Roller skating and NCSU Basketball

Tuesday morning I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. Of course it doesn't look like I touched anything, but if you were to open up drawers or look at the bookshelf, then you would notice that work was done! I took a few garbage bags full of stuff to the dump and then took the boys roller skating with some of their friends. I didn't get any pictures from this event because I had visions of me with my new camera in my pocket and then falling and breaking it. So, I left it at home! Roller skating is just not my thing. But, there the Turners were...going around and around on the sides! LOL It's hard to believe I rollerbladed all through college and even attempted roller soccer in San Francisco. Things just are not the same anymore!

Then the boys and I took Ella, Sophia and Lori to the NC State men's basketball game. We planned on this since the start of the season, so they were excited. They gave us great seats and in an area we've never been in before. We were on the floor just a few rows back from the court. The kids were on the jumbotron many times and Mr. Wuf was in our area a lot.

We arrived very early!

They thought it was neat to high five the players.

Christmas 2009

Phew! Where to begin? Let's see...my dad flew down Wednesday night. The next morning the boys were beyond excited to put together the gingerbread house! Dad brought down a lot of extra candy to put on that. haha Go Dad! Ian got out his list that had everything he and Ian wanted to do with Grandpop and as they were able to check things off, Ian was adding more things! We played a lot outside and enjoyed the weather. We attended the 5pm Christmas Eve service and came home for some appetizers. Cailean's coworker, Scott, joined us before he headed off to work that night. Cailean, Dad and the boys put the luminaries out that our neighborhood buys from the local Boy Scout troop. It looks so nice when we come home after church to see the area have them out.

Christmas Eve night was interesting! Ian would not fall asleep! Both boys listened to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by my dad. He reads every single night to them when he is here. Gavin got into his bed and he was asleep in no time. Ian, I thought was asleep, but at 10pm he was still wide awake. He finally fell asleep by 11am and then was up at 3am and then at 7:15am. Gavin woke up at 7:30am Christmas morning.

Christmas morning was great! After present opening Cailean made breakfast while I did some organizing. It did rain, but we didn't mind! We headed out to the movies to see the new Chipmunk movie. It has become a tradition for us to go catch a movie on Christmas Day. We had a nice dinner and then headed over to our friends' house for some dessert.

Saturday morning we drove over to the coast to Wilmington, NC and toured the USS North Carolina battleship. Dad and I were there years ago, but Cailean and the kids had never been. We toured that ship in about two hours and then drove over to Wrightsville Beach and flew some kites and picked up some shells. I loved watching the waves and we even saw three dolphins!!! Saturday night Cailean got a call and was headed to Miami to fix a plane. He didn't get back until Monday afternoon!

Sunday morning we took dad to one of his favorite spots...Krispy Kreme donut shop in downtown Raleigh! Then we headed home for a little bit and off to Best Buy because dad needed a new digital camera. We spent a few hours at the Berry house. Mike lived next door to us in Northfield. He, his wife and two boys live in Raleigh and we finally were able to get together. We came home to play lots of games and the Wii and then headed out dinner. I let the boys stay up a little later than normal and we all sat on the couch and watched a movie they got for Christmas.

This morning we did a little shopping. Well, helped dad use up his gift card and then hung out at the house. My dad taught Ian how to play chess and checkers. It was great to watch because my dad taught me how to play when I was young!

Oh and dad bought Ian and Gavin a drum set. So, yes...it has been loud, but I LOVE it! I love watching them play it and come up with their own tunes!!!

We took dad to the airport this afternoon and Cailean arrived a few minutes before, so he was able to meet up with us to say goodbye. It was sad. Gavin thinks he is going to come back tomorrow and Ian wants him to stay forever or at least come back in January.

Tonight we had Christmas with mom and my grandparents! It was great to see them. They spent two nights at the beach and I was happy that mom made it work because she has been wanting to go there for a few years!

I'm home with the boys this week and we have a few different things planned with some friends. So, stay tuned!

Here is the link to the pictures we took:

http://picasaweb.google.com/turnbull1220/Christmas2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCIXyuPCcpoD4cQ&feat=directlink

Dad always takes a gazillion pictures when he visits, but his camera wasn't working. So, we used ours! :)

Grandpop is coming!

That is right! My dad flies down here on Wednesday and the boys put together a to do list! We are going to be busy!!!! We've been busy cleaning. Ian has been a big help. We had dinner at mom's tonight and then we drove around looking at some lights. Love that!

Okay, just a short blog entry to let you know that we've got some fun plans while on VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Christmas Spirit!

Friday morning Gavin had his Christmas program at his school. Cailean and I were both there and the poor little guy...stage freight! He definitely got those genes from us. He doesn't cry when he goes up front, but as you can see this year...he was very shy, bashful, nervous, etc. Most of the time he put his finger up in his nose. He looked right at us and we're telling him to take it out and he shakes his head NO and probably put it up farther. LOL That's Gavin!!!!

