Girls Getaway at the Grandover

The Bakewell girls just returned from a fabulous weekend at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. Our guys stepped up to watch the kiddos so that we could enjoy a little over 24 hours of pampering, good food, and girl time. A couple of years ago when we went for Mother's Day massages, we talked about how fun it would be to stay overnight for a true Grandover experience. We promised to do it for Mom's 65th birthday, and we blinked, and it was time to make it happen. We booked the "Girls Getaway" package which included a one night stay, spa treatments, vouchers for lunch and breakfast, and to top it off, a bottle of champagne! We arrived early on Saturday to use the fitness center before our spa appointments, and then we had lunch poolside. For dinner, we made reservations at the on-site restaurant called DiValletta. We had the crab dip as an appetizer, and then we ordered three different dishes so that we could have a taste of each one. Meg had the Springer Mountain Fried Chicken with pimento cheese mashed potatoes; Mom had the Filet Mignon; and I had the Jumbo Prawns over orzo. We ended the evening by sitting by the outdoor fire pit. In the morning, we slept in until 7:30AM (not late by most standards, but still later than we normally get up!) We returned to the DiValletta Restaurant for an all-you-can-eat breakfast with made-to-order omelets, fresh fruit, biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, waffles, and pancakes. It was such a perfect weekend from start to finish. We had so many laughs and jokes, and stories and deeper conversations, too. I pray that I have the relationship with Emmy as I do with my mom. It just gets better each year!

While Mommy was away, Emmy and Eli had so much fun with Daddy going to the park, playing dress up, and having Movie Night. He is such a good Daddy and was so encouraging of the girls weekend away. I loved getting these photos of their fun times together!

I've unpacked my suitcase for now, but we will be packing up again soon for the Kennedy Ballpark Tour. Stay tuned for our next summer travels!

A Week with Eli

This past week while Emmy finished out the school year, Eli and I had some special time together just the two of us. Since Eli has always been the younger sibling, it is not often that we've had the one-on-one time. Each day this week followed a similar pattern, and I loved it! We would first take Emmy to school. 

Emmy seemed unbothered about going to school while little brother stayed home with Mommy. She always has so much fun at school. This week they had water day and a campout in the gym with sleeping bags. After dropping Emmy off, it was time for breakfast. I got the best smiles and conversation from Eli while he was in his high chair. He has really started to talk. His words include "hot" "up" "car seat" "fruit snacks" "out" and just recently, his name. We laugh when he calls his belly button "boo-boo-butt", and he can definitely express "no" with a vigorous shake of his head and a word that sounds like "dough." 

Then we would go for a spin around the neighborhood. 

And sometimes stop at the park!

One morning, we went for a run around Wake's campus and had donuts with friends. Between the three moms, we had four boys under the age of 4 - and one more boy on the way!

After lunch, Eli would nap while Mommy worked on grad school:

And then we would pick up Sissy. One day we made a special stop for a sweet treat at the pretzel shop downtown. 

In other happenings this week, Eli got his first big boy haircut. It was a pretty significant cut, so hopefully it will keep him cool during the hot weeks ahead. My parents have trimmed his hair a couple of times already, but this was the first time to an actual salon. Stacy at Great Clips was wonderful and took extra care with showing Eli the clippers and letting him hold on to a comb. The lollipop didn't hurt things either! :) Here is a 'before' and 'after': 

It was only fitting that Grammy and Grandpa tagged along since they were Eli's first barbers. Grandpa took pictures, while Grammy kept Eli smiling. He was a happy boy the whole time. We went out to lunch afterwards, and the new look kept catching me by surprise. He is growing up for sure!

On Thursday night, Boomer and I had a date night to the Winston-Salem Dash game. After a whole year of no baseball, my hubby was excited to be back in a ballpark. He and a few other guys bought a package of tickets in the Flow Club, so we got to enjoy a buffet dinner of steak, pizza, and baked ziti, as well as all-you-can-eat hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, and desserts. There was the threat of rain all day, but luckily there was not a single drop during the game. The clouds actually made for quite enjoyable weather. Sadly the Dash ended up losing 5-2. We will be back soon, and hopefully next time we will see a win. 

While we were at the game, my mom came over to watch the kids, and she brought along some nail polish for Emmy's first manicure. Emmy was so excited to show me first thing the next morning.

