Pawley's Island Vacation 2010

We just got back from a wonderful week at Pawleys with David's family. The weather was perfect - well, it was HOT but what do you expect in June in the South on the beach? I sat in the water most days and watched David be Best Dad in the World with the boys - they fished, they swam, they played sea monster, they raced boats, they chased their kayak men, dug giant holes, filled buckets with water, made sandcastles, etc. I made sure their tummies were full and that they were hydrated. I tried to race boats with Banks but he told me I was "too big". I asked why Daddy got to do it and he said "Daddy small". So, this beach trip was all about Dad and I was happy to sit and watch. Of course, don't forget I am 24 weeks pregnant which doesn't sound like a lot but my goodness I feel like I'm 35 wks!

Me and Elton about to hit the beach.

This is my only proof that I was on the beach vacation with my family besides staged family shots. I was glad to be behind the camera in my maternity bathing suits and not in front of it!

Hughes on his "surf board". He had a small spiderman one but he had obviously out-grown it. We surprised him with a bigger boogie board with a pirate scene. It was a huge hit and Hughes was fearless with the waves. He learned how to "ride a wave" in. The last day we were there he made a friend on the beach. I asked Hughes what his friend's name was and he said, "Timmy (or something like that), he got a big tummy". The friend was overweight but it was shocking to me that Hughes noticed.

Banks(2), Kate(3), and Hughes(4) - The Grandchildren

Charlotte (10mo.) is not pictured - she was probably busy eating sand!

Hughes having a snack break with Uncle Andrew.

Banks and David fishing for the Big One.

David and the boys before they start digging. Hughes learned this week that if you dig deep enough at the beach then you will hit water. Needless to say, that was his goal all week after he learned that fact.

David showing Hughes the butterfly ray that he caught with his cast nest. It was a crazy site - when the tide was going out there were stingrays everywhere. I stepped on three at different times and about started running on water. The water was also clear in patches which made it possible to see the rays. It was pretty amazing.

David and his bluefish. All fish and rays were released FYI.

The boys fishing in the bait bucket. Some of the bait did not make it because of little hands. Another lessons we learned this week - fish can't breathe out of water!

Hughes and Banks petting the Great White that David caught. Okay, it wasn't a Great White but it was a baby shark and the boys thought that was cool!

The bigger cousins riding their floats that Dawa and G-daddy bought them. We kept them mainly indoors. Only one survived the week.

Hughes and Kate being burried alive.

The Wagon Train - thanks Uncle Andrew for being the "steam" that had this train moving.

A Pawley's tradition for our family - a night of putt putt. We opted for the Captain Hook themed course this year. Banks and Hughes before they boarded Hook's ship. It probably would have helped had the boys seen the Peter Pan movie. Nevertheless, they loved all the decorations. We're trying to teach Hughes how to play putt putt but he just wants to put his ball right beside the hole and tap it in. Banks, on the other hand, swings his putter like it is a 9-iron and me ducking & dodging the entire time. I was glad to make it out with everyone clear of a putter wound.

Banks putting left-handed with his club backwards. He refused to hold it the correct way.

Family Shot at the course - it's a tradition. David won - that's not a tradition!

Family Shot on the dock before we left for our putt putt adventure.

Check out those cuties! I bribed them to smile with these toy kayak men - Banks typically look at the camera. It's Hughes that is the one who the bribery was directed towards - it worked like a charm!

Holman Crew before I learned to bribe Hughes.

Front Row - Hughes, me, GiGi, Deyna holding Charlotte, Kate, Andrew

Back Row - Banks, David, G-Daddy, Dowa, & Neal

Another family shot on the porch - days before stooping to bribery.

We had one incident mid-week - Gigi fell and hurt her hip. This extended her beach vacation at Waccamaw Hospital and hopefully she will be transferred to a rehab facility in Rock Hill today or tomorrow.

Last Day of School

The boys had their last day of school for the year last week. They both got excellent reports from their teachers. I'm glad the summer is here and our schedule is wide open!

Hughes with Miss April and Miss Adele - he has matured a lot this year. Next year we will go from two mornings/week to five mornings/week. Big Step!

Banks with Miss Brandy. He has loved his class and next year he will go 3 mornings/week vs. the 2 mornings/week he went this year.

