The Lights of Christmas.

This past weekend we went with Matt's parents to the Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach Camp.  I've always heard good things and I wasn't disappointed.  It was beautiful!  

It was also VERY cold.  Like 18 degrees cold.  We decided it was worth it to bundle up and walk around for a fun night out.

Lucy wasn't too sure at first.  Even though she was toasty warm with lots of layers and blankets she gave me the evil eye when we first started walking.

 We waited inside for a bit while Matt's dad bought tickets.

 Then we headed out.  There were so many lights (duh….they advertise over a million) but I couldn't believe how detailed and intricate everything was.  And it's all done by volunteers.  Amazing!

 Matt's parents were so kind to bundle up and walk with us. They were a huge help too because Lucy seemed to spend every moment in their arms instead of mine!

 The petting zoo was empty when we got there so the kids were able to pet all the animals right away.

 Every tree, bush, rock and building were covered in lights.  They did a great job coming up with some cute displays.

 I love this picture of them!

 Lucy loved the nativity and kept saying, "baby!  baby!"

 After a while Carter wanted a turn in the warm stroller.

 And finally, at the end was a visit to see Santa.  I was so impressed with 1) that Carter actually wanted to see him, 2) he waited patiently in line 3) he didn't cry and 4) he actually talked to him!
He still wanted me by his side but this was major progress from last year.

 He told him he wanted the Frozen DVD and Santa was smart enough to know that movie wasn't out on DVD yet so we chose a new Pirate Jake toy instead.  Good choice Carter.

 And a candy cane at the end. As we were walking away Carter looked up and said, "Mom, I was a little nervous.  I didn't really know what was happening but I just went along with it anyways."  Haha!  Funny kid.

Read more...

a day in the life of a 4 year old's birthday.

Carter's 4th birthday was perfect.  He wanted a day spent with family and friends and all things pirates. So…that's exactly what we did. 

Every night before I got to bed I check on him and cover him up.  This was his last night as a 3 year old.  Gosh…that year went fast.

I spent the evening before decorating the house for him.  Since he didn't want a party, I wanted to be sure he still felt special with lots of decorations all over the house. (This picture doesn't really show much.  I promise I did more than just a cheap plastic table cloth and a few balloons!)

 I tried to get a picture of his reaction when he first woke up.  Instead he said, "mom…your camera is SO bright.  Ugh!"  Haha…he's not much of a morning person.

He was so excited to see his new treasure chest.  Best part of all, this was a hand-me-down from a college friend of mine.  Her son didn't want it anymore and she generously gifted it to us!

So many fun pirate costumes hidden inside!

 Aargh matey!

 Another hand-me-down (wow…apparently this was a frugal birthday too!) was a copy of the Polar Express.  Matt actually bought me this book when we first started dating for our first Christmas.  Carter recently watched the movie and loved it so we thought he'd love the book too.

And we read it right away!

 Next up…pancake time!  And lots of hidden sprinkles inside each and every pancake.  A very special birthday treat as opposed to our usual whole wheat/flax seed blueberry cakes.

 Lucy wanted a part of the pirate action too.

For his special birthday treat I took him and his best friend to see his first movie at a theater.  

 Connor (his BFF) has been many times so he was kind enough to give Carter a little tour.  It was so fun to watch the boys' excitement as they "played" video games and wandered the big theater.

 We headed back home for a few more presents before dinner.  To continue the pirate theme he got Peter Pan Returns to Neverland from my parents.  His 2nd favorite movie (after Peter Pan, of course).

 And our big gift….a gift certificate for an overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge in January!  We are so excited but of course he didn't really understand the silly piece of paper. Oh well.

 Dinner was his choice at his favorite place.  The Old Spaghetti Factory.

 And finally, back home for a few more presents from Grandma and Grandpa Vance.

 And a very special card from his Great Grandpa Philip.

Happy 4th Birthday Carter!  It was such a fun day!

Read more...

four.

And just like that I have a four year old.  Four years of being a parent.  A mom.  Four years of early (very early) mornings, sleepless nights, bath times, nighttime stories, cuddles, endless worry and fear and falling more and more in love with a little boy I've been so incredibly blessed with.  Wow.

A 4 year old is closer to a big kid than a baby.  And it's so apparent now more than ever.  His baby face is gone.  He's a (very) tall, 49 pound, strong, busy boy.  No longer a toddler but a full-on preschooler. He's asking big boy questions, playing with big boy toys, reading big boy books and chatting with big boy friends.

At 4 years Carter loves all things Peter Pan, pirates and Captain Hook. He cuddles up to his Peter Pan doll every night. He likes to read and is now finding a good balance between crazy, active boy and calm, focused learner. The book store, library and quiet time at home are some of his favorites. Berenstein Bear books are the best.  He loves to eat and man…can this kid eat!  I constantly hear requests for blueberry pancakes, bacon, strawberries and a big glass of milk for breakfast, lunch or dinner. He's curious. He needs to know how things work, why things happen, what something feels like and what it all means. His attention to detail is fascinating.  He notices details in books from complex illustrations, road signs, maps, another's facial reaction.  It all blows my mind how his amazing  brain works.

