Would Not Change the Rainy Day

We woke up to a rainy morning. We were all thankful for the rain because it gave us an excuse to stay in today. We have been outside so much that my skin is beginning to feel like leather. It does not help that I forgot to put sunscreen on my back the other day. The kids and the Big Guy were all lathered up from head to toe. I remembered after 3 hours in the sun that I had forgotten to ask the Big Guy to put lotion on my back. Oops! Well it is better than putting baby oil on like I did when I was a teenager. Enough of that. Onto our rainy day.

I set up a craft cabinet at the beach. It is a little messy right now but it is a drawer the kids can just open and decide what they want to create. B's creation usually consist of lots of tape, markers, paper and scissors. K's creation usually consist of.....well hmm....not sure. He really isn't into crafts but just wants to be included. So this drawer is free range to them.

Today they decided to paint. I would hear B say "Great job K....." and "You are doing great." I would then hear K say "That's cool Bayee." I love to hear them encourage one another.

I looked up on Martha Stewart's website for summer crafts. I promise that I am not Martha and that was my very first time to go on her website. I found a very cute shell craft. You glue shells together a certain way to make a koala bear. However, you must have perfect size shells and a glue gun, which I did not have. That is why I am not a Martha. It was very cute but we decided to do our own shell craft, which is throw a bunch of shells and paint on the table and tell the kids to start painting. That is my kind of craft! I was surprised to see what B painted. A bird! I thought she did a great job of painting one. Better than I would have done. K...well hmm...like I said he just wants to be included.

This is what our table looked like on this rainy turned to sunshine day. It stayed like this all day. The kids would come and go. I want even begin to tell you what it looked like on the other side of the couch. I would not trade this mess for anything.

Thank God for moments like this.

Memories at BHI

We stayed wet all week. So wet that our fingers still look like raisins. The kids had so much fun at their swim lessons this past week. K decided he would be the clown of swim lessons. He kept the teachers laughing with his dry sense of humor. Bailey is working hard on getting her face wet. The big accomplishment this year was that she jumped off the side of the pool without holding anyone's hands. Ok, I know this may not sound like a big deal if you have little swimmers in your family. But for a girl who use to SCREAM at swim lessons, this is a BIG deal.

I know you are not suppose to teach your kids to hold their noses but we are trying anything at this point!

The great thing about swim lessons is that it wears them out. K even put on his pajamas for the afternoon. They are not just any pair of pj's, they are Woody PJ's from Toy Story. Life is great with K as long as he has his Buzz Light Year.

Making memories at BHI!

It's A Parade!

One of the traditions at BHI is the July 4th Golf Cart Parade. This was our first and it was obvious! I spent all of $10 on decorations for the parade. They all came from the $1 section at Target. I handed the Target bag over to the big kids and told them they were in charge.

They did a great job making our golf cart patriotic. The little kids REALLY wanted to be in the parade. So the big guy was a great sport and said YES.

We were all surprised to see the creativity in all the golf carts. There were probably about 80 carts in the parade. I had fun watching with our friends while the big guy and the kids were in the parade. We were laughing so hard thinking that he was driving our $10 decorated cart along with these master pieces.

Here is the NC Battleship.

This was my favorite. A golf cart turned ice cream truck. He actually sold ice cream during the parade.

Here is Mr. Potato Head and the cart after him was Mrs. Potato Head. Who would have ever thought?

Jaws was part of the parade. This cart had the music from Jaws playing.

The big guy and the kids were all smiling at the end of the parade. Our friend's 13 year old son walked up on the patio and said (while laughing) "That was degrading. Let me go work on my self esteem." We all laughed and said this has got to be a new tradition for all of us. The big question is....Should we continue with the $10 decorations and be known as the poor little golf cart or should we start sketching our plan for next year?

Now that was a parade!

From GA to BHI

We have been burning the rubber on the road lately. The kids and I went to GA for a summer visit. We packed in lots of fun in just a few days. I was able to catch up with old friends and enjoy lunch with my dad.

We drove back home for less than 24 hours. The kids had the afternoon to play at home and then we hit the road the next morning. We headed back to the sand and sea. This time we had a few extra toes in the sand with us.

After 2 days of fun, it was time for an ice cream break. I skipped on the ice cream so I could take some pics. I have learned in the past that it is hard to eat ice cream and snap pictures at the same time! So I made the sacrifice and was able to get this cute pic of the kids. There was some serious ice cream licking concentration going on.

Our friends packed up this morning and departed on the ferry. It was a special time for all of us.

More fun is ahead!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the Big Guy in the house! Thanks for being such a wonderful daddy.

And Happy Father's day to my Dad! I hope your day was special.

Love ya'll both!

Stories From The Shore

There is something about the shore that makes everyone slow down and relax. Days are spent in our bathing suits and sand between our toes. I don't think the bottom of our feet ever really get cleaned. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my feet would be black by the end of the day. There is nothing like going barefoot!

Afternoons are spent on the porch telling "silly" stories. This is becoming a little tradition between Gee and B. B loves to hear Gee tell stories of me when I was a child. Like the time I came home from school with banana pudding on my glasses and like how I slept in my pajamas inside out and backwards. B then tells Gee silly stories of me now. No telling what will be told.

Time has been spent on froggy potty. Kudos to K for doing great. It was a rocky start but he has got it now. Well at least half of it. He went from screaming and saying "I not have to" to "Mommy, gotta go potty." Let me just say....training boys is soooo different than training girls.

I hope your summer days are off to a good start!

We Have A Graduate In The House

We have a graduate in the house! I remember taking this little girl to preschool when she was 2 years old. She was very timid and shy. She did not speak at school the entire first year but would come home and act out everything she observed at school. She was always sad when I dropped her off but was always smiling from ear to ear when I picked her up. Her teachers loved her and nurtured her. I got so much joy in watching how God uses other people besides me to mold her.

It is amazing how much she has grown. She went from a 2 year old who would not participate in the Christmas play to a 5 year old saying a Bible verse at her graduation ceremony. I remember praying for a child with a sweet spirit. God is so faithful. The first time I layed my eyes on her, I said she looks like she has a sweet spirit. I could see it in her eyes. So at graduation, tears rolled down my face when her teacher announced her name and said "Future ballerina and awarded the sweet spirit award."

So here is my 5 year old. She loves skirts and t-shirts. Imagine that! I wonder where she gets that from?

She loves her friends and having playdates.

She loves ballet.

She loves dress up and her new scooter.

I am so thankful God gave me this sweet blessing. I am proud to be her mommy.

I love you Pumpkin!