The Yarborough Family

May Fun!

2010-06-15T07:40:00.006-05:00

Samantha is at camp this week, so I have been able to play a little catch up with the blog. This is May all wrapped up into one post. We are enjoying Bloomington, and are very happy to be able to raise the kids here. It is the smallest city that we have lived in recently, but it wins with all of the friends and community that we have missed. We hope to be here for a little longer than our last couple of places! Here is our month:

We have a lot of fun with dress up. Woody especially enjoys sharing Samantha's princess things. Ernie flew on a private plane to Florida, which hit a deer on the runway before they left. This picture was on the way home, and I guess he wasn't too worried about the return landing!

This picture just cracks me up. It is like Samantha has decided to shoot the fish instead of messing with the fishing pole.

Practicing her fishing skills before the next time we see Uncle Z. She calls this her lucky fishing hat.

Barkley enjoys the sprinkler just as much as Samantha.

They really do love one another! Woody thinks Samantha walks on water, and Samantha tells him that. Our little girl is getting very big! She got the Fishback legs.

Woody, Woody, and Woody all waking up from a nap. I have a feeling that Woody is going to get a lot of Toy Story things this summer.

I really think her legs have grown a foot!

Woody is trying to play catch up.

Woody loves his daddy, especially when he has not shaved. Round em up! We found a BBQ place that reminds us a little of Birmingham.

Reading time might be even more fun when they can actually read! They still have a good time.

Woody is getting ready to do some work on his computer. The double headed snake dog toy is his scarf.

I bet you can guess who won this round of tug o war!

We went to family night at the SRSC. Woody loved getting a ride from his big sister, but it made us a little nervous. I really hope this is the only time our little angel is in the back of a police car! ;)

Woody loves to hang in his diaper, talk on Samantha's Little Mermaid phone, and roll around on the bed. He is really a great baby!

Woody and Barkley really think that they are brothers. It is actually kind of nice to have a puppy grow with the kids. We still miss Baxter.

He is soooooo cute, and is growing like a weed!

We went to the Strawberry Festival around the Court House, which is also where we got married. Samantha still doesn't understand that she was not at our wedding. Woody is just happy as usual! Our little artist, not really. She is more of a play type than sit and color type. I can get her to do some art every now and then.
Aunt Tracey had no clue that her horse would get so much use out of both children. Woody has just taken an interest in it.
Barkley's favorite place when he is not laying on the air duct!
Samantha somehow was able to score a free cupcake from the bakery. I hope her luck stays with her in life.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

Free greeting created with Smilebox

Western Skateland

2010-05-07T15:27:00.004-05:00

Barkley is getting bigger everyday! He still cannot get up on the couch, but he is getting close. He likes to play with Woody! We took Samantha last night to her first roller skating party. I think we may have been the only ones from her school, but at least we had a good time. We are going to have to send her to lessons if we want to go again. Ernie went skating with her, while I watched Woody. It was pretty entertaining, but I am sure I get to go next time. Ernie only wiped out once, and Samantha did not leave terrified.

Woody enjoyed the arcade games. He loves anything with a wheel.

He also took a little time to sit and watch the skaters. He was very comfortable.

Woody does not like to wear hats, but he has started putting a few on his head. I am sure this is not the hat Ernie expected for Woody's favorite. At least it is a Phillies hat!

We have to get Samantha a big girls bike this summer. I think she is ready for some serious speed.

Woody and Barkley love to play, and it almost ends with Barkley using Woody as a chew toy. Samantha likes to play chase with the dog, so it works out for all of us.

A little snuggle time in the park!

YES, he is this cute in person! Maybe even cuter;)

Bloomington 2010

2010-05-04T08:29:00.005-05:00

A little too close Barkley!

Beautiful rainbow, and Ernie and Barkley!

Woody loves the new puppy, except for when he is chewing on him.

Barkley Yarborough

Snuggling on the couch.

We all know who runs the show!

Our local park by the golf course.

Too cool for his own good!

They still love eachother!

Happy 2nd birthday Woody!

Nana and Grandma Susie

II, III, and IV

We all loved Baxter!

We are going to try, and I mean try, to keep up with the blog again! The computer is in a much friendlier place, so I do not have any excuses to not update it. There have been a lot of changes since Christmas, so I will put them into a quick list:

*We moved back to B-town after a crazy 11 months in Wisconsin. We loved Wisconsin, but our hearts will always be in B-town. It is fantastic to be back around friends and family. It is a great place to raise the kids, and we plan on being here for a little while. I do not want to jinx it, but I really hope there is no packing in our near future.

*Shortly after we got back to town, Baxter stopped eating and was acting odd. We took him to the ER vet, where he passed away two days later. It was really rough for everyone, but especially for me. He would have been 11 on May 5, and we got him in B-town back in the day. Baxter was a great dog, and we still miss him today.

*Samantha began preschool, and absolutely loves it! This is the first move where she has vocalized how much she misses Wisconsin. We are very fortunate to be able to afford 1/2 days, and maybe be able to send her full time in the Fall. Her birthdate does not allow her to go to Kindergarten next year, so she will still go to preschool in the school system. The teachers say that she does a great job, and that she has good stories. I probably do not want to know what those are!

*Woody is finally walking, and very close to running! He still is behind in the talking department, and had our first meeting with First Steps last week. We are STILL waiting on Riley's and all of the doctors to get their heads out of their bottoms so we can start his HGH injections. I am ready to just get the ball rolling, but it is amazing how no one seems to be too concerned. We were at the next step in WI, but the move sent us into a waiting spiral. Woody is very happy and intelligent, so there is no great concern. He had a wonderful 2nd birthday party, and everyone came over to party with him.

*After a month without Baxter, we could not pass up a great offer on a new golden puppy--Barkley! Barkley was born exactly one week after Baxter died, and we got him in a similiar situation that I got Baxter. A country family looking to unload 8 puppies, the mother is registered but the dad is not, so we got him for a steal! He is so freakin cute that you just want to squeeze him. He is doing a pretty good job with potty training, and we are going to try to train him a little more than Baxter. He acts a lot like Baxter did when he was a puppy, except he is a light colored golden where Baxter was a very dark golden.

*Ernie still cannot believe he is back in B-town, let alone coaching for IU! We never thought there would be a space here for us, so it is even more special to be back. The team had a good Spring season ending it with a win over Mexico. It is so nice to be back around the IU soccer family and all of the support this town has for the team. Ernie works with incredible coaches, and could not ask for a better job. We cannot express how much we love being back! Madison was a great place to live, but B-town is home

*I am still at home with the kids and dog. We cannot afford daycare for both, so I will not be making an appearance in the real world for a little while. I look forward to taking some classes at IU and getting a part time job when I can! It probably won't be until Samantha goes to Kindergarten and Woody is enrolled in Ready Set Grow.

That is the last few months in a nutshell. Of course we have travelled to St. Louis, Muncie, and Columbus in those months. I am going to really try and keep up with this again, so come on May!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-17T11:58:00.002-06:00

I have not been able to update anything, so I am hoping I can just start from scratch in the New Year. Here is a December update at least! We have spent the month getting ready for Santa. We are headed to Florida for Christmas, Samantha's birthday, and New Year's Eve. We have spent a lot of the month at doctor's offices for Woody, and myself with a tooth extraction that did not go so well to say the least. We are headed to Minnesota today because Ernie has to recruit. We are staying at an indoor water park, so I am sure it will be an adventure. Samantha passed her Sea Turtle swim class and is now a Penguin. She has really advanced in her swimming and loves to go under water with her goggles on! Have a great holiday!

Make a Smilebox greeting

New post

2009-11-25T17:20:00.002-06:00

I am going to try and catch up, or just start from November over the weekend. The computer is in the basement now, so it is hard for me to keep up. Woody has been going through all of his testing for his developmental delays, and so far we have just found out that he has low growth hormone. We will be scheduling his MRI, and then we go from there. He is still a very happy and cute little guy! Samantha is still her spunky self, and is really into playing dress up at the moment. She still is very active and comical.

Omaha Recruiting Trip

2009-07-18T18:34:00.005-05:00

Ernie had to go to Omaha to watch a goal keeper that has decided to come to UW, so we all packed up into the rental mini van and departed. I had just seen on Good Morning America that Demoine, Iowa had a BBQ place that was rated very well. It also was named Woody's, so we decided to stop for lunch on our way. My phone has GPS, so we located it and it was only about 10 minutes off of the highway. It is basically on Drake's campus, which was new to me. It was VERY GOOD if you are ever in Iowa and looking for some good BBQ. It really is the size of a shack, but it was delicious! It ranks in my top two after living in Birmingham. Woody had a good time, even though he didn't eat any of the BBQ. He enjoyed the corn bread, and Samantha ate some of the sides. Here he is just being happy.

Samantha had to get up on the bike, and Woody was not quite sure what was happening.

We will stop there again on a road trip, because I am sure we will be visiting Iowa more than I had ever imagined.

Ernie went and watched the recruit when we arrived, and then we were leaving the next morning. We decided to go to the Omaha Zoo in the morning before our drive home. Samantha and Woody were very excited!

Samantha enjoyed seeing how her hand print matched the different animals. She fit in the tiger mold at the moment, which could say a lot about her personality.

The Zoo was very cool, and we would go back there again if we are in Omaha. They had a lot if Indoor Exhibits that were very interesting. This is the Rain Forest Exhibit, and it felt like we were really there. Ernie and Samantha walked across the suspension bridge which was by a water fall.

Here Samantha is walking through the roots of a tree. There was a little path that went around the middle of them.

We are now in the aquarium, which I enjoyed a lot. She is right between the size of an Emperor and King Penguin.

Woody enjoyed it all in his stroller. He liked watching the fish swim around the tanks.

Samantha gave the octopus statue a great big kiss! Maybe she will be a sushi fan when she gets older.

You never can get them both to look at the camera, and this time neither one of them would cooperate. The Butterfly Exhibit was the next area to conquer.

Samantha had a visitor on her head, and was not sure if she liked it. It was neat to see all of the butterflies, and they landed wherever they wanted.

Now she is a Hippo, and her mouth can be as big as one at times.

Ernie and Samantha rode the Sky lift that goes from one end of the Zoo to the other. Woody was too small, so I ran below with the stroller. I want to ride it next time! They are up there if you look closely.

This is the Desert Dome, another indoor exhibit which was rather neat. They had outdoor animals, but I figured most of you had been to those.

This was towards the end of our visit, and it was a little hot in there. I have never been to a desert, but it sure made me think we were there.

It was a great trip and we highly recommend it to all ages!

It shares it's parking lot with where they play the College World Series. Ernie enjoyed seeing this, since he was a baseball player before he played soccer.

Memorial Day

2009-07-18T18:14:00.002-05:00

We went and saw a Memorial Day parade in Monona, which is a part of Madison. It was a nice parade, and we happened to pass a church that was having a Bouncy Festival. We all know how much Samantha loves Bouncy's, so we went right on over. We got there right when they opened, so she could go all over the place without waiting. She loved going down this obstacle course Bouncy.