Carter, you are truly one of a kind.  You are the best at being you and I love you for that.  You are kind, generous, smart, strong, honest, sensitive, funny and brave. You are just like your Dad at times. You have such a genuine love for your friends and really think about how they feel.  You want others to be happy and will go to great lengths to make that happen. You are loud.  You are fast. You are imaginative.  I could listen to you play with your Peter Pan toys or Buzz/Woody figurines for hours.  The worlds you create for them are hilarious and awesome and so creative I am just amazed. You are cuddly and sweet and still love to show affection to me.  I hope that never changes. You have taught me how to have more patience, to slow down, to run faster, to laugh and be silly and to truly listen.  You are courageous, especially when trying new things.  Speech therapy has been quite the adventure the last 3 months and you have handled it better than me most days.  I see you trying so hard to focus and learn, while also needing to move and be heard in your little 3 year old body.  It has literally brought me to tears to see you try so hard, protect your emotions and find the very best fit for your learning style.  It wasn't easy, but we found it and I couldn't be happier for how far you've already come.

And now you are four!  I hope you keep having that Neverland mentality this year.  To learn, grow, play and dream but still remember that the most important thing is to just be a kid. And I'll just hang on for the ride.

And just to make this super sappy post even more cheesy, let's just add the little quote we both have learned to love this year:
"If ever there is tomorrow we're not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is…even if we're apart, I'll always be with you."

Happy 4th Birthday Carter Thomas.  Love you more than you'll ever know!

Read more...

a (almost) 4 year old interview.

I started this little tradition last year so…here's the 2nd annual kid interview! Same questions, and funny enough, almost the same answers!  Carter's 4 year old thoughts in 20 simple questions:

1. What is your favorite color?  Yellow, green and orange

2. What is your favorite toy?  Peter Pan figurines

3. What is your favorite fruit?  Green Grapes

4. What is your favorite tv show?  Pirate Jake (Jake and the Neverland Pirates)

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Cous Cous (hilarious!)

6. What is your favorite outfit? Halloween shirt (honestly, he usually just wears undies around the house…I'm lucky to convince him to get dressed)

7. What is your favorite game? Who Shook Hook

8. What is your favorite snack? Annie's Bunny Crackers

9. What is your favorite animal?  Slugs and worms

10. What is your favorite song?  Hakuna Matata

11. What is your favorite book?  Peter Pan

12. Who is your best friend?  Connor Woods

13. What is your favorite cereal?  Wheat Chex

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Play in the backyard with Connor

15. What is your favorite drink?  Milk and lemonade

16. What is your favorite holiday?  Halloween

17. What do you like to sleep with at night?  Peter Pan doll

18. What is your favorite breakfast food?  Blueberry Pancakes and bacon

19. What is your favorite thing for dinner?  Mac n'Cheese at the Noodle Factory (the Old Spaghetti Factory)

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?  A Speech Therapist to help teach other babies learn how to talk (I couldn't make that up if I tried….sweetest response ever.ever.ever.)

I love this boy!

Read more...

trick or treat.

This year's Halloween was probably Carter's 1st truly anticipated holiday.  He waited all month, endlessly talking about his costume, the candy, the tricks and treats.  It went on and on.  So, when the big day arrived he was pretty happy.

We watched Curious George's Halloween Boofest in the morning.  Ate pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. And (luckily) took great afternoon naps to prepare for the big night.

And then I bribed them with raisins to take a few pictures.

 I love that Lucy pulled up her tutu over her stomach.

 We headed over to Country Village for some early trick-or-treat practice.  Carter was squealing in delight over everyone's costumes.  Lucy was just confused.  She finally just took Carter's lead and copied him while holding out her bucket.  Once she realized she got candy she never looked back.  She might be a quiet, shy little girl but she sure knows how to push her way through a crowd to get to a big bucket of sweet stuff!

 We met up with our friends Amber, Archer and baby Adam.  Archer was a superhero but only wanted to wear his cape.

 One of Lucy's first trick-or-treats!  Since she can't say "trick-or-treat" and we are still working on "thank you" she ended up blowing kisses to everyone after getting candy.  Most everyone fell in love with her pretty quick.  :)

 The fire department came out too so Carter wanted his picture taken with the truck.  You were only supposed to get candy from 1 fireman but Carter somehow managed to take a piece from all 6 of them!

 We headed home, ate a quick dinner and then went around the neighborhood.  We have such great neighbors and it was so fun to see so many families walking around. The kids were so excited and lasted over an hour!  Poor Lucy got tired of walking in between all the houses but somehow kept up with her big brother.

 After their buckets were full we came home to check out the stash.  Lucy dove right in with a sucker and Carter with some Skittles.  Peter Pan and his ladybug were tired, sugar-filled and very happy.

Some of my favorite moments that I don't want to forget:

Halloween morning I overheard Carter tell Lucy: "To get candy you hold out your bucket and say trick or treat.  But, you are so beautiful and if you smile a lot, you could get even more!"

I told Carter he could go out trick-or-treating as long as he wanted.  His reaction:
"Really?  As long as I want? Oh wow, like a whole 10 minutes!  Mom, you are the best!"

Carter seeing a little girl dressed as snow white:  Mom, look!  It's snow white!
Me: Yes, there is a little girl dressed up as snow white.
C: No mom, that is the real one!  Wow….that is beautiful!

Carter spotting a middle-aged man wearing a faded Buzz hoodie from across the parking lot:  "MOM!  MOM! IT'S BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!  IT'S BUZZ!  MOM!  DO YOU SEE HIM!
hahaha…I was dying.

Carter upon coming home from trick-or-treating: Mom, I'm going to sit right here by the door and wait for our customers.  Do we have any customers who need candy?

Such a fun holiday. And now only 363 days until next Halloween!

Read more...