Solo Tybee Trip

As I mentioned, I was able to go visit my mom and step-dad at the beginning of February for my mom's birthday.  We actually celebrated both of their birthdays since they are only a week apart.

I planned for the visit to be a complete surprise to my mom.  Dick was in on the secret from the beginning.  Unfortunately I messed up and ended up telling her a few days before I left.  My original plan was to call her from the airport and tell her that I was on my way there.  I slipped up when I was taking Hannah to the doctor earlier in the week because I told her I wanted to take H before I left for the weekend.  I was so frustrated with myself!  I couldn't think of a cover story when she asked me where I was going so I just told her I was coming to visit her.  She was WAY excited!  Dick was relieved that I was the one to "ruin" the surprise and not him.

I left late on a Thursday.  It was two days after Atlanta had received their first snow storm.  Of course I was flying through Atlanta.  My flight out of OKC was delayed about an hour and a half and my flight out of Atlanta was also delayed.  I was originally supposed to get into Savannah at 11 but didn't end getting in until about 2:15 am.  We got back to the house about 3.  We were all tired and slept in the next morning.

After we finally got up we went to breakfast.  (I'll just say now that we ate out almost every meal while I was there.  It was wonderful :) )  After we got back, we all went for a bike ride.  We were all surpised to find a bunch of live sand dollars on the beach.  After we got back from our ride, mom and I went for a long walk.  It was a bit chilly but the sun was poking through the clouds a bit.  After being so cold at home for so long it was really nice to enjoy the warmth (it's all relative).  Friday night we went out for pizza and frozen margarita's and then enjoyed some down time at their house.  

Saturday was cold and rainy.  It was a bummer but we made the best of it.  Mom and I ran some errands and managed to get in a short walk before we got ready to go into Savannah for some shopping and dinner.  Savannah is about 35 minutes from Tybee.  We had fun walking around and poking in different shops.  We also enjoyed a fabulous dinner to celebrate the birthday people.  

Sunday was a glorious day.  The sun was bright and the temps were in the upper 60's.  After breakfast, mom and I went for a long walk through town, along the pier and the beach.  After our walk, we all went for another long bike ride.  (This town is great for getting exercise.)  I brought along a towel because I planned to dip my toes in the ocean.  I have to say it was pretty chilly but I couldn't imagine being at the beach and not feeling the water.  On our way home from our ride I suggested riding to another restuarant for lunch.  It was the perfect way to end my trip--sitting on the dock overlooking the back river enjoying a shrimp poboy with only shirt sleeves.  We rode home and then I packed and we headed to the airport.  Thankfully all return flights were on-time.

At one point during the day on Saturday, we were relaxing and each doing our own thing.  Mom asked me if I was okay or if I wanted to do something.  It was lunch time and I was completely happy sitting in my own little world not worrying about anything or anyone but myself.  It's important for us moms to have time by ourselves to recoup and recharge our batteries.  I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and time away.  Thanks to Troy and his parents for taking care of the kids so I could have a break and enjoy time with my mom.

What's Happening Around Here

Since I haven't blogged in such a long time here's some bits and pieces of life around here lately.

Hannah--

  *Words/phrases:

     -- I not.

     -- Pock (pocket)

     -- Jack (jacket)

     -- Thomas teeth (brushing her teeth with thomas toothpaste)

     -- I pay yegos (She wants to play legos.)

     -- Pease (please)

     -- Shawser (shower)

     -- Mato (tomato)

     -- Babow (strawberry) (not sure how she got that one)

     -- Ereal (cereal)
     -- Zert (dessert)

     -- Shawshores (dinosaurs)
     -- Apress (stickers)

     -- She is still babbling constantly and I'm sad that that phase is going to end soon.

     -- H loves counting.  It's still 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11.  But's she's now pointing to objects and counting them.

     -- We try to call Troy at work each morning while we're eating breakfast.  Hannah loves this and talks super fast to tell Daddy what she's eating for breakfast.

     -- When we pull into the garage, Hannah always says, "HOME!"

  *Singing constantly

     -- The alphabet is becoming much more clear and is understandable through the L, M, N, O, P section.

     -- Hammer, hammer, hammer, saw, saw, saw, Daddy built a house that's big and tall.

     -- Wheels on the bus is still a favorite.  She started doing the motions now.  And last night when I sang it before bed she had her doll do the motions--so cute!

  *Other

     -- Imaginative play is really developing for Hannah.  She likes to play with her dolls, take them shopping with all of her purses and play in her kitchen.

     -- Hannah loves to play outside.  Thankfully it's been warming up and we've been able to be outside using some new "bikes" and stuff from Christmas.

     -- Hannah is really loving school.  She is constantly asking about Janice and Lisa, her teachers.  On Monday and Wednesday when we drop off Luke, she always asks to stay and is bummed when she can't.

     -- Hannah sometimes asserts her independence in getting dressed.  It's not everyday but she will occassionally demand to wear a certain thing.  It's a sign of things to come I'm sure.

