Sunday Nights

For the last couple of weeks we have taken to meeting up with friends at a local bar/restaurant. We have a drink, eat $4 meals and almost feel like we aren't parents.

The kids are busy doing this...



Isn't this just one of the most fabulous ideas? It is such a nice way to end the weekend and get ready to start the week.



And when faces are this red from so much jumping, then you can bet bedtime is easy peasy!

Habitat for Humanity

Once a month after the kids are in bed, Pete and I sit down for a "family meeting". We typically discuss finances, monthly schedules, upcoming trips or visitors, and whatever else may be on our minds.

The beginning of every year we have the "big" meeting where we review the past year, evaluate how we did, and set goals for the upcoming year. This year one of the things we wanted to do with the kids/family is get more involved in giving back to the community.

This past weekend we had the chance to get the kids involved in Habitat for Humanity. Pete and some colleagues volunteered, and while the kids couldn't be involved in the construction aspect we took this opportunity to give back in another way.

The kids and I went to see the house that "daddy was helping to build" and provided the crew with lunch.









*Izzy's Monday morning "morning work" at school involves writing a sentence and drawing a picture of what they did over the weekend. I haven't seen the drawing yet, but was told that her sentence said, "I went to visit my Daddy while he helped build a house for the less fortunate". Her picture was of the house with Pete on the roof. I was waiting to post this entry until the picture got sent home, but I have yet to see it?

Blue Red, Red Blue

For well over a year now the kids have each worn one blue croc and one red croc.



Izzy wears blue, red (left foot, right foot) and Drew wears red, blue.

Those who see the kids on a regular basis think nothing of it anymore...those who encounter them for the first time always have a fun cute comment on their fashion statement.



It is just one more thing I want to remember about these two little people :)

...seriously, look back and chances are if you can see their feet in the picture then they will have on mismatched crocs.

Swim Lessons

We enrolled the kids in swim lessons for 6 weeks leading up to summer.

While we think swimming is an important skill for the kids to know, the truth is these lessons are kind of below their swim level. The lessons are only 30 minutes and with 6-7 kids in the class they don't get alot of individual attention. Once this session ends we will continue with private lessons for the kids. The instructor (who you will notice is like 40) is pretty sure he can have the kids swimming butterfly in no time.

Regardless, it is pure entertainment for Pete and I to sit and watch them from the side. Here's a glimpse into 30 min on our Saturday mornings.

Drew is a natural - no fear and willing to try anything.








And Izzy is the most perfect student - always listening and following directions.






But with lots of waiting between students this is what happens most of the lesson. ...could they get any closer?

Mother's Day 2011

I think from as far back as I can remember that I wanted to be a mom. I love everything about this holiday! I love to celebrate the incredible mom that I have, the amazing mother-in-law that I have (who raised 8 fantastic kids), and that I am a mom! To know me is to know how much I love being able to stay home with the kids everyday...so by default it is like Mother's Day everyday over here :)

My Mother's Day festivities began this past Friday. Both kids has school programs for me to attend.





Saturday was almost like Mother's Day because Pete had kid duty for a good 6 hours. He took the kids to breakfast, swim lessons, a birthday party and then to pick up his new car. While he was away having all that fun I was sitting in our driveway manning a very uneventful garage sale. My biggest sale went to the neighbor behind us (who actually bought all her purchases prior to the sale -Izzy's old clothes and bike) and the second largest sale went to a lady buying toys for her church (how could I not load her up for next to nothing). The third sale...well, in 6 hours there wasn't a third sale. Oh well. Once the kids and Pete got home they settled in to play a new Wii game and I watched Sex and the City. I can't tell you the last time I watched a movie while the kids were awake, uninterrupted. Probably not since Izzy was under a year?

So Sunday morning found me lounging in bed til Izzy busted in my room (okay she quietly crept in) with a super sweet card and picture. She made her card a week ago and the front was a song and the inside a poem.

Once Drew joined us (Pete was out getting coffee) he immediately started crying silently because he felt bad for not bringing me anything. I had to remind him that he gave me a card and necklace at school on Friday! Then, as if they knew to be extra kind to me, they disappeared to play SO nicely with one another in the toy room while I sipped my coffee and read my paper. I can't even say it was Pete's doing because at this point he was at the gym (he didn't want to go being Mother's Day and all but I insisted).

We spent the entire day at the Strawberry Festival. It was such a good time. I was nervous to go because I thought it would be hot and crowded. Thankfully it was only hot.



love the excitement on Izzy's face in this shot


in this shot Drew was so dizzy that he simply fell over in the seat






this boy just loves his sister somethin' fierce!




