Happy Halloween!

Thursday night we went to the Fall Festival at school. We ate hot dogs and chips in the cafeteria and then went to various classrooms for games and candy.



This is Travis with one of the boys' favorite teachers, Ms. Beth. She also babysits for us regularly.

Today we went to Adrian's office for their Halloween celebration. Employees could volunteer to give out candy and then they had a costume contest for kids and employees.

Nicholas is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, from the Transformers.


Travis is Jack Jack from the Incredibles, Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible's youngest child.


Adrian is a member of the band Slipknot.

A Day in History

On this day ten years ago my roommates and I were hosting a kegger for Halloween. I was at work when my boyfriend called to say he was going to Franklin Street in Chapel Hill with his friends and would try to swing by my party afterwards. Hmph!, I thought to myself. So what was I to do. I invited some co-workers to my party, including a cute guy who had recently moved from New York. As fate would have it, I ended up having to break it off with my boyfriend so I could keep that cute guy.

Rally in Raleigh Pics

Here I am waiting in line outside the venue.












Here is Jess and me inside the venue before we found our spots a lot closer to the buildings. I feel bad for the people who had to watch from this spot.











A really zoomed in picture of Obama.













Another really zoomed in picture of Obama.

"He's Not A Maverick, He's a Sidekick"

Senator Barack Obama was making a last pass through NC. We're a swing state this year, supposedly. NC hasn't elected a democratic president since 1976.
I played hooky from work for a few hours. Jess picked me up around 8:45 am and we headed downtown. We found a spot at the end of a line and waited and waited and waited. Jess's sister Kim and her friend Jenn joined us in line later. The crowds were all in good spirits, no negativity, no protesters (aside from 2 young girls wearing homemade Palin Power sweatshirts that just kind of walked by the crowd and received no response). The gates opened at 10 am. The line moved ever so slowly as they let people through security in waves. Security was tight - no bags or purses, umbrellas, or signs; you had to show your cellphone and camera, and be metal-detected by the walk through machine and the guy with the wand.
We finally got through and staked out a good spot where we could see the podium directly from the right side. A good profile view. We may have been a part of the first few thousand people, so we weren't terribly far away. We could hear and see everything. Eventually people made their way in front of us and obstructed our view somewhat, but that's what standing on your tip toes is for, right.
Hearing more than 25,000 people recite the Pledge of Allegiance is pretty powerful. And those 25,000 people were the most diverse collection I have seen come together for one cause. All different ages and races. A lot of families with small children. Elderly people. It was impressive. Even the volunteers for the rally were diverse, male and female, young college aged people and retired people, even people with cool accents (i.e. UK or Aussie, not sure). A couple of very energetic and motivating speakers from the local area came out before Obama. Then they announced his name and the crowd went crazy. I saw him take the stage. You can tell he is tall and thin just like you'd imagine from seeing him on TV. He gave a great rally speech with lots of soundbites. He knew how to motivate the people in the crowd speaking to teachers, military, and middle class. And to show how considerate he is, he stopped two different times during his speech to call for EMS on people who fainted. Then he reminded everyone, "you should eat before you come to a rally." It was funny, I guess you had to be there. The weather was beautiful, clear and crisp with a breeze. When you're nestled in with all the good vibes you feel all warm and fuzzy. It was such a positive experience from beginning to end, and possibly once in a lifetime. I just can't picture a McCain or Palin rally being like this.

And here's a good take away from the rally:
"North Carolina, I've got two words for you – 'six days'. We cannot afford to slow down or sit back or let up one day, one minute, one second in this last week, not when there's so much at stake."

Oh, and pictures are coming, be patient. I'm waiting for Jess to send them - her camera was much smaller and easier to fit in a pocket.

What are they teaching him?

Nicholas is intrigued with the whole NC State-UNC rivalry thing. He knows I went to State and cheer for the Wolfpack. Some of his teachers and classmates' parents went to UNC and therefore are Tar Heel fans. He's under a little pressure to follow his friends or his mom.
When I was loading groceries into my car with the State license plate, he told me what he plans to do when he grows up. He is going to have a Carolina blue car with a Carolina license plate, a Carolina key chain and a library card key chain. I advised him that he will be doing this with his own money. He agreed that it was a good idea.
I know he has the potential for a good education and is learning how to be a part of an age old rivalry, but I think the library card is the best part of the plan.

Oh - and why do cats like to take their evening naps in Travis's room and then scratch and cry at the door to be let out...every night?

Photo Session

I attempted to take a fall portrait today. I ended up with about 30 photos with this theme. 1 child looking away, 1 child grabbing at the other child, or 1 child attempting to run off. I think I managed a salvageable photo out of it though. I think this is a good photo essay and anyone with multiple children will totally understand.

Hilarious

I totally enjoyed this website to pass the time at work. You can click around or mouse over different things. The site says it is updated daily which may explain why I saw Joe the Plumber's truck out the window this morning but not in the afternoon.
Some of my favorite bits without giving too much away:
click on the lone diploma and she says "BS, here I come!"
continue to click on Lady Justice to hear her favorite cases

Beach Excursion

Adrian had to coach his old team in a tournament in Wilmington so we tagged along for the trip. After dropping Adrian off to do his thing, the boys and I drove to Fort Fisher to check out the NC Aquarium. The boys loved it. Travis could see the fish swimming and started giggling and putting his hands all over the glass. We went through the place two times. On our last pass the scuba divers were in the big tank with the sharks, groupers, puffers, etc. One diver feeds and the other does a little presentation.

We made a short walk on to the beach for their visit view of the ocean. The weather was miserable: 55, windy, drizzly. I am planning a future trip to the beach when they can enjoy it.
I drove the boys around while they napped, scouted out all the places of necessity (Target, Harris Teeter, Starbucks, etc.), became familiar with the area, and picked up Adrian.
A brief rest period at the hotel, and then off to a pig pickin' at a player's beach house.
Today the weather was much better, well at least sunny, it was still close to 60 and windy. We dropped Adrian off and went to a local park.

Adrian's team advanced a little further in the tournament so the boys and I went to the historic downtown area. We walked along the river front and ate lunch at George. I highly recommend it. The staff was great, crab cake sandwich was great, and the white cheddar grits were also great.
We picked up Adrian and stopped at Fanboy Comics on the way out of town. There was $1 comic sale, so we racked up on old comics for Nicholas (and Adrian) to enjoy.

*Nicholas said that when he grows up he wants to ride a motorcycle like this one. I will have to research the safety of 2 wheels in the front design.

So Cool

Check out what I created...I think it's so cool and couldn't resist showing it off once it was all done. I think I might be addicted.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Check Up and Swim

Travis had his one year check up this morning. No big deal, just four shots and a finger prick. He survived and can't wait for the flu shot booster in a month.
For those of you tracking his growth at home:
Weight = 21 lbs 6 oz (25th percentile)
Height = 31 1/2 in (>90th percentile)
Head Circ. = 47 cm (50th percentile)

Yup, he's growing just like his big brother tall and thin. I'll be in very big trouble in the next 10-12 years. My savings will be going towards food, food, and more food.

The boys were dropped off at school and I went and did the work thing.

Then Nicholas and I went to our 4th swimming lesson. Adrian and Travis watched poolside. Afterward, we planned to go to Bruegger's Bagels but it was closed. So went to Plan B, old reliable McD's. Travis and I scored the healthy (as much as it can be) eater awards. I had the grilled southwest salad, he had 1.5 nuggets and half a parfait. Nicholas and Adrian over there did fairly well with their nuggets and filet-o-fish. Hey, it could have been much worse.


(heh heh - you like this shot so you can't see us fully in our bathing suits)

Let me be emo

You know how you have those friends that you share so many experiences with over the years, and even sometimes can let your contact slip a little and still pick right back up? I have one of those dear friends, Jennifer. We met through mutual friends in high school and have been close friends for more than 15 years. We went to football games, rival universities, Halloween on Franklin Street. We've had too much to drink together, we made a blast out of each other's bachelorette parties. I was her maid of honor, she was mine. I married a die hard Yankees fan, she married a die hard Red Sox fan. The list goes on, we've shared a lot over the years. The experience I never wanted to share with her was the loss of a parent shortly after having an infant.
My dad passed away suddenly when Nicholas was only 2 months old. Seeing all your dreams of a wonderful grandfather-grandson relationship disappear before it could hardly take off was heartbreaking. It's something that stays with you even after you come to terms with it.
Unfortunately, now Jennifer has the same experience in her life. Her mother passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness. Her son Kyle is 4 months old. Jennifer's mom was one of the best. She and her husband opened their home to all of Jennifer's friends regularly. We had parties after football games, and slumber parties. They always provided for us and made sure we had a good time and were safe. I remember going on a beach trip where I felt like more than just one of Jennifer's friends, but more like a family member. As we grew up and went off to college and became adults, her mom would still ask me how I was doing and how my family was doing. And she genuinely meant it and cared.
So this is where I am, staying at my mom's house so I can go to the funeral of my best friend's mom tomorrow. The drive from Raleigh to W-S gave me time to reflect on my experience and gave me some strength to support Jennifer through this. I hope I can maintain this perspective. If it's anything like our phone conversation on Saturday, I will lose it the moment I see her.

