My Two Sprouts

Happy Birthday Timothy!

2012-02-03T08:16:00.003-05:00

I can't believe my sweet boy is 7 years old today! We love you so much!

Walt Disney World 2012

2012-01-20T10:13:00.002-05:00

Many (and I mean MANY!) more pictures to come! We had an amazing time and I hope the pictures convey that! I am trying to change the background of my blog, no such luck yet.

Tooth Fairy! Come Back!

2011-12-05T19:38:00.004-05:00

This is an update...this photo was taken at WDW. It shows Timothy's newest smile. Another tooth gone! So cute! He did manage to eat just fine!

Timothy lost another tooth this morning! This tooth is not typically the 2nd tooth you lose but we have Emma to thank for this one. A swift kick to the mouth last week from your loving, older sister and then you have a loose tooth. Timothy kept messing with it and out it came! I think he will look like this for awhile...no tooth coming in and no loose teeth that I know of. It is funny listening to him talk. He already had an accent but now he has a lisp to go with it!

You sure are cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T18:35:00.007-05:00

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! We sure did! I will post about these pictures soon. Be warned, there are LOTS of pictures of cute kids fishing! Everyone caught a fish and the pictures were too cute to leave out so I posted them all! Thank you BB for the fishing poles, they were a big hit for the kids and a couple of big kids too. We were so blessed to have wonderful family, friends and beautiful Lowcountry weather and locale.

My Big Boy!

2011-11-10T20:05:00.003-05:00

Timothy lost his 1st baby tooth today! It was ready to come out and it decided to during Drama class at school! He was very excited and could not wait for the Tooth Fairy to come visit. He also told me that he was going to sleep very lightly so if he felt someone reach under his pillow, he would wake up and catch them. I told him if he interferes with the TF's job, he would get nothing. The TF was very generous, I thought!

Soccer Saturday

2011-09-24T14:44:00.004-04:00

Today was an interesting soccer day. Started out with team pictures and a cloudy looking sky.

Cheering on his team-mates.

And this is what happened with that cloudy looking sky. Rain and lots of it!

This is what my kid does when it rains at the soccer game and there is no umbrella!

Or you get a pretty girl with an umbrella to block the rain for you.

"Hey, come back!"

Or you just take the umbrella for yourself...

or you compromise and share.

I think all the kids enjoyed playing in the rain!

Not sure who this kid belongs to!

Never Forget

2011-09-11T17:34:00.002-04:00

Let us never forget September 11, 2001

Happy Grandparent's Day!

2011-09-11T15:09:00.005-04:00

Happy Grandparent's Day to some very special people in our lives!! We love you very much!

We love you BB!

We love you Grandma and Grandpa!

We love you Gigi!

Back to School

2011-08-18T09:34:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

First Day of School

1st Grade

4th Grade

Emma was excited to be back at school. She has always loved school. I hope that continues as the homework and studies kick in next week! She has a great teacher and we are looking forward to a great year!

Timothy is in 1st grade! I can hardly believe it. When did my baby grow up so fast? Timothy had a great year in kindergarten so I am sure 1st grade will be just as fun. I have a list of all the field trips for the school year, lots of fun to come! Have a great year T-Man!

1st day is complete!

Mitzu was hanging out with me for the day. Her house was having a/c issues and she was not about to be uncomfortable! Here she is showing us her back to school spirit! Her mama sent her to Camp Mel with a dirty face and some BO. Bad mama!

Millie Lewis Graduation

2011-07-30T17:21:00.003-04:00

Oh Millie, I betcha didn't see Emma coming! She strutted her stuff on the runway, danced to a song by Shakira, and convinced us all that we need to run out right now and buy some Pillsbury Brownies! Oh the talent! Emma graduated today from Millie Lewis Model and Talent Agency and we are so proud of her! The instructor asked the parents today if we noticed the changes in our kids. "Haven't they become more talkative, have better posture and walk?" I am sure that was directed to the parents who have shy, introverted kids. I am not sure Emma could be any more talkative than she already was, and she already walked as if the world was her runway.

Thank you BB and Gigi for spending the day with us! It means the world to us to have you here to share in Emma's accomplishments!

Summer Fun!

2011-07-27T20:35:00.001-04:00

I will post soon what we have been up to this month (now that the month is almost over!).

This Boy Loves Water!

2011-07-27T20:28:00.004-04:00

I guess this is a sitting pool instead of a swimming pool!

Legos are fun no matter where you are!

It's A Start...

2011-07-22T11:30:00.004-04:00

Wow, I can't believe I have not posted anything this month! Well, I can tell you I have thought about posting many times, I just have not done it.

As many of you know, we lost our Haley in December of 2010 and Maggie in January of 2011. Not a very good end of the year and a horrible start to the new year. There has been a tremendous loss and void in our hearts. The kids ask often when will we get another dog or pet. My standard answer is "When my heart heals", which they now know to interpret as "never". Haley and Maggie were all the kids knew as far as pets. Haley and Maggie greeted Emma when she came home from the hospital and they did the same when Timothy came home 3 years later. Our little family of 6, done.

