We're Baa-ack!

Seriously, we are.  And, I'm fully armed with a new Mac laptop (which I'm totally still learning).  So, I hope we still have some of you with us (please say you haven't given up, please).

We've had quite the year - we had some terrible losses (Jerry and my grandma) and some wonderful experiences (graduating K3 and Kindergarten, vacations with friends and family).  I don't plan to go back through it all, but I will be doing some brief postings with pictures that highlight some of our fun times.  AND, since school starts in a week, I'll pick up with weekly (hopefully) updates about us.

So, stayed tuned and it's ON!

Love to Travel

Everyone knows how much Brent and I love to travel. Well, it appears that the kids have inherited that too (quite excited) - all summer they have been packing their bags and taking trips. It started when our wonderful friends and neighbors, the Bries', moved back to Iowa. The kids really missed their friends, Cooper and Ali, and they decided to pack up to see them. They then proceeded to take every article of clothing out of their dressers and pack them into their rolling back packs (normally used to pack toys for trips). They place their stuff next to the front door and inform me that they need to be taken to the airport, as they are traveling alone. When asked what they'll do when they get there, they say they'll take a taxi, stay in a hotel, and visit with Cooper and Ali. I have to say, I was pretty impressed at this point (and thankful that they don't know about rental cars yet). There was quite a lot of drama when I told them we couldn't really go to Iowa right now and tried to explain that plane tickets are a lot of money.

They must have thought about it in their sleep though - after that, they (still packed, I might add) decided they were going to Russia to ride the longest train in the world. Thinking that technology might help me, Will and I pulled up the site for the Trans-Siberian railroad and looked at the cost. We also created plane tickets. Despite understanding money (they have to use their own to buy toys, ect - it's really cut down on the whining in stores), Will could not understand why we couldn't leave for the Russian train the next day and went to bed in tears (poor boy).

Russia via Iowa was his next suggestion - until we went to the Cars 2 movie. Then, the plan changed to Japan to ride the bullet train (he knows the name, but I can't spell it - Shincanzen). I didn't even bother with web-sites this time. Luckily, I didn't have too - they packed up and pretended (thank goodness!).

They packed up early for Dollywood; they packed up early for MI - the kids love to travel and definately have plans to see the world. We're very excited about this and are thinking of actually getting their passports. In keeping with Cars 2 (and if exchange rates improve a ton), we may try a long family weekend in London sometime. But, we're pretty booked until summer so we'll keep you posted.

So, It's December

Sooooo, it's December (almost) and I haven't blogged in awhile. And, to save my sanity (and keep me blogging in the future), here's the Cliff Notes version of what we've been doing for the last 6 months:

- Summer was awesome - we went to the beach with the entire Maxwell clan and just hung out for a week; both kids tried some new sports with the Y; Will played some more t-ball; our wonderful friends and neighbors moved back to Iowa (even though we knew it was coming, we're still very sad about that)

- Fall was busy (and awesome) - Will started Kindergarten at Bethel Elementary and rides the bus home every day; Sofia started T/Thurs preschool at Disciples Methodist and loves every minute; Will started playing real pitch baseball 2 nights a week in an awesome complex, complete with night lights; Sofia started a preschool combo ballet/tap class on Mondays; Brent got to take batting practice with the Greenville Drive (and did really well off some Michigan State Spartan pitchers, I might add); and I completed my first (and only) Mud Run.

- More recently - we spent all spent a fun weekend in Gatlinburg with my parents and went to Dollywood. We had an interesting drive through the Smokey Mountain National Park (too many leafers to safely maneuver the mini-van) and the kids were both tall enough to go on their first "real" roller coaster ride; it was unfortunately in the dark for part of it and freaked them out. They did love the Sky Rider though and went on it 3 times, and no longer have the patience for the "kiddie" section. Halloween was OK - Will was a race car (more cardboard and spray paint for me) and Fi was a sparkly, scary spider (her words). I channeled my inner Project Runway and made her costume (she picked the bolt of purple, glittery fabric and wouldn't let it go) - she loved it and that's all that mattered. They both weren't that into trick or treating, so it was an early night.