She got her face painted by a rather older clown. I wish I would have gotten pictures of the other clown who was making "balloon animals." He was this clown's husband, and I am not quite sure if he had ever made balloon animals before this day.

Ernie got a hold of the camera and had a good time taking pictures of Woody. He loves to put hats on him, especially whenever they are from a team in Philadelphia.

Woody and his "hair!"

Over 208,000 Brats at Bratfest 2009

2009-06-04T14:07:00.006-05:00

Memorial Day weekend is a big deal around here with the annual Bratfest. They wanted to beat last year's consumption of a little over 198,000 brats consumed in 3 days, and they succeeded with over 208,000. It was rather interesting to see so many brats at one time, and the numerous grills they had going. They have a little fair with it, bands, kayaking on the lake, and anything else they can jam into the day. All the profits go to charity, so at least it is for a good cause. Here is the official weiner mobile picture that we downloaded from their site. Samantha had a good time putting magnetic toppings on her pretend hot dog.

Woody hung out in the baby jogger all day and just people watched as usual.

Samantha had to go on the princess bouncy. If there is a bouncy, she will be bouncing!

She rode the Dragon roller coaster with daddy and had a great time. She has no fear and wants to ride anything that we will let her. She rode the spinning strawberry with me, and enjoying going as fast as we could. Ernie wouldn't have let me go that fast if he was with us, so I guess she got that gene from my side of the family.

Here is the enormous grill where they do a lot of the brat grilling. I couldn't get it all in one picture.

Here is Samantha decorating her hot dog. Cheese was the final topping for her masterpiece.

On our way out, Samantha posed for a quick picture. We tried to run her ragged.

My sole purchase was a brat grocery bag. It was only a dollar, and Samantha likes to remind you about Bratfest every time she sees it.

She had a great time and wants to go back every year. Maybe she will eat a brat one of these years.

Mission accomplished, Samantha actually wore herself out. I wish you could see the drool going down her chin. Next year they want to have 210,000 brats eaten in 2010. Wisconsin knows how to have a good time;)

Enjoying the Outdoors!

2009-06-04T13:54:00.002-05:00

We get outside whenever we get a chance. We really enjoy going to all of the parks in our area, and downtown. We are still figuring out all of the things to do around here, but Samantha does not seem to mind. She likes walking on walls and anything that involves movement. She enjoyed her natural smoothie sitting in the bus shelter. Ernie went in to Starbucks to get us an iced coffee.

They both enjoy to swing! Woody will hang out in the swings all day, and Samantha tries every stunt imaginable on them.

I try to get Woody to wear a hat, but he has no part of it. He wore it for about five minutes on this day, but then it came flying off.

He looks like a little old man in this picture. Just sitting here eating my cracker!

Madison Sunday

2009-06-03T09:01:00.002-05:00

We have gotten into the habit of going downtown on Sundays. Samantha likes to walk to the Capitol, and play drums at the make shift drum circle. Woody always just goes with the flow. Here is Samantha being her little hippy self. She wants to go to the drum circle every Sunday, and we get some very interesting people watching done. Ernie wants to get them to some of the soccer matches, so we will probably be seeing more of the drummers.

Samantha got to pet a St. Bernard on this walk down State Street. I have seen more of those dogs up here than any other place that we have lived. Of course, everybody had to tell us that she should just put a saddle on the dog and ride it!

We happened to find this bike race around the circle, which lasted all day long. One of the workers said that they started at 9:00 in the morning, and a different group went every hour. They ride for 45 minutes, and then finish to see who won. We got dizzy just watching them go around and around and around.

Samantha loves to run up and down the steps around the Capitol. She decided to do a little dance to the race announcer.

Fair Rides

2009-06-02T13:55:00.003-05:00

We couldn't hold off Samantha for the Boardwalk, so we stopped by a little fair and let her ride a few rides. Of course she wanted to ride the crazy rides, but she settled on the ones more her speed. We took a picture outside of this concession stand and both children could not take their eyes off of the rides. She said the balloons were her favorite! Ernie and the operator told her just to hold on to the outside of the car, so you can see that she never moved an inch. I wish she listened this well all of the time.

She really liked the motorcycles, especially when they popped a wheely. I am sure we have a daredevil in our future.

Our standard Woody picture: happy and chill. He had a fun time people watching,

The airplane was fun, but I think a little too tame for our princess. Don't get me wrong, she would ride it over and over if we let her. I am sure she is going to have a lot of fun when we make it to Ocean City in June.

Little Miss Helper

2009-06-02T13:31:00.002-05:00

Samantha really likes to help in the kitchen now. She has always enjoyed it, but wants to be in the center of the action at all times. We made cookies on this day just to keep her busy. You cannot see all of the cookie dough on her nose. This is her getting caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. She still has not figured out how to be sneaky.

She always has to run to put her apron on before she does anything in the kitchen. This was the reward she was waiting for the entire time. She likes this part more than the finished product.

Testing Round #2

2009-06-02T10:23:00.003-05:00

Woody went for testing #2 after the first test just showed that he had reflux. He had to have a tube put down his nose that went into his stomach, which tested his ph levels. I am very glad that we never had to do this with Samantha because she would have had that tube pulled out in a matter of minutes. Woody did a very good job, and never really messed with it too much. He was in heaven because I had to hold him for most of the day. This is a picture I took right after I was able to remove the tube, he was rather happy. Samantha was a very good big sister and helped in every way that she could. She is a little too used to going to the hospital, and thinks we need to go there all the time now.

Here is Samantha being goofy. We are still finding the right places to hang all of the pictures, but she enjoys looking at them.

Here is Woody with his tube. The little velcro things on his arms were supposed to keep him from pulling it out. The nurse called them no-no's. It was a little funny and sad watching him try to operate with them.

He needed some rest when we left the hospital. It had been a very long morning!

He still is happy going to the park, and Samantha is starting to see that he may be able to play with her some day. He just needs to figure out that it might be fun to crawl or walk.

Samantha enjoyed the grass a little more than Woody. Nothing seems to bother her, but Woody will let you know if he is unhappy.

Madison Farmers Market and Union

2009-05-30T07:39:00.005-05:00

We spent the weekend enjoying all Madison had to offer. They have a great Farmers Market that is located around the Capitol square. I am sure we will be visiting it whenever we are around on a Saturday. The UW Union is also a fun place to hang out on the lake. It is always crowded with people enjoying the day, and the sell a lot of beer! Samantha likes to sit in the "big"chair. We have even seen wedding couples get into the chair for a picture. We stopped at Ernie's office before going to the Market. He had to meet a recruit, and Samantha likes to go up to his office whenever given a chance. It has a long hallway for her to run.

We took a little break on the Capitol steps while walking around the market. It was very busy, but you cannot tell from this angle.

There was also a big block party that was held on this day, which is basically the student's last big party before finals. Of course we checked it out, which was very interesting to say the least. Let's just say we were the only with kids walking down the street and not carrying beer. This was taken around 1:00 PM.

Samantha loves to tell Bucky Badger hello. This one is located outside a local place to eat on State Street.

Woody is just being his lovable self. He had a busy morning of college girls hitting on him.

Woody: Round 1 of Testing

2009-05-29T16:32:00.002-05:00

As many of you already know, Woody has had some stomach issues since he was born. When we took him to his one year old checkup, he was not even on the charts in the weight department. He started taking medicine for reflux, and then the testing started. On this day he went to the UW Hospital and under went X-rays. He did a very good job, and was his chill self. They came back as reflux, so bring on round 2 at a later date. He had to put on a little hospital gown, which was kind of cute and sad at the same moment. He didn't care since there were two female nurses watching over him. He is a ladies man!

We went to the Children's Museum afterwards for a little fun. It is a nice museum, but probably a quarter of the size of Birminhgam. They are opening a new one next summer, and I am sure we will be visiting both of them as much as possible.

Samantha enjoyed the construction site, and remembered to wear her hard hat.

This was the shadow room, which really could not be captured with a camera flash. This was her favorite part of the museum, and we stayed in this dark room for a long time.

Weekend Trip to Ohio

2009-05-29T14:33:00.002-05:00

Ernie had to go recruiting in Ohio, so we went and spent some time with Grandpappy, Gramma Donna, Aunt Darcy, and Katharina. Samantha and Woody enjoyed the extra sets of hands, and Baxter was able to come along with us. We never can get everyone to look at the camera at the same time, so this is as close as it gets.

Woody and Samantha liked being around Katharina and Aunt Darcy. I am not sure how Samantha is going to take it when we go back and Katharina is back in Germany. I have a feeling that she will not quite understand what a foreign exchange student is!

Of course we fit in a visit to Schmidt's, our favorite German restaurant in Columbus. It was just as good as any other visit, and Samantha managed to make friend's with a little boy.

Madison During the End of April

2009-05-22T21:59:00.003-05:00

Ernie has just as much fun at the parks as Samantha. I am not sure if he knows that he is a little big to be riding that horse. Samantha enjoys having a partner in crime. Woody in his favorite element: the swing!

We stopped at one of the parks on the way to Ernie's office. This is a good view of downtown from the edge of the lake. It is very interesting how the downtown rests between two very large lakes. When we first moved here people were ice fishing on this lake. It is funny how it changes so quickly in a month.

It can also be very windy up here, and the waves were crashing on this day. I was a little nervous Samantha was going to wander into the lake. I think she even knew that it was not a good idea.

Nothing like killing two birds with one stone. It doesn't get any easier in my book than this:

Easter the Wisconsin Way!

2009-05-22T21:35:00.004-05:00

Aunt Kim and Uncle Brad spent Easter morning with us and then went back home. We didn't do much decorating considering we were still in the middle of unpacking. The Easter Bunny did make it to our house, and just decorated the coffee table for us with most of our decorations. He also managed to hide some eggs in the backyard, and Samantha was very happy about finding them. She was a little unsure of what was going on when she came downstairs in the morning. She almost acted like it was a normal day, and there just happened to be some candy.

Woody had a grand time with the soccer ball Easter eggs and ducks. Ernie is very proud of his ball handling skills at such a young age.

Imagine that, Woody is happy!

Here is what the Easter Bunny could do in a hurry. Maybe next year he will have a little more time and organization.

We went to a German restaurant for a Family style dinner. Samantha was breaking it down to the accordian player with our server. The still shot doesn't do it justice.

I didn't notice the Easter Bunny's "mouth" until I saw this picture. That just shows you how oblivious we can be sometimes. I just thought he as a little scary for an Easter Bunny.

Woody is already trying to steal his dad's beer. I guess he will be in the monestary while Samantha is in the convent during their teenage years.

Ernie had a nice Easter, he finally found the right size beer mug.

The blog has an interesting way of letting me download pictures, so this one is a little out of place. Samantha had to go everywhere in the backyard to find all of her Easter egg treasures.

