Lovin' the Fall Season

We're all keeping very busy with the fall months! Here we go...

School:
Gavin is adjusting well to Kindergarten with his teacher, Mrs. Geiger. He actually sleeps during rest time towards the end of the day! When I pick him up at 3:45pm he seems a bit groggy (they end rest time at around 3:30pm)! He definitely needs his sleep! Cailean volunteers one hour a week, I volunteer one hour a week and my dad volunteers in his class on a weekly basis. It's neat to see Gavin interact with his classmates and observe who he gravitates towards in class. He earned the Character Trait Award: Responsibility. That is quite a honor! He does not complain about doing any of his homework and takes his time doing it. He is really into writing out his first name and last name on everything!

Ian is doing just fine in 3rd grade with Mrs. Zeugner. His reading continues to improve and he prefers reading about anything related to sports. At this point, as long as he is reading, we really don't care what he is reading! If he is interested in it, then GREAT! He enjoys Social Studies and Science along with Math. He excels in Writing and really goes into detail with his stories. I had a parent/teacher conference the other day and he continues to set good examples in school, makes the right choices and doing really well with his academics. Cailean, my dad and I also volunteer in his classroom on a weekly basis.

Sports:
Ian and Gavin are loving baseball this fall as a Riverdog. Ian can be found mostly at first base and has really improved there. He continues to work hard and it is showing. Gavin loves sporting his #16 and enjoys playing pitcher and left centerfield. They have a great team and it's fun to watch the kids play together! Cailean continues to be an assistant coach and I continue to do the books and the team blog.

Church:
The boys are in full swing with Sunday School and church. We sit with Pop-pop and Mimi and hopefully Grammie will be back to joining us. Ian has attended youth group once and should be able to attend this Sunday again after baseball practice.

That's all the updates for now!

This and That

We've definitely been keeping busy. The boys do have their down time, but sometimes that turns into them getting into trouble! Nana flew down and spent 9 days with us. She was part of our busy, but normal routine with school, baseball, work and everything else!

Gavin is doing great with Kindergarten. I think it has caught up with him as to how long the days are at school. Sometimes he has a hard time getting out of bed and there are other times when he is ready to go. He is on the go and doesn't complain about his schedule. He has bonded with a few kids in his class and he really likes his teacher. He is very good about telling us what goes on in his class each day. You can tell what they learn about because he puts it into practice. For example, I knew they were going over the five senses. Out of the blue he just tells us what they are! He asks how to spell words and he also will sound words out to try and spell them. Cailean, my dad and I volunteer in his classroom, too. Poor kid! LOL He loves it though. ;-)

Ian is enjoying third grade for the most part. He is taking a liking to Social Studies, which is shocking. Cailean and my dad have been volunteering in his classroom and I start this Friday. Third grade math has been interesting. Things are not taught how they used to be taught, so it has been challenging at times trying to understand their methods. He was pretty excited to have a new classmate and that has been a focus of discussion the last few days.

Baseball has been awesome! We can't say enough good things about the friends we've met through this team and league. Gavin tends to play pitcher and outfield. He did catch for a few innings. Ian tends to play first base and sometimes outfield. Both continue to have a blast and they keep improving. Cailean enjoys being the assistant coach and being right out there with the boys.

Ian started youth group at the Kirk called 3-4-5 Alive. It's for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders every other Sunday afternoon. They'll go on trips, do service projects, etc...just like a youth group. He went last Sunday for the first night of the season.

More than likely they'll join my coworkers on Sunday afternoons (when there is no practice or youth group) playing flag football. That should be interesting!

We're going to be celebrating my grandfather's 90th birthday this weekend at the Backyard Bistro! We'll have just a small group of family together. I'll post pictures.

We're Back!

I'm getting back into this now since my cousin, Madeleine, is headed over to France for a bit teaching English. She commented I need to post a few times a month, so she can keep track of her second cousins! Thanks Maddy for the motivation!