So, I can now say that my heart has healed some and I was open to giving a new pet a loving home. We are now a family of 5, yep, we have a new family pet. I will say that this was rather sudden or else I would have thought twice and rejected the idea. The kids don't realize how much responsibility there is in having a pet to take care of. We have come to know a new, more spontaneous, life without pets. No more did we have to time our outings to include letting the dogs out or giving medicine on time. We could travel more freely now and without worry. Well, that has ended with this new addition.... Please welcome to the family,

Blueberry

It's a start. Our friends/neighbor moved to Atlanta this week and decided they could not take their fish. Timothy's friend Jonathan came over with this Betta on their last day here and wanted us to care for it. So that is how we are no longer a pet-free family. Funny thing is we already had the aquarium kit. Emma received it as a birthday gift a couple of years ago. Never got around to using it! I bought the gravel, greenery, 2 kinds of food, water conditioner, scoop net, etc. This is one high maintenance Betta! So, welcome to the family Blueberry!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T14:32:00.000-04:00

11 Years...

2011-06-17T19:54:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary to Robyn and Larry! 38 years!

First and Last

2011-06-02T10:45:00.002-04:00

First day of school August 2010.

Last day of school June 2, 2011

Just to give you some idea of how much Emma has grown....those black pants were down to her ankles at the beginning of the year..

Just kidding, those are shorts! But she has grown so much!

First day of school August 2010

Last day of school June 1, 2011

My Kindergarten Graduate!

2011-06-01T18:38:00.007-04:00

Today my "baby" boy graduated Kindergarten. We are so proud of Timothy. This year he has grown so much. He has become an awesome reader and just loved going to school. It has been a great year! His K class had lots of fun during the year and lots of learning. He is well prepared for 1st grade!

We were so happy to have Grandma and Grandpa come join us for this special day! Thank you for spending a couple days with us!

Walking to the stage.

All four K classes.

Singing some really precious songs that bring tears to your eyes. I was not the only one reaching for the Kleenex.

Twinkle songs by the K Suzuki violin students.

Getting his diploma.

T with Alexis.

Enjoying refreshments with Grandma after the ceremony.

T with Anna.

T with Molly-Kate. (I see a trend here!)

T with Emily.

T with his awesome teacher!

Some really good buddies!

Dancing with Lindsay!

T and Johnny.

Timothy, you make us so proud and happy beyond words. You are growing up to be a sweet, loving, funny, smart....(I could go on and on!) terrific young man! I can't wait to see what 1st grade brings! But first, let's all have fun this summer!

Lauren Kendell

2011-05-09T16:58:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the family Lauren Kendell!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T19:11:00.005-04:00

So Proud...

2011-05-06T12:06:00.005-04:00

We are so proud to announce that Timothy was chosen from his class to be Citizen of the Month. I told G about it when I found out. Each month a child (or 2) is chosen based on the character trait for that month. The character trait for May..... patience.
G smiled and then chuckled and then asked the question I secretly thought when I heard the news....Do you think there was some mistake, do they have the wrong child?
I said of course not, Timothy is the most patient child I know! He always asks politely for what he wants/needs and if it doesn't come his way swiftly enough, he will refrain from asking over and over and over again before he receives said want (is it really ever a need?) He always thinks of others before himself, he is just selfless that way. He knows the world does not revolve around him and he will wait patiently for how ever long he has to, with a smile even! Just to make sure I looked up the true definition: Patience emphasizes calmness, self-control, and the willingness or ability to tolerate delay. Yep, that is Timothy to a T!

I will be asking his teacher today if there was some kind of mix up in the selection process. Ya know, just to make sure!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T19:52:00.000-04:00

Spring Showcase 2011

2011-04-15T09:40:00.002-04:00

Timothy, we are so proud of you! You rocked those Twinkles!

Our Yard - Spring 2011

2011-03-24T14:46:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Emma Rose!

2011-03-22T08:33:00.000-04:00

My Star Twinkled

2011-03-16T14:34:00.003-04:00

Timothy earned his Twinkle Certificate today! To earn the certificate he has to play 5 variations of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star plus the theme from start to finish. His teacher accompanied on the piano. He did great and we are so proud of him!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T14:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T18:28:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure of volunteering in Timothy's class today for his Valentine's Day Fondue Fun Party. It was lots of fun and truly made my day special. We had lots of activites and lots of sweet treats to dip in chocolate.

We were excited to have Miss Charleston come to Timothy's class to read a Valentine's Day book. She was great with the kids and answered all their questions.

Fondue fun!

Valentine's Bingo!

Yum!

Emma received this with a carnation at school today. I am pretty sure it is from her long-time boyfriend Will. She sent him a carnation also with a code name so he would not be embarrassed in front of his buddies. Too cute!

Monkey Joe's

2011-02-05T21:51:00.001-05:00

Pics coming soon.

Happy Birthday Timothy!

2011-02-03T08:14:00.001-05:00

I can't believe you are 6 years old today! I will have lots of pictures to post very soon!

My Two Angels

2011-01-21T10:47:00.004-05:00

Another sad day in our home. We lost Maggie this morning at 5am. She had congestive heart failure just like her mama, Haley. When Haley was diagnosed with CHF, we still had 3 more good years with her. With Maggie, we found out Wed. Jan. 19th and today she is gone. So much to process. Both our babies gone in a months time. I am thinking Maggie's heart was broken just as ours will be for a long time to come. She is with her Mama and we will continue to love both of them dearly and miss them even more.

