Mud

While Colin & I explored W'Burg, Will & Thomas were living it up with their grandparents. Will dined on Twizzlers & made a Nascar (his choice) Build-a-Bear at Mimi/Grandad's, while Thomas was spoiled with cookies & swimming at Omi/Opi's. I have a feeling all four grandparents are currently enjoying some peace and quiet. We can be one loud family.

It was a long trip home, complete with a parking lot fender bender, monsoon-like rain, & multiple bathroom/food stops. Will watched Car Movie for 4 hours straight, and Thomas kicked Colin repeatedly in the back of the head. We are glad to be home.

Look where we've been!

My thirtieth birthday gift (a few weeks delayed)...a couple of days in Williamsburg (without the kids)! I started shrieking as we pulled off the exit to head into town, despite my husband's pleas to kindly shut up. He spent 8 years at UVA though--he doesn't get it. It was beautiful (as always), DOG Street was teeming with colonial people, students, tourists & horse poo (as it should be), Cheese Shop's house dressing was just as I remembered, Crim Dell's "water" was still funky (no change there), & the rushees were lining up outside of sorority row (we drove by Theta right as doors were being opened for the first party...I so wish I'd peeked in!) But where did all those new buildings come from?! I hadn't been back in years--that was pretty crazy to see. It was great fun, and Colin was a good sport to both tolerate my incessant reminiscing & let me loose at the outlets. Soon I'll post a pic of both boys dressed in their new W&M tees. I LOVE the sight of it.

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!