More pictures from Miki's party!

Here are more pictures from her party, as they would not all fit in one post. The pictures are in no particular order, but if you want to read about the party skip down to the post below first! Mikayla and Cole peak into one of the bags she got from Mimi and Poppi!
Mikayla has fun with her cousin Haston!
Mikayla plays her favorite game (although normally she can be found standing on the platform placing the balls in the holes).
Drew, Cole, and Mikayla enjoy tearing the wrapping off of the princess hot wheels that Cole got for Mikayla!
Drew enjoys his pizza as he gets ready for cake.
By that face you can tell that Mikayla really enjoys her pizza. It is one of her favorite foods!
Cole, Drew, Greyson, Morgan, and Hannah enjoy playing with the "monitors" while they wait for Chuck E. Cheese to come out.
Cole, Mikayla, Morgan, Hannah, and Greyson enjoy their pizza.

Mikayla's Birthday Party!

When we decided to have Mikayla's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, we knew we didn't want to have it on a weekend. We decided to have it on the night of her birthday. This turned out to be a wonderful choice. It was not crowded at all. In fact, Mikayla was the only "scheduled" party they had last night. I say "scheduled" because there were a few other children there for their birthdays, but they were either there with just family or family and a few friends so they didn't purchase the birthday package. We wanted the hostess (most importantly) and all the fixin's for Mikayla since this is a one time thing so we went with the package. It is really a wonderful deal considering they decorate, serve, supply the cake, entertain, and clean up! All the parents do is sit back and relax!! Mikayla enjoyed being treated like a princess for sure! There were 11 children and 18 adults who joined us in celebrating Miki's birthday. The pictures below (sorry, they are in no particular order) show the fantastic time we had! We sure are glad we got to spend Mikayla's day with several of our family and friends.

Adam, Macy, Kylie, Kylie's mom, Ms. Heather (Mikayla's teacher at daycare), and Lauren enjoy their pizza!
Mikayla and the other children dance with Chuck E. In this picture you can see Drew, Adam, Mikayla, and Macy.
Mikayla is being held by the hostess of her party as Chuck E. Cheese and everyone else sings Happy Birthday to her! She definitely got the "royal treatment".
Mikayla rides the jet ski with her "boyfriend" Cole as Cole's mom and dad look on. Every day when we ask Mikayla what she did at daycare she answers "I played with Cole!" Cole's mom and I talked about arranging a play date in the near future!
Right before we left for home, I got a picture of Drew and Mikayla with their Mimi and Poppi! My dad was singing in this picture in case you were wondering about his funny face (he thinks I take WAY too many pictures)! Drew and Mikayla don't seem to mind!
Craig and Drew at Drew's favorite place in Chuck E. Cheese. He stayed on this ride practically the whole time! If you added up the total time spent on this it was close to one hour (not consecutively of course as he had to give other people a chance to ride).
Mikayla with her Aunt Jennie...She sure loves her aunt!
Drew and Mikayla dance a little before the party starts!
Mikayla smiles for the camera as we wait for her friends to arrive! She sure looks happy doesn't she?
These are the invitations that I made for Mikayla's birthday party! I am not that crafty, but I love to scrap book and anything with pictures, so making these was fun! They seemed to be a big hit with everyone, as several people commented about how cute they were!

Happy Birthday Mikayla!!

Today was Mikayla's 3rd birthday. We had her party tonight at Chuck E. Cheese's. Due to us getting home late, I will have to wait and post the complete update with photos tomorrow! We did want to wish our baby girl a happy birthday! We hope you had a wonderful day Mikayla! Again, please check back tomorrow for the complete update (and hopefully lots of photos)!!!

Go Bulldogs!!!

Friday night we took Drew and Mikayla to the first football game of the season at Boiling Springs High School. I graduated from BSHS in 1997, and I always love going to the games as it reminds me of my time in high school! Even though we have never been a top contender for any football championships (at least not since I have been around), those boys give it their all every Friday night. And the fan support is unbelievable! We know it is only a matter of time before our dawgs are a huge contender!

We have been taking Drew since he was in a baby carrier. My sister was in 9th grade when he was born and she was in the marching band. We went to every home game with him in tow. He wasn't even 2 months old when he attended his first Boiling Springs game. When Mikayla came along my sister was no longer in the band so we didn't attend every home game, but we always attended several a year! I guess as long as I'm able to I will attend several games a year - more if I could talk Craig into going! That is not his favorite past time - he is more into college football and since BSHS is not his alma mater he's not into it like I am!

The first game of the season at Boiling Springs is always big and the stadium is always packed. This year proved no different. When we got there the front lawn was full and people were already beginning to park on the side of the road. Luckily we found a place in the grass so we didn't have to park on the road. When we got up to the gate, there was a line back to the front door of the school. Since I have to go to the other gate to use my id to get in free (I work in the school district), we decided to see if that line was shorter. It was, but only a little. I went on in the stadium to look for seats while Craig, Drew, Mikayla, and my sister Jennie waited to buy tickets. I had no luck finding seats but by the time I got back to the gate, they were coming in. The only seats we were able to find were at the top right beside the band. This really didn't bother us since both my sister and I are former band students.

The first half of the game we did not have much to cheer about as Chapman was leading. Then in the second half our bulldogs rallied for the win. Overall, it was a great game full of excitement! Drew and Mikayla were having a ball watching the players, cheerleaders, mascot, and band. By the end of the game though, they were getting sleepy. When we tried to leave in the middle of the fourth quarter to get them home and in the bed, we found we were blocked in. We should have just stayed for the rest of the game. Drew and Mikayla were pretty excited to hear that our bulldogs won!

*I tried uploading 2 pictures of Drew and Mikayla at the game, but blogger is being a bugger and for some reason I wasn't able to. Maybe I can get them uploaded later!

Drew's First Week of School!

Drew seemed to have a great first week of school. He (and mom too) are adjusting to being in the same building together all day. Last year he did not leave his 4k classroom very often so I didn't worry about what he would do when he saw me in the hall. This year, however, he leaves the classroom every day for lunch, activities, etc. We talked to Drew and reminded him that even when he sees mommy he has to stay in line with the rest of his class. We even developed a "secret wave". This works pretty well but his teachers tell me he gets a little upset when I don't see the "secret wave". I have noticed this to because if I'm busy with my class and don't see him waving he proceeds to yell out "hey mommy". This caused some problems this week when he yelled that out during a fire drill. I had to tell him that my boys and girls couldn't talk during a fire drill and he couldn't either. I think that the next fire drill will go a little smoother for him!

I also have to remember that he is just starting on this journey called "school", and that he is not going to be perfect! He is going to do a lot of the same things the boys and girls in my classroom do at the beginning of the year. No matter how well we try to prepare our children for this, until they are in the classroom with their teachers, they won't really know what to expect! I tell my parents all the time, please don't worry about warnings every now and then especially at the beginning of the year because they have to learn the procedures. Drew's teacher, Mrs. Batson (who was also my mentor), told me I have to remember that too! She made me feel a lot better!! He is such a sweet little boy who loves to please others, but he is definitely all BOY! His favorite part of school so far has been recess, centers, and P.E. He also enjoys going to Extra Edition (our school's after-school program)! My sister works there, and even though she's not with his age group, he still gets to see her every day!

Overall, his first week of school has gone very well. He is learning, making friends, and having fun - which of course is most important! As long as he has fun at school he will always enjoy it!!

***On a side note - Mommy's first week of school also went very well! My students even surprised me yesterday with many birthday "goodies"! Today is my 27th birthday and I was overwhelmed with all of the surprises yesterday. Several parents and students went in together to give me a 50 dollar gift card to Applebee's, others surprised me with candles, lotions, bath gels and such, a decorative flag, and even a dozen pink roses! The children (some parents and grandparents too!) were all so sweet to come in the room yesterday morning wishing me a Happy Birthday! It really made my day yesterday. In fact, one of my parents saw me in the hall and she said "you can't stop smiling can you?". I can't thank them enough!!

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Make a wish Morgan!

Last Saturday (I know, I know, that was a week ago - sorry! I get a little overloaded when the new school year starts!!) we went to Morgan's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Those of you who frequent my blog know that Morgan is the daughter of our friends Rick and Angie. We go to church together and Morgan was also in my kindergarten class two years ago! On a side note - Rick and Angie are expecting their second child, a boy they will name Hayden, in January!

Morgan's birthday party was very nice. There were lots of children there that Drew and Mikayla knew from church and even some Drew knew from school since he is now there with me all day! The adults got to enjoy each other's company! It seemed that a great time was had by all.

Drew and Mikayla get a hug from Chuck E.!

Drew's First Day of School!!

Yesterday was Drew's first day of Kindergarten! We have waited all summer for this day! Drew was more excited about it than I was - it was hard for me to think about my baby going to school! Even though he is at my school and in the classroom next door to mine I was experiencing anxiety (lots of questions)!! Would he be enthusiastic about staying the first day, or would he have trouble when I got ready to leave? Would he know any of the boys/girls in his class? Would he behave? etc. All parents are faced with these questions as their little ones start to school. Being a kindergarten teacher I am faced with these situations every year, but this year it was with my own child! We have talked about this all summer with Drew. We also practiced some with his reading, writing, math, etc. to help him prepare. Drew has always been enthusiastic about learning and he likes to please so I wasn't really worried about academics - I have years for that right? We spent last week reading Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come because I think this is a great book that gives students (and parents) an idea of what to expect!

The night before Drew's first day of school!

Craig, Mikayla, and I all went with Drew to his classroom yesterday morning. He was already very familiar with the school and his classroom since he's been in those halls since he was in a baby carrier. He was also in four year old kindergarten there last year. I still wanted to see his reaction as he entered his classroom that first day! I wasn't able to stay long because I had to get to my classroom to welcome my students, but he didn't need me to stay long. I had to call him over to me to get a goodbye hug and kiss! At the end of the day I asked his teacher, Mrs. Batson, how he was. She said that he had a good day. When I picked Drew up from Extra Edition, our school's after school program, he said he had a great day. He had to tell me all about it. It was so funny to listen to him tell stories about his day! His teacher was my mentor my first year and when he was telling the stories I could imagine her saying/doing those things! The best part was that he couldn't wait to go back today!!

Surprises

Craig and I have never been good at keeping surprises (I've mentioned this before on here). He couldn't even wait when he proposed. I was still very surprised and he did it in a way that I will never forget, but it was not the date that he had planned. You see the 30th of each month had symbolic meaning in our relationship so he was going to propose on March 30th 2000. I guess he should have waited until that day to buy the ring. I'm surprised that he could fight the urge as long as he did, but he is a "little" better than me. Anyway, on March 14th I was pulled over for speeding. I was only given a warning, but it tore my nerves up. Craig seeing how upset I was about it surprised me that night by proposing. He had asked my dad for permission and all. When I got to his house, he brought out a bouquet of roses which I thought was a wonderful gesture to cheer me up. Balanced in the bouquet was a purple (my favorite color) egg (remember he was ready for March 30th). I said why is that egg in my flowers. He, already on both knees in front of me, said open it and see. When I opened the egg, my ring fell out and he asked me to be his wife! Through tears I answered a definite YES! Even though it did not happen on the 30th, it was perfect!

Since then, we have been pretty notorius for giving gifts to each other and our children as soon as we have them. My mom's favorite saying is "It's not Christmas/birthday". The latest surprise given early was Mikayla's birthday present. Her birthday is not until August 28th, but we gave her her present last weekend. Drew got a red Power Wheels jeep from Santa Claus the year the he was 3. Mikayla has just gotten to where she is able to reach the pedals to drive it. She enjoyed driving it so much, I wanted to get her one. They had a princess Solstice convertible that she liked at Walmart so that's what we planned to get her. When we went to get it, they only had the display model out in the store. We were going to ask someone if they had any in stock, when we noticed red mustang converitble. They did not have one on the display race, but the picture on the box looked nice. Those who know me know that I have always loved Mustangs, so this was perfect. We got the mustang and headed home so daddy could put it together (Craig just loves all these toys you put together!) We couldn't wait to give it to her of course so she got her "surprise" birthday present that very day! I'm sure that she will have a li'l something to open on her birthday from big brother Drew.

Mikayla tries out her li'l red sports car!

Drew tries to give his little sister some driving lessons!

She's lovin' it!

Mikayla lets Drew have another turn driving, while she adjusts the radio. I'm not kiddin' this thing has everything. The horn works, the radio plays music, the engine revs, and more! I can't believe the things they come out with now!

And she's off again!

Drew's jeep was not completely charged so I didn't get pictures of them both driving at the same time. I hope to get some on here soon!

The End of Our Summer Break

It feels like forever since I have updated! We were very busy last week enjoying our last full week of summer vacation (for me anyway). My first day back at school was yesterday, but school does not start for students until August 10th. We have been out to lunch with daddy since this is not something we get to enjoy during the school year, swimming in Mimi and Poppi's pool, playing with A.J., and Drew and Mikayla even helped me some in my classroom.

Drew and Mikayla love going to the school, and in fact even ask to go! It probably has something to do with the fact that there are so many "toys" there. As one of the other kindergarten teachers said, it's like an indoor playground! They were real troopers, and I really got a great deal accomplished!

Mikayla smiles pretty while we were enjoying lunch with daddy last week!

Drew relaxes on one of the beanbags in my classroom! I know it's not a great picture (it was taken with my old camera), but you get the idea!

This week, Drew and Mikayla started back to daycare. They went Monday and Tuesday so I could get a little more done in my classroom, and so that they could get back in routine since they've been home all summer with mommy! Then on Wednesday, I kept them with me again (I was missing them terribly!!). We went to Mimi and Poppi's house to swim! Mimi had called us to come over because two of her friends from work were going to be there with their children. By the time we got over there, Brandy was there with Destiny and Caleb and Mandy was there with Alexis. We were also surprised to see Becky, a longtime family friend who I haven't seen since Mikayla was a baby. The children were having a blast in the pool, while the adults (also in the pool) were mostly talking. (Ha - big surprise with five women huh?) I should have remembered to take my camera so I could have gotten pictures. Even without pictures, I think it is something that Drew and Mikayla will remember for awhile. This morning, Mikayla asked to go swimming with Destiny and Alexis!

Yesterday, Drew and Mikayla went back to daycare as it was the first day for teachers to be back to work. They really did very well this week. Mikayla got upset a little which surely didn't help mommy, but overall they enjoyed being back. Drew's class went skating yesterday, and he said he had a lot of fun. I asked him what kind of skates he wore and he told me the "big" ones (not plastic). He must have had fun (and wore himself out) because when I picked them up yesterday afternoon he was sound asleep on the floor! Mikayla has been asking to go skating ever since, so I am sure we will be at the skating rink soon!

Today, Drew and Mikayla are spending the day with mommy again (one last day before the new school year is rolling). We have spent the morning playing, watching t.v., coloring, drawing, and writing. Drew is practicing to write sentences, while Mikayla is learning to write her name and color "inside the lines". I am so proud of her as Mikayla is a long name to write. She can write the letters M - i - a - l - a legibly by herself, but still needs a little help with k and y (those are hard letters to write!) I also can't believe how much Drew is accomplishing! My little boy is not only reading simple stories, but also writing simple sentences! They are growing up so fast. We thank God every day for our little miracles, and for helping them grow!

Fun With the Youth!!

Since my sister, Jennie, graduated from high school in 2005, she is no longer considered a "youth", but because we are a small church with many of our college-age members away at college (Jennie attends USC Upstate here in Spartanburg) she is still involved in the youth program.

Last Friday night she invited the youth from our church over to her house to swim, with permission from my mom and dad of course.Jennie wanted Craig and I to bring the kids to swim too! Our youth director, Randy, and his wife Jodie have three young sons and Jennie knew they would all enjoy playing together.

Drew, Mikayla, and I headed over to my mom and dad's house Friday at 6:30 (per Jennie's orders - Ha!). My sister's boyfriend, Josh, and his sister Casey were already there when we got there. Several other "youth" arrived shortly after we did. When Randy and Jodie arrived with Wesley, Eli, and Kollin Drew and Mikayla were ecstatic. Eli is in Drew's Sunday School class, and Kollin and Mikayla are in the 1-3 year old Sunday School Class that I teach.

Immediately the children were ready to head out to the pool, while the youth wanted to stay in the house and enjoy snacks first. The children waited patiently and enjoyed snacks along with the youth and adults.

We headed out to the pool where all the guys, including Randy, had a "smackfest" with the noodles. It was all in good fun, but Randy told me Sunday morning at church he had red stripes on his back when he got home. I wasn't surprised. They calmed down once the children got in. Craig came over after he got off work, but never got in the pool. Instead, he came outside for a short time, then went back in the house to watch t.v. with my dad. Once we had gotten out of the pool and changed into dry clothes, Craig did "wrestle" with the children. They were all having so much fun none of them wanted to leave, including our two.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. We have such a wonderful youth program at our chuch, and it was nice to fellowship with them. Drew, Kollin, and Mikayla can't wait to get in the pool.

"Davis" practices his swing while the children (Kollin, Wesley, Drew, and Eli) play in the pool.

***I had more pictures to add but blogger is not cooperating - maybe I can add them later!

Afternoon on the Lake!

Mikayla has been asking get Uncle Jon Jon (my brother, Jonathan) to take her in his boat for the past week. She remembers the last trip we took out in the boat last September! She did not want to ride on it at first, but then she enjoyed riding so much she asked to go again.

Jonathan had been wanting to take Drew on his tube since we went out in September as well. I wasn't so sure this was a good idea, but Jonathan assured me that he would be fine and Drew was excited about it. So, yesterday afternoon Jonathan took Craig, Drew, Mikayla, and I for a ride on his boat. We met him at Lake Bowen, and Mikayla was very excited until she stepped on the floating dock and it swayed over a wave. She wasn't walking another step and Craig picked her up and stepped into the boat after me. This didn't bother Drew at all as he stepped into the boat like he'd been doing it his whole life! He's just like his uncle Jonathan - there aren't many things that make him nervous/scared! Mikayla again, just as she did the last time, was not happy to be on the boat when we first started moving. More than once she cried "I wanna play" and pointed to the playground that is at the landing. Once we had been going a little while she calmed down.

Daddy, Drew, and Mikayla sit at the front of the boat!
Jonathan drives the boat as Craig and Mikayla look around.

After we rode around awhile, Jonathan and Drew decided to ride the tube while Craig drove the boat. Mikayla sat with me at the back of the boat to watch Drew and Jonathan. She got a little upset again while Drew was on the tube. She kept saying "I want my Drew"! Once she saw that they were okay, she calmed down again.

Drew and Jonathan get ready to ride on the tube.


We start out slow with Jonathan holding onto Drew as he gets used to it!
Then we increase the speed little by little. Drew eventually enjoys it so much that he wants Jonathan to move his arm from around him. At one point Drew's whole body was bouncing off the tube - he was hanging on only by his hands. This made me a little nervous, but Jonathan had assured me before we started that if Drew came off the tube he would go off with him. I never took my eyes off of them just in case they fell off, but they didn't - not until we had stopped the boat and they went in for a swim. I had wondered the whole time they were riding if Drew was nervous, and what he was saying. When Jonathan had pulled them back to the boat I asked him. He said that he kept saying "I wanna go faster" and "I wanna ride by myself". I noticed Jonathan kept giving us the "thumbs up" which meant increase speed, but I was thankful that he had already told Drew that he couldn't ride by himself!

Drew sits on the tube as it floats beside the boat after their ride. He was getting ready to slide in the lake for another swim! After we loaded the tube into the boat we went to ride some more. As we approached the landing, Jonathan spotted Daddy's truck. We pulled up to the dock so that Poppi could get on. It was his first ride in Jonathan's boat, and we were glad that he decided to join us!! We had such a fun time on the lake, and we can't wait for Jonathan to take us out again! Drew is already talking about the next time he rides the tube.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Tuesday, July 18th was my daddy's birthday. When Drew and Mikayla woke up Tuesday morning, the first thing they asked to do was call Papa/Poppi and sing Happy Birthday to him! He was out on the golf course and didn't get to his cell in time to answer so we all sang to him on his voice mail.

After leaving Poppi his message Drew, Mikayla, and I got ready and went to Mimi and Poppi's house to swim with Aunt Jennie. Mikayla jumped into the pool for the first time without anyone catching her!! She is not afraid to go under water anymore as she and Jennie held hands and jumped from the side of the pool several times. She still is not jumping off the diving board by herself, but I'm sure it will not be long now! After we had been swimming a little while, daddy called and said he would be home in an hour or so. He wanted to give us time to get ready for dinner so that we could leave as soon as he arrived. Drew, Mikayla, and I came home to get baths while Mimi, Jonathan, and Jennie began getting ready at their house.

The tradition in our family is that the birthday person gets to choose where they want to eat on their birthday. Daddy chose Fire Mountain. Since Craig was still at work (he was very sorry he missed it), I loaded up Drew and Mikayla and we planned to meet everyone at the restaurant. We had a wonderful dinner at Fire Mountain!!

Josh, Mama, Daddy, Drew, Jonathan, Jennie, and Mikayla enjoy their meal at Fire Mountain. Everybody seemed to think that Poppi had made a good choice.
My dad's face as he realized that we had told our waitress that it was his birthday. Several of the wait staff came over to our table clapping as they sang Fire Mountain's version of Happy Birthday! They even brought him a brownie cake complete with ice cream, hot fudge syrup, and whipped cream.

After dinner, we all went back to Mimi and Poppi's house to give Poppi his gifts and more swimming! Josh and I were having a competition to see who could recover the most rings and sinking sticks/discs from the bottom of the pool. Jennie decided to join us so she could be on my team and help! It was the most fun and we even beat him sometimes!! It was also the first time that Jonathan had been in the pool this year, and he couldn't believe all that Drew and Mikayla were doing!!

We had a wonderful day spent with family, and I hope that it was a wonderful birthday for my daddy! He is, and always has been an important part of my life. When I was young, I would get angry with him because I thought he was too strict. Now that I am an adult (with children of my own) I am very thankful for the way that both my dad and mom raised me. I am able to look by now and realize that they weren't strict, they did what they did to keep me (and Jonathan and Jennie) safe and out of trouble. I feel very blessed to have the loving parents that I have, and I hope that Craig and I do just as well in our journey of parenting Drew and Mikayla!!

Happy Birthday daddy, we love you!!!!

Hot Dog Day at the Zoo!

Today, the Greenville Zoo had Hot Dog Day. Every year in July, the zoo teams with Bilo to promote this special. There is a special children's admission rate, and they offer hot dogs and other concessions for only 25 cents each. Since it is such a great deal, we decided to take Drew and Mikayla. We go to the zoo every October for Boo in the Zoo, but they have most of the animals put up then so we were excited about being able to see the animals.

Drew and Mikayla loved the elephant!

Craig told Mikayla this looked like her and Drew. We told daddy it looked like him! :)

Drew and Mikayla look at the HUGE tortoise!

How Cute!!

Even though the zoo was very crowded and the weather was extremely hot, we had fun. It was nice to spend a relaxing Saturday afternoon as a family.

"Swim Like a Fish"

Jennie and I took Drew and Mikayla to the movies again this morning to see Jimmy Neutron Boy Wonder. Then we went to lunch at Kanpai - Jennie could not believe that we went while she was on her mission trip. She loves Kanpai, so I told her we would eat there for lunch one day before school started back. We decided on today.

After our delicious lunch, we took Drew and Mikayla swimming! I can't believe how fast my babies are growing up. Drew continues to amaze me in the pool - swimming without floats, doing "tricks" off the diving board, turning flips in the water, etc.

Mikayla surprises me every day with something new she is ready to try. When Mimi and Poppi's liner was first replaced, she did not even want to get in the pool. Since our first swim about two weeks ago she has begun "swimming" by herself - she doesn't want anyone to hold her in the pool, jumping off the side -someone must catch her though because she doesn't like to go under, and now - for the first time today - JUMPING OFF THE DIVING BOARD!!! Jennie and I have to sit on floats to catch her because we can't touch the bottom of the pool and she still doesn't want to go under - but she does it!!! I can't believe how much they are learning to do in such a short period of time!!!

Drew and Mikayla can't wait to get in the pool!

Is this the same little girl who did not want to get in the pool - and then once she did, cried while clinging to mommy with all of her might?

Drew has mastered floating on his back with floats on - with floats off is a different story! He is learning though, and when he relaxes he can do it.

I can't believe my "baby girl" is jumping off the diving board!

We now call both Drew and Mikayla "our little fish"! I am so glad that both of our children now love the water and enjoy swimming as much as we do!!