Monday, March 14, 2011

Grandparents


I am so glad my parents took the time out of their busy world to come out here. I think I froze them. Our spring weather is crazy. We finally had a much warmer high 60('s) degree day on Sunday but it was rainy and cold the first day they came.

I sent the kids to school Thursday morning so I could take Mom and Dad to a few antique shops around downtown Apex. It was fun to walk around downtown. I have to admit that I have only driven through, never stopped and looked. It was great!

After gathering the kids and getting through lunch we decided to try out Durham and the Duke gardens. This is another place that I have been told to go and visit and hadn't taken the time to see. Well our visit started off cloudy and a little sprinkling of rain and then ended up with us standing in the gift shop to wait out the downpour. My kids didn't grab their jackets and they were cold! We then wandered around the tobacco museum where we watched a little film and walked through the museum and grounds. We learned that trading cards started from the tobacco industry... they started out as scantily clad ladies on cards and after complaints from a local minister they featured the Durham Bull players. And we learned the Duke university was started by the Duke family who were tobacco farmers. He (I think it was Washington Duke) intentionally made the buildings look like they were old. I thought that was great - I love the brick on the buildings there!

Oh, then we gave Mom and Dad a great taste of traffic. We hit the 5:00 traffic just right and were able to go through stop-and-go traffic because of 2 wrecks. After an hour drive we got close to home where Redge started thinking dinner... heading to the BBQ place took another 30 minutes because of yet another wreck! But hey the food was yummy...

Friday we slept in, had a big breakfast, and lingered here. We went on a walk and let the kids play. Then after lunch we headed off to Pittsborough to look at antiques. We found the best places to see and found a yummy diner were we had some ice cream. Dad saw a spinning wheel that he started stewing about... it was a cute thing and it was not to bad of a price. Rhett decided he needed to go on his camp out and we got him out the door. We went and found a few necessities (white underwear for Eli!) at Target and found a sweatshirt for Dad.

Saturday after stewing about the spinning wheel we headed back to Pittsborough for the spinning wheel. Dad had figured out how to get it home. He was very excited!

Then we headed to the baptism. Eli was Mr. Smiley. He got to sit up by Redge on the stand. We did a fair job of singing 'Baptism'. We almost didn't get to see him baptized because there were so many people in the room that we couldn't see who was in the font. They didn't announce what order after the first child. There ended up being four men there to witness because of the momentary mix-up. hahaha

We had a yummy Five Guys dinner and had to take a walk because of how full we all were from dinner! We played basketball by the pool and Ms. Emma decided that she didn't want to ride in her stroller so she walked the 3/4 mile back home.

On Sunday we decided to drive back up to the Duke gardens because of being rained out. I am glad we did. It was beautiful!

I have to pause and will put pictures on later. Kids need the computer.

Eli's Birthday

We had a fun week of making Eli's birthday turn into a week of birthday. Redge was traveling and basically missed all the fun. So I drug out the fun. Redge flew out Monday morning and this was Eli's birthday. We started the morning off with opening the first present. It is a tradition for our kids to pick what they want to eat that day.

Eli's Menu:
Breakfast: German pancakes,
Lunch: Sandwich, yogurt, chips, banana, apple, juice box
Dinner: Lasagne, Salad, cheesy bread (oops forgot that one), birthday cake with 8 candles please, cupcakes, and cookies and cream ice cream

He wanted his cake to be shaped like a minnion from Despicable Me.

After we ate German pancakes he was off to school and I spent the day cooking. Oh my! I told him that morning that he couldn't open anymore presents because I had to find them. I had them scattered throughout the house because I had been buying stuff for a few months. I knew he had his scout stuff I needed to buy (that stuff is spendy!) and I had a few other fun 8 year old stuff I wanted to get him. So it was accumulating in the closets. Well he asked if he could find the presents. He thought that would be a fun game. We did this for Redge so I think he wanted to do it for his b-day... future fun ideas! Funny boy went to school and told his teacher that I had them hid throughout the house. She asked about it when I took him cookies to share with the class.

When he came home he had to do homework but then he was scotch free... the birthday child doesn't have to work on their birthday. :) I had a fun poster set up in the window with 'Happy Birthday, Eli' on it, my minnion cake was mostly ready and I had the table all set for him. I was hoping all this would help him know how loved he is by us.

We ate his yummy lasagne dinner and then went for some ice cream at the grocery store (we got soaked by the sudden downpour.) After eating cake and ice cream we had a spa night for Eli. We all massaged and loved on Eli. It was fun!

Then to help Redge not feel slighted about missing the fun I had Eli open a present a day. I told him it was the 8 days of Eli's presents. Then by the time Redge returned on Friday Eli still had a few fun presents left and we recreated the dinner and cupcakes I had frozen.

We love our birthday boy!

Eli's Manners poster

Eli was very excited for scouts. I was so proud of him because he remembered that he was to make a 'manners poster' for scouts. As we were finishing dinner, he darted off. I thought he was avoiding doing dishes but he came running downstairs with his scout shirt on and his newly made poster in hand. Whew~! one thing I didn't remind this child to do. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel! HA!


This is his poster: (spelling as written by E)
Manners: 1. do not fart at dinner table 2. always say 'plese!' 3. obey mom/dad. 4. when you burp say exuse me 5. Be kind to others.

Can't argue with that!