I have not stopped blogging. But, I've blogged on two other websites. This summer we had the opportunity to travel around the state of North Carolina with Ian's 7U All-Star Team, so I blogged that 6-week season. Now that it's fall ball...I'm doing season #2 with the Riverdogs. Feel free to follow at http://westraleighriverdogs.blogspot.com

My dad drove down in mid-May and has been living with us as he is being treated at Duke University Hospital for a medical situation. He has neuro-endocrine cancer and the tumor is on the pancreas. He had to wait until the pancreatitis came down before the surgeon could go in and do surgery. On August 22 he had that surgery. He was able to get the majority of his work done except yank the tumor out due to the location (near the blood vessel). So, he'll have external beam radiation and will I think start that at the end of the month. He is recovering from the surgery nicely and it's great to have Grandpop around! He is part of our daily routine now and helps us out.

Ian started third grade this year and has Mrs. Zeugner. So far he is enjoying his class and the work. He has really taken a liking to Social Studies. I'll be volunteering on Friday afternoons and will start that next week. Cailean is going to volunteer during the morning on a Thursday or Friday.

Ian has grown significantly...can't get over his height for his age. He has shown huge strides in baseball and continues to go to church and Sunday School. This year he'll start the 3-4-5 Alive, which is a youth group for 3rd-5th graders. They'll do service projects, go bowling, rollerskating, etc on Sundays between 3 and 5pm. I'm sure he'll have a good time.

Gavin started Kindergarten and has Mrs. Geiger. There were NO tears for him at the start of the school year. He has been looking forward to going to the same school as Ian! I volunteered for the first time last Friday and will continue that each week. I've taken on the responsibility of the class parent for the K class.

He just started baseball this season and is doing great! This fall and spring the boys are on the same team! Hard to believe! Not sure what next fall will bring. I don't want to stick to one sport, but still haven't found the right soccer fit. The boys have shown some interest in football, so we'll see. Right now we're enjoying both boys on the field at the same time!

That's all for now...

Anyone still reading the blog?

Our life now is baseball and I do the team blog: www.wr7uallstarteam.blogspot.com and be sure to check it out through July 10!

Ian's last day of school is today. Yesterday parents were invited to hear their research presentations and the kids received awards from their teacher. Ian was given the Best Sportsmanship Award! That's an excellent one and one that he should be proud of receiving!

Gavin has been enjoying time with Grandpop since he graduated from pre-school. I attended Kindergarten Orientation this week and he'll be ready to go in the fall!

Is anyone still reading the blog? If so, then post a comment please or become a follower!

Eeks...I'll do a better job with the blog!

Wow! Last one was May 3! Sorry about that. I'll take time this weekend to post some pictures. Maybe even some video clips! Where to start...

Ian:
Ian has a few more days of school left before he moves on to 3rd grade. Holy cow! His last day of 2nd grade is June 10. His reading has improved a lot this year and the homework can be a challenge at times. It's a good lesson to him that he has to work at it. He is very into technology and will try to get his time with it. He prefers the websites he is able to do at school, so that's good. Yes, we closely monitor it!

He enjoys being outside whether it's shooting hoops, playing baseball or soccer, running around, going fishing or helping with yard work. Definitely active!

With the help of his Grandpop...he is learning Psalm 23 for Sunday School. He knows the first 6 lines!

He had a great baseball season and we were so fortunate to have another great coach and team family. We love our #4!

He had his 8 year well check visit and he is completely off the charts for height and about 80th for weight. He is one tall and slender kid!

Gavin:
He graduated from pre-school last week and I have no clue where the year went with him. He loves to sing songs that he learned at school. He adored his teachers, Miss Cathy and Miss Sherene, and loved Miss Amy for Music and Miss Brenda for Bible time.

He also enjoys being outside and doing all the fun things that Ian does. He is definitely into sports, which we love!

He played soccer this spring on Saturdays and enjoyed that, but really liked spending time at West Raleigh watching Ian play ball. His time will come this Fall when he becomes a Riverdog!

He enjoyed spending Tuesday afternoons this year with his close buddy, Connor. I can't think Kim enough for the commitment!!!

We've had some medical situations with family members in the last month. Dad is being tended to here with his health situation and it's great having him stay with us. We've been keeping busy and the boys love having their Grandpop go places with them!

