The first swim of the year

Our community pool is open, so we took the kids for a dip.

We got an underwater camera case for Christmas (don't ask) that we haven't had a chance to use, so we broke it out, too.

The weather was fairly warm, but the water was FRIGID!

Da-dun, Da-dun...

My fav of the day

Baby Shark

Charlie's head is out of the water in these pictures, while Bart's is in.

Looks like we need to get that kid some braces! ...and possibly corrective eye surgery.

This is as far as I got in 

(refer to top if any questions)

They thought they were so cool, all cuddled up in their towels.

Hat Fetish

The other day I walked in to find Jane prancing up and down the hallway like this...

I'm not exactly sure how she can see, but whatever. 

The girl LOVES hats. Any kind of hat. 

From ball cap to Easter Sunday hats, she wants them on her head. And not just for a little while. She will wear them continually with no complaint.

At least she won't get skin cancer, right?

...and she'll always be cute!

More BLAST with MK

Sadly, whenever family visits, the weather isn't all too conducive for lying on the beach. We took Mary Mooney out to the Outerbanks anyway. I especially have loved having my sister here. I laughed harder than I have in a long time. I felt a little forlorn last night when I went passed Charlie's room and knew MK wasn't sleeping in there, too. :(

ANYHOO--we had a great time together!

The pictures say it all!

This is at the top of Currituck lighthouse. It was very windy!

Also, I didn't want to turn sideways and put Jane over the railing into the wind (it was already hard enough for her to breath out there!), but she's smart enough that she peeked over my shoulder!

Piggly Wiggly, Strawberry Patch, Aquarium, Beach, Lighthouse, Wright's Memorial, MOON--MK had a VERY busy vacation!

I love this picture because Charlie and Bart are synchronized--as usual.

We can see who is the wench, who is the beaver, and who is the model...

The BOO Box

(name the movie!)

This is Jane showing off her mad HOOPES skills. :)

Dun-duun-da-da-da-DUUN-dun-da-da-da-DUUN-dun-da-da-da-DUUN...

(that's me singing the Star Wars Theme song)

Potty Training.

The words themselves evoke an UGH!

When we tried and Charlie was completely uninterested in July of last year, 

I thought, "I'm probably going to be potty training two kids together..." 

But some flash of inspiration hit--

THE FORCE

if you will--and the dream...

suddenly became something tangible.

(Although, and believe you me, we FELT it in more ways than once several times...and it was gross at times)

With a little help from these guys

(Bribery: an essential tool! If you can't see them, they're some Star Wars action figures)

and the dream of sleeping with YODA at his side

the Dream was made a REALITY

and I can say

CHARLIE IS POTTY TRAINED!!!!

"On the potty, he goes."

Congratulations, my young paduwan.

My sister, Mary Mooney, is here for the week! YAY!

She came bearing gifts from Grandma and Grandpa--

a cook set for Jane, which BOTH kids are enjoying immensely.

This morning I heard Charlie go downstairs and get it, and bring it upstairs to play before he woke me up.

When I asked her what she wanted to do while here, her only request was to take a picture of and go inside a Piggly Wiggly. (They don't have those where we come from.)

She even bought her 1st souvenir, a PW re-usable bag that she says she's going to use as a tote.

It's the simple things, really. :)

Now that this is done, there really isn't anything else, right?

WRONG.

She'll be here all week and more of our adventures is to come...

Mother's Day

Every day should be Mother's Day, right? It's kind of like the Christmas Spirit that should be kept all the year, but THIS is the special day we get to celebrate those women in our lives who have made a difference. 

(While post is dedicated to family,  we also recognize OTHER MOTHERS, of all ages, who have helped us along the way)

Bart and I celebrate Grandmothers who have nurtured us from birth. 

We were both blessed enough to live just minutes from them during childhood.

(this does not except Anne's  Grandma Gerry who was always close by on the other side of the veil)

We celebrate new mothers,

(Congrats to HeathAAARGH! who just gave birth within the week!)

and SISTER mothers (and I wish I had a pic of Sheila!) who are good examples of what mothers should be,

but most of all, we celebrate our own mothers.

These women have helped mold us to what we are today;

they have taught us truth and virtue, fun and games, and how to 

FLY HIGH!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Happy Mothers Day!

Living in the moment...

We have a photography book (thanks, Captain Dirt and the Great Debina) that says we should try to capture ALL facets of life: So here's how our week began...

Doesn't she look pitiful?

But as the week wore on, things were beginning to look up.

Luckily Buzz Lightyear is invincible to all germs (right??)!

I had had ENOUGH sickness already and was ready to be a kid again!

Buzz did not like this idea.

"But WHO will clean up the spilled bodily fluids?"

"Not I," said that cat...

(We did go to the library's play of the Little Red Hen this week. I wouldn't have gone if I knew Jane was as sick as she was...just don't tell any other moms, ok?)

And finally, here we are! 

Jane is feeling better. She still has a bit of a cough and her voice is almost gone (is was ALL gone yesterday). But she feels good enough to run and play, which is all a mommy could ask for. :)

I was also feeling very humble when Auburn the Fierce brought us dinner and we had another offer from a friend a few days later. People are so good to us and we love, Love, LOVE them!! It's so nice to know that we have family away from family. We are so blessed to be apart of this area and so glad we moved here! :)

My last hour...

Jane threw up all over me,

I took off Jane's jammies and my shirt,

I threw Jane back in the tub and got Charlie out,

I helped Charlie get dressed,

Re-got Jane out and dressed,

Changed the load of laundry,

Cleaned up a 2nd bout of puking from Jane, (I left this out last night--don't know how I could have forgotten!)

Found a clean sippy cup lid and was thankful I started the dishwasher!

Forced Jane to drink some fluids,

Put Jane to bed,

Dealt with Charlie's complaints when I told him he could NOT sleep in my bed,

Giggled when Charlie was silly in HIS bed,

Sang a duet of "I Am A Child Of God" with Charlie,

Showered the pukies off me.

CONGRATULATIONS, ANNE! YOU ARE NOW A MOTHER!!!!

WELCOME SUMMER!!!

Nothing Great--But the Greatest Thing EVER!

These are some pictures Bart took yesterday when he took the kids for a bike ride. Nothing really spectacular happened, but I just love how he is such a good daddy. He spends so much time with the Charlie and Jane when he's home--really wants to be apart of their lives.

I am married to a good, good man!

He used the remote for this one: