What the Natives do...

Has it really been that long since I posted.... why yes it has!! No need for excuses!!

So when I left off it was almost Labor Day weekend and we were all geared to go to NC to my parents Cabin for along weekend. A lot of people plan one last beach trip for Labor day and were so disappointed because a Hurricane was headed to the FL area.  It ended up in Louisiana I think and what path did it take....it went up and over to right over NC for Labor Day weekend.  So, we opted not to drive the 6 hours to sit in a cabin with 2 boys for days while it rained.  The weather was actually going to be nicer here than it was there.  So while we were disappointed I was glad we knew ahead of time and could change plans.

So plan B Jason came up with. He rented a boat and we headed out to an island that a lot of people will go to and anchor and just hang out.  The weather was very nice and we had a great time!  The beaches are still nothing like Gulf beaches but this one wasn't as bad as some. I learned a lot this day.... 1. no matter how much I apply sunscreen to Blake's face it is going to get very red!! 2. I could get used to this. and 3. Boats are a lot of work!! I was exhausted at the end of the day!!

On Monday we had another new adventure.....crabbing! This is something new for us and I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but it was a lot of fun! Jason picked up some cheap crab traps and rigged them up and off we went!  I cannot remember now how many we caught, maybe 18.  What I enjoyed most were the 8 shrimp we caught :).... by the time they were cleaned and cooked they were like popcorn shrimp ;)!!!  We had us a nice crab boil for dinner!!  We learned a lot but we still have more to learn. 

So even though this was all plan B and not our original idea of family time in the mountains.... we made some great memories!!! So see more pictures you can check out our Shutterfly Album.

Finally a Pet!!

For many of you that know us you know that our boys have been wanting a pet.... especially Caden.  Caden has always loved dogs!!  Both of the boys have asked for a dog from time to time.  Blake went through a phase this summer where he almost considered just going to live with Papa because he thought it would mean he could have this puppy he had seen.

So all that have felt sorry for our boys because they couldn't have a dog or a cat.... worry no more.... we are now the proud owners of 2 little turtles!!!  (no fur, no house training, no chewing up things)  I think the turtles have been named Mario and Luigi (by Caden and Blake). 

 

I hope this will be a good experience for the boys.... I have observed a little tormenting from time to time (at least that is what I would call it... they call it playing).  I worried Caden wouldn't mess with them ever again on the first day of owning them because his turtle latched onto his finger!  I told him if you hold your finger in front of his face and wiggle it around it is going to think it is food.... I think he learned the hard way:)

 

I will admit they are fun to watch.  It is neat to see how Caden will just sit by the aquarium and watch them too.  Sometimes it is the first thing he goes to when he wakes up in the morning and when we get home. 

 

Thank you so much Bigler's for the turtles!! 

 

 

Celebrating Caden

Caden's birthday was on a Friday so he had to be at school but I think he had a good day.  We were very glad to have grandparents come to town to help us celebrate his actual birthday.  It still amazes me how excited and reminiscent I get on the boys actual birthday.... it is more special than my own birthday!! 

I made mini brownie cupcakes for Caden's class at school to enjoy at snack time.  They do not let parents come in and bring the snacks but we can send them in or drop them off.  The other down side is that I couldn't even have lunch with him that day because they do not allow parents to come in for lunch until after labor day. :(

Caden had the choice of what he wanted to do that evening and for my child who really doesn't like "meals" only snacks... I knew that the menu or place to eat wouldn't excite him but worry him because he wouldn't know what we would make him eat :)  He wanted to stay home and eat and he wanted Macaroni and Cheese.  Well, that is simple enough so we did that and we had a shrimp boil for the adults!!  It was a win win for all of us!

Caden also planned out how he wanted to get his presents... he wanted us to hide them around the house and he would look for them.  Not sure why he came up with this but we did it and it was fun...maybe a new tradition.  We did make it a little more "educational" than he would have liked but he went along with it.  We had written clues on each gift that he had to read to find the next gift.  That was what he wasn't as excited about.... the reading!  Blake was a good sport but it is still hard on him that Caden was getting all the presents and attention.  You could tell he kept waiting for one of the hidden gifts to be his :(

Here he is getting his first clue...

This clue was hard and I didn't even get it the first time I read it.  Jason thought the boys would but they had to have another hint as well... Love his look of "thinking" here :)

 

 

He had waited and waited for his first Ninjago set.... this Lego set is one I ended up being very thankful daddy helped with!

 

Don't judge my very elementary attempt at a cookie cake.... I don't really attempt to be fancy or pretty (even though it would be nice if it came naturally) but regardless it tasted good :) and Caden likes simple!

 

I think it was a good day!  Happy 7th Birthday Caden!

 

 

Caden turns 7!!

So I couldn't post a blog about Caden's birthday on time since I didn't post Blake's on time or that would look partial:)

Happy 7th Birthday Caden Tait!!  I cannot believe it has been 7 years already!!  We are over halfway to the teen years now :( I would love to step back in time to the day we welcomed him into our family. I don't want to have the pain again :) but to hold him for the first time and just to fall so in love with him again.  Caden was such a great baby and I loved holding him... he will still let me hold him from time to time.  He isn't one to show his deep feelings or emotions on things but on occasion he will open up and I love those moments when I can discover a little more about it.  He is great at procrastinating and trying to persuade!!  He still desires to be the fastest and first.  He is such a joy to us and I am so proud of the little boy he is growing up to be! 

 

Caden was always so photogenic and made the best pictures:) Of course I  know I am partial.  I just think he was too cute (still is when he will cooperate for the camera).

