The Beach in Pictures

Tradition for Big Daddie & the girls to go get

Tornado!

Erynn took this!

 

 

 

Feedin' the crocs @ Chesapeake

Mummy man

Harley & Cookie-we see them there every year!

@ Le Cirque Adrenaline!

Granny, Poppa, Erynn, Eli, Emi, Eddison, Eddie & moi (Roob taking pic)

Rides at Broadway - Eddie, Emi, Eli & Erynn

Early morning walks to the pier

@ Duffy's Seafood Shack

Beachy Thoughts

Why does packing for the beach take so much more effort than unpacking? That just seems weird! I get worn out just packing for the beach! I've broken it up by days, which is good for not feeling overwhelmed, but still to have to think of everything and find the time to do it amidst all the everyday stuff...

The girls are doing their own packing now, but still I have to double-check behind them to make sure they bring the appropriate and enough of the right things. Bubbie and I packed his stuff today. It was nice actually. He likes to be a strong man, so I let him carry the stuff and put it in the bag. He also helped me carry the beach towels and put them in the hamper. We combined some of the many bottles of lotion we have, and he threw away the empty ones. He brought me tissue paper when one of the bottles was spitting at me. :)  I think he's going to be a simple packer. When we were packing his toys, he didn't want to take all of everything. He wanted his Bible, one book, one car, and his container of Little People. Go dude! He is so excited about the beach! He says, "I wanna go NOW!"

The girls are excited in a different way. They think the grandest idea is to take off this week from lessons so that I can pack everything. Umm...no. lol

I imagine Sammy & Frodo will have a grand time at their dog sitter's house. Lots of attention, a backyard to roam in, maybe even a bath??? They don't seem to be anxious as we drop them off. They run right up to the door, walk on in and disappear within the house! Not even a good bye! (sniff, sniff)

My goal for the beach is to learn how to use Photoshop and read and catch up on the journals that I keep for the kiddos. I am so incredibly far behind on them, but one is caught up at least! Photoshop, well...I bought PS 6, and I still haven't learned to use it. Version 8 is out now, I believe! I did find a book on PS 4, so I'm hoping it will teach me the basics. I've tried using the guide on the computer, but I need it in front of me as I'm looking at PS, or I lose it.

Here's some pix of the girlies that they took with their friends. Getting taller and older...I can't believe Mims is almost ready for driver's ed! The LORD better get HIS guardian angels ready! :)

Here's one they took of Boogie Man:

Isaac was helping Daddie with some yard work. I was surprised he stayed out there the whole time. It was hot!

Isaacism

Here's an example of an Isaacism:

Him:  "Who made da roads?"
Me (thinking, "Oh, no, I'm in trouble now."):  "The men who make roads."
Him:  "But who are dey?"
Me:  "I don't know."
Him:  "Does Daddie know?"
Me: "No."
Him:  "Does YiYi know? (Rinse and repeat...) Does Ery know? Does Mimi know? Does Katie (Eaton) know? Does Mrs. Eaton know?"

Boogie Man Day

The girls flew the nest about 9:00 this morning. Yeah, second day of school and they already have a vacation day. Ha ha. Their friends are back from their cross-country travels, so being the nice mom I am, I let them go sleep over at their house.

That leaves Boogie Man and me and the doggies with a free day. I decided to take him to the free movies down at White Oak. I thought it was "Madagascar", but it ended up being "Cloudy...". He chose the seats - the very bottom of the upper section. There were just two seats there - one for him, one for me. He wanted a snack right away. I was afraid he was going to finish it before the movie even started, but he got into the first few minutes before he was done with his and started on mine.

We made it maybe halfway into the movie when he was ready to go. He said he'd rather watch it at home. He was done with snack, probably sleepy from the cold medicine I'd given him and didn't like the theater being dark. Towards the end he was getting scared from the storm and the sound being so loud. But he toughed it out.

We came home. He just finished about a 3 hour nap! Ha ha for Daddie tonight! I think we've successfully talked him out of going to the park in this oppressive heat. Instead, we'll go to a nice air-conditioned Chick-fil-a playspace. :)  If we can get ourselves going early tomorrow, maybe we can make it to the park! I might even get to the Y!

