Game? No Game. Game? No Game. Game ON!

We were not sure if Ian would have his t-ball game tonight. Last night we had this quick storm that went through our area. A few trees actually fell in our neighborhood...well, not trees but major branches. Cailean, being the nice neighbor he is, helped the neighbors tonight using a chainsaw to help with the tree on their front yard.

Gavin managed to get his swim lesson in this morning (he had a bit of an attitude there...told his teacher NO at least 3 times!!! UGH!!! We addressed that when we got home!). He was one happy little boy though jumping off the starting block and swimming away. Back to the weather...so this afternoon we had another downpour and high winds. Then it was sunny. Rain. Then sun. So, we get to the ballpark and about ten minutes after we arrived...rain. Then it stopped. In the second inning it rained and then stopped. I'm glad we got the game in though! We already have to make up one game from last week due to weather. Then, mom's flight was cancelled from JFK, so she leaves Vermont tomorrow morning.

He is watching that ball! A few parents came up to me and commented on his left arm and what a great throw he has and he seems to be a natural hitter! That was neat to receive those comments.

The boys striking a pose with Aunt Sandi after the game!

After-the-game-pose...Uncle Jimi with two great nephews! Gavin doesn't normally wear his hat like that. Cailean moved it up, so you could see his face in the picture! He reminds me of a Vermont hick!!!!

Can you picture this??

So, my dad sent the boys some baseball cards, a letter and 2 $1 bills. Ian and Gavin put the money in their wallets and wanted to buy a treat on the way to mom's place. We stopped at a gas station and picked out their treats. Ian puts up his Skittles on the counter and I told the cashier to please ring them up separately because this is a big deal. He understood! So, Ian turns over his $1 and takes his Skittles. Gavin's turn...Gavin puts his Twizzlers up on the counter. The guy said, "$1 please." Gavin gave the man the bill...turned and looked at me and said with his arms out, "He took my money. He didn't give me money. He took my money." LOL LOL Ian, the guy and I got a good chuckle out of that!!!

Having a GREAT time with family!

We have been sooooo fortunate to have such a close-knit family and have relatives visit quite frequently. We don't ever need to ask if they can attend the kids' events whether it be a swim lesson, sports game, school concert or parade. They ask us when the events are and everyone goes. We LOVE that! I hope Ian and Gavin realize how lucky they are to have such awesome support! Most events have been for Ian since Gavin isn't old enough yet for the team sports. But, he was the center of attention on Monday at his swim lesson! I hope it doesn't rain on Wednesday because they are excited to watch their first t-ball game! Of course it's Gavin's swim lesson again Wednesday morning and I believe they'll be there, too.

Pop-pop and Uncle Jimi catching a glimpse of Gavin's first swim lesson this session. Uncle Jimi comments on the determined look of Gavin during anything that he does! One PROUD Great Uncle and Great Grandfather, I think.

Gavin swimming from the deep end to the shallow end on a noodle. He has come a long way! Gavin was a little sad that Wes isn't teaching him this session, but he seems to enjoy Katy and he likes to swim in the deep end during lessons.

Pop-pop and Aunt Sandi watching Gavin at his first swim lesson of the session.

Cailean snapped this picture before we left the house the other night! Aunt Sandi posing with Pop-pop...what an awesome picture!

Aunt Sandi and Uncle Jimi watched the boys this afternoon while Cailean and I were both at work. They took them swimming and the boys LOVED it! Of course, right?! We do have two fish!!! Cailean and I headed over to the townhome after work and stayed to visit and had dinner there. Aunt Sandi bought the kids Zingo and we played quite a few games of that. Uncle Jimi and Aunt Sandi did quite well with the game! :) Lots of laughs, memories and good times the last week with my aunt and uncle! They head back up to Long Island on Thursday and then we get ready for my cousin, Madeleine, who arrives next Tuesday night! She'll be with us for a week!!! Maddy, we cannot wait until you get here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great weekend...

If you look close enough, you can see the freckles on his face. Too cute!

The boys and I were taking group photos today! They sure do like to pose, don't they?

Gavin enjoys helping out in the yard.


Ian took this photo at Dad's Park after camp last week.

Ian on the left and Jackson on the right at the end of the day at Camp E.D.G.E.

