, hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and feet. He is still adjusting to times when he is away from Mommy and Daddy, and we often see tears at church during nursery drop-off. My hope is that he is quickly distracted and the tears dry up before I even get to our Sunday School classroom. I always write on the check-in sheet: "loves cars and books." Eli loves to be read to, and he makes himself cozy on any available lap. 

 

While drop-off at nursery is sure to elicit tears, Eli also gets quite upset when Daddy is out of sight. Boomer left for just a minute to get drink refills at dinner, and the waterworks started immediately!

Another funny habit: Eli likes to lay across my lap, not on my shoulder, before bedtime. As soon as I finish the last book and switch off the lamp, he settles in perpendicular, resting his head on the armrest, while I sing another song or two. Then when I move him to his crib, he rolls onto his stomach without any protest.  

Like her brother, Emmy is all the time saying and doing new things too. She still calls the sun roof "car wash." When she wants me to put her apron on to help with dinner, she'll say: "Can you make me a bakery?" Daddy taught her the word "antagonist" and so she will use it as she's talking about the bad guy in a movie. She loves all things princesses and is quite excited about going to Disney World in the fall. Just like a princess, she sleeps most nights with her "canopy."

This week she was recognized at her school as the Student of the Week. She couldn't exactly tell me what it meant. She said it was for being quiet during chapel. She was much more excited to show me what she had colored that day instead of her certificate. We are proud of her! We got the letter this week saying that Eli would be beginning at Emmy's school in the fall. We have loved having Eli with Grammy and Grandpa this year, so it will be a big adjustment for everyone. We pray that it will be a great fit for Eli, just as it has been for Emmy! 

Weekend of Best Friends

I was lucky to see so many of my friends over the last 48 hours. It was the weekend of best friends! Coley, Kelly, and Casey came to Winston on Friday, and we were finally reunited as the 7 GGs! We had not all been together since July at the beach. On Friday evening, we gathered at Carrie's house and celebrated her new home. She hosted the out-of-town girls, so it became the central spot for the weekend. Aside from sleeping in Kernersville, I didn't spend very much time here otherwise. On Saturday morning, I squeezed in a run with Meg, and then I headed back to Winston for a baby shower brunch for Emily. We had kept Emily in the dark about our plans for a shower, and she was surprised by the decorations and gifts. Baby Boy LeBaron is expected to be here in late May or early June. I left the Morganton girls around 11:15AM to head to Raleigh for a shower for Jen, who is also expecting a little boy this summer! It was so fun to see the Wake girls. We had last gotten together in February for a chilly outdoor lunch in Burlington. It was much more cozy inside for the shower. Yay for vaccines! After the shower, I headed back to Winston to meet up with the GGs for dinner at River Birch Lodge. We hung out at Carrie's after dinner, and then it was back to Kernersville to sleep. While I was "showering" all day, Boomer took the kids for a spontaneous visit to Star to see Granny and PawPaw. Emmy told me all about the new greenhouse PawPaw built and Granny's fairy garden. She also got to play with Aunt Carlin's Barbies. Boomer was Super Dad to haul the kids around and take care of all the meals and activities of the weekend. I made one last visit to Winston this morning, and I took Emmy and Eli along. (Boomer got a few hours of peace and quiet!) The girls couldn't get over how big both kids are, and Emmy and Eli loved all the attention. 

It's Sunday evening again, and the work week is just around the corner. With the longer days and the sunshine of spring, we are trying to fit all we can into the hours between 4PM and 8PM. That includes hanging out at the ballfield during Zander and Maddox's games...

...playing in the backyard...

...going for walks around the neighborhood...

...dance class once a week...

...and being silly during bathtime! Monday, here we come!

Birthday Weekend

My 35th birthday was on Friday, and I drug out the birthday celebrations all weekend long! My family and friends made it very special. If you recall, last year my birthday fell shortly after the coronavirus lockdown. Restaurants were closed, and we weren't even seeing our closest friends. Boomer was sweet to take the kids over to my parents' house and then pick up Cracker Barrel for us to eat at home. This year, with restaurants open and with the vaccine lowering the case count, it felt more like a birthday with eating out and blowing out candles again. Funny enough, my restaurant of choice was the same - Cracker Barrel. It just may be a new tradition! After the workday on Friday, we went there for dinner, and my parents joined us this time, instead of babysitting. Emmy was a big help when it came time to blow out the candle. 

On Saturday, it was a fun day from start to finish. In the morning, Megan and I got in our usual long run, with crisp but comfortable spring temperatures. Then Boomer and I met Ashley and Jared around noon for a relaxing afternoon of winery hopping. We purchased tickets for the Yadkin Winter Reds Tour, which included a wine and food pairing at four different wineries in Yadkin County. We started first at Sanders Ridge with a pulled pork slider and their Sweet Noble Muscadine wine. Then we headed to RagApple Lassie, for more pork barbeque with their Rockford Red. We spent the most time at our third stop, Cellar 4201. Ashley and Jared had brought cupcakes for my birthday, which we "paired" with the delicious sweet & sour meatballs with a Merlot. The fourth and final stop was at Flint Hill Vineyards for a raspberry chocolate cupcake with their Crimson Crush. I tend to prefer white wine (...well, let's be honest, I really like soda!) but it was so fun to sample the food and wine at all the different stops. We always have such a good time with the Joneses. 