April 2009

2009-05-22T16:33:00.004-05:00

We began the month with our first official University of Wisconsin soccer matches. Aunt Kim and Uncle Brad came for a visit, and got to see Samantha roll down the hill at the stadium nonstop. Woody hung out eating his crackers. Samantha can get into the freezer now whenever she wants. It is at the bottom of the refrigerator, so who knows what I will find her eating. On this day she had taken a frozen blueberry waffle out, and thought it was the best thing ever still cold.

I had to run around to find some Wisconsin t-shirts for the kids before the first Spring match in Rockford, IL. Samantha likes her new shirt, and Woody is just happy to be outside.

We went after the match to Chicago to help daddy recruit for the rest of the afternoon. It was very windy and cold. Samantha just perched herself on Ernie's shoulders, and he did his recruiting.

She has quickly learned how to catch a ride, and that the men seem to fall for it every time! Uncle Brad is one of the bigger suckers:)

Samantha's First Snow--that she remembers;)

2009-05-22T12:11:00.002-05:00

Samantha had a blast when it snowed for the first time. We definitely didn't have any of this in Alabama, except for the day we packed the moving van! She is tasting the snow man in this picture, she is one of a kind! She had a blast making the snow man, snow angels, and prints in the snow. It melted after a day, but it lasted long enough for her.

I forgot how much Baxter loved the snow! He may have been more excited than Samantha.

There are a lot of parks up here!

2009-05-22T11:48:00.003-05:00

We found a lot of parks around Birmingham, but there are many more up here in Wisconsin. There is one almost every 3 blocks in our neighborhood, which means 6 in a one mile radius! Once you get in the car, the number is endless. It is really nice since Samantha has no fear and loves to play at any park. Woody likes to swing and watch Samantha. There are four parks in just this one week of exploring our new surroundings. This is a park just down the road from Ernie's office. We find them wherever we go.

Samantha was trying to get a picture with Baxter, but he was not cooperating.

It is nice when Ernie can go with us, because it makes it easier to chase Samantha. She just keeps going and going and going!

This park is across the street from the Library, so we visit it once a week. It has some crazy equipment that I am not even sure how it supposed to be used.

Woody still only has three teeth in this picture, but notice in about a month he has all of them! He seriously got all of his teeth in one month. Maybe he is starting to catch up in his development.

Samantha is happy to have a garage and a sidewalk to ride her bike. We really didn't have a great place in Birmingham for her to learn, but she has picked it up overnight up here.

This was one of her first visits to a park just on our block.

This park is just outside the Speeddway hence the race car. She has a lot of fun "driving."

Woody hanging in the swing.

First Road Trip Back to Ann Arbor!

2009-05-22T11:23:00.004-05:00

In usual fashion, we hit the road immediately for recruiting. It was even funnier that we were headed back to Ann Arbor for the first time since we left two years ago. Ernie dropped us off at the mall while he went to "work." Samantha had a good time playing in the play area, and Woody just watched as usual. We were only there for a short stay, so hopefully we can see some more friends next time. Woody had his first mall cookie, and Samantha was happy to get a special cookie. Ernie and I let her "ride" these things, but we never put money in them. She is just happy to sit on them an pretend. Ernie will shake them sometimes to let her have the full experience;)

Ernie and Samantha at the indoor facility recruiting some fine young men for Wisconsin. We are back in Adidas land after 10 years with Nike.

Samantha is pondering what type of trouble she can get herself into next. You have to keep all eyes on her at all times.

There is our Woody, just happy to sit and drool. I hope he stays easy going!

Samantha and Woody still love eachother immensely. He thinks she walks on water, and she just loves to play with him. Who knows how long this will last?

On our way back to the land of cheese! I have a feeling we will know this trip very well in the next couple of years.

Woody's First Birthday!

2009-05-22T10:30:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, we spent Woody's first birthday moving to Wisconsin. We stopped in Muncie along the way and had a mini birthday party at Pizza King. He loved his cake, and shoved as much as he could into his mouth. Once we got to Wisconsin, he and I spent the whole night/morning in the lobby and figured out that he had Fifth's(a viral infection that you just have to let take course). I hope he has a much better second birthday! At least he won't remember being miserable on his big day. He still managed to be his happy self a few days later: This was our first drive around Madison. We spent the first couple of days in a hotel because we were painting a few rooms in our new house.

Grandma Susie and her grandchildren at Pizza King. Woody was beginning to get sick, but we all just thought he had a long day.

You can see how rosy his cheeks were because of Fifth's, but we all thought he was just not used to the cold weather. He still managed to eat his cupcake!

He had a Concannon's birthday cake since we were on the road. Next year he will get his homemade cake, but this one was still pretty yummy!

Last Days in Birmingham

2009-03-30T17:44:00.002-05:00

We spent our last few days packing frantically, and keeping Samantha busy as usual. We liked living in Alabama, and will miss the weather the most! Samantha and Woody were the last things to get packed.
Here are some of the UAB soccer players that helped us immensely with loading the truck! We could not have done it without them.

Nala loves to lay on Baxter, and snuck in a little nap while we packed. There was an episode with Darby, our other kitty, getting into the inside of a sofa. We couldn't tell if she was still inside, and then I began to panic that she was stuck. After some hours, I finally found her hiding on the front porch. I was very glad that she was alive and ok.

Woody opened one birthday present from Nana before we left. I am a little glad he won't remember the craziness. We plan on next year being as normal as possible, but you never know with this crew.

Samantha is very happy to be walking around in daddy's shoes. She did a very good job, and they are on the right feet.

Our Columbus Excursion

2009-03-30T10:10:00.005-05:00

We visited Grandpappy, Gramma Donna, Aunt Darcy, and Katarina(their foreign exchange student from Germany) the weekend before we moved. It was a little crazy, but it was nice to be away from all of the packing. Samantha, Woody, and I flew out of Birmingham on Thursday morning, and had one layover in Chicago. They both did very well in the airports and on the plane. Samantha had her own little bag to pull around, which helped with keeping her busy. The first flight went well, except for Woody falling out of his seat into the middle of the aisle. The second flight was much better, but of course I got a nose bleed. I always say we are like a circus wherever we go. I made Samantha go with me when I had to change Woody's diaper. It was a little crowded in the airplane bathroom!

This was our stop in Chicago. Samantha and Woody had a little snacky.

Samantha loved going on the people mover. We did it over and over until we were ready to board the plane to Columbus. I was told on our way home that I wasn't supposed to be on it with a stroller. If that person had only seen us this day!

Woody and Samantha loved the plane. She would watch her DVD's, and Woody fell asleep right before each landing.

We spent a little time at this indoor play area that is in a mall. Samantha needed to get her wiggles out, and I think some of the family needed a little rest. Woody was just hanging with Gramma Donna.

Samantha loved playing on all of the planets, which was the theme for the area. It was a little busy, but it was the weekend.

Samantha had a great time watching Aunt Darcy swim at her meet. She still talks about Aunt Darcy swimming fast. It was at The Ohio State natatorium, and we were there for most of the day. Aunt Darcy went on to win at the State meet for the fourth year in a row and got female swimmer of the meet. She will be attending Auburn next year, and we are a little sad that we won't be in Alabama to visit her. I am sure we will make it down there during her collegiate reign.

Of course Woody took a little nap during the meet. I put him under this little wall so no one would step on him.

Samantha actually fell asleep first, which is on par with her falling asleep during the circus. Maybe she would start taking a nap again if I made a lot of noise:)

This is everybody right before we left. Woody had a little medical issue while we were there, and we had to take him to the doctor. Both of his ears were infected, and his eyes were a little goopy. He came out of it pretty well, except for we are still trying to clear his ears up.

Grandpappy and Samantha in their winter coats. This was a little taste of what we were getting ready to move to in Wisconsin.

Samantha didn't get to spend a lot of time with Aunt Darcy ,since she was busy before the state meet. She attacked Katarina whenever she got the chance, and snuck a little time in with Aunt Darcy and her team mates.

Grandpappy took us to the airport, and we all crossed our fingers that Woody was feeling better.

Woody passed out on the second flight, and Samantha was fighting to stay awake. We made it home in one piece! Samantha now wants to fly everywhere, and swim fast like Aunt Darcy. It was a good trip!

Last month in Birmingham!

2009-03-30T09:08:00.005-05:00

We went to as many local parks as we could, so Samantha could tell them all good bye. We tried to prepare her as much as possible about the move. She did very well, but every now and then she wants to get on an airplane and fly back to Birmingham. We used to like to go to a restaurant on Sunday's because kids ate free. Samantha called it her "Cheese Taco Place," which is what she calls a cheese quesadilla. She was savoring her last bite: We loved going to this park in Trussville, and Samantha always had a great time. She actually let me get a good picture of her eating her snacky.

She climbed up the back of the sea monster, and we held Woody on the head. It looks like she is getting ready to attack a clueless Woody.

Woody and I were adorning our Indiana gear for the day. There will always be a little Hoosier in all of us.

Woody is trying to figure out how to get one of those water pouches. He still needs to work on making his way up the food ladder.

Woody liked hanging out in the whale. It made me a little nervous because he could slide through frontwards or backwards. We cannot wait until he can play with Samantha at the park.

Woody loves whatever Samantha is doing. He views her as his own personal show. She loves to play with him and make him laugh.

His hair still sticks straight up! I keep waiting for it to fall down, but no end is in sight.

Woody got a hold of Samantha's wand, and was not letting go. He eventually got it into his mouth, and then confiscated.

Samantha loves to play with her princess dresses, and then climbing on anything she can get her hands on. This time it happened to be daddy.

Woody had a long day at the park!

Samantha and I took one or our last walks down to the soccer field while Ernie was teaching a private lesson. She walked Daisy in her stroller, and I had Baxter and Woody. Samantha is showing Daisy her favorite graffiti along our way. We won't miss a few things about Birmingham.

This is a park that is part of an elementary school. We liked to go there because the one down the street was always crazy busy. Samantha was shouting something about the fire truck.

She liked swinging on this, which is meant for walking. Samantha marches to her own beat and don't you forget it!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-03-30T08:53:00.002-05:00

We spent Ernie's birthday at Outback, and to make a long story short we got a gift certificate for it being such a bad experience. It took forever to get a picture, because Samantha was not in the mood. This is the best one I got: This is a perfect picture of our "little lady!" She is picking her nose and letting everything "hang" out. Woody loved the buzzer and figured out how to get it in his mouth eventually.

Ernie had an indoor game a couple of nights before his birthday, so we went to watch the championships. His team won, but I didn't see much chasing Samantha around the complex.

Samantha is really watching her daddy, note the sarcasm;)

There is our happy little guy just hanging in the stroller. He is easy to please, sometimes.

The Circus!

2009-02-03T19:23:00.003-06:00

Samantha saw a billboard for the circus about a month ago, and has been begging to go ever since that day. We couldn't decide if we should go or not, but then we decided that if we got the cheap tickets it wouldn't matter if we had to leave. She was very excited and was in sensory overload. They let you go on the floor before it started to meet some of the animals and performers. Needless to say, it was pretty crazy! She tried on one of the outfits, but was still a little unsure of everything at this point in time.

