Lazy Saturday

Mountain Island Lake

Huntersville, North Carolina

We had a great day today. We stayed around the house until noon and then we decided to hit the lake. It was a beautiful day, about 80 degrees, bright sun, and not a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day to go to the lake and spend time together.

Lake Norman has been a bit low so we decided to try another lake that is close by, Mountain Island Lake. It's not nearly as big as Lake Norman, but it worked out well for us and it was nice to go somewhere new. Mountain Island Lake is about 5 miles down the road, towards Charlotte. It is the same river that forms Lake Norman, just on the other side of the dam. It is smaller and more quaint. There are a few houses on the lake, but not all the mansions like Lake Norman! There are a lot more trees and the landscape is, for the most part, natural. We explored all over the lake and Todd had a run at some of the last wakeboarding of the season. It was so nice to be out on the water. It's so peaceful and relaxing. I (we) love a day on the boat!

In Training!

I did a little house cleaning today and Miss Lilly had to help out. The girl has it down. Notice her "high heels". She is vacuuming the stairs in her high heels! Too funny!

Back Home

He made it! Todd got back home last night, just as I predicted. His flight (finally) arrived around 6:30. He met us at the baseball field and was able to see most of Trevor's game. The kids went crazy when they saw him. Lilly ran to meet her Daddy and James rode his bike over to him.

The evening was very hectic, which is why I am just now getting around to posting the news. After the game, it was about 9:00 when we made it home. We ate dinner before the game, but everyone had to get showers and baths. I think we all hit the sack around 10:00.

Todd is starting to feel the effects of major jet lag. It'll probably take him until this weekend before he is adjusted back to our time zone. In Sweden, they are 6 hours ahead of us. So, he has been going to bed around 5:00 PM our time. I'm sure he'll make a full recovery within a few days.

We are just happy to have him back home. We had dinner tonight as a family for the first time in 10 days. Our family dinner time is a very important part of our day. It gives each of us time to talk about our day, communicate with each other, and just enjoy each other's company. It was nice to have everyone home for dinner tonight!

Bad News

Brighter days: This picture was taken July 11, 2007 in Yellow-stone National Park.

We had a bit of bad news today. Todd sent me an email around 3:00 AM EST stating that he was on the plane and they were ready for takeoff. When the phone rang at 9:00 AM and I saw that it was him, I knew that he had not had time to land already. The bad news was that the plane had mechanical problems, the parts to fix it were going to be flown in, Todd had been sitting on the plane over 5 hours, and he wasn't going to make it home today. I did look at it on the bright side and realize that at least they found the problem before takeoff and not after the fact. The situation could have been a lot worse.

That news did not start my day off very well. I was looking forward to seeing Todd and watching the kids run to meet him when he walked through the door. We managed to make it through the day by playing with Nana and Pup. We didn't do too much today. We made a run to Target to pick up a few things, but other than that, we just stayed here most of the day.

Long story short, Todd is suppose to be home tomorrow night. He will be getting up very shortly to make his long journey. I hope that in the morning when I wake up, I will have another email saying that he is on his way. This time, I want everything to go as planned. If that's the case, he'll be home by 6:00 PM and just in time to make Trevor's baseball game. The kids are going to be thrilled!

Saturday Fun

Nana reading James a bedtime story

Trevor and Lilly winding down before bedtime

What a day we've had! It started off with a surprise for the kids. Nana came up last night after she got off of work. It was late when she got here, so everyone was asleep. This morning, Lilly was the first one to wake up and see her Nana and Pup! She was so excited. Next to wake up was Trevor. He was pretty shocked, too. Lastly, sleepy head James woke up. When he was coming down the stairs, I told him that someone was here to see him. He said, "Is it Todd?" Although it wasn't Todd, he was happy to see Nana and Pup. The kids love to see Nana, not to mention Pup. They are always asking when she is going to come for a visit or if we can go to her house.