They were able to color these paper strips that go in mugs to take home. Gavin is hard at work!

We were fortunate enough to borrow the Santa costume again. Gavin stared a lot at Cailean, but never yelled out, "Daddy!!!!" When he picked him up from school he told Cailean that Santa looked just like him because they had the same skin. Cailean asked him tons of questions and it pretty much went right over his head and he never asked me if Santa was Daddy. Not sure if we can get by it another year though. It was still a great party and awesome to see the kids' eyes light up when he walked into the classroom!

A class photo with Santa before he heads to the truck...I mean sleigh!


Saturday afternoon Mrs. Geiger came over to decorate cookies with us. Gavin made mountains on his cookies with lots and lots of frosting and decorations. Ian was getting into it making them look really cool and Mrs. Geiger has found another talent! So, I'll bake the cookies. Mrs. Geiger can decorate them. Ian is going to be the manager and handle all the money. Gavin is going to be the entertainer to get the customers. LOL

Ian's cookie is on the left. Mrs. Geiger's is in the middle. Gavin's is on the right.

Ian washed his hands at least 10 times and went through a bunch of forks! Why? He got caught licking the frosting a lot! hee hee

This gingerbread man has eyeballs!

Today

Happy Birthday, Aunt Megan!!!!!!

Love, Ian and Gavin :)

What a Wednesday

The Winter Learning Experience was a big hit in Ian's class today and they all did such a great job! I can't wait for him to bring everything home. :) Gavin had fun at school today with his teachers. Miss Cindy let him in the classroom earlier than normal, so that was nice. When we leave the Kirk he yells out the window, "Bye Miss Cindy and Miss Susie!" He loves them!

It was early release day for Ian since it is a Wednesday, so when we got home...the cleaning started. Ian was my #1 assistant and went to town on the cleaning. We cranked up the Christmas tunes and made some headway in the cleaning. He took care of all the toys in the living room, organized his room, worked on Gavin's room and even took care of all the shoes downstairs. He was a HUGE help. Gavin was asked to take care of his backpack and his room. He opted to entertain Cody. I was fine with that since Gavin wasn't bothering Ian and was with the dog. He was singing to Cody! We cleaned up until Cailean came home and then had an early dinner because we were given two tickets to see the Hurricanes play tonight. So, Cailean and Ian went to that. I stayed home with Gavin and cuddled on the couch watching The Grinch and Frosty before putting Gavin to bed.

Ian and that tooth...

The big news of the day...

Ian FINALLY LOST THAT FRONT TOOTH!!!!!!!!!! It has been dangling for months and I guess it came out at recess. He wanted to lose the tooth at school because he wanted that sticker to wear that says something like, "I lost a tooth today!"

I really wish the holiday season would just slow down a bit. I feel like we're on overdrive, but I guess that is to be expected when we're a busy family! After school we had Ian's friend over for a few hours and stayed for dinner. Tonight we were at Red Robin for Kingswood Night and had a lot of fun visiting with everyone! Ian and Gavin chowed down on spaghetti and we actually had to order another plate for them to share. They chose apple slices as their side. We actually sat with the Geigers for dinner and the boys thought that was pretty cool. Mrs. Harris stopped by to see everyone and joined us for a little bit. We're going to miss her when she is on maternity!

Tomorrow night we're home. Yay! During the morning I'll be at Ian's school for his Winter Learning Experience and I'm definitely excited for that. Then, after I pick up Gavin we're off to get my haircut. Wahoo!!!!!!!!! My birthday present to myself. Thursday night we have basketball practice. Friday we have Gavin's Christmas program followed by the Christmas party and then my "retreat" for work and then hosting Cailean's coworkers for a potluck. Saturday I'll be at NC State's graduation breakfast for student athletes at 6:30am (starts at 7am...ouch!) and I'm excited and sad at the same time. I'll be seeing some students graduate who I've known since they arrived as freshmen. Then, basketball practice after that and then decorating cookies with our special guest (pictures to follow after the weekend)! Looking forward to a night out at Bonefish Grill to celebrate my birthday!!!!

Family Fun Time

I woke up to some snoring in the house very early, so I got myself ready and headed over to Super Walmart to do some grocery shopping. When I came home we took care of some laundry and then headed out to basketball practice. We're looking good out there! Go Armadillos!!

Came home and we all changed into warmer clothes and headed out to downtown Cary with chairs and lunch to park ourselves for a two hour Christmas Parade! I really think it was in the 40's today!!! Yes, that is cold for us.