After saying farewell to Ashley and Jared, Boomer and I headed back to Kernersville; our day was not over yet. Boomer made reservations at a newer, fancy restaurant in town called The Prescott. It's known for its creative dishes and farm-to-table ingredients. Every item on the menu looked delicious. We decided on the lobster dip for our appetizer. Boomer ordered the Caesar salad with crusty cauliflower and blackened salmon over fettucine; I had the chopped salad with bleu cheese and the seafood risotto. My mouth is watering just looking at the photos again! 

While Boomer and I were galivanting all across Yadkin and Forsyth County, Grammy held down the fort at home. She covered two meals and bedtime duties; she is such a rockstar! She also planned fun activities with the kids, including making "Happy Patrick's" cupcakes and taking a trip to the park. I chuckle when I see the look on Emmy's face as she is pushing Eli in the swing - she is giving it her all! Before bedtime, Grammy put pink rollers in Emmy's hair for church in the morning. Sadly, it didn't produce the bouncy curls that we remembered from Megan's and my childhood. I can't quite determine if the curlers came out on their own or if perhaps they were tampered with. Emmy still looked cute in our matching Mommy-and-me dress. After church, I had one last celebratory meal; we went to East Coast Wings, and it doubled for my birthday and for winning the Bakewell March Madness bracket challenge. While I loved the simple celebration in 2020 when I turned 34, this year's birthday blowout weekend will be hard to top!

Dancing Queen

We have officially entered the chapter of parenthood called: Sports. Emmy had her first dance class this evening, and now we have one evening a week where we go straight from school to dance, with dinner squeezed in before bedtime. I saw an advertisement on Facebook for a six-week session beginning in mid-April and going through May. The classes would focus on basic fundamentals in ballet, tap, and tumble for ages 3-5. It seemed like the perfect introduction for Emmy, who has been twirling, spinning, and somersaulting around the house for a few months now. She also loves watching the Disney princesses dance, and she will choose all the coloring pictures at school of dancers and ballerinas. 

Beforehand, we made trips to Walmart and Target for all of her necessary items: tights, leotards, and ballet shoes. After originally buying a leotard that was size 4/5, I had to go back for the bigger size 6. She is getting so tall! The size 6 has a little more room in it so that she is comfortable to move around. Emmy has since asked to go back to the "store with the red shopping carts," which she associates with all dance things.  

On the day of dance, I picked up Emmy from school, and we changed in the bathroom there. She was so excited to wear her tutu. I was hesitant to let her wear it at first, not knowing what the other girls would have on, but she fit right in with all the excited dancers and moms. I snapped several photos as we waited for class to start. Emmy was a little uncertain at first, but once it was time, she followed the line of other dancers inside the classroom. Parents stayed in a small waiting room during the 45-minute class. Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch. Emmy said that they got on a balance beam, that there were pink mats, a rainbow tunnel, and she seemed to like when they put on their tap shoes. There will be a "showcase" on the final evening of class where hopefully I will see all these things she's told me. She was especially happy about her sticker that she received at the end. Her teacher, Mrs. Lauren, said that she was a great listener. After class, we met Grammy, Grandpa, Eli, and Daddy for dinner, and everyone posed for more photos with the Dancing Queen. 

Does the tutu look familiar? It's the same one that Emmy wore for her 1st birthday!

We've discussed some other extra-curricular activities like soccer, tee-ball, and Upward basketball. Boomer and I both have so many great memories and lifelong friends from the sports and activities we participated in growing up. Hopefully both kids will find things that interest them. Last night, we were at the ballfield cheering on Maddox during his Little League game. The Houstons are at the ballfield multiple nights a week, and we aren't quite ready for that. We are testing the waters with dance, and we'll see what comes next! 

Vitamin D

We have enjoyed a lot of time outdoors this weekend! The temperature has been quite a change from the weather we had in the mountains over Easter. It seems like last weekend was the final blast of winter, and now we have fully entered in to spring. Boomer mowed for the first time of the season today, and then we had dinner outside on our back patio. We are loving the sunshine. Emmy often asks to wear her sunglasses if we are out and about, and Eli is very intrigued by walking and touching the grass. 

On Saturday, we celebrated Grammy with a birthday party at the park. We snagged a prime pavilion in between the bigger playground and a smaller one for Eli. There was also a grassy area where Maddox and Zander could kick around a soccer ball. The adults divided up to keep our eyes on all of the kiddos. I can hardly believe how brave both Emmy and Eli are now. I noticed Emmy actually pushing off and taking a bounce before going down the slide. She has even learned to pump her legs to swing on her own. Eli loves the swings too, and Megan snapped a photo of him wearing the same shirt as his cousins. We had subs for lunch, and then we put candles in the cupcakes so each grandchild took a turn making a wish. It was a simple celebration, but Grammy said it was perfect. We are planning a girls weekend later in June as a continuation of her birthday. No kids or hubbies allowed! :) Happy birthday, Grammy! Thank you for all you do for our family!

When we weren't outside this weekend, we watched Sleeping Beauty for our Friday Movie Night, and we continue to read all the books. Both of my kiddos are avid bookworms. Eli is learning a lot of new words. Even if he doesn't quite get the word right, he will mimic the sounds of the syllables. Emmy likes to help him, and she thinks it's so funny how he says "kitty cat" and "motorcycle." At church this morning, one of the nursery workers asked me how old he was, and I realized that I didn't immediately know the number of months. During his first year, I was so quick to say his age, but now time is passing quicker than I can keep track. He will be a year and a half next month, and I can hardly believe it.