We played with Nana and Pup for a while and then we had breakfast. After breakfast, we played some more. Trevor had baseball practice at noon. We all loaded up in the car and headed to the park. There are soccer fields and playgrounds at the park. There is a paved bike path that goes around the soccer fields that James loves to ride his bike on. So, we put the bikes in the car for James and Lilly. James' preschool is across the street from the park. They rode bikes for a while and then James decided that he wanted to take Nana over to his school and show her his classroom. We toured the class and James showed her his work that was hanging on the wall. After that, we headed back over to the park. It was extremely hot outside today. It was in the mid 90's and felt like the middle of July instead of the end of September. We decided to get us a shaved Hawaiian ice and sit in the shade and watch Trevor and his team play ball. Great decision! It was about 10 degrees cooler in the shade!

When we got back to the house, the kids both took a nap. Lilly didn't even make it back home before she was catching some zzzzz's. After they woke up, we decided to go and get some dinner and hit the mall for a little while. Trevor still has a couple of gift cards that he got for his birthday and they are burning a hole in his pocket.

We had a busy day but it was a lot of fun. The children all enjoy spending time with Nana. They love being with her and all the fun stuff that we do.

Play Date

James and Grace sharing a snack

Today was a long day for us. We started by getting up early and heading to school. James is still doing terrific at school and he just loves it. Every morning when we wake up, he says, "I going to school today?" He had Show and Tell today and he took his 3rd birthday photo album to show everyone his dirt bike and the other great gifts that he got. He was so proud and excited to show his class.


He said on the way home from school that he wanted Grace to come over. She is one of our neighbors and she is about a year older than him. They get along very well and play good together. I think that she is amazed at what a wild man James is! He shows her all sorts of crazy things that she's never seen before. Although, I do have to say that she is just his type. She actually has 4 stitches on her eyebrow area. She was playing on the monkey bars yesterday and slipped and busted her head open. Her mother had to take her to the emergency room. James was worried about her all evening and today. He said several times, "I hope Grace feels good today." If you enlarge the picture, you can actually see a big red band-aid on her forehead! Anyway, after lunch, she came over and played for a while. They played in the back yard on the play set the most, but they also rode bikes and played in the playroom for a while. Lilly missed most of the action. She slept for over 3 hours this afternoon. She woke up about 20 minutes before Grace left to go back home.


When Trevor got home from school, he had cooked up a plan with 2 of his buddies for a sleepover. Of course, the destination was our house! I really don't mind that they want to hang out here. I would much rather have them here so that I can keep an eye on them and know what they are doing. We ordered pizza for dinner and ate out on the deck. Trev and his friends stayed on until dark skating in the driveway, working on skateboards, and just being boys.

Finally, I have everyone asleep. The house is quiet. And I am exhausted. But, I am so blessed to have my children. It's days like this that I just love!

Where's Lilly?

James and Lilly crack me up. I came down stairs to find that James had shut Lilly in the kitchen pantry and was standing in front of the door so she couldn't open it. He had the biggest grin on his face (see above picture!). Meanwhile, she was beating on the door and screaming "Open door, James!" When she made it out, thanks to my help, she wasn't amused (see picture above). She was as mad as she could be! She has a short little temper but luckily, she doesn't hold a grudge long. Once she saw James laughing, she was ready to make a game out of it. They played in and out of the pantry for about 15 or 20 minutes.

Trevor had his first 6th grade dance today. It started right after school and I picked him up about 6:15. He said that he finally started dancing about the last 5 songs. I would have paid to see that! He has about as much soul as......Todd!!! He hung out with his friends, ate pizza and shaved ice cones, and talked to girls. I don't think that he actually danced with one, though! I had volunteered at the school but since Todd is out of town, I wasn't able to make it to this event. Trevor was grateful. He said that he would be embarrassed to have me there. I don't know why. I thought that I was somewhat of a cool Mom. Now, I just don't know.

