Drew's First Ski Trip

George, Drew and I went to The Canyons, near Park City, UT the second week in February for a skip trip. It was an absolute blast! Jamie and Ty joined us which sealed the deal for best ski trip ever! Having Drew out there was incredible. George and I were so proud of him! Drew has been talking about ski school since he learned about the trip a few months ago. Despite his excitement, we were a little nervous that he wouldn't like it. Unfortunately, the first day was a tad rocky. It was our mistake for signing him up since we traveled so far the day before and had a really late night. The instructor said Drew was very tired and teared up many times throughout the day asking for Mommy. That broke my heart. We talked to Drew about his day and he said he liked ski school but he didn't understand why we left him there for so long. I have to say, 8:30-3:30 is a bit much for a 4 year old but full day lessons is all they offer. He insisted on going back to ski school so we signed him up for another day and hoped a good night of sleep would help get him on track. It did and he had a blast! I spent most of the day stalking Drew and dragged Jamie into my craziness as well. Since his skills improved, he moved up to a lesson area that we could see from the ski lodge and from a few trails too. Convenient for me :) We were all in for a huge surprise when we were waiting to spot Drew on the bunny slope and then saw him come down a green trail and jump right on the chair lift, ready to go again! Would you believe I hurried over to the lift and secretly followed him up? Crazy, I know. I was just so proud and had to see him do it! I was a nervous wreck seeing him on the ski lift but he did a great job and was very safe. The rest of the week went well and was tons of fun. Drew continued to enjoy skiing and the adults had a blast on the slopes too. It was a little cold for my taste a couple of days but overall the weather was great. We spent our evenings swimming in the heated indoor/outdoor pool and relaxing in the hot tub. Then we would go to Main Street in Park City for dinner. Since we've spent a few vacations in the area, we now have some favorite restaurants and really look forward to eating out. Drew was a trooper, especially after such exhausting days. He got to eat pizza every night and stayed busy doing sticker books (Thanks CC!) while we took our time eating, drinking and chatting. I also got to spend lots of time with a good high school friend, Kelly, while we were out there. She is living in Salt Lake City for a year while her husband does a fellowship. They joined us to ski one day and also joined us for dinner twice. It was great to catch up with her! The week was so much fun and we're already looking forward to next year!

Getting fitted for ski boots. When they put on the boots he said, "I'll just wear my other boots, I like them better than these." He was referring to his nice comfy snow boots. Ha! I told him it wouldn't be skiing if his feet and shins didn't hurt.
Drew realized that the gear is not the highlight of skiing.

Jamie and I gearing up for the slopes. We loved our helmets!

Heading out to another yummy dinner.

Checking out the bear in the lobby. It had an, um, I don't know how to word it... bear private part. Let's just say Drew couldn't believe it and had to make sure we all saw it.

Drew and his ski instructor, Cameron. Cameron was such a nice guy. He learned of Drew's Star Wars obsession pretty quickly and used terms and characters to help Drew learn to ski. Drew couldn't wait to tell us about skiing on Star Wars alley and hiding from Darth Vader in the trees. Drew is waving in this picture which is why his face is blocked. We were so lucky that ski school wasn't crowded. Drew had a one-on-one lesson this day and only had one other kid in the group the other days.

Heading up the mountain on the gondola.

Sweet Jamie and sweet Ty at Flying Sumo, one of our favorite restaurants in Park City.

Kelly and I. It was awesome to see her and catch up!

Jamie and I had to get these masks, it was so darn cold!

George and Drewby on the ski lift together. We were so proud of Drew!

The three of us skiing down the mountain together. I can't wait till David can join us! Sweet David stayed home with CC during our trip and had the best week! More to come on that in another post.

Absolutely tuckered out after a fun and exhausting week. Drew fell asleep at a restaurant and remained asleep during the ride home, transfer to the condo and into pajamas. Guess 7 hours of ski school followed by two hours of swimming will do that to you!