Can anyone find Gavin in this picture? :) The last day at camp...all the kids wore their camp shirts.

We're having lots of fun with Uncle Jimi and Aunt Sandi (and of course my grandparents)! I need to remember to take my camera though. I have been focused on the swim trunks, towels, goggles, sunscreen, water, etc...I keep forgeting to take the camera with us!

Cailean is off to Greensboro fixing a plane, so he missed out on Aunt Sandi's cheeseburgers tonight and another one of my infamous trifles. He is bummed!

Back to swim lessons for Gavin tomorrow. He is beyond excited!!!!!!!

Pictures, Pictures, More Pictures and Videos

Ms. Braun, a.k.a. Mrs. Geiger with Gavin

Ian working on his basketball shot

Brock and Jackson are on the left and have been on Ian's soccer team for quite a few seasons.


Gavin in his Ladybugs room working on an art project. The theme goes along with camping since, so there are lots of camping stuff going on...notice the tree and the tent.

Connor, Justin, Ian and Gavin at Chick-fil-A

The boys LOVE to play t-ball and as you can see...they like to add in some basketball moves, too! Batter Up as they like to say! Enjoy!

Mid-Week...wow!

Okay, I have quite a few pictures and videos to show you! I hope to download them tonight. For now you just get words from me.

Monday the boys started VBS at St. Paul's in downtown Cary with some of the boys' soccer buddies. I volunteered Monday and Tuesday and they assigned me with Ian's group. Gavin is in the Ladybugs with a bunch of other 3 year olds and one of his pre-school classmates is in with him. Ian is in the Eagles with Jackson and Brock, so he is having fun. He still sees his other soccer friends in different locations at "Camp E.D.G.E." It's just for 3 hours in the mornings this week and it's Ian's 2nd year doing this camp. Ian's and Gavin's groups were together for Music on Monday, so I was able to see both boys in an activity.

Tuesday afternoon they hung out with Ms. Braun and kept her very busy. She and her husband had dinner with us, so that was fun! I swear she and Adam are spitting images of Cailean and me. We've been meaning to have them over as a thank you for all that she did for Ian, so we were able to pick yesterday as the day.

This afternoon we're swimming at mom's pool and then coming home for an early dinner before we head off to Ian's t-ball game. His Monday game was cancelled, so we're looking forward to seeing the team play tonight! Go Padres!

Funny Things They Do and Say

I have realized that I haven't really been blogging about all the little things the boys do and say. I pretty much blog our daily activities. Oops!

A few nights ago the boys were getting ready for bed. Gavin was walking from him room to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He walked with his eyes closed and his arms straight out. I said, "Gavin, what are you doing?" He replies, "I'm walking sleeping." Oh, makes sense, doesn't it?! When Gavin climbed into bed, he was asleep within seconds.

Gavin has fallen a few times on the driveway. His poor knees have taken it a little hard. His boo-boos will heal and then the next day he falls (usually it's after trying to get a ball or something) again and we're back to the abrasions. To feel better, he thinks he needs to sit on the couch with a cookie and watch tv. One time he tried limping to the kitchen. It was cute. When he goes to bed the sheets must not touch his boo-boo and he must sleep on his back with his arms out. Yup!

When we play outside, Gavin prefers the baseball and bat, so he can hit the ball off the tee. Ian always goes for the basketball first. He'll play that for awhile and then changes over to his glove and bat to play some t-ball. Both have unbelieveable swings!

Ian has entered the I don't know what you call it stage for 6 year olds. He knows everything. He is good at trying to get his way. He is like me in many ways. One way is patience. Doesn't have a lot! LOL He can eat fruit all day long. LOVES all kinds of fruit. He loves fish sticks and steak. We have no idea where he puts it all. Ian is very interested in what has the most vitamins because he wants big muscles. He must stay busy at all times or he will get himself or his brother into trouble. He is into making paper airplanes right now. He likes to play games and put puzzles together (he does have patience for puzzles though). He can play the Wii quite well and would challenge anyone to a game. He knows how to do these moves that none of us know how to do.