Boomer's district has started their summer schedule of four-day work weeks, and he had his first Friday off with Eli and me. With Emmy at her last day of school, we took a trip just the three of us to the Science Center. It was certainly strange to only have Eli. We laughed that we had a constant feeling of missing something. It also felt like we were masquerading as an only-child family. We saw another family with two kids, and Boomer jokingly said, "Don't tell them we have a daughter, too." He knows I can be a bit of a blabbermouth! I had a lot of fun hanging out with my boys. 

After the Science Center, we picked up Emmy from her last day of school. Summer has officially started, and the week with Eli has come to an end. I have cherished the time with him, but I am happy to have Emmy back with me. I am looking forward to all the memories we will make over the next two months! 

First Day of School and Last Day of School

"Mama!"

We had a major breakthrough this week - Eli FINALLY said "mama!" Considering his expanding vocabulary, it's surprising that it has taken this long. Until this week, Eli said "Dada" for both Boomer and me equally. He would point to me in pictures when asked where Mommy is, yet he would still call me "Dada!" It had gone on so long that we would just laugh about it. I had even started to respond to "Dada." Then on Wednesday morning, Boomer went into Eli's room first, and when I came in a few minutes later, he looked at me and said "Mama!" Boomer and I both looked at each other in shock and then cheered and clapped as all parents do when their kiddo does something for the first time. After coaxing the rest of the day, he didn't say it again until the next morning when we repeated the same routine: Boomer went in to his room first, and then I came. By Friday, he was saying "Mama" more frequently and not just in the morning. I love the way he draws out the "mmm" of both of the "m's." Much credit goes to my mom, who has been practicing with him day in and day out this whole year. Now that he is saying "Mama," we have to get him to say "Grammy!"  

Friday was the last day of Eli being at my parents' house during the work week. My summer break starts on Tuesday, and so the year of Grammy Daycare has come to an end. I will certainly miss the daily routine of dropping him off at their house in the morning and then chatting with them in the living room during pick-up in the afternoon. When we made the quick decision in August not to enroll Eli in daycare as previously planned, my parents' offer to watch Eli was such a blessing during all the other uncertainty of COVID. There is no doubt that he has been loved and nurtured this year. It has been so precious to see the sweet relationship that he has developed with them. I know that I will always look back on this year and remember these special everyday moments of M&Ms from Grandpa and walks with Grammy. Here are some photos from Eli's last week: 

Emmy's school year is winding down too. She has one more week. This past week, her class had water day so she got to wear her bathing suit and flip flops. She was especially excited about the return of Kona Ice Fridays. 

Today we went to the Science Center to check out the new section Revolution Ridge. Wow, so many new animals and exhibits! We have watched the construction from afar with each of our visits over the last couple years, and it was exciting for it to finally open. The flamingos were a favorite, along with the indoor play place which reopened after temporary closure due to COVID. We have plans to go back with friends at the end of the month, but I wouldn't be surprised if we squeeze in another visit before then. The Science Center will definitely be a popular spot this summer. We are so excited summer is here!

"I can do it"

Our Memorial Day weekend included two graduations, a lake trip, and a park adventure. The two graduations were at the very beginning of the weekend: my school's was on Friday afternoon, and then Boomer had one on Saturday morning. As soon as Boomer got home, we packed up the car and headed to the lake. We spent the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday there with Boomer's parents, his sister, and his cousin Francie and her two boys Oliver and Mathis. Saturday's weather was perfect for a boat ride and sitting out on the dock. There was a late rainstorm that came through in the evening which brought cooler temperatures on Sunday. We did not get back into our bathing suits on that day but instead relaxed on the back porch. The lake trip over Memorial Day weekend always marks the start of summer, and we are so excited for more summer days ahead. 

Today we went to Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury. We left a little before 9AM and packed a lunch to stay through the early afternoon. The park has several attractions like a carousel, train, barnyard, paddle boats, and mini-golf. There is also a large area with playgrounds for all ages. The carousel was Emmy's favorite. Jury is still out on Eli's thoughts on the train. If you look closely, you'll see his range of reactions: unsure at first and then a few tears. Once we started moving, he was alert and pointing at all the sights. I found out today that Emmy has learned to swing and pump all by herself. She is doing so much on her own these days. I overheard her this evening telling Boomer that she didn't need help washing her hands - "I don't need help; I can do it, Daddy." She said the same thing to me at the swings when I moved to push her from behind. It seems like every day both kids surprise me with the new things that they are doing.