I'm a Real Engineer!

I'm officially an engineer! Yeah, I know -I have the degree. But, that's just a pretty piece of paper. I'm a REAL engineer now - I'm obsessed with building Will train tracks. It's so much fun and it really is a great challenge. Here are some of the designs I've done recently (I'm so proud - I've started to document them). Keep in mind we only have so much track (unless Grandpa Tom or Uncle Steve want to test out their router skills and make him some - side note: Uncle Steve made him some beautiful wooden animals and we have a lot of fun playing with them; they are frequent train passengers).

With the new double station signal from Uncle Steve, Auntie Reshma, and Layla (thanks again!), it really is hard to make everything come together. I have to brag and say that I do it better than everyone else who's tried.

Because I'm having so much fun with the designs, I'm becoming opossed to having a train table (which Will would LOVE). You see, if there's a table, there's only so much room . . . I don't want to stifle my newfound creativity (ha!)

And, I honestly do hope that Will will start building the track on his own - he will fix parts of it after Fi wrecks them (because she thinks the train tracks make great drum sticks), but that's about it at this point. In any case, I thought I'd share my accomplishments with you - enjoy!

Blast from the Past

You know how your parents always remind you of things you said or did when you were little? Well, one of the things that I said (according to my aunt and uncle - my mom and I think my cousin, Kim, said this and not me) was "Lemme have that." Will has been saying it lately and it cracks me up, because I guess I used to say it. We correct him and tell him he has to say "Please may I have it?" but it's still funny.

He did another one today - "I was gonna do it!" I remember (I think with the help of our old home movies) seing both myself and Steven say that to one another. It just makes me laugh to think how my kids are a little version of me (and Brent). I can't wait to see what else they remind me of!

Cherokee

This past Saturday, we took a day trip to Cherokee, NC with our friend, Barbara. Barbara used to work with Brent (she worked for a supplier) and has just found a new job (which we're really excited about). Barb is 1/4 Cherokee and she was really excited to show the reservation to us. She's goes to the pow-wows and everything (I can't wait to see her all dressed up in her gear). Brent actually has some Native American in him (Cherokee and Choctaw - which, unfortunately, makes me start to sing the country song "Indian Outlaw" every time I hear it or say it), plus with his love of history, this was right up his alley.

The drive up there was beautiful - I just can't get over the mountains and how green everything is - it's just so pretty. The kids did really well in the car, with me wedged between them, but when we got there, they were more than ready to get out.

We drove up to "the strip" (as Barb called it) which was a whole lot of tourist trap stuff (I know, we were tourists too) and very commercial. We thought Will might want a break from the car, but the minute he got out, all he wanted to do was get back in the car and get to the river. We had told him before that there was a river at Cherokee where he could go fishing (we bought him a little "Cars" fishing pole) and he was super geeked to use it.

So, we all piled back in the car (Barb took the middle of the backseat this time) and we found the river (not more than 5 minutes from Cherokee commercial central). It was gorgeous (see picture) - it had all these great shallow areas for playing and sitting. So, we got out with our picnic and found a nice spot for lunch and some fishing.


Will, of course, was not interested in food at all. So, after getting everyone set-up with some food, we stripped him down and put on his swimsuit (it's so great that he's still little enough that we don't have to worry about finding somewhere private to change clothes yet). He ran down the riverbank, found some good rocks to sit on, and started casting away (well, trying at least). He kept saying, "I'm gonna catch a whopper, Momma." (We can thank the 'Yardigans for the whopper and fishing reference - it really is my favorite show for kids.) He did a great job reeling the line back in (no hook for now) and splashing the rod in the water.

After having a ton of fun fishing, he decided to explore the river. He hopped off the rock and found that he could stand up and walk around on the rocks - good fun! I left my watch post to finish my lunch and sit with Fi (who'd been with Brent and stuck in the stroller, eating) and Barb took over. She's got 4 grandkids in LA and one on the way here in Greenville, so we figured she could handle Will. Well, my charming boy convinced her to let him walk to a different spot in the river, over some slippery rocks. He didn't care that the water was a bit chilly - he was loving every minute of it. And, she let him throw rocks (only in the water), which he thought was great. She was wearing jeans and they sure got wet! What a trooper!


