Happy Birthday, Evan and Nana!

Happy 5th Birthday, Evan!!!

Happy Birthday to Nana, too!

This is the annual "birthday buddies" picture we take each year!
(this one taken about a month ago)

Disney

FABULOUS time in Florida with family and The Mouse. More to come...

Vacationing with the Mouse

Lane Packing

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend with Nana and Gramps. On Saturday we ate lunch at Lane Packing and as always, enjoyed peach ice cream and time on the playground! The kids also enjoyed playing in the backyard, pretending to be brave pioneers. Check out the costumes -- these are the base to the pirate costumes mentioned earlier this week!

And because we are almost never all in the same frame,
I'll include is a pic of us before Church today...

The Pledge

Alex has been working on the Pledge of Allegiance and Evan is perfecting his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Both boys practice these at school each morning.
The video is of Alex. Enjoy!

Macon Soccer Club - Alex

In the car, ready to go!!

Alex's first-ever soccer practice was on Friday night at 5:30. It was especially great that Nana and Gramps could be here for it! (And I would have missed it had I been well enough to attend the MOPS convention. As it was, I was at his practice and took lots-o-pictures!) Alex has had over a year of watching Evan "play" soccer, so this was an event that he (and Will!) have been anticipating for a long long time!

Alex and Will, along with about 25 other kid-parents teams, learned about dribbling, "freeze" position, and other soccer fundamentals. He loved it. And he was awesome. We are so proud of you, Alex! MORE pictures here!


During part of the game, Evan and Gramps played on the swings. Evan could have swung all night! Look at that smile!

Un-Birthday Party

A Very Merry Un-Birthday... to You!

We celebrated an Un-Birthday for Evan & Alex! (One month after Alex's 3rd and one month before Evan's 5th!) Nana and Gramps brought presents and we enjoyed unbirthday brownie cake! Among other goodies, the boys received pirate treasure chests -- complete with pirate booty, pirate tooth-fairy "pillows" for when those teeth start falling out, and homemade pirate costumes! (One of the nice features is the costumes' versatility! They double as red-coats and blue-coats for when the boys play soldiers and without the vests, they look just like Davy Crockett and Georgie Russell (from the new fav. movie chez Jordan)! Thanks for a wonderful unbirthday party and fabulous gifts, Nana & Gramps!! See more pics here.

Hats for Hope

Today is Hats for HOPE day in Macon. Most all schools, public and private, participate in this event. By donating $1 to Jay's Hope, kids can wear a hat to school for just one special day! This foundation was started by a Macon family who lost their three-year old son, Jay, to cancer in 2006. Since then, Cindy Gaskins (Jay's mom who was recently named Georgia's Young Mother of the Year) and Jay's HOPE have been providing financial support to Georgia families who have a child with cancer. One of those children is the son of my friend Candi, John Buchan (JB) -- (see my previous post).

On October 31st, I'll be participating in a 5K for Jay's Hope as part of the team "JB's Believers." If you want to join us, here is the link to participate! If you are local, join the fun! If you are out of town, you can be a phantom runner! Be sure to write "JB's Believers" on your registration if you want a $5 JB shirt to wear on race day!

Here is Peter Pan Evan & Davy Crockett Alex on hat day 2009!

Pika & Lunch with Nana & Gramps

Nana & Gramps were invited to read to Evan's class at school on Wednesday.


The book they read, A Pika's Tale, is about a pika, one of our favorite animals we saw at Rocky Mountain National Park this summer, and his longing for a tail. As it turns out, sometimes we don't always get what we want... and sometimes that is okay!

They also ate lunch with Evan and his class in the cafeteria!

Meanwhile, Alex stayed one extra hour at his school for "Lunch Bunch." He used his Scooby Doo lunchbox for the first time! He ate all his crackers, carrots, cucumbers, and dessert -- but no ham and no cheese... not bad for him, though!

Book Congrats

A huge congratulations to Will, whose cup floweth over with great news lately. The book to which he contributed is now available on Amazon and Ashgate books! Chapter 7 is his (see attached table of contents). For a mere $155, it can be yours!

Also, his book proposal to Mercer University Press has been accepted. He will compile an edited volume of the talks given by speakers at the The Center for the Teaching of America's Western Foundations 2008-2009 Innagural-year series. There is hope that this will continue with a second book of 2009-2010 to follow... and 2010-2011... and... keep you fingers crossed!!

Great job, Will / Daddy! We are proud of you!

Race for the Cure

After having a host of mammograms done recently (things are fine for now - but I return for more fun in December), I find it even more pressing (no pun intended) to participate in the Komen Race for the Cure. I recently joined a group of mom-friends on the team Pink Ribbon Racers. We will run (okay - walk) in the Komen Central Georgia Race for the Cure on October 24, 2009 in the fight against breast cancer.

I won't send out emails shamelessly begging for money. Instead, if you feel so inclined, you can show your support here.

Missin' the party.