Updates on the Boys

Banks and I were having a conversation and I asked him if he was going to help take care of the baby when he got here. He said yes and then asked me if I was going to help him take care of his baby when it got here. He is still under the assumption that he, too, has a baby growing inside his tummy.

Hughes told Banks spontaneously that he loved him and Banks replied the same. Talking about melt your heart!

Hughes was at bible school and they were talking about knowing Jesus so that you could go to heaven when you die. Hughes told his teacher that he didn't know Jesus but that he knew Hudson and was going to his house. He cracks me up!

This morning before bible school started I wanted Hughes to go to the bathroom. I walked towards the girls' bathroom and Hughes stopped. He refused to go in. He told me that that room was only for girls and that he needed to go to the boys' room. He had to have learned that yesterday at bible school because he has never refused to go in the ladies' room before.

I asked Banks if he would take care of me as I was laying down on the couch. He gave me a kiss and said, "I promise, now go night night". I love that kid!

This morning as we were getting dressed for VBS, Hughes told me that he had something in his ear. He scratched his ear and pulled out his TUBE! It was pretty cool and had obviously fallen out of the ear drum and was on its way out. Now, if we can only get the other tube to fall out maybe we can avoid tube removal surgery in the fall. Do you think they'll give us a 50% discount for only having to remove one tube?

We're potty training Banks this week. He's doing pretty good and must have the bladder the size of a horse. We haven't gotten him to take the initiative and go to the bathroom on his own but he stays dry throughout the day and when I ask him to sit on the potty every few hours he willingly goes and goes and goes! Poop - well, that's another story!

We are in a huge Scooby Doo phase right now. Luckily, Netflix has kept us in business with their ability to stream videos - much cheaper than buying them!

Baby #3 is continuing to grow and kick. I've had a few people around tell me that they didn't even realize I was pregnant - WHAT? I've gained 20 lbs. - Do they just think I've packed on the pounds? I clearly have a pregnancy belly. And, of course, one man asked me if I was sure I was only having one baby - they should teach a class to men and let them know what comments are considered rude. Maybe I should gather all kinds of rude comments men say and write a book. It can be given as high school graduation presents!

The Chefs

Today, I got a wild hair. It was raining and we needed some indoor entertainment. So, please let me introduce you to The Chefs. I had a lunch of pizza and brownies today courtesy of my boys.

I explained the directions and boys followed. They did a great job and I was proud of their listening skills. And, I got them to eat mushrooms!

Putting on the sauce

Making sure the pepperonis and mushrooms were in the right place.

Final product before the oven - we had to use cheddar cheese because I forgot to buy mozz. cheese. It was still fantastic!

And, now, we're stirring the brownies. I opted out of using the hand-mixer. I thought it would be best for my clean-up job and for all the little fingers involved to stay away from that appliance.

Enjoying the meal of pizza before the dessert of brownies.

They loved their meal!

Memorial Day Weekend

We played hookie from church on Sunday and hit the beach for some family time. The mission was to build sand castles, dig giant holes, and jump over the waves. I would say the mission was accomplished and the family time was much needed. Hughes is definitely much braver towards the waves this year and Banks, well, Banks is still a little timid around the waves. He's not quite big enough to stand his ground when a strong wave hits.

The boys hard at work building their giant sand castle with moat.

On Memorial Day, we headed to the creekhouse at Edisto to spend the day with BecBec, PopPop, Aunt Shell, Bull, Anna Banks, Emma, & Lucius. Kent and Trina were playing golf so we only saw them for a few minutes right before we left to come back home. The weather was gloomy but the rain held off while we were there. The boys and Charlie did a lot of playing outdoors - baseball, football, walking through the creek - and they did a lot of playing indoors - cartoons, wrestling, squealing, etc. We had a great time and a fabulous dinner.

Bull lowering the boys into the creek. The creekhouse is on a tidal creek so when it is low tide then it is really low tide - like ankle deep! It was low tide so the boys were able to walk around and exlore the mud, crabs, and other marsh creatures.

Checking our their surroundings.

Emma being the babysitter and making sure the boys stayed close by.

We had a great Memorial Day and are very appreciative of what this day is about. I'm proud to an American and thankful for the freedoms that I enjoy because fellow Americans have fought and died for them. God Bless the USA!

Scissor Mayhem

Hughes has been on a search 'n destroy mission lately with the scissors. He has cut his hair once already. I thought I his all the scissors until this most recent attack. He was in my bathroom and got my hair-cutting scissors and destroyed my iron and hair dryer. The iron wasn't plugged in but the hair dryer was. So, $50 later we now have a brand new iron and hairdryer. We had a long talk and he knows if he does something like this again then he is going to GET IT!

