Our Little Corner of the World

Have You Found Us?

2011-01-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

I hope you were able to click on the link below to get to our new blog. Here is the link again Along for the Ride or you can copy and paste this address http://tracksandtiaras.blogspot.com to get to us. Once you find us at the new blog bookmark it or save it to your favorites!

It's Actually Christmas Day

2010-12-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

We headed down even further South to the ATL for the Abbey family Christmas gathering on Christmas Day. At one point I heard that there were 68 people there. If that's not the correct number then it is really close. This is a BIG deal and a fun day for everyone who attends. Here are the littles of the group. There are 4 missing from the picture as one hadn't arrived just yet and 3 were in Texas. We had food, games, piano music, conversation and laughs. This is held every other year and there are many of us who don't see each other in between so there is a lot of catching up to do.

Afterwards our side of the family (28 of us) met afterwards at MeMe and BobBob's for gifts and dinner. BUT the evening took a little unexpected turn.

This is their house.

In the snow.

It hasn't snowed in Atlanta on Christmas Day in over 100 years.

Sooooo, many had to leave early to make their way back home before the snow accumulated any more and the bridges iced over.

We were staying overnight anyway so we got to enjoy good company and good food in a more intimate environment. Dinner for 10 anyone?!

We were pleased to see that we still had snow at our house when we got home so we bundled in our snow gear for a little outdoor fun.

Mmmm. Snow is tasty.

Snowball fight!

Now we're having hot cocoa and warming up by the fire. Have a good evening!

Christmas #3

2010-12-26T18:12:00.000-05:00

We took Christmas Eve day to ourselves and celebrated Christmas at home. We opened our presents and then played all day. Hudson's big present this year was his very own train table. BobBob constructed the table and then we covered the top with gray felt and supplied the town. It is awesome! We were going to give him a different table when BobBob offered to make an even better table for him. We jumped at the chance and have been waiting to give it to Hudson for a few months now. You may have seen a glance of the table in the post where McClellen got the baby doll bed.

He was thrilled and played all. day. long. I am not exaggerating. There was nothing else remotely interesting enough to drag him away for more than 5 minutes.

The table now lives in his room where he can play trains and cars to his heart's delight.

McClellen's big present was a play tent for the play room. She loves small spaces and enjoys playing by herself so this is the perfect time for a play tent.

She wasted no time getting a baby and climbing inside.

The kids got a few other small gifts too but these were the most exciting ones so I thought I'd share these here. Merry Christmas!

Oh What Fun!

2010-12-26T17:54:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday we got to go have some fun with our friends Robin, Mike and Ella. There is a couple in Mauldin who go over-the-top fabulous with lights each and every year. People come from all around so see the spectacle and this year we counted ourselves in. Here are just a few shots:

Only one side of the house.

She was staring at the lights and couldn't be lured away for a photo.

Same with him.

When you have this kind of excitement to see you don't want to look anywhere else.

There were lights and more lights with themed displays everywhere. There was even music and a movie playing.

You ask for cheese you get it.

This display looked like ice but the flash on my camera over lit the photo. There was no way for me to get great pictures but maybe you can get some idea of the fun.

Too Smart for His Own Good

2010-12-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

At bedtime we ask Hudson to choose a person he'd like to pray for. On this particular night the conversation went like this:

H: Let's pray for Chuck E. Cheese

M and D: No, let's pick a person to pray for. Think of somebody to pray for.

H: Let's pray for the person inside the Chuck E. Cheese costume.

Well played, Hudson. Well played.

Tow the Line

2010-12-20T19:54:00.001-05:00

Children who disobey during road trips are immediately sent to the time out seat that we let out the rear of the vehicle.

Coincidentally our children are excellent travelers.

A Tennessee Christmas

2010-12-19T20:50:00.000-05:00

My side of the family met for Christmas fun at my brother's house in TN. Unfortunately there had been some really bad weather in some parts of the U.S. which made it impossible for my younger brother to be there in person BUT thanks to technology he was able to join us via iChat.

This photo doesn't show it well but Adam is visiting Max Headroom-style.

Nana and Pop with Brianna, Savannah, Hudson, and McClellen

We had a flurry of gifts.

This one was happy with the simple things.

Another shot of the grandkids

These two pretties love all things glittery and princessy. That, combined with McClellen's blossoming love for the same made for a lot of play like this:

Which meant that Hudson retreated downstairs to the Man Cave for some rock-it-out guy time.

It was a super-fun time and the cousins loved playing together. Thanks for having us at your house Josh and Debbie!

Story Time

2010-12-16T15:37:00.001-05:00

McClellen and I met Ashley and her mommy, Miss Susan, for story time at Barnes & Noble. While waiting for story time to begin the girls got up on the 'stage' and danced around among the books. They thought they were really getting away with something.

Especially this one.

We listened to two Max and Ruby story books

and McClellen added her own reading of a Princess book.

Time for coloring!

I thought it was peculiar that this crayon's color name was 'corn on the cob'. Not yellow. Not corn yellow. Not even maize like the old Crayola big box had.

Corn on the cob. Too funny!

Fun fact: Corn is not a vegetable. It is a grain that we eat like a vegetable. It comes from a tropical grass.

A Christmas Program and Some Lights

2010-12-15T22:37:00.000-05:00

Last week Hudson's school had their Christmas program. Here is the K5 nativity. When the angels appeared McClellen promptly and loudly exclaimed, "butterflies! butterflies!"

Here is the man of the hour. He was positioned front and center during the K3 portion of the show. It made it easy for him to take a bow after they sang their first song. Oh yes he did.

The little girl in the black dress watched him quite a bit during the show. He stood well and knew the words and motions to the songs but with the extra air drumming and the adjustments he made to his pants and oh yeah the part during jingle bells where he just got bored and then hid his bells under his shirt, well, she was pretty entertained by him.

We took in the lights at Roper Mountain. There are huge displays of lights of all kinds on the driving tour but we also took advantage of the Winter Wonderland portion that you could walk through with your kids. It was freezing that night so I didn't take many pictures but here are a few for you.

Mommy and the kids

Daddy and the kids

The fire pit for marshmallow roasting

and s'more making.

Christmas Starts Early Around Here

2010-12-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

Christmas came much earlier than usual around here but it helped put us in the mood for fun! We had present-opening fun at Grammy and Doc's on Saturday.

Here are the cousins in their Christmas outfits.

Matchy girly cousins!

Grammy and Ava (Ava had a little cold but was a trooper for the fun!)

McClellen helps pass out gifts.

Hudson and Doc use their muscle to hand out the heavy stuff.

Everyone loves presents!

We were glad to have such fun with Grammy, Doc, Abbey, Adam and Ava and we are very thankful for all the wonderful gifts! Merry Christmas!

Sunny California

2010-12-10T19:51:00.001-05:00

I was looking through photos and realized I had not yet posted about a special trip.

My apologies.

Brad and his Dad took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Pasadena to see a football game played in the Rose Bowl waaaaay back at the beginning of November. My only excuse is that we didn't have any of the pictures right off but we've since borrowed Grammy and Doc's flash drive and copied the photos.

So here we go.

This is Pasadena's City Hall. Amazing architecture.

While on their trip they were able to take in a Lakers game at the Staples Center.

See Kobe front and center.

Requisite star sighting: 2 actors from the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" are sitting courtside. (one in a red jacket and is looking upward, the other is beside him with a black tie hanging loosely)

A historical eating establishment. One of many they visited on their trip.

At last they arrive.

The game at night.

They had a great time and though we missed them we were glad that they could make this trip together!

Tis the Season for Green

2010-12-09T19:39:00.001-05:00

He loves a good tractor. She likes to do what he gets to do.

You Never Know What You'll Find

2010-12-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

when you are out and about:

apples from the motherland

his name on a train

1987 called

2010-12-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

They want their bracelets and hairdo back.

You know how she loves her jewelry, especially her bracelets. Well she has really been into my ponytail holders lately and has taken to wearing them like bracelets. All at one time. And if one slips off she gets it and adds it back on. And don't try to take any of them off of her.

She even found a rubber band to add to the mix.

Also she's been asking for a ponytail again. She has a little more hair on top than before so I've been making them for her to wear around the house. I'm really not into the stand-up-straight Cindy Lou Who look so I've tried to angle the ponytails to the side a bit and then we try not to go out in public much. I've also tried to add a bow to the ponytail but she won't have anything to do with that. I guess its an either/or situation for her.

Christmas Greenery

2010-11-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

We got our tree on Saturday and on Sunday we decorated it and the house. At one point during the decorating Brad was outside working on lights and I was in the bathroom putting up a little tree while the children played in the living room. Hudson comes to me and says," Mom come see the lambs I put in the train." Lambs? I know we don't have that many lamb decorations so I came to investigate. Well, he didn't say 'lambs' he said 'limbs'. This is what I found when I came to see his project:

Note said train full of limbs. Note branch cracked and hanging the opposite direction from the others. Note pruning clippers. Note preschooler left unattended.

For the record, the clippers were up and out of his way but he helped himself to them then helped himself to clippings from the tree which he clipped himself!! We had a discussion about how sharp and strong the clippers are and how he was not to use them again because we like all of 10 of his fingers and don't want any of them to disappear right now. And yes our tree is up on a table. This is the third year we've taken this approach and so far we've managed to keep our tree and ornaments intact despite a toddler and a preschooler in the house. Maybe next year the kids will be old enough for us to put the full-length tree back in use. By then Hudson will have worked up to chainsaw use which will come in handy when we freshen the trunk to set in the stand.

Dreams

2010-11-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

These are actual conversations I've recently had with my children. Not on the same day.

M: (McClellen had just woken up and I got her out of bed) Did you sleep well? Did you have any dreams?
McC: Yeah
M: What did you dream about?
McC: Princess dreams

M:(Hudson had just woken up from a nap)Did you have sweet dreams? Or did you have any dreams?
H: Yes. I dreamed about the Lost Boys and Peter Pan.

So what do you dream about?

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T09:28:00.001-05:00

Please note: This post is photo heavy

We had a great family visit over Thanksgiving. Here are some highlights.

Uncle Adam had a great idea. He took us to visit a music store where Hudson picked out new sticks for his drum set.

McClellen had fun here too

A little cuddle time with Pop

Candlesticks made by Savannah and Brianna. Turkey centerpiece (and appetizer) made by Debbie.

Four cousins having fun.

Savannah, McClellen, Brianna, Hudson

Everyone helps in the kitchen

Nana and Pop with their grandchildren

Brianna shared with us her songs and lines from her upcoming school play. (She has the lead as an angel)

Savannah shared a sampling of the books she wrote and illustrated.

Kids played outside in the muddy yard

Amelia Bedelia books are hilarious

Someone used the blue marker as eyeliner

Ella came over to get in on the action

What a super holiday!!

Thanks Feast

2010-11-26T21:20:00.004-05:00

Hudson's class had a Thanks Feast at school on Tuesday. They worked for a few weeks beforehand to prepare their special placemats, table decorations, beaded necklaces and Indian (Native American) headbands all the while learning about the Thanksgiving holiday. The Thanks Feast was the culmination of their efforts.

placemat and table decorations

the class table

the meal: turkey roll, corn on the cob, pumpkin muffins, macaroni and cheese, candy corn, milk

The school supplied the turkey roll and the parents cooked the rest. I got to make the mini muffins for Hudson's class and then was asked to help serve. Yeah!

friends at the feast

a little silliness from a sick boy.

He had been diagnosed with a sinus infection the day before and we worked really hard to get him well enough for the meal because it was such a big deal!

My first time at being the "class mom". I loved it and was honored to be able to do this for Hudson.

What a great feast!!

Party All the Time

2010-11-23T09:12:00.001-05:00

Recently our friend Olivia turned 4!

It was a fun party similar to Hudson's at the gym at church but this one was all PINK!!

And of course since a basket was available...

Hudson liked this ball the best because it had flames on it. I like it too!

You may remember this picture from a previous post way back before either one of them had a little sister. Same Olivia but she's much less serious now.

Season Ender

2010-11-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

We had our last football tailgate of the year. It was unseasonably warm for November but we were thankful for the sun.

This is one brave grandmother. (He connected, by the way, and made a kick)

Mrs. Emmalyn watches over Ivey, McClellen, and Campell as they play with the princess ball.

Wait. Princess ball???

I'll take that thank you.

and off she goes...

This intense face is waiting for the band. He's watching the cheerleaders go by with the big bell.

He grew impatient and decided to move his chair up close and wait. All. by. himself.

He eventually won over a few more fans to keep him company during the wait.

We were glad to have good friends and good weather for the day. Hudson was glad for 'big kids' to play with. I was glad it was the last game.

Just for fun...

see these three here?

and here?

Two years ago they looked like this

and one year ago they looked like this

We couldn't manage to get a picture with all 5 of these kids this year. Not only that but now there are actually 6 kiddos with the addition of baby Reese (Campbell's little sister). We don't have any pictures of her in the lineup. We have our work cut out for us next year!!

Bouncing Up and Down

2010-11-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

We had a rainy day last week so Grammy suggested something fun...the Bounce House at the Pavillion.

This is new to us. You may remember that Hudson wouldn't set foot on an inflatable until this summer. We've since had a few occasions to test out the fun on these giant toys and he loves them more every time. He played at The Bounce House nonstop for an hour. McClellen hung in for maybe 20 minutes and then she was done. It was a good time and we'll definitely visit again over the cold winter months.

Bed Buddies

2010-11-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Hudson likes to climb in to the crib to "check on" McClellen. On this particular event he brought a book with him. There was hardly room what with all the babies, stuffed animals, and blankets she likes to have with her.

Yes, Hudson picks out his own pajamas. And socks.

She likes having the company. And the fact that he can reach things for her that she can't reach herself is only a bonus.

Trains on the Brain

2010-11-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

As you may (or may not) know Hudson loves all things trains. Case in point:

This is a recent class project that is currently on display on the bulletin board outside his classroom.

It reads: If I sailed to a new country, I hope they would have......trains and trucks and railroad crossings.

Overachiever

2010-11-14T12:40:00.001-05:00

When I asked BobBob to make a doll bed for McClellen I gave him pictures of both a doll bed and a cradle. I asked him to choose whichever he thought would be best to make. When he presented us with the doll bed I thought he had made his decision.

(Note I made a little pillow case so baby would be more comfy.)

Well lo and behold BobBob recently surprised us with the cradle too!!

Thank you also for the foam 'mattress' for the cradle. I made a little sheet for it so that puppy and baby and whoever else wants in will be very comfortable. Now that the dolls have a bed and a cradle they will never have to share again!

The Loudest Place on Earth

2010-11-13T20:22:00.001-05:00

must be here

but we had a great time adding our own noise to the chaos that is Chuck E. Cheese

Daddy cheers on Scott and Hudson during air hockey

Susan oversees Ashley and Scott who appear to be driving under the age

Miss Ashley (yes, the one from Kindermusik. Aren't you glad to finally see her face?)