She settled in pretty quickly, and wasn't even scared of the clowns. She even high fived one, and I must say it freaked me out more than her.

Woody was very good, and enjoyed looking at everything. He was his normal chill self.

It was hard to get her to stand still for just one picture. They had so much stuff that you could buy, but was sooooooooo overpriced that it wasn't even funny.

We broke down for one cotton candy, which was twelve dollars--yes, I said twelve dollars! She at least got this snazzy hat with it, and Ernie kept telling her that it better be the best cotton candy that she ever tasted. I didn't even want to know what a drink or popcorn must have cost. We saw one lady with five bags of cotton candy, and all we could think was that cost sixty dollars.

The show was interesting, but we must admit a little lack luster. People kept coming and going down the aisle, and anytime something good was about to happen the people in front of me would stand up to let someone in or out of their aisle. I thought Ernie was going to hurt someone. All of the dads looked totally bored, but most of the kids seemed to be enjoying themselves.

If it tells you anything, Samantha fell asleep about thirty minutes after it started. Only Samantha would fall asleep during the circus! Needless to say, we left at intermission.

Woody had a grand time, and stayed awake. He just sat there and watched. He had a little melt down, but he just needed the pacifier to suck on. Samantha did not want to go once we woke her up, but we knew it was in our best interest to leave early. Ernie says the circus that goes up and down the shore is much better. We will have to wait and see.

January Fun

2009-02-03T17:38:00.005-06:00

I had to catch up on the blog, so I tried to lump a couple of weeks into one long picture collage. Woody is sitting up like a champ, but is in no hurry to do anything else. Samantha is as funny as ever, and still has her little engine running at all times. She loves the library, museum, park, and JCC. She likes to sit in the front seat of the car, and discovered how to open the sun roof on this day. We have had some rain, when everyone else has had snow. She loves to wear her rain coat, and I only let her wear her boots on special days. She still has a little trouble walking in them for a long period of time.

She looooovvvveeesss Woody! She hugs him, lays on him, tickles him, and basically mauls him on a daily basis. You can tell he doesn't like it very much;)

She now thinks that she must wear a dress everyday! She loves this polka dot one, and I only let her wear it when the weather is nicer. She begs me every single day to wear a "pretty" dress.

We were in Decatur, AL, with Ernie for an ODP training session. I went on my normal mission to find a park, and I found this play area in a housing addition. Samantha was demonstrating "working out" in this photo.

This airplane was pretty neat, and was kind of like a teeter totter. I like Woody hanging out in the background.

Samantha still likes to help in the kitchen. She eats more than she helps, but still has a good time doing it.

She begs to wear her princess dresses daily. We usually get the trunk out right before we put her pajamas on, and this night she passed out in her dress. I didn't have the heart to wake her up, so she had a fantastic surprise the next morning. She was very happy!

She loves to change into all of the different outfits, and carries her wand around everywhere.

She enjoys climbing on anything, which includes daddy. She would climb up his back, and then he would flip her over. She did this over and over and over...

She likes to take her hammer and test everything. I asked her what her head was made out of, and she tried to figure it out.

Baxter had a rough day, and the cats decided to join him for a rest.

Woody likes to play with anything he can try to get into his mouth. This phone is very entertaining to him.

Don't tell Samantha that she is not supposed to eat popcorn until she is four. That could start a fight!

She still climbs into his crib whenever she discovers that he is awake. Once again, we probably shouldn't let her, but she is so quick.

They absolutely adore eachother, and I am not making it up. I hope they stay like this as long as possible. I know my days are numbered.

Some Extracurricular Activities

2009-02-03T17:09:00.004-06:00

We try to keep Samantha and Woody as busy as possible. She already likes to do all sorts of things inside or outside. We take advantage of the sunny days, and then have little things around the house that keeps them both amused. It also helps to have hard wood floors! She likes to push him around the park on the new paths they have just finished. She gets easily distracted, but Woody enjoys the break in the sunshine.
Samantha likes to push Woody in the stroller. She does a decent job since she can barely see over the top.

Baxter thinks he is a little boy, and was trying to go down the slide with Samantha. We get some odd looks from people passing by, but Baxter wants to play like the rest of the kids.

Samantha still asks to hold Woody as much as we will let her. You have to keep a close eye on her, because when she is done she just lets him go. He will end up being tough after all of her "lessons."

Woody thinks Baxter is hilarious, and Baxter could care less. It is fun to watch Baxter let Woody do whatever he wants to him, and I think Baxter is just glad it is not Samantha attacking him.

Ernie takes her for a "spin" around the house. It makes me laugh to see her in all of the "equipment" when she is roller skating. She keeps talking about wanting to go ice skating, but she is going to have to wait until the move up north.

She wants to roller skate whenever we give her the chance, and needs close supervision. She is very serious about it.

Samantha looks like she has played all day by the time the sun has set. She never stops, and lets you know it.

Woody likes to play with his train. He will sit on the guest bed and play for long periods of time. It is such a different experience to have a child that will sit and play with things. Samantha would have been off of the bed by now and climbing something at this age.

The New Year in Birmingham

2009-01-31T22:32:00.003-06:00

I am trying to get caught up on blog posts, so I will try to be as brief as possible. It has been a little chilly down here, but we still make it outside as much as possible. Ernie has been busy on a lot of the weekends, so we went and visited him at the soccer field. Baxter had a good time "racing" the golf cart, and Samantha had a good time riding. She loves to "drive" anything. Today was special because she got to sit on the golf cart without anyone messing with her. Look how happy she is:

She had a good time in the bleachers with daddy. The campers were inside the building listening to a talk, so she had free reign of the entire complex.

Baxter has been acting like a puppy lately. He usually will not step on anything metal for some odd reason, but on this day he was running all over the bleachers. Samantha had a good time chasing him.

Samantha and Woody like to go for walks in the baby jogger. Samantha will get out for walk breaks, but she lets me know when she wants back in for a "ride."

Samantha likes to hang upside down, which can lead to falling off of the couch sometimes. You would think that she would learn her lesson, but you all know the answer to that question.

Ernie doesn't like her getting inside of the trunk, so when he is not home she sneaks in it whenever she can. I asked her if she was in there, and she told me no. She then laid as still as she could, like I couldn't see her or anything!

Thanks to all of the family members that got Samantha "princess" items for X-Mas! She has to have her finger nails painted every day, and wear her pretty dresses.

Woody is just too cute! He has us wrapped around his little fingers. Samantha is even smitten with his sweet disposition. He sits up now, but is still in no hurry to do anything else.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T16:22:00.004-06:00

We hope everyone has a Happy 2009! We celebrated our anniversary on New Year's Eve and went to the Fish Market with Samantha and Woody. We made it to midnight, but went to bed shortly after all the fireworks stopped. We were waiting for our neighbors to set our 100 year old house on fire. Samantha had a good time playing with her princess treasure chest she got from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Jerry for her birthday. She thinks she needs to wear the dresses all the time now, so we have to take it out in spurts. She loves to dress up, but then she wants to go and roll around in the mud. She is a very special princess!

Woody took a little nap on the guest be in the late morning. He had a little too much fun bringing in the New Year:)

Samantha was practicing her wrestling moves on Woody. Sad thing is he likes it!

He will sit up for a little while, but then gravity begins to take it's toll!

Woody thinks Samantha is the best thing ever. She loves to kiss him and play with him.

After yelling help, I found Samantha in her room looking like this. She said the pizza attacked her.

Samantha got her corn on the cob at the Fish Market, and we had to cut it off after a valiant effort.

At least the sun was shining on our anniversary. Woody was happy to celebrate with us.

Samantha was ready to go out, but tried to not be recognized. She is a Diva in the making!

Zoolight Safari 2009

2009-01-06T16:07:00.003-06:00

We said goodbye to the last of our visitors, and went to Zoolight Safari 2009. We had planned on going earlier, but the flu caused everything to go haywire. We had a good time and it was free with our membership. Samantha could not wait to ride the carousel as usual. She is obsessed with those things. We were all very tired afterwards.

Woody had a good time sitting on Katie's lap before they left. He was very happy that she let him hold her camera.

Ernie decided to look as sketchy as possible in this photo. Samantha was not cooperating with the picture taking, so daddy helped with a smile.

We at least got Woody with Grandma and Katie. He doesn't mind the photo shoots, yet.

Samantha's 3rd Birthday!

2009-01-06T15:29:00.004-06:00

Samantha loves the holiday week, especially with her birthday three days after Christmas. She opened presents in the morning and in the evening, with a couple different wardrobe changes. She gets presents from family and friends all over the country, so she really is a princess for a day. I made her cake, and Grandma Susie decorated it. She wanted a rainbow fish, so we had to give the princess what she wanted. Next year we decided that it cannot be a fish cake again. She even got her own little carton of Haagen Daas Strawberry ice cream, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She blew out her candles as fast as she could. She was very excited for her rainbow cake.

Almost too cute to eat! It was very yummy.

She had to put her new rain boots on from Aunt Kim immediately. She also got a nice flower rain coat from Nana and Grandpop, and a light water proof lady bug jacket. She is ready for any type of weather now!

Everyone knows not to mess with Grandma Susie while she decorates. Samantha got away with a little more than the rest of us.

Who, me? I wasn't tasting the icing!

Grandpop got Samantha her first scooter, which she loved riding right away. It is the first things with wheels that she can move pretty easily without help. Thanks Grandpop!

Aunt Tracey got her a one cute birthday girl shirt that she wore most of the day. She had a great birthday and loved all of her presents from everybody.

Christmas, Take 2

2009-01-06T15:11:00.003-06:00

Grandma Susie and cousin Katie came down the day after Christmas. They brought even more presents for Samantha and Woody. Samantha loves all of the attention, and Woody is happy to be held even more. Grandma Susie was the lucky winner of the flu we passed around, and Katie somehow made it through without any sickness.Samantha got this sweater outfit from Aunt Kim and loves the butterfly on the pocket. She also got a light winter coat from Grandma Susie, because it does get a little chilly down here every now and then. We just don't need snow suits or boots.

Woody received his first Colt's hat from Aunt Kim and Uncle Brad. He already has the outfits and pacifier to match.

Samantha loves her bath towels, and was very excited to get a princess one from grandma.

She really got the knack of opening presents this year. She takes her time, but gets the job done.

Katie plays with Samantha, and they had a great time with play dough. You make something and Samantha destroys it.

Ernie loves this picture of Woody. He is ready for the Alabama sun! He is going to pick up some babes next time we go to the park. Everyone is already obsessed with his hair.

Christmas Day!

2008-12-30T12:03:00.005-06:00

We had a very nice Christmas! Samantha and Woody made it through all of the present opening with minimal breakdowns. They got all sorts of toys and clothes. Samantha got the roller skates that she wanted, but it will be a little while before she is cruising down the road. Samantha had many outfit changes through the day. She loved everything and wanted it right away.

Woody had fun with some of the wrapping paper. He was a good boy during all of the festivities.

Ernie received his Phillies hats, and one Auburn. He should be set in the hat department.

I represented Indiana with my new Colt's hat.

Samantha and her doctor kit. She was a little scared of the shot.

She loves her pajamas! She put the Dora nightgown on over her dress, and then was trying to figure out how she was going to get into her new elephant pajamas.

Woody received all sorts of lap time. He loved the attention and his aunt and uncle.

We kept Samantha as busy as possible. She helped open everybody's presents.

Samantha got her first pair of soccer cleats. Daddy is very excited that she will be able to play this Spring. Watch out Abby Wambach!

She was a happy little girl all morning.

Roller skate heaven! It didn't hurt to have a "little" help:)

She loves this fish magnetic puzzle. She has the fish gene.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-30T11:31:00.002-06:00

Nana and Grandpop drove up from Florida, and Aunt Tracey and Uncle Z flew in from Florida. Ernie had a stomach virus when they arrived, which turned into a full blown flu bug. It started with Ernie, and then Samantha, I, Uncle Z, Nana, Aunt Tracey, Grandpop, Woody, and Grandma Susie(in that order) all had the pleasure of wanting to die for the holiday. It was the worst bug ANY of us have had in many years, and that is all I am going to say about it. There was always one place empty at the table. Santa still braved our sick ward and was very nice to the Yarborough family this year. Nothing like hanging the stockings on the window for Santa. Samantha was very excited that Santa came down the chimney, moved the TV, and ate his cookies. She still likes to tell me about it.

Three Ernies: II, III, and IV

Nana, Grandpop, and Aunt Tracey enjoyed holding Woody. This was 24 hours before they were attacked by the bug.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-30T11:14:00.003-06:00

We were about two weeks behind this whole holiday, but we caught up in the end. We took the kids to see Santa the Friday before Christmas. They tried to deny us entry, but Ernie had a long talk with one of the elves and we made it. They both liked Santa, and Samantha asked for a rainbow. She is one of a kind! Woody's hair still sticks straight up and is everyone's favorite feature.

Samantha did a very good job with the tree. I keep waiting for her to get a little grabby, but she just looked and occasionally snuck a touch.

Grandma Susie got them matching pajamas, so we could not resist the photo op. Woody was ready to go to bed after we were done.

Woody is still a happy little boy. We think he is adorable, but we are his parents! Samantha still loves her little brother, and he definitely loves her.

Memphis Soccer Tournament

2008-12-13T14:57:00.007-06:00

We went with Ernie on a recruiting trip to Memphis. He watched the soccer matches and we kept ourselves busy. Samantha loves to stay in hotels and gets very sad when we leave. She used to try and escape from the room whenever she got a chance. She did much better on this trip with staying in the room. On the last day, we found a park that was close by and wore off some energy before the drive home. It is hard to get both of them to look at you at the same time! Samantha likes to look away at the last moment.

Woody got his first winter hat in Memphis. It was a little chilly! We still need to get him a warmer coat, but we have not needed it in Birmingham, yet.

Samantha likes to go down slides head first. She landed straight in the mulch on this go around.

They both still love each other a lot! We hope it lasts as long as possible.

Woody's hair is getting longer, but it still has a mind of its own.

Samantha is playing hide and seek with daddy. This is her hiding space behind the tree.

Ernie is now hiding from Samantha. It is pretty funny to watch the whole scene unwind.

Tag is her favorite game right now. She still is figuring it out, but she loves to "tag" you whenever she gets a chance.

Everybody needs a hot chocolate break.

A little help from daddy never hurts. She can do it by herself, but she knows a sucker when she sees one.

We walked around the tournament with the baby jogger. Samantha would walk and ride, but Woody used it as a good nap time.

She was very excited to wear her hat, scarf, and gloves from Gramma Donna. I had to keep my eye on her to make sure we didn't lose any of them.

She watched her Tinker Bell movie when it was time to relax. She carried the DVD player around with her all over the room.

Woody enjoyed his breakfast in bed while we were on the road.

Here is a good picture of Woody taking a nap. He passes out pretty well.

Samantha loves her reindeer she got for Christmas last year. Anything that makes noise makes her happy.

Christmas "Friends"

2008-12-13T14:20:00.004-06:00

I took out some Christmas decorations and Samantha thought I had some long lost friends for her. It was very funny to watch her talk to the figures! She told them that she liked their hats and scarves. She then hugged and kissed both of them. They are on the front porch and every time she sees them she greets them the same way. She loves her "Christmas Friends!"

She still is not sure what the stockings are. They make great mittens and ear muffs!

Samantha's First Movie

2008-12-13T13:05:00.005-06:00

We took Samantha to her first movie which happened to be an IMAX Christmas special. It was only about 45 minutes long, which was just right. She had a good time and stood for most of it. Woody had a bottle and was not quite sure what was happening. It is part of the McWane Science Museum, so we spent some time wearing her out before we ventured into the theater. We sat right beside the exit just in case we had to leave early. I am not sure if she could sit through a longer movie, but popcorn is always a good bribe! She loves popcorn.

She really enjoys building towers right now. She stacks anything that she can get her hands on!

Woody actually tried to play with a few toys in the play room. He is beginning to use his hands a lot more, but he still does not put too much effort into anything. Samantha was standing at this age, but Woody will occasionally roll over if he feels like it.

Samantha loves to play with this car at the museum. She is wearing tutu's one minute, then pretending to fix a car the next minute. She is very well rounded!
Woody is a happy boy! He loves to watch Samantha and laughs a lot. She makes us all laugh, which saves her from getting in trouble some times.
She is starting to play with more and more things at the museum. She had fun making shapes with her body on the screen
We purchased our tickets and got her to stand still for one moment.
She was very excited to see the movie. I bet we see it at least one more time before Christmas.

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-28T19:49:00.002-06:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving at home. Samantha ate her macaroni and cheese, but still is not a fan of mashed potatoes. Woody was happy to celebrate his first Turkey Day and looks forward to eating with us next year.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Autumn Fun

2008-11-28T18:49:00.003-06:00

Samantha likes to take her baby for a walk while I walk Woody and Baxter. She is actually pretty good at it, and we take long walks. She likes to wave and say hi to anyone that she sees. She has made a lot of friends along the way.

She thinks she is a rock star, and she acts like it! Woody just watches and laughs. He is very happy to have his own personal enterainment.

Samantha likes to find treasures when we are at the park. Acorns, berries, and pine cones are her favorite things to collect.

Woody is still happy most of the time. For some reason, night time is when we say that evil Woody can awake.

Having Fun in Birmingham

2008-11-28T18:39:00.002-06:00

Samantha is able to do more things everytime we go to McWane Science Museum. It is a great place to let her blow off some steam, and learn something at the same time. Daddy helps with anything that needs a little extra strength.

Woody still just gets to hang out in his stroller, but by this time next year he will be able to join in the fun.

He loves to pet the animals, and Baxter doesn't seem to mind. Woody is still not quite sure what all the furry things are.

Our three children:

8 Month Stats

2008-11-12T19:49:00.003-06:00

Woody had his 8 month check up last week. He is doing great! I cannot find the official stats, but I remember he is 17 lbs 13.5 ounces. He is tall, has a regular size head, and is on the bottom in weight. The doctor told us not to worry, he knows where he is headed. All four of us got our flu shots while we were there, and Samantha was very excited about her pink band aid. Woody does not go back until he is one. Here is a picture of Samantha in her big girl car seat. It is the first item that she has ever gotten that is pink, since we know she will still be using it when Woody is ready for a booster seat.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-12T18:03:00.007-06:00

We all had a very nice Halloween. Ernie was out of town with the team, so Nana and Grandpop came up to help. We carved the pumpkin, picked Grandpop up at the airport, and then came home to get ready for Trick or Treating. Grandpop brought Samantha a present, which is her new big girl car seat. Woody will be taking advantage of her old one. Samantha thinks that everybody that gave her candy is her friend. She still talks about it today, and thinks that it is going to happen again any day now. She was the cutest lady bug out there, and scored extra candy. We were able to get ahead of the crowds, and it made everything go rather smoothly.

Woody loves to be held! He doesn't care too much about moving on his own. Samantha was standing by now, but Woody seems to be in no hurry. He knows he has it good!

Grandpop helped Samantha open her present. He put a mask on and told her a scary man brought it to her. The mask was black with crazy hair, she did not like it very much. She will tell you that the "black" man gave her the present. I have to explain the story to anyone she tells.

She didn't like the guts very much, which I thought she would love. She has her little girl moments.

She would not let go of her "bucket" as she called it. She was not about to let anyone take her candy.

I slipped into one picture on our quest.

Woody was the happiest and cutest giraffe in the neighborhood.

Woody escaped from the stroller for a few houses. They both wore Grandpop out!

Woody enjoyed the scene with Nana in the street. They block off an entire street, so it makes it easier for everyone. We saw everything imaginable walking around that night.

We got a good picture with Woody and a 2008 pumpkin. We will have to look for the 2009 one next year!

Week Before Halloween

2008-11-12T17:28:00.006-06:00

As usual, our week before Halloween was full of soccer and getting some fun things in for Samantha. We painted our little pumpkins and made some Halloween decorations. Samantha could not stop talking about being a lady bug for Halloween and Woody would be a giraffe. She was also excited that she was going to get candy. The soccer season has been a tough one, but we still showed up to every match. We are known in the stands because of Samantha's "activeness." Woody's hair still sticks straight up with no end in site. He was able to show off his skeleton hoody during the soccer match. It was actually a little cool for the south, and we had to wear some coats.

Samantha decided that she needed to wear sunglasses during this match. She is one of a kind!

She enjoyed painting the pumpkins. We made one ghost, one kitty, and one was just all sorts of colors. She was very determined and did a good job.

Woody enjoyed watching from his chair. I am sure it will be a lot more exciting for him next year.

Samantha loves to go to Whole Foods because she gets to drive the cart. We stopped there for a few things, and let her go crazy. They had this painting outside the store, so we had to get a picture.
"I see you!"
Some fans that come to the soccer matches brought Samantha a balloon animal dragon. They got it at a volleyball match and kept it for her. I am not kidding when I say everyone knows us from the matches. I am in so much trouble when Woody is mobile! She made it on the field for the first time this year during the Kentucky match. I was chasing her with Woody and the assistant for Kentucky scooped her up. My favorite part was that she ran in front of all the players on the bench, and they just watched her like she was part of the match.

Halloween card

2008-10-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

We sent this to our family and friends, so I thought it would just be easier to post. We had a very busy day at the pumpkin patch and Boo at the Zoo. Samantha was finally wore out! We picked a nice pumpkin and three baby ones. I am sure I will get some pictures of Samantha decorating her baby pumpkins later this week. Boo at the Zoo was a lot of fun, and is a preview of how Halloween will be very exciting for Samantha.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

UAB Homecoming Week

2008-10-19T21:57:00.005-05:00

This week we spent some time down on campus for Homecoming festivities. I also got some cute pictures of Samantha and Woody at different parks. They truly enjoy one another immensely! Samantha is a good big sister, and Woody loves every little thing that she does.
We went to see the bonfire that they have for homecoming.