Oh, the joys of boys!

House Trained?

Apparently, we have house-trained Banks - not potty trained! This morning while running around the house in the buff with two parents urging him to use the potty, the culprit ran onto the porch. Well, we didn't think much of it except that he was naked and we weren't sure how the neighbors would like that. A few minutes passed and Banks came back in and announced that he has "poopoo'd". And, sure enough, he was telling the truth. He popped right on our pea gravel patio. And then to top it off, he asked for a plastic bag so that he could clean it up just like we do Charlie!

Is this a step in the right direction? Can we count this as a success? Or should we all go to therapy because we have trained our little boy like a dog?

Water Taxi and the Aquarium

I would like to say it was all my idea - but it wasn't. So, I won't. I just got lucky and have some really great friends that are really motivated to do lots of cool adventures with their children. And I tag along!

Tuesday, we took the water taxi from Patriots Point Marina to the aquarium to mix it up a bit. It was $8/adult and kids 5 and under were free roundtrip. The boys had a great time on the water taxi and were thrilled that they were going on a boat. It wasn't crowded. Well, the water taxi wasn't crowded. The aquarium was a different story. One volunteer told me there were 400+ students on field trips to the aquarium that day - I swear they were all middle schoolers! Luckily, it cleared out soon after we arrived.

On our way - Banks, Charles & Hughes

Eloise, Hughes, Lucy, Frances, Banks, Charles & Mary Bec

Checking out the albino alligator - pretty cool if I do say so myself.

On the way back - Hughes and Lucy held hands for a little while. We had a great morning!

Slip 'n Slide Fun

Who needs bathing suits when you look like these studs?

The Holman and Berglind boys had an impromptu backyard water party! We had just gotten the Buzz Lightyear Slip 'n Slide from Big Lots for $10 and, of course, it already is broken. Not to worry though - nothing a little duct tape can't fix!

End of T-Ball

This morning we had our last T-Ball game. Hughes has come a long way this season - from crying and having to be bribed with milkshakes to gladly running out on the field and listening to the coach. He has made us proud! His intensity level is definitely not comparable to some of the other teammates but he is still having a good time and has a smile on his face.

Before the game sitting on the bench with his team.

Banks has been a trooper. As much as he wanted to be out there playing, he was content playing with his daddy.

Hughes running home - check out that stride - maybe we have a track star!

Coach James and Hughes chatting on 3rd.

Trophy Ceremony - Coach Rod giving Hughes his t-ball trophy. Hughes was very excited and very impressed with his trophy. He keeps saying "I won".

A very proud player

Showing it off to Dad - it has his name on it along with a baseball that spins.

The team showing off their trophies!

Coach Rod and Hughes - This coach has made all the difference this t-ball season. Hughes follows him around wherever he is on the field and gladly listens to his directions. I can only hope that all his future coaches are like this.

Botany Bay

We went to the creekhouse for a few days this past week to stay with BecBec. The boys love it there and especially were thrilled with the outside work that is going on. The creekhouse is getting a new extended porch and there were tractors delivering supplies, tractors trying to dig up roots for support posts, and men digging. One morning, we went to the beach to hang out and the other morning we visited Botany Bay. Botany Bay is federally preserved land consisting of private beaches, salt marshes, freshwater marshes, many islands, and remnants of plantation houses, slave quarters, and an ice house. It is pretty amazing. We got out to explore the beach which is known for its shells. You no longer can take shells as souvenirs (if you do the fine is around $450) but the boys had a wonderful time exploring all the conch shells and everything else.

Hughes checking out the shells.

Banks loved it!

BecBec searching with the boys.

In front of a piece of drift wood that has been decorated with conch shells. The boys had a good time adding their shells to this piece of art.

Proof that I was there - Me, Baby Boy #3, Banks and Hughes

We had to walk a 1/2 mile to the beach and back and the boys walked the entire way. It was still early morning but it was hot and I was mighty proud that they walked/ran the whole way!