Dan & Susan (aka Gramps and Nana -- or Fwamps and Nana if you are Alex), are visiting for a week! I was scheduled to attend a MOPS convention in Nashville for five days, but unfortunately I've been sick and could not attend. I hope the other 10+ leaders from my MOPS group are having a blast! Miss you guys!

Macon Soccer Club - Evan

Last night was Evan's first practice with Macon Soccer Club. Oh what a difference from last fall! Evan was completely focused, confident, and fast on the field! This is a different Evan than the one who sat in the middle of the field - crying - during his practices and games last fall with Upward Soccer. Will and I were so proud of him!

Alex's first practice will be on Friday evening. He and I watched Evan & Will from the hillside last night. Alex's did not miss anything. He did all the warm-ups with Evan's group from afar: stretched, jumped, and ran around. I can hardly wait to see him in action in a few days!

Here are more pictures of the big event.

JB James

Just four weeks ago, a close friend of mine took her son to the after hours pediatrician, as he'd been having some headaches. A CT scan was scheduled for the next day, August 24th 2009.
It was at the CT scan that the James family learned of a mass in JB's 4th ventricle. Candi, Erskine and JB packed a bag, piled in the car, and drove through the night to get to Memphis, where JB had surgery on Friday, August 28th. Sweet JB has been at St. Jude's and the Ronald McDonald House ever since. The diagnosis is medulloblastoma and the story of JB's journey can be found here, on his Caringbridge Site. Candi and Erskine write well and often. Their story is heartbreaking, but the support they are receiving from friends, family, and strangers is both phenomenal and moving.

A friend of the James family started a blog for JB. She asked folks to get creative and find ways to "write" or post JB. Will mowed JB into the lawn (see below -- and look very carefully. It is there!) The Jordans took a JB sign to Rocky Mountain National Park and took pictures there. Emmy & Christian took pics of a JB sign in NY & CT. All these pictures and more can be found on the link to the blog (see below). If you want to submit any pics, let me know! It would be wonderful to keep this site stocked with pictures from near and far. I know the Jameses would love it.

JB James Blog

JB's little sister, Elizabeth, is in Alex's class at school. Since Candi is still in Memphis at St. Jude's, several of us offered to help organize a 4th birthday party for Elizabeth. Below are pictures that I took, as well as a picture from a photographer who was there. One of our friends even arranged for Snow White to appear at the party! And once Snow heard about JB and his family, she visited free of charge. The kids were wild about her -- especially Alex!

St Simons Get Away - Labor Day Weekend

We had a super anniversary weekend get-away to St. Simons over Labor Day. We rented a condo on the beach and enjoyed lots of seafood! Alex even tried shrimp -- and loved it! Will and Evan spent almost every minute jumping waves, while Alex preferred sitting in mommy/daddy-made tidal pools and making drip castles!

More pictures here.

Alex on the Beach:




Evan riding and jumping the waves:

Happy Anniversary to us!

Happy 7th Anniversary to us!
Here is the best (and only) picture of us taken this weekend.
Alex (age 3- just barely) was the photographer.

And here is the annual link to pictures from our Wedding!

Show and Tell

Evan's first-ever-show-and-tell was today. He was to bring in his favorite teddy bear, so he chose "Green Teddy," a crocheted bear made by my cousin Sarah. This Teddy is special in many ways that Evan has yet to understand, but his love for the guy (who was a gift from Sarah when Alex was born, and has been on his shelf in a "special spot" (away from dirty kid fingers) for the last three years) is touching.

Sarah made a teddy in the same pattern for our Grandmother when she was in the hospital several years ago. Grammie loved her bear, and Evan loves his. Thanks, Sar.

"The Caf"

How is it possible that we have a child in elementary school already?

Today was my first day on official PTC business at Springdale; I was asked to be "room mom" for the pre-kindergarten class. It seemed surreal as I entered the building, printed an official visitor's badge, and headed to the cafeteria to learn of my new duties. (Overall, I'm in charge of begging other parents to participate in activities, bring food for parties, etc. I can handle this -- especially if it means that I dont have to cook. I get first dibs on paper products for all events!)

Later that morning, I read Blueberries for Sal to Evan's class. (Will read that book to Evan every night for almost a year. They read it so often that the pages fell out and we needed to buy another copy.) It is a special book for our family, and since Evan's class was learning about the letter B and Bears it was a perfect fit.

The highlight of the day was when I ate lunch with Evan in the school lunchroom, or "The Caf," as Evan likes to call it. We stood together in the hot lunch line holding hands. We sat side-by-side at the long cafeteria table with our heads close together to chat. He told me all about his friends, their names, and all the cafeteria rules (seriously! you can only talk at certain times. If caught, you are moved to the "no talking table" for a week!!)

I'm glad I didn't stop to reflect on the experience real-time, else I would have cried... The boys are growing up too quickly.



Gosh. What a day. I sat with my son in his school cafeteria! He eats breakfast and lunch five days a week without me. He pushes his little tray along, picks out his milk, gets his food, sits with friends .... sniff. sniff.

I can't wait to return.