 

I wish his curls would have stayed.

 

3 years old here and having so much fun!

 

My big birthday boy....7 years old! 

 

Since we had a party with friends already we celebrated with grandparents that came into town.  Caden wanted us to hide his presents so he would have to look for them.  We did and gave him clues he had to read... both of the boys enjoyed it.... more on that later! 

 

I love you Caden Tait Whittaker!!  Please don't grow up too fast or ever get too big to hold!!

Party time!

I would be rich if i had been paid every time I was asked "when is our birthday party?" and every time I explained the concept of this day is Blake's actual birthday, this day is the day we are having your birthday party, and this day is Caden's actual birthday.  Then to explain to Blake "no, you did not turn 5 one month and then the next month at your party turn 6..... you are 5" and to Caden "no, you will not be 7 on your birthday party day but 10 days later you will turn 7 on your actual birthday."

By the time the party day arrived I was so ready for it to be done :) I will say though we took the easy route this year. (1) Choosing to celebrate together is easy because right now the boys have all the same friends.  I would have loved to invite more but we wanted to keep it smaller and with just the boys in our neighborhood and our pastors boys.... we have a crew :) (2) We had it at a Play Center where they have some bouncies inside and they sale Rainbow Play equipment so everyone can go outside and use the playsets and trampolines!  It was a little hot to be outside but the boys all played really hard and I think they all had a great time.  (= no cleaning my house before the party and then again after the party!) (3) I made cupcakes and ordered the cupcake toppers off of Etsy!!

We all survived, but I feel it has taken all week to recover from it :) Now to regroup and celebrate Caden's actual birthday!  I cannot believe I now have a 7 yo and a 5 yo!!! :(

***Here are pictures from the party :)****

Preschool Bound

Blake went to a preschool in TN two mornings a week, but hasn't gone anywhere since we moved to GA.  He has been home with me the entire time we have lived here and I have enjoyed it!  However, it is time and he is so ready!!

He is with me every day when we drop Caden off and pick Caden up and he kept asking when he was going to go to school.  He remembered that he at least got to go 2 days a week before.  His time arrived and he couldn't get there fast enough.  He got up and dressed that morning and didn't want to eat breakfast.  He wanted to know if I could just drop him off before taking Caden to school (his doesn't start until an hour after Caden's).  When we did get to his school he almost had the door opened before the car was in park :)  I am glad he was excited about it.  Even though he was eager he was shy once we got in his room but he was still very brave, he just was very quiet :)

I think it is going to be a great year for him.  He has gone 3 days so far and so far he is still smiling when I pick him up.  Today he was excited because they were going to go to the library :) He is only gone 4 hours a day 4 days a week so the time does go by fast and it will go even faster when I start volunteering at the schools and if my GA license will ever get here and I start back to work.

Not Me!

Who took these pictures.... not me!!  :)

I was uploading the pictures and this is what I see... Looks like they had fun with daddy at some point.  I just hope these were clean!!! :)  Silly boys!

1st Grade - Ready or Not!!

I don't think Caden or I were ready for school to start back.  I never thought I would be one of those moms who hated to see the summer end but I actually have struggled with it.  Caden isn't one who shows his excitement very readily and he has never claimed to like school.  I have tried to find things this last week to get him a little more eager (as well as myself) and to make sure we had some fun this week.  I really really pray he has a good year.  Friday was  a day of much anxiety for me and mommy doubt and guilt.  Today (day 2 of school) was better.  Don't get me wrong, Caden did fine.  He said he had a good day both days but that is about the extent of detail that I get!  We have told him his task each day was to find out the name of a new friend.... he has yet to do that and he says it is because they haven't had recess.  I guess you cannot find out a classmates name unless you are on the playground.  What happened to the name game that we would play every year the first week of school??? 

Here he is SOO excited to face his first day of 1st grade ;) can't you tell?? ;)

The best smile I could get!

Love you Caden!! 

So now it is a week of just Blake and I and then he starts a half day preK on Monday.  He is ready, but I am not!

Final Saturday of Summer Break :(

I cannot believe summer break is over!  On the last Saturday of summer break we took the boys on a few treasure hunts (geocache) and to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge.  They wanted to see some gators:) We did get lucky enough to spot a few gators and a lot of birds!!  I would say it was a good day with all my boys and to top it off.... lunch at Chick fil A!!

Caden loved this.... he thought he was so big:)!

I spy a gator.....

The gator spies me......

Time for "treasure" hunt #2 of the day.... it takes a while to decide what we want to trade.

Stopped at a park to play before the rain rolled in.... Caden did great on the monkey bars and yes I am nervous he is going to fall.  I try to hard to relax but since his broken arms these things get me.

Handsome boy!

Blake loves the tire swing!!!!

Blake turns 5!!

So I feel like a slacker that I never did a blog post on Blake's 5th birthday, but I put a tribute to him on FB and forgot to do it on here.  :( So here it is.... better late than never!

I cannot imagine my life without this boy!  I never ever dreamed I would have wanted a red head little boy but God knew what a blessing he would be.  He is persistent, caring, smart, funny, and mischievous!! There are so many days I want to stop him for growing up so fast.... and he literally is growing up fast.... I fear he will soon be bigger than Caden :)

Blake on his first birthday

Blake on his 2nd Birthday

Blake on his 3rd Birthday!

Blake on his 4th Birthday!

My 5 year old!!

For pictures from his birthday celebration in Florida with family you can check out his album on Shutterfly.  We don't often get to celebrate with extended family so it was nice to have lunch with grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and great aunts, cousins, and second and third cousins!!

We love you Blake!!