Nesting and News

Some friends have said that I'm nesting but I just think I'm getting things done! I've redone my backporch (painted the floor, recovered the throw pillows, painted the adirondack chairs, and painted the planters) and recovered the front rocking chair cushions, too. Now, I'm focused on my bathroom. I don't plan on doing anything to the nursery except exchanging the clothes out. It's non-gender (not that that matters) and I like it the way it is. I feel great and am definitely expanding. Banks likes to kiss the baby and look at the baby which requires me to lift my shirt up a lot - this is all done in the privacy of our home.

A funny thing Hughes said the other day - I had Baby William for a short time while Anna went to run some errands baby-free. Well, Hughes did not notice when Baby William arrived so when I walked into the kitchen holding William, Hughes said, " the baby come out already?" It just tickled me that he thought one day I'm just going to walk into the kitchen holding his new brother.

Banks continues to insist that he also has a baby in his tummy and he likes for me to kiss his tummy like he kisses mine.

I go to the doctor on Wednesday so expect an update then on Baby Boy #3!

Oh Good Grief!

It is only Wednesday. The beginning of the week was rough. Mother's Day was wonderful. In fact, my Saturday was filled with lunch with the girls, shopping alone, pedicure, and grilling out with great friends. Sunday was church, family lunch, quick shopping trip and Lucius' birthday party. The best thing, though, is that nowhere in there was David studying! Exams are over so I now have him for 3 months!

But, I digress, back to the "woe is me" post. Hughes has been quite a handful lately with Banks tagging right behind him.

*On Sunday while in the dressing room with me, Hughes told me that, "mama, your

baby tummy is getting so big". I agreed. Then, Hughes said, "your hiney so big, too".

I look forward to actually getting back into shape after this 3rd bambino is born! My

goal is to run the Cooper River Bridge Run next April and look good doing it!

*Hughes and Banks have become stealth-like snack thieves. Every time I go upstairs,

they immediately hit the kitchen. It's either the fridge for a yogurt or the snack

cabinet for cookies. On Tuesday, they each had a pack of Oreo cookies(6) at 9am. I

then quickly moved the rest of the cookies to the locked cabinet. In the afternoon,

they each had 3 drinkable yogurts. I, then, hid the yogurts in the bottom drawer

underneath the beer. They found those, too!

*I can no longer trust them in the backyard. They have been sneaking out the side

gate and playing in the front yard. Now, I would love to live in my "safe little world"

and think that nothing is ever going to happen to them, but I refused to play stupid. I

know the dangers and I prefer to keep my boys no matter how aggravating they can be

at times.

*Hughes lied directly to my face! The lie hurt me more than what he did. He cut his

hair! Luckily, he cut it on the crown of his head and he didn't go too short. He came

to me while I was on the computer with hair surrounding his mouth. He was trying to

spit it out. I asked him if he cut his hair and he said, "no m'am". Again, I was more

hurt by the lie. I asked him again and again he lied. I have since taken the scissors

away for a nice rest.

The last three events all happened on Tuesday. Let's just say it was not a good day and ended with this mom having a non-alcoholic beer!

Today has been better. The boys had school this morning and I bought the waterpark pass for the summer and signed Hughes up for his first day camp at the Children's Museum during O is for Oceans week.

What I'm looking forward to right now - dinner with a great friend tonight (girls only), lunch with my bible study tomorrow (girls only), and a kid-free weekend (thanks Mom and Dad). I'm in the redecorating mood and have painted my white adirondack chairs today a pool blue. I need some refreshing around here!

T-Ball Update

Hughes is finally enjoying t-ball and I no longer have to bribe him with chicken nuggets and milkshakes. Now, he just asks when he can go home. But, at least he's on the field fielding balls and up at bat when it's his turn. We have found out that if Coach Rod is not there (rarely but sometimes schedules conflict) then Hughes refuses to play. He loves Coach Rod. For a while there, we thought it had to do with David being at the game. Since most of the games are during the week at 6, David has missed a lot of them. And at one particular game where David made it, Coach Rod was absent and Hughes refused to play. Well, I'm happy to report that it has nothing to do with David but all to do with Coach Rod.

Team Photo - I don't know all the kids' names but Hughes is on the front row with the white pants and then Conley and Wyatt are on the end of the same row. On the back row is Coach Rod, Wyatt's dad Jay, and Conley's dad James. These are not the coaches that Hughes has a tough time with. There are some other more intense dads that help out that just don't "get" Hughes.

Team Huddle

Conversing with Sasha

Check out my slugger

He may not be a professional baseball player when he grows up, but he has come a long way, baby!