We have a busy week coming up. Two t-ball games, VBS in the mornings for both boys, company for dinner one night and Uncle Jimi and Aunt Sandi are driving down to stay with my grandparents for a week. Then, we get ready for Maddy to arrive in the beginning of August followed by Jessica and the kids at the end of August/beginning of September. Hard to believe that school starts back up in a few weeks!

Ocean View

Jessica, the kids and I arrived to her uncle's condo in Salter Path-Indian Beach area Sunday afternoon. We quickly unpacked and then headed to the beach to play for a few hours. It was soooo not crowded and just peaceful. I was not expecting it to be this quiet and it was just great! Ian was making me very nervous because he had no fear of the ocean and chose to wear his goggles most of the time. I was shocked that he wanted to be underwater, too! Gavin preferred digging in the sand, but he also enjoyed time in the water and jumping when the waves came to us. The kids ate a great dinner and then headed to bed at a decent time. Jessica and I enjoyed sitting on the front balcony listening to the waves and chatting while I enjoyed a Corona! Our trip was cut a little short due to medical reasons, but we sure did enjoy our time with the Nelsons while we were there.

Photo opportunity at the beach. It was a bit windy, but that didn't stop us from having fun.

Here's the tire swing picture I told you I would post. Cailean made it for the boys.

Off to the Beach...

Just wanted to give a quick post. Our camera battery is charging, so I can't upload the latest and greatest pics of the tire swing Cailean made for the backyard! It's awesome and the kids love it! I just wish we didn't have sooo many mosquitos out back...doesn't matter if we have bug spray on or not! But anyway, it's pretty cool!

Ian had t-ball practice early this morning and then we met up with mom in Morrisville. I gave the kids money to get a few things at Super Walmart with mom while I enjoyed a pedicure! I'll sacrifice something in the next two weeks just so that I can have that pedicure!!! LOL I went to Red Polish, which is a new place near mom. I just love being pampered every now and then like that!

We had dinner and drinks tonight at the Reids. We, of course, had a ball over there and the kids totally connect when we're together...it's wonderful!!! It is so hard to get together with all of our schedules, so this was planned months ago! LOL We stayed very late and I still can't believe we stayed that long! Great company!! Tacos, margaritas, trifle, yum!

Cailean is off to work now working a very long shift. Don't worry...the margaritas were taken care of by Leslie and myself. :) Our friends are picking up the boys and I in the morning and we're headed to the beach!!! Oh how I just cannot wait to listen to the waves and watch Ian and Gavin play with their friends, Luke and Ben! We'll be back home Wednesday night, so no blogging until then! But get ready...I'm sure I'll have quite a few stories and photos to share with y'all!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Ian and the Padres had their season opener at 6pm tonight and boy, what a show! The kids had great hits, ran the bases and showed great fielding potential! Ian played shortstop/outfield for most of the game (1 hour...3 innings) and did an excellent job backing up his teammates. He managed to stop all balls hit to him and would throw to first!

Ian's practice swings are pretty intense. Cailean had the opportunity to be the first base umpire for our team as well as be out in the first base area when our team was out on the field. I guess two or three of the other team's coaches saw Ian with his practice swings and said, "Woaaaaa...outfielders be ready!" A strong lefty I must say!

Team cheer with Coach Eric at the end of the game.

Ian always knows to give hugs to his fan club at the end of a game! Unfortunately, Pop-pop only stayed for about five minutes and then mom ended up taking him back home. He has bronchitis and had a few coughing fits when he arrived. I was hoping the fresh air would help him, but nope. He made it very clear to mom on the ride back to the house that he never misses any of Ian's game and this was hard for him! Ian called Pop-pop after the game and told him he played great...and to get better, so he can watch his next game!

Ian with part of his fan club!

I forgot this one...

After watching this video clip on the tv tonight...I definitely needed to add it to the blog for your enjoyment!!!!! Gavin swam from the deep end to the shallow end on a noodle and Gavin didn't skip a beat when Wes took away the noodle at the end! Have you noticed on this video clips that he keeps looking behind him. He's not competitive or anything! LOL I need to get a picture of Ian diving into the pool next because he has the perfect form now! When I take the boys to the pool in the afternoon I leave the camera behind. ARGH!

Jackson and Sarah visit, Basketball Camp and Swim Lessons...

