Not exactly as planned....

So this is what Carter's Easter morning looked like - not quite the little man that we know & love - shortly after this picture he was asleep so we transferred him to the pack-n-play where he slept for 5+ hours (what a nap!). Poor little guy had a yucky stomach bug.

Since I was in 'throw-up clothes' all a.m., I had to take a picture of Mark, Katie-Beth & Anderson all dressed up for Easter - don't they look GREAT!

Here was Carter trying to enjoy his Easter basket

If you can't read this note this is what is says " Mr. Easter Bunny: Please do NOT come into Anderson's room. Thanks, Happy Easter, Anderson's mommy".

Big huge mistake - I told Anderson that the Easter bunny might open his door to make sure he was asleep - OK, big HUGE mistake - Anderson was PETRIFIED that the bunny was going to 'hop' into his bed. It was a huge ordeal -as you can tell from my 'dear bunny' letter. I had to sleep with Anderson that nite to make him feel better!!! LESSON LEARNED!!

Carter's basket

Anderson's basket

A new favorite past-time at Nana & Poppa's house is to have a fire at night in the fire bowl once Carter's in bed - Anderson LOVES this time with his Poppa

Easter Egg Hunt (day before Easter)!!! (thanks Anderson for the mouthful of candy!)

Virginia is for Friends (not Lovers)

The boys & I traveled to Va Beach during Spring Break to visit friends and our place formerly known as "home". We had a great time picking right up where we left off, but the week went by way too fast! We stayed with the Maggiores again - it works really well for us - we get more play time and avoid messing up my 'on the market' home, plus the grown-ups can hang at nap & bed times!

My pictures are out of order and I certainly didn't capture all of our fun, but here are some pics... somehow I didn't manage a grown-up photo at all, and I didn't get any good pics of my boys with Jen's girls (ARGH!).

Anderson & Ryan have been dying to ride bikes together - here they all, quite 'matchy'. They had a blast racing back & forth!

Carter is all-boy! After he got wet by this puddle accidentally, I didn't bother to restrain him further since he was already all wet & dirty. Here he is swimming in the puddle (yes, I'm that mom!)

my sweet niece Avery playing 'peek-a-boo' - she is growing sooo fast and I'm loving her shy emerging personality!

Here are the cousins hanging out on the slides.... (they actually kinda look alike here!)

Happy boy!

We got to play with the Schrodts for an afternoon and enjoyed a delicious dinner with them (thanks Katy!). I was only able to get pictures of Anderson & Josiah, for some reason couldn't get Anderson & both Schrodt boys in the same pic.... They had a blast playing Star Wars (can't you tell) and Carter had fun with Callie (although Carter doesn't enjoy sharing yet!!!)

I got to spend a morning with Jamie while Ryan was at school, but suprisingly Anderson & Emily played well together - they were cuddled up while Anderson enjoyed Ryan's Leapster - I couldn't get a picture of them without Emily being aware!

We left VA at 5:30 Friday a.m. to head to Macon for Easter. I literally put the boys in the car in their PJs - here is me dangerously driving & taking a picture of sleeping Anderson, but I couldn't resist (actually, I was at a light!!!!)

and the next thing you know,

And the next thing you know, they'll be shaving!!!!

Time to make the doughnuts!!

I found a recipe to make doughnuts at home - so I decided before the boys and I blasted off from GA to head to Va Beach, that we'd have a family breakfast of "semi-homemade" doughnuts. Anderson helped me and they were good - but the complete opposite of healthy! I enjoyed treating the boys and we'll save the recipe for a once or twice a year treat!! We got to take our leftovers to Charlotte with us to share with the cousins - I think they enjoyed them too!

Carter enjoying one of the 'munchkin doughnut holes'

What a compliment!!!!!

So I've already lamented to a few about this "compliment" I received, but this week during our visit to Va Beach, we took our kids to the playplace at the mall (formerly known as the 'big hot dog'!) - when this little girl (maybe 2 1/2 years old), comes up to me with arms reached out wanting me to pick her up. Well, I'm no dummy - I'm not gonna pick up a strange child unless they've fallen or need help, so I just kinda smiled at her. Just then her nanny (I think) came up to retrieve the little girl - so I said to the little girl, "oh, I must look like someone she loves" - - and the nanny responded "YES, you look like her Grandmother!!!!!!!!" - - Can you BELIEVE that???? Ok, so I've never had a complex about looking older, but maybe I should!!!!!

Hop to it!

Today was Anderson's Easter party at school -he was sooo excited for his party and especially about the Egg Hunt!! Each child in his class brought in 14 eggs filled with goodies and marked with each child's name in the class - so today at the hunt they were only able to find eggs with their name on it - I think to help them with name recognition and secondly to prevent some of the more aggressive kids from dominating the hunt. The kids got to eat some yummy snacks and make a bunny craft. It was a "hoppy" occasion!


showing off his new ears and basket

I found one Mommy

the finished product

Whatever happened to U for umbrella?

So this tickled me to death that I have to post about it - - so Anderson's class has a focus letter each week -and as you can see, last week it was U.... If you look closely at this picture you'll notice a pair of boys undies and a t-shirt - that's right, U is for Underwear!!! Anderson even started giggling when we were looking at it together - and I thought to myself, whatever happened to U for umbrella? Oh well, if they were looking for a way for it to 'stick', I guess they did it! I only wish I could have seen the little girl's ditto - I don't ever remember coloring a pair of panties when I was in pre-school!!