McClellen and Mommy

Mr. Cheese himself

Not sure if standing on the machinery is allowed but it helped Hudson make some shots.

Ryan and Scott patiently waiting to eat. Or, based on their expressions, not so patiently.

Say "Cheese!"

Thanks to Ryan, Scott, Ashley and especially their mommy Susan for having dinner with us. We're sorry their daddy was busy with work and couldn't join the fun. Hudson loves to play with Ryan and Scott and had requested that they come play with him at Chuck E. Cheese so he was especially happy this night!

Kindermusik

2010-11-13T12:03:00.001-05:00

McClellen attended a Kindermusik class at Chick-fil-A and spent time with friends Ashley and Tyler.

Getting shakers

Waiting for the next song

Dancing with scarves

Amidst the chaos of toddlers and preschoolers acting like polar bears and having a pretend snowball fight my photo taking was spotty at best. I did manage to capture Tyler in this photo (he's so handsome and big-boy looking with his hands in his pockets)

and this is a good picture of the back of Ashley (striped shirt, yellow bow). Wouldn't you like to see how cute she is?

I'm sorry friends. I'll try harder next time.

We Like a Good Costume

2010-11-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we had a little visit with Nana and Pop. I managed not to get any pictures (oops!) but I did get quick pics of the fun costumes they brought to add to our dress-up bin.

18 Months Strong

2010-11-04T23:16:00.000-04:00

Here is baby girl in her element: By herself, books strewn around,

LOTS of jewelry, a princess Barbie doll within reach, and a little princess dancer shirt.

Oh, to have those eyelashes!

McClellen turned 18 months on the 1st. She weighs in at 20 pounds and a few ounces and is just at 31 inches tall. She's a little sprout. I asked and found that she's basically average height for a 15-month old. This is why people never can guess how old she is. They see that she walks and talks so well but yet is so small so I'm frequently asked her age.

She is very verbal, usually talking in 2- and 3-word phrases with lots of jargoning in between. When she's upset or really excited she pulls out all the stops and uses 4- and 5-word phrases such as "play with the blue circle" and "I hold the princess book". She is better able to verbally spar with Hudson. I really think she just likes to push his buttons. An example:

H: Come find me McClellen

M: no

H: yes

M: no

H: yes

M: no

H: YES

M: (in imitation): YES

All the while she continues doing whatever it is she's doing and hardly looks his way.

But they do love each other and play together quite a bit. She still looks for him when he is not around (such as when he is at school) and gets excited about seeing him when he returns.

She recently learned how to climb up and go down our little slide all on her own. She still is very, very affectionate and continues to be a mama's girl. She still loves a good book and her favorite is her little pink Bible. I promise. Still strong-willed, still so lovable.

Katy Don't

2010-11-02T17:32:00.000-04:00

Pop introduced Hudson to katydids this summer. He has been trying to catch one of his own ever since.

Well, he caught one last week. This find was super exciting!! Can you find it in this picture?

It is on the basketball on his shirt.

He played with the katydid for a long time, putting it in the bug box for a time then taking it out to play with it.

He found many places to put the katydid. On his shirt. On the side of the house. On his foot.

On his face.

Really, why not?

Thank you Mr. or Ms. Katydid for not biting, stinging, spraying, or otherwise attacking my little boy. He enjoyed his time with you and we look forward to finding you again some day.

Crazy Time

2010-11-01T20:31:00.000-04:00

Sunday evening theme for Cubbies (part of the AWANA program at our church):

Crazy hair night

Hudson interpreted this to also mean crazy face night.

No Tricks Here

2010-10-31T20:16:00.000-04:00

Just treats and lots of them! On Friday we visited Nana at NHC for the annual Trick or Treat event.

The kids got lots of really good candies here. They enjoyed their loot.

Not only were there other children dressed in costume but even some adults and a dog!!

Saturday evening we went to our church's Harvest Festival. There was lots of fun here! Inflatables, trunk or treat, games, food, and prizes! I managed to be so busy here I didn't take many pictures at all. Here McClellen plays the duck game.

Here Daddy and Hudson gear up for the long slide down...

and a crash landing!! What a good Daddy to play along.

We had lots of fun in our costumes this year and have lots of treats to prove it! Looking forward to next year.

Pumpkin Picking

2010-10-30T13:28:00.000-04:00

A church near our house sets up a pumpkin patch every October. We like to go there and pick our jack-o-lantern pumpkin.

Hudson's choice

McClellen did not want to take a photo. She spotted some scarecrows near the fence line and wanted to go see the "babies". She thought they were dolls.

A much happier mood after checking the "babies".

Cleaning out the gooey pumpkin.

A winking face for all to see!

Whirlwind

2010-10-23T21:03:00.000-04:00

Well, well. We've had a busy weekend and it's only Saturday night. The weekend started out harmlessly with a Friday morning trip to Sky Top apple orchard. We took the party barge (i.e. my minivan) and loaded it with Abbey, Ava, Grammy, me and the kids.

Apparently apple season hit 3 weeks early due to the summer weather's effect on the crop so there weren't really any apples available for picking. But there were fun little houses to play in

and tractors to climb on

and a hayless hay ride with a school group. There were plenty of hot delicious apple doughnuts

and fun farm animals for feeding.

Aww, what a soft, cute little bunny

who did this to my baby!!!

Yes, a rabbit bit McClellen!! It bled, and bled, and bled. Blood was everywhere. I don't recommend getting bitten on the finger because because the wound bleeds a lot. This photo doesn't show nearly all of it but it was the best I could do considering my child was injured.

I will file this photo in the "Random Wounds and Injuries Incurred Before Age 2" file.

Soooooo, I spent the afternoon at the doctor's office and the pharmacy. In case this ever happens to you or your child, which it probably won't because let's face it who does this stuff ever happen to?

**sidebar: OK. so I know who this stuff happens to. Me and now apparently my daughter. My parents should show you my "Random Illness and Rare Medicinal Side Effects" folder. I digress...)

So if this happens to you you should know that there is a low chance of rabies or tetanus because these kind of animals are well kept more like pets and so are generally healthier than say a wild rabbit that may lunge out at you from the woods. The cuts look bad but didn't require stitches or Dermabond. Apparently you don't want to close up an animal bite because there is some risk for infection that you would then seal into the wound. While I was there I had the Dr. listen to her chest because she had a funny cough that we had been watching for a few days. Wellll, he heard bronchitis sounds so the antibiotic he prescribed could now knockout that as well as address any potential infection in the finger. Yeah. Is that like getting more for my money?

The Rest of The Story

2010-10-23T20:39:00.003-04:00

We recovered from the 'incident' and regrouped. We got to go to

We had never been before but had heard to plan on coming early to stand in line. Brad was able to get there early and hold a spot for us while we picked up dinner to eat while we waited. This was a great plan because the line grew and grew behind us and we were thankful that Daddy was able to have gotten there when he did. The kids loved having on their costumes and seeing the other children and some adults in costume as well. This year Hudson was a dinosaur

(in this photo he was roaring and striking with his claws)

and McClellen was a queen bee.

I had hoped to dress them in coordinating costumes for a few years (you may remember the Dorothy and Tin Man costumes from last year) but Hudson had something this year that he didn't have last year

an opinion.

Saturday morning we celebrated Brad's birthday. His real birthday was actually on Friday but we didn't have our party until this morning. We hosted Doc, Grammy, Abbey, and Ava for breakfast and birthday cake. And presents.

