Bounce U

This morning, we met a neighbor and her two kids (Grace & Haakon) at Bounce U. It was so much fun!!! There were two rooms open, and each had 4 blow-up things - slides, bouncy castles, obstacle courses, etc. I went down the huge slide with Nate a few times and he LOVED it! My shy little Nate even turned into a daredevil at one point. He just didn't like when the big kids got too close/rough. His favorite part was the mini-slides, and rolling around in the bouncy castle. He thought it was hilarious everytime he fell down, and would let out a big giggle. We will definitely be going back soon!
CHARGE!
APPARENTLY, FALLING IS HILARIOUSNATE'S ATTEMPT AT JUMPINGTUNNEL ON THE OBSTACLE COURSE
HARD TO GET UP THE MINI-SLIDE......BUT FUN TO GO DOWN!

Nana & Pops visit!

Nana & Pops arrived very late Thursday night, and we had a fun-filled weekend with them! Nate was his usual entertaining self, and we were happy that the rain held off and we got lots of playtime outside. He got WAY too many new toys & books, but what else is new when Nana visits? And of course, Pops spoiled him with lots of "treats" ....oreo stix, sweet sixteen donuts, and a milkshake at Chic-Fil-A! Needless to say, Nate was sad to see them go this morning. I was too, b/c I like the help! And, Greg & I got to enjoy a much-needed date night on Saturday night: dinner AND a movie! We tried out a new hibachi grill place near our house - loved it - and saw "Angels & Demons" - also loved it.

Some highlights from the weekend include:

-Texting on Nana's new fancy cell phone
-Playing with his new Elmo vacuum : "Cleaning Crew, coming through!"
-Reading the choo choo train book with Pops
-"Nate night" at Aharts & McDonald's...he entertained Nana & Pops with his antics, wrapping noodles around his head and ears, etc.
-New bubble machine & pinwheels outside
-Helping Nana, Pops, & Dad plant some new shrubs & spread dirt
-Going down the slide (OVER & OVER) at the mall
-Reading 2 new potty books with Nana
-Going on his usual rampage after dinner - running in circle, dancing, being goofy. He is quite a ham when he has an audience!
-Going on walks with Nana
-Playing with the neighborhood kids & stealing pretzels
-Attempting to walk barefoot on the grass with Nana (NOT a fan, just like his Mom)
-Doodling in his new coloring book
-Playing at the Chic-Fil-A playground & sharing a milkshake with Nana

Enjoy the pics!

New Trick

I'm not sure why, but lately Nate has started crossing his eyes....either when he's drinking from a straw, or trying to see his reflection in his spoon (weird, I know). Of course this freaks me out, but this morning I just couldn't resist taking a picture. So, you be the judge....is this funny or scary????

Enigma

Greg used the word "enigma" to describe Nate tonight, and I think there is no better word that sums him up!

Perfect example...Nate turned his nose up at a peanut butter sandwich today at lunch, which lately, he has been loving. So fine, whatever, he wasn't hungry...no big deal. Well, then there's our dinner tonight....Greg and I were having beef filets (cooked in balsalmic vinegar & red cooking wine, YUM), roasted red potatoes, and green beans. Not Nate's cup of tea, so he got some frozen chicken nuggets (Double yum, I know!) Well lo & behold, the boy decided to try a meat other than chicken nuggets & sausage tonight....he was SCARFING little bits of our filets. Oh yes. We were just staring at him in amazement. No PBJ, but a beef filet? A food snob already; Greg is so proud.

And then to top it off, at the end of the meal, our little cutie starting making "kissing" noises. He wanted a Hershey's kiss for dessert. Yes, we have a smart one on our hands. Sometimes, I think he's too smart for his own good!!! (But we'll keep him!) :)

Switcheroo

Who doesn't love breakfast food for dinner???

Well, we pulled a "switcheroo" on Nate last night and did just that....he didn't know what to think....ALL his favorite foods, at DINNER time? Needless to say, he ate like a hoss: scrambled eggs, pancakes, fruit, and (his favorite) sausage links....YUM! And then, we had a surprise at the end that was the biggest hit - a dessert pancake! (I just added some semi-sweet mini morsels to the batter). Look below...he was one happy boy!