- Most recently -- during my parents' visit in October, Jerry, my wonderful father-in-law, was admitted to the ICU for pneumonia due to lung cancer chemo. Despite his heavy travel schedule, Brent was able to be in MI quite a bit and talk to his dad one more time, and help his mom, sister, and brother-in-law. Unfortunately, Jerry passed away on October 29th. We held an wonderful celebration of his life on November 19th - he will be missed by all of us and we will keep his memory alive for Will and Sofia by telling stories about all the silly, funny, smart and stupid things he did and loved.

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in MI with family - big thanks to my parents for taking the kids so we could help organize things with the Maxwells; more big thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for changing Thanksgiving plans and flying up for the celebration. With everything going on, I snuck some time to head to Ann Arbor and show the Big House (we snuck in - very awesome) and some of the places I used to live/study to the kids - we even had lunch at the Union. We were able to see Kristi and her kids for a short bit, which is always full of fun and loud :), and I was also able to have a nice dinner and catch-up with Ann.

And now we're back in SC getting ready for the holidays. We hope your preparations are going as smoothly (or better) than ours and I promise to blog again soon.

Summer Recap - Charleston

After school was done, we decided to celebrate with an impromptu long weekend in Charleston. And, we delighted our children by staying in a Hampton - for some reason, they have a fondness for Hamptons and every time we drive by the one near us, Fi screams out, "Our Hampton!" and Will asks if we can stay there the next time we drive to Michigan (we always tell him no).

We got to the Hampton in time for dinner and there was a great restaurant right next to the hotel. After dinner we took our usual pre-bedtime swim and then went up for bed. The kids weren't having it, so around 10 or so, I asked Brent to see if there was any milk in the breakfast area, thinking that this might calm them down. Well, he came back with both milk AND cookies AND a fantastic story about how he had to wrestle a bear and put him into a headlock in order to steal the milk and cookies from the bear. Brent's a really good storyteller and the kids LOVED it - in fact, everywhere we went the rest of the weekend

We got up Friday bright and early, ready to take in all of Charleston. We started with a trip to Fort Sumter, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. We went around the little museum they had and tried to get the kids interested in artifacts from the Civil war (no dice). But, after a wait, we all boarded the ferry boat for the island. The kids had a really great time on the boat (I think the hot dogs helped) and Will kept talking about the other boats and the large suspension bridge.

It was really, really hot that day, so Fi was very cranky by the time we got to the Fort - she wanted no part of it. So, I kept her occupied while Brent and Will looked at all the canons and the rest of the Fort - Will was really, really into it. We all ended up in the museum on the island - it had air conditioning.

We made it back onto the ferry and went back to the main land. Everyone was pretty tired at this point so we headed back to the hotel for nap time. I love nap time on vacation - Brent stays in the room with the kids and naps while I escape somewhere and read. It's awesome!

We ended the day walking around Charleston and getting dinner downtown.

Saturday was "Military Charleston" day - we went on the USS Yorktown air craft carrier and the USS Clamagore submarine at Patriots Point. We spent 6 hours there - they had 6 different self-guided tours that showcased different parts of the Yorktown and we had to do every single one (those of you who know me and my family know I get this from my dad, who's nickname on trips is "Tour Guide").

However, Will was having such a good time running around, seeing everything that I don't think he would have let us leave anyway. We saw all the airplanes, the pilot rooms, the bridge control room, the flight deck, and engine rooms. We saw where the crew stayed - Boy Scouts get to do overnights there (Will already said he wants to do that) - and everything else that was open. And, we had lunch on the Yorktown (more hot dogs) too.

After our last tour we took a ride on the flight simulator - we all went in this little box and pretended we were flying a jet on a Desert Storm mission. I wasn't sure if the kids would like it, but they loved it - I came out of there wanting to puke. After a brief Sprite break, we went through the Medal of Honor museum, which Brent was really, really excited about. It was very nice and I hope they can expand it one day.

Our final stop on Military Day was the USS Clamagore submarine. Going through the one passage through this 1945 sub really provided an appreciation for the men who had to work and function in a tin can (and I questioned their sanity a little - some bunks where right under piping for water and electronics). It was also funny watching the kids slip right through the doors while Brent and I had to pivot and watch where we were going. The kids loved it all, and for weeks afterwards, Will told everyone about the air craft carrier. He wants to go on one that moves now - I told him no way.