Family Birthday

Today we celebrated Travis's birthday as a family. A couple of fresh new toys to call his own, as opposed to those hand-me-down toys. And of course quality family time. We went to Umstead Park for a little hike. Then we went to the mall (Adrian needed to hit the Apple store for some cables) and we ate a quiet dinner at Panera. Compared to what I was doing a year ago on this day, this was much more enjoyable. :)

First Birthday Party Ever

Although Travis's birthday is actually tomorrow, we had some friends over to celebrate today. Just a few friends and some food and drinks. Ribs, potato salad, cole slaw, fiesta corn, chips and salsa. And then for dessert pumpkin rolls and cake. (Thanks Jess for the legendary pumpkin rolls!)
Travis was a little grumpy most of the day. Not sure if it's a cold coming or teething - the symptoms are similar. He enjoyed his cupcake (and his quick bath afterward) and spending time with our friends. Thank you to everyone for coming. And to anyone who couldn't make it, we're sorry we missed you.

Below is a pictorial of the event:


Travis with his balloon.


Jess - a great friend from work and Susan - my most compatible college roommate


Dave - one of Adrian's lax friends and his girlfriend Misty


Jared - Adrian's BFF eating ribs


Adrian enjoying a Corona


Nicholas eating a pumpkin roll


The boys blowing out the "1" candle


Wanna taste some icing?


The icing was fully consumed leaving the cake in crumbs.

Long Week

It's been an exhausting week. We had our first round of swimming lessons, a dentist appointment, and a party to plan. On top of that it's a huge week at work for my client (who shall remain nameless because they're huge, rich, and well known). It's their Annual Enrollment cycle for benefits and it's full of big changes for their employees which means even bigger challenges for us to implement for them. Anyways, I've been working hard all along but this week was a push-week. Busy days and hours at home in the evening logged on with my co-workers. And even worse to top that, my employer went through another round of layoffs, or "reduction in force" as they call it, on Tuesday. It's the fourth round in a year. I personally know 5 people let go this time, a couple of those I interacted with daily. You know that feeling of sharks circling closer and closer and you don't know if you're next to be pulled under? That's the feeling I have.
Thankfully I took a three day weekend so maybe I can get some sleep, relax, and not think about impending doom at work (employment and client satisfaction-wise). Yeah, and probably have some wine and cake. A power combo if there ever was.
Next week, more work, swimming lessons, and a 1 year check-up.

Who does he think he is?

My baby is sitting in the big boy chair with a bowl of torn-up waffle and a sippy cup of milk. Travis thinks he is all grown up or something. He has been transitioning from the baby room to the first toddler room at school this week. It's sad. I'll miss the baby room and the wonderful teachers in there. Now he will be the youngest with a bunch of toddlers who are 12-18 months. This weekend we will be celebrating his birthday - be prepared for pictures. Wow! A year goes by so quickly. It's hard to believe how our family has grown and changed. The next year is going to be even more amazing. I will try to savor it just as much as this past year.

A Few Thankfuls

1. My husband the web developer/programmer was able to create a new network at home. This after the firmware upgrade to our previous server killed the network. Of course all this is geek talk so I'm probably using all the wrong terms. In any case, internet is restored!!
2. My co-workers were understanding about the network outage (they were still at work slaving away). I was able to get online from 10-midnight last night to help out with some issues.
3. Nicholas enjoyed another great swimming class. We learned a new hold to use and he continued to practice being Superman gliding through the water.
4. I am awake and positive about the day. Everyone else is still asleep. Nicholas has a dentist appointment. It's his second one so he is aware of what happens and the novelty has worn off. It's a big day at work for our client and I really hope it goes well.
There are so many things to be thankful for but these are the most impacting in the past 12 or so hours.

Swimming Swimming

in a swimming pool. Breast stroke, side stroke, fancy diving too...
Nah, not all in the first day. Nicholas had a lot of fun. In the Parent & Child class you hold the child the whole time in the water. Rest position is on the hip and you bob up and down so the child gets shoulder deep. Then we tried other positions so he could practice on his belly kicking his legs. He said it was like being Superman. The teacher is great and seems well experienced with the course level and age group. And get this...there's 5 girls and 2 boys in the class, the other boy is named Nicholas and also 3 1/2 yo. Makes it easy for the teacher to remember.

Ready to be a Fish

How can you take this kid seriously? I start laughing every time he puts them on.
Nicholas and I have swimming lessons starting tomorrow. It's twice a week for four weeks through parks & rec. Since it's his first time, I have to go in the water with him. I'll post tomorrow to let you know how it goes - good or bad.

Pumpkin Patch

Today we went to Hillridge Farms out in Youngsville to get some pumpkins. We had gone there two years ago with my stepmom, Debbie, when she was visiting. And we missed it last year because I was either too pregnant or too newly post-partum (but apparently that didn't stop some of the women I saw today). Either way we skipped a year on what will likely be a family tradition. The attractions at the farm continue to expand each year. A teepee and fort appear to be new since two years ago.

Travis's mode of transportation this year, the backpack. He enjoyed the vantage point and the closeness with Adrian. And I was relieved to be sling-less on this outing.

At the farm you take a hayride around a quick tour of the land and over to the pumpkin patch. There's plenty to choose from and Nicholas checked out quite a few before making his selection.



And this kid cracked me up with the chicken outfit. I wonder how many times a day he gets his picture taken.