Our Little Athlete

Just catching up on Isaac... while he is built for athletics, sometimes he does lack the focus and attention span. Soccer ended well, and he plans to play again in the fall. We are hoping that he is able to have the same coaches, who truly were excellent with the young players. Isaac was very proud of his trophy.




Go Galaxy!




Swim team started a few weeks ago, and Isaac is doing well, despite the fact he is not thrilled with practicing or working hard (he would rather play). We feel swim team is not negotiable, and we will require him to participate at least for a couple more years. The idea behind this requirement is the fact that being a strong swimmer is essential for safety. Being on the swim team will develop his swimming ability and strength. Now, we are fine if he doesn't become a swimming super star, as long as he is trying his best. I think as he becomes stronger and more coordinated, Isaac will actually enjoy participating on the team.

Now, for those of you wondering... I did grow up swimming on the swim team (a proud Adelphi Dolphin). I am glad for the experience, especially because I am very comfortable around water. The swim team I swam on was much more organized and competitive compared to the little Lexington Swim Club. But being that I enjoy the laid back southern lifestyle, the relaxed swim team experience for Isaac is just fine with me.

Here are photos from his first meet. He swam 25 meter freestyle and he came in 4th place out of 8 boys. He has one more year in this age bracket. Isn't he the cutest Speedo wearing kid you've ever seen? The "hair hawk" was also a new summer style that helped him be extra hydro-dynamic. :-)

Kristin @ 18 months Old!

Kristin doesn't turn 18 months old for two more days, but I have a moment to sit down and thought I had better take advantage of my time.

So, three days ago, Kristin walked across the living room all by herself. This was witnessed by her Daddy. The day before I saw her take 5 steps. This proves she can walk! However, does she want to walk? No! The child crawls around and begs to be picked up. She does like have people escort her around while she holds onto their fingers. But no consistent independent walking as of yet. Since she isn't exactly a mover and shaker, Kristin is an excellent snuggler. She is my sweet cuddle bug.

Smiles continue to abound and Kristin is a charming baby girl. I still don't think of her as a toddler even though I know that she is close to being one. Her vocabulary is limited. She does say a few words pretty clearly: "dog dog", Nanet, Stop!, No!, Da Da, and I did finally hear her say "Mama" last week when she was wanting to get out of the pool float. Even though she doesn't say much, she certainly understands a lot.

As far as foods go, Kristin is my pickiest eater so far. She won't even eat most fruits, largely because of the texture I believe. She will eat apples, apple sauce, and bananas. She is a tough one to feed because of her limited tastes. She doesn't like sandwiches, but will eat pasta. Oddly enough, she will eat chicken nuggets and hotdogs (we had them at a party recently), but she won't eat French fies. Since I am still worried dairy doesn't sit well with her I don't give her yogurt. Thankfully, she loves her soy milk. Scrabbled eggs are probably her favorite protein lately. I made zucchini bread yesterday, and she gobbled it up. So at least I can sneak some veggies in.

Kristin is a joy in our lives. She is very funny and loves to make people laugh. She has a strong will, but is easy going as long as things are going her way :-) A couch potato for sure, Kristin will happily watch videos so long as there is music involved. Kristin adapts well to different places and goes with the flow easily, which is a huge blessing when there are two older siblings to run around.

I'll keep you up to date on Miss Kristin, and her walking progress. Maybe she'll decide walking is not so bad...maybe.

The Ultimate Big Brother

Not many big brothers are willing to be "Prince Charmin'" for their little sisters. Lately Isaac has been dancing with his sisters when the mood strikes. He even assists in providing his own music in the form of singing. I am impressed with the spins and twirls he assists Lauralyn with, and Kristin likes to "dance" just like big sister. Maybe I should record "Dancing with the Stars" for them. I have to say I am so proud of Isaac when he dotes on his sisters, showing his true love for them.






The Wild Child... check out that hair!