Ernie met up with some of the soccer team and we got a quick photo. The bonfire was huge and on campus. It did surprise me that they had this in the city. It was also very hot. Samantha now wants to go and see a fire every night. She doesn't understand that some events do not happen all the time.
Woody wore his little soccer shirt for the festivities.

Samantha just looked cute in this outfit, and you can almost see what she is thinking about doing to Baxter in her eyes (and his!).
Another park, another swing....
These signs were on campus and Samantha enjoyed looking at them.
At the soccer match Samantha took a little time to go for a ride on the stroller. I am known for the lady that chases her daughter for the entire match.

Daddy's home for Birthday Party #2

2008-10-17T08:56:00.005-05:00

Grandma Susie and Aunt Kim left early on my birthday, but Ernie returned from Florida around noon. We went to the "castle" park and played around for a little while. Woody was not in a big swinging mode, but we caught one picture.
Of course we had to have a party with Daddy, Samantha would not even think about not wearing party hats again. Woody looks like a little gnome.

Samantha likes to goof around anywhere, and so does her daddy.

These are two of her favorite things at a park: a tire swing and horse.

A good look at why everyone must comment on Woody's hair. We do not do anything to it, but many questions are asked.

Grandma Susie and Aunt Kim come for a visit

2008-10-17T08:37:00.003-05:00

Grandma Susie and Aunt Kim came down for my birthday weekend. We went shopping and Grandma spoiled everybody. Aunt Kim told Samantha if she wasn't good she was going to put her in a bag. Samantha said that she wouldn't fit, and then we showed her differently.
Grandma Susie is putting all that over time in to good use. Thanks Grandma Susie!
Samantha was all about a birthday party. She picked out everybody's hat color, the plates, napkins, and candles. She was very excited about a party!

Everyone in their party hats! Samantha was ready for the cake.
Aunt Kim snagged Woody's, which Samantha thought was funny.
Mmmmmm cake, or should I say icing.
Samantha decided to share part of her cake with grandma. Just a little icing is all she could spare at the moment. She was very sad to see them leave, and thinks they are coming every weekend. She loves to have visitors!

Weekday Fun!

2008-10-17T08:24:00.002-05:00

We went with Ernie to a park south of town while he watched a recreational youth soccer match. They had a beach volleyball court, which Samantha thought was the coolest sand box ever. It was hot out, but that did not bother her. She kept trying to give me some sand. She finally got a little tired and decided to take a break.
Woody is very happy, most of the time. He is always smiling, especially at his big sister.
Grandma Susie sent Samantha a dress in the mail and she just looked too cute in it. She loves to wear dresses one minute, and then roll around in the mud the next. She has no stereo type, which is a good thing.
I am not lying, this kid is super happy.

Our "Gameday"

2008-10-05T19:07:00.005-05:00

We spent the early part of the day helping Ernie get ready for the soccer game. Samantha, Woody, and I went on a walk while he set up part of the field. Samantha likes to play with Woody and "make" him happy. He enjoys it just as much as she does.

She discovered acorns and decided she needed to keep as many as she could find. She liked the hat on this one. She filled her pockets full of them, and then walked around all day holding her pockets so they didn't escape.

She helped Ernie carry around the corner flags, and told me that they were very heavy.
Ernie will have her on the maintenance crew as soon as she is eligible.
It was a hot morning, and they both worked up a good sweat.
Woody took a cat nap while they did all of the hard work.
Later that night, we put on our game watching clothes and got ready. It was a long night that ended in an overtime loss. At least Samantha wore herself out running around for two hours. She may run as much as the team does during the game.

Woody laughs at Samantha daily, and they enjoy each other immensely. We hope it stays that way as long as possible. She gets very defensive of him when other children want to see him.

Fall Fun at the Park

2008-10-05T18:46:00.004-05:00

Fall is a little different down here, but we still enjoy the season. We saw a lot of butterflies at the park the other day and Samantha had a good time trying to catch them. She did like watching them and seeing the different types. She loves the Hungry Caterpillar book, so it made the butterflies more interesting. The marigolds are very bright and thriving at the park.

It is fun to watch Samantha try and figure new things out. They would fly away from her when she got close, so she decided to stand still in order to watch them. I need a butterfly garden at home!

She still likes to climb and play on "her" bridge. She even likes to ignore me whenever possible. Needless to say, Woody is happy.
Looking down and figuring out if she can jump.
You cannot tell how high she is on this hill, or how steep it is. No fear for our little princess.
Woody hangs out and watches as Samantha enjoys the tennis bleachers. He will be knee deep in the action next year at this time.

Visiting Daddy's Work

2008-10-05T18:22:00.003-05:00

We had to go to Ernie's office, so we took some pictures of the kids having a good time. He gets Sunday's off, but still has to do a few things. We went to the women's game afterwards to let Samantha bounce on the bouncy. Woody is still pretty happy, even during teething.
Woody is quite the little ladies man. He is practicing his pose for when he gets oldre.
It looks like Woody is trying to escape while no one is looking.
Everyone enjoying a break on the bouncy.
Samantha loves to be upside down. She is definitely one of a kind:)

Samantha singing to Woody

2008-09-21T23:09:00.003-05:00

Samantha likes to sing to Woody. I tried to catch her while she was doing it. She also likes for you to clap afterwards, and then she says, "Thank you, thank you, I appreciate it!" I will have to try hard to get that on tape.

Hanging out at UAB

2008-09-21T22:35:00.005-05:00

We walk down to campus a lot on the weekends when Ernie is gone. Samantha has room to run and many things to keep her busy. She decided to take any of the floating trash out of the fountain and throw it away in the garbage can--our little environmentalist! These signs are posted around campus, and Samantha thinks they are her own personal play toys. She likes to climb through the middle of them and pop out the other side.
She said she was working out in these pictures. She is getting better at balancing and runs on the little wall from end to end.
She tries to blow bubbles, but still needs a little work.
Woody likes to nap on our walks. He is pretty chill.
Ernie's friend Alex came to visit for the weekend and ref a match. We have actually had other visitors, but for some reason I didn't get any photos. The season really catches me off balance at times.

Samantha managed to get a free piece of pizza. She loves pizza!
She likes to play with her animal magnets on the refridgerator. We should probably get her more, but we gate the kitchen off a lot. She loves to get into fridge and take out whatever she wants.
Woody laughs when Samantha plays with his toys. She get more enjoyment out of them than he does.
Samantha loves Mexican food, and the waiter cannot get enough of her. I took her there for a special treat, and they decided to put this hat on her. She was very excited, but told me it was very heavy:)

Everything falls behind during soccer season!

2008-09-21T21:14:00.005-05:00

It is hard to keep things up to date during the soccer season, but I have tried to play catch up. Some of these pictures are on the Smilebox's we sent out. Ernie has been busier as usual, so we try to wear Samantha down daily. Woody is growing like a weed and is still happy. His lower teeth are beginning to poke through, which can make him a little crankier at times. Samantha is getting funnier everyday, and is definitely one of a kind! Samantha likes to paint with both hands. Maybe she will be an artist someday with her own style.
She loves to try and drive the car. Whenever she gets a chance, she hops into the front seat and steers like crazy.
She loves the soccer ball and net. I think Ernie has already brain washed her.
She loves to sit in the ticket booth and play. It helps the second half go faster, and I do not have to chase her as much. She still loves to hold Woody and love on him.
Woody is sporting his Bob Marley onesie. We actually won that day, so he may have to start wearing it a lot more.

We try to squeeze in swimming whenever we get a chance. The outdoor pool is only open on the weekends and is a little chilly. They do not heat the pools down here! We will be moving into the indoor pool as the fall gets closer.
Woody found a spot to rest at the McWane Center. We try to use all of our memberships as much as possible.
Samantha likes to climb into Woody's bed whenever I am not looking. He likes it, but I get a little worried she might accidentally hurt him.
Woody and Samantha love Baxter! He is the best dog for two little kids, and never gets mad at them. Samantha gives him a hug and kiss every night before bed.

Happy Grandparent's Day!

2008-09-07T18:24:00.003-05:00

We sent out a little card for Grandparent's Day, and thought we would share it. UAB won their soccer match in overtime, so it was a good day in Alabama. Hope everyone else is doing as well as can be:)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Anniversary Grandpop and Nana!

2008-09-03T16:43:00.004-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We sent Grandpop and Nana an anniversary card, and thought it was a nice little addition. You can see that Samantha is still in love with Woody! I now have to make sure she doesn't go in Woody's room while he is napping, because she climbs into bed with him. She never climbed her crib when it was hers, so I guess I should be thankful for that. The only good thing is that she doesn't try to climb out, yet:) She graces us with "new" tricks daily. I am scared to think about how Woody is going to out do little miss Samantha.

Zoo Day

2008-08-26T16:34:00.002-05:00

After our daily visit to the JCC, I decided to take the kids to the zoo for some afternoon fun. Samantha jumps into the front seat whenever she gets a chance, and then turns up the radio to dance. I get some odd looks at people when she is doing one of her performances. We packed our lunches and ate outside the zoo before we went in to play in the fountains.
She likes to stand on the fountains and just look around at everybody.
We always have to stick our head through the giraffe picture.
Woody had a good time watching everybody. He will be running through the fountains next summer!

Around the House

2008-08-26T16:19:00.002-05:00

We have been hanging around the house a little more lately due to the nice down pour of rain. It is also easier with Ernie being more involved in the soccer season. Samantha is trying to ride her bike more daily, but she still needs some help. It is so hilly that she ends up going the wrong direction. Who needs a pool? Samantha is quite amused with her "floatie."

Woody has begun to practice his soccer skills. Samantha and Ernie keep him busy with his own little ball.
He is learning to use his hands more and more. He may be goalie bound after all:

Woody's first bite of "baby soup"

2008-08-19T09:30:00.004-05:00

Woody had his first taste of real food this past Saturday night. Samantha calls it baby soup, and he did a pretty good job. He still got more on the outside of his mouth than on the inside, but he seemed to like it. Samantha wanted to help the whole time, and was more excited than Woody at times. I catch her trying to feed him her snacks all the time, so who knows what he will be eating in the next couple of months.
He was a little unsure at first, but started to enjoy it towards the end.

A Week without Daddy

2008-08-16T19:56:00.005-05:00

Ernie has been busy with preseason, so we only see him right before bedtime if he makes it home in time. We have been keeping our normal schedule with some extra play time to try and wear down little miss Samantha. Samantha is enjoying her baby toys the second time around while Woody is beginning to figure out how to use his hands. These two pictures crack me up, because they both have the same expression a couple of seconds apart.
He tries to fit his fist in his mouth at all times. I keep thinking maybe he is teething, but I am starting to think he just likes to chew his hand.
Max and Ruby is enjoying for the both of them. She tries to include Woody in her favorite things.
Samantha just needed a little rest during swimming, and Woody was happy to help out. She loves to lay by him, wet or dry!He likes to stick his tongue out when he is super happy.

