Bunny Train

The week before Easter, while Brian was at a fishing tournament, the kids and I joined my friend Anna's family for a ride on the train at the SC Railroad Museum in Winnsboro. Our family had gone on the Santa Train last Christmas and rode the steam engine at Tweetsie Railroad last summer, so I knew the kids would agree that trains are always fun!  

Easter Bunny costumes completely creep me out, and we don't make a big deal about the Easter Bunny, but the kids still enjoyed meeting him and having their picture taken.

Look at this cute little boy! Zack is actually starting to look at the camera for pictures and says, "Cheeeeese," although sometimes he only gives you a milisecond before turning back to whatever he was doing.

The kids were not cooperating for this picture--they both wanted me to pick them up--so it turned out pretty good considering.

After a picnic lunch, we walked through a caboose and a passenger train that features a dining car, sleeper cars, and a mail car.

I've been on train rides but have never actually traveled by train to get somewhere. That may be something fun to do one of these days! I could do without the creepy bunny costume though!

Bedtime Stories by Breeley

I think I've mentioned that our children will likely be disadvantaged in the creativity/imagination department. Despite the fact that their father is an engineer who regularly invents fixtures to make machines run better, our minds tend to lean more toward the logical than the artistic. Even in my futile attempts to be creative and artistic, I'm often hindered by my desire for "symmetry" and "exact matches" (things that make sense) rather than recognizing when something just "looks good." I've never liked books or movies that rely on fantasy or science fiction; I can only grasp stories that at least could have happened, which means vampires and broom-flying wizard kids are out.

If you ask Breeley the name of any of her dolls, she looks at you like you are crazy and answers, "Doll." (She occasionally says, "Baby," but only if you ask the name of her baby doll.) On the other hand, she knows real people have names and she thinks I know all of them, including random strangers on the street. Today we had a breakthrough, however, when she saw a man cleaning the McDonald's parking lot. Immediately after saying, "Mommy, there's a man" she started waving out her open window and loudly yelling, "Hi, Man! Man! Hi!" It was only after I started laughing that she asked, "Mommy, what's that man's name?"

This is also the girl that, at around 2-years-old, always responded with something like "pisa" when we asked what she wanted us to draw. For months, we drew this picture in marker and crayon and had similar "pisas" plastered all over our driveway:

We never quite understood her pizza obsession, until one day Breeley pointed to something that was clearly NOT a pizza and said, "pisa," and I finally figured out that she was saying PICTURE and not pizza! I guess the joke was on us at that point because she was probably confused by our lack of picture-drawing creativity and our strange obsession with pizza!

This is not to say we have no imagination in our house. Perhaps it is not in excess, but lately we've been graced with some real gems.

The other night, instead of our normal books, I surprised Breeley by telling a bedtime story about a nice princess lion helping a little lamb find its way to her mommy and daddy. Brian followed up the next night with a story about a farmer whose chickens wouldn't lay eggs because he forgot to feed them. I guess this got Breeley into the spirit of things and she came up with some stories of her own.

I had to write them down right away!

Story 1, by Breeley: Once upon a time there was a little girl named Ella and she was walking in the woods and she saw a big mean lion but he was nice. And a little mean lion but he was nice too. And a big mean elephant and it was nice. And they went through the woods and they all walked together and lived happily ever after. The End.

Story 2, by Breeley: Once upon a time there was a little girl named Ella again and she went walking in the woods again. But this time there was no big mean lion, no little mean lion, and no big mean elephant, just a dog. Only a dog. And they were walking through the woods and came to a bridge and there was water down there. And they jumped and landed waaaaay down in the water and there was an airplane down there. And they went 4-3-2-1 Blastoff! And they went to the airport and Brian and Tina were there and they flew to their house and lived happily ever after. The End.

Thank you, Breeley, for proving me wrong and, once again, making me laugh until I cry! I'm looking forward to many more bedtime stories and everything else your creative mind has to offer!

Zack is TWO!!