Sofia didn't want to be left out of the action. After she finished her lunch, I took her down to the river (fully dressed) and put her down. Since she doesn't like the feel of grass on her bare feet, I wasn't sure how she'd like the feel of river mud. She loved it! And, she headed straight for the water. So, I took her back to the picnic blanket to change her. I didn't think it would be worth it for the full swim gear, so we just went with a swim diaper (again, thank goodness she's young enough to get away with that). She loved the river! She kept squatting down so that she could drink the river (we thought it was probably clean enough) and trying to follow Will and splashing - it was great!

While Will, Fi, Barb, and I were playing in the river, Brent was documenting the experience. Two teenager girls (young - like 13 each) were tubing down the river and didn't jump when they were told to - so they freaked out and got stuck in the middle of the river, right where we were standing. Their dad jumped in to help them get up, but he couldn't hold onto the girls and the tube. So, Barb (since she wasn't wet enough from helping/playing with Will) got into the middle of the river and held the tube while the dad helps the girls get to the shallows. Now, from the looks of it (based on Barb's legs) the water wasn't even knee deep in the middle. So, the rocks must have either been really slippery or the current was strong there. We just really couldn't figure out why the girls were having so much trouble. In any case, Barb helped save the day.

After our fun at the river, we went to the museum and village. The museum was Ok - we didn't get to see as much because the kids weren't in the mood for it and the statues of Indians kept weirding Will out. He kept asking, "Who are they?" and "What do they do?" He just didn't get it and didn't want us to stop at all. Fi was almost as bad - it was close to naptime and anytime the stroller stopped, she got upset. Now, I'm sure the museum was full of good information that people without a 3 and 1 year old get to stop, read, discuss, and appreciate. Maybe some other time.

After the museum, we went to the village, Oconaluftee. It's a replica of a village from 1759 and they have different crafts and buildings to explore. When we got there, they were about to do the War Dance. So, we staked out a place where I could make a quick escape with the kids and waited for the show to begin. Four beautifully painted Indians stood on the sand while a different Indian with a nice voice began to tell the history of the dance. Then, the Indian standing closest to us started screaming at the top of his lungs - Will then started screaming at the top of his lungs. The other Indians started screaming - I made a hasty retreat with the stroller in one hand and Will in my other arm. The poor guy was so upset that by the time I found a place to sit away from the noise (with a nice little waterfall from a small stream to distract him - he loves to throw pennies in the water), he had given himself a bloody nose. Poor little guy! From the pictures Brent took, it looks like it was a nice dance but we probably should have saved the village for another time. Barb did make Will forget the screaming by getting him a pop-gun from the gift shop; she got Fi a great book of Cherokee legends which I've really been enjoying.

We packed it all up and headed for home. Barb was nice enough to take the middle of the backseat for the ride home. We ended our day with some milkshakes and we look forward to going back sometime soon.

Apartment Living

Life in an apartment has some pros and cons.

Let's start with the pros. First, now that everything's fixed, we have two bathrooms - yipee! Next, we have a dishwasher. Oh joy! I've lived without one for 7 years, which can be done, but I washed dishes at least 3 times a day (not counting bottles). I hate to dry dishes; this unfortunately means that I was really OCD when it came to washing and arranging the dishes in the rack. I knew how many I could get in there so that they would all dry, so I could put them away before the next load was washed. And, I hated it when anyone else did the dishes because they didn't stack them like I did and that meant I had to dry them. I know - totally anal. The dishwasher is nice - I only wash dishes once a day and I haven't washed bottles since we moved. The pools are another great perk and we're really enjoying them.
Finally, Brent doesn't have to worry about yard work anymore and he's really liking that.
Oh, I'm sure this is a perk, but it's a good thing - we are way cleaner in the apartment than we were in MI. Not sure (although the wall to wall carpet probably has something to do it with) but we vacuum like every 3 days and I clean the bathrooms at least once a week (sorry to say, but I hate cleaning the bathroom and it did not cleaned often enough in MI).