I almost served rabbit.

Happy Birthday Brad!!!!

Hudson picked out the cake decorations. Rainbow Twizzlers and Skittles. You can probably smell the sugar through your screen.

After breakfast we rested then regrouped and headed to the Furman tailgate for lunch. Then naps for the children and on to a friend's birthday party. Whew! We are tired tonight!

Frog Find

2010-10-19T20:35:00.000-04:00

We took some scraps and crumbs over to the geese at the nearby neighborhood lake. We had a good time feeding them and watching them fly over to us, landing on their webbed feet and skating in to a stop. They liked our goodies as did the ducks and a turtle. As we walked back to the car I noticed a small frog on the walk. I pointed it out to Hudson who, in true form, took no hesitation in reaching out and grabbing it.

We put it in an empty bag we had, rolled the top down and Hudson held it carefully as we drove home.

I gave him many, many warnings not. to. open. the. bag. in. my. van.

He didn't and the frog survived the short drive. Hudson wanted to keep it in the bag while he played in the back yard but I didn't think that was such a good idea.

McClellen peeked in to see it. It was not at all afraid of her giant purple hairbow.

We set it free near the tea olives in the back yard. And then in one swift motion Hudson grabbed it midjump and threw it over the fence adjoining our neighbor's yard. Where a dog lives. (Side note: not Ella's yard. The neighbors to the side of us.)

I was stunned that he did this and it happened so fast I couldn't stop it. We had a little talk about not throwing frogs and certainly not to dogs. I hope he survived that landing and that he was able to hide out in their monkey grass until the all-clear.

Maybe we should add a sign to that fence, for future reference:

Don't feed the animals.

Fall Visiting

2010-10-16T20:43:00.000-04:00

We headed a little south today in order to visit with MeMe and BobBob. It's always a good time with them because they are lots of fun and very entertaining!

Brad and BobBob solving the world's problems. The crispy fall air stimulates rational thinking.

MeMe sets up the sand box for the kids.

MeMe and her ever-entertaining balloon pump. This was good for 20-30 minutes of entertainment. She reused the balloons so many times that they finally started popping when they landed on the grass.

Hudson fences BobBob in. Hope you didn't have anything important to get done today!

The boys pump some iron.

McClellen checks out the doll bed...

from all angles.

We had asked BobBob to make a doll bed for McClellen and did he ever deliver! I gave him a photo of one I liked and *poof* an exact replica appeared! Actually he drew out a pattern with very precise measurements and created from that. That guy is good I tell ya!

Do you remember this that he made from a picture and a few measurements?

These days it is loaded with books and she sits there every. single. day to read and play.

You may also notice the corner of a super-duper train table that BobBob made for Hudson in the 'fenced in' photo above. It will keep until Christmas. We didn't bring any attention to the table sitting there and Hudson didn't ask any questions or realize what it was. He was too busy planning out his circuit on the cross-training machine I guess.

I also snagged a photo of this stepping stone that the kids made for MeMe's recent birthday.

I forgot to take a picture of it when we made it and forgot again at her party when she opened the gift. It's hard to tell from the photo but the little colored stones are star-shaped and they glow in the dark. There are 2 footprints, one of McClellen's and one of Hudson's. It was a messy but fun project to do and I kind of wish I had made something similar for my own yard. Another day!

Spontaneous Play Time

2010-10-14T22:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we decided to make an impromptu stop at the zoo playground. We called Daddy to see if he was in the area and could stop by for a visit. He was and he did!

Doll in hand, as usual these days.

Daddy's girl today!

Hudson demonstrates his climbing prowess.

Swing shadows are fun to make!

Paladin Purple

2010-10-09T20:00:00.000-04:00

We had much better weather than the last time we tried to tailgate and watch football. This time we were able to catch the band on its march into the stadium.

So of course this little guy was happy.

We tried a cousin picture and the kids cooperated pretty well. McClellen has been a little sick and has the Benadryl stupor in this photo. Ava had on a sassy purple tutu which made us very happy! We love a good tutu around here.

Birthday Girl

2010-10-03T20:34:00.000-04:00

We had big party happenings over the weekend. MeMe's birthday is coming up on Tuesday so we all got together for a party on Saturday. We met at a nice state park in GA where there was plenty of room for all the great-grandchildren to run and play. And MeMe got to run and play too!

Some of the great-grands help blow out the candles.

Some of the children digging in the sand with MeMe.

You may recognize our digger...it travels well and was a big hit!

One of our attempts at a kids-only photo.

Back row: Hudson, Elizabeth, Timothy

Front row: McClellen, Ava, Kate, Nathan, Isaac

We tried again here.

What strikes me as funny in this photo is that Ava is really upset and Nathan seems to be getting a kick out of it.

Our family

Hudson's way of telling us that enough was enough!

Time to eat.

Balloon fun.

MeMe and BobBob

The two largely responsible for this madness.

Happy Birthday to MeMe!

Earn Your Keep

2010-10-02T11:52:00.001-04:00

Hudson, you missed a spot way over there.

Keep up the good work and she'll let us bag it ourselves too!

Don't mess with me when I'm raking. I take my job very seriously!

Fight On!

2010-10-01T20:52:00.000-04:00

Ah, yes. A little bit of the green and white for football season.

They look really good in green.

Even from the backside.

PS- Hudson was into face-making today. I would take a photo and he would say to me, "I did my face like this" and then demonstrate the pose again. Never a dull moment around here.

A New Baby

2010-09-30T11:00:00.003-04:00

Miss Anna Claire

Our dear friends Kevin and LeAnne welcomed their second daughter on Labor Day. The kids and I were able to stop by for a visit and to play with Lydia the proud big sister. We brought the girls fun matching yellow tutus for dress up. Anna Claire was otherwise engaged (see above photo) and couldn't be bothered with the fuss but Lydia enjoyed hers for the duration of our visit.

Hudson and Lydia making beautiful music on the instruments.

It was a fun visit and a good way to spend an otherwise dreary Wednesday!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

2010-09-29T18:58:00.000-04:00

Last night was family night at our favorite Chick-Fil-A. The theme was If You Give a Mouse a Cookie based on the children's book series. The mouse was present (pictured below) and there were chocolate chip cookies from the Chocolate Shop. We met our friends Courtney and Ivey there and also saw Anna, Ford, Millie, Logan, Savannah, Silas, Hattie, Chloe, Lexi, Olivia, Avery, Brooks, Reid, Anna Kate, and a few others. Mostly friends from church with a few other friends from around town.

McClellen was not intimidated by the giant mouse. She walked right up to him

touched him

and then spent a good portion of the evening camped out on his feet. She became fast friends with this mouse, like it or not for the mouse!

Hudson, who has been very wary of costumed characters for quite some time now, was right at home with this mouse. If McClellen wasn't sitting on his feet then Hudson was in his lap. I should say "her" in regards to the mouse because I found out it was a girl inside. I should note here that the A/C happened to be out that afternoon and it was H-O-T in the building. It didn't slow anybody down but we felt really bad for the girl in the costume. The A/C did eventually come back on while we were there. We did our best to reign our kids in from the mouse so that others could have a chance at visiting and taking pictures. We were very surprised that they took so well to the character!

Courtney, Ivey, and McClellen having dinner.

The children could also listen to stories and color pages as well as play on the famed playground. It was a good time!