My grandmother is in a rehab facility after her broken hip situation. I believe she'll be moving to a different one in the upcoming week for a bit of a change. The boys have done a great job going with us for visits and pushing her around in the wheelchair.

The big news around here is that Ian made the Cal Ripken 7U All Star Team with West Raleigh. So, we'll be heavy into baseball starting June 1 and ending July 10. Pretty much each day with tournaments on the weekends in NC. Ian is very excited and we're fortunate he has this opportunity! I'm going to do the blog for the team and will post the address later.

Where Did April Go?????

A lot of things have been going on since the last post...

I was in Vermont unexpectedly for 9 days to be with my dad as we face some medical challenges. My brother was also there. We'll get through this together and he'll have surgery at Duke Medical in the next few weeks and recover at our house. Then, he'll move on down to HotLanta near my brother and sister in law!

The day before I left the four of us drove to Goldsboro to see an air show. It was excellent weather and I managed to get some color! I have a few pictures that I'll post at some point!

The boys spent spring break without me, but had a great time with Cailean. They did lots of "guy" things like becoming junior park rangers at local parks...went fishing...went swimming...did some hiking...they also spent some time with some relatives over at mom's.

Cailean's mom flew down for a week and it was perfect timing actually! She was definitely put right to work and we can't thank her enough. On Easter Sunday night...my grandmother fell and broke her hip. Cailean came to the rescue and stayed the night with my grandfather while mom and Mimi were at the hospital. Cailean's mom was home with the boys (phew). My grandmother is now out of the hospital and in rehab.

Ian is winding down his baseball season. After tonight's game he has 3 regular season games left and then tournament play. He is doing so well!!!! He is quite the centerfielder and is great at the plate.

Ian is doing great in school. There are certain areas we're working on improving though...that's just fine!

Gavin is back into soccer after taking spring break off (the whole team). That is coming to an end shortly as well. He is also winding down with pre-school. He actually graduates at the end of the month. WHAT????? Yea, tell me about it! He loves to announce at baseball games. He enjoys singing songs from Sunday School and pre-school. I hope he shows it in the end of the year show!

Ian turned EIGHT on May 2!!!! We had pizza and cake at the rehab facility, so that was a nice choice he made! ;-) He also earned his Bible at the Kirk along with a certificate for completing PCPW (another milestone for kids at the Kirk). He knows the Lord's Prayer by heart and understands the order of the service.

That's about all for now! Pictures later!

In Review

Gavin had an exciting week at school! His class went on a field trip...through the tunnel and over to IHOP for a special lunch. He ate pancakes, yogurt, fruit and had a drink. He made it very clear that he had syrup on it and still ate the pancakes. He loves his food plain, so this is a little funny to us! He spent time at home "reading" all of his Froggy books and focused on writing his capital letters during car pool line. Ian had a great time at Running Club this week and was not a happy camper that his class didn't have PE this week because they had to practice for their upcoming concert. The poor kid! Life as a second grader!! He is really into Study Island on the computer and had a bit of an off week with his handwriting, but I know he'll get back into it this week. Sometimes I call him MATT because he reminds me of my brother when we were growing up. LOL LOL Thursday was an interesting night. Ian had practice at 5pm and we were having practice for one hour and then scrimmaging Ian's fall team, the Scrappers. Well, I had to leave before the scrimmage to attend the scholar athlete banquet, so I was bummed about this! Cailean got called in to work for the night, so I didn't get to stay for the whole banquet and I missed the scrimmage. Friday was an early release day for Ian, so Cailean took the boys to Adventure Landing to play laser tag, mini golf, arcades, etc. Yup, I still am jealous. I was at work until 4:30pm and then came home to get their dinner ready before I headed out to scrapbook at the Kirk. Saturday was a big day! Gavin had 8am soccer and it had rained a lot the night before, so I was convinced practice would be canceled. It wasn't. Only half the team showed up and so they scrimmaged at the end. Gavin's team scored 3 goals and he scored all of them. It might sound like Gavin was hogging the ball, but in reality...nobody can keep up with him and he had breakaways for all of them. He did pass the ball quite a few times to his buddy Nathan playing defense. Ian had baseball pictures at 4pm and then a game at 5:30pm. Coach Lance wanted Gavin in the team picture, too. How nice is that?! The parents commented he is like the team mascot! LOL He did the pledge and announced for a bit in between running up to his Mimi, Grammie and Pop-pop for snacks. Ian's team won 9-8, but it was a close one. Ian did an amazing job in center field. He threw a runner out at second and stopped the ball numerous times to keep the runners from going to second. At the plate he went 2 for 3. His last hit was hit so hard right down the middle. His teammate, Andrew, hit the ball and drove Ian in for the game winning run. Cailean did a great job as a first base coach, too! You all know Ian's personality...quiet, reserved, isn't loud. You should see him now in baseball. He yells out from center field, "One out, plays at first, be READY!!!" He is LOUD! He shows emotion when he throws the ball to second for an out. It's awesome! Then there is Gavin. "Good job, Ian!" Today is Ian's last day of PCPW at church. On May 1, he'll receive a certificate and a Bible from the Kirk and he's ready to say the Lord's Prayer today in class. Very proud of him.