Onto the cons. First, everything is noisy in an apartment. We're on the ground floor and seem to hear everything - other people stomping around, water through the pipes, air conditioners . . . The only good thing is that it doesn't seem to bother the kids or wake them up. And, I guess since they don't complain when Will goes on a screaming jag (oh, so much fun), I can't complain either.
Next, the walk to the trash compactor. I really shouldn't say walk though - unless it's Brent and Will - I usually put it in the trunk and drop it off when the kids and I are headed somewhere. But, it's still kind of a pain. And, there is no recycling here. I never thought I recycled a lot before, but I guess I did. We have a lot more trash when you can't recycle plastic, paper, or get 10 cents for pop cans. The amazing thing is that Greenville doesn't have recycling in the trash plan - that just blows my mind. The city's named GREEN-ville, for Pete's sake! Maybe I've found a new cause in my new home (who know I had a little hippie inside of me?)
Walking for the mail is a pain, especially in 95+ degree heat (we're just not used to that so early). Usually, Brent just picks it up on his way home from work, but since he's gone this week, I've had to get it.
The last thing I don't think I can really attribute to the apartment (I have to blame the hotter weather of the south), but it's a big pain - the bugs just plain suck. They are everywhere! We have little spiders, big spiders, flies, bees, wasps, june bugs, funky bugs . . . I could go on and on. So, we're now on the list for pest control every week - good fun.

All in all, it's a nice complex and we're glad to call it home (until the end of Nov, at least).

Will Pooped in the Potty!

Will Pooped In The Potty!!!! Such an exciting event in our lives! Unless you're a parent, you can't begin to understand the immense joy and excitement this brings. I'm giddy with the thought of no longer buying diapers . . . .for him at least.

We've been working on getting Will to sit on the potty to poop. First, he wanted to stand up since that's what he does to pee. We kept telling him that wouldn't work and had him come in the bathroom when we had to go (all modesty and privacy goes out the window when kids are involved - I never thought or wanted to be in the bathroom when Brent was going and now it's all just a big family affair). Finally, this past week with the "real" underwear, he started to tell us he pooped. Before that, he'd just go hide in his room and come out smelling bad. So, we thought this was a breakthrough.

Today, he was sitting on the couch after we came back from playing at the park by the zoo (it's a great park) and told me his butt hurt. I figured he needed to go and put him on the potty. He didn't want to stay, but I just sat with him and tried to get him to read a book. The patience paid off - a couple of minutes later, he did it! He jumped off the seat and said, "I want to see it and flush it!" I was so excited; he was so excited! We did some major dancing and even Fi got in on the action (she bends her knees and bounces - it's so cute!). We called everyone and told them the good news. And, Will immediately wanted to claim his prize - a train of his choosing (trains are bribes for all major milestones). So, off we went to B&N (they have great pricing on Thomas trains - 20% off).

The trip to B&N started our poopy party. For once, Will didn't even want to play at the Thomas table - he just wanted to get his "giggly cars" (freight cars that make a weird laugh sound when you push the button) and get out of there. After we paid for his prize, we extended the celebration with a trip to McD's for dinner. Nuggets, fries, and a milkshake capped off the celebration. It was a very fun outing and I really hope he keeps it up now that he has his prize. We'll just have to be patient and see.

Go Big Boy!!

Last week I decided I was going to go hardcore on the potty training. Pull-ups weren't getting us anywhere and one of my friends with boys from Friday mom group swore by the commando method (thanks, Heather, for the tip). So, we stopped using pull-ups (which I now think are a waste for training anyway - Will just treated them like diapers, but they are now our 'let's go out' underwear) and Will is wearing super cute little briefs. It's hilarious how super cute they look!

He was excited to wear them (it helped that they had Thomas the train and Lightening from Cars on them) and finally realized when he started to pee. It freaked him out a bit - he just started saying. "Mommy! I'm leaking!" So, we ran to the potty and he tried to pee. He had two small accidents in the morning of the first day, and one the second day; but, we've done really well since then. He still doesn't quite understand telling us that he has to pee, so we do a lot of reminding, but I'm really excited by the progress he's made in one week. The clean-up hasn't been the most fun thing in the world but it's not the worst these kids have dished up either.

He's still not getting pooping yet, but I hope that will come. On a funny note, Sofia pooped all up her back last week (that wasn't the funny part - it's been SO long since she's done that). We took her in her room to get her cleaned up and Will followed us. He took one look at her poop covered back and clothes and said, "Oh my God!," turned around, and walked out. It was so funny, especially since I wanted to do the same thing! :)

Little Miss Independent

We have gradually been introducing "real" food to Sofia now that she's up to 8 teeth - I admit, I've probably introduced everything a little slower than I should have, but she's come on like a champ. She's eating all kinds of solid foods now and we are no longer slaves to formula or Gerber mush (all of that stuff just tastes like crap - and yes, I did try it all, once). However, since she's decided she's eating food like her big brother, she REALLY wants to eat it like him. She will no longer eat food unless she gets to hold the spoon/fork and put it in her mouth herself. She turns her head all the way into the highchair back and short of brute force (which she fights - she's so darn strong already), she won't turn her head. So independent! And, unlike Will at this stage, she will not wear a bib at all. After the cleaning nightmare of several spaghetti sauce splattered clothes, she now eats naked. It's kinda cute and I should really take a video of it.

