1 week down.....

The kids have been out of school for 1 week and it was certainly a busy one. I think this was a good thing because it helped ease them from noticing they didn't go to school (which they both love).

I hope we keep this up to be honest. The activity keeps us busy and that makes me happy because it means I don't have whining kids at home. So if you are looking for something to do this summer - call us!

Oh, and one other thing that I won't post a picture of - Dylan has pee-pee'd in the potty twice this week! He's still 1 year old (for 1 more week anyway) and he has initiated all interest. I'm so proud of him! Yea Dylan!

Here is "the" Blue Bird I've been talking about for 2 weeks now. I posted a video on Facebook, but this little guy has been attacking my car for 16 days now. He's doing it now as I type this. He has a bird house near by, so we are assuming he's attacking his reflection in the windows. I can't keep my car clean for anything. At least it's been raining a good bit lately, that helps clean it off a little.

We met up with Ms. Kelly and Jackson at the playground one night. They played so hard!

Jacob - the Ladies Man! This was at Mallory and Tucker's Birthday Party at Tannehill.

This is Jacob and Dylan and Matthew and Jake's Birthday Party. It was a Monster Truck Party. Thankfully the rain held off for both of the birthday parties that day.

We have playdates with Emily and Daniel almost weekly. This week we got to play outside the entire time. It was beautiful weather and the kids had fun. This was when we pulled out the Playdo. I'm so glad they all get along so well.

We had the U-4 Orange Crush Soccer Team over for the End of Year Soccer Party Thursday night. We pulled out the swimming pools, sprinklers, waterguns and water balloons. It would have been Perfect if it would have just been a little warmer for the swimmers.

Coach Dustin held nothing back! He was shooting them all with water guns as much as anyone else!

Friday Morning I made the boys a fort under the Dining Room table. I pulled the blankets back for the picture, but they had pillows and stuffed animals and a flashlight and a lot of fun. Here they were eating their yogurt for breakfast. The funniest part was when Hobbs wiggled his way in there with them!

Saturday we went to the Zoo. The new exhibit is open where you can brush a Rhino. It was pretty amazing. This one weighs 4,400 lbs. And they use Bamboo to hold her back? Really? Nah, I'm sure that Bamboo is loaded with cement inside. Very Cool Exprience for Dustin and Jacob.

While at the zoo, the Alligator was putting on quite the show. It was eerie to hear this in person. We aren't sure what he was doing, but we are guessing it was some kind of mating ritual. Super Strange! (Pause the Music Player on the Blog and Turn up your volume to hear the sounds he's making)

Jacob is officially a Kindergartener!

Thursday night was Jacob's 4K Graduation from the Day School at Cahaba Bend. If to talk to us often, you know we love this place. This was their first year to have the Day School and I feel so incredibly blessed to have found that place and put my children in their program.

Jacob had a good audience (of which was on the front row!) of Mommy, Daddy, Dylan, Gigi and Grandma. They sang all of their color songs (of which they can spell each color) which was impressive. They each got a diploma and a special book from Ms. Maggie ( the director).

I was pretty sure I wouldn’t cry. After all, I’m pretty excited about Kindergarten. But I thought Dustin might. Well…I sobbed like a baby! And just about everyone else did too. From the kind and emotional words from Ms. Maggie and Ms. Jenni (their teacher) to the amazing slide show Ms. Jenni did. I was completely, fall apart, hands in face, sobbing?!

What is the first day of Kindergarten going to be like? All I know is I will NOT be listening to the song “Let Them Be Little” by Billy Dean (song you may be listening to now on the blog). You listen to those words and not cry if you have a little one! Not Possible!

May 14, 2009

Jacob was one of 2 boys in a class of 10...
He handled it very well though!

Getting his Diploma and Book

Jacob with Ms Jenni (he has a framed picture of her & the class on his nightstand). Those kids love Ms. Jenni (Parents too!)

The Stricklands with their little graduate

Jacob and his buddy Cloe at the reception.

Messy Art Party!

