Catch Up Photos from winter to spring

As of June 29, Landen is missing both front teeth now, making it nearly impossible to eat these s'mores we made at Bass Pro Shop for free. Ya, they have a fun summer program of workshops that can earn the kids 9 different pins. We just need 2 more. They also have free crafts that my kids enjoy ~



Cub Scout Day Camp ~ Safari theme ~ Here is my group of Elephants, sitting next to Zebras. It was very fun and tiring, and I definitely plan on doing it again next summer!



My favorite part ~ Flag Ceremonies ~



We found this cute little park behind the library during our last visit to Maggie Valley in June ~ As you can see here, my sons think it's important to dress in camouflage as much as possible while in the mountains.



Butts on the Creek in Maggie Valley ~ after Landen lost his front top tooth ~



Landen's Bridging Ceremony ~ June 10, 2010





Ms. Berkey is a really great teacher! She taught the kids yoga! ~



Landen's Spanish teacher did this to help them learn Spanish animal names, like leon and el tigre ~



It's easy to fly a kite on the beach because it's always windy ~



Seiler won Math Shark for the last quarter ~



Scouts got to spend the night on this battleship in Charleston in March ~ It was quite and interesting experience!



Spring Musical performance 2010 ~ Our favorite song goes, "We are party animals!"



Ms King's class at their annual field trip to the beach, which is great! ~



The class has an awesome police escort to help us cross the street to the beach ~



Ms. King's first grade class dressed for the Storybook Character Parade. Seiler was 'Llama Llama Red Pajama', Buddy is the shark, Zach is Sam I Am, all the teachers were Fancy Nancy. It was fun ~



Easter 2010 ~







Seiler's 7th Birthday ~ February 28, 2010 ~ A few weeks before his birthday, Seiler asked me, "Do you have to be seven to drink 7-up?" I thought that was so funny, I said yes, and bought him a whole bunch to drink that week :P





I took Landen out of the special mentor preschool class at the public school because he wasn't being challenged there. We were warmly welcomed at Holy Trinity Catholic School in January. Here is Ms. Berkey's class, getting ready for a play:



After the play, Landen said, "I like Chloe because she hugs me," Hey, it was in the play! He liked all the kids in his class. Within one month, Ms. Berkey taught Landen a love of reading! He became willing and eager to listen to me read to him, and tried to read along with me. His quick progress surprised and pleased me.

Seiler's After School Authors Club ~ with Buddy and Chance ~





It snowed a lot one day this past winter, which is fun for making snowmen. The good news is that it only lasted one day! Therefore we get the best of both worlds here. Here is our sculpture of our family, including Jackson ~



Kristen made this for me *thanks again* ~

Catch Up Photos to finish 2009

Wow! i am so behind. Why haven't i put up all these pictures? i just love them so much.

Tigers first annual Blue & Gold ceremony ~



our Tiger cub ~ so proud of him!



Christian Ray, Christian T, Joshua, Garrison, Seiler & Landen ~ checking out the beaver evidence ~





Seiler, Christian & cranky Landen ~ Seiler is eating an omelet he made in a zip lock bag, which is super fun!



Nicholas, Seiler, Nikki, Joshua & Christian ~



Their first night in a tent! ~ ever! October 2009 ~



Super Summer Moments ~ 2009 ~





~ waterfall hiking ~ 2009 summer ~



~ Golden Boy, "Worth My Weight in Gold" ~ a mother-approved message ~



Ernest impression, "Where is my red chaise lounge?" ~



First time tubing down the river ~ summer 2009 ~



~ Jackson Pollock and BB at the cabin ~ looking pretty! ~



I really love to see my shih tzu with loooong hair ~



~ amazing Grandpa ~



~ PA family reunion ~



~ Seiler's Kindergarten graduation ~ June 2009 ~

Happy New School Year!

an autumn update
I love this time of year. It feels like a new year with so many new beginnings and changes. Most significantly, school started Aug 24. Our lazy loafing turned into rigorous routine.


We were worried for Landen because his new teacher Ms. Galligher came in last minute and Landen was the only peer mentor. We are sad that Ella Grace didn't return. She went back to Westminster, where her little brother is. Ms. Galligher has now added at least one more mentor. Unlike last year, Landen has class on Wednesdays, so he is taking a full load of preschool, doing good & helping too.

Seiler is in first grade now. We love his teacher Mrs. King. Alexandra was going to be in Mrs. King's class too, but her family decided to go to the new Catholic School Holy Trinity near our house on Highway 90 last minute. Three of Seiler's friends from Kindergarten are in his class this year: Buddy, Tyler and Marcus. Tyler and Marcus are in this picture taken on February 28, 2008, Seiler's 6th birthday:



Now that Seiler is in first grade, he can start Cub Scouts. I am so excited. When I was a Girl Scout I was jealous of the Boy Scouts because they got to go camping so much more often. This is my chance to be involved in Boy Scouts and go camping. I have never camped in South Carolina before, but our first camp out is Sept 18. I still need to collect a tent, sleeping bags & an air mattress.

