Noah Comes to Visit!

Noah and Reiko came to visit NC recently. We had a great time hanging out, even if only briefly. Reiko and I were able to help close Barnes and Noble one night as we caught up on our experiences with our toddlers as well as old times. The next day, Reiko, Noah, Seth, and I enjoyed a trip to Elm St. Park. Then Reiko and Noah came back to our house to enjoy supper from Cubbies and to watch Cars.

Weekend with the Williamses and the Wiggles!

Warning! This blog entry contains much alliteration. What a wonderful weekend with the Williamses and the Wiggles! Our excersion began on Friday as we picked Seth up from daycare to journey to the Wiggles concert. We had a wild time wiggling with the Wiggles, Captain Feathersword, Wags, Dorothy, Henry, and the Wiggly dancers. Here are a few pictures.




After the concert, we went to Brad and Vanessa Williams' , where we were able to chill out and enjoy ourselves. On Saturday, we journeyed to the Mortons' (Brad's sister and brother-in-law) where we got to visit Christy, Hunter, Cody, and Caitlyn. Rob and Seth enjoyed themselves on the trampoline. After the morning exercise, we enjoyed lunch at a favorite restaurant--Carrabas.










We said goodbye to Brad and Vanessa and headed west to spend some time with Matt and Patrice Williams. We had an awesome time even though it was short. Deac and Rya acted like they remembered us! We caught up while watching the Olympics and the race at Bristol (and Nemo and the Wiggles--sorry guys ;-) ). Patrice got to exercise her reading prowess with Seth (next time, we are going to work on his Spanish!). We attended church with Matt and Patrice on Sunday and got to enjoy lunch with them. We are looking forward to our next visit!

What a fun weekend, albeit tiring at the same time. It was great to be able to spend quality time with friends we don't get to see often. Patrice said it well, though. She said that communicating in the blog world helps and it doesn't seem like she misses so much in our lives because she keeps up by blogging. I agree with her--blogging does make your friends not seem so far away. I will have to start working on Brad and Vanessa to start a blog.

Yes, It's That Time of the Year AGAIN....

As I peruse the back to school bargains at Staples and Office Depot, the little girl in me yearns for a new backpack, cool pencils and pens, and colorful notebooks. The adult in me cringes at the thought of returning to a messy office, having to distribute stuff again, student orientation, and starting again. For me (and many others), this is one of the toughest times of the year. The other tough time is the end of school--the middle isn't so bad but getting there....

Today is my last day before returning to school. This is the beginning of my twelfth year. You would think I would be used to it by now, but I am not. I dread the beginning of school like I dread going to the dentist. The worst part is getting started again. Can you tell I am depressed?

Okay back to reality. It will not be that bad. I just have to get back into the routine. But that getting back, that's the worst part. I have said that already, yes. But it is the truth. Ask any educator.

I am not soliciting sympathy--I just want you to know that my blogging might decrease for a while at least until I get over the hump of beginning school. ENOUGH MOPING!

There are some things I am looking forward to--our school system is implementing a uniform policy this year. I can't wait to see how this will pan out. LABOR DAY! We have a new superintendent so that should be interesting as well. LABOR DAY! We have had some job changes in our school, so I am sure time will tell with those. It will be amazing as it has been every year to see how the kids have changed in two and a half months. Did I mention LABOR DAY?

It will be an adventure as it always is, I am sure.

Goodbye Poppy--The Final Chapter

Well, it is day 6 without a pacifier (poppy) AT ALL. I can't tell you he hasn't asked for it. :-) He asked for it last night and tonight he said, "Poppy is gone." So, it is still fresh in his memory. But I must say we are definitely on the high road when it comes to getting rid of it.

I have to take this opportunity to say congratulations Matt and Patrice on your news. God is great and he has a plan. Stay strong in your faith and we will pray for some peace. We love you guys and are very happy for you. :-)

Goodbye Poppy (Paci) Part 2

I snipped Seth's pacifier tip again yesterday, making it about a quarter of an inch above the handle base. When we gave it to him last night, he didn't say anything--he has been sleeping with it in his hand lately. He has not been putting it in his mouth much except just to chew on it. This morning when he woke up, I went in there and it was on the floor. I picked his "poppy" up and gave it back to him. Seth said, "Poppy is broke, it don't work." I told him, "I know it is broken, but you are a big boy and you don't need it. Don't you want to throw it away?" He said he did. So I lifted him out of his crib and he trotted over to the trash can and dropped it in there. I told him, "Okay, poppy is gone, you are a big boy now." Then I went to get him a treat for being a big boy.

Fast forward to tonight. I got his poppy out of the trashcan this afternoon and boiled it in case we had a weak moment. I am proud to report that we did not cave! He did ask for his poppy before he got into the crib and we reminded him that he threw it away. He said, "No, no, no, my poppy!" I told him again that he was a big boy and that he didn't need a poppy. He was still standing up in his crib and he started crying when we walked out of his room. Crying commenced. I got Rob to go out to the car to get his feathersword(from the Wiggles) because I had read it was helpful to replace a comfort object with something else. I walked in there and got him to lie down and I gave him his feathersword. He was still blubbering, but he did calm down and take his feathersword. I stood over him for a bit with my hand on his chest, shushing him. He eventually went to sleep.

Growing up is hard and I remember feeling this way when we switched him from his bottle to his sippy cup. It is bittersweet because I want him to grow up, but I want to hold on to that baby. I know I will feel like this many more times. We will see how it goes tomorrow night--at least one of my goals for the summer is almost accomplished--no more poppy/paci!

Don't Forget! Tax Free Weekend is here!

This is just a reminder that tax-free weekend is here in NC. Stores will be packed today with those of us scurrying to get deals on anything from school supplies to school uniforms. I have some Register Rewards at Walgreens that I need to spend and little man needs some new shoes, so I am off to see what I can accomplish. Good luck if you venture out!