Then, we came home and fed the dogs (we're puppy sitting) and drove down to Pullen Park (next to NCSU...yes Duncan and Joyce...it's where I got soaked on the paddleboats!!!!!!!!!) for the Rotary Holiday Express. We stood in line for about 30 minutes, so the boys could sit on Santa's lap and Ian and Cailean could pick up their patches to put on their Y-Guides vests. Very cool! Then, we stood in line for about 45 minutes to ride the Holiday Express train. They transformed Pullen Park into a magical area with lights and Christmas music and quite a few things to do. Just a lot of people were there!!! We stood in line longer there then we did at Disney World!!!

On our way home we hit up Pizza Hut for some dinner. The boys have been extremely tired this week. Gavin has fallen asleep in the car at times and Ian is holding up pretty well, but we've been busy with lots of holiday activities!

Here's a link to the photos...if the red eye reduction is turned on, then why do they still have red eyes???

http://picasaweb.google.com/turnbull1220/December?feat=directlink

It's Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We went to Disney on Ice last night and it was okay. They had a lot of princesses and couples skating, which did not keep my boys entertained that much. I wish there were more "boy" characters in there, but it was nice to have the boys go to an event with their buddies.

I'm at work today for a long day. The boys have school and then they go for their second H1N1 shots late this afternoon. Then, it's off to basketball practice tonight! Another late night for them. We don't have anything early in the morning, but we do have another practice at noon followed by the Cary Christmas Parade.

I had an exciting phone call yesterday when I was at work. The Kingswood Principal called me to let me know that Ian received a good student award along with a classmate because they exceeded the teacher's expectations at centers, wrote a great story and did a lot of sentences with the vocab words. The teacher didn't need to redirect them or anything and they were just awesome! So, Mrs. Harris wrote up this note and sent them to the office and then Ms. Sherry called the two parents. It totally caught me off guard! LOL After the phone conversation, I sent her an email asking to receive a copy of what she was telling me! LOL

So, we all picked him up from school (doesn't happen too often, but I left work early to do this) and then took him to Ashworth's for some ice cream! It didn't matter that it was about 40 degrees outside! Great work, Ian!

I do have pics from Disney on Ice, but I'll post them later. I haven't downloaded them onto the computer yet.

Ian's Holiday Concert

Oh, what an amazing event!!!! Ms. Liu, the Music Teacher at Kingswood, is awesome!!! All three grades did such a great job. We were able to score some seats in the second row, so we were able to see Ian. Cailean wasn't there because he went to DCA to fix a plane. But, my grandparents, mom, Gavin and I were there to watch the show.

I'm sure you can point him out! Click on the pictures to see them closer.

Mrs. Geiger posed with the boys on the way out the door. She tried to capture Gavin and take him away, but failed! hehe Well, he wants everyone to call him Russell Wilson now. Not Russell, but Russell Wilson (NCSU quarterback). I really think Ian just went through another growth spurt. I noticed today when I was in his classroom that his shirt was a little short as well as his jeans. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saying our, "See you tomorrow night" to the boys' fan club!

I have tried for over 1 hour to download a song and no luck. I wanted to put all three on here, but you'll have to visit us and watch it on the camcorder. Sorry!

An Eventful Week

Lots going on this week! It's exam time at work, so trying to working on wrapping up the semester and preparing for next semester. We haven't had a second to watch Frosty or Rudolph and hope to this weekend!

Ian and Cailean fixed dinner last night, so they could earn a feather for their Y-Guide vests. Then, they had their Y-Guides meeting while Gavin and I were home. Tonight is Ian's Winter Concert (K-2) at Kingswood and he'll have his fan club there (mom, my grandparents and us). Tomorrow night we are going to Disney on Ice with mom, my grandparents, the boys, me, Jessica and her 2 boys and her mom. Looking forward to that! Friday night is the second round of H1N1 shots for the kids, then basketball practice at night. Saturday is basketball practice and then the Cary Christmas parade (no rain please). Sunday is our typical Sunday, but then we'll go to Pullen Park next to NCSU for the Holiday Express. Then next week Gavin has his Christmas party and concert!

Off to take the kids to school and then volunteer at Kingswood before heading to DMV to take my renewal tests (with Gavin)!

Matt and Alissa Visit

My brother and his girlfriend drove up from GA on Thursday and spent the weekend with all of us. We kept quite busy while they were here and mom put Matt to work with getting Christmas decorations up outside, of course with the help of Ian and Gavin! Friday afternoon we picked out a Christmas tree for mom. It was a little funny because we were all running errands in different vehicles going in different directions. I was with Matt and the kids and we got to the tree lot before mom and the rest of the crew. This tree lot is located near mom's place and happens to be family members of my age group swim team friend's husband!!! They are soooooo funny!!!!! So, the 4 of us start looking at the trees and we told the guy that the tree has to "sing" to mom or she won't buy it. So, he stands behind the tree and starts singing an Alan Jackson song! LOL We were like, "You have to do this when she gets here!!!" He did and it was hilarious! Anyway, she walked away with a wreath and a tree and Matt and Alissa also bought a wreath for their house.