We Have a Little Bike Rider!

2011-01-16T20:08:00.005-05:00

Today we took the training wheels off of Timothy's bike and now we have an awesome bike rider! He was so ready for this, I think he had 2 pushes from Daddy and he was off and on his own! He went up and down the street many, MANY times and only stopped because the sun was going down. We had perfect weather today, sunny and 60. It has been too chilly lately to be outside playing but today was perfect.

Way to go Timothy! We are so proud of you! I think we have some biking treks to go on soon!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T15:29:00.000-05:00

Hope your 2011 is wonderful!

Last Day of 2010

2010-12-31T18:27:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to all! I hope 2011 is all you wish it to be and more! I will update most of December very soon. I have lots of pictures to share of all our activities! We have been busy!

Snow in North Carolina

2010-12-26T11:29:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-12-15T16:06:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We hope your day is as special as you are!!

With lots of love!

Melanie and your Sprouts!

I Miss My Haley.

2010-12-13T20:16:00.000-05:00

I will post when the tears have dried.

Sibling Rivalry At Its Best

2010-11-29T12:50:00.002-05:00

We have some strange ones in our family for sure! But it is all good because we have lots of fun and laughter too! Poor little wishbone.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T09:05:00.009-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Beaufort. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed all the family and friends that were there. It is always great to have everyone together! There was lots of outdoor fun and way too much eating going on!

Opening words of wisdom from Gigi and a blessing by Alex and the festivities began!

We were excited to have Kathy, Greg and Ethan join us this year. It had been a long time since these little cousins had seen each other!

Aunt Janet was passing out stickers. The kids yelled 'ME!" when she asked who wanted a particular sticker.

Joshua got lots of stickers!

The great grands plus Ethan. Bet they won't fit next year as these cuties grow even more and we add 1 more to the mix! Not "we" like as in us ( ummm, no way!) but we are excited for Alyson and Kent as they welcome #3 in May 2011. Uncle Michael, thanks for being a good sport!

Greg and Leslie

The big boys playing. Timothy looks like he is hurting but he was really laughing hard.

Took us a while to get everyone together but here we are! Wait, where was Dorinda?

Somebody was tired of me taking so many pictures!

We hope your Thanksgiving was as fun and special as ours! We are truly blessed to have such a great family!

It's Fall, Y'all.

2010-11-22T14:48:00.002-05:00

It is Fall but the thermometer says it is still Summer. High of 75 today and almost 80 tomorrow! The leaves have fallen and there was almost no change in color on the trees this year. Green on the tree and then brown on the ground. Timothy "helped" with yard work yesterday. He loves to rake and we let him!

Hey, Mom, check out this huge pile of leaves!

Happy Fall y'all !

A Boy and his Violin

2010-11-04T08:00:00.003-04:00

Every week I go to Timothy's school to attend a Suzuki Violin class with him. He is really enjoying it and I love this special time with him. On Fridays he has a master class with other kindergartners to go over what we learn in class and practice at home. I hope he continues to love the violin and and by years end "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" won't sound so mangled and fragmented. Just kidding. At this point we are still trying to master Taka Taka Stop Stop. If you know Suzuki, that will make sense.

My Special Day

2010-11-03T17:55:00.006-04:00

Some art from my Sprouts to make my day special!

A special Monster Truck from Timothy.

From Emma and Timothy

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!

This is only part of what they collected! The hard part was picking the 1 piece of candy they get tonight. I am such a mean Mama! I already picked out my favorites from the stash.

Soccer - Season Finale.

2010-10-30T18:51:00.006-04:00

Today was Timothy's last soccer game of the season. He had a 9am game and the temps were quite chilly. The grass had fresh dew just waiting for a bunch of 5 year olds to stomp through. You can see the trail the ball left in the grass. They had a great game and ended the season with a win!

Guess we will never know what is under that bench!

Good game.

After the game we celebrated with mini cupcakes,chips, juice boxes. I brought a veggie tray, had to get some nutrition in there somewhere!

Timothy getting his soccer medallion. Pretty neat to hang up with his soccer trophy from last year.

Our team. We were "Big on the Pig".

Timothy, we enjoyed watching you at each game this season. You made it very entertaining and we are so glad you had fun learning this sport.

B.I.N.G.O

2010-10-17T18:54:00.006-04:00

Friday night we went to the Sprouts school to enjoy a night of BINGO. We had a great time and we actually won on the very first game. We won a Family Fun Game basket put together by a different kindergarten class. It was full of fun games (about 10) , a few dvds, popcorn, and a couple of gift cards that Mommy and Daddy will use at a later time (Outback and Regal Cinemas). We were thrilled to win something early on and the rest of the evening was about eating pizza, snacks, visiting with friends, and matching up those letters and numbers. Timothy did great keeping up and we helped out only a small amount. No pictures of Emma, the social butterfly was fluttering around with her friends. Guess Mom and Dad are so not cool to hang with.

Getting ready!