We've been lucky so far - she's a much better and far less pickier eater than Will. Already, she more or less eats whatever Brent and I are having, although her favorites so far are anything with spaghetti sauce, yogurt, and applesauce. It's been pretty fun trying things out - I made tortellini with a butternut squash sauce last night for me (Brent's in Tenn until Thurs) and thought she might like it. Not so much! She willingly took a first bite - and then, the look on her face! It was so funny! She spit the piece out and wouldn't let me try to give her another one. The kids had fishsticks last night instead. :)

Along with eating by herself, she's become a little Houdini. I don't know how she's done it, but shes managed to get fully out of her highchair buckles and stand up while in the highchair. She only does this when she decides she's done, and it's usually just before we wipe her down (which she hates). It's a good clue to when she's done, but worrying none the less.

She's working like mad to talk right now too - she's nodding both yes and no, and pointing/gesturing to things. It's very helpful and makes me wish I would have learned the baby sign language. Oh well - maybe for the next one (ha! just kidding!) I can't believe how fast she's learning and understanding - what a big girl!

Book Reviews

Since I haven't been blogging, I've been doing a whole bunch of reading. And, I wanted to give everyone a little review of what I've been reading (in case they need books - wink, wink, Ann!) and I decided a little system would be good (5 stars - 5 being awesome/should be read over and over and 1 being a total loser/couldn't get into). Also inspired by Ann, I added the label of Books to the posting so blog readers could find book reviews easier.

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger
A solid 4 stars - total chick lit very like Sex in the City, especially since it takes place in NYC. It's the story of 3 friends who make a pact to change an aspect of their love lives over the course of a year. Great summer/beach read.

Hungry Woman in Paris by Josefina Lopez
2.5 to 3 stars - Lopez was the screenwriter for "Real Women Have Curves" and this is her first novel. She's definitely a Latina/Chicana spokesperson. Overall, the storyline is good, really good, especially the stuff in Paris. Brief plot summary - non-cooking, journalist woman has mid-life crisis, leaves fiancee, and goes to Paris and enrolls in cooking school. BUT there is a ton of sex that I just hadn't counted on (it worked with the storyline but just totally unexpected and started to feel over the top) and the ending was a little too militant/political for me. I didn't think the end worked with the rest of the book, but that just me.

The Last Voyage of the Valentina by Santa Montefiore
5 - a summer must read - very on par with The Island (recommended by Ann). It's a story within a story (a format that I admit I love) - a woman is finding out about her dead mother and in turn solving the mystery around herself and her family. Very good read - makes me want to head to Italy right away.

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall
4 -very good read. In this book, a young Russian woman is living without papers in an international settlement in China and falls in love with a Chinese rebel. It's the story of their interactions and decisions, set to the backdrop of the start of Communist China. I really liked the international aspect of it and all the different ethnic interactions. And, Brent got to use his college degree and give me a little background into the true turn of events.

The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin
3 - solid, but I may not read it again. This is actually the second book with this main character. I didn't read the first one (I didn't know there was a first one) and although it's set in early England, it's really more a murder mystery with the English political stuff as background (the Plantagenet wars). The main character is an early CSI investigator and is trying to solve the murder of the king's mistress before civil war breaks out (the king blames the queen who was under arrest at the time). It's a good mystery, but I did solve it before they revealed it in the book (go me). I'd get this one at the library and save my B&N money.

That's all for now - I have started a new book and will let you know what I think of that one when I finish (very promising so far.)

Hair Product Hell

Most of you know that I'm vain about my hair - it's my favorite feature and I'm super glad it turned curly - it just makes me "me". Unfortunately, right when we found out we were moving down south, Brandon (my favorite stylist in the whole world - he owns Serenity Salon in Auburn Hills - if anyone is looking for a new place and person) told me that they were discontinuing my favorite hair product. It had great hold but it wasn't sticky or crunchy and it didn't make my hair feel thick/matted the next day. It's called Making Waves and it was made by Graham Webb. I guess he just got greedy because he's taking one product and turning it into two. Brandon tried it out just before I left, and it's not the same. If it's not broke, don't fix it! Argh!!!

