Random

Endless fun for the kids: watercolors.

Endless fun for me: dressing a little girl.

OBX 2010

Ryan, Leanne, and family came to spend another September week on Hatteras Island. Their friends Rob and Felicity were coming with their kids as well. Then Nathan and his family and Todd and his family decided to join them, along with Jason's parents. We were only going to spend the weekend there, but everyone flew in to Raleigh on their way out, and stayed a night on the way home. We slept 25 people (kids and adults) in our house and it wasn't that bad. Jason greeted everyone straight off the red eye with a yummy Belgian waffle breakfast, and we ordered pizza the night before they left. I only took one picture at the beach, but it was a short but fun trip! I did snap this photo en route to Hatteras. It was near 11:00. Our kids don't sleep in the car. It's so strange!

In perspective

Maddie is a very determined little girl. Today I had to hang up on my mother-in-law after Maddie took a tumble head first down the brick stairs in front of our house. I think her forehead is permanently bruised and scraped. She's never injury free long enough for me to tell if it's going to heal. Jason is in the process of building bunk beds for Ethan's (and soon to be Colin's) room. I was planning to post about how nervous Maddie is making me as she insists on climbing the ladder and going down the slide, but then I saw Ashley's post, and I'm thinking maybe I don't have it so bad. Chase is coming to visit this weekend...I'm sure Maddie will watch him to see if she can pick up some new skills. Not sure the two of them should be allowed to spend time together.

Whacha Gonna Do?

We spent Sunday afternoon at my parents' house having dinner with my family. While we were there, my brother's friend (a cop) drove by in his patrol car. He stopped to visit and let the kids explore the car, and the handcuffs. Hopefully the ONLY time these kids are ever in the backseat of a cop car. I loved Colin sweetly saying, "Excuse me, Mr. Police Occifer, do you have a gun?" He's a boy...fascinated by weapons of any kind.

Random

Nothing much to say about this picture, except that I love my kids.

Preschool!

Colin had his first "official" day of preschool. He's been anxiously waiting to start since Ethan went back to school. We went in for a half hour on Tuesday to check out his classroom. Before we left, he went to the pantry, picked out his own snack (Gushers), then carried it with him the whole time and ate it on the way back to the car. This morning I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a picture in front of the door of his class while the other mothers snapped photos with their "real" cameras. We went in, washed his hands and hung up his bag, and then he said, "GO, Mom. Mom, GO!!!!!" Not a whole lot of separation anxiety here. As I was buckling him in after class, he said, "I love you, Mom." He's so sweet. I walked out of his class this morning with another mom who was trying not to cry. I cried sending my first off to preschool (and kindergarten), and I'll cry with my last. My middle child? He'll do just fine.

Hiking

We love hiking with the kids, especially in the fall, and the state park behind our house makes it so easy. The kids are great sports about it and rarely complain. We've never made them do more than 3 miles, but we have lots of plans once they are a little older. I love the picture of Colin. He's still in the "if I can't see you, you can't see me" phase.