Configure This

2010-09-28T13:16:00.001-04:00

Science is Fun

2010-09-27T13:03:00.001-04:00

We performed a little science experiment that we saw in a magazine. First we took 2 empty water bottles and put balloons on top. Then we filled one container with ice water and one container with hot water.

We placed one water bottle in the ice water. Nothing happened.

We placed one bottle in the hot water and voila! It inflated.

We tried it in with the other bottle and it inflated too!

We took turns putting the bottles in the hot water to inflate them and then into the cold water to deflate them. It was lots of fun!!

Special thanks to Mr. Mike who happened to have empty water bottles in this recycling bin and helped make this Mr. Wizard moment possible.

Tennis Anyone?

2010-09-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

Brad played in a tennis tournament over the weekend. His office took part in a charity event and he played on the team. Tennis was very important to Brad in middle school and high school so he was glad to get back into the swing of things for this event. He hadn't played in a match in quite a while but he still had the touch. He won his singles match and played on a winning mixed doubles team. His office team qualified for the championship match, to be played Sunday, but rain postponed those plans. On a side note, we are very glad for the rain because it has been hot, hot, hot and dry here.

The pictures aren't great because we were so far away from the court on which he played. There were 5 other people out there on this side of the courts but you can't tell that at all from my photo. The other set of courts was full too. These are the Eastside High courts and the rest of the tournament took place on courts at a local park.

Bearing the heat with sickly children.

I can't say they were the quietest fans but they were the most entertaining.

Brad's parents have a flashback to the glory days of Brad's tennis at EHS.

On a side note, both the kids had a bit of a cold over the weekend. We think it's a cold but it could be an allergy thing. They rallied enough to see Daddy play and then back home for comfy clothes and rest, humidifiers and tissues.

Watch Your Step

2010-09-21T15:21:00.001-04:00

Well, another summer of digging in the backyard has left us with some sizable craters there. If you come to visit I would definitely wear shoes and watch your step, particularly around the edge of the patio.

What used to be a bed of pine straw is now a mix of sand and dry dirt with no straw in sight.

I'm guessing the dirt misbehaved and needed a good beating with a baseball bat. That'll teach it. Good job son.

Too bad you can't actually see how deep the hole is. I should have set something in there for reference. Like McClellen. Seriously, it's that deep.

There has been no end to the fun of digging. The usual goal is to uncover worms, and there better be lots of them, but really any critter in the "insect" group (winged, legged, or legless) is acceptable and highly valued. They don't live long in his care but it's not for lack of trying. Like the time he found a live moth and put it in his bug box. Then he put a golf ball in there so it would have something to play with. Then proceed to tip the box back and forth rolling the ball to show it how to play. He was confused when the newly flattened moth wouldn't fly any more. Or play with its ball.

Soaking Wet

2010-09-19T19:40:00.016-04:00

We attempted to attend the first Furman football home game last weekend. It had been sprinkling off and on all morning and we took our chances that the rain would be 'off' during the game. Unfortunately this was not the case. It sprinkled, then drizzled, then out and out rained. Thankfully the girls stayed back at the tailgate tent with some protection from the rain. That is until the little girls decided that it would be fun to run around in the rain.

Ivey and McClellen at the beginning of the water works.

Daddy and Hudson were forced to leave the game because of the downpour.

Campbell had braved the game for a little while but she too had to come back with her daddy.

Even the pony was wet.

Thankfully we planned ahead with towels and extra clothes, just in case.

What is it about wet grass that makes it spread like confetti?

On second thought, its more like glitter. Glitter shows up in places you didn't put it and keeps appearing long after the last time you used it. Definitely more like glitter.

Mr. Froggy Finds a Home

2010-09-18T20:04:00.000-04:00

Nana and Pop were here for a visit. We had a great time with them. The visits are never long enough. While here Pop found a little frog for Hudson.

Can you see it at the bottom of the bottle? It's brown.

The release.

The chase.

The rescue.

Hudson had no hesitation at grabbing at the jumping frog. He caught it and held it briefly before it jumped away. Hudson chased it but Pop had to pull him back for fear that the frog might not make it past the grass line. As he shooed it into the bushes I heard, "Run Forest, Run" in my head. I'm thinking a few of you will get that.

Mr. Money Bags

2010-09-18T19:40:00.000-04:00

Hudson loves to collect change and has been collecting for some time. We have been keeping it in a bank in his room and he has amassed quite a bit. We sorted all the different coins and put them into rolled coin papers and took it all to the bank.

Money is surprisingly heavy. Must be those gold bars we have hidden in the bottom of the bag.

The teller helped us transform the money into a form a little easier to carry.

This was a great day for Hudson!

Friends at the Zoo

2010-09-10T15:02:00.000-04:00

Just before Labor Day we had a fun outing with Jack and Mia at the zoo. We had tried to get together several times on mild days but it didn't work out. The one day it did work out for us to meet happened to be an extremely hot day. Nothing like pulling kids in a wagon uphill in 90+ degree heat! We enjoyed the company very much though so it was a small sacrifice to make.

The kids got a little cool-down at the spray station. Here are Jack and Mia and a little zoo visitor running through the mist with McClellen directing them on. Wait, where's Hudson?

Doin' his own thing of course!

There is a little playground nestled inside the zoo and we stopped to play for a little while. Hudson is giving his "muscles" pose.

Jack steers the ship. That'll be Captain Jack to you!

McClellen made her way through the tunnel.

Sweet Mia loved the springy animals.

Thanks for persevering through the heat with us guys! We had a great day.

Labor Day Fun

2010-09-08T18:00:00.001-04:00

We got to spend the holiday at the lake with family. I took pictures, or so I thought, but there weren't very many and they weren't very flattering so I'm showing you the better ones. Coincidentally, they are of the little girls.

McClellen loves jewelry and accessories and enjoyed the leis tremendously, usually wearing them all at one time.

I took a picture of this spunkadoodle coming in the house.

When she realized what I was doing she stopped, gave me her biggest smile and hammed it up!

McClellen finally got her turn on the jet ski. I say finally because she has not enjoyed wearing her life jacket this summer. It has taken all season for her to tolerate it for even a little while.

A self-portrait on a boat ride. You can see she is less-than-thrilled with the jacket but she did enjoy the ride.

First Day of K3

2010-09-07T21:38:00.001-04:00

Hudson began K3 at our church today. He is somewhat used to the drill because he attended MDO here also but this is a new teacher and a new room.

This photo is from our "Meet the Teacher" day last week. His teacher happens to go to our church as well and we were happy that he will be with her this year.

The next photo is from this morning.

Train shirt: check

Blue back pack: check

Decorated bag for show and tell: check

He's ready!!

In case you're wondering what he brought for show and tell...

Contents of bag: 2 blue high-bounce balls and 1 orange one

You never know!

Ready For Takeoff

2010-09-01T13:23:00.001-04:00

We had the unique opportunity to attend some friends' birthday party at the downtown airport last Saturday. Hudson's friends from MDO, twins Lilli and Colton had a very fun party with airplanes.

Hudson and his friend Cohen (also from MDO) on the plane.

The boys looking at the cockpit. Don't touch!!

Making like airplanes.

Making airplanes.

The honorees Colton and Lilli.

Thank you for having our family over for your birthday fun!!

Just Like a Man

2010-08-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

The other day I heard Hudson bumping around in the bathroom so I went to check on him. I found this, the toilet paper roll, on the floor.

As I was asking him why it was on the floor I spotted this out of the corner of my eye.

It's a roll of paper towels on the toilet paper dispenser.

He told me, "I just changed it."