Just marching along through the middle of campus. She is getting practice for 16 years from now.

Here is a perfect example of how well Samantha listens sometimes.

Don't stick your hand in the fountain:
OK, let me rephrase it--don't stick your hands in the fountain:
Have you ever heard that joke, can you hear this? Then turn it up--I am not going to explain it, but this picture makes me laugh.
It is time to head back up the hill, so back in the jogger goes Samantha. She had a good time running around campus looking for daddy--she thinks he is everywhere.

Woody's hair is the talk of anyone that gets near us. It sticks straight up into a mohawk. You can kind of see it in both of these pictures. Even the children come up and ask me why his hair does that. He has a head full of hair, just baby fine and white!

Baxter and Samantha needed a little rest after our walk around campus.
At least Woody still naps, but I would be much happier if Samantha would join him.

McWane, again

2008-08-08T23:52:00.003-05:00

We went to McWane Science Museum the other day for something different. I am beginning to phase the outdoor pool out of the equation, since they will be opening later in the day when school starts. We will still go swimming, but it will be a whole new schedule. We like going to the museum as much as possible. We are members, and it is a great place to let Samantha go wild. It was my first solo visit with Woody and Samantha, so I didn't let her get too crazy. She loved this new exhibit, which I have nicknamed the world's biggest Lite Bright. I am not sure if they even make them anymore. She spent a lot of time at this broken car. She was practicing for her time she spends with Uncle Brad. He still needs to help her with what goes where!
Woody had a good time, even when Samantha found a book to read. She tries to keep him involved, and he just smiles.

She was torn between post woman and grocery clerk, so why not do them both? She had a good time with everything she got her hands on that day.

This will probably be one of the last posts before the soccer season begins. We are getting ready to eat, breathe, and live Men's college soccer for the next few months. Samantha has already been practicing her touch on the field, and loves the soccer players.

Home

2008-08-08T23:20:00.003-05:00

We finally made it to this Farmer's Market at Ross Bridge this past Saturday. It is a small affair, but it had a bouncy. Ernie wanted to wear the Bjorn, and I was happy to let him. It was one of those days that you just sweat looking outdoors. Samantha can hold her own in the bouncy. The big kids get all crazy, and she could care less. It does worry me a little that a broken bone could occur, but she loves it. It was on of the cuter bouncy's that we have seen. They are at every event down here.

We bought this easel at IKEA, and it has been a big hit. Samantha wants to paint daily, and the other side is a chalk board. She is a "Jill" of all trades.

Can you see Tyrone playing soccer? What? That is the picture she is painting, but it turned out to be a work of art. Who knows what she has in her future?
Woody just laughs at Samantha all the time. Even an afternoon snack of grapes is amusing. Baxter is used to it all and enjoys no one climbing on him at the moment.
Ernie is trying to get Woody ready for his first soccer season, but the hat is still a little too big. If only Woody knew how the Fall is going to play out. Go UAB!!
Samantha at her finest. Right when she is being as naughty as can be, this is what you see:

Atlanta in a Nutshell

2008-07-30T19:10:00.007-05:00

Here we are at the park again, and Samantha is trying to spin until she falls. We had a good time in Atlanta, and I am sure we will go back for other trips. We want to go to the aquariums in Baltimore and Chatanooga next. They seem to be the best things for the younger children, especially if they love fish like Samantha. She keeps asking me to go see the "fishies" and stay in a big hotel daily. We will not be surprised if she becomes a world traveller when she gets older. It was very hot out, so Samantha decided she needed to be carried. I was just ready to find some air conditioning.
Ernie takes Samantha for rides on the luggage cart. I am sure that it is probably not a good idea, but we all know how that goes.
We even found an indoor play land at a mall for Samantha to enjoy. She would have stayed there all night! I wish we had one of these around here for when it is too hot to play outside.
We made a stop at IKEA and got the children some things. Samantha loved this bed and laid down for a nap. If she only would do this in her own bed, but she has still given up naps since her paci's went away.

Of course we had to swim in the hotel pool. I actually took a little time off and stayed upstairs to feed Woody. Ernie got the enjoyment of chasing her in and out of the pool. "Look mommy, I swimming," is what she said about 100 times.
There was a Black Arts Festival while we were there, so we went and found some things to do with Samantha. There were a lot of people there!
They had all sorts of booths for the children to enjoy themselves. Samantha is painting a soccer ball on this poster.

Ernie helped Samantha make a fan at the Trinidad Tobago tent. She liked looking at all of the carnival outfits.

This spinney chair was her favorite thing at the park. It would spin with no help and she would get very dizzy. Ernie tried to stay close to try and catch her when she would start to fall off. The drums are her favorite, so when the park had some she had to go and investigate.
She loved this slide which was made of rollers. She even tried going down on her belly at one point.
Here is how Samantha dresses herself:
Here is what she is supposed to look like:

Georgia Aquarium

2008-07-29T16:49:00.006-05:00

Samantha and Woody already know how to travel in style. They both love hotel rooms, and Samantha wants to go back daily. We went to the Georgia Aquarium for a little vacation stop. We stayed downtown and then walked to the the sites. Samantha calls the Cracker Barrel, "Checkers!" She even tried to bring one home, but Ernie discovered it just in time. Woody liked laying on the bed. He is always happy when he can stretch.
She loves to play with Woody and make him smile. She has even tried to start and sneak him food.

We are just leaving for the aquarium. We are hoping to actually wear Samantha out.

These are the first fish you see when you enter. Samantha enjoyed watching them swim by her face.
Woody actually liked watching all of the fish in the enormous tanks.
The tunnel that goes through the tank was one of the most impressive parts of the aquarium. We went through there a few times and got some neat pictures of all the different species.
Samantha loved this window into the aquarium. She had a fit when she would have to wait her turn. She loved trying to climb up the window. I think she was trying to get into the tank.
Woody got a better view for part of his adventure. It was much easier to navigate without the stroller, and he liked looking at all the different fish.

Samantha really liked the aquarium, and I am sure we will be back.

This was the tank that had all of the tropical fish. She liked looking at the information board and then the tank. There were many "Dori's" swimming for her to see and point out. She will enjoy this more when she gets bigger. They can touch the fish that they actually see and learn something.

Woody is back in the stroller and exhausted. Ernie enjoyed putting stuffed animals on him while he was snoozing. Samantha is in heaven! A mermaid that she can ride. Too bad it doesn't have wheels.

Just in case we couldn't see the fish, Samantha was there to help.
Woody has found a place to stretch. He is happy!

It is finally time to leave, and she still has energy. You could spend all day there and have a nice relaxing time. I think they both will enjoy it for different reasons whenever we make it back. I could use this sofa at home. It was rather comfortable!

Odds and Ends

2008-07-29T16:37:00.002-05:00

Nana and Phyllis came for a quick visit last week. It was so quick that we didn't get many pictures. They took Samantha to the Civil Rights' Museum, but they forgot to take pictures. Samantha loved the special attention and keeps asking me about Nana and Phyllis.
Woody loves to watch his big sister. I really hope he is not as active as her, but we all know he is taking notes. She is very entertaining to say the least. She still loves the park. We don't go as much in the summer heat because the equipment gets super hot. Some things are different here in the south.
This is what Samantha looks like when we go to the JCC in the morning. She has to carry her own little soccer bag, and look like the diva that she is!
Woody just looked too cute in his robe, so we had to take a picture. He looks like a little fighter.

Pool Time

2008-07-29T16:25:00.003-05:00

We go to the pool a lot, so I figured we would post one of our bigger days. I rarely take Woody swimming, but Ernie was with us on this day. We usually take him to the babysitting room, and then let Samantha go crazy for two hours. The Speedo swimming vest is the best investment of the summer. She spends time in the big pool swimming all over the place. She also likes to get out and play in the outside showers. Woody likes the water, it is just too hot to take him out very much. Samantha stopped for a moment to take a picture. It is hard for her to sit still, especially at the pool.

The pool toys are an added bonus. I usually don't take any because I do not need anything else to carry. She likes to use everyone else's anyway.
He is still a happy little boy, but we won't tell him about the matching outfit that he is wearing.
Samantha is obsessed with driving the car. It is a constant battle to get her into the car without a quick trip in the drivers' seat. She even puts my sun glasses on for show.

Saturday with Daddy

2008-07-20T20:32:00.002-05:00

Ernie actually had a day off, so we took the kids out for the whole day. Woody had on his doggie overalls, which are getting too small so we got some more pictures of him in them. He is very happy, especially after he has eaten and has a new diaper. Samantha is obsessed with carousels, so she managed to ride the one at the mall. She had to ride the horsie and then proceed to tell it hi and bye whenever we saw it again. We have to tell her that it needs a nap, or she wants to ride it nonstop.
She also likes the strollers that you can rent, but we make her walk everywhere in an attempt to wear her out. Once again we told her that they were taking naps and she could ride them in their station. If only she would take naps like the play things at the mall!
We ended the day at a park--surprise, surprise! This was the first teeter totter that she has ridden, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Woody is hanging out in his Bumbo chair and is too cute! He really is a good baby.

Samantha's Car Wash

2008-07-17T09:50:00.002-05:00

We got a car wash at the gas station the other night, and Samantha got rather scared. Of course we took pictures, and you can see the horror on her face. Afterwards she wanted to go again and now asks daily if we can go to the car wash. I don't get it...

Woody's 4 month checkup

2008-07-17T09:28:00.004-05:00

Woody is doing great! He is 14 lbs, 26 inches in length, and his head is 17 inches. His length is on par with Samantha, but his head and weight are below her big numbers. You can kind of see that his light hair is getting longer. Some people think he looks like Ernie and other say he looks like me. However, we all agree that he looks like a Fishback.

Here is the last picture of Samantha with one of her "paci's." In good old Ernie and Jill drama, we had a tree fall on the house Sunday and knock out all of the power for the neighborhood. The house took it very well, but we are glad that we are renting right now. The tree people said that since the house is so old it is built like a rock. We had to evacuate and stay in a hotel for safety reasons, but we were able to get back in the next day. Anyway, I told Samantha that the tree fell on her paci's and broke them. I gave her one that I cut the tip off, and then told her that I could not fix it. She actually rolled with it and we have been paci free. The one downside is that she will not take a nap now, and I have no clue how she doesn't run out of steam. If only potty training could have a solution like this! She is getting much better on the potty, but we still have some work to do.
Samantha still wants to hold Woody all the time, and now loves all babies. I am glad we do not have to deal with jealousy, yet.

McWane's 10th Anniversary

2008-07-16T21:51:00.001-05:00

We took Woody and Samantha to the Science museum for it's 10th anniversary celebration. It was very crowded, but Samantha still enjoyed herself. She decorated a piece of paper plate that they put on a dinosaur display. She did not want to stay still, and ran all over the place.

I got to hang with Woody while Ernie enjoyed chasing Samantha around the area for little kids.
We still had to go to a park afterwards, because she really never runs out of steam. Woody loves Samantha, and she is still in love with Woody. I am hoping when he gets bigger that they can wear eachother out.

