Just The Usual

Well, as I suspected, Sean did indeed pick up the Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease that someone so kindly brought to the nursery at the gym. (You can click the picture below to get a better look at his "polka dots".)


But I am getting ahead of myself.

After we got home from vacation there was a big recovery period with lots of naps and "jammie days". Even Sean took advantage of not having to get in his carseat and go anywhere.

Yes, he is now openly a thumb addict. I don't think they have meetings for that yet... Eating dinner together as a family has become even more fun now that Sean can join us, and boy does that kid love to eat!

With the amount of solid food he puts away, it seemed like a good time to add in some water and juice to help wash it down. Emily is more than willing to help her brother learn how to use his new sippy cups.

Emily keeps telling me she can't wait for him to get big and be able to do everything she does.

Emily and I have been trying to have extra fun together alone each day now that she is no longer in preschool. Today, for example, we played at least 15 rounds of Hide and Go Seek (she always giggles and gives herself away!), did 3 pages in her Kindergarten Scholar book (counting and matching today), and made moon sand cupcakes.

It turns out that the only thing you need to "bake" them is a flashlight. Who knew?? She is getting big enough that she asked me to bring out her "Big Girl Bike" from Hannah. I was hesitant, but she is definitely outgrowing her tricycle, so I think this weekend we will have to bring the pink two-wheeler down off the wall.

And of course what blog post would be complete without a great shot of Sean getting his prunes on. Literally. =D

Helen Georgia - Days 5, 6, 7, and 8!

It must be the sign of a good trip when you come back to the cabin every night too exhausted to post a new blog. =D I had to put together an outline just to remember everything we did and get it in the right order! So, here you go:

Day 5

After a morning spent making random purchases at the local shops (without Sean and Daddy, who both wanted to sleep), Emily and Sean spent the afternoon hanging out at the cabin with Grandma and Grandpa.

Mommy and Daddy stole some time to go on a Zipline Canopy Tour.

That night we went out to dinner at a tavern that had fabulous pizza and horrible desserts.

It would seem that Grandma really wore Sean out while we were away!

Day 6

We woke up early on Friday and headed to Blue Ridge, GA to ride the Scenic Railway. I think you all know how much Emily loves trains. She was like a pro walking around on swaying cars and didn't even seem to notice the ground rushing by underneath when we went between them.

Sean seemed to enjoy it as well, but the rocking was really knocking him out.

After spending a couple hours being tourists on the Georgia/Tennessee state line, we boarded the train again for the ride home. Well, Emily and Sean took the train (with Grandma and Grandpa of course), but Mommy and Daddy decided to take the scenic route back. =D

Day 7

Saturday morning the girls went out to do some more shopping, and then headed to Babyland General Hospital to witness the birth of a few Cabbage Patch Babies. (Of course, we couldn't leave without adopting one of the kids...)

Meanwhile the boys went to tour a huge model train and enjoy more manly pursuits than dolls. (We are still training Daddy to take pictures that include the kids!)

In the afternoon, Mommy and Daddy took a hike up to Anna Ruby Falls while everyone else rested at the cabin.

Then Mommy and Sean stayed home to relax while everyone else headed out for some traditional German dinners. Emily even tried some bratwurst and spätzel!

Day 8

Sunday morning we headed out to breakfast (this time leaving Daddy and Sean at the cabin to sleep in). Everyone had french toast made from fresh baked German bread, except Grandpa who dug right in to some corn-beef hash. From there we headed to Goats on the Roof where Emily fed the goats until everyone was out of quarters.

Then it was on to Elf Made Wooden toys were we got to pick out handmade toys and paint them. (That was one of Mommy's favorite places of the whole trip!) Emily picked out a puzzle plane and Grandma helped her get it all painted. They even had little hand-held fans to help it dry faster.

That night we ate at the cabin and had a campfire with s'mores - we needed chocolate and marshmallows for strength to help us pack up all of our stuff!