Every joke, story, and stereotype of men and bathroom habits went through my head at once and I had a good laugh that day. Maybe next time he'll stack some magazines in there too.

Super H

2010-08-26T21:48:00.002-04:00

Folly Fun

2010-08-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a great week at Folly Beach with Grammy, Doc, Abbey, Adam, and Ava. We had great weather which made for lots of beach time. The kids all love the beach and we were glad that this year both of the girls were walking and playing as opposed to last year when they were little babies and had to nap all the time.

Hudson spent lots of time doing this

and this

Prissy cousins get to dress alike

and play together at the Children's Museum.

Brothers and sisters shop together at the museum

and sometimes coordinate.

Daddy gets in on the fun

and so does Mommy.

Grammy tells good stories

and Doc plays on the beach.

We love the beach! Thank you Doc and Grammy for a great week there!

Here He Comes to Save the Day

2010-08-14T09:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Hudson chose to wear his Superman cape and belt along with his John Deere hat out while we ran errands. So he did.

Later in the day he asked me to make this sign for his door:

I did explain that we have veto power over this.

Graffiti Artist

2010-08-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

Someone, and I won't say who, wrote on the back of the hallway door with an orange crayon.

I suppose there had been some sort of mixed message because earlier in the day we had drawn on the chalkboard wall which was exciting and fun.

I guess the fun just didn't end there.

So today we channeled our artistic expression back in a better direction.

15 Months

2010-08-10T13:49:00.000-04:00

McClellen turned 15 months old on August 1 but her well-baby visit wasn't until the 9th (yesterday) so I waited to post about it. She is 30 inches tall (37%ile) and 19.8 pounds (7%ile). She's still a little mini-girl.

BUT, what she lacks in size she more than makes up for in personality. She is an accomplished walker and walks with a purpose; She is not easily intimidated. She has a huge vocabulary for her age and pretty good articulation skills and is able to let you know what she wants, when she wants it, and how she wants it! She still loves to read books and is starting to ask for her favorites by name. She also loves music and to dance and we are starting to hear her sing phrases of songs with or without the music. On occasion she will put 2 words together like this morning when she told me "all done pool". I know you're thinking that that was 3 words but two-word utterances that always go together, such as 'thank you' or 'all done', don't actually count as putting a two-word phrase together because they are learned as one "unit", if you will. (well that was an SLP flashback!)

Here she was begging me to get down a zebra puppet.

She gives Hudson a run for his money these days and I think that they are equally enamored with each other. They sure do have some fun together and she thinks that he is hilarious. Don't be fooled though. This one is becoming more able at holding her own against him physically and is now, through gestures and words, becoming able to tell me what it is that he has done that has made her cry.

Tattle tale.

And don't think for a minute that she doesn't know how to push his buttons because she does. And does it well.

At 14 months she decided to cut all 4 of her incisors so she now has 16 teeth. All that are left are the 2-year molars. Having a lot of teeth sure does make it easy to eat a lot of different kinds of food which has come in handy since this one is an eater. All. day. long. This appetite, along with love for books, big vocabulary, love for dance, and strong will (among other things) come as no surprise to my parents who continue to tell me how she is just. like. me. in these areas. Hmmmm...

Elmo Love

2010-08-08T16:30:00.001-04:00

McClellen loves Elmo. She can spot him or his likeness a mile away. During her before-bed snack we noticed her doing this

She loves her Elmo and did not want him to go hungry. He seems to like cheddar cheese. Now you know.

Lake Day

2010-08-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

Brad's BFG had a little get-together at the lake. It was a great day and we had lots of fun. We played in the water and then grilled out for lunch. Afterwards, it was naps for some and a boat ride for others.

A quick snack before the big fun

Entertaining ourselves while we wait for the gang to arrive

Come on in, the water's fine!

Friends who love the water too

Ready, set, go!

Remember the "other" Hudson?

She finally tolerated the life jacket. A breakthrough!

Here Fishy Fishy

2010-08-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago Hudson took a little trip with Doc and Grammy down to the Atlanta Aquarium. They met Kathi, Nathan, and Isaac there for some fun.

Hudson, Nathan, and Isaac.

The mouth of the whale slide, Hudson and Doc.

Watching fish with Grammy.

See the scuba diver in there?

Funky 3D glasses.

We're told everyone had a great time and the boys enjoyed being together without any girls (Nathan and Isaac have a little sister too). That was our plan!

What a Weekend

2010-07-26T21:29:00.000-04:00

We met my parents at my brother's house for the weekend. It was the hottest weekend of the summer. Not just because I thought it was hot but because it really was super, super hot. Well, if you consider 100+ degrees hot, that is.We found some relief at the ice cream shop...

and in the pool!

On Monday our little family made our way to Bryson City, NC for a fun day out with Thomas. The weather forecast was for 85 but, yet again, it was hotter than expected at almost 100 degrees.

Here is the train of the day

and one very excited little boy!

We got to ride on Thomas' passenger car

and meet Sir Topham Hatt

There was plenty of fun for everyone. There was a bounce house (which Hudson surprisingly tried), a movie, a story time, lots of Thomas table fun, bubbles, balloon animals, coloring tables, and what would a day out with Thomas be without goats? Anyway, we were able to do the activities we wanted to do but we didn't push and try to do everything.

We played until the kids wilted and it was time for naps anyway.

Thanks everyone for a fun weekend!

Recipe For Fun

2010-07-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

1. Dig hole.

2. Add water.

3. Enjoy!

The clean up?

A chase around the yard with the hose.

Thomas Day

2010-07-15T20:14:00.000-04:00

Our local Toys R Us held a little Thomas the Tank Engine event on Saturday. We took the kids and ran into a few friends there (hi Jack, Mia, and Seamus). It was fun for all!

They had Thomas table play, paper hats, story time (shown here), coloring pages, a game, and of course coupons and Thomas merchandise for sale. I saw a few grandparents picking up things to buy but none of the parents. ha!

Evening Fun Downtown

2010-07-14T09:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Daddy called to say that he had a work function at the end of the workday that he had forgotten about and it would put him home a little late. We took advantage of the new schedule and headed downtown for the evening. Daddy was able to meet us there after his function. It was warm and very humid with little breeze to speak of but the kids and I had a good time despite the stickiness.

Finger Painting

2010-07-13T10:13:00.001-04:00

A few days ago someone, and I won't say who, discovered how to get the lipstick out of the tube

using her fingers

and applied it to her mouth, hands and pajamas.

Cute as a button, isn't she?

I think of the try-mommy's-makeup-on as a rite of passage for little girls and I'm thankful it didn't end up on the furniture and carpet.

She would have lost cute points for that.

Free Chicken!

2010-07-10T13:53:00.000-04:00

Once again it was cow appreciation day yesterday at Chick-fil-a. We donned our requisite cow spots and headed over for free food!

Daddy met us there for lunch but he didn't do too much with cow attire. And by didn't do too much I really mean did nothing at all. That's ok, we were not ashamed to be seen with him.

Drumming With Style

2010-07-09T14:57:00.000-04:00

Hudson's still drumming over here. He loves it and practices all the time. He's taken to putting his ball cap on backwards when he plays and he's added a wrist flick. Watch and see...

I hope you are able to see his progress since the last drumming video I posted. He's got a lot more control and playing seems to be coming more easily for him.