Zack turned 2! Here is what I posted on facebook on his birthday, Feb. 23: Zack is 2 today! I know with him, life will always be an adventure! We love our Zack Man, or as Breeley calls him, "Bud."

Like last year, we were lucky to have grandparents celebrate with us two weekends in a row. Brian's parents were down last weekend and my parents visited this weekend. The kids certainly did not complain about cupcakes--or extra attention--two weeks in a row!

Normally he mostly licks the icing, but Zack devoured his whole cupcake!

Beelee and Bud

Traditional picture of him waking up on his birthday. He wasn't too happy that I was flashing a camera in his face first thing in the morning. But I haven't been too happy sharing my bed with him either! Yes, that is OUR bed! This stinker has been crawling into bed with us multiple times at night. He's never been a good sleeper and this is his latest phase. He started climbing out of his crib, and since we're not yet set up for a big-boy bed, he is currently sleeping on a crib mattress on the floor next to his crib... until he comes lurking into our room!

This child loves cupcakes!

Cupcakes and family visitors (Amy came over too) was the extent of Zack's "birthday party" this year. I was pretty lame and didn't even get the cake pops made in time to take them to daycare, so I took bananas (one of his favorite foods) to his classmates as a special snack on his birthday. Further proving I should be fired as a mommy, I didn't even wrap his gifts! Thankfully, both grandparents gave him wrapped gifts (a remote control car that does flips and a truck and trailer/boat combo), and he still loved the wheelbarrow and fold-up camping chair we gave him.

Zack had his 2-year well appt this week and he weighed 30 lbs (75th percentile) and was 33.5 in tall (25th percentile). He's a solid guy but has really grown into his weight. He does not eat as well as his size indicates, although he does love bananas, grapes, and green beans! Brian is worried he'll be short but I think it's too early to tell--he could go either way though because we have both short and tall genes on both sides of our families.

Zack keeps us on our toes for sure! Unlike his sister, his curiosity far outweighs his cautiousness, so it is not uncommon to find him rummaging through drawers and cabinets, carrying a blow dryer/flat iron/blender/etc. through the house and pretending to plug them in (he has a crazy obsession with small electric appliances!), sitting on our back porch after he's let himself out the door, or hiding behind our bed examining some "treasure" he knows he shouldn't have (tampons are a favorite). He can be quite sneaky--there are multiple times where I've taken something from the kids and he won't protest, but as soon as I put the item away, he'll quietly go right back to get it. Other times, he will protest loudly and by throwing things. He's always had quite a temper, so I'm not looking forward to Terrible Twos/Threes!

Thankfully, communication does not seem to be a big issue--he seems to understand everything and speaks far better than Breeley did at his age. It also helps that he and Breeley get along great (for the most part) and Breeley is a great example and models good behavior (for the most part). He loves giving kisses and hugs, especially if you have a boo boo, and he's very protective if he thinks games get too rough. (He gets all serious and will say, "No, Daddy, stop it!" and then push Brian away from me or Breeley. This comes in handy because I HATE to be tickled and Zack gets all protective when I start screaming.) He loves to play outside, especially pushing his lawnmower or playing with any type of ball.

We're waiting for space to open so Zack can move into the Twos class at daycare, but I'm thinking it may never happen because the Toddler teachers want to keep him! Everyday, especially recently, they've been raving about how he's such a huge helper (I haven't particularly noticed this at home) and seems to understand more than any of the other kids. They called him "mature" and "agreeable" and they always smile when they talk about him, which is a good thing!

We sure do love our Zack Man! We are so blessed to have him in our family. Happy birthday, Bud!!

Grandparent Visits

We had grandparents visiting for two weekends in a row in February. We hadn't seen either set since we were in VA for Christmas, and they both wanted to come down to help celebrate Zack's second birthday. Brian's parents (Ma and Pappy) came the weekend before Zack's birthday, and my parents (Grammy and Papa) were here for three days the next week on the tail-end of their anniversary trip to Charleston. The kids absolutely LOVE their grandparents. Even though we don't see them often, the kids warm up to them right away and are waiting at the door with hugs when they arrive. They revel in the extra playtime and attention.