Overall it was a great trip, but we really wore poor little Sean out. Once we realized we needed to let him sleep in his bed for at least one big nap a day (the carseat just wasn't working for him) he had a lot more fun. It was wonderful to see Grandma and Grandpa and we can't wait to spend more time with them!!

**Tuesday morning when Mommy went in to wake up Emily, she found her half-asleep tossing around on the bed saying, "Grandma?" and smiling. It was so cute. =D**

Helen Georgia - Day 4

Grandma and Grandpa got in after midnight last night - so we had a bit of a lazy day today to help them recover. We did go out to lunch at a delicious 50's style diner, then to the Helen town park to watch Emily play. Once we got home, the girls all headed for the hot tub.

Emily got to show off her new swimming skills for Grandma while Mommy relaxed.

The boys just spent the afternoon relaxing on the porch, watching the deer walk by.

Tomorrow I won't forget to take the camera out with us!

Helen Georgia - Day 3

I mentioned to Emily last night that I was going to take her horseback riding today. Needless to say she was the first one up, and just a wee bit excited all morning.


Luckily, she had a wonderful time, even though we didn't get to go until noon on a 94 degree day. She especially loved when we got to ride through the river and my pants got soaked.


After our ride everything was about horses for the rest of the day. "Look, the river! We rode the horsie through the river! Look, purple! Just like the blanket on the horsie today!" When we came across the horse drawn carriages in downtown Helen, she could barely contain herself.


And poor Sean. It's not really vacation for him, just business as usual. Ride in the stroller, get carried around, take naps, eat baby food, and go to bed. We did add Sweet Potatoes to his menu which went over quite well.


Grandma Sally and Grandpa Larry are getting in late tonight - and of course that was all Emily could talk about before going to bed. She even helped me clean up the cabin in preparation for their arrival. =D

Helen Georgia - Day 2

Slightly better rested, we decided to brave the heat and head to the local mini-golf spot. Daddy did his best to teach Emily how to putt properly,


but she decided it was much easier to just kick it in the general direction of the hole. =D


We even got daddy to pose for a picture! (Totally voluntary, can you tell?)


After dinner we headed back to the cabin where Sean got all cleaned up and put to bed. Riding around in the stroller in the heat really wore him out!


Once he was all tucked away, we got the fire pit going for some s'mores!


(And once we got Emily to bed - Mommy and Daddy spent a relaxing evening in the hot tub!)

Helen Georgia - Day 1

Our road trip up here and the first night of "non-sleep" did not bode well for our trip. We spent the morning holed up in the cabin recovering and playing a bit of scrabble. Emily wants to help, but her spelling is a bit weak.


And of course Sean's "Look at the Tiles and Drool" technique doesn't really lead to a lot of points either.


We then staggered out late in the afternoon to visit a local German restaurant "The Troll Tavern". Sean seamed incredibly interested in my bratwurst (or was it the sauerkraut?).


Emily went with the super traditional German favorite: Spaghetti. =D


After dinner we took a scenic walk down main street, then headed back to the cabin for a MUCH better night's sleep!

Squash ... and More Squash

Sean had his first veggies tonight! We started with squash. (OK technically it is a fruit, but really, we all know it's a vegetable!) He ate one and a half servings. And not in a "most of it is on his bib" kind of ate it, but as in ate it down like a pro. He likes to grab hold of the spoon and help, so it's just a matter of time before we throw a bowl of food and a spoon at him and let him go. =D


Just look at those gorgeous baby blues. I am so in love with this little man!

Meow!

We had a heat advisory this weekend which to me said, "Jammie day inside!" I let Emily pick an animal pattern and fabric and we made a new pal for her on Sunday. She didn't really need anymore stuffed animals, but these were so cute and simple I just had to. She has already picked out the next one for me to do (a giraffe) but I told her there are a few other things I need to sew first. These are the pants she wanted after her matching shorts got "wet". (Too busy playing at the park today to stop and use the potty!) I think they are quite the fabulous fashion statement. =D

Budding Artist

Emily loves to do art projects. Lately all her pictures have had smiley faces on them, and now she is adding fingers to the arms. I love watching the way her skills advance so quickly. =D