Oh, To Be a Guy

When only one two couples come to TLC (our Bible study group), we automatically go on a double date and leave the kids with the babysitters. This happened to be the case last Monday when Buffie and J.J. were the only couple to come. So, we headed to Don Juan's while I enjoyed my favorite dish and listened to the guys talk about soccer for a half hour.

When we got home this is what the guys decided to do:



I wish I had filmed it from the start, but I didn't have time to get the camera on. Maybe I'll get some better action videos when I get new camera batteries... unfortunately the batteries died when it was Noah's turn to go down the hill.

Oh, To Be a Princess

We had a fun play date this morning at our house. Thankfully the weather cooled down enough for us to be outside. Aren't these the prettiest princesses you have ever seen? Thank you Aunt Georganne for giving us the dress up clothes :-)

Memorial Day Fun Part 3 (Monday)

Monday was a nice relaxing day as Grandad ended up extending his stay for several extra hours, and the kids got lots of quality time with him. Noah worked hard on the deck remodel (it's almost done). It was a nice day, and we spent most of our time outdoors. Grandad took the kids swimming for the first time this summer and the water was freezing. May was an unusually cool month and there was very little 80 degree weather. As soon as June hit, we went straight to 90+ degree weather and haven't cooled off since.




Even Grandad did an hour of hard labor pulling out old nails.




Like I said, the water was COLD.


Sleepy Kristin was not so sure about this new activity.


But she did like Isaac's stylin' goggles.




Jezebel thinks the new play house would make a nice dog house.


This was the weekend Lucy made her appearance into our lives. She is a young stray beagle mix, as sweet as can be. We haven't found her owners, and we are looking for a loving home for her if anybody is interested. Let me know if you or someone you know might need a very snuggly dog to love.

Memorial Day Fun Part 2 (Sunday)

For about a month, Isaac has used "super duty" as an adjective. I believe this started after watching a truck commercial. So, Sunday, May 25 was a "Super Duty" day. Isaac, along with Daddy and Grandad (and Mr. Brandon) went to the Coca-cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord. This was Isaac's very first NASCAR race, and he loved it! It's very cute to hear him talk about his favorite driver "Jr." (Dale Jr.) in the same way I love hearing him say "back yonder." What can I say? We live in North Carolina.

Memorial Day Fun Part 1 (Saturday)

Memorial Day weekend was filled with a ton of fun all three days. Saturday we we able to visit with Aunt Georganne and cousin Reid, as Reid had a soccer tournament in Greensboro. This worked out really well because Grandad had already planned to come down for the weekend.


Aunt Georganne and Isaac watch Reid's game.

Aunt Georganne never comes empty handed, and this visit was no exception. She toted a big play house, along with a wooden doll bed and dresser (that was once hers, then mine, then Juliette's, and now Lauralyn and Kristin's). Lauralyn's favorite is the box of princess dress up clothes. Isaac's favorite is cousin Reid's old pedal tractor that was later painted with gold spray paint. Apparently the tractor can withstand teenage boys going down hills at break-neck speeds.


Like our new house?


The famous golden tractor.


Weeeee!

We ended the evening with dinner at our newest Bar-B-Q joint right around the corner from us. Actually, I was pleased with the food and ambiance, but knowing it's not the healthiest of cuisine, I doubt we will be frequent customers.

Isaac's Last Day of Preschool

Isaac wrapped up his pre-school career on May 23. His teacher, Miss Lisa, has been awesome, and we really could not be happier with his experience there this year. Homeschooling will be a change, but I hope it will be a good year. If it is just too much chaos (my biggest fear), he can always go back to school for first grade.

Isaac made some good buddies in his class: Ethan, Colton, Chandler, and Tinley. We'll blink and these kids will be graduating high school. This would have been a good year to hit the pause button if there was one. Such a sweet year.

My Baby Boy is 5 Years Old!

The evening of Isaac's Birthday he had a soccer game scheduled. So, it made it very easy to invite friends to Finch Park for pizza and celebrating, then watch Isaac play in his game.