G up on stage to collect his prize. There were multiple winners per game, no stress trying to be the first one to shout out those famous words! They even did 2nd chance games on the same card for more winners. Timothy won a 3rd chance prize, a balloon that took him several minutes to decide on.

This little "Lucky Duck" in T's hand won him another cool prize.....

On stage to collect his "Lucky Duck" prize. He wanted up there so bad!

He won a Gamecock cup (very appropriate!) and a school t-shirt (not pictured) and a key chain. One child wearing a Clemson shirt won a Gamecock cup also, the look on his face was priceless! Overall, we had a great time and we look forward to Bingo night next year!

10-10-10

2010-10-10T18:52:00.005-04:00

It has been a beautiful week here in Charleston. Lots of sun and lower temps and humidity. Today we went to the Taste of Charleston at Boone Hall Plantation. It was fun to sample the offerings of some of the best restaurants in Charleston. We have many favorites, some were there today, some not. We had some awesome sliders, hush puppies, pizza, beef brisket and several desserts. Our tummies were happy.

One of the cool ice sculptures. We missed the part where they were created but I am glad we got to see them before they melted.

Timothy chose a Caramel Apple with coconut, chocolate, and nuts. It was messy but oh, so good, I am told.

They had a Waiters race that was fun to watch.

Sitting on the lower limb of a beautiful and huge oak tree. Love all that Spanish Moss!

Soccer Fever!

2010-09-25T17:33:00.005-04:00

Timothy is doing great in soccer this year. It is amazing the difference 1 year makes. He enjoyed it last year but was very easily distracted but this year he is "in the game". He passes, dribbles and has made several goals already. I think he has found his sport. His coach praises him and tells us that Timothy is a great player. He is a pleasure to watch because I know he finally gets the gist of the game, goes after it and has fun at the same time. We are so proud of our little soccer player!

This was taken today 9-25-10

This was taken 9-12-2009

What is so interesting under that bench??

Timothy and his friend Johnny. Johnny is in his class at school and on the team we played today. His mom is his coach and we are all in Suzuki Violin together. They had fun today!

Stretching exercises.

Most of my action shots were blurry. I will try to do better at the next game.

Today was team picture day. I snapped a few pictures but I also bought a set of the professional ones. Our team sponser is Piggly Wiggly so we are "Big on the Pig"!!

Way to go Timothy!

Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

2010-09-25T17:04:00.004-04:00

Lack of posts does not mean lack of activities going on around here. Here is a glimpse of what we have been up to:

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us for a long week-end. They got here on Friday and stayed until Monday morning. Emma had softball practice Friday evening so the rest of the gang went out to dinner. Saturday was a very early (8am!) soccer game for Timothy. We were so glad Grandma and Grandpa could watch Timothy in action. He did great and we have video of his 1st game and his 1st goal of the season. Thanks Grandpa!

We went out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate Grandma birthday (9/12) and Grandparent's Day. We went to 17 North in Mount Pleasant and it was delicious!! We will definitely go back again!

Grandma brought some fresh peaches and we had a yummy dessert. Timothy preferred strawberries.

Yummy!

On Sunday, the kids had Sunday school and so the grown ups walked around the market downtown. We picked up the kids and went to lunch at Jestine's Kitchen. It is one of our favorite restaurants in Charleston and it was wonderful as always. On Monday morning Grandma and Grandpa had to head back home but first they went to Emma and Timothy's school for a quick look around and to meet their teachers. I know the Sprouts were happy to show off their beautiful new school! Grandpa really was here, I just don't have photographic proof on my camera! It was a fun visit!

And The Homework Begins...

2010-08-24T18:29:00.004-04:00

What is school without lots of homework...Timothy was very excited to have homework to do and he promptly did all of it. He got it on Monday and it is due on Friday and he is done. I am sure that will wear off soon! He has a book to read with us each night but the rest is done. He did say he was tired of all that "drawing" when he finished writing his numbers and the letter M. Just wait Timothy, this is only the beginning. I am glad he is done because we have softball tomorrow night and soccer Thursday night.
I get to see my Sprouts at school tomorrow, I have my 1st class for Suzuki violin. The first few classes are for parents only and then the kids will join us from that point on and we will learn together. Fun! Emma said I can stay for lunch and eat Beefaroni with her. Ummm, I think not. I think I will just sit and enjoy the time with them and not eat. Or I can order a Chef salad, yep that sounds better than Beefaroni!

MMMMMMM mmmmmmm

Keep up the good work!

First Day of School 2010

2010-08-18T18:24:00.006-04:00

Today was the 1st day of school for the Sprouts! This year is going to be very different. My baby is in Kindergarten and Emma is in 3rd grade. Finally they are both at the same school. Getting both kids ready in the morning at the same time was challenging. I was used to Emma going to school and having another hour to get T ready to go. No more of that.

It sounds like they both had a great first day! Here are some pictures of the start of the school year! Bring it on!

Dressed and ready for Kindergarten!

I love this picture!

Walking to the classroom

Going through the morning routine.

Timothy's classroom.

I missed having my little side-kick with me to wait for the bus. T and I would spend that time together throwing rocks in the pond and just spending time playing and running around. Now my side-kick has gone and grown up on me and now I wait for him and his sister at the bus stop. Sniff...