Cub Scout meetings are on Monday, so I needed to move gymnastics to Wednesdays. I like it better already. Over the summer, Seiler and Landen were in class with boys better than them plus the really advanced boys. We tried a 2 hour class all through August, and it was tough, but they did it. I can really see their improvement. We recently bought a trampoline ~ my childhood dream come true. Too bad I'm too heavy and stiff to have fun on it. Landen taught me how to do a seat drop. Seiler has started hand stands and flips on it. I try to keep it in the afternoon shade of a big maple tree so they can spend a few minutes on it after school without burning up. In this new Wednesday class, which is back to only one hour, Seiler and Landen are a little better than the other boys. I truly enjoy watching them practice and throw them a thumbs up whenever they glance at me after doing well. I think they like being in an all-boy class with a male coach.

The ideal schedule for me is to drop off the boys at school and then exercise. Ray set us up with NMB Aquatic and Fitness Center memberships. I love being out at 7:30 in the morning. All the grumpy people are still sleeping, leaving most places mostly empty. Everyone I see at that time are smiling and saying hi. One trainer helped me fill out a card of weights and reps, and alternating routines and times. I gained a lot of necessary information and am ready to get back into it on Tuesday. I feel so incredibly out of shape, that just a little work can burn my muscles and leave me tired and happy. I think I need to work on endurance so I can stay active with the boys. They never seem to run out of energy. When they get tired, instead of becoming lethargic like they should, they go wild, completely bonkers. That's why I insist they go to bed at 7 pm. I will not mind when they turn into lazy teenagers and sleep a lot.

I love the cooling weather this time of year. It's almost cool enough to keep the windows open at night. Not quite enough though. Not like the cabin. This is also hurricane season, so we need to check the Weather Channel often. Hurricanes still give me anxiety, but I'm not afraid. If it's going to be a big one, we will know well in advance and we have our evacuation plan ~ to the cabin.

Speaking of the cabin, Ray is there right now with his dad and friend Kevin and brother Kevin building stairs. This has been his plan for over a year now. By building the stairs, the downstairs will become included in the square-footage of the house. It wasn't before because the downstairs was a separate unit. He says the shingles and outer walls are finished. We will have to finish the interior of the stairwell next time we go. I just want to paint it yellow.

Speaking of paint, while Ray was gone I decided to surprise him by painting part of the kitchen "Apple-a-Day" red. It's only the top two thirds of the long wall & the little corner. I love it. Hopefully it will draw attention away from the ugly cupboards opposite it. I need Ray to apply a white chair rail and vertical paneling under that. Then it will look better. Still, I love to paint. Color speaks to me. When Ray finishes the den, I will paint it brown. I have yet to select the shade.

On top of the new rad paint, the Halloween decorations pop. Specifically, a white skeleton. I love Halloween. I am a little disappointed that it is on Saturday this year because all the activities will be crammed into one night. I bought a bunch of costumes last year 75% off, and now the boys are trying them all on. Landen likes the blue ninja costume he wore last year as well as a knight shield he has now. Seiler likes last years costume too, but even more the Scary movie black robe with a white mask that features a heart on a tube that will allow him to pump fake blood into the mask. I am insisting he save the blood effect for Halloween. Now he wants to watch Scary Movie & Scream. I don't know what to do about that, but we are watching a lot of Phantom of the Opera, which I adore! Seiler says it's annoying how I sing along, but I hope they will eventually sing along with me.

Speaking of music, I decided to make a mix cd of our favorite kid songs to give to their peers on their birthday. Our most recent acquisition is Spongebob's Greatest Hits. I love to hear Seiler and Landen sing along!! Both sing and dance, but Landen does it with swagger.

Sliding Rock Video

Sliding Rock is a natural water slide. The water is VERY cold. The boys' eyes were as big as saucers when they came up from under water. Seiler and I went 3 times. The only way Ray could get Landen to go a second time was in order to make this video.

Ocanaluftee River Video

Here we are in Cherokee, North Carolina at a park that is an island surrounded by the Ocanaluftee River. It is very shallow, slow moving and very cold (approx 50 degrees year-round). At the park, other people get in at the top of the island, float to the bottom, and then get out and walk back up to the top. Tubing businesses will bus you over a longer distance. So, here is our funny experience. We put the boys in a boat that reminds me of sending baby Moses down the river. At times the camera is bumpy because I'm walking along the bank. At the end, I got scared and shut it off, but I assure you everything turned out fine and the boys went down several times after that. Everything would have been fine if they hadn't grabbed that pesky tree. After that, they ducked under it. Enjoy!