Luke--

  *School stuff

     -- Luke is writing all of his letters and numbers really well.  He's wanting to write more too which is great since that hasn't always been the case.

     -- Luke has had a few play dates with some school friends and he's getting to be a slight bit more social.

     -- Luke's teachers have told me that he has been standing up for himself more and doing so in a positive way.  That makes us very proud!

     --  We have enrolled Luke in a private school for kindergarten next year.  It's called Oklahoma Christian Academy or OCA.  We're really excited about it.

  *Other

     -- Luke decided to try out soccer again this spring.  A classmate's dad is the coach and Luke thought it would be fun to be on Nick's team.  I'm hoping he'll learn a bit more this time around and enjoy playing more in the games.

     -- Legos, Legos, Legos!  That's LJ's main focus these days.  He's really gotten into building things from his imagination.  It typically has something to do with robbers and their hideout and taking treasure from the good guys.

     -- Arts and crafts are also pretty high on the list.  He has asked to find projects on Pinterest a bunch lately and we've found some fun stuff.  

     -- Luke is also really enjoying our large, flat driveway.  He quickly figured out how to spin out on his bigwheel and he's been really having fun playing basketball.

     -- Luke has been demonstrating his compassionate heart a bunch lately.  He is always the first to try and comfort Hannah if she's upset.  He brings her his stuffed animals or blanket to cheer her up.  And the last few times I've had a headache he'll make me some sort of heart.  Yesterday he cut a heart out of construction paper, colored it and presented it to me.  We've been playing on the playground after school and almost every day we do, a mom will comment to me how apparent it is that Luke loves Hannah.  We are so proud of Luke in this :)

Troy--

  *Work

     -- Troy had a big presentation last Wednesday.  He worked a lot of last weekend to get prepared and it went really well.  

     -- He is really enjoying what he's working on right now. 

  *Other

     -- Troy has been doing some small projects around the house.  We have a long list of things we'd like to change/fix so it'll be an on-going thing for a while.

     -- Troy also enjoys playing Legos.  He's definitely been encouraging LJ in making all kinds of creations.

     -- Almost every night after dinner, Troy plays hop on pop with the kids.  I love watching all of them and listening to them laugh.

Amy--

  *House

     -- I've been debating starting some painting projects, mainly the kids' rooms.  I'd really like to get their rooms finished before doing anything else around the house.

     -- I feel like we're completely settled and really liking the new house.  We are all excited for some warm weather so we can enjoy the pool.

     -- My craft room still needs work.  It's taken a back seat but I know I'll get to it eventually.  It's awesome to have so much space dedicated to my art stuff.

  *Other

     -- I was able to go to Tybee Island, GA for my mom's birthday at the beginning of February.  It was a wonderful getaway for me.  I was truly able to relax and recharge my batteries plus I got to enjoy some one on one time with Mom and Dick.  We are all looking forward to our trip there as a family at the beginning of June.

     -- I've done some volunteering at Luke and Hannah's school lately.  I'm really enjoying it!  It's so nice to contribute and feel useful outside of our home.  

     -- I'm super excited that in two weeks I get to go on another scrapbook retreat.  I'll leave Friday morning and come back on Sunday afternoon.  I'm hoping to get as many if not more pages done than the last time I went (it was 36).

Some Pics

 Being goofy

 For several days around the beginning of January the ducks would all leave the pond and march up the fairway about sundown

 LJ loves to hold H's hand

 Trying out the new ride

 He's found a new tree to climb

 Ponytail!

 At Target--we found a hat and sunglasses; now she's ready for the beach!

 Love this face!

 Pigtails

 She loves her spaghetti!

 First round of snow before it was too cold to go outside.

 Valentine art project

 They love to lay together like this to watch TV

 Another art project

 More snow and sledding

 Hey Mags

 LJ with the two Nicks--they built a ramp at school

 No coats!

 Valentine's Day

 Art with Sarah

 Cheesy snuggles

At the zoo--they just really love being together (makes my heart very happy!)

Professional Pics

I'm super excited about these pictures.  A friend recommended Apryll Roderick of Cherish Me Photography and so she took Hannah's two year old pictures.  I love that you get to pay for the session and then you get a copyright release on all the proofs.  Hooray for printing whatever you want!

I wasn't sure how the session was going to go because Hannah hadn't taken a good nap before it was picture time but Apryll told me at the end of Hannah's session it was probably her best 2 year old session ever.  Apryll captured Hannah's personality really well and she was really fun to work with.  My favorites are the top three.  Enjoy!

5 1/2 Year Old Questionnaire

Today is Luke's 1/2 birthday.  We talked about it yesterday and then at lunch today Luke said what are we doing for my 1/2 birthday?  So, after dinner he and Troy went to Uptown Market to pick out some yummy treats.  Luke chose dirt and worms (pudding with chocolate crumbs and gummy worms).  So while he ate his dessert we went through this questionnaire that I've been running through with Luke every six months.  