Timothy's 1st official bus ride home from school. We are so proud of Emma and Timothy and we are looking forward to a great school year for both of them!

Folly Beach Fun

2010-08-16T20:35:00.005-04:00

We had a fun time at Folly Beach last week. BB and Gigi were staying at the beach for the week so we ventured out for some fun in the sun! I didn't have my camera for our walk down the beach, I wish I did because we encountered some fun sea creatures. None of the jellyfish that made the news the previous week but we did find a huge whelk shell with the creature inside and alive. Emma picked it up and we studied it up close. Very cool.

Hard at work.....planting a piece of seaweed.

The water felt great.

This is Timothy "controlling" the waves. He would say "Not yet, not yet....ok, NOW! " as the waves got closer and then he would jump over it. Too cute!

Teamwork

We had a great time and we (more me than them!) were worn out at the end of the day. The day didn't end there for Emma. We had to leave the beach and go straight to a softball try-out. We did shower first! Emma has moved up to the 9-10 age level even though she is still 8. The 9-10 year olds get evaluated as they are put through the rigors of softball and then teams are formed. I thought she did great after the long day she had. Now we just wait to see who gets on what team. Timothy will play soccer this season.

The summer break ends tomorrow. First day of school on Wednesday! Stay tuned for lots of pictures!

Summer Fun

2010-08-01T13:39:00.016-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posts this summer. We have had many adventures and fun times while out of school. The Sprouts are enjoying camp for part of the summer. They have fun swimming, going on field trips, and playing with friends. During a 2 week break from camp we did some fun things around town and out of town. To start, we went to Beaufort to celebrate BB's birthday. We had a great time with family and ate lots of great food!

BB opening one of her favorite gifts!

Getting some help blowing out those candles.

All eyes are on that cake!

Happy Birthday BB!

After Beaufort we went to the lake house in Chapin. We enjoyed our 4 day stay there. It was super hot, mid 90's everyday. Factor in the humidity and it felt well over 100.

Some pictures by the lake.

Monday was to be the coolest day of the week so we picked this day to go to Riverbanks Zoo. We toured the botanical gardens first to beat the heat.

The kids loved these water misters. They did feel good on a hot day!

Love the flamingos but they sure do smell bad!

The gardens were beautiful and there were lots of plants in bloom.

Then we rode the tram back to the zoo to see the animals.

the kids were thrilled to pet the baby giraffe. It was so cute!

My, what big hands you have!

Timothy loved standing in the water misters.

We love watching the penguins!

After the zoo we headed back to the lake house and decided to head to the pool. The water was still refreshing but a tad warm because of the heat and sun.

Timothy tried all kinds of ways to jump in the pool. Both kids are awesome swimmers and I have to thank camp for that. Everyday at camp they get Red Cross swim instruction in the morning and a free swim in the afternoon.

Cannon ball!

The next day we headed downtown to Edventure kids museum. We love this museum because it is educational and so hands-on.

The Butterflies and Blooms exhibit was back and we loved watching the butterflies flutter around.

The kids having fun trying to figure out the games and puzzles.

Eddie

The traveling exhibit this time was The Blue Man Group. Lots of hands on fun using music and sound.

We toured USC, went to the mall, the movies, and a few other activities. It was a fun-filled family trip! Looking forward to the next visit, maybe something more relaxing like a Gamecock football game (without the kids.)

:-)

Thank you Aunt Robyn and Uncle Larry for sharing the lake house with us!

Happy Birthday Haley!

2010-07-31T14:45:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my 1st baby girl is 15 years old today! Timothy gave me some thoughts about Haley. Haley is...

"so sweet"

"so cute"

" and I wish she could eat cake, cupcakes and doughnuts" ( I am pretty sure T is thinking about himself with this answer!)

"I like her so much".

We love you Haley!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T13:23:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

We enjoyed the fireworks at Mount Pleasant Waterfront Park last year so we did it again this year! The fireworks off of the USS Yorktown are really impressive and we loved the show and the park.

USS Yorktown

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T12:51:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day!!

2010-06-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

We love you Daddy!

10 Years Ago Today...

2010-06-17T10:25:00.002-04:00

Children's Museum

2010-06-09T19:46:00.006-04:00

Today the Sprouts and I met G for lunch and then headed to the Children's Museum. It had been awhile since we had been there. Our membership has been renewed for another year. We had a fun time and were happy it was not crowded. A good amount of kids but not crowded.

This area is fun. You get to go grocery shopping and check out at the register. Some times the bar codes will scan, sometimes not.

Emma doing a science experiment. They made goo, I mean they made a monomer into a polymer.

My Two Magicians

2010-06-08T17:00:00.005-04:00

Today I was entertained by 2 very convincing magicians. Emma and Timothy dazzled and mystified me with several magic tricks.

How is that pencil staying on her hand??

Oh, it's the ol' scatter the pepper with the dish soap trick!

Oh my goodness! That must really hurt!!

Not sure what this trick was supposed to be but Emma was impressed.

"I can feel the card and tell you what is on it." She was correct, 7 of hearts.

All I can say is.... 6 more days until summer camp starts!! Woo hoo!!