All of the kids (and myself) are ready for their Daddy to be home. James was talking in his sleep last night and said "When Todd gonna be home?". He asks me that about 5 times a day. Every morning when we wake up, that is the first thing out of his mouth. Lilly has asked for him a few times. Usually around her nap time or evening bed time she will say "Want Daddy." As for Trevor, I think he just wants someone to skate with him. His friend, Josh, has been over but that's no substitute for Dad! As for me, I just need someone to talk to after the kids all go to sleep. It's when the house is quiet that I miss Todd the most. That's usually our time together. So with him gone, I'm catching up on all of my General Hospital episodes, emails, and long needed deep cleaning. Sounds so fun, huh!?!

DVDs

The past couple of weeks, Lilly has figured out what DVDs are and what they do. She has always liked music and the TV, but now that she knows you can control what is playing on the TV, she has turned into a maniac! She is constantly messing with the DVD rack and taking them out of the case. She picks out one to watch and she'll watch it for about 5 or 10 minutes, then she picks out another one and the cycle continues and continues and continues. She will bring them to you to change out for her as she is telling you the name of the movie (which she makes up). For example, she'll want to watch Cinderella and she'll come running with the DVD and say "watch princess", baby Einstein is "watch cows". It's easy to decipher which one she is wanting, she is very articulate! The picture above shows her watching Toy Story. Her face is always so serious when she is watching. She is really trying to figure it out!

We went to the aquatics center to day and I took the kids swimming while Trevor was at school. They have 3 pool there, two of which are indoors and heated. There is an huge 50 meter pool that has 3 high dives and it is 25 feet deep. That pool is used for competitions and swim teams. All of the schools in North Mecklenburg county use that pool for practices and matches for their swim teams. The other indoor pool is a 25 meter pool. It is mostly used for recreation by members and for swim lessons. The kids love that pool. We took some toys, boogie boards, goggles, etc with us. After swimming for about 2 hours, they were very tired. I'm surprised they didn't fall asleep in the car on the way home. Once we got home, we had lunch and they took their afternoon naps. Shortly after that, Trevor made it in from school and we just hung out here at home and had dinner. Trevor skated on his ramp while James and Lilly rode bikes up and down the sidewalk and in the driveway. It was a nice, quiet afternoon.

James has been asking when Todd was going to be home. He doesn't really have a grasp on time yet. When I told him it would be a few more days, he asked again where he went. When I told him "Sweden", he ask, "Is it that way?" (pointing right with his finger!) Lilly asked for her Daddy when she woke up from her nap today. I told her that wasn't home yet but that Trevor was here. She was happy to see Trevor and went on about her business! Trevor, on the other hand, is living it up while Todd's away. Don't get me wrong, he misses him, too. But he's been sleeping with me every night (yes, he's still a mama's boy!).

Fall Ball

Today was Trevor's first baseball game for the fall season. The past few years, he has been playing football in the fall and baseball in the spring. This year, he decided that he wanted to play baseball in the fall instead of football.

We played Davidson, a small little town about 10 miles from here. Our team lost by 1 run. Trevor played third base all game and did pretty well at the plate. He walked once, had one hit, and one strike out. After his base hit, he tried to steal third and he got thrown out. I think he missed the signal from the third base coach. Overall, he played a good game and the team made an excellent effort.

It was hard for me to pay very close attention to the game with Todd gone. James and Lilly love going to baseball, whether it's practice or a game. They run around with all of the other kids out there. They make friends, play in the dirt, and always manage to get some candy at the concession stand. James was running the bases on an empty field with the other kids and Lilly was trying to keep up. They have a ball! They were so dirty by the end of the game. We came straight home and everybody got their bath/shower. Playing out at the fields just wears them out. As soon as they were out of the bath, they were in the bed. I think that they were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows!

Good Bye Daddy!

Stockholm, Sweden

Todd left today for Stockholm, Sweden. He will be gone for a week. We all were sad to see him go and we are going to miss him while he is gone. It's not as bad as I initially thought. He first planned to be gone for a little over 2 weeks, but that was changed to only one week. Thank goodness. The kids (and me) wouldn't know what to do if he were gone that long! After we got him packed, we loaded him up with lots of hugs and kisses. He left for the airport around 11:30 this morning.

