Charlie's 4th Birthday

    Charlie has had a thing for Spider-man for quite some time.  He watches the movies and cartoons over and over and over....  This year I asked him what kind of a birthday he wanted and I wasn't surprised at all when he yelled Spider-man!  I sat down at the computer a few weeks ago looking for inspiration for a spider-man cake.  I wanted it to be smaller than I've made in the past.  We have always had way too much cake left over and I spend more than a day baking all the stupid layers only to throw most of it away.  What I saw online helped me formulate a design for Charlie's cake.  I drew it quickly and stuck it to the fridge.  I had some technical issues in the construction.  I'm not very good with fondant yet and the picture of the building in my head was much cooler than what can to be.  I wasn't sure if I liked it until I showed it to Charlie.  He thought it was amazing!  So I guess I pleased my target audience and that's all that really  matters.  One of these days or years, I want to take a cake decorating class and really learn how to do this properly.

THE CAKE

 The Party

     It's hard being in a new place when birthdays come around.  The kids are used to having a big party with all their friends.  New places mean not as many new friends.  We were able to get a nice little group together at a nearby park to play, eat cake and open presents.  

 He was so happy it was finally his birthday!  I think he had a lot of fun playing with all his friends.

 Lighting the candles on the cake proved to be tricky.  It was really windy and we were in it's direct path.  After about 10 failed attempts at keeping the candles lit, I handed the matches over the the boy scout, aka Dad.  The wind died down just enough to get them lit and for Charlie to blow them out.  He was being a ham and taking his time with the blowing out part.  Luckily he beat the wind to it and got all 4 of his candles extinguished.

 Yummy.

 Presents!  Charlie loved everything he got.  He and Leah have been playing non-stop with them since we came home from the park yesterday.

 For the first time ever, Leah was able to make it all the way across the monkey bars by herself.  

Though she did fall on her rear a few times before she managed the task.

Savannah

Over Memorial Day weekend, we took the family on a short vacation to see some of Georgia.  Last time we were here I was pregnant with Leah and too sick for trips.  Little did I know the same thing was about to happen.  I was pregnant on this trip, I just didn't know it.  I'm glad we got this one in before we were all sequestered to the house.  

We decided to head to Savannah since so many people have told us how beautiful it was and it's such a historic city.  Our trip was hampered a bit by the rain.  We managed to head downtown and see a really cool old railroad museum.  Our plans of touring around downtown after the trains were curtailed by the rain.

 Charlie inside one of the box cars.  I loved the huge wrenches.

 Sitting in the caboose.  The seating was up high and it was open underneath for who knows what.

 The Caboose

 There was a fantastic model city of Savannah that was well over 20 feet long.  The kids spent a good amount of time watching the several trains make their way through the city.

 Leah took my picture.  Probably one of the only ones of me from this year since I'm always behind the camera.

 All the trains were housed in a traditional train shed. I didn't know those were really used. I thought it was only on Thomas the Train.  They even had one of those circular rotating tracks to turn the engine.

Our next day we had much better weather.  He headed over to Tybee Island for some fun on the beach.  It was a beautiful day.  I can't believe how much warmer the Atlantic Ocean is compared to the Pacific.  People aren't kidding when they say it feels like bath water.  It was a little colder than bath water for us, but then again we were there in May not August.  Charlie didn't want to go in the water, but Leah is turning into a little fish.  She loved playing in the waves.  We even saw some dead jellyfish floating in the water and on the beach.  Tybee was a pretty place, but very touristy.  It really reminded me of that busy strip through Lake Tahoe, I forget the name of the town but it's the west side of the Lake.

Savannah definitely had some pretty parts.  I enjoyed seeing some of the old mansions in the downtown area and all the old trees covered in Spanish moss.  Most of the old homes were run down, but you could see where some people had purchased them and were restoring them to their former glory.  I would have loved to tour through some of those old places.   The rain kept me from taking pictures.  

First Day of School

Leah's First Day of School

I had every intention of having a great first day of school outfit for her.  I had the fabric bought and the dress designed.  Alas, morning sickness struck and the kids were lucky I even managed to get out of bed most days.  I feel even more fortunate that Derek's class ended when it did because he was home most of the day to help me out.  Really I don't know how we would have survived without him.  Anyway, I get off topic.  Leah's first day of school.  We went to an open house at her new elementary school a few days before the first day to meet her teacher and get acquainted with the school.  It was a crazy night and I felt a little lost.  This place was huge, well at least compared to where I went to school.  We got her all set up, the paperwork filled out and ready to attend on the first day.  She was so excited that morning.  She wanted to ride the bus right off, but I drove her.  I wanted to make sure she could find her class and not be one of those little lost girls crying because she didn't know where she belonged.  I speak from experience here.  I remember vividly wandering the halls of my elementary school trying to find my classroom.  My mom had gone to work and I'd taken the bus.  The class lists where all by the doors but I couldn't read my name.  Another mom helped my find my name and I made it to class, but this obviously had a profound affect.  I never want Leah to feel that lost.

 Charlie needed his picture taken on Leah's first day.  He was excited too.

 The first day was not without its snags.  I drove to pick up Leah from school that afternoon.  I left a little early because I was warned the pick-up line was crazy.  Really, I had no idea how busy it would be.  I waited and waited while my poor car came close to overheating, but there was no way I was turning it off and loosing what little A/C I was getting.  It was over 100 degrees outside and I was close to loosing it.  Finally the line started to move as the kids were released from the school.  I made my way slowly to the front of the line.  Right before I reached the front, this is after an hour of waiting in line, Derek calls me on my cell.
"Are you still waiting to get Leah?"
Me "yes, this line is nuts."
Derek "because she's here, she took the bus home."
Me "What?!!!  I'm stuck in line, I can't move, I'll be home when I can."
I finally made my way to the front of the line so I could get out and drove home.  I was so glad Derek had been home to receive Leah.  I was upset about what could have happened.  I tried to figure out what happened and decided I needed to take Leah to school the next morning to get things straight with her teacher.  We had had a discussion on orientation night with Leah's teacher that she would be a car rider for the first few days until she was comfortable taking the bus.  I guess in the craziness of it all, that was confused.  She had been a bus rider ever since and she loves it.