New Do's

Though the girls' hair has been done for a bit, I thought I'd put what I had on here anyway. I'm not sure where Mims' pic is :(.

YiYi's cut & highlights

 

 

Erynn's cut & highlights

Isaac before

Isaac after!

All his curls :(

 He's still a cutie patootie, but I miss his little curls! I have to figure out how to trim his hair without butchering it!

7/23/10

It's been fourteen years since we heard that first cry. Fourteen years sounds so long when think about all that's gone into getting her where she's at today, but when you look at her, it seems so young (and yet so old at the same time). To think of what lies ahead (driver's ed., jobs, perhaps college?, etc.), it seems so exciting, but at the same time, I wonder if she'll be ready. The personal perks for me sound so NICE! To think she could do some of the driving of what's becoming the taxi - ahhh! The idea of her driving all of them to Angier for CYT - an almost free night! 

Getting older yet still a kid who likes to play.

She hadn't decided on what to do for the day by the time I had to leave to take Bugs to his final swim lesson with dear Ms. Molly, so I told her I'd take her out for one of her often requested milk shakes this afternoon. Erynn opted to join us as well. When Daddie came home this afternoon, we opened presents first. 

Her first present was Modge Podge glue & sealer. Ha ha. The look on her face. She thought it was a gag gift until she remembered I'd told her she'd have some assembly required of one of her gifts. Next came the hardware (the round thing-a-ma-jiggies, the necklaces, the stickers/accessories), and then 12 bottles of Crush soda. THEN she knew what it all was. Do you? Ha ha. One of the fads that kids are into now-a-days is bottle cap jewelry. We went into a store after she opened her presents where she showed me some that a lady was selling for $8 (earrings)! All they were was a bottle cap, some hardware and a few beads! But the ones I had seen were turned around & decorated on the inside, so that's what Erynn & I picked up at JoAnn's. Anyway...she also got loads of Justice & Aeropostale clothes, two beach bags, her traditional book & a doll desk. Erynn made her a cool card, and Isaac gave her a nice, big, wet kissie on the lips! :) 

He doesn't quite get the birthday thing, I don't think. He was saying how he wanted one too. I think he means the cake! He told a lady today that his birthday was in "three minutes" and that then he'd be five and headed off to kindergarten! He's so cute to watch when he engages adults. He began the conversation by showing her his flip flops - after he had shown another guy them as well. He truly is an Eddison - not introverted like me.

So after the presents, we went to Gifts With a Heart to check out how they made the earrings and maybe buy some (so she said). She couldn't decide by the time we needed to go, so she said we'll go back this weekend (along with the movie she wants to watch, go swimming, and make more jewelry). Then we went to Olive Garden and Cold Stone - where she treated all to ice cream! 

Back home, I got out my scrapbooking stuff and looked for anything to add to the jewelry, and then the learning process began. We had to figure out which way to line up the thing-a-ma-jiggies for both the necklace and the earrings, punch holes in the bottle caps, wrangle with getting the thing in through the hole(s), and then decorate. (All the while, Isaac is giving us a hard time since he's missing the "party".) Emi made earrings with cherries on them while Erynn made watermelon earrings. Eli opted to make bead jewelry earrings & a necklace. Daddie & I were the ones trying to figure out all the technical stuff!

While at the store, I asked the lady about selling stuff there. It might work out for the girls to sell their stuff there! That would be really cool as we've hit a roadblock on how to sell the stuff since we can't take it to church anymore other than for Speed the Light. I don't know if Craig's List is a good Idea or not...

Well, it's 7:00, and no one's stirred except Eli, so I best take advantage of it and get ready in peace. :) Bugs put up a fight for so long last night, I guess he's worn out!

A Pictoral Update

Playing around with iPhoto effects - fade color.

Black and white.

Black and white with black border.

Isaac built his first gate.

Recouping at the play area.

Notice where Isaac is...

Eddie's new ride!

Emi's warming an egg - or maybe the egg is warming her! It was hot!

I don't think Erynn likes snakes!

Erynn before

Erynn after - OUCH!