We played outside most of the day today. It was a beautiful day. The weather was a little cooler, not too hot, and very sunny. James and Lilly played in the back yard on the playset and with their other outside toys. When it was lunch time, we fixed food and ate at the table on the deck. Trevor was off with one of his friends riding bikes and skateboarding most of the day.

note: the picture above was taken on one of Todd's previous trips to Stockholm (2001)

Homework

James had some "homework" for school this week. His assignment was to put together a collage of photos of himself to include his hobbies, family, and interest. Some of James' pictures were him on his dirt bike, on the tube with Trevor, swimming in the lake, looking for sea shells on the beach, fishing with Daddy, him in his football outfit, doing his "nacho" impression at Monkey Joe's and us camping....just to name a few. He was so excited about doing his homework! He thought that he was really big stuff. He couldn't wait to show Trevor, Todd, and Mrs. Rita his finished assignment!

School is going very well for him. Today he had a great day. He was ready to go this morning, homework in hand. When we got there, he eagerly awaited his greetings from Mrs. Rita and handed in his homework. She was thrilled. When I picked him up this afternoon, she said that he stood up in front of the class and told what every single picture was and what he was doing. He is starting to get more comfortable in the class and with the teacher and other students. This is a big step for him. He is doing a great job and I am so proud of him.

Funny story that I have to add. This is one of those things that I want to remember so that I can laugh about it in 10 years from now. There are a set of identical twins in his class. There names are Miles and Lance. His teacher said that they are his best little buddies and that he gets along very well with them. He came home from school Monday and we were talking about what he did and who he played with. He doesn't call them by their names. He calls them "that boy that there are 2 of" in that sweet little voice of his. It is so cute. When he talks about them, he says "there's 2 of them!" He is so amazed that there are 2 boys and they look just alike. And to add to it, their mother dresses them identical also. He just can't figure it out! It is the funniest thing!

A Day With My Boys!

Trevor and his new Haro BMX Bike

James and his new bike

Miss Lilly joins in on the action

Today, I spent the entire day with just my boys! Trevor has been wanting to go get a new bike with his birthday money, so we decided that today would be the day. Todd wanted to watch some college football games. We decided to leave Lilly here with him and we headed to the mall.

Trevor has been wanting a new bike for a while now. His current bike is about 4 years old, so I guess it's about time. He has been eyeing a BMX bike and doing some research on what kind, brand, and type that he wanted. He found one at Sun and Ski Sport that was exactly what he has been looking for. He had asked for money for his birthday so that he could pool his funds and buy the bike. He actually lucked out because the 2007 models are on sale since it's the end of the year and the new 2008's have already came out. I had no idea that bikes were labeled by the year model like cars. It's quite funny....but it worked out good in our favor. He got such a good deal that he bought him some clothes there, too! (I'm being sarcastic). Trevor has turned into quite the fashion expert in the last few months!!

While we were at the store, James found him a bike and was riding it all around. He was hauling it. He got a bike for his birthday from Grandma and Papa, but it is a little too big for him. This bike was smaller and fit him just perfect. It is a Haro bike like the one that Trevor bought. James is obsessed with being just like Trevor, dressing like Trevor, and doing whatever Trevor does. Trevor is his hero. He wanted that bike so bad. I wasn't going to buy it for him since he had just gotten one, so what happens??? Trevor, the hero, buys it for him with his own money! Now, he is really a hero in James' eyes! They were both so happy about their new bikes. I will just put James' other bike up for now and when he grows a little more, he'll already have another bike to ride.

When we got home, the boys were ready to ride. Trevor ran in and got his Dad. Todd and Lilly came outside and checked out the new rides. James was so excited to show his Dad his new bike. He rode it up and down the sidewalk and his little legs were pedaling as fast as they could go. He can really get this one going fast. The child has no fear and he scares me. Trevor rode his for a while and did some tricks and jumps. He was excited to show Todd what he could do, too. So, not to be outdone, Miss Priss got her tricycle out and was riding with the boys. She tries her best to keep up. She is not going to be left out of anything.