Here's a picture of Alissa with one of the tree farm owners!

A few minutes of some football with Uncle Matt!

Friday night we went down the street to the Morrisville Tree Lighting and that was cute! They had arts and crafts for the kids, lots of cookies and hot chocolate and carols.

Matt and Alissa with their nephews

Oh yes...Santa arrives to the scene in a fire truck. Very cool! Gavin was a bit nervous at first, but then wanted to give him a high-five!

Saturday morning we picked up Matt bright and early because he went to Ian's basketball practice! What an uncle!!!! He even was awake enough to help us out on the court! Later that day we all ran some errands at Crossroads and then went back to mom's to decorate the tree, make a Christmas tree cookie cake and hang out. Gavin was more into making the cookie cake with Alissa...he and that sweet tooth of his!

The final product!!

Ian preferred being on the back patio decorating the tree.

Aunt Sandi...

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The kiddos!

I took the kids to Portrait Innovations this afternoon and had their Christmas photo done. I stuck to the plan and walked away paying $10.72 with a whole bunch of pictures for our family. The picture works, but the cutest pictures were when they were by themselves. Oh well, that wasn't part of my plan! LOL Ian still has that one tooth hanging - not sure when that front tooth will come out! Ian did a great job smiling, but they had him sitting straight up and so it didn't look all that natural. Gavin didn't think the guy was funny, so didn't laugh to get that natural smile!

Tonight we went to the Kirk for the Advent Fair and they worked together on different craft projects. There were some great ideas there and the boys were really into it with their friends (Connor, Justin, William, Lily and Elijah). So, it was a late night for them on a school night. Cailean missed out on the event because he was in WVA fixing a plane. He came home after we got home.

The boys are using their imaginations at home more these days. Gavin pretends he is "Wally" and who is Wally? Well, he was the contractor who installed our new windows. So Gavin walks around with his tool belt on with his tools and tries to fix things. He put tape on Ian's door because it looked like there were some cracks. Then Ian pretends he is Cailean. LOL

They go camping a lot in the house with a tent, flashlights, books and of course, Gavin's tools. Then they pretend they are hunting for deer. Yes, Cailean likes this idea!

Gavin likes to do whatever Ian is doing. If Ian is doing homework, then Gavin says he has homework to do. If Ian puts his hands on his head, then Gavin will do the same. Monkey see, Monkey do!

Looking forward to seeing my brother and Alissa tomorrow! They are heading up here for the weekend!!!

Oh, I'll leave you with this one liner from Gavin that was said to me this morning...

So, we're in carpool line at pre-school. Gavin toots in my car. He looks at me and says, "My butt just burped!" LOL

'Tis the Season!

Okay, so Saturday we enjoyed the NCSU/UNC football game and definitely liked the outcome of the game! Sunday was our usual church, Sunday School, Bob Evans and then off to the State basketball game with my mom and grandparents. The boys are a lot more vocal at basketball games than football games. It was fairly quiet and then all of a sudden you heard a little boy yell, "YES" when we scored a basket. That was Ian. I was shocked! Both were doing the wolfpack signs with their hands and they just really enjoyed watching the game and being part of it all.

On Monday Gavin was VIP at school. So we were fortunate enough to have Lucky spend two nights with us. Gavin really does take care of this class pet. He wants to take Lucky everywhere. Way too cute!

Monday night was our first basketball practice for Ian's team, the Armadillos! I'm coaching again and we have a great group of kids and parents. So, I'm definitely looking forward to the season.

Tonight we decorated the Christmas tree since Cailean fixed the lights and then he put together the train that goes around the base of the tree that my dad bought the boys last year. We just need the batteries and the train will be ready to run. This is the picture we included in Lucky's journal!

Wish me luck for tomorrow! It's early release day for Ian, so I'm taking the boys to Portrait Innovations at 2pm for the Christmas picture. Last year Gavin gave a fit because he didn't want to wear the outfit (last year he took naps and I had to wake him up from that nap!!!). He cried the whole time picking Ian up from school. Ian gets into the car and tells me he won't smile for the picture. I called my mom and asked why I do this. But, here we go...another year and I make another appointment. It was nearly impossible trying to find Christmas outfits for the boys.

Looking forward to the end of the week because Matt and Alissa will be here!

What happened to November?

We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving yesterday. We had a nice meal at mom's! After dinner we went over to see my friend and her family. Her parents were in town and we hadn't seen each other for about 15 years, so that was very cool. Then, we went back to mom's for some pie. Oh yes...she makes the best cherry pie ever!!!!!!

I was determined to go shopping at 4am this morning and that's just what I did! Up at 3:20am, showered, got dressed, fed Cody and found myself at JCPenney at 4:02am. I was there for a little bit and then headed to a bunch of other stores. I finished up at around 8:45am! Not bad. I still have some more things to get, but I'm in a good position right now. Of course I just spent my paycheck I received today, so it'll be a long 2 weeks I'm sure!