Snake Nightmares

Once and a while, not often enough, we get a trailer of mulch and distribute it around our flower beds. We tend to let the weeds grow tall, therefore a great deal of weeding needs to be done first. The other day, we attacked our overwhelming, triangle-shaped bed. In it are two azalea bushes, a nice lily, and three trees. The main tree in the middle is a big mimosa that the boys have climbed on in the past. The problem is that a big, beautiful Camille bush grew into it. Plus, ivy had overgrown the trunk. It was too messy to climb.
We used all sorts of tools to clean it out. Ray got out the electric hedge trimmers for the Camille bush. I’m glad he didn’t hand them over to me because as he was working, he suddenly jumped back. A snake with vertical stripes slithered out onto the sidewalk. I’m not sure why I am the most afraid, but I ran into the house and watched through the window. He picked it up with a rake and threw it onto the grass where he could shoot it. The men and boys always gather around to study it and dispose of it. Now I have the heebie geebies.
I managed to get back to work, after Ray assures me that snakes live alone. We decided to cut down the Camille in order to open the space back up. We could transplant the root ball in the winter if I want to. I raked out piles of ivy, which really is a lovely, air-purifying plant. The boys were standing next to me while I explained what ‘heebie geebies’ and ‘the creeps’ mean. I explain that I tend to feel itchy all over and am extra jumpy. Exactly at this time, I spot a tire-colored body with a rising head right where my left hand was just grabbing at ivy roots! I gasped and screamed so loud that my throat hurt later. I backed up and ran onto the porch. The boys moved with me. Seiler suggested that it may have been my imagination because I had the heebie geebies. I said that maybe he was right, but I called Kevin and Ray over to check.
The old saying, “if it were a snake it would have bit you” no longer means anything to me. It was right next to me, poor thing. The men have to get the snake onto the grass in order to shoot it. This time it took a few shoots plus a shovel. I was thinking maybe it was a male and female together for mating. Kevin said it was a different species. It was so difficult to work after that. I insisted that I couldn’t do it alone. Little Landen kept me company. Talking made me feel better, as long as they didn’t say the S word!
I just knew I would have nightmares that night. Every night after working in the yard, when I close my eyes I see shapes of weeds my hands had previously pulled out repetitively. That night I saw a five-pronged root base shape. And snakes! Every time I closed my eyes or dozed off I saw snakes. Every waking curvy line I saw resembled a snake. Snakes could be anywhere. It was a restless night. Ray left for work early and then I had the worst dream of all. I always have the worst nightmares after he leaves. I dreamt that I was telling Lisa and Heidi about what happened in our yard. Suddenly, I was holding a black and yellow snake on my left hand! I tried to peel it off for a second, but it was too tight and intertwined in my fingers. I was terrified and the snake was helplessly stuck on my hand. I couldn’t shake it off. It hadn’t bitten me yet, thinking back I don’t think it would, but the anticipation that it would caused great panic.
I just had to check dreammoods.com to find meaning and closure. I found that:
To dream of your hands, represents your relationship to those around you and how you connect with the world. Hands serve as a form of communication. Perhaps you need to lend out a helping hand to someone. In particular, the left hand symbolizes your graciousness and feminine, receptive qualities
As a positive symbol, snakes represent healing, transformation, knowledge and wisdom. It is indicative of self-renewal and positive changes.
Black symbolizes the unknown, unconscious, danger, mystery, darkness, death, mourning, hate or malice.If the dream is an unpleasant one, then the color yellow represents cowardice and sickness. You may have a fear or an inability to make a decision or take action. As a result, you are experiencing many setbacks.
These explanations sound accurate to me. I am afraid of snakes, and I feel sorry for exterminating them too. Today I threw a whole box of moth balls around my porch area to try to keep them away. I’m still afraid to walk around outside. With every step I scan for long, slender shapes on the ground. I still have mulch to unload off the trailer, and I hope to git r done before we leave for our cabin tonight.

Myrtle Waves

To Myrtle Waves new owners,

Our family had season passes last summer, and we loved visiting your park so much that we told all our family and friends with kids about it, and how we couldn't wait to do it again this year. We bought our vouchers online, and I really like your new logo design & web design. Some of the changes you have made are an improvement. Others are not.

Upon arrival, we received big, red cups. The fact that the cups were free eased our disappointment that the free drinks are gone. One dollar for a refill is a reasonable price, but carrying cups around is such a hassle! I guess it reduces waste, so I understand your reasoning. I'm afraid the cups I have to lug around will get lost, mixed up, and/or stolen. Mix ups could be unsanitary, but I plan to find a way to personalize ours to deter said problems.

Then we go straight to the lockers. We always get a locker, the prices are reasonable and it's convenient. Just like last year, lockers seem to be assigned too closely together! There are so many, why not spread them out? The problem peaks at closing time. Everyone is crowded around one area waiting to get into their locker.