We had a combined birthday party on May 3rd for the boys this year. Jacob turned 5 on April 27 and Dylan will be 2 on May 30. So we had a Messy Art Party at our house. I had all of these glorious plans to have the event outside in the large flat driveway with a large canopy over the kids to block from the sparkling sun. No such luck! In fact, We had Tornado Warnings all afternoon. Including one that put us in our Safe Place in the middle of my decorating!

So we had the party inside. I just took the hand I was dealt and we had a Shaving Cream table in the Living Room, a Play-Do Area in Jacob's Room and All things Paint in the Back Room. Here are just a few pictures from the party. The boys had a blast.

I made 63 Colorful Cupcakes (and Special thanks to my mom for icing them all - which interupted by the tornado warning that sent us into our safe place!)

Finger Painting, Painting, Stickers, Glue, Confetti, Pipe Cleaners and More!

I got a large canvas and all of the kids painted on it. It's in our playroom now and we LOVE it. So much personality on one piece of canvas!

Miss Jennifer and Daniel with our cousins Ben & Dillon.

Several of our friends from the Day School!

Jacob at the Shaving Cream Table "Before"

Dylan at the Shaving Cream Table "After"!

Shaving Cream Table
(notice the weather stayed on the tv the whole time!)

Birthday Boys about to blow out their candles

Everyone Jump! By the end of the party the storms were gone (of course!) So we let them run around and burn some of that energy!

Messy Art take 2 - this was done after Cake and Ice Cream. I Love the colors in this.

Easter, Dog & Soccer!

Man, time gets by me sometimes. Easter has come and gone and Jacob's birthday is next week...he's going to be 5! FIVE?! What?! In any case, here are the Easter pictures. We had a great weekend (not to mention a hugely successful Garage Sale the day before Easter!).

Below the Easter Pics is Hobbs, our new Puppy dog...or not so much a puppy! And then a silly picture from Soccer.

Our days are getting busy with all that April and May bring. We hope you and your friends and family are doing well and enjoying the spring weather.

Happy little guys.

Jacob striking his GQ pose.

Hunting for Eggs at Gigi's house

Gigi and the boys

Laura, Mom and Jenny

Our newest Family Member - Hobbs.
Full Golden Retriever, trained, 3 years old - Wonderful!

Soccer Team Silly Picture! That would be Jacob on the bottom left!

Blue Angel VIP's!

We went to the Tuscaloosa Air Show on Saturday. The weather was PERFECT, the traffic was TERRIBLE, and the Blue Angel VIP Passes Marcus got us were a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity. Here are a few pictures from our big adventure. And yes, I want to be a Blue Angel when I grow up...pretty sure that would be a rockin' job!

After the show we got to take a picture with the pilots on the runway in front of jet #6.

We even snagged some front row seats in the Blue Angel VIP tent. Most of the people we were sitting with were the Parents, Spouses and Kids of the team, or maintenance staff for the jets. We were blessed to get to hang out with them for the day.

This is Fat Albert. It's the C-130 plane carrying everyone and everything related to the Blue Angels other than the 7 jets and their pilots. Jacob LOVES Fat Albert!

Diamond Formation - My awesome Photography. Dustin tells me I should move to Aviation Photography...
Uh no! I'm going to be a Blue Angel, remember?

This is Marcus, Dustin, Jacob, Allen and Jake with Maj. Brendan Burks, who happens to be the pilot for Fat Albert (the plane Jacob loves so much). Marcus is friends with Brendan and he's who got us the VIP passes.

Hanging out on the Runway waiting to meet the Blue Angels team.

Heading home. Walking back from the Runway and off to find our car.

The Beach and Our Retro Toys

The first picture you see below is Dylan on a little bike. That was actually my bike when I was a kid (I even remember riding it). To think that 30 years later my little guy is riding it is pretty cool.

Last week was Spring Break in our home. Fortunately, I was able to go to the beach (Perdido Key) with my mom and the boys for Wed-Sat. We had a great time. Each year the beach trips change so much. They go from pre-baby wonderful vacations to a little more on the hectic side! But, the joy I get out of watching the boys on the beach, or at the pool, or sitting on the balcony are far worth the pains of chaos in-between.