July 4th in Indiana

2008-07-09T16:56:00.006-05:00

We spent the first week of July in Indiana while Ernie worked at IU's soccer camp. The kids and I went with Aunt Kim, Katie, Andrew, and Alicia to the Symphony on the green in Anderson the first night we were there. Woody is already showing his patriotism: There were a lot of people there, especially for a Sunday night. The symphony was really good, but the fireworks were a little cheesy. The best part was that there was a playground behind us that kept Samantha entertained for a long time. The only downside was that older kids thought it was a good idea to try and trample the little kids.

We spent a lot of the week at the playgrounds around town. Samantha had a good time playing with Andrew, while Woody chilled in the shade. There was a water tower nearby that had a Tiger on it, and Samantha absolutely fell in love with it. She kept telling it hello and that she was coming. She now points out water towers whenever we see one.

Getting ready to go to watch the fireworks in Muncie. They actually have a really good show that is choreographed to music on the local radio station. Ernie was pleasantly surprised. She looks so innocent, but we all know better. She still goes nonstop ALL of the time. It is a good day if you actually wear her out! Samantha has also begun to enjoy her independence, whether you are ready or not.

Woody has been hanging out in his Bumbo chair. He is still a very happy baby that loves to watch his big sister. You can kind of see his hair in this picture, which is still almost white. Here is his USA hat in the spirit of the night. He had a good time with everyone.

Samantha loves her cousin Jacob, and did not want to leave his side the whole night. She sat on his lap and watched the fireworks. She now expects fireworks every night, and loves to yell kaboom. Uncle Jerry took Woody duty during the show. Nothing phases Woody, not even 20 minutes of fireworks.

We had to wait for the shuttle to get back to the car. It was a good idea to take the shuttle, but not to ride it home. They only had two buses, which left us waiting for a long time to get back. We went to our friend's wedding in Bloomington on the last leg of our trip. Woody and Samantha stayed with Aunt Kim, and saw more fireworks! Ernie and I went to the wedding and had a great "adult" time. We saw many old friends and enjoyed our brief stop in Bloomington.
We got pictures of the bride and groom, but obvioulsy not at the same time. People do not age much in B-town!

Zoo Fountains

2008-06-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

We made our first trip to the Zoo fountains this past Wednesday. Samantha has a good time and loves to watch the older kids play. She just kept running in circles and trying to touch everybody. She fell once and all of the other mom's gasped. She bounced right up and kept on going, which shocked the onlookers that she did not cry. She is no delicate flower!
Here is Woody, gnawing on his hand. He is a little too young for the Zoo playtime. Ernie was said that he was not able to go for Woody's first trip to the Zoo, but I told him it didn't really matter since we did not look at any animals. All we did was play in the water, and that was enough.

They all like to sit there and wait for the water to pop up. Samantha hasn't figured out what they are doing yet. She will lay down beside them and just watch.

Woody has become a toy!

2008-06-27T21:50:00.002-05:00

I tried to fold some clothes, and this is what Samantha did to Woody: She then proceeded to grab his bottle and try to feed him. Notice the look in his eyes! I think he is starting to figure out that Samantha is going to be doing a lot to her little brother.
She is very proud of her work.
You would think she would at least try to put the glasses on straight. He could have cared less and she could of done anything she wanted to him. I know you have all seen the email picture of the baby that has been colored all over by his older sister. I have a feeling that Samantha will reenact that one for us all at some point in the near future.
We took a break from going to the pool and headed to one of our parks. The equipment gets really hot in the Alabama sun, so we went on a little walk. She loves bridges!

Swimming at the Pool

2008-06-27T21:29:00.002-05:00

Woody is a happy baby, most of the time. He loves to flirt with the women. He is getting more hair, but it is hard to see since it is so blonde. He acts like he is about to start teething. He really likes to chew on his hand. Here is Samantha giving me one of her looks. She is eating lunch at the pool, and would rather be in the pool. We are in so much trouble when she is a teenager!
Samantha loves to take other people's floaties. Even if she has the exact same one, she still has to use someone else's. She also likes to try and cheer up any child that is having a melt down in the pool, which is usually not what that child wants. It is like she is attracted to trouble and doesn't care.
She found a friend to join her in the "borrowed" tube. No, it is not his either. The two of them kept pretending to sneeze and bless eachother. This lasted for a long time!
Woody just needed to add one more picture of him smiling.

June in a nutshell

2008-06-18T18:37:00.007-05:00

We have actually been in one place for a little while, but still as crazy as ever! Ernie has been busy with UAB soccer camps, which means he is basically gone day and night. That has left me with some rather long days with the little ones--including Baxter. Baxter has had a little skin blemish for about a year, but the vet said not to worry about it. Somehow he irritated it, and all I will say is that it got rather nasty looking. I decided to have the vet take a look last week, which then turned into a long couple of days. We go to a country vet, which means he does not take appointments and is super cheap. He is 71 years old and curses like a sailor, but he knows what he is doing. He lays down on the floor to look at Baxter and then jumps back on his feet. He decided it was time to cut it off and scheduled surgery for the following day. Baxter got knocked out and ended up with 8-10 stitches under his front left arm. We go back next week to get the stitches out, which I am sure will be another "experience." I will try to remember to take pictures, because it is a very "special" place. Samantha, Woody, and I with all of these crazy old people and their pets sitting in one little room waiting our turn. Some lady wanted to pass Woody around like a hot potato last time. Baxter is doing fine and I will be glad when this is all over.
We have also been spending our time at the pool every day. Samantha and Woody go to the baby sitting room while I work out for an hour, and then I pick Samantha up to go swimming. We swim for an hour and then go back to pick up Woody because there is a two hour limit. We pack our lunch and eat by the pool. I then let Samantha play in the kiddie pool for about another hour while I sit by Woody. Woody goes swimming only when Ernie is with us, it is too much for me to deal with alone. We then take our showers and go home for naptime. All of that takes about five hours! It is a lot of work, but she loves to swim. She calls the baby sitting room her friends and is always excited to see them.
That is all we have been doing, and will hopefully become our summer schedule when we do not have other plans. I caught up with our pictures on Winkflash, if you want to take a look. We hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer.

Samantha, Woody, and I spent Father's Day at the pool. We thought about Ernie and walked his card down to the field at night. Soccer coaches do not get to enjoy holidays because there is always something scheduled. Woody is asleep in this picture. I laid him down on the guest bed and then everyone decided to snuggle up with him. They were all sleeping until I took the picture. They like babies that do not move or ride them.

Woody passed out after his first swim in the pool. He spent time in the kiddie pool and the big pool. I lay Woody down on his blanket when we walk to the park so he can stretch. Samantha has a good time trying to play with him.

Samantha thinks it is fun to wear her fish float out of the water. I do not take any toys when I go by myself. I already have my hands full without adding a floatie to the equation. She also likes to play in the lockers. I actually like it when she does it because I know where she is. Most of the time I am chasing her around the locker room wishing for the day she listens better. There are too many distractions and other girls around for her to stay still.
Woody just hanging out while we try to get ready. Can you tell he is still a sloppy eater?

Andrew's Graduation

2008-06-05T16:06:00.006-05:00

We went back to Indiana for Andrew's graduation and Open House. The kids traveled well in the car, which made me happy since Ernie could not go. They were able to see all of their family within one week down in Florida and now in Muncie. That does not happen very often with our crazt schedule. We got one picture of the whole Rollen side of our family at Andrew's Open House: All she needs is a mirror, a dog, and Uncle Brad's flip flops to find some trouble.
The happy family: Aunt Kim, Andrew, Katie, and Uncle Brad

Samantha got a quick hug from Andrew before he walked into the gymnasium. We stayed in the hall for everyone's enjoyment.
Gramma Donna, Grandma Susie, and Andrew a little too happy! I guess everyone was happy that it was over.
Katie and Darcy helped keep Samantha somewhat occupied while the festivities were taking place.
Andrew thanked everyone for coming. The Ohio crew had to leave after graduation because of their schedule. It was nice to see everybody.
We went to the Reservoir to feed the ducks. Kim and I were scared by all the crazy ducks, but Samantha wanted to get up close and personal. They were hissing and coming at us for more bread crumbs. Kim and I were laughing so hard that I couldn't get any good pictures with the ducks surrounding Samantha.

The play equipment out at the Reservoir is probably older than me, and just about as safe!

This is the newest park Muncie has to offer, and it was built when Katie and Andrew were little. It is a wooden castle, with many different places to hide.

Barney is 14 years old and Samantha thought that he needed some beads. Poor Barney is getting more fragile in his old age.
We went to West Side Park, where I used to play when I was little. Everything is still the same, and seems like a law suit waiting to happen. Samantha had no fear of the giagantic metal slides and the merry go round!

New Smyrna Beach

2008-05-29T10:55:00.005-05:00

We took our first road trip to Grandpop and Nana's house at the beach. Aunt Tracey and Uncle Z came down from Philly to meet Woody. We had a great time, and the kids got spoiled by all.
The waitress gave Samantha a pirate outfit, which she wore proudly. She even shared it with her daddy when we got back to the condo.

Samantha and Woody outside our "bricks" at New Smyrna. Woody is waiting patiently for his, but Samantha enjoyed stomping on her brick. As usual, Samantha had no fear of the ocean. The waves were pretty fierce while we were there, but that did not stop her.
Samantha spent some time with her friend Cole. Cole's dad and Ernie are good friends from high school. They just had a baby two weeks after Woody, and Samantha keeps asking about them.
We snuck out for a few adult hours one night. Ernie and Uncle Z posed for a picture while the band was blasting some cover song. We left just as the place began to get super crazy.
Samantha took a break from the waves and snuggled with Woody on a towel. I wish you could see her blue lips and blood shot eyes.

Samantha, Granpop, and Daddy went to "Fishstock." It was a fishing festival, but of course Samantha found something to ride.
Ernie got these Thing 1 and Thing 2 outfits for the kids before Woody was born. It was the only thing we had bought since we didn't know what we were having. They looked cute in them, and got many compliments at breakfast. Samantha wanted pancakes, so went went down to the Beacon to make her wish come true.

Grandpop bought them a fish balloon, which Woody and Samantha loved. They popped it before the trip was over! Woody loved his Aunt Tracey. He is already a ladies man! He did a great job and just hung out.

Woody likes to sleep with his daddy in the morning. You can see who he gets his sleep position from:
We took the jogger and got great use out of it. Grandpop took them on a walk on the beach and to the park every morning.

The Pool is open

2008-05-19T10:01:00.002-05:00

Samantha was very happy to hear that the outdoor pool is now open for the summer. She loves to swim, and the kiddie pool is just the right size for her.
It was a little chilly for the pool, but she and Ernie still had some fun. I stayed on the side with Woody, and decided that his first time in the pool will be on a much warmer day. The big opening is next weekend, but we will be in Florida visiting Nana and Grandpop. Woody will get his first beach experience and Samantha can swim in a heated pool and the ocean!