Sorry to leave you hanging for so long, but after our fun-filled-week of VBS, we (me and the boys) took off to Alabama for two more weeks of more fun than we could handle. Really. I asked Sam what his favorite part of our trip was..."Playing the Wii, Mommy!" Yeah, we also have a Wii at our house. Apparently it doesn't take much to please that child. Also makes me realize that if I would only allow him to play video games all day long, he would be the happiest kid alive. Unfortunately I'm a mean mommy and that will never happen. Would hate for his brain to turn to mush.
So, since wrapping up our VBS week, complete with our infamous TOP TEN LISTS every night, I can't seem to shake living life without a top ten. It's like my brain has been programmed to think of each day as a top ten...so, until I return to normal and that's not likely to happen soon, indulge my issues as I recount the fun we had.
NOTE: Our KY buddies Nicole, Grace & Emma joined us with our family for a few days in Alabama. God bless their souls. I think we are still friends...
10. The boys painted rocks to go into Katie's garden that my mom has planted in the backyard. Charlie painted an owl, since he is the one who gave her that distinction when she worked nights at UAB. And for Katie's love of ladybug, Sam painted an abstract version with a little help from mommy.
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| He free handed this. I know, it DOES look like the owl from Bambi! |
9. Charlie and Grace tried to make themselves into human sandwiches as they used Gran's pool to leap into. The picture made it way funnier. They never actually hit each other, but came really close. Which was good for Charlie since Grace was still sporting her "cement arm" from her disco dancing accident in our basement.
8. We went camping for a couple of days in Dad's new fifth wheel at
Rickwood Caverns. While enjoying a picnic lunch one day outside the camper, it suddenly lurched towards us as another camper rammed into his. Since he has only had the camper for about a month, he wasn't real happy with the collision that occurred while the Park Ranger supposedly directed the offending camper into t
heir spot. There was no real damage to dad's new toy, but makes a good story, right?
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| They are actually ALL looking at the camera...! |
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| Making mud pies with water guns and sand pails. Also made really dirty boys. |
7. We took the kids to go play at Turkey Creek. Now, for those of you from Alabama, put away your prejudices. No, we didn't go play at the dump, but that's what I would have thought, since while I was growing up, that's what Turkey Creek was. An actual dump. Now, someone has decided to make it into a peaceful little nature preserve and a really neat little place to take the family. They had a blast in the water for about 15 minutes until we heard distant thunder and waited about 30 seconds too long to decide if we should make a run for it. We all ended up soaked (even those of us who hadn't fallen in already...yes, that would be me) and having our picnic lunch at the grandparent's house wearing Pop's over sized t-shirts while we sat in our wet shorts and our shirts took a turn in the dryer. Which gave Grace a chance to look through the picture albums from 1987 and see my "I-think-I'm-A-Boy" phase, including the accompanying haircut. It wasn't pretty. Trust me.
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| I'm not sure if Nicole was trying not to slip and fall. Or making fun of me because I just did. Both are very good possibilities. |
6. We went to the lake with Kenny's family this past weekend and the boys had their first boating experience. Complete with a new love with tubing. But for some reason Charlie decided that he couldn't get in the lake because a huge fish may eat him. Unsure of where that fear came from, I assured him that the fish were only in the middle of the lake, while his 4-year-old cousin laughed at him and the little "white lie" I issued in order to get him into the water.
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| Showing our best sides. Probably not necessary. |
5. During a Father's Day lunch that got a little out of hand, I ended up cleaning cool whip from my face with pound cake. It was much better the first go-round also topped with strawberries, but thankfully Cliff didn't take the retaliation that far. While Pop wondered where he went wrong with the direction of our family...
4. Sam has perfected his wheelchair racing skills thanks to an exhibit at
McWane Science Center. There just happen to be a large screen playing a video loop commercial about a tour of Birmingham right next to the set up that allowed you to actually sit in a wheelchair used to race and see how long it took to get your heart rate racing. He thought that HE was making that little cartoon car race around the streets of the 'Ham and worked and worked his little arms on that wheelchair. He triumphantly jumped off and declared he had won, as we got a good laugh at his ambition. He's so cute, it really didn't matter anyway!
3. We went to
Point Mallard Water Park. The last time I went there, I was a stupid teenager, refused sunscreen and had Off bug spray accidentally sprayed in my mouth. I was burned beyond belief and puking my guts up. It's a wonder I had a desire to return. But we did and the kids had a blast. We all used sunscreen, even those of us that already have great tans. :) And there was no need for bug spray this time around. I some how got nominated to take the big kids to the bigger water slides after lunch, including one that resembled a huge toilet in the sky. I refused to go down, but soon succumbed to Grace and Charlie's pleading and found myself at the top of a very big toilet. Realizing that we were going to be flushed into an 8 foot catch pool, I ventured down first to be there when the kids came down. Charlie came down first and was completely disoriented by all the spinning and swam the wrong way. He made it to the wall, but panicked when he couldn't get a hold on the side, prompting the lifeguard to go in after him. So, he had to be rescued. And I had to fill out paperwork recounting the event and promising not to sue the makers of the largest toilet ever. Don't worry, he was fine. And believe me, I'm definitely saving this story for his future wife..."Remember the day you had to be rescued from drowning in a toilet...??"
2. After having to be rescued by the lifeguard, Charlie went from being fairly fearless to quite afraid of doing anything in the water. He spent the majority of one day practicing his swimming just so he could jump off of the diving board. He would line himself up with the board in the shallow end and swim to the side, knowing that if he could swim that distance there, surely he could do it in the deep end, too. It took all day and the promise of $2 from Aunt Kim to get him to make that first jump, but by the end of the second day he was flying off the board and not looking back. Same with the pier at the lake, once he decided the fish wouldn't eat him alive. So, he may appear fearless, but it's actually a very practiced and calculated fearless. Now I know I don't have to worry about him doing something stupid. At least without thinking about it first.
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1. Since Charlie had to be rescued from a toilet, Sam didn't want to be left out of that action. So, he took a header into a real toilet. I get him up each night to potty before I go to bed. Most nights I do all the work, except for the actual peeing, because he is still totally asleep. The other night was no exception. But this night he was particularly floppy, almost rag doll like. I could barely keep him standing up straight as I got him positioned in front of the potty. Before I knew it, he was going head first in the toilet and caught himself with both hands completely submerged in the potty water. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, since now I had a kid who was soaking wet. With toilet water. Gag me. Funniest part: He never even woke up. Sorry, no picture to document. And no lifeguards or paperwork this time around.
If you've made it this far, I'm impressed. I've bored myself and I'm the one writing it...
I'm quite certain they'll be more pictures. There were too many not to share.
So, stay tuned.......
