10 months old

   This has been a really fun month in terms of things "clicking" with James. He is crawling like a champ and has constant red/bruised knees from speeding from room to room. He is pulling up on everything and cruising a little. He is not fully clapping, but he'll do the "roll 'em up" part of pat-a-cake....which is funny to me because isn't that way harder than clapping? He is starting to do the sign for "more"...but only when he REALLY wants something. Like ice cream. He LOVES ice cream! He only gets it at Seth's grandfather's house on Sunday nights. It's just as much fun to watch him beg for it as it is for others to give it to him. He is pointing to things and loves to show you the lights and fan. You can ask him where books, Riley, and big sister are and he'll pretty much always point to them. The cutest thing he does right now is shake his head "no"- hilarious! James can also play peek-a-boo and gets really tickled each time you say, "Where's James?"

      Adelyn is very into her letters and numbers and I love it! She's recognizing what words start with and is trying so hard to write her letters and numbers. This is kind of a gross story (I hesitate posting it), but I think it's also funny. I was at a friend's house and Adelyn needed to use the bathroom. Five minutes later, she hollers, "Mama! My poo poo looks like an 'r'!". Sure enough, it did! She is really turning into such a big girl and I can't believe she'll be THREE next month. I have a great time with her and am enjoying her crazy imagination!

     Not too much to report on the home front. We had a sick household for a couple of weeks. The week after Adelyn, Seth, and I had the stomach bug, James had a raging temperature and ear infection. His fever got up to 104.4 at one point. It was scary! That was his first time being sick. Of course, Seth was out of town. He's been gone a lot lately and has been busy coaching and racing (Barber pictures below). I am ready for him to be home for consecutive days! My hats off to single moms- it's hard. I am incredibly lucky to have Seth's mom down the road. She has taken one or both kids several times for me so I can have a little break. 

     

Randy and Bella came for a visit. Unfortunately, a lot of their stay was when James was sick so we tried not to pass it along!

James sick....poor little thing!

Can you tell I have a big sister??

Thomas, Adelyn, and Emily at Circus Day

Riding Peanut the Pony with beloved Mrs. Cindy

Adelyn and Mae hiking at Hike for Hyde 

Adelyn's first face painting experience- she is looking up at Grandma (can you tell she LOVES her??)

I SWORE I wouldn't dress James in jon-jons and outfits like that....but here I am. I can't resist- I think he looks SO cute. Just until he's one, ok? 

One morning before school, Adelyn was in the driveway saying, "Daddy, I want to show you something!". Seth came out and low and behold....a hot air balloon landed in the pasture across the street! A mom and her kids took a hot air balloon ride for her daughter's birthday and this is where it landed! We were SO lucky!

The company let the kids crawl all over it to let the air out. The kids were all an hour late for school, but totally worth it! 

I took Adelyn to see the high school play "Pinkalicious" and "Alice in Wonderland". Each were an hour long and she loved it! Here she is with Alice!

If you ask Adelyn about "Alice in Wonderland", she'll only talk about the princesses that were at the Mad Hatter Tea Party (about  45 seconds of the play). We got all the way to the car and she said "We forgot to meet Belle!". So we went back inside, found Belle, and got this picture. You would have thought I bought her Disneyworld if you'd seen her face when Belle hugged her!  

Saw this on Pinterest but taped it to the door so James can fingerprint (with NO MESS- love it!). Mr. Destructable tore it down minutes later. Now I've got stronger tape and it's stayed up for over a day! 

Adelyn and Grandeddy at Barber (Seth's race in Birmingham)

Seth/Daddy is #1! And they were- Bimmerworld got the podium and 5th place (Seth and his teammate finished 5th!)

Spring Break

I decided to go to Tega Cay for Spring Break and spend the week at my parents' house. Whenever I go home, it's usually just for a rushed weekend. I loaded the car up and left Monday morning. I met an old high school friend (Amber) and her two kids (Eliza Grace and Bennett) in Greenville for lunch. Both of her kids are days a part from mine, so it was fun to catch up with her and watch our girls play together on the Chic Fil A playground (and James and her son ate their toys). Tuesday, we went to my mom's school (it was still open for the daycare portion) and Adelyn got to experience a Montessori classroom. I SO want her to attend a Montessori school....it's just too expensive (three times the cost of what we pay at the Methodist preschool she attends now). It was fun to watch her explore and take it all in. It made me realize what a great Montessori student she would be. :(  We went to Southpark (my all time favorite mall) for a little shopping. On Wednesday morning, we went to Charleston. We were there by lunchtime and had a great picnic on the Battery/Waterfront Park. Then we went to our hotel and had Adelyn take a nap. My friend Heather (another friend from high school) lives at Folly Beach and recently had a baby so we went to their house. They live a few blocks from the beach so we took her golf cart and let the kids play in the sand for a while. James didn't really know what to think and Adelyn was all about it! In fact, I had to bathe her at Heather's house because she was so sandy and wet! My mom and I got take out from Hank's for dinner (YUM) and enjoyed a nice evening. The hotel room was a loft, so once the kids were down we could relax downstairs. The next morning, we went on a walk around downtown. My mom wasn't feeling too hot....turns out she got the stomach bug. It was a pretty miserable ride home! I felt so bad for her. She was all better Thursday morning. She took Adelyn to an indoor playhouse. Seth came Friday evening. Saturday was an Easter egg hunt at my parents' church. We dyed eggs that afternoon and Seth and I had a date night that night (Thai restaurant and a wine bar afterwards). Luckily, the Easter bunny found us at Nana and Grandeddy's Sunday morning. We went to Hickory for Easter lunch. All of my cousins' kids were there and we had an egg hunt. Then we drove to Seth's grandfather's for Easter dinner and another egg hunt! Adelyn did a total of six Easter egg hunts (including her school and church hunt!). It was a fun Spring Break! 

Adelyn, James, Bennett, and Eliza Grace at Chic Fil A- this really helped me break up the trip and it was awesome to see Amber!

James with the Pink Tower

Practical Life- squeezing work (water in a baster)

Sweeping lesson

Picnic on the Battery

Sittin' on a cannon

At the hotel....James climbed the steps for the first time. Can you tell he's a tad proud??

Lovin' the beach!

Folly Beach

James (9 months old) and Zephyr (3 months old). Heather and I have known each other since 7th grade!

Easter bunny at Steele Creek Presbyterian

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Dying eggs with Nana

Easter Bunny brought Adelyn a Star Wars book!

And James got some new shoes!

Uncle Joe and James in Hickory

Kissing Great Mommy

I didn't get any pictures at Seth's grandfather's. The car ride from Hickory to Dawsonville was NOT fun AT ALL. When I got there they were hunting already. I was so glad to be out of the car and not hearing James crying that I didn't even think about my camera. :(