We've been just a bit busy at the start of the week. My cousin (Jackson) from California and his girlfriend (Sarah) were at a wedding in DC and drove down Sunday night. They stayed two nights before flying back to California. We entertained them with a quick trip to Frankie's to ride some go-karts, blaster boats and a few games of air hockey. It was soooo nice to see Jackson and it was our first time meeting Sarah! :) I don't think Ian and Gavin will ever call Jackson just Jackson. I think he has the new name of JACKSON AND SARAH! hahahaha They were even kind enough to watch Gavin's swim lesson and cheer the little guy on.

Waiting to take a ride on the go-karts...

Jackson has already been taught the Wolfpack sign by his two 2nd cousins!

Oh boy...Jackson letting Gavin take control!

Having a great time in the blaster boats!

Ian is going to basketball camp this week at the Community Center in downtown Cary 9am-12. His grandpop and Uncle Matt gave this to him for his birthday gift because he wanted to attend. Ian has improved on his shot since the start of camp! He has a few tips to share with his new teammates this winter in basketball. After camp this afternoon, we headed up to the Y to swim for a few hours. It was a perfect day for that!

You might get eye strain from watching this one, but he is swimming! At times it looks like he is swimming vertically. If you even touch him, then he'll yell to leave him alone because he can swim! He is the 3rd lane over from the left...that is Gavin swimming with NO flotation device! His teachers Wes and Angel are outstanding and he runs to the pool in the morning because he is so excited to start. What a difference from January!!!

Jumping in and swimming to Wes and then back to the wall! We are just so impressed, if you can't tell already!!!

Cailean stayed late at work for a meeting, so the boys and I headed to the library later this afternoon to check out some books. We finally signed up for the Summer Reading Program, too. Ian has been keeping a list of books he has read in 30 minute blocks. But now, we officially started today with the Cary Library. For every 3 hours he reads or is read to, then he goes to the library to write his name on the board. Same with Gavin, too. We came home for dinner and then took Cody for a walk around the neighborhood. The kids were asleep by 7:15pm tonight! Wiped out!

Tomorrow is a full work day for me while Cailean takes care of the camp and swim lessons trips. Then, Ian has his FIRST T-BALL GAME as a member of the Cary Padres!!!! Check back for pictures of the main event! :)

Happy 4th of July!!!

Cailean worked dayshift overtime today, so the boys and I had the day together. My original plan was to take them bike riding, swimming and then dinner at mom's. Those plans changed quickly before we saw 9am! I had forgotten about the festival in downtown Apex and we have never gone to it, so I thought it would be a fun adventure. So, we were in the heart of the festival by 9:15am. They had entertainment, bouncy houses, fair food and lots of red, white and blue.

Don't forget you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

We only had to stand in line for less than 5 minutes for the boys to go through the Pirate inflatable maze.
Then we ran into Jenn and Steven, so we hit up another inflatable bouncy house thing and visited the fire trucks. Gavin asked how to put the lights and siren on!


We took a break to take in the crowd, listen to music and enjoy a sno cone. Right after I took this picture Gavin didn't want the rest of his, but Ian did. Before we left the house Gavin asked for the stroller...that tells how tired he was from swimming the last few days!

We headed out after about 1 1/2 hours or so. Here's a picture, so you can get an idea of where we were this morning.

We were driving to Super Target in Apex and there was a check point. My license was in the trunk and I was thinking how crazy that would be if the cop made me pull over to the side to get it. I guess I was about the 5th car in line and I watched him look at the license, then go to the back of the car, look at the license again and give it back to the driver. So, it was my turn. I said, "My wallet is in the trunk of my car." He looked in my backseat and saw two handsome kiddos and told me he didn't think I would be doing anything crazy or illegal, so I could go on through. He had this smirk on his face, too. Phew! I drive away and Gavin says, "If you didn't have kids, then would you have to go to jail?" LOL Oh Gavin!

After a quick trip to Super Target to get dinner to take over to mom's, we drove by Chick-fil-A and noticed a big bouncy house with the cows. Nobody was around except for the employees. It was around 11am and so I swung into the parking lot. The worker was still fixing the bouncy house, but told us to go have lunch and then after it'll be ready to go. I was not planning to have lunch there, but the boys were thrilled, so why ruin all the fun! Ian and Gavin were the only kids around, so they received lots of attention from the cows! Gavin kept saying, "Where are the cow chickens?" Ian would just laugh!!