I looked everywhere for it - I called salons out of the yellow pages, I tried the mall beauty stores, I tried on-line . . . Everyone gave me the same story - all out. If anyone can find some or has some they can part with . . . I'd love you forever and ever . . .

So, I'm now trying out different combinations of leave in conditioner (which I always use anyway) and product - nothing's the same and I'm very saddened. I'm saving my last inch and a half of Making Waves for special days. Those of you with curly hair, let me know what works for you because I need something new.

Welcome to South Carolina!

So, I've told you all about our bathroom issues. They were just part of our welcome to SC.

The second week we were here, Fi and I came back from the pool for her nap. I put her down and head to the fridge for a snack. I step in a puddle. Thinking it's only melted ice that's been dropped, I turn on a light and reach for paper towels. And, notice it's a huge puddle that goes all the way back to my pantry. Thinking it's my washing machine (which had not done any laundry that day), I feel behind and on the sides - no water. Then, I hear water dripping down the walls. I call the office immediately to report a leak, and then start putting towels down to try to clean everything up. Shawn comes over (I told you we're familiar now, right?), sees it's not in my apartment, and runs upstairs. They haul out my upstairs neighbor's washing machine - he knew about the leak and thought he fixed it! Awesome. I check our second bathroom (at this point, the only one that works) and there's water on the floor there too. Luckily, it did stop but what a pain in the ass! That was a Thursday.

The following Thursday, we had invited Brent's friend, Barb, over for dinner. She was sweet enough to come over to our apartment (before we got here) to make sure the movers unloaded our stuff. She had to wait for them to show up (with nothing to do, in our empty apartment), and then, she left us a plant (which I've managed to keep alive) and a fruit tray, which was very much appreciated when we were looking for snacks the day we moved in.
In any case, Barb's set to come over on Thursday and we get this brief (10-15 min) but very powerful storm that rolled through around 4:30. It knocked our power out. I thought it wouldn't be for long, since half of our apartment complex had power. Silly me! Barb showed up at 6 and we chatted for a little while. She got to meet the kids (she brought them the cutest stuff - a Clemson cheerleader outfit for Fi, a SC Gamecocks shirt for Will, and even a SC shirt for me) and then, since we had no power, we headed out to eat. We went to California Dreamin', which is in a castle. We're not sure why they're in a castle (I've never been to CA, but I don't think they have castles), but Will liked it. And, as an added bonus, there was a train track and train yard for freight cars out the windows (across the highway) - he was all set to be entertained during dinner. We had a nice dinner and got back around 9:30 - to a very dark apartment building. Luckily, I had bought a candle (one, singular) just the day before, and we had 2 flashlights. So, we got in, set-up the pack-n-play in our room, and all had a slumber party that night. We woke up to no power. The kids and I headed to Walmart (becoming Will's new favorite store) to buy a cooler, since we had stocked the fridge the day before for our dinner with Barb. We came home to no power. Since it was getting hot, we had lunch and then headed to the pool. We stayed there for about an hour and then went home - no power. Then, wonder of wonder, about an hour later, as the kids were getting ready for a nap, the power came on! Yea! We celebrated by watching an episode of "Thomas the Tank Engine."

So, that's been our welcome to SC. It's certainly been an interesting and eventful 3 weeks.

Bathroom Bummer

One of the things we were really looking forward to with our apartment was having two bathrooms. Now, I know it seems kind of silly, but how many of you (really and truly) have lived with only 1 bathroom for almost 7 years? At times (especially after, um, certain foods . . .) it was really, REALLY challenging.

In any case, the first day in our apartment, the toilet in our master bathroom gets plugged up. No big deal - we had to Walmart and buy a plunger (and a ton of other stuff - it's hard to maintain two houses) and it worked fine. Until Friday (the day my parents left). I kept trying to plunge it and nothin' doin'. So, I called the maintenance guy (another perk of apartment living) and he came over and tried to plunge it. He couldn't fix it either, and since it was Friday at 3 pm, he couldn't get a plumber to our place until Monday. That's right folks - less than a week into our brand new apartment (and it is brand new - they refurbed everything 5 months ago due to an apartment fire) and we're back down to one toilet.