Fun and a Little Sun with Day Day and CC

CC and Day Day were here for a visit and, as always, they spoiled the boys with love and fun. Drew even got to go to Myrtle Beach with them and Whitley! The four of them had a blast hanging out and due to a nice break in the cold weather they were able to go to the beach too. Day Day had to fly back after the weekend to go back to work but CC stayed. Her and I took Whitley, Drew and David to a children's museum in Chapel Hill one day. The kids had a great time and we topped the fun morning off with lunch at McDonald's. Here's a few pictures from the week...

David does a craft at Kidzu Children's Museum.
Drew and Whitley take CC's lunch order at the museum restaurant.

Getting geared up as a construction worker.

Whitley and Drew had a great time at the beach with CC and Day Day and ran non-stop!

Day Day brought David is own Nerf gun. David loves it!!!

CC helping David with some messy cheese.

We had a fun time at the Watson's one evening during CC and Day Day's visit. Drew loves Whitley's four wheeler and is manly enough to wear the pink helmet and not care one bit.

David loves Whitley's play set.

Gotta have some rough-housing with Day Day!

This was so sweet. David was rubbing and sucking on his lovey and Day Day asked for a turn...

David sweetly handed it to Day Day and then smiled when he saw Day Day kiss it and love on it too...

But then he was done sharing and wanted it back.

Day Day and Drew have a Star Wars war.

January Wrap-up

It has been so cold here so we continue to find indoor activities to keep us busy. I took the boys to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences one day. We were there over three hours which is a long time for us. There was a special exhibit, "Animal Grossology," which screamed our names when we arrived. Blood, poop, slime, and puke? You bet! The boys had a ball matching the dookie (fake but lifelike!) to the correct animal, learning why dogs sniff each other's butts, and sliding down the inside of a snake. The rest of the museum was a hit as well with a favorite being the hands-on Discovery Zone. Another January highlight was a fun weekend with friends. It was the 4th MLK weekend that we got together with George's college friends and had a three day fun-fest. Drew and David had a blast playing with the 12 other kids at the various get-togethers. Drew idolized two older boys, ages 6 and 9. They like Star Wars too and were happy to play it with Drew and watch the movies. Drew usually asks me to read the movie introduction when he watches it. However, when Ben and Henry were here I was asked to leave because as Drew put it, "The older year olds are going to read it." It was a great line! Drew is obsessed with age so if he plays with a 6 or 7 year old he loves to tell me about the great time he had with a "seven year old." Well, he didn't know exactly how old Ben and Henry were but he knew they were older so I guess that's why he used "older year olds." We laughed and laughed. David was a hoot all weekend. He was the youngest of the 14 kids but he didn't know it. He played so hard and enjoyed keeping up with the big kids. Saturday night was adult night and this year we all wore our sport kilts. We went to an Irish restaurant/bar for dinner and dancing. It was a fun time! We hosted the group at our house on Sunday and launched rockets. Good times!

The boys point out a garfish.
Coming down the snake slide.

Drew was shooting balls to help protect the frogs.

David loved it too.

Drew playing a game.

David had to sneak and peek.

Drew finds the costumes!

David gets in on the fun too as a little raccoon.

Drew jumped right in with some kids on a field trip and helped them find some beetles.

My sweeties on the way out.

George and I dressed in our kilts and ready for a fun night.

The group.

It was a perfect day for the annual rocket launch, no wind. Drew and Morgan are ready to watch the show.

George and Drew ready for blastoff!

Marbles Museum

A couple of Fridays ago the boys and I were in the mood for a fun day out so we headed to Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. We had the best time! My friend Ashley and her son Harrison joined us. Ashley and I had a great time chatting during the 25 minute drive to the museum. No time to chat once we got there as the three boys ran in different directions. David was a trooper and acted more like a 3 year old than a 17 month old. He was so independent, picking and choosing what he wanted to play with and for how long, never looking at me to hold him or help me. I had a hard time keeping an eye on both of the boys since Drew likes to spend hours at each area and David moves through things quickly and is eager to see what's next. After a full day of fun and absolutely zero tears or meltdowns we headed home. Here are some photos of the boys having a blast...

