A Day with Cousin Carson (& 8 months pregnant Aunt Catherine)

We ate together...

Shared kisses... And hugs...

Just hung out...Enjoyed some of Dewey's creme horns...

(You'd think they would look happier...)

They were big...It took awhile...

It was a really fun day. And night. Until Carson woke us up at the crack of dawn this morning. (But I guess we've done that to your family once or twice over the past few years...) Thanks, Catherine & Carson, for making the trip! We'll see you when Mary Grace arrives...

Catch of the day

He has perfected this ("what has my big brother done to me now") look.

P.S. Yes, Will is indeed bringing back the slap-bracelet. It's pink and purple and purchased with way too many Putt Putt tickets. The boy does have (early 90's) style.

You should see him go! A speed demon... T is such a Daddy's boy...I'm OK with it, especially when he requests Colin at 6 am.

Spidey & sidekick.

Another way to eat hummus.

Future Mrs. Thomas G? (The younger one, that is. The older one is taken.)

Mr. & Mrs. Will G? He really likes her...

No, the camera is not broken.

But it is summer time, so you know... Even the blog gets a vacation. I'll give you some pictures though, and maybe I'll follow up with further explanation later...

First, one of the greatest joys of the season...

A Day in the Wild West

We spent much of the day in Blowing Rock, NC at Tweetsie Railroad--LOVED it! It's so fun now that our kids are big enough to go on the rides by themselves... Disney, here we come! OK, maybe not quite yet. But I can't wait.

So it's incredibly challenging to get decent pictures of children on moving objects. You get the idea though.

Colin almost lost his breakfast on this one. Will thought it was great.

I'm still amazed one of our kids didn't try to jump off a ride.

Oh yes--Thomas rode on his own a few times. He was adorable, if I might say so myself.

Again, I was so nervous we were going to lose a child on a ride. They can be squirmy little creatures. I'm pleased to report we made it out without incident.

My hot date on the ferris wheel...

And after this fun-filled day, we make it home, play, eat, get the kids to bed, and soon after hear our potty-trained (though diapered at night) eldest state, "mommy--I've poopooed." No big deal, right? Except for the fact that he'd tried to change his own diaper. You can imagine how that played out.

Tomorrow will likely be mellower around here. Happy July 4th, everyone!

Spaghetti Smile

New Wheels

The first big boy bike! And (at least to his sentimental mommy) does he ever look grown-up riding it down the street...

Fun Times

With the heat came two trips to Walmart to buy two big blue pools (we don't share very well around here) and lots of time spent splashing around in them...

Thomas eats ketchup plain. Gross... And in case you're wondering, at his 18 month checkup last week, he's somewhere around 95% for height & closer to 50% for weight. Tall and skinny like his daddy. Also, since I finally forced him out of his a.m. nap (it's about time), we joined the YMCA for morning fun while Will's in school. Very excited about it!

Dinner

Outer Banks '09

Sadly, we're back from our annual Seward/Allison/Gallahan beach week. And I can't believe it--but it was actually relaxing. Amazing, I know.

Here's why: the boys are old enough to entertain themselves better than in past years...the weather was cooler (great for being on the beach, not superb for swimming--unless you are Super-Will, who is not easily affected by cold temps)...the beach was pretty empty...Colin & I escaped for a movie one night & dinner the next...lots of good food (that I wasn't responsible for cooking!)...Bad Bean burrito night...a visit to the Gap outlet...mini-golf & DQ...paperbacks & People magazine...watching my dad, husband, & bro-in-law battle on the Wii...Will's remarkable skill at skateboarding, "surfing," and big boy bike-riding...hang-out time with family...getting to see my friends Kerri & Corinne (also vacationing that week)--it was probably our best vacation post-kids. Despite the poison ivy that covered my body (and I complained about nonstop).

So we're home, and yesterday we already managed two dr. appointments (the aforementioned poison ivy & a suspected ear infection for Thomas) and a much-needed Costco run. According to Will's school note, "he isn't being a good listener," so I assume he's missing the sand and surf (and ice cream truck...and candy supply...) as well.

Here's the evidence of our fun-filled week:




Will was the happiest I'd seen him in awhile--he's definitely a beach bum.


Flying Carson
My brother was able to come down from VA Beach and stay a day...The kids LOVE him...
Cousins--next year we'll finally have a girl around! (That would be my sister's offspring, not mine.)

Ice cream truck time

I couldn't get a decent picture of Thomas--I thought he was enjoying himself, but looking back...maybe not :)

They actually played like this for awhile. Until Thomas started biting Will's hand and Will dumped shovels of sand on little bro's head. True brotherly love.

Can you tell he was happy to be there?!

Finally! A smile from Thomas. Mini-golf seems to be a family activity we all enjoy, so we played on a cooler day.