Ian and Cailean left Friday morning for the big Y-Guides Spring Outing over near the coast. They had a lot of fun! They didn't take a lot of pictures though. ARGH. They came back Sunday afternoon in time for Ian's baseball game. It was his first game of the season. Here are some fan club pictures...

Gavin is enjoying his soccer on Saturday mornings. He is doing very well and has a lot of fun!

I tried to add more clips of Gavin playing soccer, but they take forever to upload. So, here's one...notice he is so speedy!!!!!

Ian's Field Trip to the Zoo

Yesterday was the 2nd grade field trip to the NC Zoo in Asheboro and I was one of the chaperones. Since Cailean had the day off he took Gavin as well. We had a lot of fun! Ian rode with his class on the bus to the zoo, but came home with us since we stopped for dinner and to buy him new batting gloves. Fun, fun day!

Rain, Rain, Rain

Ian's season opener for baseball was supposed to be tonight at 5:30pm, but we are rained out. Bummer! He really enjoys his new team, the coaches, practices and everything about it! He continues to improve and will be playing outfield and a little at first base. His hitting has improved significantly and I'm looking forward to watching him as well as his team! He continues to sport #4. He is well aware that #4 was Pop-pop's number when he played sports. I love the fact he wants to wear that number in honor of him. There will be a different look this season with his fan club. We learned after last season that parents wear the team jerseys with their son's number on the back. Last season just Cailean ordered one because he was going to help with coaching. But, all the moms had them on as well at the games (except me). So...this season...not only will I wear a #4 jersey and Cailean and Gavin (and Ian of course), but also his Mimi, Grammie and Pop-pop! Very cool and yes...I'll take pictures! Ian's class is going on a field trip tomorrow to the zoo and I'm going as a chaperone. The good thing is that I don't have to use vacation time from work because NC State promotes community service and they count chaperoning on school field trips as community service! So, I'm excited about that! The weather is not looking to great, but we'll be going rain or shine. Cailean and Gavin might be going to the zoo as well. We'll make that decision last minute. Gavin enjoys his time at soccer on Saturday mornings. They play either 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 with no goalies. They practice for the first part and then scrimmage the last 30 minutes or so. His Mimi is there each week cheering him on! I've sent an email to the organization because the field is not handicapped accessible, so my grandparents cannot watch him play soccer again this season. He always sings at home. He sings songs from school. He sings songs from Sunday School. He just loves to sing, but doesn't want people to listen to him! I have two more payments to make for him to attend pre-school and then that comes to an end. I cannot believe that. This weekend will be interesting. Cailean and Ian head to the Spring Outing with the Y-Guides Friday-Sunday while Gavin and I enjoy time at home. I don't like being away from Ian. :-( He will be missing Opening Ceremonies with baseball and the first game of the season, which really stinks. But, the Spring Outing is an important event and they'll have a great time! Gavin wants to see HOP...the new movie, so we'll probably do that. Don't forget to check out Ian's baseball team's blog that I put together at www.westraleighriverdogs.blogspot.com

The weather was perfect last Wednesday afternoon, so the boys and I met Jessica and her boys for a walk around Lake Pine and to feed the ducks. Actually, the 4 boys rode their scooters while Jessica and I walked. After the lap the kids played for a few minutes at the playground before heading home for dinner. Great weather here!