At the locker booth there used to be free sun screen, but it's gone now. I didn't know that, so we burned a bit. I will bring our own sunscreen from now on. Again, I will miss the convenience of getting it directly instead of going into the locker more often.

Our biggest disappointment of all was that now Wave Pool & Lazy River tubes are to be rented. $6 for a single and $12 for a double. That is too expensive. I would pay that for the entire season, but not for a day. What if someone takes our tubes while we are away from them? We used to pick up tubes at random at pass them off without a second thought. We used to ride around the river just to get to the other side. That was the kids' idea. Now, I refuse to pay for tubes. My kids bounce all over the park, and I would never want to worry about loosing tubes that I had to pay for. Nor do I ever want to carry tubes around all day. My 4-year-old whined at the water park today because he will no longer be enjoying his beloved Lazy River, which is much less scary to him than the Racing River. I think the littlest of kids will be loosing out.

I hope you are able to clean the chairs better sometime soon. I hope you find these suggestions helpful and not too critical. We do love Myrtle Waves!

Sincerely,

An Hour on the Beach

Current mood: breezy

Yesterday I picked the boys up from school and took them straight to the beach. As a local, I have learned how to minimize what we take, down to the enjoyment essentials: a chair for me, a sturdy shovel & one bucket for each boy. twas a delightful hour. we couldn't stay much longer, since it was our first official day at the beach. even with sunscreen, i like to acclimate our skin to sun slowly every new summer.
to kids:
rule number one - don't go in the water deeper than your knees.
rule number two - don't pretend you're drowning. (remember the boy who cried wolf?)
other than that, everything went smoothly. no fighting. i love when they get lost in their digging project and dreamily move the sand through their hands. Quiet, except for the roar of the crashing waves and wind.
i love my boys like this. when we all relax and retreat to our own imaginations. i love my boys more an more as they get older, more independent, more easy to communicate with, more intelligent, closer to what they will be like as adults. I don't think I will ever be the sentimental type who wishes them back to infancy. Maybe I will wish them to this day or a few years older, where they still think of me as the most important person in their lives.
the beach is not too crowded yet. it's not too hot either. the sand feels good on bare feet - not burning. the newly beautified beach access is a treasure! it's in an inconspicuous location, so there are lots of places to park. after school, our van with water bottles, snacks and clean clothes is conveniently shaded by a tall hotel right in front of it. perfect.
i think we'll do it again on Tuesday.

Morning Walk on the Beach

Current mood: chipper

I walked on the beach today. High tide was receding. Black ash chunks from the forest fires had been pushed on shore in a scalloped lace pattern. A tractor raked over it later to smooth the sand out.

I guess 50% of people walking on the beach listen to headphones. i do too now. it helps since i don't have anyone to talk with. i wonder if all the other walkers would rather have someone to talk to. I love walking on the beach. i want to share how good it makes me feel, wish someone could join me. my ipod keeps me company, but it doesn't depend on me or enjoy the beauty & health benefits like humans can.

it's warm enough to wear shorts now. the warm humid air makes the skin feel sticky. it reminds me that my armpits have gotten as fat as my thighs and rub together uncomfortably. i wish for more empty space around me, more freedom of movement.

I walked by a dead bird, belly up. It could have been a pelican or heron, I'm not sure... The tide would nudge it once and a while, seemingly draining it's color. I had to stare at it for a minute. If i had gloves on, i would like to examine it, open it's beak & look inside, see how far i can expand it's wings. it's eyes would ruin it though. It's horrific expression frightened me away.

Live pelicans flew by in a V. before experiencing the beach i never realized how incredibly awesome pelicans are. it's no wonder myrtle beach baseball team is named after them!! they gracefully skim over the water in line, between the breaking waves. Solid dark, the shape of the pelican calls to prehistoric times, so classic.

Rainy Day

April showers bring May flowers. I'm very glad spring is finally here, and I normally appreciate the rain. It makes the outdoors green again, so much greener here on the East Coast. I love it so much that I don't mind that it makes my van muddy, or that I can't walk on the beach or take the boys to the park.
But today I'm going to hide Easter eggs for Seiler's kindergarten class, and it was suppose to be outside. Now it will be inside, and that's ok too. The worst part of this heavy moisture system is that we are planning to drive to Columbia tomorrow morning with Caine, Ashley & Kylie to visit the Riverbanks Zoo. It won't be fun in the rain. We won't be able to ride the ponies. So, I'm keeping an eye on the weather channel, and Ashley is doing the same. We'll ponder the rain all day and decide whether to go or not.
We were planning to go straight to the cabin after the zoo, since the zoo is right in the middle. The boys were going to skip school Friday, and I'm not sure if they will or not now. I'm going to play it fast and loose and see how it all shakes out.