McClellen still loves the drums too. She practically runs to Hudson's room when she hears him start to play and she will go in there to play with them even when he is not there. Usually she sits or stands on the floor beside the set and taps on them with whatever is handy, her hands, toothbrush, a toy, and sometimes she gets a drumstick. You may have noticed her participating on the video above. On this day we sat her in the seat and gave her both the sticks to use. All. by. herself.

Independence Day

2010-07-07T20:32:00.000-04:00

This post was supposed to happen yesterday but the internet or computer or something jammed up on me and I couldn't get it finished.

We spent the 4th and 5th at the lake with sparklers

and family

attempting to take memorable photos

engaging in water gun battles

wearing sassy suits

enjoying? the lake

and opening presents.

We celebrated the 4th of July and BobBob's birthday with tons of family and tons of fun. We think that McClellen has come around to wearing a life jacket (note expression in photo above. Imagine scream that accompanied said expression) and therefore can maybe, sort of enjoy being in the lake....for about 90 seconds.

Hope your holiday was fun too!

Beat the Heat

2010-07-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

We finally had a break in the weather so we've been able to get out and do some things without immediately melting into the sidewalk. On Friday we went to the zoo with our friend Lydia and her mommy LeAnne. Every day camp, zoo camp, family reunion, and day care also took advantage of the pleasant weather so we weren't able to take as many photos as we'd have liked. Brad and Kevin (Lydia's Daddy) were able to meet us for a picnic lunch and we had a great time!

Hudson and McClellen

Lydia and McClellen

Running through the mister to cool off. Hudson has taken the lead and has already run through. McClellen is directing the rest of us. Typical.

Lion tamers

Dining Al Fresco

2010-07-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

One Hot Party

2010-06-30T13:19:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went to Brody's birthday party at the fire station. It was so much fun!!

The cake table

A funny place for a mirror

Suiting up

Down the pole

The difference between girls and boys

Chasing the remote-controlled fire truck

A real fireman really going down the pole

A fire dog

It was a really fun party and the firemen on duty that day were great with the children. Hudson and McClellen made fast friends with these guys. Thankfully there were no fire emergencies during our party and the only heat came from the hot June sun.

Conversation From This Morning

2010-06-29T09:40:00.000-04:00

Mommy: We put your initials on the bottom so we know this is your flashlight. Look, it says HBM. What name does the "H" stand for?
Hudson: Hudson
Mommy: That's right. What about the "B"? What does the "B" stand for?
Hudson (without missing a beat): B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and na na na na na na.

Well, as the song says, Bingo was his name-o.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2010-06-22T09:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday. And as my gift to you (because I'm just that way) I gave you the first official day of Summer and with that a bonus--the longest day of the year. I hope you made the most of the extra daylight and didn't just fritter it away.

Maybe if I'd given you some notice you could have planned a little better.

It was in the upper 90s here and we sweated and melted our way through the day. We had some pool fun with these little friends which helped us to manage the morning heat.

Hudson with the big boys, Ryan and Scott.

McClellen reclining and casually eating lunch.

Ashley nibbling on her snack mix.

After dinner we had this scrumptious delight. I looked forward to it all. day. long.

Oh how I love chocolate cake with chocolate frosting from Strossner's!!
Brad thought it was hilarious to put my age on the cake using the kids' birthday candles.

If I weren't trying to set such a good example of eating a healthy meal before dessert I would have just carved into this baby for my dinner.

And this baby loved our dessert.

It was straight to the bathtub for her!

I've enjoyed a few days of birthday fun with cards, phone calls, emails, and messages from friends and family and Brad and I went out to dinner alone on Sunday night as an early birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T21:20:00.000-04:00

Lakehouse Party

2010-06-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

We joined Grammy and Doc at the lake this weekend during their BFG party. A good time was had by all on the hot, hot summer day. In total there were 4 boats, 2 Sea Doos and about 60 people. There was no shortage of fun, conversation, or food.

Some of the group down on the dock.

Who doesn't like a little ping pong?

One of Hudson's favorite activities of the day. He asked anyone and everyone to play with him.

Lunch from the buffet.

What can I say? The boy knows how to relax!

She worked so hard to get this bucket on her head. It fell off several times and she would work just as diligently each time to get it back on her head. Once it was on for good she proceeded to walk around eating her watermelon slice.

She was very happy about the lunch buffet. This girl is a born eater and eats all. day. long. A girl after my own heart!

13 month, 14 months, and a Hair Cut

2010-06-19T20:46:00.001-04:00

In the midst of all the traveling and travel posts I didn't post about McClellen turning 13 months. She'll be 14 months on July 1st so I'm too late for one and too early for the other. I'm thinking at this point I may not do a milestone post every month but may wait until the bigger ones like 15 and 18 months. But since I've brought up the subject...

At 13 months Little Miss became an official walker. She took her first steps around 12 months and had been doing more and more walking ever since. If you stood her up or if she used furniture to boost herself up to standing she could take off but the morning we left for our trip she learned how to stand up on her own. That is, to go from sitting to squatting to standing and then take off walking.

And there has been no turning back.

Now she walks everywhere, usually carrying a toy or two with her. You can imagine that we find all kinds of interesting things scattered around the house now.

Sooooo, on another note McClellen has discovered this:

I am thrilled! Barbie was very important to me growing up and Nana had gotten McClellen her first Barbie some time ago. I put it in the curio cabinet in her room for 'later'. Well, a few days ago I was getting something out of there and she noticed the collection of dolls in there and the cries for "baby, baby, baby doll" began. I can't let her play with the big dolls (yet) but I could give her this gem. She loves it. It originally had on heels, a necklace, and a tiara. I took off the heels and necklace of course but I thought the tiara was sewn on so I didn't take it off. Lo and behold she discovered it was not attached and when I looked over McClellen had the itty bitty lavender tiara perched atop her head. She looked at me and said, "hat". At that moment I wanted to buy her the Barbie Dream House so we could sit and play for hours. PS-Barbie is not wearing the tiara here. I put it safely away.

On Friday she had her first hair cut. This morning it looked like this:

Not too bad, huh? I had just brushed it. It looks like this for about 3 minutes then gathers up into a large rattail looking thing. That's because it's thicker in the middle and wispy on the sides and the long layers seem to be growing from the middle of her head and the underneath layers are still short. Weird.

Just for kicks I tried this:

This was the first time I'd ever tried a ponytail. Funny isn't it? (See how the picture is blurry. She's walking away from me. I'm starting to get more of this now that she's a-walkin')

The rest of her hair is growing in a little patchy and gets raggedy quickly so I thought it was best to go ahead and trim it now so that it will grow in more evenly over the next few months.

The first cut

Working the top---mohawk style

Nice and trimmed

We went to Jellybeans where a child's first haircut is only a penny. Can't beat that. She also got a certificate with a swatch of her hair for a keepsake and a balloon and jellybeans.

More Fun

2010-06-15T13:28:00.000-04:00

More fun things from our trip:

Story time

and puppets

Playing at Mimi's house

Visiting with Addison

Behold-another train!

and relaxing on the car ride home.

This is hilarious to me. She put the blanket around herself like that and soon fell asleep.

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

2010-06-14T14:34:00.000-04:00

After our trip to Knoxville we stayed at Nana and Pop's house for a great visit. As you know Hudson is BIG TIME into trains right now and the Thomas the Train gene has also kicked in. Good for us that my home town was founded as a railroad town so there are tracks all around and plenty of trains to watch.

We saw this

and this

and did this

and this

she was not to be denied the fun

and we saw this

and did this

This is the man responsible for all of this

and he stands here in front of this station. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Station was built in 1912-1913.