We went to Ian's 2 hour baseball practice Thursday night. There's a basketball hoop there, so Gavin has plenty of activities to keep him busy. We play catch, play basketball, have a snack and watch practice together. He had an opportunity to run a relay race with some other kids after practice, so that was neat.

Friday night I enjoyed time with my friend, Mia, and a few others at the Kirk for scrapbooking. I love to scrapbook at this event because I get to spread out all my scrapbooking stuff and I end up making around 18 pages. It's a small group that meets and I love it.

While Mia and I were scrapbooking...Cailean took Ian and Gavin to a Garner HS baseball game. Ian's former coach (Coach Rick...Mia's husband) was umping the game and Timothy (their friend) was going to be there, too. I know they had a blast together!

Around 11:30pm Cailean's boss called to send him to what we thought was Richmond to inspect/fix a plane. It turns out it was Baltimore. At any rate, Cailean left shortly after the call to head to the airport. That left me at midnight thinking about how I was to be at 3 places at once (I was running a conference at work 7am-1pm, Gavin had soccer at 9:30am - which my mom was taking him to, and Ian had practice for 1 hour and then a 2 hour scrimmage). Thanks to Ian's coaches and a mom on the team...they kept an extra eye on Ian. Mom was a life saver again and picked up Gavin at the ballpark to take him to soccer and back to watch the end of the scrimmage. The boys went with me to work bright and early. LOL

Gavin scored a goal in his scrimmage after practice and Ian saw time at first base and hit a beautiful hit down the first base line and the ball ended up by the fence for him to earn a triple!!!

Another fun week ahead of us...

Week of Birthdays and More

First...

Happy Birthday to Cailean's brother, Eric!!!!! (March 10)

Happy Birthday to my dad aka Grandpop!!!! (March 14)

Happy Birthday to Cailean's mom aka Nana!!!! (March 15)

Lots of family birthdays right around now! ;-)

We had a great weekend. Lots of action with soccer and baseball. The weather was perfect and I even have sunglass marks from being at the ball field on Sunday afternoon. Aunt Sandi is in town helping my mom out with my grandparents. Between mom needing to get stuff done and our schedules...unfortunately we didn't get to see her much on this visit. :-(

Ian had practice tonight at West Raleigh and we ended up doing a last minute scrimmage for just over 2 hours against another team, the Bulls. It was nice for the players to get the game situation and see where they are at. Gavin wants to learn the players' names, so he can be ready to announce. He told me last night he is going to retire from announcing at the end of the season because he'll be able to play next year! LOL

Dentist appointments for the boys tomorrow afternoon. Playdate with some friends afterwards. Hopefully there will be no rain. Practice on Thursday and I'm scrapbooking on Friday night. :-)

I started up a team blog for Ian's Riverdogs team. www.westraleighriverdogs.blogspot.com. Feel free to check it out! There will be a few parents taking pictures during the games, so I can upload them or connect it to their links. Should be a great year!

Lovin' the South!

I put that title there because we have been hearing about all the snowstorms up in the northeast and especially in Cailean's hometown and my hometown. I remember those days and I do not miss shoveling at all!

We're in full swing down here with school, church and sports. I'll try to recap as best I can.

Ian -
He is working real hard in school, at home and on the ball field. He dreads completing his assigned homework 60% of the time, but yet he'll go to town writing letters to NC State student athletes when he is winding down in his bed. The other night he wrote an incredible story about Vermont. I'll have to scan the pages and post at some point. His school started up a Running Club a few months ago and Ian didn't want to join at the time. He recently started talking about it, so we waited for his baseball schedule and on Monday he participated for the first time. The kids walk/run around the track for around 1 hour. He ran around the track 23 times I think!

He likes to annoy his brother just as much as his brother likes to annoy him. He enjoys playing the Wii and going on Study Island for school. He enjoys playing outside whether it's going for a walk with me on his scooter, throwing the ball around or shooting hoops.

