Eater 2015 in Athens

We blasted up to Athens for a long Easter weekend. I should have considered Valium for the car rides to Athens and back, but other than the car ride mayhem, our trip was delightful! We did all kinds of things like tennis, golf, poolside Easter egg hunts, country club Easter egg hunts, and Farm Easter egg hunts....did I mention we did a lot of Easter egg hunts?? We spent time with friends and were able to spend a lot of time with Mama and Da. So much fun!

Early Spring Break in Jacksonville

The kids and I took a quick weekend trip to Jacksonville for the start of their spring break. We had a great time visiting the zoo, seeing cousins, and spending time with family. This was also our first introduction to baby Christine so it was a special time. The one event that was a little less than special was our trip to the ER because Harrison landed a jump that caused his tooth to go through his bottom lip. A memorable experience but maybe not a memory I would wish to keep. The Jacksonville St. Vincent's ER might be one of my least favorite places. That aside, our short trip was great and we enjoyed almost all of it!

Man on the go

Harrison was sick recently and it was the first time in years that he hasn't been going 100 miles a minute. In fact, it was upsetting to see him so quiet and inactive. I'm not gonna lie, there were a couple moments that I did enjoy his ability to sit still or fall asleep in a seconds notice but he wasn't himself. And that hard to watch. Luckily, he has recovered and is more active than ever.

So what kind of things keep a kid going until your head starts spinning?? For Harrison, it is anything that he finds interesting. If he isn't interested, you can talk about it until your face turns blue and he won't care. But, if it's something like themeparks, reptiles, or daredevil stunts, the talking is continuous and you might wish you never even brought up the subject. This guy is a ball of energy and if you want to see his full potential, you have to embrace his intensity.

Little Miss Independent

She did it. Brooks mastered the skill of riding her bike without training wheels within an hour of practice. I tied Harrison's sweater around her waist as support and away we went until she got her confidence. She is clearly a natural. Of course, this all happened about a month ago but obviously my blogging skills have taken a turn for the worst. Just this past weekend we went out for a ride at Gordon River Trail and Brooks pretended to be scared at first, only to try and go as fast as she could at the end. Typical behavior from the girl who kept me from riding a bike so I could hold onto her to keep her from falling, only to be left in the dust running because she decided to take off.

This girl has quite the act and every day I know that some sort of theatrics will take place. Sometimes it's a comedy, sometimes action, but always... drama. She has such a flare for the dramatic side that my mom and were thrilled with the opportunity to take her to see the play, Annie, when it was showing in Ft. Meyers. She has loved the movie and taking her to the play was such a treat. What's even more exciting is that she and her friend, Leah, are going to be in the Annie play here in Naples! They started practice last week and so far so good.

10 Year Anniversary Trip To The Keys

Usually I only post about the kiddos. But I thought I might make a quick reference to the week long getaway that Robert and I got to enjoy for our 10 year anniversary. We hadn't gotten away for a really really really long time and the much needed break was the perfect solution to keeping me from turning into a crazy person. I love spending time with Harrison and Brooks but a week to recharge on a beach with no worries other than which drink to order or where to eat was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Lee Lee and Bill made the trip again to Naples to watch the kids while we were away. They made a special trip to Lego Land and had many fun adventures during their stay.

Christmas Break Beach Time with Lee Lee and Bill

On Christmas day, Lee Lee and Bill drove down from Athens to spend a couple days with us. As usual, the weather was beautiful and we got to spend one of our afternoons at Barefoot Beach. We took out new paddleboards with us and Harrison's kayak. Getting these 3 things to the beach along with our usual ridiculous amount of beach gear was quite a haul but hey, since the beach is never that relaxing anyway with small kids, you might as well make the most of it!

Early Christmas in Jacksonville

We had a fun, quick visit to Jacksonville for an early Christmas. The cousins are always a blast to have around and Harrison and Brooks really enjoyed their time with Bebe, Partner and James.