We rounded out our Military Charleston weekend with a stop Sunday at the Hunley Submarine museum. The Hunley was a Civil War sub that was the first submarine to successfully fire up and sink a ship. The kids are sitting in a replica of the submarine - it was moved through the water by pushing and pulling the bars you see. The actual sub is sitting in a pool in the museum (which is really more like a warehouse currently) - this mystified Will who couldn't understand why we couldn't go in it and touch it. I'm not sure the kids appreciated this stop, but Brent was very excited.

All in all, it was a great weekend and I hope to see the more historic side of Charleston when we go back (maybe without kids). :)

May Recap - Memorial Weekend

We had a great Memorial weekend!

We started out with a trip to the Scottish Festival, which was held on the beautiful Furman University campus (seriously, it's gorgeous). We started looking (and drooling) over some British import sports cars - Lotus, Aston Martins . . Will was having a blast looking at all the engines and noting that the steering wheels were on the other side - he's such a little gear-head.

After that, we went to the main festival and watched the border collies herd sheep and ducks. It was just amazing and the kids kept saying we should bring Bismark. Maybe next year . . .

Brent and I wanted to watch some of the games as well. We started with the women's caber toss, completely amazed that people were lifting telephone poles. But, the kids got hot and bored so we moved onto the clan tents.

And, we found Clan Maxwell!! The man who had everything organized wasn't even a Maxwell, but he was very helpful and gave us everything we needed to join the clan. (I got a huge laugh out of Brent when I said, "We need to join the clan" cuz down here, that could mean a very different group.)

After learning about the clan, we headed over to "Wee Scotland," the awesome kids section. Now, we've found in most cases, that even after you pay to get into an event, you still have to pay for the kid stuff (like bouncy houses, face painting, ect). Not here and we were super excited! The kids did the bouncy houses several times, Will climbed the rock wall, and Fi got her face painted for the first time. She told the lady she wanted to be a "pink, scary fairy!" But, she did great sitting still and was very proud of her paint. Will wasn't interested in anything else but the sand box, so while he did that, Fi and I went and made a Scottish flag and a sash - she said, "I'm a Scottish Lass" (after some prompting) when she showed it all to Brent and Will. :)

We rounded out the Festival with some food and Scottish music - the kids liked the pipes and drums. Oh, and we did get Bismark a Maxwell clan collar (so he can come next year and be the Maxwell clan mascot at the both).

That night, we went to the Greenville Drive game with our friends, the Bries's. Andy is one of the Drive's orthopedists and he was able to get us tickets on the 3rd base line. As usual, we had a great time at the game and it was fun to share it with Cooper and Ali.

And, although this post is belated, Memorial Weekend will always be a special time for us - it's when we moved to Greenville! I can't believe we've been down here 2 years - we've bought a house, got a dog, reconnected with family, and made some wonderful friends. It's been a wonderful 2 years and we look forward to making many more memories in Greenville.

May Recap - Friday the 20th

It seems a bit strange to just talk about one day (especially almost a month later) but this day was such a busy, fun day that I couldn't leave it out of my May recap.

To start, we had our end of school party - 2 weeks before the end of school. I know, I know. Originally, the party was supposed to be the 27th but Mrs. Armstrong asked to move it - we have a ton of multiples in our class (whose siblings parties were on the 27th) and she wanted all parents to attend the event. Unfortunately, because I'm the room mom, I had to organize it. It was not fun and I'm sure I had more than a few mom's cursing my name and thinking, "This stay-at-home mom has nothing better to do than change things around." So, just a side note to all parents out there (working and stay-at-home), schedule changes usually aren't the room mom's fault and try to go with it - that's my public service announcement for the day.

In any event, we had the party on the 20th at a very cute public park with a playground near downtown. Will's class has 9 boys and 3 girls. Being mostly boys showed - they climbed the fire pit and throw stuff in, they found the bordering trees and creek, they found drains to throw things in, they found lots of branches and sticks. . . . It was pretty funny and we did try to reign them in and at least keep them in the park area.

We also had lots of balls and room to play - they played soccer, baseball, and basketball. I love the picture (on the side) of Emerson (girl) with the basketball and all the boys chasing her. She was a tough competitor and didn't want to share the basketball.

