I've been a blog slacker lately....but not because there's nothing to post...it's because we've been so busy! I promise to get better about blogging weekly...but in the meantime, here's a snapshot of the past month (ok two months)....
The Engelbrecht's came to visit us the weekend of May 2nd.
Saturday we went to the opening day of the Holly Springs Farmers Market (not too many veggies, but we did get some buffalo sauce flavored peanuts and kettle corn), and then the kids played at Womble Park. Sunday we went hiking and played on the playground at Harris Lake Park. Aside from the MANY ticks, it was a great time. The cousins had a blast together, and it was great catching up with Cheryl and Jeff. (Picture to the right is Keira, Nicole, Liam and Tyler playing in our backyard)
The kids and I have kept super busy since I've been home with them. Almost every day we go to a playgroup or do an activity in the morning...then home for lunch and/or nap...and then usually at home in the afternoons. It's amazing how much there is to do in the Raleigh area...and most of it is free! Now that it's summer, we're at the pool most afternoons, which both kids LOVE. Keira is a fish and swims all over the pool (with the help of her swim vest)...she's even starting to venture in to the deeper part of the pool, and Chris taught her how to get out of the pool via the ladder last weekend. Liam is not as brave yet, but is starting to get there. Both of them are going to grow gills and fins by the end of the summer (and the pool doesn't close until mid-October here!).
Here are a few highlights of some of the things the kids and I have been up to during the weekdays....
Strawberry picking
Explore-A-Story at Bass Lake Park is one of our favorites! They read a few stories, do a craft, and then do something outside. On the left, the theme was insects and the outside activity was catching insects and looking at them in the bug jars. Keira found a centipede (which is not an insect, but was still cool to look at) and Conner and Jasper watch her put it in the net. On the right, the theme was worms, and Keira and Liam had a great time with their worm art project.
NC Zoo...this photo was taken on the new giraffe feeding deck. Unfortunately the giraffes were at the other end of the field, so we didn't get to feed them. Next time we'll hit the giraffes first and hopefully be able to feed them. (Tucker, Conner, Keara, Liam, Jasper and Keira)
One of the local movie theaters has free movies in the summer, and last week Keira and Liam saw their first real movie in the movie theater...Charlotte's Web. Keira did great, while Liam got a little restless towards the end....so Chris is going to take Keira on a special night out with Dad and see Up soon.
One of Keira's favorites is "What's in the Box?" at the NC Art Museum...Liam is a little too young for it still, but we sometimes go because Keira loves it. The week pictured above was themed Spills and Stains...and both kids loved helping create this masterpiece with the other kids by spilling paint on the canvas.
NC Museum of Nature and Science - we went to story time when we got to the museum and learned about alligators... and the kids even got to touch one. Then we spent the rest of the morning/afternoon exploring the museum and having a picnic lunch on the grounds of the Capitol Building. On the left, Keira, Tucker, Liam and Conner are sitting in a dinosaur footprint. And on the right, we're trying to see how many of the 8 kids we had with us could fit in the base of the tree (answer: all of them...but not long enough to get a good picture!).
Hard to believe our baby girl is already three! We had a weekend-long celebration for her birthday, which also fell on Father's Day this year. Saturday morning I made her a special birthday breakfast (pancakes, one of her favorites!). Saturday afternoon we had a party at our neighborhood pool, and invited a few of her friends. She had a great time swimming. Keira is a huge Dora fan, and her favorite episode is the one with Turtle River, so she also now loves turtles. We combined her two favorites by doing a Dora themed birthday party with turtle cupcakes.
had a family dinner with Regan/Indie, Gramps/Grammy and Oma/Pop-pop. Pizza, more presents, more happy birthday singing, and a turtle cake. Keira had a great birthday, and thank you to everyone for making it so special! (and a special thanks to Oma for doing all of the piping on the turtle cake/cupcakes!!)
Every year my girlfriends from Wisconsin and I get together for the weekend....ok, a long weekend...and it's so great to see them and catch up. Most of us have moved away from Wisconsin, so it's even more fun to get together since it's usually only once a year we get to see each other (although maybe this year there will be a wedding?!)... This is our seventh year getting together, and we rented a beach house in Folly Beach, right outside Charleston. We spent most of the weekend laying at the beach or pool and relaxing, and lots of drinking (too much drinking for me, I am out of practice!). We did manage to get to Charleston one morning for sight-seeing. I had never been to Charleston before, and it was a cool city - we hit the Farmers Market and the Market Street Shops. And of course a cocktail before heading back to the house and hitting the beach again. Destination is still TBD for next year, but I know it'll be a great time, and I can't wait to see my girls again! The photo to the left was taken in Charleston (front to back): Katie, Leah, Emily, Susi, me, Kristi and Iris)
Strawberry picking
NC Zoo...this photo was taken on the new giraffe feeding deck. Unfortunately the giraffes were at the other end of the field, so we didn't get to feed them. Next time we'll hit the giraffes first and hopefully be able to feed them. (Tucker, Conner, Keara, Liam, Jasper and Keira)
One of the local movie theaters has free movies in the summer, and last week Keira and Liam saw their first real movie in the movie theater...Charlotte's Web. Keira did great, while Liam got a little restless towards the end....so Chris is going to take Keira on a special night out with Dad and see Up soon.
One of Keira's favorites is "What's in the Box?" at the NC Art Museum...Liam is a little too young for it still, but we sometimes go because Keira loves it. The week pictured above was themed Spills and Stains...and both kids loved helping create this masterpiece with the other kids by spilling paint on the canvas.
