A Long Beach Weekend

This year we planned to spend a weekend in June at the beach with my parents.  They usually come while we are there in July, but we decided it would be nice to all stay in a hotel together.  We were excited when our good friends invited us down on Wednesday before my parents were arriving Friday.  We stayed with them at their house in Duck, and while the weather wasn't the best for the beach, it was great for the pool, shopping, eating out, fishing for the men, and girl time for the girls.

 

We left their house Friday before lunch and headed just south for lunch.  Since we had time before checking into our hotel, we went to the aquarium for the afternoon.  Sam was not a fan of the outdoor dinosaur exhibit this year.

My parents ended up having car trouble and got to the beach late, so we checked in, sat on the beach for awhile, and then went for a 2nd dinner at Capt'n Franks in 2 days.

There were donuts for everyone the next morning followed by time in the pool and on the beach.

 

We enjoyed a snack and the beautiful ocean after nap time.

 

That night we all went to my favorite, The Lone Cedar, and had a great meal.

We stopped for ice cream before heading back to the hotel.  Our long weekend was just perfect for getting us excited about our week at the beach in July.

Wrapping Up Kindergarten

The last few weeks of school were very busy.  It made the days leading to summer vacation go fast {but sometimes not fast enough}.

We took pictures in Richmond with our friend Lexi, and they all turned out beautifully.

Avery had her dance recital and did a fantastic job.  This was her first year with a complete costume change.  Ned, Sam, my parents, and Mimi slipped out after Avery's 2nd performance, so I got to sit alone for the remaining acts.  There were almost 40 dances in the recital and I thought I might be spending the night.  A professional photographer took performance pictures but I haven't ordered mine yet.

 

Field Day was held the day before school got out.  It was a hot day but could have been much worse.  Avery had a fun time participating in all the events with her classmates.  School dismissed at 12 p.m. that day so she and Ned had lunch before going back to work.

 

 

That night Avery fell on the hardwood floor and busted her lip badly.  It became very swollen immediately and took a long time to stop bleeding.  She does not like for people to know that she has been sick or hurt, so I was worried she would not want to go to school the next day.  The poor thing was so sad and pitiful.

She did make it to school for the final day!  I couldn't believe how much she had grown compared to her first day picture in the same spot.

The next day was graduation, and it was so neat to walk in another graduation ceremony for my school.  Ned and the kids were at home since it was Saturday, and we met for lunch when I was done.  Summer vacation started at it was still May!

Easter

Once Christmas is over, I start counting the days until Easter.  This Easter did not disappoint!  We had a great day with beautiful weather.  We started the morning checking out what the Easter Bunny brought then headed to church.  We finished the day by hosting our families for dinner.  It was a wonderful day and a great way to start our spring break.

All Aboard Sam's Party Train

We celebrated sweet Sam's 3rd birthday with, what else, a Thomas party!  Our parties continue to get simpler and simpler as I realize my children want fun invitations, family and friends, cupcakes, and balloons...and probably some presents too.  We had a house full of family and friends and had such a fun day celebrating Sam.  We did presents once everyone arrived, then sang Happy Birthday and enjoy cupcakes and other treats.  Our playroom the favorite spot of kids who visit, so they headed upstairs after eating.  Everyone played so nicely while the grownups visited downstairs.  Our only hiccup was that we forgot to put the dry erase markers on the easel away.  Two kids left covered in marker, but thankfully my carpet and walls sustained no damage.  It was such a fun afternoon celebrating Sam and his most favorite train.

3

Dear Sam,
You are three today! Three sounds too old for someone who will always be my baby. We spent the day celebrating you with a fun Thomas the train party.

You are growing like a weed. You weigh 33 pounds and are 39 inches tall. You are quickly approaching Avery in height and weight, and we are asked if you two are twins. You wear 3t shirts and pants. The pants are getting a little short in length.

Those growth stats make me feel somewhat better about your picky eating habits. You still mainly prefer fruits and dairy products, with breakfast items, sandwiches, chicken, and snacks mixed in. We make you try a bite of each item we have for dinner, and that usually results in shivering and gagging. You do it without much fuss, but it has not encouraged you to willingly try any new foods. You still love your milk in the morning and a little bit before bed.

You becoming a big boy in several ways. You have been potty trained since the fall and do so well. You still wear diapers at night, but that's ok. I know once we stop having milk at night that it will improve. We have also reduced your pacifier times to first thing in the morning, naps at home, and while you are putting on your pajamas at night. You would love to still have it all the time but you are doing well having it at those set times.  Thankfully, you haven't grown up so much that you don't need your Duckies.

Your speech and vocabulary are incredible, and I love hearing what you have to say. You like to talk and you like to ask questions. You are working on counting, shapes, and colors and love to read your stories at night.

Trains, trucks, and all things that go are the toys of choice right now. You could push your big trucks for days and spend hours playing trains. You love to be outside or inside playing all sorts of things with Avery. You and Avery have such a special bond and get along so, so well. You still love TV but are not as frantic about it as you used to be, and you don't stay stuck on the same movie over and over.

 

Sam, we couldn't love you more if we tried. You are a sweet and cuddly, rough and tumble, Mommy's boy. You brighten our days with your smile and laughter. We never know what you might say or do, but we know big things are ahead for you.

We love you!
Mommy and Daddy