Monday, May 25, 2009

Beach trip

We spent last week at the beach. We had some rough spots with the condo we stayed in and a place we ate. The weather was overcast for most of the trip, but it was nice to be away and have some family time.

On Monday, when we got there we went out to the beach for a little bit to let the boys play in the sand. This was Andrew's first trip to the beach and I wasn't sure how he'd react to the sand. He loved the sand! And Austin couldn't stand it; he just had to get in the water even if he didn't have his swimsuit on!

We went out to the beach on Tuesday morning and that afternoon we went to Souvenir City, our first of three trips. We would go there as kids and have our picture taken in front of the big shark. We do the same thing with the kids. At first I thought we were nuts for doing that, but then I saw other people taking pictures too.

On Wednesday, we went to the beach and the pool in the morning. Then, the clouds rolled in so we went to the outlets. We had lunch at Lambert's. Austin thought it was so funny how they throw rolls at you and play little jokes on the customers.
That afternoon we went to play putt putt golf at Adventure Island. Austin loved playing! Of course, he thought the more points you scored the better. We played two rounds, through the volcano. Gene and Austin rode in the go-carts and then we all played in the arcade. We won all kinds of tickets and other people kept giving us theirs so Austin had quite a few to buy prizes. He picked out Tootsie Rolls, Air Heads, Smarties, and Sweet Tarts.

On Thursday and Friday, we went to the beach and the pool in the morning. On Friday, we played putt putt again. But this time we played at Pirate Island. We played twice. Austin got a hole in one this time!

On Saturday, it was overcast and a little rainy in the morning so we went out to Fort Morgan to kill some time. Austin thought the cannons were really neat and he liked being able to walk through the tunnel. We also saw the rigs in the bay which were pretty cool too.

When we got back to the condo, we started eating lunch and the fire alarm went off so we had to evacuate the building. Luckily, it was a false alarm. Of course, Austin liked it because he got to see the fire trucks up close.
Sunday, we spent most of the day at the beach and pool because it was our last day and actually decent weather. Andrew crawled through the sand down to the water's edge and let the waves come over his legs and feet. He splashed in the wet sand; he had sand all in his hair, on his face, and in his shorts. Austin, of course, built a volcano.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Andrew's official birthday party

We had Andrew's official birthday party today complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, and cake. It wasn't the ideal day for grilling. The temperature was in the 60s and it was rainy. Gene was a trooper grilling the ton of meat we bought!

Andrew got a lot of clothes for his birthday, some for our beach trip. He's in an 18-24 month and we didn't have a ton of stuff in that size for summer from when Austin was little. So the new clothes are great! He also got a rocking horse, some money for our trip to the beach, and a swing for outside. We had already given him the gifts from us: books, a sprinkler splash mat, and a ride around buggy.

He loved eating the cake, of course, and trying on his new shades!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Birthday party #1

Gene and I went down to the kids' school a little early, before graduation, to celebrate Andrew's birthday with his class. Andrew had to go to the doctor on his birthday and didn't get to enjoy snack with his friends. I brought cupcakes for the kids.
At first, Andrew wasn't sure about it.

But then he realized that it tasted good. It was all over for that cupcake.

Preschool graduation


Austin graduated from preschool today. The director of the center spoke for a few minutes and then the kids marched in with their little caps on. They sang the Peanut Butter and Jelly song and the graduate song. We watched a slide show with pictures of the kids from this year. The kids were so funny watching it because they were talking, more like yelling, at all the pictures in the slide show. I think they loved seeing all the pictures of each other. Then, Austin received his certificate. We went back to the classroom for cake and punch after all the kids got their diplomas.

I know Austin doesn't get the significance of the whole event. He doesn't know that soon he'll be leaving this place and these friends and moving onto bigger and better things. At least, we have the summer, right?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Andrew's one year stats

I took Andrew to the pediatrician this afternoon for his year checkup. He got 3 shots and his finger stuck. He weighed 24.1 pounds and is in the 75th percentile for weight. He was 31 3/4 inches tall and is between the 90-95th percentile for height. Dr. Hamm tried to get Andrew to take a few steps, but he was a little shy and didn't show off for him. Maybe next time!

Happy 1st Birthday Andrew!

I can't believe that you are one year old today. My, how you have grown! Although you have changed A LOT, there are many things that are the same as when we brought you home from the hospital. You are very ticklish. You are ticklish everywhere! You've always been a good night sleeper. And, for the most part, you've always been a very happy baby. You laugh and screech a lot.

You love throwing balls. You are still cruising along the furniture but you've taken quite a few steps on your own. You stand by yourself sometimes waving your arms in the air.

You are very talkative; you babble about all sorts of things. You say dada, mama (sometimes), uh oh, and thank you. You've learned two signs, the sign for more and the sign for all done.

You love to eat. You eat most anything, but there are two things that you're not too crazy about: mashed potatoes and green beans. You've eaten more than your brother sometimes!


We've had such a wonderful first year with you, getting to know you and your personality. We love you very much and can't wait to see what year 2 will bring!


Then -- May 13, 2008


Now -- May 13, 2009

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

I slept in until 6:30 a.m. this morning before Andrew made his presence known. Austin and Andrew gave me a chocolate heart, chocolate lips, and a card. Inside the SpongeBob card, Austin had written his name and Andrew scribbled something. AND Gene got me a gift card to a spa. I can't wait to make my appointment!
We went to WalMart to pick up some things for our beach trip and buy Andrew's birthday present. We got home, ate lunch, and I actually got to take a brief nap while the kids napped. All in all, it's been a good day!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Mother's Day gifts

Ever since Austin started "school" I've gotten various homemade gifts for Mother's Day. Most of them involve hand or foot prints which I truly love. I received my homemade gifts yesterday from the kids. From Andrew, I got a little photo album with pictures from school, a little poem, and a hand print. The pictures are pretty funny. There's a few of him and some friends and others of just him. From Austin, I got a hand print flower with a little poem, a card where Austin wrote "Happy Mother's Day Love, Austin," a bracelet he strung himself, and a questionnaire about me. For the last couple of years, Austin's teachers have asked him questions about me including my name, favorite food, favorite color, etc. Here are the questions and Austin's answers; they are both hilarious and sweet!

What's your mom's name? Anna
What does she do? Sends e-mails
How old is she? 90
What does Daddy call her? Honey
What is her favorite color? Green
What is her favorite food? Chicken fingers
I love my mom because...I love her
My mom looks beautiful because...her pretty dress

Saturday, May 2, 2009

First fish

Nonna and Papa took Austin to the Alabama Outdoor Expo today. He saw all sorts of things there. He got to touch real sharks and a live stingray. He got to see a helicopter rescue people from the water. He shot a bee bee gun and a bow and arrow. He also caught his very first fish!


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