Mine!

I saw this on a blog somewhere and thought it totally appropriate of Carter's current 'stage' of life. I had to post:

anyone with toddlers will appreciate this.
8 rules of toddler play
1. if i like it - it's mine
2. if it's in my hand - it's mine
3. if i can take it from you - it's mine
4. if i had it a little while a go - it's mine
5. if it's mine it must never appear to be yours in any way, shape, or form!
6. if i am doing or building something - all the peices are mine
7. if it looks like mine - it's mine
8. if i think it's mine - it's mine

Think pink - CBF 09

Cherry Blossom Festival that is - lovingly referred to as 'CBF' by my crazy hubby. We headed south to Macon for the annual festival - it's a fun time - all of Macon is abloom in Cherry Blossom trees and likewise everything else in Macon is decked in cherry blossom PINK! When I pack my bags for Macon during CBF, I pick out all my pink clothes - too bad Mark doesn't own anything pink!


I was surprised Anderson actually let me take a pic of him in the pink train! (like I said, everything is PINK!)

a sweet close up of my little guy (one of the few I could get - this little man can move!!!)

Anderson did pretty good at posing this day - oh how I wish he had something other than this superman shirt on, but OH well!

my big boy!!!!

me & my man standing in front of a known cherry blossom farm - it's soooo beautiful!!

such an 'ice' guy...

We took advantage of some free italian ices at Rita's and learned a big lesson about 21month olds and icees - Carter did NOT enjoy his account of the brainfreeze he got -next time I think I'll forgo getting him one and stick to 'cleaner' treats. On the other hand, Anderson truly enjoyed his blueberry treat!

Go Fish!

Anderson holding his map in front of a ginormous tank full of tropical fish (and even some small sharks!)

Me & the boys headed to downtown Atlanta this week to go to the new Atlanta Aquarium - it's the largest in the world and only been open a couple of years. For March they've been having a fantastic 'mommy & me' deal so me & a friend of mine took advantage of it and made the trip with our kids. It was a great morning -a bit crazy with a stroller, but Anderson thoroughly enjoyed it and Carter had a great time in spite of being trapped in his stroller the whole time....

Don't you want somebunny to love?

This one is 'for the books'.... Meet Peter & Alex - these bunnies are very loved!! Peter (with the blue jacket) is Carter's - he is affectionately known as 'bunny'. Alex, a recent addition to our family, is Anderson's though he is often on loan to Carter. Carter sleeps with both bunnies for naptime, but Alex returns 'home' to sleep with Anderson at nite. I cherish these days - for I know my boys won't always be sleeping with precious little plush bunnies.... but will probably graduate to sleeping with their footballs, or whatever!!!

Finally... a nite out!

Our friends Kevin & Natalie came to Hotlanta for a friend's wedding - Natalie is a friend that I bonded with over the last couple years in Va Beach -it wasn't so long ago that we realized we both worked downtown and furthermore, next door to each other. We enjoyed many a lunch-hour together, and it was always great to commiserate with another working mom. Our lives have both taken us different directions (literally!) since our many lunches together, but I will always remember Natalie as one that I knew 'could relate'!! So.... at any rate, Mark & I arranged for my parents to watch our boys and we headed for a nite out with grown-ups- a special treat! I don't know the last time we've gone out with another couple without kids in tow, so we truly enjoyed ourselves... Further, this was the 1st time we spent time with Kevin & Natalie as a couple - we had so much fun and many many giggles (Natalie, I've been snickering all day). We're just sad that we're now 600+ miles apart!!!

Big boy!!!!

We put these pjs on Carter one nite last week to realize that 'oops' we missed his opportunity to wear them - I think they were a bit snug, ya think? This boy is just growing sooo fast and he is a big solid little man!! I simply couldn't resist posting his pudge!!!! I just LOVE this little chunker o' mine!!!!

Out like a lamb????

One week later, we're reminded of the crazy weather we enjoy in the South - one March weekend it's snowing, the next I'm searching for shorts that fit.... We headed to Mark's parents in Macon to get in some Nana & Poppa time. We enjoyed some beautiful weather while there!


Don't try to tell Carter that he's not old enough - -he thinks he's 4 just like big brother...

a random family photo

Anderson spent quite a bit of time in this maple tree - it won't be able to hold him much longer - the poor limbs are likely 'sore' from all their activity this weekend!

Our 1st Snowman

So we live in VA for 5years and hardly saw any snow at all - we have to move back down south 10hours to see snow - craziness!!! Anderson & Mark built their 1st snowman together - don't you just love his fashionable Gap scarf? Carter didn't care much for the snow but Anderson thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Budding Musicians

During our fabulous whirlwind visit to Virginia in mid-Feb, we had a BLAST with friends but we were so busy socializing & catching up that my camera didn't do it's job.... During our visit with Paul, Rebekah & Avery I was able to manage a few shots of the boys & Avery.


Avery & Carter were making beautiful music together - can't you just here it now ; )

Anderson is forever singing and I can definitely see music in his future... Lately he has been doing a bit of the air guitar, so it was fun for him to play on a REAL guitar (thanks Uncle Paul!)

And so it begins....

Carter is already fascinated with superheroes, just like big brother.... Here is his debut as Superman.... Doesn't seem that long ago that Anderon adorned this costume (ahem, uniform)...