The boys and I picked up mom and then headed to Super Walmart. I thought it would be a good place to get lots of food for little money and it seemed to work. I told Ian and Gavin they will be going on meal plans! They eat nonstop.

When we got home the four of us decided to go to the movies. So, we head on over there and find out that the show we wanted to see was not going to be playing at that time. ARGH. So, back in the truck and headed home once again.

So then we put the Christmas tree up, hung the stockings and a few other decorations. Cailean bought a 48" wreath with white lights that he put between Ian's and Gavin's windows. It looks very nice. He got out the deer for the front lawn, but hasn't put them together yet. We couldn't decorate the tree because we need to replace some lights. But, it was fun to start getting the decorations out. Gavin wanted to get the soda for Santa to leave out. Yea, he doesn't quite understand time. He kept asking if Christmas was tomorrow. LOL

Tomorrow we are headed to the last football game of the season: UNC vs NC State. Ugh. Then, Sunday we switch over to basketball.

What we're thankful for...

Me: Ian, what are you thankful for?
Ian: soldiers who fighted for our country, house, family

Me: Gavin, what are you thankful for?
Gavin: My house, Cody and my shoe oh and red lights, leaves, food, you, me, Ian, Cody, Daddy, family, my shoe, etc.

Monday

I picked Gavin up from school a few minutes early today and took him back to work with me because it was our annual Thanksgiving feast. It's such a great tradition...everyone brings something and it's just a huge buffet. I have always taken one or both of my kids, but now that Ian is in school all day...last year and this year has been Gavin getting all the attention. He wore his Indian band thing he made and then showed everyone his art projects he made at school. Yes, front and center...I was shocked he did this! I didn't even bribe him.

We seem to always be in a routine every single day. Well, Cailean and I decided to change things up a bit. In a last minute decision, we went out to dinner with another family and chose a Mexican place. Cailean drops me off to get a table (thinking he would have to stand in line??) and I walk in by myself to the table and who do I pass??? Yup, 4 Kingswood teachers! :) I, of course, looked like a loner for a few minutes. LOL Mrs. Geiger, Ian is still in shock he saw you out! LOL We had a great dinner with some friends, then went to Walgreens to get some stuff and then home. Late night for the boys!

Cailean has the rest of the week off, so I can work the next two days. I decided to be a nice wife and I'll be at work before the sun rises, so I can leave in the early afternoon and Cailean can head out to hunt. It works out for me because I'm taking Gavin to a party for one of his classmates tomorrow afternoon anyway!

Time Flies By

Okay, since the last post...

Cailean arrived back home Thursday night from his annual VT hunting trip and yes, I turned the leafblower back over to him! I love how the yard looks all tidy after taking care of the leaves, but then hours later...UGH...the leaves still continue to fall!!!

Friday was a regular day for us. Kids were at school. Cailean finally was able to volunteer again in Ian's class. I was at work, but worked longer than normal trying to catch up and then get ahead. The contractor finished installing the two windows that originally had defects. So, that's done!

Cailean hunted this morning. The kids, mom, my grandparents and I volunteered at the Kirk for 2 hours this morning and helped package 35,000 meals with the Stop Hunger Now organization. We had a lot of fun and it was actually tiring! There were quite a few volunteers (maybe 140??) for our shift. It included a lot of teamwork and each person had a job. The younger kids were the Runners. They were in charge of taking the boxes of the food that the food prep people put together to the weighers (I was a weigher) and then checked the weight of each bag and then gave the bags to the sealers (my grandparents and mom) who sealed the bags and then tossed them to the packagers. When we reached 1,000 bags someone hit the big gong thing and you were supposed to stop and cheer for a second and then go back to work. It was very well organized and so much fun! Ian and Gavin were running all over working their tails off!!!! Oh, I totally would have taken pictures (I took the camera), but I didn't realize we had to wear these blue net things on our heads (all of us), so NOPE...no pics! LOL

We had a birthday party this afternoon into the early evening at the bowling alley. It was Omaid's 9th birthday! His dad works with Cailean and his mom watches Gavin once a week. The boys had a lot of fun bowling, eating pizza and cake as well as playing arcades.

Tomorrow we'll head to church and Bob Evans, then depending on the weather...we'll rush home to change into our NC State gear and head to the soccer field. The men's soccer team is playing in the NCAA Tournament and we're hosting tomorrow at 1pm.

Then, I have a Girls Night to celebrate some milestone birthdays! Happy 40th Lori! :) Looking forward to that. It has been months since we were able to go out at night! We've only been able to do a quick lunch before pre-school pick up!

No big plans for the holiday week. Cailean will take two days off, so I can work (kids have 2 days of school this week). We'll have Turkey Day at mom's and I'm hoping to hit up Black Friday, but I need to get organized about that.

