It was tough, but I did it! I outlasted a 5 year old boy......hope I can get up in the morning.

Well, today was quite a day. In sum, it was a terrific father-son day and I thought I might share the highlights since I am alone tonight.

Jenn and Carly left today with Esther for New York where Jenn grew up (Sodus). It was a bittersweet moment seeing my two girls leave to travel miles away and I knew I would miss the hugs and kisses for awhile. Yet, it was also a moment I knew I had to make the most of since I had my son all to myself. Our first destination,.....Dicks Sporting Goods, the fishing department! That's right, I've got my license now and can fish anywhere in VA. Connor was excited and we picked out some bait, hooks and other odd and ends. We were ready!

It was a crowded dock at the small lake near our house, but Connor was impressive with his fishing skills. Although we caught nothing, he was casting and reeling in his line with the teenage boy scouts there like he's been doing it for years. One person caught an impressive turtle while we were there and I had no idea they were that large in such a small body of water. We were both glad to see that there was actually life stirring in the muddy waters below. That was all for today though.

Lunch was Connor's choice,....McDonald's. Although the food was not the most satisfying for me, the conversation was indeed. Every once in a while a 5 year old boy can somehow reflect on the most amazing concepts that some adolescents don't comprehend. Those moments are priceless and I was glad to be there for a meaningful chat with my son.

Connor's next choice for the day was Chuck E. Cheese. We are not regulars there at all, but he stumbled upon a coin from there at home and became fixated on the opportunity to play some games. It was a blast. We raced each other in sports cars, rode simulation roller coasters, flew fighter jets, hunted aliens and bad guys with our digital weapons, navigated spaceships, got our pictures taken, collected tickets and ate some treats. I'm not really sure which one of us had the most fun?

Next stop, the grocery store. Gatorade was on sale. It was the perfect opportunity for Connor to learn and observe how to give back to others. I explained to him that we were going to deliver some drinks to the guys that work on our cars. It was a hot day and the perfect time for some Gatorade on ice. Connor helped me pick out all different flavors and since he was such a big help I told him he could pick out some ice cream for dessert tonight. Mint Chocolate Chip,....just like his Mommy. = ) He was thrilled, but not as excited as the guys at the garage! They all gave him high fives and Connor learned how to feel good about giving.

On out drive home we passed over the railroad tracks. Connor wanted to then see the train. OK! We got our bikes ready and headed out for a ride. We rode around the neighborhood and stopped at the train tracks near our house. We have a tradition now of going there and building a rock tower while we wait for the train to rumble through. Today we constructed our best display yet for all to see and waved to the trains as they passed by.

We played follow the leader on bikes all the way home and sometimes laughing uncontrollably as Connor would do something silly and I would have to copycat him. One guy walking the dog looked at me probably wondering if I was suited to supervise a toddler and a woman spraying her plants just laughed and waved politely as I regressed with my son.

We were exhausted. Time to go inside. Connor wanted Mac and Cheese for dinner,....OK! He ate fast,.....he knew what was next. Dessert was no disappointment and he wanted to watch the Cars movie and eat ice cream. Yes, you guessed it,......I said OK. We had an indoor picnic, watched the movie, laughed at Mater, and still acted like kids.

About half way through the movie we got cleaned up with a bath, put our PJ's on, and rested some more. I went back upstairs to put away some clothes and laundry. Only after just a short time I returned to see my little man all wrapped up in a blanket in the chair and sound asleep. ZZZZZZZ. Absolutely adorable. I picked him up in my arms and felt like a Daddy again as I carried him to his bed. He opened his eyes briefly and said good night.

It was a good day! I made it and outlasted my son. I hope I have many more years of being able to do that, but I know there will come a time that I can't keep up. These days I will cherish forever.

As I prepare for bed and reflect on the eventful day, one moment stands out from the rest. As we were riding in the car this afternoon to come home the silence was broken by Connor's voice from the back seat.

"Daddy"

"Yes, Connor".

"Daddy, you are my best friend".

What Have We Been Up To?

Cleaning - For some reason, I have been bitten by the cleaning bug. That doesn't happen very often, so I'm taking advantage of the sting! Since Saturday, I've been on a mission. I removed all the mini blinds from our windows and, one by one, hosed them down and laid them on the front lawn to dry. This had to be done in stages, as they had to dry on towels so they'd stay clean. While the mini blinds were off the windows, I thought it a great opportunity to wash the windows, inside and out. So while the blinds were drying, I washed windows - and window sills. All 29 windows are complete as of this evening. Yippee!

While I was cleaning the windows in our bedroom I got the urge to move the furniture around. Ever since we moved into our house, I have been yearning to angle our bed as it was in our previous house. I tried it right after we moved in but didn't care for it. I still wanted to try it again. I convinced Matt to give it a try, so in the one hour before his dentist's appointment yesterday we moved everything around and we love it!

Upstairs doors have been washed...now for the downstairs doors and all baseboards. Then I'm done!

VBS - Connor and Carly are attending Vacation Bible School this week at North Run (where Connor went to preschool and where Carly will go in the Fall). 9:00 - 12:30pm each day I am free...to clean! The theme is Crocodile something or other and they seem to be enjoying themselves.

Celebrating "Daddy" - Matt requested that we spend Father's Day at the pool. No argument there. My mom graciously agreed and hosted us for the day. We took a short break for lunch and dinner, but spend the rest of the day at the pool. Connor and Carly spend quite a bit of time at the pool while I'm working and have really become avid swimmers. They both love the water and their swimming has really improved since last year. Matt and I were amazed with all they could do. Connor is swimming underwater, dives to the bottom of the pool for rings (4 1/2 feet deep), and can go from one end of the pool to the other. Carly still uses her swimmies some of the time, but has really gotten good at swimming underwater. She will push off from the steps and swim 4 or 5 feet to one of us. She is just tall enough to touch the bottom of the pool on her tippy tippy toes. It's cute to watch her "walk" across the pool. They are fish!

Speaking of fish - Matt was given a Fishing License for Father's Day in the hopes that he will take Connor fishing. Connor has a fishing pole and has been asking Daddy regularly to take him fishing. Now, there is no excuse. I think we should rent a pontoon boat at Lake Anna and spend the day, with the kids, sunbathing, swimming, and fishing!

Happy Father's Day, Matt. You never cease to amaze me. You are ALWAYS up for playing with C&C. You walk in the door, after a 45 minute drive from Fredericksburg with your arms open wide ready for hugs and kisses and, from that moment on, you are in Daddy mode. You talk with them, play with them, and just make them feel loved and important. You can make any object "fun" and you are constantly coming up for new uses for everyday objects, making us all laugh. You have a great, passive approach to talking with the kids and always seem to get so much information from them. You are such a devoted father...our kids are so lucky!

Worth The Wait

My Mother's Day gift arrived this morning. I knew it was coming and have been anxiously checking the front porch each day to see if it had arrived. Today was the day! It came wrapped in a 2x2 square brown box, tied beautifully with a ribbon labeled with the store's name. Inside the box, my ring laid on top of a bed of lavender. What a sight...

It is a sterling silver double ring stamped with Connor's and Carly's names. Check out their website...they have really neat stuff!

Thank you, Connor and Carly! I will treasure it always! (Good job, Matt!)

Girls' Weekend

I know I haven't been the best blogger lately. Not that there hasn't been lots going on...I've just been neglectful (is that a word?) So, in case you've been missin' me, here is a brief synopsis of this past weekend.

For one last MOPS Steering Team "retreat", Heather invited us to her mother's house on Lake Anna. We all rode together, enjoyed lunch at Panera, and then arrived at the Lake around 1:30ish. We immediately changed into our bathing suits and hopped onto the boat. We anchored and then just laid in the sun, swam a bit, talked, ate, drank, and laid in the sun some more. It started getting cloudy as our stomachs were growling, so we headed back to the house to get ready for dinner. Each of us brought a dish or two for the weekend's meals so meal prep was very easy. We sat out on the deck overlooking the lake as we ate dinner and chatted. The conversation and company were delightful. How sad is it that we were all pooped around 10:30ish and went to bed!

After a restful night, we awoke to a beautiful day. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and then hit the boat again.

Sunscreen...check

Towels...check

Trashy magazines...check

Gin Slushies...check

Good friends...check

Doesn't it sound too good to be true? It surely felt like it, too.

Thanks, ladies, for being the special people you are. I very much enjoyed our time together and can only hope we can all enjoy each other's company again before too long.

Preschool Graduation

Last Thursday was Connor's last day of Preschool. It was a day filled with mixed emotions. I was sad that we were saying goodbye to the teachers and staff at North Run. They have all been wonderful and have played such an important role in Connor's development. The last day of preschool also means that Kindergarten is right around the corner. Inevitably, the summer will fly by just as the school year did, and Connor will be riding the bus to Elementary School. My baby...going to school. Ugh...