But, it gets better! The plumber comes on Monday (the week the Maxwells are in town, for those of you keeping track) and he showed me a version of a true Southerner - slow moving and ready to talk instead of work (think Cleetis from the Simpsons - it's not very nice, but it's true). He brings in all kinds of equipment on a huge metal reel (it was almost as tall as me) with a camera on it. He takes all kinds of pictures and video to document the block, and then brings in this metal blade attachment thing. He puts that down the pipes and it breaks . . .oh uh . . . So, he brings in the apartment guy (Shawn - we're now very familiar, even Will knows him) and tells him the next step is a jack hammer. I'm like "What?! WHAT?!" But, before we can get the jack hammer in, the apartment company and the construction company have to duke it out over who pays for what and try to determine who's at fault. Great! Just great!

So, we wait a week - yup, a week. Then, the following Monday (our first week alone here), Cleetis shows up again with all his equipment and an Asian helper. Cleet's been "authorized" to spend an hour with a second funky device to try to remove the clog before breaking out the jack hammer. Now, I'll be honest. Cleet and his friend did not spend a full hour with this thing (it was too weird to describe). They went right for the kill. So, right around lunch time, they break out the jack hammer. Will didn't like the noise, but the kids did think it was fun to have lunch in Will's room (the room farthest away). After about a half hour, they had finished with the jack hammer and brought in the shovels. The result is what you see in the picture - a huge tub of dirt and a huge gaping hole in my bathroom. Then, the boys head out for lunch (which is when I took the picture - Will was DYING to play in the dirt). So, I get the kids down for naps and hope my new friends don't make too much noise later in the day. They come back awhile later (the South isn't big on time deadlines, I've noticed) and start working on getting the problem out. About a half hour later, they show me this pipe end thing - they say it's what the construction company uses to test pipe lines out before they finish a job. They just forgot this one - guess that determined who was paying the plumbers. They fill the whole back in and then mix concrete in my bedroom to fill in the hole. They wrap the whole operation up around 6 and leave. I now have a very messy bathroom (still with no working toilet and a giant hole in the linoleum), a messy bedroom, and messy walls. Are we having fun yet?

We had to wait for the concrete to dry before the floor guy and cleaning lady could come. The floor guy came on Thursday during nap time and we had a brand new floor with a toilet in place in under an hour. These guys, I like! :) The cleaning lady came on Friday, and quite honestly, did a bad job. So, I just cleaned it all up after she left.

We've been using the bathroom with no issues ever since. Keep your fingers crossed!

Maxwell Visit

The second week we were down in Greenville, the day after my parents left, Brent's family arrived to see our new place and visit. Carlene, Jerry, Holly, and Chris rented the guest apartment at our complex for the week (which is a really nice feature - 2 bedrooms for $55 a night). We had a really good time and tried to show them around Greenville, as we explored a little bit too.

They arrived Saturday and we just hung out and watched the Wings win game 1 (ah, the hope that inspired for the Maxwell men). Sunday, we all played in the pool, which was awesome. It was Sofia's first time in the pool here and she loved it (after the first hesitant minute). My parents got her this little floaty that looks like she's sitting in the middle of a lily pad - so cute! But, she prefers to be held so she can kick her feet and try to drink the water. There was no stopping Will. He has a little life-ring my parents got him and he swims around with it, jumps in with it, and then decides to jump in without it - in the 5 1/2 ft water. I was right there, so when he came up sputtering, we got him to the side. He was excited to go again! :) I'm so happy and proud to see how much he loves the water - I really hope Sofia does the same.

She got really tired out from her pool adventure, so she and I headed back to the apartment for nap time. The rest of the Maxwell clan headed into downtown Greenville. Brent showed them the great park and some of the fun shops. We all went back downtown that night for dinner at the best rib place, Sticky Fingers. We're already huge fans of their dry rub rack of ribs - and, they encouraged Will to run around and make a ton of noise. He didn't make any this trip though - he fell asleep on me right when his dinner arrived. The place picked on both Jerry and Chris, which is hard to do. The guys ordered Guinnesses and then a frosty mug, which just isn't done. Then, when the regular mugs showed up, they both did bad pours and spilled beer all over. The manager proceeded to sit with us and to call them amateurs. It was pretty funny.