Park Days

It has been a great week with the weather, so the boys and I have been taking advantage of it. We've done a lot of yardwork to take care of the leaves. After school yesterday we went to Morrisville Community Park and met Jessica, Ben and Luke there. We had a frisbee and some soccer balls that they played with in the open field and spent a few minutes on the playground, too. Gavin really took to Brodie, their black lab puppy! This afternoon we met Kim, Connor and Justin at a park in Apex before heading to Chipotle Mexican Grill for Kingswood Night. We headed home, did some homework, took showers, read and off to bed. Tomorrow night we're meeting Kim and the boys for a quick dinner before heading to the Kirk for WNL. We've never gone before, but I'm sure we'll have a good time!

Gavin and I went to the Cary library this morning after taking Ian to school. He loves to listen to me read and read and read. We were there I think for 1 hour. We checked out a lot of books and he wanted to take the books that we had already read. But, I convinced him otherwise! Then, we went to the mall looking for jeans. However, I was unsuccessful primarily because Gavin wasn't willing to cooperate. We came home and opted to organize and clean. Gavin spent quite awhile on the back deck brushing off all the leaves while I cleaned up my stamping area. I even managed to stamp quite a few cards for Christmas gifts. :)

It seems like Cailean has been gone a month!!! He flies home Thursday afternoon. I've already organized a dinner out with some friends this Sunday night. :) We're celebrating some recent birthdays! :) The boys have been great though and very, very helpful. I definitely can't complain.

Last night was the basketball draft, so we've got another year with the Armadillos! Our first practice is November 30 and looking forward to it.

The boys and I had a great weekend! We spent most of Saturday with mom at the football game and then came home to do lots of yardwork. They played while I took care of all the leaves, then they helped pick up the tree branches that had fallen during the storm. Early dinner, showers, snack, books and bed. Both were snoring by 7:30pm.

This morning we didn't get to lounge around since we had to leave by 8:30am for church. The kids got themselves dressed, had breakfast and got ready to hit the road. Gavin had his moments in church, but for the most part they behaved nicely. I was with Gavin's Sunday School class this morning, so that was fun. He wasn't attached to me because his buddy was with him. Ian said he had a good time with his class and I think I'm with the first graders for the next 2 weeks. Then, we met up with the family at Bob Evans and enjoyed a good lunch. Leslie, the manager, donated banana bread to Gavin's school for the teachers and Ian's school for the teachers...so that'll be a surprise to them tomorrow!

This afternoon we went to mom's to help her plant some flowers in the front. We had to dig up some of the red clay. ARGH. The boys were looking for worms. Gavin finds one...picks it up and looks at it and starts talking to it. Ian runs into the house to get a cup with a lid (one of Gavin's sippy cups) and proceeds to find another worm. Yes, they decide to name them IAN and GAVIN.

Once we finished that we were off to Target and then home. They went camping in the house while I made dinner. So, the kids are sound asleep now and I'm off to the kitchen to make cookies for my coworkers tomorrow!

I've got the meeting for head basketball coaches to get my team tomorrow night. Since it's near mom's house she'll watch the boys for the hour I'll be gone. I'm looking forward to who will be on the Armadillos team this year! Tuesday night is Kingswood Night at Chipotle Grill and no plans yet for Wednesday after I pick up the boys from school. Cailean comes home Thursday afternoon.

Heading into another weekend

It has been raining a lot the last few days. Rain, rain and more rain. Throw in some wind and that's our weather right now. It should stop tonight. I feel sorry for the teachers because the kids have recess inside the classrooms!!!

The boys are doing well. Ian continues to enjoy school and has been doing well on his quizzes and other assignments. Gavin looks forward to going to school as well. He keeps saying school is fun and then in the next sentence he tells us that he likes to play with his best buddy, Connor. haha

They are really into football right now and can't get enough of it. When they are home, then they are wearing their helmets. They start in the hallway and then run out into the living room pretending they are coming out of the tunnel like NC State. Then, you hear them yell, "Wolfpack in the hhhhoouuussseeee!!!" Right now it has been Duke vs NC State and I have gotten a few of these on video, but the ending has not been nice. Ian gets ticked at Gavin for scoring a touchdown and Gavin tries to take Ian down for a tackle.

We have Justin's birthday party Friday night at the bowling place and then we'll probably head to the football game on Saturday afternoon. I think it's going to be 70, so maybe we'll get a tan! he he

Cailean flew up to Vermont for his annual weeklong hunting trip. He'll be gone for a week. I have actually enjoyed using the leafblower, so we'll start working on the yard again tomorrow afternoon or Saturday morning. It just needs to stop raining!

Camp Kanata 2009 Fall Outing

Cailean and Ian spent the afternoon/evening up at the YMCA's Camp Kanata. Seems like they had a GREAT time. Ian talked 100 miles/minute when he got home about everything they did and saw. He told me that people all over the world were there and they had their faces painted. LOL Yes, there were Indians there for "Indian Guides." LOL Cailean was very impressed with the event!!!