It was nice to have the park to ourselves and not have to do anything formal to make it that way. There were a few neighborhood families that showed up, but they just went with it and joined in.

We ended the fun with a picnic complete with Chick-Fil-A nuggets, fruit, chips, and brownies. And, I got all the kids a bucket filled with a sand shovel, bubbles, and a star balloon. :) The kids had a good time, we had good weather (the original party day, it rained all day) - Happy End of School!



But, our day wasn't done yet. All of Will's class was invited to his friend Jackson's cowboy birthday party. It was themed up to the max - I had no idea going into it how serious it was or I would have had the kids dress the part. The mom had cowboy hats, sheriff badges, and bandannas for everyone. The picture on the side has Jackson (birthday boy) in the middle with some of his friends from church - they were ready to protect the town from all bad guys.

Will envied Jackson's friend with the double barrel shotgun, telling me "I want a gun like that guy with two spots, not the little gun!" Ah, he's becoming a Southerner already! :)














Now, no cowboy party would be complete without horses and Jackson didn't disappoint there. Luckily for him, his uncle owns 3 horses and brought them to the party with a huge pick-up truck and 6 stall horse trailer. I'm not sure which Will was more excited about - the pick-up, the trailer, or the horses. He keeps talking about his farm and his huge truck that can haul 30 horses, so I'm guessing the horse was his least favorite. But, he was excited to "ride" and smiled the entire time.

Fi was a girl after my own heart - she couldn't get enough of the horses and was so excited to get up there. When she was done, she kept petting the horse anywhere she could. She actually hugged his leg before I picked her up to pet his mane and face. So cute - I'll have to find out how old she has to be to start riding lessons! And, it's totally made me start thinking about a dude ranch vacation - Ann, Kristi, Suneela - a Rimrock Ranch family recap may have to happen!



















We ended the round-up with cake and ice cream and a cowboy boot pinata. Will started a trend of using his cowboy hat to store his candy. Good times were had by all and I totally compliment Jackson's mom on her organization and theme!

May Recap - Birthday Party

On May 15th, we had our first milestone birthday party (aside from Will's 1st birthday which was a huge event, even if it was really for me - to help me celebrate and mark the milestone of one major year of change). We've only done family birthday events since then - that's just our thing. But, we felt that 5 was a big deal (especially with kindergarten coming) and wanted to celebrate that.

So, we booked an event at Pump-It-Up, a huge indoor bouncy house place, and Will was allowed to invite 15 friends. However, since Will and Fi share their birthdays, we didn't want her to feel left out. So, we told her the party was for her too.

And, we told all invited "NO presents." Boy, did we get some confused looks/calls/texts on that one. But, we know our children are spoiled enough by family and we don't want them to think that parties are only about presents. We want them to learn that parties are about celebrating with people that you love, and who are important in your life. And, as we warned them in advance that there would only be presents from Mommy and Daddy, they were OK with that. And, it also helped that some wonderful friends brought presents over during the week - thanks!!




So, I made yet another train cake . . . I'm getting pretty good at them now! :) This time Percy was requested, even though he's the #6 engine. Oh well - gotta go with what the birthday boy wants. It was a night filled with icing (seriously - it was ridiculous) but I'm glad I did it the night before and not the day of. No one at the bouncy place wanted to move the cake (I carried it everywhere, except the car - Brent held it in his lap then). I also made little treat bags with a thank you card that matched the invitations - aren't they cute?

So, we got to Pump-It-Up and gathered kids and parents together. All in all, we had 15 kids and 15 adults spend a crazy 2 hours going through all kinds of bouncies - the giant slide was the biggest hit (the picture of Will and Fi with scary eyes), with both the parents and the kids. We also did the climbing wall (again, both parents and kids), where I was most definately less than graceful.

After all that, we were more than ready to adjurn to the party room for pizza, cake, and ice cream. Then, both kids got to open our small presents in a giant throne and then hand-out our thank you treats. I think everyone had a good time (I know our kids did!) and we're glad we did it. But, I'm also glad I don't have to organize something like this every year, and that I have 2 more years until Fi's #5 milestone! :)