Jacob is a serious beach boy. Loves it all. Plays on his own so great. Makes friends with any kids he can find. Tans easily and doesn't burn. Dylan needed some adapting time. A couple of times he stuck his head down in the sand. Face First. It pretty much made mom and I cringe! But he loved the beach and I look forward to taking him back. That little fair skinned boy will have to be watched a bit more in the sun!

The last picture is of Jacob and his cousins, Ben and Dillon. They are twins and 4 years old also. The three of them together, as you can see, was quite the entertainment! This was their "silly" pose.

Dylan on my toy bike.

Jacob and Dylan on the beach.

Gimpy the Blue Herron. He hangs out at the Shrimp Basket in Perdido Key and has for 3 years. He had an injury a while back and has just taken to the folks that eat on the deck. He was literally about 2 feet behind my back when mom realized he was there. I have a weird facination with big birds, so I thought it was pretty cool. Jacob was pretty convinced he was going to attack us!

Jacob at the pool.

Dylan rolling in the sand. He must have just loved the way it felt? As long as he was happy!

One morning we went to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Mom had never been there before, but Jacob and I have been several times before with Dustin. It's the home base for the Blue Angels, which Jacob loves to death. He claims that's what he's going to do when he grows up. We're going to see them at the Tuscaloosa Air Show in 2 weeks. So this is our little soldier in front of the huge flag by the 4 Angels IN the museum.

Ok, so this picture is nothing but my own little happy place! One afternoon during the kids naps I got to go to the beach by myself. Just me, my book and my Mountain Dew. So this will be the picture I go back to when I need a break!
Our little goofballs! Ben, Jacob and Dillon on Sunday night at Heath and Dedra's house. They were striking their silly pose for us. Oh the energy they burned!

Fingers, Snow & Bingo

Last Sunday morning we had snow....around 3 inches I guess! It was great snowball snow and it was the first time Dylan has been able to get out in snow and play with it. He LOVED looking out the window and seeing it snow. He talked and talked and talked and pointed and shrilled with joy about it. Outside was fun for about 1 minute until he got wet and his hands and nose got cold! But then he didn't want to go inside. So it was mixed emotions for that little guy. Jacob Loved it and wanted to be outside the entire time the snow was here. He and I had fun throwing snowballs out into the street (sorry neighbors for the slick spot by our house!) and watching them bust. Stomping through the slush in rain boots...oh the joys of being a little boy.

One day before that, Saturday, Jacob had an accident and smashed the heck out of his finger. I bought an umbrella for the backyard (think 9ft wooden heavy umbrella in a box). It was propped up and he was messing with it. It started to fall over and he tried to catch it and it smashed his nail on the metal strip that separated the carpet from the kitchen floor. Monday the Dr. drilled a little hole in the nail to relieve some of the swelling and pressure. And I've had to do it each night since to help relieve the pain. NOT fun, but it feels good to know I can do something to help it. It looks terrible and we're anxiously awaiting for that little nail to fall off. The Doctor was amazing with him (I even wrote him a thank you note). I think I would have cried harder than Jacob did!

Dylan is getting so big. He's 21 months old and talking so much now.
It's fun seeing him and Jacob playing together....of course with that comes fighting too!

It's hard to tell, but Jacob's eating a snowball here. He thought that was pretty cool.
(The cold snow was good for his finger swelling too! A bonus!)

Dylan stomping through the snow. He hated the mittens and kept pulling them off. I can't say that I blame him! they just dont make a lot of water proof gloves for hands that small!

The Snowman built by Jacob and Dustin. Jacob was calling the buttons "Belly Buttons"! He said, we need to find 3 Belly Buttons for him. Too Funny!

The trees in our yard. Me trying to pretend to be a photographer :)

Family Game Night last Friday night.
Jacob loves playing Alphabet Bingo and "Being In Charge" - aka - calling out the letters.