Our Little Russian Peanut

So, I'm having a crummy day. A "sit-in-the-bathroom-and-cry" kind of day but, well, I'm at work and I don't think anyone would appreciate hearing that. Actually, it's been one of those weeks, but I just now reached the "cry in the bathroom" stage. I know, I know... whoa is me! :-)

Anyhow, I had a cute conversation with Andrew in the morning. He was watching Veggie Tales and they were talking about being anything you want to be when you grow up. Our conversation went like this:

Andrew: Mommy? What can I be when I grow up?

Me: You can be anything you want to be! What do you want to be?

Andrew: I want to be... ummm... just a part of our family!

Me: You'll always be part of our family! You could be a fireman or a policeman or a doctor! Anything you want to be!

Andrew: No one in our family is a fireman, policeman or doctor! (duh!) I want to be what someone in our family does! (true 4 year old speak!) I think I just want to be the big brother.

Awwwww.... so sweet isn't it? I didn't take it as though he wants a little brother, but more that he wants to be like Alex when he grows up. Hey - if he's like Alex when he grows up, you will not hear me complaining! :-) Alex has been a dream teenager, if there is such a thing! :-)

Hope everyone is having a great week!
Becky

Meet Fred, our snowman. 

I feel really weird posting about this right now, as it was a lovely 65 degrees here today!  Unfortunately, I’m behind in picture uploading and editing, so we’ll just have to pretend this is a timely post! :-)

We wound up with about 4 inches of snow last Friday night (and yes, now it’s 65 degrees… bring on the flu!).  It was gorgeous and, in true Georgia fashion, it was here in the morning and melted by the afternoon.  Barely a trace.  Keith made sure to pack the snow really well because he wanted to see how long Fred would last.  Turns out, the last bit of Fred melted yesterday.  We won 2nd place for the most resilient snowman in the neighborhood.  Not a real competition, but one that Keith and Andrew were really into. :-)

I did help with the snowman, not that you can tell because I was behind the camera (imagine that!).  Andrew preferred to eat the raisins we were using rather than use them for the Fred’s mouth.

I know you’re probably thinking “Is that hay I see on the ground and all over the snowman?”  Why yes, it is!  Farmer Brown (aka Keith) thought that it would be a good idea to aerate the yard, over seed and put hay down at the end of fall/beginning of winter.   It’s been a bone of contention in our house all season.  I think it’s going to kill the grass, Keith thinks we’re going to have the greenest, most fabulous grass ever.  I did threaten him within an inch of his life about next year’s fall lawn treatment.  If we ever have snow again, I do NOT way a hay covered snowman! :-)

And here is a super over-exposed picture of Andrew that I messed with in Photoshop.  It’s a “horrible” picture but there is something about it I like.  And so, I’m sharing. :-)

And of course, snow wouldn’t be any fun unless you could eat it, right??

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I’m dreading work tomorrow.  Anyone else feel like the weekend is WAY too short?

Becky

I know my northern friends are giggling at my title but seriously, people!  This is a LOT of snow for the south!  The snow started around 1:00 today and it’s still coming down now -  at 9:00 pm.  This snowfall is SO much better than our last one – good, wet, fluffy stuff!  We’re expecting approximately one more inch which I’m guessing will bring our total to about 3 inches or so.

Our first order of business was to do something we have always wanted to do – hang out in the hot tub in the snow.  Keith’s birthday was last week (Happy Birthday, honey!) and so we decided to also let his birthday balloon go at the same time (Andrew was dying to do something to that poor balloon!).  The boys climbed in the hot tub (which was a toasty 102 degrees) and I took some pictures.  It always melts my heart to see the 3 boys together.

After the hot tub, we came inside, had some hot chocolate and then before dinner it was play time!  Keith had to run to CVS to get his prescription (sinus infection… again…) so Andrew and I headed out.  Alex came out much later on and by then it was dark so I wasn’t able to get good pics.  Andrew has made everyone promise to build a snowman tomorrow so I’ll get some pics of the brotherly love tomorrow. :-)

  

 

 

  

 Hope everyone is nice and warm tonight!

Becky

As we enter the 2nd half of Alex’s senior year, the events have picked up full speed!  Alex was nominated by his swim coach to represent swimming as the male Senior Spirit leader. He and a bunch of other seniors came out during half time at the basketball game, had a blurb read about them and then  two friends of Alex’s were crowned “Mr and Miss Spirit” (or something like that)

Alex with Stephanie who was chosen to be the female to represent swimming

The next day was the swim meet in which all of the senior swimmers were honored.  We escorted Alex onto the pool deck and then he took his obligatory jump off the high board.  As you can imagine, the seniors were very creative going off the board.  My heart was thankful that Alex chose to do a back flip instead of some of these other crazy things the kids did!  I don’t have any pics from the jump because my camera was up in the stands.  Hopefully, someone will be emailing them soon!

 

  The seniors and their coaches

Next weekend is the State swim meet and that’s the end of his high school swimming.  It’s bittersweet.  We’ve had some great fun the past few meets.  Alex qualified for 100 fly and, unfortunately, missed qualifying for the 200 free by…. ready for this…. 5 hundredths of a second!  I cannot take credit for this picture  but this picture shows the look on Alex’s face after he saw the score board and the water in his face is from his fist slamming the water in frustration.

And here is Alex doing the butterfly… the stroke he SWORE he would never swim one week into his first week of swimming.  Ahhh… if I only had a $1 for every time I was right I would be rich! :-)

I’ll be the first to admit that I teared up multiple times during the past two weeks (and likely embarassed both Keith and Alex).  It’s so hard to believe this moment is getting closer and closer!  I’m going to need some serious meds come graduation day! :-)

Later taters!

Becky

Quite a few weeks ago, we headed to the Monster Truck show in Atlanta.  Thanks to my friend, Margaret, Andrew already had a Monster Truck shirt to wear!  After some difficulties parking and braving it in the freezing cold, we finally made it there.  Andrew had no clue what was going on.  We stuck our earplugs in and watched the trucks fly in the air.  Superman crashed and flipped upset down and you’d think Andrew lost his best friend!  He was so upset and was afraid it was “never coming back”.  Once we explained that they take it to the garage and fix it, he as okay and wanted ALL of the trucks to crash! :-)

Keith enjoyed talking to Andrew about all the trucks – it was definitely a boy bonding moment.  Alex brought a few of his friends and then they headed back to a friends and stayed up all night. :-)

Well, I have a sick kiddo sleeping in our bed right now… the croup!  Apparently the kids in Pre-K are sharing it with each other.  It came on so quickly last night – fever shot up and cough kicked in.  Poor little guy.  Well, it was poor little guy until the dr prescribed a steroid and then it became “poor Andrew’s parents” as we try to pull Andrew from the rafters!  WOW – they make him hyper! :-)

And so, I’m off… to bed!

Night y’all! :-)
Becky