We had a great day today. It is so nice to be able to spend quality time with my children and see them smiling and laughing!

Day 2 of Preschool

Today was James' 2nd day of preschool. I woke him up early this morning so that we could sit on the front steps and watch Trevor catch the school bus. After Trevor was off to school, we came inside and began preparing for our day. I had cooked sausage links and biscuits for everyone this morning. James ate breakfast while he watched Power Rangers. He seemed excited about going to school...until it came time to get dressed. He gave me a little trouble, but not too much. Once he was ready, he insisted that Todd take him to school.

He and Todd loaded the backpack and lunchbox into the truck and headed to school. Todd said that when they got there, James was showing him some cars and books. Todd stayed about 5 minutes but when he got ready to leave, James was not a happy camper. He fussed and cried a little, but Todd had to leave. I was anxious all morning about how he was doing. Every time the phone rang, I just knew that it was the school calling to say that I needed to come and get him because he wouldn't stop crying. To my surprise, by 11:30 they still hadn't called. I left to go to the gym and on my way in, I stopped and peaked into his classroom. They were all eating lunch. He was sitting at this little bitty table with 5 other children. I watched as he ate his teddy grahams and grapes. He was fine! No sign of tears...or even distress for that matter. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself!

I went ahead and worked out before picking him up. When I got there to get him, he was so excited to tell me about his day. He had a huge smile on his face. On the drive home, he told me all about singing his ABC's, playing on the swings, and eating lunch. His teacher said that he had a wonderful day and that he did great! Once Todd left, he was fine. I was so relieved. It is such a bad feeling to go off and leave him crying and then worry all morning if he ever stopped! I told him that I was so proud of him and that he was such a big boy now that he went to school. He just grinned really big. Then I said, "I love you sooooo much!" He replied, "I do, too!" That is what true happiness is!!! When everything in this world is going wrong, that is what I look forward to. It makes it all better!!!!!

First Day of Preschool

Heading to school!

After school snack!

Today was James' first day of preschool. I have been dreading this day since last April when I signed him up.

I wasn't sure of just how he would do when I left him. He isn't very fond of staying somewhere without his Mom (he's a mama's boy!!). Since he has been born, I haven't worked outside of the home. I have left him at the gym for an hour or so while I work out, but that's it. He has never stayed with a "babysitter" and when we have left him, he has either stayed with my mom or Todd's mom. He is just not very comfortable around strangers. James is definitely a creature of habit.

Things went very smoothly this morning while we were preparing for the big day. Trevor catches the bus at 7:30. I woke up around 6:45, woke Trevor up, fixed breakfast and lunches for everyone (yes, Todd's too!) and then woke James up. He is not a morning person, to say the least. Every morning when he wakes up (which is between 9:30 and 10:00....on his own), he has to sit on the couch with me and get his morning love while he drinks a cup of milk. It usually takes him a good 30 mins before he is able to move around and talk. With that said, I was able to love on him for a little while this morning, but not his usual 30 mins or so. After he ate breakfast and got his clothes on, he was ready to go. His only request before going to school was that "Todd" (thats what he calls him!) take him. So, Todd and James rode in the truck to school and Lilly and I took my car. (We took separate cars because Todd was going on to work and I was going to the gym).

Once we got to the school, James went right on in his classroom and started showing Todd around. He seemed excited about being there. We stayed with him about 5 mins or so before we decided that it was time to cut the ties. We told him that we were leaving and that I would be back to get him soon and he was OK with it. Much to my surprise, he did not give us a hard time....at all! When we were leaving, he sat down at the desk with his name on it and begin to color and put stickers on his name sheet.