He finished his second practice last night as a Riverdog and he did sooooo well! Practice was cut short by about 30 minutes, but they still were able to accomplish a lot. He has practice tonight and then this weekend.

Ian is nearing the end of his PCPW class at church. On May 1 the class will receive bibles from the staff, so that will be an honor for him.

Gavin -
He has improved in his handwriting and always gives me the details about what he did in school in addition to who was missing from his class that day. He is very proud of himself when he eats everything in his lunch, too. It's the little things, right?! We have a lot of pre-school events to attend in May and then he'll graduate. Yes, I'll be a mess.

He started soccer and he wishes he can practice just as many times a week as Ian does! He remembers some of the kids on his team, but he has a new coach and some new teammates. This Saturday morning we'll be at the field bright and early for 8am practice.

He loves to stay home. He loves to play with Cody and hug him and pet him. He always checks on his dog! He enjoys playing basketball in his room or downstairs (or outside). He loves the Wii and he loves his Froggy books.

Last Saturday night we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters with my mom, grandparents and Timothy (from the Scrappers) and his mom, Mia. We had a BLAST!!!! I don't know if the adults laughed harder than the kids! Monday night we met the Thompsons at Chick-fil-A for dinner. Their boys played on the Scrappers with Ian and we've become great friends with them.

Aunt Sandi is flying down this weekend and we'll be looking forward to her visit!

We're in MARCH!

The sun is out, the trees are blowing, we're sneezing due to allergies and I think we're done with the cold weather in our area.

It's Read Across America Week and Dr. Seuss' birthday week at Ian's school. With that it's Spirit Week as well, so on Monday Ian was able to wear his favorite hat. He chose his West Raleigh hat. On Tuesday he could dress up as his favorite book character. He didn't really do this, but claims he went as a NC State fan. On Wednesday it was crazy hair day, so I pull gel in the little amount of hair he has on his head. Today is wear green day, so I pulled out a green t-shirt from last year.

Ian has been into writing letters to the student athletes at NC State lately. He asked them some great questions and also praised them. I've been impressed. He worked on fractions when he was in bed one night. Wow!

Gavin got to wear his pjs yesterday to school to celebrate Dr. Seuss. The kids looked so cute. He wanted to wear one set of pajamas, but then when it was time to get dressed he told me he wasn't going to participate. UGH! A little bribery worked and off we went to school.

Since Gavin gets out at 12:15 and Wednesdays are my short days at work I decided to take Gavin and his good friend, Connor, to the movies. We saw Gnomeo and Juliet...a very cute movie. I'm looking forward to April because there are a lot of good movies coming out for kids! I actually didn't mind the previews in the theater.

The big news of the week came on Monday night with the baseball draft for West Raleigh. Ian was drafted by the Riverdogs. It's really hard to put the Scrappers behind us since we completely bonded with some awesome families in the fall. But, it's now Riverdog time. As Ian's former coach said...Once a Scrapper...always a Scrapper. My friend, Mia, and I are calling the teams the Scrapdogs to combine both! Ian had such an awesome tryout experience and he has improved so much. He's tall, athletic, lefty, great hitter/fielder, great work ethic, great baseball age...wonderful qualities for a baseball player! We're definitely looking forward to the season. Ian starts this Saturday for practice. I'll be keeping the books during the games and Cailean is able to help coach.

Gavin kicks off his soccer season this Saturday morning. We opted to play soccer over t-ball this season. He'll do West Raleigh in the fall. He is really excited to go back onto that soccer field this weekend. GO AVALANCHE!

Basketball Season Ended...Uncles Come to Visit

Saturday the boys played their last basketball games of the season. I had a great time coaching the Armadillos and the Wolfpack and look forward to doing the same next year! My two uncles from NY drove down for the weekend, so they saw Ian and Gavin in action.

2010-11 Armadillos

2010-11 Wolfpack
Sunday was around 80, so we spent a few hours at the park near my mom's. The boys enjoyed their scooters and my mom, Uncle Jimi and I took them around about 3 laps.