After dinner, the women decided to get ice cream for everyone. We turned out to be amateurs at that, somehow. The one ice cream place was super crowded so we walked down the street to a gelato place. We walked in the place and they didn't want us to browse - their system was as follows:
- pick a size
- pay for that size
- try as many flavors as you want
- pick a flavor to eat
- take the flavor home
Sounds OK, right? Not so much. We somehow were at the start of the line, which makes you feel like you have to rush; then the guys called Carlene about parking while she was paying; then we had to pick flavors for us and the guys . . . It just got a little crazy. So, we were walking out of the store with me holding my gelato and pushing Fi, Holly holding 2 gelatos, and Carlene holding 2 - all in really hot weather. So, we had lots of dripping of gelato and Fi had started screaming by now (she was tired). We had to call the guys and get them to drive back to the parking garage to take their melting gelato. I missed them on the first pass but caught them on the second - I basically threw gelato at them and ran back to our car. It was not a well thought out plan, but it was funny.

Monday night, Carlene and Jerry were kind enough to brave the kids and Brent, Holly, Chris, and I went to the cute little town of Greer (about 15 minutes from Greenville) to the Great Bay Oyster House. Now, I'm not really a fan of raw oysters - I only like them when they're covered with cheese and cooked (or fried). But, the others, they LOVE oysters. So, we ordered some great appetizers and 2 pecks of oysters. Until then, I thought a peck was only used in the Peter Piper song - it's really just a good sized bucket. Good to know. When the oysters were brought out, they were still in their shells - not what the oyster lovers had expected. We did not know what to do and started to try to figure out what to do with our shucking knives. I had seen it done on the Food Network (it's my background TV channel of choice), but never thought I would attempt it, especially seeing as how I don't really like oysters. Holly lead the charge and got the first one open. It was a bit of a learning experience from then on - we got much better at it and I helped Brent shuck his peck. It was a great dinner and we look forward to going back soon.

Tuesday we went to this great park that the 4 of us noticed on our drive to Greer the previous evening. It's called Century Park and it's huge - I told Carlene it's a definitely a two parent park. I'm really confident in my park watching with both kids, but this one would have been beyond me. It was a hot day, and luckily, there was a little mister area for the kids to run through. Will had a great time as it was the first park we had found with a sandbox. Fi had a great time too - it's getting hard to keep up with her.

Wednesday, we spent the day at the pool and then headed downtown to watch minor league baseball. The Greenville Drive is the single-A ball club for the Boston Red Sox - for those of you who don't speak baseball (it used to be me, but not anymore), single A is the true starting point for kids out of high-school and college. The ballpark is based on the Boston field and even has it's own little green monster. It has a great small enclosed play area for the kids - Sofia and Will loved it! The Drive won that night and we had a great time. I really love minor league ball games - they're so laid back, cheap, and just good family fun. People in MI - head to Midland and watch the Loons or go down to Toledo and see the Mudhens; you'll be glad you did.

Thursday we met Jerry's cousins, Barry and Kathy, who actually live in Greenville. We went to a Greek restaurant that was really great and very accepting of Will's antics (he hadn't been napping well with the whole move/getting settled/visiting stuff and was really grouchy after he, Fi, and I showed up late to dinner). Barry and Kathy were very nice, and also very accepting of Will's antics. Sofia was in a great mood and charmed them (like she does everyone). We're really excited to have some family close by and look forward to getting to know them better.

Friday was our last night together and we just hung out after a very busy week. They left Saturday morning and we were all sad to see them go. Thanks so much, Carlene, Jerry, Holly, and Chris for the visit - we had a blast and hope to see you all again soon!

Ann's My Blog Hero

I know I'm wah-hayyyy behind on my postings (we've been a little busy as you'll soon hear) but I just wanted to give massive blog kudos to my friend Ann. She got me interested in blogging as a way to keep in touch/up to date/close to everyone and she's my blog hero. I have no idea how she can be so prolific with her blogging - and she has great photos and videos on postings too. And, she has a wonderful family (daughter, husband, dog), a day job, and a really beautiful, clean house. Every time I get ready to type a blog up, I find that she's written like 5 and I want to read them to see what's going on with her (her daughter, Sylvia, just learned to crawl - so cute). And, by the time I get done reading them and writing comments (I try to always leave comments as I hope to get comments in return), the kids are up from their naps or I'm ready to head to bed.

But, with Ann as motivation, I am going to try to keep my blog as up to date as possible. Which means I'll have to get a lot better at photos and finally figure out how to download video. Wish me luck and keep reading!