Wedding weekend in Kansas

We traveled to Wichita, Kansas this past weekend for a good friend's wedding. I went to high school with the groom - David Glover - (and dated him for a short while, ha!) and then continued to be friends with him in college & afterwards. Greg loves him as well, and we were looking forward to seeing the old UNC crowd at the wedding.

Joyce & Stan came into town Thursday night to keep our little man, b/c we had a super early flight Friday morning. The flight was AWFUL - so much turbulence that I got out my barf bag for the first time ever. And of course, Greg slept thru it! We flew into Kansas City, MO and then rented a car to drive the 3 hrs to Wichita, KS. (Sounds crazy, but we saved a ton of $$ on airfare.) We got to Wichita around lunchtime on Friday and explored the downtown a bit before heading to the hotel for naps. Yes, we were pooped from getting up at 4:45 am!! We met up with everyone that night for an awesome rehearsal dinner at the Wichita Country Club. Lots of great food, laughter, great speeches/skits, and cute pics down memory lane of the couple. We met more friends back at the hotel - we took over the lobby & the bar, there were so many of us - and stayed up late catching up with everyone. It was SO good to see two of my best friends, Becca & Klug, and their sweet hubbies!

Saturday morning, 33 of the bride & groom's closest friends got up to run a 10K race in downtown Wichita. Yes, we are crazy and it was termed the "worst idea ever." It was waaay too early, and pretty chilly too!! We all had a blast though, and had lots of comments on our "Team Dashley" shirts. (The bride & groom are named David & Ashley). I surprised myself and ran almost the whole 6.2 miles! My faithful running buddy - Becca, who is NOT a runner - did awesome and kept me motivated. We had to stop 3 times for a rest/cramps, but ended up running about 90% of the race. And it turned out to be fun! Greg did great and was near the front of the pack, but ended up with some pretty nasty blisters afterwards. We spent the afternoon complaining about how sore & out of shape we all were, walking downtown to eat lunch with a fun group, and taking more naps!! :) (We were taking full advantage of being away from Nate & being able to nap!) The wedding was at 6:30 pm and was at a beautiful location called Botanica....lots of lush gardens and flowers all in bloom. The scenery was breathtaking, as was the bride! Glover even cried a teensy bit as he watched Ashley walk down the aisle. Too sweet! The ceremony was short & sweet, and then we spent the rest of the night eating, drinking, dancing, and being merry. Jake & Jeff, the co-best men, both gave sweet speeches and brought everyone to tears. There's just something about a guy crying that gets me everytime!! Anyways, the wedding/reception was just perfect, and we congregated back at the hotel lobby/bar again to hang out into the wee hours of the night. (Well, I crashed a little early, but everyone else stayed up late.) Professors gone wild!!

Sunday we had to get up early to drive back to Kansas City and catch our 12:45 flight, which we narrowly made. Thank goodness there was no turbulence this time, and we made it back to Murfreesboro by 3 pm. Our little man was asleep, so we had to wait a full hour before getting to see him...torture! But let me tell you, the smile on his face was the BEST Mother's Day present I could have asked for!! :) Oh how I missed my little man's hugs & kisses! Joyce & Stan said Nate was a little angel while we were gone - thank goodness - and they really enjoyed bonding with him, especially Stan. Nate finally warmed up to his Granddad! We went out for some cheap Mexican for dinner, and then came back to play outside with neighbors until bath/bedtime. Joyce & Stan left Monday morning, and Nate was sad to see his grandparents go. (Thank you both for keeping Nate and taking such good care of him!)

We had a great time seeing old friends at the wedding, but there's nothing like being home with your family! And as a sidenote, my sweet hubbie gave me a delayed Mother's Day present today....breakfast in bed! His famous scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls, and strawberries. YUM! Why can't everyday be Mother's Day!? I love the 2 men in my life like no other...

Pushy, Pushy

Look at that angel-face. So innocent, so sweet. Which makes what's going on now even more confusing! My little man has started to push other kids!! The first time he did it (last Friday at a library program), I was secretly proud. He has just been such a pushover and so shy for so long. WELL, not anymore. He has pushed our neighbor, Gracie, a few times in the past few days. And today, Greg reported that he pushed a couple kids at the Discovery Center, trying to get to their toys. The funny thing is, all the kids he's pushed are older & taller! Guess he's starting to get agressive after all.....maybe it's all that rough horseplay with Dad.... :)