National Doughnut Day

2010-06-04T15:38:00.002-04:00

Thank you Krispy Kreme! We enjoyed the doughnuts and all the extra "imperfect" ones y'all handed out to the kids! Sugar overload!

Ready to dive in!

Not liking the hat I asked her to put on!

We love to watch the doughnut making process!

School is Over...

2010-06-03T18:40:00.004-04:00

Today was Emma's last day of 2nd grade. It was a half day of fun it sounds like. She had an awesome report card and was promoted to 3rd grade. We picked G up at work (he took a half day off) and went to Mt. Pleasant to Brixx Pizza for lunch. Then we went to Wonder Works so Emma and Timothy could each pick out 1 package of Silly Bandz. I held off buying any this long but I figured it was for a good reason. Then to Cupcake for a sweet treat. Busy and fun day!

June 3, 2010

August 18, 2009

Not as big of a change as Timothy had in 1 school year but I know she has grown an inch or 2. Next year we will be sharing clothes and shoes! Great job Emma, we are so proud of you!

A Preschooler No More..

2010-06-02T10:13:00.003-04:00

Today is Timothy's last day of preschool. I am officially a Mama to a kindergartner and, as of tomorrow, a 3rd grader. I am thrilled but kind of sad at the same time. My sprouts are doing exactly what sprouts do, they grow up way too fast. I know Timothy will do great in Kindergarten and he is excited to be going to Emma's school in August. I am happy to finally have my 2 kids at the same school. Will be nice to have the same schedule, holidays, spring and winter breaks.

June 2, 2010

August 27, 2009

We are so proud of you Timothy!!

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T10:40:00.000-04:00

Awards Day

2010-05-28T17:34:00.007-04:00

Today was Awards Day for 2nd graders at Emma's school. We gathered in the media center for the presentation of award certificates. The teacher said a brief statement about the particular award and about the child it is presented to. At the end of the statement, she revealed the child the award goes to. Emma could have easily been presented any of the awards as she fit into (one way or another) each category.
But when the teacher started talking about a child that goes above and beyond the subject being discussed, always raising her hand to ask a more in depth question, wanting to know more about why and how, I just knew she would call Emma's name. And she did...

Emma was recognized as being an Inquisitive Learner. We could not agree more!

Also...

Emma was tested and accepted into the Gifted and Talented program at her school. We could not be more proud of her! Way to go Emma!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T11:04:00.001-04:00

First Swim of the Season

2010-05-15T18:57:00.003-04:00

Today was full of activities. I went to T-ball with Timothy this morning. G stayed home and did yard work. Emma lounged and played on the computer. Then a neighbor suggested going to the pool and the kids jumped on it. We have had some very warm days but the pool water is still quite chilly. Kids never care about stuff like that. Here are the only pictures from today, Emma was there too but didn't get into a picture. There are only 13 days of school left, bring on Summer! Heat and humidity, feel free to take your time.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T21:08:00.001-04:00

Muffins for Moms

2010-05-06T14:48:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Timothy's class hosted a "Muffins for Moms" event in honor of Mother's Day. The tables were very nicely decorated with place cards, flowers, quotes from our kids. Very special. They helped make the muffins and we had juice with them. The teacher apologized for the blue blueberry muffins. Lots of stirring can do that!

This was a quote from my boy. I can't say we actually "go fishing" but we do throw lots of rocks in the pond waiting for Emma's bus to arrive.

It was so sweet of the teachers and kids to create this special moment for the Mamas. I loved every minute of it!

Strawberries and Tea

2010-05-02T16:48:00.012-04:00

Today was a beautiful day in Charleston! A little on the warm side (85°) but a really nice breeze made it feel very comfortable. We decided to go to Ambrose Family Farm and pick strawberries. They have so many that are just right for picking and we filled our buckets quickly! The kids had a great time choosing the perfect strawberries to bring home. After we finished at Ambrose, we drove a short distance to The Charleston Tea Plantation. Emma and I had never been before but Gerald and Timothy had been there once before. We toured the facility and sampled some teas. Charleston Peach Tea = delicious! The first tea harvest is coming up in a couple of weeks so the machines were not up and running yet. We plan to go back to watch it all in action!

Strawberry picking!

Emma's Recital 4-21-10

2010-04-23T15:04:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Recital 2010

2010-04-22T14:48:00.009-04:00

Last night was Emma's Spring Performance for dance. Her school is amazing in that it allows any student who wishes to participate in dance, drama, Suzuki string, chorus, just to name a few. Emma chose dance and in the next couple of years she will most surely add another interest or 2. The theme of the performance was "A Tribute to the Silver Screen". Each class danced to a song featured in a movie. Emma's class danced to "True to Your Heart" from the movie Mulan. They were dressed like Ninjas.

Thank you for the flowers BB and Aunt Lisa!

Emma and her friend Cally.

We were so glad Grandma and Grandpa could visit us for a few days and see the recital!

Can you say "excited"??

Can you say 'silly"??

Great performance Emma! We look forward to many more to come!

Blue Skies and Blue Angels

2010-04-18T20:44:00.002-04:00

Ok, Blogger is on my poopy list. I can't get my pictures to upload for some reason. I will have G look at it and try and figure out why.

