We took our usual family trip to the beach for Memorial Weekend.
Some of the boys' favorite things to do are play in the hot tub, build in the sand, and walk to the inlet to catch crabs and fish. David, Nathan, and Carter have a new favorite activity now: the Nascar racing park!
One of our favorite places to eat is Chesapeake House. The food is delicious and if we're lucky, we get a seat by the window so we can watch the alligators. Afterwards, we go out and feed them!
Those who know me well, know that I'm not at all an active person! Physical activity, that is. I'm the "daytripper," if you will--I like to take my boys on mini-trips and enjoy little adventures with them, watching them experience things that I did when I was little or things that I didn't get to do. On the other hand, I'm the "cuddler" and "snuggler." My favorite time of day is right before bedtime when I get to curl up in the bed with my babies in my lap to read a story and our bible stories! Therefore, my favorite things to do at the beach are reading and shopping! I'm not much on fishin' and crabbin', but I love to see the boys' catch and celebrate with them! Besides that, I love to sit back and watch my precious sons play while I soak up every memory of them being little! 
Beach Bums!
Living Room
We finally got our new chair and ottoman for the living room! This was a huge step for me because I picked out the fabric and had it made! I've always loved the look of mixing different patterns and fabrics, but I'm not very good at actually putting it together myself. So, I was scared to death! But, here's the end result and I'm very pleased! He also fixed the trim on our sofa and made pillows for it. Eventually, I want to get new tables and other little things. My brother, who is a professional painter, is coming to paint the living room and kitchen soon. I don't mind painting, but both of those rooms have high ceilings and I just can't tackle that! I've also been working on our bedroom. I'll post pics of all of that when I get it done. 
It's GONE!
The pacifier is officially gone! Cooper was extrememly attached to his pacifier, or "bappies" as he liked to call it. We took Carter's at 2 yrs. old, but haven't been that successful with Cooper. I was planning on taking it this summer after school gets out when I can afford to lose a little sleep. But, he truly lost it the other day when he decided to throw it. We were down to 2 and all of a sudden, they both disappeared the same day! So, there you go! He has done amazingly well! It has taken a little longer to fall asleep and there has been a few short-lived outbursts during the night. He's asked for it only a few times and has pretty much accepted the fact that it's gone forever! I have to admit that we did find 1 of them the day after, but since he'd already gone 1 night without it and was adjusting to life without it, I wasn't about to give it back! As much as I don't miss the whining (miraculously, that disappeared along with the pacifiers!?!), sadly, this is one more step away from babyhood. My baby is growing up way too fast and quickly becoming a little boy and that truly makes me sad! That being said, next on my list is POTTY TRAINING! I have my work cut out for me this summer!
Happy Mother's Day!
"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her" Proverbs 31:28
Teacher Appreciation Week
This is Teacher Appreciation Week so if you haven't thanked your children's teachers in some way, you should! Being a teacher, trust me, it is much deserved and much appreciated by us!
I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it is to teach in Davidson County! I taught in Rockingham County for 4 years where you were lucky to get a pat on the back and the working conditions were miserable! Well, not so here! This is what all they've done for us this week:
Monday: Krispy Kreme doughnuts and juice
free drink and snack of choice (drinks had labels saying how "refreshing" it is to work with us!)
Tuesday: M&M's were in our boxes with labels saying they appreciate us "more & more" (get it?)
Lunch from Subway
Wednesday: Ice cream sundaes
Thursday: Ham and sausage biscuits and juice
animal crackers were in our boxes with labels saying "This place would be a zoo without you!"
1 hour of comp time
Friday: raffle bag drawing
goodie bags
chips & dip
Who wouldn't want to work in a place that shows that much appreciation?!?
Natural Science Center
Cooper and I went on a field trip with Carter to the Natural Science Center in Greensboro. Carter's friends, Ethan and Archer were in my group. We went last summer, but it was neat seeing everything again. We all enjoyed ourselves, but, WOW, is it hard keeping up with 4 boys at one time! Their favorite thing was the maze because they got to run around trying to find each other and a way out while releasing some of that wonderful energy that I wish I had just a little bit of!
Fair Grove Field Day
Here's some pictures from Carter's field day at school. It was a beautiful day and they had a blast! I worked the hurdle races for half of the time and then I was able to walk around with Carter the rest of the time. The football game was his favorite. Does anyone know where to find those huge colorful footballs? They are so cool!
Happy Birthday, Cooper!
Cooper celebrated his 3rd birthday on May 1st! He woke up to Star Wars balloons since that's the boys' new found love! He got a golf set, Disney cars, and a book. He shared cupcakes with his friends at preschool. Then, he got to eat at his 2 favorite places: Cook-Out for lunch and McDonald's for dinner. We met friends there and shared cupcakes. From there, we were off to Carter's soccer practice where he posed with Collin for this picture!