Then it was time to play some trac ball.

Oh and the ice cream truck arrived. It was the boys' first time getting ice cream from the truck. What a treat!

Uncle Jimi and the boys taking a break.

We went to mom's after and had a lot of laughs!

Ian and Gavin...so active and we love it!

It just seems like the weeks are flying by. Slow down, I say! I'll just give you an update on each kid...

Ian is doing great in school. Homework is not his favorite thing to do and sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get him to take care of it. But, he does. He loves Tuesdays because it's PE day. He also loves early release days and he pays attention to when he doesn't have school (like tomorrow). He does a great job with details in his stories and he is all about Study Island, which is a website that kids can go on and earn blue ribbons for the school. It's all learning information and he has that competitive drive in him. He enjoys his teacher and cashes in tickets with the positive behavior system to help his Kindergarten teacher every once in awhile. He also cashed in some tickets to help in the Media Center. His teacher gives out smiley face stamps on a calendar each day and it's a big deal to Ian. Yes, he hasn't missed a day yet.

Gavin loves school and just recently he told us he doesn't want to leave the Kirk. He is very comfortable in his setting with his best friends, Connor and Katie. He can't imagine life without those two! Although they'll see each other on Sundays. He participates more in Music, adores his two teachers and the director of the school. He takes time with his writing and doesn't like to rush. His favorite part of the day is recess and lunch. Of course, right?!

Ian's basketball team has been playing great this season and it's so much fun to watch them play together. I've enjoyed coaching them this year. Ian does really well making some baskets, getting rebounds and playing defense.

Gavin looks forward to his basketball practices and games just like Ian. He has a lot of energy on the court and enjoys blocking shots more than making baskets. He really understands the sport and is just so happy to finally be on a team.

Ian had tryouts today for baseball. I'm sure he made the league, but it's a matter of which coach will take him. Next Monday night we'll know, but I wish it was sooner. He did such a great job out there this afternoon.

Gavin will play soccer this spring with CASL, so he'll play Saturday mornings. I'm sure we'll find out soon his team, coach and schedule. He's pretty excited to get out on the soccer field! We chose not to put him in t-ball this season and instead play in the fall with West Raleigh Baseball (same team as Ian).

That's about all for now!

The Same Old...

We're in quite a routine. We work and go to school during the week and play basketball, go to Sunday School and church on the weekends. We might have a few different events to attend during the week and we sure do keep busy. Ian's school had Math Night on Tuesday night. We did go to that for a few minutes and it was great to see Ian run off with a classmate to do some math events while Cailean and I talked to some parents.

Lots of germs in our neck of the woods, too. I was sick Sun-Tues and Cailean got it on Wed. Ian and Gavin are a little congested, but no fevers. It's supposed to be great weather this weekend, so we need some fresh air in this house instead of smelling Lysol everywhere.

The boys had basketball practice the same night on Wednesday. Thursday night we went to the Kanki, so Ian could earn a patch for Y-Guides. It was an experience for them and they each tried new food. Ian was loving the steak, but wouldn't go near the veggies or rice. Gavin ate up his steak and had some rice and veggies. They were amazed by the chef and the talent he showed cooking our dinner. It was definitely a special treat for them, but I don't think they'll mind if we don't go back!

Gavin had his Valentine's party at school and he had a fun time filling out cards to his friends. Ian has his ready to take in on Monday for his classmates. Monday morning will bring pink heart shaped pancakes for the boys.

Excited to coach the boys in their games tomorrow! Having some pizza with some friends Saturday night will be fun and off to do some bowling and dinner with another family on Sunday night.

Some More Fun

Gavin is wearing a red shirt and blue shorts above. He receives a pass from Will and then shoots it.

Again, Gavin in the red shirt and blue shorts.

Ian is wearing a white shirt with #4.

He dribbles down and scores!

What a week last week! Ian had a fever and he and I had to miss a day of work and school. Then, he had his annual eye appointment and all is well in that department. No glasses this year. We go back next February. While Gavin and I were at basketball practice Ian and Cailean went a little ways south of the triangle area to a former MLB player's place where Cailean actually hunts. He converted a chicken coop into batting cages and gave a little lesson to Ian. He has tryouts in about two weeks with West Raleigh. We're sure he'll do just fine, but nervous as to who will draft him. Saturday consisted of Gavin's game at 8am...Ian's game at 1pm and then we went to a Y-Guides event in downtown Raleigh Saturday night.