This was the first thing we came to when we walked in. Course Drew grabs a life vest right away and races for the wheel.
Thank goodness this isn't for real.

David making a sandwich.

They had a costume area, Drew's favorite! It went like this... Drew got dressed (sometimes screaming my name for help with a snagged zipper or inside-out costume), then he would head to the stage and make sure the curtain was closed. Then he would instruct me to sit in the front row center. However, he never trusted I was there and would sneak a peak between the curtains to make sure. Finally, he would draw the curtains, quickly show me his costume and then run to the back for another. It went on and on and on. David got bored with it in no time and Ashley and Harrison were well on their way to the 2nd floor so I had to beg Drew to move on, promising to play in the pirate ship next.

David's favorite part of the museum...the Splash Zone. Just great! I had to take off his long sleeve white shirt because it was soaked immediately.

This was his very favorite thing to do. He took all of the cups to the waterfall and filled them up. He did not want to move past this part of the museum! No matter where we went next he would turn around and run right back to this. Fortunately it was located pretty close to the pirate ship where Drew decided to spend a huge chunk of time so I could see them both.

Drew did have to do some serious balancing to stay on the surfboard.

Drew is the one in the uniform and helmet of course!

Scuba man!

I can do it too!

The boys and I (with mouths full of animal crackers) are tired and heading home to rest up and get ready for the LSU bowl game!

17 Months and Growing Up Fast

David is definitely not a baby anymore. He has entered full on toddler mode and things are pretty much David's way or the highway. It's not all bad; he is so adorable and mostly sweet but he does like things his way. He has smacked Drew a few times recently which has earned him a couple of time outs. Drew doesn't mind David's light smacks and usually laughs. The funny thing is I think David's new attitude has calmed Drew down a bit. I have rarely seen Drew bully David recently. Go David! David knows what he wants to eat and drink and will make it clear by climbing the fridge shelves or pounding the pantry door. He says "All done." and puts his hands out palms up when he's finished eating. He loves to put things away and distribute loveys, drinks and other items to each of us. It's so cute to watch him find Drew's cup, shoe or platty and immediately find Drew and deliver it with a grin. Drew is always thankful and kisses David sweetly on the head while saying, "Mom, watch how soft I kiss David." It's been 17 months and looks like that request may finally be sinking in with Drew. Just in time for David to get rough and rowdy! He loves to climb, tumble, tickle and get loud. He was "talking" so loudly at a birthday party on Sunday that George and I looked at each other and busted out laughing with the "Yeah, that's my kid." look on our faces. All of the adults were chatting while the kids were playing and all of a sudden David just started rambling. The loud sounds were flying out of his mouth and it was obvious he had something important to say although I have no idea what it was. I mentioned in the Christmas blog that Drew got a few Nerf guns. David is all over that game! Drew and I planned to attack George when he got home the other day and while we were discussing where to hide, David caught on and quickly settled into a great spot (gun in hand). He doesn't miss a beat and loves to imitate! He cleans if I'm cleaning, brushes his teeth when I brush mine, washes his hands every time Drew does and knows Bailey's routine so well that I am positive he could care for her all by himself. Here's some recent pictures of our little guy.

First time out. So pitiful. Sweet Drew joined him moments later because he said he was sad for David.

David loves hanging out in Bailey's bed.

Bailey attacks him with kisses!

This cracked Cristie and I up. Drew and Whitley were watching a Tumblebook online. David didn't want to be left out so he pushed a kitchen chair over to the computer desk and climbed up to join them.

He will sit still long enough to watch some TV! I'm sure it's terrible to be happy about that but sometimes you just need a little TV time for the kiddos. The boys and I were watching Star Wars in this picture. Drew is blocking his face with the DVD case. He has to hold the case for movies while he watches them.

There he is! He was trying to sneak up the stairs but paused long enough for a quick pic.