I got a bit full of myself and decided to ride the swings with the kids...shortly after the ride started spinning I had to mentally tell myself "you will not be sick. you will not be sick!" Ever since I had kids I can't spin, swing or do heights!


The kids sure loved the ride - rode it two more times!


This is one of my favorite rides. Check out this sign posted at the entrance ;) (you have to be under 48 in. to even enter)


My question is what happened that would even warrant this sign?


it was boys v. girls on the ferris wheel




And finally, what is a festival without food. Check out the size of these snow cones.


4 years old and he prefers fingers over a spoon.






Once we got home, the kids immediately took a bath while I ran to Ulta for some goodies. On my way home Pete instructed me to pick up dinner from a deli we like. He had ordered it and paid for it :)

Now we are at home and Pete is playing with the kids while I enjoy a glass of wine and type this. Soon the kids will be in bed and then I will slip into a nice tub of bubbles and think of how very blessed I am to have such a wonderful husband and two fantastic kids!

Lost Dog Found

It is two weeks later and I am finally able to sit and try to put this terrible experience into words.

If I let my mind wander/think too much though, my throat closes, my breathing becomes rapid and I start to feel sick and anxious.

The Thursday before Easter we decided to head to Hilton Head for a long weekend of quality family time. I was very excited because we would be meeting up with some friends AND I felt confident in our boarding arrangements for Chloe.

Earlier in the week the kids and I had visited a boarding facility recommended by our vet. It is the place the vet/techs and even a few random folks I have met down here use. The lady who owns it is named Julie and she and her husband bought some property, installed an in ground pool and have dedicated themselves to caring for dogs. She even provides pick up and drop off service. What is not to love?

So Thursday around 11:30 when Chloe got picked up to head to doggie camp for the weekend I was feeling pretty good :)

We made our way to Hilton Head and arrived around 3:30. By 4 we were on the beach and enjoying our vacation. What I didn't know was that around this time Chloe escaped from the kennel. Apparently a dog was entering a play area through one door, and another dog was exiting through another door. Chloe got out. A careless mistake was made, Chloe took advantage and made her getaway.

I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF HER ESCAPE UNTIL 6:00 FRIDAY EVENING! She had been lost for 24 hours, during a storm, in a national forest, before I was even notified! I was immediately brought to tears and at a loss for what to say to Julie? Since I had already had a couple margaritas pool side, Pete left Hilton Head to drive back to Charleston in hopes of locating her. He searched until midnight. No Chloe. By 6 am the next morning (Saturday) he was back out searching. At 11 when he still hadn't found her (the last sighting of her was actually at 6:30 on THURSDAY night) he headed to HH to pick the kids and I up. Well, 51 miles from HH, he got a call from a neighbor of Julie that Chloe was spotted!

I will never forget where I was when I got the call from Pete. The kids and I had just walked up from the beach and were about to have lunch at the pool when Pete called. He told me he was 51 miles from us and got a call saying Chloe had been spotted and asked me what I thought he should do. My gut told me he needed to turn around and go back to find her. He agreed. Since the kids had no idea what was even going on, I knew getting them to leave HH was not going to be easy, and then by the time we got back to Charleston it would be close to dark.

While at lunch we had Izzy do a voice recording of her "calling for Chloe" as if trying to get her to come. Chloe loves Izzy and if anyone could get Chloe out of hiding it was her! Pete was able to play the recording through his car speakers and drive around searching for her.

Of course since I am able to sit here typing this at just 2 weeks out there must be a happy ending...right :) Pete resumed his search at 1:30 on Saturday and at 4:30 he rescued our Chloe girl!!!! From what I've been told, she was hesitant to come to him when he saw/called for her. He was about 40 yards away and started talking to her about Izzy and Drew. She kind of peeked out at him, became more comfortable and then Pete played Izzy's voice. It was Izzy's voice that got Chloe close enough to Pete that he was able to get her.

Pete brought Chloe home, bathed her, fed her and stayed with her for a few hours before heading to Hilton Head. Our neighbors were kind enough to keep an eye on Chloe (we knew she would just sleep) so that we were able to stay one more night in Hilton Head.

When the kids and I returned home Chloe was so excited that she barked for 6 minutes straight. She rarely barks! It was as if she was filling us in on her adventure....and probably cursing us out too.

We have taken things day by day, but for the most part I think Chloe is back to her self. I never knew how very attached I was to this silly dog (and I mean that in the nicest way) until I was faced with the real fear she might be gone. ...just typing that last sentence has put tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat so I guess I should just end there.

Welcome home Chloe-girl!

Poem By Drew

Fish

Big fish, Medium fish, some fish are small.

Fish come in lots of sizes most of all.

When I picked Drew up from school yesterday he told me that he "just made dis poem up in his head" while he waited for me.