I have to admit that I enjoy grandparent visits for slightly more selfish reasons. Of course it's great to see our parents, but I usually benefit in other ways as well. With Brian's parents, it's guaranteed that we'll eat something good because his mom usually plans a meal ahead of time--often a new, delicious recipe she's been wanting to try--and brings most of the ingredients. She obviously knows I hate to cook, but it's also nice to see Brian and his parents work together in the kitchen on a new, fun recipe.

Brian's dad is a "piddler" and fixer and does not do well just sitting around the house, so I'm often the beneficiary of some home repair or improvement project. Brian and his dad work really well together and come up with great ideas, so usually the projects are inexpensive but very helpful. A few visits ago they fixed the sliding glass door, and this time I got a gate for the front porch!!

It was simple construction with a lightweight gate that they cut to fit the opening, then built "U" slots out of wood so the gate slides right in. It is sturdy, easy to use, and looks good, so I was thrilled!

This has been on the to-do list for a while, but it got pushed to the top because Zack fell down our front steps earlier in the day. The steps are brick so his face was bloody and scraped up, but thankfully nothing too serious.


We've dodged a few bullets with face injuries for Zack. The poor boy had just healed up from falling over a bike and face-planting on our driveway a couple weeks earlier! Here are the pictures from that one, which had also looked terrible in the beginning but ended up causing no permanent scars.

I somehow only ever manage to get pictures with Ma and Pappy right before bedtime. Breeley was much happier than she looks in this picture!

The next weekend my parents arrived on Thursday night after spending the beginning of the week on an anniversary trip to Charleston. With my parents' visits, we can often look forward to DATE NIGHT!! I went with Brian to a meeting for his fishing tournament, and we ate at a new German restaurant. Brian went to Germany on a business trip and loved the food there, and this restaurant did not disappoint! The buffet was loaded with meat and potatoes--yum!

They watched the kids again on Saturday because I had to go to work for a few hours and Brian had a fishing tournament all day. They actually like to watch the kids without us there, and we are happy to have willing, FREE babysitters!! Another staple of my parents' visits is that they let me sleep in(!), so they ended up with lots of quality time with the kids. 

Papa stretched Breeley's ears!


Amy came over too and she and Breeley decorated cupcakes for Zack's birthday.

Being silly before bedtime

Dressed up and ready for church

We are lucky to have parents that are as good at being grandparents as they are parents! They shower the kids with love and attention, but they also find ways to help us and show love for us as well! We are so blessed!

We Heart Teeth

We started our Valentine's Day at Breeley's first dentist appointment! She did GREAT!! They explained everything and made jokes and used the word "special" a lot (special Tiger glasses, special mask, special brush, etc.). They counted her teeth using the special teeth mirror, let her pick her toothpaste flavor (she chose bubble gum), then showed her how the brush tickled her hand and made a funny noise. When the hygienist put the brush in her mouth, Breeley said, "That doesn't tickle!" As you can tell from this picture, she was cool, calm, and collected, and I was so proud of her!

Coincidentally, our appointment was scheduled during Dental Health Month. What luck! A dental hygienist visited Breeley's daycare class a few days ago and talked about teeth and going to the dentist. Over the weekend we went to our local children's museum and they had special displays and presentations dealing with dental health. We watched them make homemade toothpaste and did a science experiment where we saw what acid can do to your teeth (using an egg soaked in mouthwash for 5 minutes, then dunked into a cup of Coke, compared to a regular egg dunked in Coke). They also have an exhibit that includes a dentist office, so I used the simulated equipment to show what they do. It was great timing and the appointment went better than I'd expected.

I didn't expect screaming or kicking, but she is often apprehensive in new situations, so I thought she may clam up and refuse to let them put anything in her mouth. On the contrary, she climbed right up in the seat and opened her mouth right away before the hygienist was even ready.