Oh and if you are all wondering about their names...Ian is Little Brave Eagle and Cailean is Big Brave Eagle! In a lot of the pictures you'll see Ian with his buddy, Andrew. They both are first graders at Kingswood and they are in the same tribe.

Here's a link to all the pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/turnbull1220/CampKanataFallOuting2009?feat=directlink

Cailean's parents came to visit

Cailean's parents drove up from Florida on Tuesday and stayed until Sunday morning. One of the highlights of the trip was attending the football game. I was able to get some tickets from co-workers, so we could all go. The seats were in pairs and in different sections, but we somehow made it work and we all got to sit together! Before we headed to the game we made a quick stop for them to get some NC State gear. Joyce had on a blue shirt that morning and we told her she would stick out if she wore that color. LOL So, off to KMart and they found shirts!

We caught a few minutes of tailgating before heading into the stadium. Ian wasn't too fond of the chicken sandwich he ordered. LOL He did have a few bites though, but he wasn't impressed.

Cailean's parents sporting their red NC State gear and they definitely enjoyed the game!

Gavin used the stickers that Ian had and wanted them on his face. He actually ended up with a tan mark on the left side because the sun was a little strong! Showing the camera how to make the wolfpack sign. He and Ian kept yelling all day, "Wolfpack in the hhhooouuussseee!"

Cailean and the boys trying to stay cool with some ice cream. It was a warm day at the field.

Marching Band at the half

Pretty soon Ian will have one top front tooth missing...it is very loose!



Gavin wants to eat ice cream and watch the game

Gavin's Sunday School class got to see the Anthem in the 11am service today. He did a great job looking all cute up there. LOL He sang probably one phrase of the song, but that's fine. There are definitely a lot of people sitting in the congregation and those 3-5 year olds did a great job! Plus, Cailean got to be there to see him.

Cailean and Ian are at Camp Kanata with the Y-Guides this afternoon into the evening! They should be home later tonight. They carpooled up there with another father/son and were supposed to meet up with their tribe. Then, they take a 2 mile hike and then earn some feather. Then, there is supposed to be a big bonfire before heading home. I can't wait to hear how it went!

November already

We had Ian's parent/teacher conference yesterday and it went great! Mrs. Harris had lots of good things to say about him and he is progressing very well. He also saved up 100 tickets and received a free skate pass to Jellybeans! That was his goal from day 1 of 1st grade was to be the first in his class to get that prize. Earning tickets is part of the positive behavior system, so good work kiddo!

Gavin loves his pre-school. He is always so eager to get there and he has a big smile on his face when I pick him up. He admires Miss Cindy and Miss Susie. Yesterday one of his teachers asked me if Cailean has a bow and arrow. I said, "Yes" and I was thinking, "Uh oh...what did he tell his class?" Well a kid in his class told Gavin that his dad hunts deer and Gavin told him that his dad hunts deer with a bow and arrow. So, probably not your typical pre-school conversation, but an interesting one to say the least. LOL

We're at a lull this week with not much going on with the kids. Soccer ended. The Halloween/fall festivities ended. No meetings this week. I have the basketball coach's meeting in 2 weeks and then practice starts after Thanksgiving.

So yes, I joined Facebook last week and it has been very interesting. I have fought it for quite awhile. Just didn't want to get into it for various reasons. But, I did and it has been great. I have reconnected with many age group swim team friends and college swim team friends from my four years at St. Mike's. Turns out one is actually 30 seconds from my mom down here, so we saw each other for a few minutes on Sunday...first time in over 15 years!! I've also been able to read up on people I went to school with in Northfield.

Off to take Gavin to the babysitter and then to work. We're awaiting the arrival of Cailean's parents this afternoon, too.

Happy Halloween and...

Happy 11th Birthday to our chocolate lab, CODY! :)

Cailean was home all day with the boys yesterday since it was a Teacher Workday. He took the boys on a bike trip along the American Tobacco Trail. I was at work and missed this adventure, but I definitely heard about it. :) They biked and biked and biked!
When I got home from work we had dinner and then the four of us headed over to NC State to watch the first game of the Baseball World Series, which is pretty much just a scrimmage. We stayed until around the 6th inning and then headed home. They had a lot of fun watching the game and kept telling the guys when they got an out. hahaha

This morning it was raining, so we didn't make it to the parade in town. Bummer! It is such a great parade listening to all the different high school bands. Oh well. We headed over to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought Ian a new pair of sneakers and socks before shopping at Super Target. Cailean decided to head over to Chick-fil-A for lunch and then home to watch the rest of the NCSU/FSU football game.