Anyway, a fellow classmate invited the kids to his house after school to celebrate. They had lots of fun using the squirt guns, driving the "Gator", and running around. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon - before Graduation that evening.

The Graduation celebration that evening was very nice. For the first time in years, the 3 and 4 year olds had separate programs. We enjoyed the "concert" and had to chuckle at the kids waving furiously at their parents, talking to each other, etc...

Birthday Party...Finally!

OK, I know it's been a while...Here are some pictures from Connor's Wall-E themed birthday party last weekend. Lots of fun was had by all (I think)!





I had purchased Wall-E masks which the kids wore during the Wall-E trash hunt. They scoured the house for trash that had been previously hidden and filled their trash bags with their findings. They looked so cute in their masks.


Next up, the kids got to play in some dirt! Since the green plant in the movie played such an important role, the kids got to plant their own to take home. They actually stayed pretty clean!

Finally, they took turns with the pinata. This year, the pinata was a pull-string one. Each child took turns pulling a string until the "magic" string was yanked and all the candy fell out. I kinda' liked this non-violent version of the traditional pinata.

Connor blew out all five candles on his Wall-E cake made by Susie, a friend from church. She does amazing work. Check out her website.

Happy Birthday, My Boy

My sweet little boy has turned 5. I just can't believe we welcomed him into this world five whole years ago. It's just impossible.

The past five years have been filled with lots of laughter, tears, and an abundance of energy! This little guy has enough energy for all of us - I don't know how he keeps going. Inside, he has a heart of gold and seems to say the sweetest things - at just the right time. Lately, some random things he's said:

Mommy, are you married?

Yes, honey.

You are?

Yes, I am married to Daddy.

When I grow up, can I marry you?

No, sweetheart, you'll find another girl to marry. Someone you really love.

Aww, Mommy, I really want to marry you because I love you.

Mommy, I am so glad God made you. I am so happy that He made you my mommy, because you are the best Mommy in the world.

Connor, even though you are a big boy now, can I still call you my little boy?

Yes, Mommy, you can call me whatever you want.

Connor continues to provide us with overwhelming joy. His smile lightens up a room and his laughter is plentiful and contagious. He has continued to amaze us with all he's learned and how much he's grown this past year. This year, he...

had his training wheels removed

learned to ride a 16" bicycle

went skiing and went down the hill all by himself

learned to write his name with Uppercase and lowercase letters

can read and spell some three letter words

had his first "crush"

uses his imagination to role play

rode The Big Bad Wolf rollercoaster at Busch Gardens

learned to swim without floaties

fell in love with Wall-E and Star Wars

To celebrate his birthday, we invited his classmates over to watch the Wall-E movie. They had a great time. We will celebrate with other family and friends on the 17th. Happy Birthday, my sweet boy!

Julianna Kristine

was born this morning at 4am!

Kris (Matt's brother) was able to get special permission for Matt and I to visit this afternoon during "Grandparent's Visiting Hours" so we got to hold her (Yes, I did most of the holding!). We went back again this evening for Visiting Hours from 7-8pm but all the babies were in the Nursery. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces. She's a tiny little thing!

Here she is...


Here's Mommy with Matt...


and Daddy with Jenn...

Still Waiting...

Baby Terry was due on the 13th. He/She still hasn't arrived yet. We are anxiously waiting - hoping that he/she will come before we leave on Saturday. (I think it must be a boy...not being very cooperative already!) We'll keep you posted!

"Hoppy" Easter!

We are celebrating Easter here on Long Island with the Terry's. C&C woke up very early yesterday morning excited and anxious to see what the Easter Bunny had left for them. They went on their traditional "hunt" for their baskets and were thrilled to find them filled with themed goodies - and a couple of pieces of candy. Later on, when we thought it had warmed up a little, we went outside to hunt for eggs. We were all cold (and poor Carly didn't even have a coat - she had to wear my sweatshirt) so we were hoping they'd find all the eggs quickly! Of course, the weather didn't bother them a bit and they had lots of fun searching.

I had come prepared with our coordinating Easter outfits, however the weather was uncooperative and we would've frozen our tooshies off wearing them all day. So we changed into our outfits mid-day, ran outside to take a couple of shots, and then ran inside to change into warmer clothes for the remainder of the day. Did I mention that it was in the 40's, and felt more like the 30's...Brrrrrrr.