After flossing, getting a fluoride treatment, and a quick check from the dentist, we were on our way with a bag of goodies that included a princess toothbrush. It was a great first dentist appointment!

The clean teeth were short lived because next we headed to daycare to indulge in sugar-filled Valentine's Day parties. I dropped the kids off and headed to my own dentist appointment.

Both kids came home with a pile of Valentines, candy, and other goodies. Here they are inspecting it with Daddy.


The Valentine reviewing and sorting process makes me laugh because it reminds me of a story from Brian's childhood that involves his older sister shoving all his Valentines on the floor, him retaliating by knocking everything off her dresser, then him announcing that he was going to lie about doing it, just as his mother walked up behind him! Whoops! He was very proud of all his Valentines, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't feeling the love after that!

I took it easy and provided store-bought Valentines and treats for the kids' parties. However, Breeley went nuts when she saw Valentine's Day funfetti cake mix and icing and begged to make cupcakes, so we took cupcakes to both kids' classes the week before.

Breeley loves to help in the kitchen. "I can do it myself" usually equals bigger messes, but it gives her something fun to do and she's becoming such a big girl. Plus, I'm hoping she ends up with my cupcake-making skills, which, along with pizza crust, are the ONLY things I can make better than Brian! Zack knew what we were making immediately, but he was only interested in eating them! Apparently he gets his kitchen interests from his mommy!

Fake tree

I love Christmas trees. Specifically, I love Frasier Fir Christmas trees--live ones. That is why I shocked myself when I became determined to find an artificial tree this year. I've always had a major aversion to fake trees because--wait for it--they didn't look real. I never thought they were full enough and the "needles" seemed too flat and dull. However, I started to bend a little because I loved my in-laws artificial tree. I was completely converted last year after our live tree died two weeks before Christmas and a certain little person could not leave the tree alone. I picked up needles for months after the rest of the tree was long gone.

My mother-in-law was in the market for a new tree so we went out looking on Black Friday. (I'd already been out/up all night for 12 hours, but we turned around that morning and hit another six stores just looking at trees. I was determined!) At first, I thought I'd just take her hand-me-down, but then I found a tree I liked for a good price so I decided to get that one. However, once I got it into my house, that tree looked too small, so I returned it and went and got the exact one my mother-in-law had just purchased. (Apparently we have the exact same taste in Christmas trees. She'd already looked the day before and narrowed the choices in each store, and she was spot on for the ones she/I liked the best.) This tree is a 7.5 ft Himalayan Spruce with 700 PRE-LIT lights.

I LOVE having this tree and can't say enough good things about the switch from live to artificial. For a Christmas tree snob like me, this is huge. I never thought I'd be so happy with a fake tree. We have not had to water it, there has been absolutely NO mess, and it took less than half the time to set up and take down. There was no frustration over blown-out lights and the kids can mess with it all they want and the needles stay put. Plus, it looks real to me! (The kind of real that is a nice healthy tree, not one with white/brown wilted needles two weeks before Chistmas.) It's completely symmetrical, which is beauty to my eyes. It also fits perfectly into the designated spot for the tree.

The only negative of this tree was that my angel tree topper, which I loved, was too heavy and tall. I was hoping to find a new one on sale after the holidays, but the bar is set pretty high since I loved that one so much. However, as an indication that we'll be keeping with the fake tree for several years at least, and evidence of my resolution to get rid of things we don't need (this happens slowly), I gave my beloved tree topper to my sister. We went without one this year and it looked fine, so I won't even bother getting one unless I come across one I like.

For the record, I of course tried to get both kids in this picture, but one kid was not cooperating. That seemed to be a recurring theme for most of the posed pics I tried to take this year. Oh well, at least the tree was pretty!

Breeley's Christmas List

Does anyone have a place for us to keep a lion or elephant until Christmas?

Whew, good thing she asked for "a toy" or Santa may be in trouble!