How old are you? 5 (said like fiiiiivvvve)

How tall are you? standing on tip toes, hand on top of head, then mom will you stand up

How much do you weigh? shakes head
     I suggested guessing and he said I don't think I can guess.
     Why not I said?
     I just don't know he said.

What is your favorite toy? Legos

Favorite book? Magic Tree House chapter books

Favorite movie? Curious George

Favorite TV show? Clifford

Favorite food? pancakes

Favorite fruit? green apples

Favorite snack? fruit snacks

Favorite drink? slushy

Favorite activity? build Legos

Favorite color? green

Favorite sport? soccer

Favorite song? Clifford theme song

Favorite animal? elephants and giraffes

Favorite game? Curious George Beach Search and slap jack

Favorite outfit? looks at what he's wearing and says fire chief shirt (what he has on)

Favorite holiday? Christmas

What do you need in bed when it's time to go to sleep? pillow doggy
Best Friend? Nick Pitman (friend at school)

When I grow up I want to be? a Lego builder

Nicknames? Munchkin, Dude

Thing I am really good at? building Legos

Some other stats:

Clothing size: some 4T (pants mostly) and 5T or 5

Shoe size: 11

Height:  43 3/4 inches

Weight: 42 lbs

Terrific 2!

This post is a bit late.  Moving, holidays, company and sick kids have delayed it--all real life stuff.

Hannah is 2!!!  Her birthday was a low key day but a fun one for her none the less.  I'll do a post on it hopefully soon.

*Schedule: Her schedule hasn't changed much.  Monday through Thursday I get Hannah up by 7:45 if she's not already awake.  The other days of the week she's usually awake by 8:30 at the latest.  Hannah still doesn't nap the best although over Christmas break she's done well (consistency is good).  If she's at MDO, she's napping about an hour.  If she's at home it's usually about 2 hours but sometimes it's significantly shorter.  About one day a week she will take a 3 hour-ish long nap (I like those days).  Hannah is still going to bed between 7:30 and 8 although on the weekends it is a bit later.

*Stats: Hannah had her 2 year check-up this morning.  She weighed 31 lb 11 oz (95%) and she was 36 3/4 inches (97%).  We have a tall girl on our hands.  Hannah is now wearing at least 2T clothes and some 3T.  At her appointment this morning they asked how many teeth she has so I looked to double check.  At least one of her upper 2 year molars has come through (she wouldn't let me get another good look to check the others).  I don't think I've mentioned that her eyes have remained a very brilliant blue.  Her hair is almost to a point where it needs a trim--basically just her bangs so they'll be out of her eyes.

*Food: Hannah's appetite has dropped off dramatically.  I can no longer count on her eating whatever I put in front of her.  She has even stopped eating so many black beans and guacomole/avocados.  She is not a big fan of meat but still loves cheese.  Breakfast and dinner are the hardest meals--we never know if she'll eat anything or not.  Lunch tends to be good although it too can be iffy sometimes.  She still out eats Luke although not with as much frequency.  Her favorites include: cheese, rice, fruit (strawberries and raspberries most but any will work)

*Activities: Pretty much any activity for Hannah involves a declaration of independence.  She wants you to play with her but on her terms and you have to do what she wants you to.  I've had several comments that this will be a huge asset later in her life; let's just hope we all survive her teenage years :)  Hannah has really gotten into role playing with dolls.  She loves to push them in a stroller or play dress up with some new dolls she got for Christmas.  Another big activity for Hannah is playing with Legos.  She would love to play with Luke's Legos but for now she gets to play with the Duplos.  She's really good at building towers.  Pushing buttons of any sort is still a big thing for Hannah.  Dancing is also a favorite especially in the car.  She insists that whoever is in the car dance along when there's a good beat.  Reading books, coloring/drawing (especially tracing hands), helping and going bye-bye are all big on Hannah's list of things to do.

*Noises/Talking:  Hannah's new words are too numerous to list.  She learns new words every day it seems.  Her sentences are also getting longer--some are 4 words long.  And she definitely is saying longer phrases we just don't know exactly what she's saying yet.  Singing is still a favorite thing.  By far her favorite is Frere Jacques or as she says it Frere Jacq, Broder John.  Other cute words:
     --Kleenex: Kleenuck
     --Waffle: Affle
     --Music: Musac
     --Football: Fooball
Hannah is also starting to count.  It goes something like: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 and then she says some teen numbers but they're not clear yet.  We've been working on the 4-5-6 part :)

*Random:  Hannah loves pockets (or pock).  She gets very excited when she finds pockets in her pants or coats.  Hannah also has really gotten into trains.  It's no wonder with all the train stuff we have around here but I'm thrilled that all of our Thomas stuff will be used again.  Hannah loves shoes (which is not really a big surprise considering her family history).  Grandma and Grandpa H got her some red cowboy boots for her birthday; they are a huge hit!

And now for the cute pictures:

We had some professional 2 year pictures taken last Saturday.  It's supposed to take about 2 weeks to get them back.  I can't wait!  The photographer said it was probably her best 2 year photo shoot ever; Hannah was really in a good mood.