Charlie's First Day of Pre-School

 Charlie was able to start pre-school the very next day.  He was so excited to finally be going to school too.  I watched all the other kids and moms in tears at the separation.  Not Charlie, he ran into the classroom and barely gave me a backward glance.  I was happy for his easy transition.  It wasn't that difficult for me either.  I was so happy he was happy.  He was nothing but smiles when I came to pick him up again.  He wants to go to school everyday, but he's only in a 3 day a week program.  Next year we will aim for a 5 day pre-k.

I spent the kids first day of school enjoying my freedom with some much needed mall shopping and lunch.  Something I NEVER do when I have one or two in tow.
I am savoring my freedom while it lasts.  Pretty soon, I won't be alone while the kids are away at school.

The Big Day

Tomorrow is the big day.  Leah starts Kindergarten.  She is so excited she can hardly stand it.  Every morning since this last Thursday she's been asking me if it was Monday yet so she could go to school.  This morning she was so excited because she knew tomorrow was Monday.

This last Thursday we had the open houses at her school and Charlie's school.  I was a little worried because they were in the evening and if you have been keeping track of me at all, you know my morning sickness increases exponentially after 4pm.  I managed to make it through both open houses without too much trouble.

Leah's school was first on the stop.  We found her classroom without any problems and got to meet her teacher.  She had a little treasure hunt set up to help the kids navigate their way around the classroom and get familiar with it.  She was endeared to Leah because of the chocolate chip cookie treat waiting for her at the end of the hunt.  Her teacher seemed like a sweet lady.  We didn't get to talk much with her, there were too many of her classmates coming in and out.  Leah is dying to ride the school bus so our next stop was to get the info on bus pick up and drop off.  We also had to sit through a briefing on dropping our kids off and picking them up in a car.  I had no idea the production that went into taking your child to school.  There are special lanes, and 8 second limit for the child to extract themselves from the car with all their belongings.  Pick up seems even crazier.  The kids wait in a special area inside. I have a piece of paper with her name on it and grade that I hope up to the Car Monitor teacher and he calls in to send my kid out. I don't even leave the car. It's nice but a little crazy at the same time.  Times have definitely changed from when I was a kid.

Charlie's preschool was really nice.  I was impressed the the facility.  I mean it wasn't Ft. Lewis preschool, but close.  I loved that they had a big indoor gym for the kids to play if the weather was too hot or stormy for them to go outside.  The classroom sizes are small and the teachers were really nice.  He is so excited to go to school too.  He doesn't quite understand that he has to wait until Tuesday to start.  He wants to start tomorrow too.

And what am I going to do with my first kid free day?  I'm going shopping for maternity clothes.  I went through all my old close and I had very little I could reuse.  This pregnancy is starting in a different season and definitely a different climate.  So off I am going to the mall all by myself.  I can't wait.  I don't even remember the last time I got to do that without at least one kid following me around.  Well I guess technically I will have one kid with me, but I don't think that really counts.  He/She won't make me crazy trying to keep them out of the clothes racks, touching everything in site or just plain not listen to me.

I will be taking pictures tomorrow of the big day and of course Charlie's big day Tuesday.  I will do my best to download them and get them up here for all to see.

13 Weeks and Counting

Today I'm officially 13 weeks pregnant.  I'm posting today because the morning sickness seems to be abating ever so slightly.  Which means, I'm actually feeling good enough to type.  It's been a rough summer.  As crappy as I have felt, I felt worse for my poor kids.  They have been stuck inside with nothing to do for the last 2 months.  I've suffered through a few outings and playgroups, but it's definitely not the normal summer fun we would have had.  We had grand dreams of water parks, pools, spray parks and the lake, sigh.  They have been tremendously good sports.  Dad was wonderful and took them out on the weekends to play somewhere, just to get them out of the house.  I mean it's pretty sad when the only thing you have to look forward to is an outing to the grocery store.

On some happier news, the kids get to start school next week!  Leah will begin full-day Kindergarten next Monday and Charlie will start pre-school three days a week.  I'm looking forward for them to have something fun to do and also for the 12 hours a week of me time.  At least I won't be wasting those few precious hours in the thralls of morning sickness.  I should be in the clear in another 2 or 3 weeks.

Hmm, that about sums up the boring life we have led this summer.  May I have something more interesting to say next time.

Carnival Fun

 At the beginning of the month, the carnival came to Fort Gordon.  Charlie and I drove past it one morning while they were setting up.  I knew the kids would have a blast and it would be something fun for us to do over the weekend.  They had a small petting zoo, but the kids were a little leery of the animals.  Neither one wanted to touch any of the animals.  I settled with some pictures.

 Leah was totally excited to see the pony rides.  She talks all the time about wanting to ride a horse and when we can go horseback riding.  So I took lots of pictures with her on her first pony.  Charlie wanted nothing to do with them.  He's not taking after his namesake very well.

 This is their first ever ride at the fair.  

 They really liked it.  Charlie was smiling so big.  He didn't want to get off.

 This was Charlie's ride.  The blue truck.  I think we had to drag him away kicking and screaming from this one. I have no idea why he thought it was so fun.

Easter Pictures

I know, better late than never.  Easter wasn't super exciting around here, but I did manage to get a couple of pictures.