Leaving for Tennessee

This is Caleb saying, "Tennessee." He is very excited about the trip.

We are leaving for Tennessee this morning. Since all of Graysen's normal bath items are packed, he got to take his first bath sitting up. He loved it and splashed in the water with Caleb. We will be in Tennesse until Monday, and are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with Lee's family.

Hats and Haircuts

We have had a relaxing Sunday morning. Lee has done a lot of babysitting this weekend, and watched the boys for me while I went grocery shopping. Graysen is very serious about playing. He loves toys. Lee also gave Caleb a much needed haircut this morning.

Breakfast with Santa

This morning, Lisa, Emily, Caleb, and I went to eat breakfast with Santa. I did not get any pictures of Santa because neither Caleb nor Emily wanted anything to do with him. However, both kids enjoyed eating reindeer pancakes. After breakfast, the kids went to the "Elves' Closet" where they could shop for Christmast presents by themselves without parents. Lisa and I spied through the door to watch them. Everything was $1.00. Caleb picked out a present for Papa and Daddy. When we got home, I helped Caleb wrap his presents. He did most of the wrapping by himself and is proud of his gifts. It was really cute to see. It was a fun morning. Originally, I told Lee that I disagreed with there being a Christmas event before Thanksgiving. Lee looked at me, then looked around the apartment, and told me that he didn't think I objected like I said I did.

Gobble Gobble

Today we went to the "Gobble Gobble" party at Ray's Splash Planet with Lisa, Emily, and Todd. Caleb and Emily made a balloon turkey, and afterwards we all went swimming at the water park. Graysen LOVED the water and splashed the water the entire time. Caleb was more timid and had to get warmed up to the idea of going into the water. Eventually, he ventured in and loved it.

My Chirstmas Buddy

Caleb helped me put up all of our Christmas decorations this evening. He loves Christmas and holidays as much as I do. He was very excited about the tree and my Christmas village. He likes to use his fingers to "walk" like people in the village, and he loves that my Christmas village has a train. This year's addition to the village was the "Meyer's Bakery." I tried to capture the sign on the video, but I do not think that it showed.

We are ready for Christmas. I finished all of my Christmas shopping this week, and Caleb and I can enjoy all of the Christmas activities during the next month.

Well, it is time for me to go read Caleb his bedtime book. Caleb selected "Elmo's Night Before Christmas" and he is holding his Eyore/Tigger/Pooh Christmas pillow waiting for me.

NOTE: The video is boring at first, but Caleb livens up after the first section.

Sunday Morning

Here are some pictures from Sunday morning. Lee watched the boys while I went grocery shopping. He did a great job, and kept the boys entertained the entire time that I was gone. I enjoyed having a peaceful shopping trip.

Birthday Party

Today we went to Essence's first birthday party. The party was very nice, and we had a lot of fun. Caleb received a kite as a party gift. After the party, Caleb and Lee went outside to fly the kite. Caleb had a blast!

Sharing a Closet

I had a feeling that Caleb and Grasyen are roughly the same size now. (Caleb will not grow. At last year's well visit he was in the 5th percentile. I am pretty sure that he hasn't grown this past year, so I am going to have to explain to the pediatrician next month why Caleb is off the charts low on size. I am pretty sure that the answer is he wont eat.) I put Graysen in his 9 month size Gator suit, and Caleb in the 12 month size Gator suit. Amazingly, the suit fit Caleb fine. Lee is not happy about their outfits today, but I think they look pretty cute. Caleb loves to match things. He is thrilled that he and Graysen match today.

Flu Shots

The boys and I went to get our flu shots this morning. I think that Caleb was the bravest out of the three of us. Afterwards, we went to Krispy Kreme doughnuts as a reward.

Going to Aunt Kim's House

Caleb has started going to Aunt Kim's house on Wednesday mornings so that he can play with his new friend, Ellison. Kim always has fun crafts and activities planned for the boys. Caleb loves playing with Ellison, and the two are joined at the hip. I am enjoying quiet and peaceful Wednesday mornings. It is amazing how much I can get done while Caleb is at Aunt Kim's!

Out of Control Animals

Caleb and Graysen's stuffed animals were out of control when the boys and I arrived home from a lunch date today. They were all playing with Caleb's Geotrax and having a blast. Newton was the only one misbehaving. He was trying to eliminate Duke by tying him to the railroad track. When I told Lee about Newton's antics, he said, "That Newton always did have a crazy look in his eye.. I'm not surprised he's a sociopath."

As clarification, Lee came home during lunch today while the boys and I were out. He set up the scene for the boys and I to find when we returned home.

Caleb's Birthday Party

Here are some pictures from Caleb's party at Chuck E. Cheese. I think that all of the kids had fun, except for when Chuck E. Cheese came out to greet the birthday boy. All of the kids were scared of him. Besides for that incident, it was a really fun day.

Mother of the Birthday Boy

Caleb's birthday party is today! Laura is really, really excited--probably much more excited than Caleb, at this point. She's bouncing off the walls. I'm starting to suspect that her primary motivation for having children might have been the opportunity to plan birthday parties. (Trick-or-treating and Christmas shopping might have only been secondary motivations...)

Shhhhh! Don't tell her I told everyone this. She might be embarrassed.

Night Out Without the Kids

Lee and I went on a date last night to the movie theater at the mall. As we entered the mall, the security guard stopped us and asked us to read the "Under 18 Weekend Night Policy." We read it and stared blankly at him. He then asked us if we were over 18. We told him that we were 30!!! It is good to know that we still look young.

Flashback

Just born.
First birthday.

Second birthday.

We are getting ready to celebrate Caleb's third birthday this weekend. I thought that it would be fun to look back at how he has changed over the years.

Long Day

Yesterday was a long day for me and the boys. We left the house at 9:15 AM and didn't return until 3:30 PM. Both boys were angels during the time out.

The morning started with Graysen's 9 month well visit. He is doing absolutely great! The doctor does not have any concerns for him. He weighed 19 lb 5 oz.

After the doctor, we went to Target and did a little Christmas shopping and ate lunch. (Right now, my favorite meal is a pretzel from Target's food court. I love them!) Then, we ended the day by voting. We waited 2 hours to vote, for which I felt lucky. (Lee waited over 3 hours.) Caleb was excited to watch the process and was fascinated by the voting boxes. He must have known voting is important because he clapped as we left the polling place. (Or he was clapping because our long wait in line was over.) He got an "I Voted" sticker, and kept saying "vote, vote, vote..."

So, that was our day. I feel very lucky to have two great boys who are a joy to spend each day with.

Greenville Zoo

Yesterday, we went to the zoo with Lisa, Emily, Alisha, Katelin, and Abigail. All of the kids had a fun time.

An Afternoon with Daddy

This afternoon, Lee took Caleb to Hatcher Gardens while I went grocery shopping with Graysen. Lee took some really cute pictures of Caleb while they were there. I think that the boys had a fun time together.