oink

 

and two little piggies stayed home. the piggy flu (aka h1n1) unfortunately made its way into our home last week...infecting both coleman and hampton. coleman is finally all better today, but hampton is still battling a horrible cough. they have officially seen nearly every i carly episode...with spongebob running a close second. late one night, hampton said, "this isn't really fun, mom...i think we need god to fix me." each night seemed longer than the previous, but we are thankful that our sweet little piggies survived!

tiny tutu

just had to share some pics from hampton's first tiny tutu and tap observation class of the year! it was such fun to see what the cute little four year old girls have been learning for the last two months. i must say i was amazed at the many new forms and steps! as you can see, i inadvertently chose a seat facing the window, which explains the shadowesque images, but i think i kinda like 'em that way! hampton thoroughly loves dance, despite the LONG hour and a half class time. she only complains a little bit! following class, we enjoyed lunch with friends, and though i planned on a little "happy nappy"...we both plowed through to conquer the domestic tasks that beckoned.

football freeze

 
 
 
 
the whole fam endured a bitterly cold morning to watch coleman and the cyclones play football! with the windchill, the temperature was barely 20 degrees. we sat, snuggled together layer upon layer, under blankets, teeth chattering for the duration of the game! uncle t, aunt ju-ju and evie joined the frigid football fest as well! coleman had fun dancing around the field with heavy duty ski gear under his uniform, and extra sticky gloves to catch the fairly frozen football! we finally thawed out after lunch, and enjoyed the remainder of a fun family day! by the way, the first pic was taken pre-game, at which time hampton said she was "hot" and didn't need to wear a coat. hmmm...it was merely a few seconds into the game that she decided bundling up would be best!

happy fall all

 

 

 

 

hampton celebrated the arrival of fall at a preschool party complete with cookies, pumpkin shaped cheese, crackers and fruit. it was fun to meet her new friends...including her "boyfriend," jaxon! it will be fun to see her friendships grow as the seasons change this year! happy fall to you!

cyclone touchdown

coleman played his second football game this weekend, and did absolutely fantastic! he scored his first touchdown of the season...and was so excited to call and share the news! too cute! it is such a joy to watch him play, though i typically cringe at the sight of him getting plowed by boys twice his size! just the mom in me, not sure that will ever change! congrats to coleman & the cyclones on a big win!

home depot happenings

hampton spent the morning with mom, while the boys did boy things...football & basketball! we made a stop at home depot for a few miscellaneous items, and upon our return to the car, we were invited to join the fun in the parking lot. we started off constructing (yes, with hammer & nails) a wooden firehouse bank, followed by visits to the builder and firedog characters (hugs & high fives), as well as visits to the k9 unit, state troopers, and my favorite, the firefighters. hampton was picked up and plopped right in the driver's seat, by a friendly fireman. he allowed her to honk the horn twice ("to scare the boys away"). perhaps that will work later in life too! we had lots of fun...considering the spontaneity of it all! we left with a final bonus of hot dogs and chips for the ride home! oh...and later received a call that i won a smoke detector! woo hoo! just what i've always wanted!

aloha...from maui

happy greetings from the tropical paradise of maui, hawaii...our favorite place on earth, as of yet! our third trip to this magical island was nothing short of pure bliss! it was even more enjoyable, because we were able to enjoy it on our own...no planned events, no one we knew, no schedule, etc. we stayed at our favorite hotel on the island in wailea, the fairmont kea lani. though the hotel has aged a bit since our last trip there, it is still magnificent, with superb service and suites. there is nothing quite like having a cute boy deliver chilled towels or pineapple on a whim! we thoroughly enjoyed the "adult" pool daily, only after a scrumptious breakfast at seawatch (overlooking the gold course at wailea cc) or the kihei cafe on the strip in kihei. we both took a liking to coffee during our trip, though i favor a diet coke first thing in the morning! it was fun to awaken early, and start the day. our days consisted of breakfast, a bit of sight-seeing, pool or beach time, spa time, lunch time, shopping time, cocktail time, dinner time, late night cocktail/music time. i am typically a night owl (1 am-ish, is my bedtime)...but in hawaii, i arose early...and dozed off by 10 every night! (still struggling with that tendency now!) since we had travelled to maui previously, we did not feel a strong urge to see all of the sights, snorkel, whale/dolphin watch...we simply relaxed. ahhh! it was dreamy, i must say! we were lucky enough to score one night, at tommy bahama's in wailea, as our fav musician on maui, jamie lawrence performed. a perfect evening...as always. we LOVE him! according to the great number of pics i took, the trip was unbelievably wonderful (i posted more on facebook), i can merely provide a sampling of our adventures (most of which involved food)! unfortunately, i missed the puzzled look that appeared on garry's face after day 5, when he asked if i missed the kids (i said, "not yet") which is still fresh in my mind. this was truly a much needed vacation for the soul. just so you all know, i finally missed them by the time we headed home! thanks garry, for making it so special! i look forward to many more trips to magical maui with you! how many more years till we retire?

coleman...ready for some football

a few pics of the first saturday of football scrimmages with coleman! he was so excited to put on all of the gear...including his number 8 jersey with his name! he looks sooo tough, huh? actually, looking at the huddle he seems sooo little! coleman had a great day, with his team, "the cyclones" winning both games! he made an awesome tackle, however, i was so intently watching, i missed a pic! the positions he is playing are wingback, quarterback & safety. dad is one of the coaches, which makes it even more special...note the sideline chat! looking forward to a fun season of football!

first days of school 2009

goodbye summer, hello school! the kids have all officially returned to school within the last week, and i must admit, i am a bit sad! coleman's first day of third grade was thursday, august 20th. his teacher is mrs. robinson (the same teacher austin had), and so far, he is quite pleased! she nearly fainted on "meet your teacher" night, as austin towered over her! yikes...time flies! coleman was excited to board the bus in his new clothes and shoes, and with his new backpack in tow! hampton was also present for his departure, repeatedly telling him to have a good day...and to come home soon! he happily (tongue in cheek) hugged on her, posed for pics, and boarded the bus with a smile, despite the mom cam.






austin eagerly welcomed his first day of seventh grade, on friday, august 21st. he reports that the days are "long and boring" thus far. typical, i guess, considering the age! posing for the "first day of school" pics was not fun for him...and you should've seen the look i got when i suggested that i would take a pic of him boarding the bus! no hard feelings on my end, as i SO remember those days. i am thankful that he still hugs me and verbalizes that he "loves" me, even in the midst of friends! dodger was sad to see each of the kiddos make their grand exits to school...now he is home with just me...and he honestly seems depressed!



hampton started preschool at chapel hill on wednesday, august 26th. she was a bit anxious upon our arrival, but quickly warmed up to the nine other sweeties in her room! she was most happy about the "no rest time," and thoroughly enjoyed the crafts, snacks, and showing her teachers (mrs. jennifer & mrs. thee) that she could write her name using a different color for each letter!






wishing you all a happy school year!