Ok, apologies to Blogger, it is Firefox that belongs on my poopy list!

Pics soon!

Bedtime Story and Pajama Party

2010-04-14T20:29:00.003-04:00

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has declared that this is the Week of the Young Child. Timothy's school celebrated with a theme called "Read with Me".

His school is one of only 4 schools accredited by NAEYC within a 200 mile radius of Charleston. NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life.

I will post pictures tomorrow. Blogger is not behaving.

We Need a New Favorite...

2010-04-12T07:47:00.002-04:00

I told Timothy this morning that he had to get ready for school. He said he did not have school today. I said yes, you do, it is Monday.

He said, "Don't you mean it is Moe's Monday"?

My Not So Little Sprout

2010-04-08T15:48:00.003-04:00

Emma had her 8 year check up today. She is growing at a steady pace and her height and weight are in the 80th percentile.

She is 52 inches and 63.5 pounds. Her hearing is perfect (she gets that from me) and her eyesight is perfect (she gets that from her daddy). She is thrilled that she is fast approaching the height of her vertically challenged Mama. I am sure I will be looking up at her way before I am ready.

She did get a shot today and was a little nervous about that. She got the Hepatitis A shot, which is optional. She will get a booster in 1 year. She requested the shot in her thigh, although for her age I think it should have been in her arm. The nurse complied and wasted no time. The shot was over so fast and Emma let out a high pitched squeak that made us all laugh. She now declares that she loves shots, along with Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus. Strange child.

Another funny thing while at the doctors' office... When Emma was getting her shot, the nurse squeezed some excess liquid from the needle and it got on the paper that lined the exam table. Right near where Emma was sitting. After the shot was over and done, Emma jumped off the exam table and I asked Emma if she wet herself because she was nervous. You would have thought that was the funniest thing I have ever said! Who knew a trip to the doctor would result in so much laughter?

Day Four and Five, We Had a Great Trip!

2010-04-07T20:36:00.001-04:00

Day Three

2010-04-06T14:27:00.002-04:00

More photos to share, no cable to download from camera.

Visiting NC and Day 1 in Atlanta

2010-04-05T18:28:00.004-04:00

On day 1 of our Spring Break trip, we drove to NC to visit Grandma and Grandpa. They kept our fur-babies for us so we could see as much of Atlanta as possible. Thank you! It was nice to include the grandparents in our trip. We spent the night and got on the road shortly after breakfast.

The shirt says it all.

We took a walk on a new trail that just opened in Nov. 2009. It is winds through a quarry and has a few more phases before it is complete. What we saw was very nice and we look forward to taking a longer walk when completed. The trail has lots of hills, something we are not used to here! Not sure what kind of plant is above. I thought it was photo-worthy.

Peach water tower in Gaffney, SC.

"What'll ya have, What'll ya have"!!

We arrived in Atlanta at lunch time and decided to eat at a place that Atlanta is known for. The Varsity! The atmosphere was fun and nostalgic. The food was good, not the best burger or hot dogs around, but the history of the place made up for that. It was Sunday and we were lucky to catch it busy but not packed like on a normal weekday.

After lunch, we went to the World of Coke. We had fun learning more about this product that has touched so many lives in so many ways. Atlanta is the Coca-Cola headquarters and there was no Pepsi products to be found unless you were headed out of town. We walked all around and watched the bottling process and saw lots of Coke memorabilia . At the end, we sampled Coca Cola products from around the world. We each had our own favorite. It was quite an experience for the kids since all I let them have previous to this visit is Sprite.

Creating some Pop Art.

Time to sample Coke products from around the world.

This is a torch used in the Olympics.

Aqua Sand

2010-04-02T17:16:00.003-04:00

Timothy just said this to Emma as they were watching TV:

"Emma, when I turn 18 or maybe my birthday after that, I am going to call and order some Aqua Sand."

Obviously, it was a commercial they were watching and you had to be 18 or older to call.

Emma

2010-04-02T16:47:00.004-04:00

Emma and I spent the night at Gigi's during our visit to Beaufort. We were treated to this beautiful sunrise and what proved to be a beautiful day spent having fun outdoors with family.

I am always looking for an opportunity to snap pictures of my kids in beautiful spots so I asked Emma to pose for a few. She gave me a few minutes of her undivided attention (a major feat, if ya know Emma!) This is what I got....

This one is my favorite.

Softball

2010-04-01T21:42:00.002-04:00

Emma is enjoying the start of softball this season. Not much of a change from baseball last Fall, except no boys! An all-girl team has been fun especially since she already knew several of the girls on her team. There are 2 girls on her team that are in her class at school and another girl in 3rd grade at her school. Plus she plays against several girls she knows.

Stickin' with the Pig!

Her coaches are great and they relate to the girls so well. Lots of encouragement and fun!

Emma played catcher for 2 innings and the coach decided she would be better at 3rd base. We agree! If the ball didn't land directly in her glove, she would let the umpire get the ball and throw it back. She played awesome at 3rd base and successfully fielded the ball and tagged 2 runners out. That earned her the game ball. She was thrilled!

Her 1st time at bat I didn't get a picture because she hit the 1st pitch and was off and running! Made it to 3rd base but didn't get to run it home.