We have a busy week ahead of us, but definitely a fun one. We'll be getting together with some good friends Tuesday night, Saturday and Sunday. Definitely looking forward to that!

School and Sports

Gavin and Ian are doing great in school. Gavin likes to sign his name and do things for himself most of the time. He likes to rhyme words, tries to tell time and likes to add. He loves his two favorite buddies: Connor and Katie. I cannot believe we register him for Kindergarten in TWO days.

Ian continues to do well in school. We just received his report card and he's doing great. He reminds me a lot of my brother when it comes to school, so I think we might be in for it. LOL Ian is still trying to figure out how to write as a lefty (positioning of the paper, holding the pencil so he can see what he is writing, etc).

Both kids are enjoying their basketball seasons. It's a lot of fun to not only coach their teams, but to watch them, too. Gavin had a superstar game last Saturday. He made 5 baskets and he passed the ball a lot to his teammates. Sometimes at his age they like to try and score themselves, but the Armadillos have worked on the teamwork and passing. Ian knew his brother made 5 baskets and wanted to beat that in his own game. Well, he did. He made 9. He had quite a few rebounds and steals. Both are having so much fun! Gavin is #1 on his team and Ian proudly wears #4!

Gavin's Birthday and an Unexpected Trip to Vermont

I don't really know where January went. Cailean traveled a lot between NC and FL to be with his parents and siblings. January 15th was a happy day and a sad day. It will always be a happy day because it's my brother's birthday and my friend's son's birthday. It will also be a sad day because my father in law passed away in the early morning hours after a short battle with cancer. Cailean was in FL when he passed away and we decided to still have Gavin's birthday party. I had enough family and friends to help me.

Mom made another amazing cake for Gavin. We went with the NC State theme, so there's the cake!

My grandparents were there as well as my Aunt Cindy from California and my cousin Jessica and her family from SC. They sure did help me get through the weekend.

I noticed that Ian and Gavin were very clingy to my mom during the party. That's okay. They needed the lovin'.

Gavin and lots of his friends at the bowling party. They are such a great group.



Love that they are growing up together! My cousin's kids with my kids.

On January 19 we drove up to Vermont to be with Cailean's family and prepare for the funeral service. Since we were in Bennington I was able to see my best friend and her family. Our kids don't see each other much, but when they get together...it's amazing how well they click. Our niece, Sarah, had a lot of fun with the kids as well.

The kids enjoyed time in the pool at the hotel.

There was over 3 feet of snow in Bennington. Crazy!!!

Nana with her grandkids. What a great picture!

We were in Vermont for Gavin's real birthday on Sunday. We had a little gathering for him.

It's Basketball Season!!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 11am...Gavin's FIRST basketball game ever! He was AWESOME! That kid can play some defense...he can intercept the passes...he can pass to his teammates...he can dribble and take 4 steps to the basket...and he scored his first basket and the team's first basket of the season! He had his fan club there, too. It included: Cailean, Ian, Mimi, Grammie, Pop-pop, his Uncle Matt and Aunt Alissa! We'll work on better video clips at the next game, so I can post them here. Team Armadillos played sooooo well and as the coach...I was very proud of all the kids! :-)

Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 3pm...Ian's first basketball game of the season in the 7/8 year old league and made three baskets!! Ian is a natural and I love coaching him and watching him play! He reminds me soooo much of my brother that I might have yelled, "Go Matt" a few times. haha He had his fan club there as well and it was really nice that my brother and his wife made the trip up for the weekend! I coach his team as well and I love how they mesh together and play like a team! The breakaways...the passing...the rebounding...so proud of each of them! Team Wolfpack had a lot of fun and they were definitely IN THE HOUSE! That's their team cheer..."Wolfpack in the house!" and then they sound like wolves (just like the NC State Wolfpack, of course).

That's the update!!!!