After I left the gym, Lilly and I spent the next few hours together. We went to the mall and ran some errands. Once we finished all of that, we went to Chick-fil-a and ate lunch. It was so awkward just being alone with Lilly. I kept feeling like something was missing (duh....James!). I can't remember the last time that she and I were alone together. James is always with us. I am looking forward to spending time with just her. I think that it is important that we give each of our children alone time with us, as well as family time. I often feel like I don't have enough quality time with each of them individually. With James being in preschool, this will be a time for Lilly and I to spend together doing stuff just for her. I am going to try to start her in classes at Gymboree again in the next week or two.

When I got back to pick James up, he was sitting in circle time while his teacher was reading a book to the class. He was paying attention and smiling. His teacher said that he did pretty well. She said that he did cry a couple of times (not bad) but that once he got settled that he was OK. He ate lunch and played with the other children. However, he wouldn't let her take him to the bathroom. So, he went about 5 hours without using the bathroom. I hope that once he gets more comfortable with his teachers, that he will get over that.

On another note, I took him a chocolate milkshake (his favorite) for being such a good boy when I dropped him off. He was excited when he got to the car and I gave it to him. He even shared with Lilly.

Overall, he had a great first day at preschool. It may have been harder for me than it was for him!

Goodbye Summer

Today we spent the last "unofficial" day of summer at the lake. Nana was up visiting for the weekend so she went out with us. Trevor and James actually talked her into getting into the lake and riding in the tube. We met up with some friends of ours, Eddie and his family, and tied up together. He has 2 little girls, so the kids enjoyed swimming with each other.

We bought our Malibu boat in March and have put it to good use this summer. We only live about a mile to the boat access ramp and it is so convenient for us to put the boat in for a few hours. With it not getting dark until 8:30 or 9:00 during the summer months, we were able to go out on the boat after Todd got off of work a few days a week. The boat has been a great investment for us as a family. We have spent countless hours out on the lake, relaxing and swimming, wakeboarding and tubing. The kids absolutely love going out on the boat. It has been a great bonding experience for us. With Trevor being so much older than James and Lilly, it is often difficult to find something for us to do as a family that everyone can enjoy. Boating is just that. No matter who you ask in our family, if the question arises of "do you want to go out on the boat?", the answer is always "YES!"

In addition to frequent boating and swimming at the pool, my nephew came and spent a few weeks here at our house with us. It was so nice to spend some time with him. He and Trevor are just a year apart in age and they get along pretty well. They enjoy the same activities and hanging out with each other. We also took 5 trips from June to the end of August this summer. Our trips were to 1.) Oak Island, North Carolina, 2.) Island Park, Idaho (Yellowstone, Wyoming, Montana) 3.) Atlanta, Georgia 4.) Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and 5.) Hilton Head Island, South Carolina . I have a deep passion for travel, which I inherited from my grandmother. I enjoy taking the kids to experience and see new places.

Overall, we had a terrific summer. We were quite busy, but it was well worth it. I hate to see the Summer of 2007 passing. I am looking forward to Summer 2008. I wonder where we can go next year?????

Happy Birthday Dear Trevor

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday Dear Trevor

Happy Birthday to You!

It was 11 years ago today that Todd and I had our first son, Brian Trevor Gann. I had no idea at the time just how much my life would forever be changed!

I look forward to spending time with Trevor and hearing about his day. He is always full of smiles and stories when he gets home from school. Whether he is skateboarding, wakeboarding, playing baseball, building forts in the woods, camping, fishing, or riding his bike, he gives it all that he's got! He lives life to the fullest each and every day and is always busy with one of big ideas. He is energetic, bright, outgoing, experimental, creative, and happy. He is a good boy and knows (most of the time) how to keep himself in line. We are blessed to have Trevor and we are so proud of him.

Over the past 11 years, Trevor has shown me how much love I have to give. I never knew that someone could love another person so much and so deeply. I understand the love that I have for Todd, but my love for Trevor (and all of my children) is just beyond words. A mother feels something for her children that only she can.

So, once again I say, "Happy Birthday Dear Trevor". You are my sunshine!