Our day at UNC

Easter party at Gramma's church

An uncommon day of lessons

Wrinkled Raisins

In our quest to try out each of the Y's to see what each is like, we hit Kerr today. Not far from our first appointment, we stopped at Starbuck's to sell some curricula, ate lunch before my blood sugar plummeted since I didn't get breakfast, then on to Justice to buy some birthday gifts, we then hit the Y. Isaac, btw, loved trying on the sunglasses at Justice. He likes that store as much as the girls do!

Since they don't have childcare until after 4:00, we hit the pool. I'd have to say a low score for the family locker room. The kids and I alone pretty much fill up the room! And tricky lockers to figure out. The pool was nice and warm, however. Another low score to not having the same life vests as the other Y's. Boo. I had to strap two of the add-a-board types to Isaac, and they kept riding up so his chin was resting on the front one. It didn't seem to bother him until the end though. A plus to having a decent space to swim in. We swam at least two hours. We were waiting for the play pool to open for Isaac's sake. This part has a slide, buckets and shovels, a drippy pole that you can control the drip by a wheel, and a drop-a-bucket thingie. Chick wasn't too crazy about the last thing, but he liked the wheel and the slide if I caught him.

After that long, however, we all had raisin feet and hands. On to the shower. One shower for 4 of us (Eli had already gotten hers.). One bench. Hmmm...3 bags. Not a lot of room to spread stuff out. But we survived. We got Boogie into child care (nice room!), Emi and Eli went off to rock climb, and Erynn and I got stuck at the desk trying to decide about Isaac more swimming lessons. In the midst of all that, I had "misplaced" our Y cards. Grrr... Finally, to Erynn's relief, we were done. She and I walked on the track. By this time, I was too tired to work out, and I actually sat on the window sill for part of the time, dreading the drive home with 4 hungry children (remember that song???), one of whom hadn't had a nap, and one tired, old mama. True to form, we get on US1 and the traffic is at a standstill. It took us over an hour to get home.

So I can't say Kerr was my favorite. I like Cary's gym the best, but they have no family locker room. Three pools though. Tiny pool locker rooms though. More things to do there though. Decent location.

Holly Springs is nice but small. Not as many machines. Track is not for those balance-challenged like me. They do have an elevator though! :) Only an outdoor pool though. :( This is Eddie's favorite.

Hillsborough is Eli's favorite. Only an indoor pool, but the hours are decent there. Nice family locker rooms! Decent machines. Track another no go for me. Child care for Isaac is nice.

Baileywick. I'm drawing a blank. I'm thinking there was no family locker room. Oh dear. Where did my brain go??? Nice family section in the pool. I know the gym is tiny there. Track is okay as far as it's on ground level, but it's in the same tiny room as the machines.

Isaac is tentative about going in the nursery, but he always gets mad at me for picking him up. Go figure! None of them have great game rooms for Erynn though. :( Poor thing, stuck in the middle.

May 1, 2010

My how time flies. I don't feel like I'm on a crazy roller coaster like some people I know, but time sure does seem to pass too quickly for me.

At the moment we are kidless. Such a strange feeling. We so rarely get the time, we don't know what to do when we have it! Last night we went to friends' house, had a wonderful, homemade dinner complete with Watergate salad and chocolate dipped strawberries! Then we played Apples to Apples after the guys played Wii. I've never played it before, but it's pretty neat. I won the first round! This morning we slept in until almost 9:00! Aaah...Then we headed to the Y to work out and then swim laps. Since I always go with the kids, I don't get to swim laps since I have to stay with Isaac. I feel so very pathetic! I was hurting after one lap. Then we ate lunch at the Farmer's Market and bought some plants for the front beds. Next we're off to do some shopping and pick up Isaac, who wants his mama (sniff, sniff). :)

We've got a funeral to go to tomorrow. :( Only 5 more weeks of lessons left. Only 2 more drama classes left. Mimi has until the first week of June for her tutoring, and then Isaac starts taking swimming lessons! That will be so fun to see!

Daddie-Dude Date

While I was off playing taxi with the girls this Saturday, Boogie and Daddie had a date. They intended to go to the John Deere place, but it was closed, so they went to this heavy machinery place somewhere down 401. He looks so tiny but he looks like he liked it!