A few minutes after 4pm Cailean got a call from work that he was needed to help fix a plane in Hartford, CT. ARGH!!!!!! The plane to get up there was leaving at 5pm. So, he hurried out of here and headed to the airport. This was the first time we were not going trick-or-treating as a family. So, the boys got on their costumes and we headed over to Melvin's and Norma's to visit with them for a little bit. Then, off to mom's and then to see Pam and Vinnie. Here they are...

After we went to a few houses in Vinnie's neighborhood, the boys and I went to the Nelson house for some pizza and drinks. Once finished and it got a bit darker, we were off trick-or-treating. Hard to believe I was wearing capris and flip flops on Halloween night! The kids were very hot in their costumes and didn't last as long as I thought they would. Here they are with their buddies, Ben and Luke with their silly faces on:

Ian and Gavin were sound asleep by 8pm tonight! Maybe I should say my Red Power Ranger and Batman were sound asleep by 8pm tonight! LOL

Forgot to Post These...

Oops...we were at a birthday party over the weekend for Vinnie at Green Acres. Yes, it was our third time there and of course it seemed like a first time for the boys. We stayed for about three hours and finished the big event on a hayride with the birthday boy!

Look who we ran into at the corn maze...Jenn, Scott and Steven!!!!

Yes, we're in North Carolina and not in Vermont in this picture!

Ian, Vinnie and Gavin on the hayride

Gavin's Halloween Parade

Cailean sure did miss a busy week to take off to hunt. We have been on the go this week! I'm exhausted!! I actually had to wake Ian up this morning! I needed to be at the grocery store before school to pick up one more supply for Ian's Fall Learning Experience in his classroom today. We just didn't have a second to do that yesterday. So, there we were...walking into Kroger...Gavin sporting his Batman costume (thanks Jessica for letting us borrow it for the week!) and scared a girl probably around his age. She kept staring at him! LOL After that he didn't want to wear the mask. ARGH.

After we took Ian to school, then we were off to pre-school. We were waiting in the hallway before entering his classroom, so we took this photo:

He was the first kid to arrive, so I captured a picture of Gavin with his teachers: Miss Cindy on the left and Miss Susie on the right...they are GREAT!!!
The parade has started...

Best buddies! Connor as a NC State football player standing next to his sidekick, Batman!

The 2 Batmans: the other kid is in the other 3 year old class. I have no clue why he made that face! LOL But, it's really funny, so I needed to post it for you to see.

The kids sang a song about pumpkins and once again...our son chose not to sing it. However, I heard it over and over and over and over all afternoon!!!!! I said, "Why didn't you sing that song to me this morning?" He says, "The other kids sang to you." LOL LOL

The event ended in enough time for me to head over to Ian's classroom to help with the Fall Learning Experience. Basically, it was a variety of centers and at each center there was an activity centered around the fall season. Very nice activities, too!!! I tried to snap a few shots of Ian, but was unsuccessful. Operator error I guess you could say. :(

After school Ian's friend came over and played for a few hours and had dinner with us. After he left, I had to hold down the fort and do the outside work as well. LOL I've been enjoying taking care of the leaves using the leaf blower! That backyard is lookin' very nice these days! :) I'm pretty proud of myself, as you can probably tell. hee hee

Here, There and Everywhere!

Ian went on his first field trip as a first grader to the NC State Wildlife Center this morning. Cailean and I take turns chaperoning, so I went on this one (Cailean is out of town anyway) and Cailean will be the one to go on the next one. Ian's class is really a well-behaved class and Mrs. Harris does a great job organizing those kids! So yea...we were in the mud, in the swamp area, kids are having a ball. I made Ian wear his OLD sneakers (a little small, but they sure did get muddy)! Here we are...heading down into the muddy area.

Each kid had a cup and a net and they were able to go to town. Most caught tadpoles and some caught some other little critters.

We see you Mrs. Harris!

Ian taking a moment to pose with two of his classmates.

Ian's ONLY soccer coach he has ever had...Coach Rob! Ian was given the Most Coachable and Best Footwork Award!!!!!!!!!! We're proud of you, kiddo! You are so happy on that field and you are such a great team player.

Coach Rob giving one last pep talk to the Cyclones. The fall season ended today in the rain.

After the game and trophies we actually had to wait a few minutes because mom's car battery died. I happened to have jumper cables and Rob did the work while Leslie and I stood chatting in the rain. Then, the boys and I headed to Kingswood for Math Night and we were all pretty beat. I even offered to just drive them straight home, but Ian flipped out and wanted to go. Ian did a few tables there and then we headed home to get ready for another busy day tomorrow!

Gavin spent the day with Pekai and had a fun time playing hide and go seek. He was all giggly when I picked him up! He and Sammy played in their van during the game and I guess they had a ball. LOL Gavin does such a great job going here, there and everywhere with me. Tomorrow is his big day with the Halloween Parade! Look out Spiderman...BATMAN is coming! :)