Photo Catch Up

3 day trip to New York City... Dinner at Carmine's, Wicked on Broadway, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Carrie Bradshaw's apartment, Today Show, Magnolia Bakery, and VU Basketball just to name the highlights.

And here's some of my favorite pictures of the boys most of which were taken with my iPhone.  In attempt to make the graininess of the photos work, I edited them in Picnik using the 1960's effect.

I think I like the vintage look.

That must have been one really good nap to wake up with hair looking like that.

I believe this is his first smiling photo with Santa.

Posing for mommy.

Love Grant's snaggletooth smile.

Pottery painting

Showing some Vanderbilt spirit and brotherly loves.

Angry Birds

annual trip to the pumpkin patch

This year Halloween fell on a Monday.  Grant just couldn't understand why he had to go to school on a holiday.  I have never considered it, but it is a very good question. 

My goal was to have everything ready by 5:00pm so that we could get some good outside shots of the kids while it was still daylight.  Success!  I had chili on the stove by 4:00pm and the kids in costume by 4:30.  Grant's buddies came over for some shots too.

Well, Drew didn't want to put on his green pig costume to take his picture with the boys.  We thought maybe he was hungry and grumpy.  Or, maybe he was just worried all of those angry birds would get him. 

After dinner, he was ready for trick-or-treating and a picture with Grant. 

Nobody was sick this year. This hasn't happened since Drew was born.  For Drew's first Halloween he had an ear infection.  And last year, Grant had strep throat. 

This was also the first year that they had coordinating costumes.  I had high hopes in dressing Drew up as a cute fluffy lion.  But, after hearing that mommy was going to make Grant an Angry Bird costume, Drew decided that he would be a green Angry Bird pig.  I was thrilled with the way that they turned out.  In hindsight, I am glad that I coordinated them... it may quite possibly be the first and last time that I have that chance. 

They got to enjoy going door to door with their cousins, aunts, uncles, mommy and daddy.  Drew made it about a block and said he was all done.  He actually walked most of the way.  He quickly got tired of trekking up several steep driveways and yards for his treats.

I took him home while Grant and the others continued until their buckets were full.

After trick-or-treating, we enjoyed hanging out in the cul-de-sac with family and neighbors around the fire.

with O' Dad

Can't wait to do it again next year.

Catching up

Ok.  It has been way too long since posting.  I love this blog.  It's not so much about who reads it.  It more so for me.  Time passes so quickly.  I find that when I write about an event or record the kids' latest developments, then I remember it much more vividly.  So here's what we've been up to over the past month... or so.

On fall break, Danny and I took the boys to Chattanooga for a quick getaway. We drove up on Friday and then spent a few hours at the aquarium. We took Grant when he was nearly the same age as Drew. Needles to say it was sweet to do some of the same things we did 4 years ago with our now complete family.

 See the fear in Drew's eyes in this picture.  That shark came out of nowhere and headed straight toward us.  Drew was scared and Grant was so terrified he started crying. 

 After calming down, they were able to take a closer look.

I got this same picture of Grant when he was two.  And, I love it.  Danny wonders how I remember stuff like that.  And it's quite simple... because I either blogged it or scrap booked it.

The next day we went to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum for a look at the train yard and then a ride on the train.

As you can see in this pic, Grant wasn't into the trains so much this time around. He has his moments here lately.  He's either super excited about something or he turns into a whiny two year old if he doesn't get his way.  Hmmm, I wonder where he gets that from?  As it turns out, just as Drew copies everything Grant does, it also works the other way around.

Sheer joy

 I know.  Too many pictures and not enough words.  Hopefully, I'll have a sappy, meaningful post coming very soon!

Best Friends

Drew is three years old.  Well, not really but he acts and talks like he is!  He now says things like

"That's really, really funny."

"What in the world?"

"What are we having for dinner?"
That was crazy!"

playing in the bean box

I can only gather that he gets his excellent language skills from either: a) copying everything Grant says and does or b) he's just really smart.  I'm guessing, it's probably a little bit of both. 

Whatever Grant is doing, Drew wants to do it too.  Grant plays baseball, then Drew wants to play baseball.  Grant wants to play cars, then Drew wants to play cars.  Grant wants to play DS, then Drew sits right beside him and watches him play DS.  (Recently, this one lasts for only a few minutes and then he ends up bugging Grant and driving him crazy.)  Grant sits down to do homework, then Drew sits down to do "homework."  Grant wants to use the bathroom, then well, this one he could care less about. 

He talks and acts so much like Grant it is eerie... reactions, facial expressions, dance moves, and sayings. 

On the other hand, they couldn't be more different.  Grant is an observer.  He is cautious, responsible, and not so eager to try new things. He's smart like crazy smart.  You can tell him or show him something one time, and he just absorbs it.   He brings home 2nd grade level reading words from school and knows them with little or no practice. 

playing DS

Drew is more outgoing.  He likes to be in the middle of things, and is not afraid to try something new like chicken fried rice or going down the slide by himself.  He is very smart as well especially with his vocabulary, but there are subtle differences in their interest that I am picking up on.... Some of Drew's favorite books are ones that Grant had no interest in at this age.  And, the same wooden trains that Grant could properly hook together just by looking at them, Drew has trouble figuring them out. 



Grant lost his third tooth at school, 1st grade

They are constantly getting on each others nerves...  Grant trying to tell Drew what to do and Drew bugging Grant just wanting attention.  But really, they are the best of friends.

My favorite part of the day is when Grant comes home on the bus.  When Drew is not napping, he comes with me to wait on the porch for Grant.  When Drew sees him coming, he darts through the yard to greet him with a hug and a "I missed you, Dant."

first cub scout meeting