Just in case you wanted to know about Collis P. Huntington:

was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along withLeland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S.transcontinental railroad. Huntington then helped lead and develop other major interstate lines such as the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which he was recruited to help complete. The C&O, completed in 1873, fulfilled a long-held dream of Virginians of a rail link from the James River at Richmond to the Ohio River Valley. The new railroad facilities adjacent to the river there resulted in expansion of the former small town of Guyandotte, West Virginia into part of a new city which was named Huntington in his honor.

Next, turning attention to the eastern end of the line at Richmond, he was responsible for the C&O's Peninsula Extension in 1881-82 which opened a pathway for West Virginia bituminous coal to reach new coal piers on the harbor of Hampton Roadsfor export shipping. He also is credited with the development of Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, as well as the incorporation of Newport News, Virginia as a new independent city. After his death, both his nephew Henry E. Huntingtonand his stepson Archer M. Huntington continued his work at Newport News, and all three are considered founding fathers in the community, with local features named in honor of each.

Much of the railroad and industrial development Collis P. Huntington envisioned and led are still important activities in the early 21st century. The Southern Pacific is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad, and the C&O became part of CSX Transportation, each major U.S. railroad systems. West Virginia coal still rides the rails to be loaded aboard colliers at Hampton Roads, where nearby, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding operates the massive shipyard.

Fun Fact: The statue of Collis P. was sculpted by the same man who sculpted Mt. Rushmore.

And now you know.

On the Road Again

2010-06-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

We snatched up Adam and took him with us to K-town to visit Josh, Debbie and the girls. They recently moved to a new house and we wanted to see it. And swim in their pool!

Hudson finished swim lessons just in time.

Big fun in the Shock Rocker.

Bathing beauties. Notice that Brianna is wearing bangle bracelets with bead necklaces attached, high- heel dress-up shoes, and carrying a fairy wand. Such girlie-girls!

A self-portrait.

McClellen's choice for participating in the pool. I was shocked. She loves the bath-love love loves it-so I thought she would love the pool. Not so much. She really preferred to sit on the side and play.

Thankfully they have the child safety gates around their pool for good measure.

We visited a super-duper-neato toy store with lots of toys on display for playing. Most importantly they had a Thomas train table. Hudson is super into Thomas now. Looks like everyone likes a little Thomas and some Sodor Island fun.

He's this into it.

McClellen kept the pace moving around the store.

There was a huge baby doll section with lots of doll furniture and tea sets and clothes. That's where I wanted to stay and play.

And this big kid liked the race track.

Savannah, being the oldest, had lots of patience for playing with castles and princesses.

We visited downtown Knoxville for their Wednesday Market. It was such fun with tons of local musicians playing and local growers selling produce and plants. We got our lunch to go and sat in a little green spot in the center of it all.

There was plenty of room for chase...

and silliness!

Last stop the ice cream shop. I guess you can't tell that though because they had already eaten their ice cream at this point.

Thanks for all the fun guys! We had a super time!!

Story Time

2010-06-01T20:45:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend we had an opportunity to see and hear Uncle Adam at a storytelling gig at a WV festival. He is really good (well, he is a professional after all!) and we enjoyed getting to hear a tale in person.

It was really, really hot that day so the kids' cheeks are rosy. They had a lot of fun though!

Hudson is M.I.A. in this picture (I think he was running around in the field) and McClellen is talking to one of my previous college professors. It was completely random to run into her and her husband here but it was nice to catch up as we hadn't seen each other since I was in grad school 11 years ago. Adam was playing the banjo here which Hudson loved.

Things Are Going Swimmingly

2010-05-30T21:36:00.004-04:00

Hudson took some swimming lessons at the YMCA in May.

This photo is from the first day of class. Miss Jen is his teacher. She is really, really good.

This is also from the first day of class.

This was taken the last day of class. It's hard to tell his progress from the pictures but in the first one he is right up on Miss Jen and in the second his body is completely horizontal in the water and his face is wet because he had been blowing bubbles while kicking and using his 'ice cream scoop' arms. He learned quite a bit and had a lot of fun. He was the youngest in the class but he kept up well.

This is also from the last day. He was working on back swims. The first few lessons he did this with his eyes closed so he wouldn't get water in his eyes. Isn't that hilarious?! This is Miss Kelly, the assistant teacher.

At the end of each class they sang "Little Speckled Frogs" and took turns jumping off the side of the pool. He's waiting his turn here.

It was a good time and Hudson is ready for summer-time swimming!

You Could Be Next

2010-05-25T12:39:00.004-04:00

It took a couple of tries to get her to sit still and say all the names so we missed a few on this clip. Ella and Baby are also names she says a lot.

Monkey See Monkey Do

2010-05-24T20:23:00.002-04:00

Hudson has added a song to his repertoire. Rather, a medley. A combination of the fan favorite "We Will Rock You" by Queen and "Oh, No" from VeggieTales. We like for our kids to be well-rounded.

And since little sister adores what big brother does...

Feed the Birds...

2010-05-22T20:45:00.000-04:00

tuppence a bag. (name the movie or actress who sings the song--it doesn't count of you Google it.)

We recently walked to the nearby lake to feed the geese and ducks.

We found a few in a yard.

Then on to the dock.

They liked our yummy treats.

What Did You Do Last Weekend?

2010-05-18T19:38:00.001-04:00

We went to the lake...

Ready for a dip?

Surveying the land.

First time in a life jacket and first time on the boat. She is sitting here for the picture only, we didn't let her ride solo while the boat was in motion.

Always ready for a boat ride and usually wanting to go faster.

Definitely loves the speed on this baby!

...and a party at Lydia's house.

The hostess

With Ella for dinner.

Playing in the ball pit. Hey, where'd your hairbow go?

There were lots of friends and lots of fun toys.

The adults enjoyed the evening sun.

I Almost Forgot

2010-05-13T21:16:00.000-04:00

In the midst of all the birthday events we spent an evening at a carnival that came through town. I was only posting things relative to the kids' birthdays at the time so I didn't post about this.

Here ya go.

Daddy had a work commitment one evening so Grammy and the kids and I went to the carnival. This same carnival came through this time last year when I was begging for the baby to come early patiently waiting for McClellen (remember, this post should have happened a few days before her birthday) and Grammy and Doc took Hudson out for the evening. He had a great time and remembered that when he saw the sign for the carnival this year. He was very excited about the carnival rides.

He rode the train.

And a super-speedy car.

She wanted to ride so badly. Alas, not tall enough yet.

Hudson completely surprised my by wanting to do this:

He loved this trampoline bounce so much he did it twice. He barely met the weight minimum to participate so it didn't take much of a bounce for him to go really high.

And she really wanted to do this too. She loves to bounce on our mini-tramp at home. She waited patiently and watched Hudson take his turn. Twice.

I tried to entertain her with the camera.

She was most happy to get to do this. It was the fastest carousel I've ever seen.

We're hoping that next year Hudson's had a bit more of a growth spurt and may be able to go on a few more rides. Here's to hoping!

Snowbirds

2010-02-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

Nana and Pop have had lots and lots and lots of snow and ice at their house this winter and they were fed up so they came down for a visit last weekend. It was a perfect weekend for them because our weekend was exceptionally warm.

We were able to go downtown for the afternoon and evening it was so warm and balmy. Hudson and Pop met Bob the horse. He pulls a carriage for tours of the downtown area.

Nana and the kids had a little Barrel of Monkeys fun. Which of course led to this:

How can you not make the monkeys into earrings?! Who didn't do this as a child?