Great game Emma! We look forward to all the games to come!

T-Ball - First Game

2010-03-27T22:59:00.004-04:00

Timothy had his 1st T-ball game this past week-end. We were so excited to have BB here with us for the week-end.

My handsome boy in his uniform.

He looks ready to field any balls that come his way.....

if not, just chat it up with the other teams coach to distract him....

if that does not work, chat with the other teams' players to distract them. This is a little trick he learned from Emma!

This picture just makes me smile.

Great job on your 1st game Timothy! We can't wait to watch you in action again soon!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T13:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Emma!

2010-03-22T14:26:00.009-04:00

Happy Birthday Emma!!

Today I went to have lunch with Emma at school and share cupcakes with her classmates. I enjoyed this tiny glimpse into her day. I cannot believe my baby girl is 8 years old. I enjoy telling her about the day she was born. It was the happiest but also most painful day of my life!
Pushed for 2 hours and 56 minutes, no epidural = a not happy Mom to be. But the end result was so worth it and the pain soon forgotten. I am blessed to have her as my daughter.

Yum!

1st Day of Spring

2010-03-20T20:44:00.006-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T14:14:00.001-05:00

Softball

2010-03-08T20:58:00.002-05:00

Emma is enjoying softball so far this season. We have only had 2 practices so far, 1 got rained out. Not sure when her 1st game is going to be but we are looking forward to it!

Go Emma!

Spring...

2010-03-08T10:42:00.001-05:00

has shown up and it is in our backyard.

Spring Sports Have Begun

2010-03-06T19:51:00.004-05:00

Timothy had his 1st T-ball practice Saturday morning at 9am. A little early and a very chilly start to a bright and sunny day. He did really well but the 1st practice was a little disorganized. About half the team had never played T-ball before, us included. Not too hard to understand, Emma played baseball last fall and Timothy remembered some of the rules. The confusion for Timothy came when the coach would say "Timothy, go stand next to Wilmer in the outfield". He might know where the outfield is but he had no clue who Wilmer was, not on the first day with 10 or so new kids.

I am sure we will get lots of moments like this... goofing off and not paying attention...

Kinda like this last fall....

Obviously, we need to practice the "ready position". It doesn't look like this. We look forward to lots of fun, learning and playing ball. 2 more 9am on Saturday practices and then let the games begin!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-02T07:55:00.002-05:00

Today is also Read Across America Day. Emma's school encouraged them to dress up as their favorite storybook character. Emma had many (some of which would be impossible for this creatively challenged mom) but we decided to dress up as The Cat in the Hat.

Rabbit Rabbit

2010-03-01T15:07:00.001-05:00

Happy March!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T20:00:00.001-05:00

South Carolina Stingrays

2010-02-21T20:44:00.001-05:00

Pictures coming soon!

Say What?

2010-02-18T14:21:00.007-05:00

Timothy's teacher told us about a cute "Timothy-ism" today at pick up time. The class was talking about estimates, like can you estimate how many seeds there are in a pumpkin.
So Timothy piped up and recalled an estimating activity they did several months ago and his classmates were amazed and asked how he could remember that!

He replied.... "Because I have a great remembory!"

We Have Snow!

2010-02-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

Supposed to snow until the early morning. Hope to wake up to a beautiful sight and something the sprouts will be in awe of. They have never seen snow so I am sure it will be exciting!

Is Timothy excited or what?

Happy Birthday Timothy!! 5 Years Old!

2010-02-03T14:11:00.006-05:00

Here are some pics from our day of fun to celebrate Timothy's special day! We made yogurt parfaits in his class this morning. All the kids loved building their own snack using yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and granola.

Happy Birthday Timothy! We love you to the moon and back!

It got a thumbs up from T.

Next we went to have lunch at Chuck E. Cheese. We had lots of fun using up lots of tokens!

Thank you BB for my Skoooch Scooter!! I love it! I am going to ride it to the bus stop today to get Emma!

Snoop, there it is!

2010-02-02T10:40:00.005-05:00

Timothy was playing under my bed last night and found this. I can hear y'all now....he fit under your bed?? Yes, he did. And I forgot this gift was under there waiting for his birthday. So, after much begging we opened his gift 2 days early. It is so hard to hide anything in this house. Snooping kids always find something. The upside is he is very happy and I don't have to wrap it now! 1 more day and my baby is 5!

Oh, Yes I Am"

2010-01-30T16:45:00.004-05:00

This seems to be a common response from Timothy lately. I am not fond of it and it gets of my nerves when I hear it.

The latest usage of said phrase was yesterday. Timothy wanted to sit on the counter and was going to go get his step stool to help in his efforts.

T - "I am going to sit on the counter". (Usually because it helps him reach something I purposely put out of reach.)
Me - "Oh no you're not!"
T - "Oh yes I am!" (insert sassy tone.)

I give him "the look" and say "Excuse me?" to which he says

"Oh sorry Mama, I thought I was a grown-up".

He was wearing my shoes when this occurred and I told him that wearing a grown-ups shoes does not make you a grown-up. Hard to be mad when he is so darn cute!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T17:52:00.001-05:00