After lunch we made our way outside. They played two games and then jumped in the bouncy house for about 30 minutes!

We headed home and the boys played Wii Sports while I cleaned. Then, we went to mom's to swim. We even took Pop-pop swimming! Ian was doing GREAT with his freestyle stroke and Gavin decided to float on his back and then start swimming backstroke. I was speechless! Both boys have mastered their cannonballs, too. Then, we went back to mom's to meet Cailean there. We made dinner for them and then I showed my red, white and blue masterpiece of a trifle! My grandmother said I should have taken a picture of it!

Holiday Weekend!

Yesterday was just a great day! Pop-pop watched Cailean wash and wax my car. We set up a chair for him in the driveway, so he could enjoy the beautiful weather and not be near the tv! I found out last night that Cailean actually put him to work and waxed a little area of my hood! hehehehe Mom, the kids and I headed to the Y pool and swam for about 4 hours. It was not that crowded at all and we were shocked! But, it was a good thing for us. While we were enjoying the nice weather at the pool, Cailean and my grandfather went out to lunch and then to the movies to see Public Enemies. After dinner, Cailean took Ian for a surprise! It was definitely a surprise because he tried guessing where he was going all day! They went to see USA Baseball play against Guatamala and then stayed to watch the fireworks. One of the umpires gave Ian a USA Baseball after the game! Gavin soooooo did not care where they went. He was exhausted and was asleep before his music went to the 2nd song on his CD!

Today we'll go ride bikes and swim. We'll probably go swimming at mom's pool today, so the kids can play with the pool toys and use their kickboards. Cailean is working overtime dayshift today.

Can't wait for tomorrow night when Jackson and Sarah arrive for two nights!!!!

Heading into the holiday weekend...

What a week...Ian has been enjoying the YMCA all day camp this week. They sure do keep the kids busy! I take him by 8:45am and pick him up at 4pm. When I picked him up Wednesday, one of his counselors put him in my car and told me that they LOVE Ian...he is the best listener...he is such a great kid...ahhh....Thursday is his last day. He'll do one more week of this, but not until mid-August. Next week is basketball camp through the Town of Cary in the mornings. He actually has been asking to do the Y's Camp Blazing Trails at Lake Crabtree. It's 1/2 days for a week where they can go canoeing, boating, fishing, hiking, etc...outdoorsy stuff!

Gavin has been doing GREAT at the Y this week as well. He is a little clingy when I drop him off at the Cricket Club, but when I pick him up 1 hour later I have seen him interact with other kids and seems to actually enjoy his time there! Swim lessons have been absolutely amazing. There are 2 other kids in his class with 2 instructors. Pretty nice ratio, eh? Today, Wes and Angel (instructors) followed the three boys down to the deep end of the pool swimming on noodles with no "bubble" on their backs. I could NOT believe this. He was swimming!!!!! He picked his head up to take a breath and then right back in the water kicking and doing ice cream scoops. Next week I'll get some video clips to post.

After lessons we had lunch at the Y and swam until around 2pm. I didn't want to be near the phone or the computer and have to deal with work!! I had two people come up to me asking how old Gavin was because they couldn't believe this little boy was actually swimming.

We picked up Ian at around 4pm from camp and once again...Gavin was wiped out and fell asleep on the way there. Good thing for the neck pillows from Aunt Sandi! Thanks!! When we got home, mom met us and took the boys. Ian and Gavin treated mom and my grandfather to dinner while my grandmother stayed home to work on getting over her cold. I had a dinner meeting at the local pub with a co-worker! I was actually impressed with how much work we actually did accomplish!!!

Cailean has been to DCA and RIC fixing airplanes the last few days. He went to work Tuesday and ended up getting sent to DCA. He flew back to RDU Wed morning and had to stay to finish out his regular shift. We had t-ball last night, too. Cailean went to work this morning and ended up getting sent to Richmond to fix a plane. They drove up, took care of the problem and then stayed to fix another plane. He'll be back in the middle of the night and not working OT tomorrow. Between mom and Cailean, childcare will be covered while I head to work.