Let's go back...

So, I am just now realizing I have not updated in quite some time, so let's go back a little and do some catching up!

Every weekend, we watched the Gamecocks try to pull out a win - some times successful, some not. Here are the kids, cheering their team on.

If DJ and Dutch weren't home on the weekends, they were out hunting. Dutch has enjoyed going with him. Even if it's just going to the woods, he loves it! He comes home to tell me all about what he saw, how he sat in a tree and was really still and really quiet.

We visited the pumpkin patch with my sister and nephews. The kids had a ball and we brought home a few pumpkins too.

We dressed up for Halloween. DJ and I went to my sister's party dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Yes. Really. Dutch went with me to the costume store and picked out our costumes for us. Dutch and Lane went trick or treating this year and went as Buzz Lightyear and a cat.

Well, that at least gets us to Thanksgiving, which we spent in Florida with DJ's family. It deserves a post of its own because there are too many pictures to post!

Manners, Shoes and Such

Some funny things happening in our house lately:

-Lane throws about 2-3 temper tantrums a day - and by that I mean screaming/crying, throwing herself on the floor or sofa, running in another room to pout and cry kind of temper tantrum! And to top it off, it's usually over wanting a particular color juice cup that she didn't get, or not enough juice in the cup or the latest, not enough ice cream in her bowl. It's no surprise the little lady loves food, so it's no surprise that this is what the fits are over!

- Many of you may know that Dutch actually has REALLY good manners - better than most other kids and adults I know! He's always saying please, thank you, you're welcome, etc. The most recent is 'yes sir' and 'yes ma'am'. He still gets a little confused as to when to say them to whom, but he's saying them nonetheless. He also believes we should say 'yes sir' to him all the time, so be sure when you come over to direct that him as well or he may call you out on it. Also, if you're looking for reinforcement, he throws out "great job" about 20x a day!

-Both kids are talking and talking and talking! ALL DAY! I love it, especially since Dutch can be very quiet most of the time and Lane's vocabulary is growing so much! Dutch really likes to talk in the car and laying in bed at night. He'll call you out if you are "hmm"ing him along with his story. He knows/interprets that to mean that you are not really listening to his story and are not talking to him. Smart fellow! At night, I usually have to make him stop talking because some nights I really think he may never fall asleep!

- Lane and Dutch both love their shoes. Lane in particular, likes to wear hers all the time, whereas Dutch likes his "running shoes because they make me really super duper fast." Just yesterday those same running shoes that make him super duper fast caused him to run smack into a corner and split his eyebrow in two.

Some other things: they both have become attached to their blankets so I've just acquired two extras in case something happens to the others, Dutch is OBSESSED with Toy Story and dives on the sofa daily yelling" to infinity and beyond", they both love their daddy and beating him up, Lane loves to dance and "sing" - which is more like humming.

Lane goes today for her well check, so I'll post stats a little later!

Three's a Crowd

So, every night DJ and I battle with the same thing - who's going to lie down with Dutch until he falls asleep? I used to say that one of the best parts of my day was snuggling with my little ones, reading to them and sleeping with them, but over time that now requires much more. I still love doing that, don't get me wrong, but I'd also love "MY" time as well. When either of us goes to do the bedtime routine with Dutch, we end up laying in his bed for so long that either we fall asleep in there or we are so tired that we drag ourselves into our room and fall fast asleep - accomplishing nothing we had planned to and having no down time. I know many of my friends can agree with me here :)

Most recently, Dutch has wanted to have his blanket, two lovies, Woody and Buzz in the bed too. I mean, really?! As if I weren't crowded enough with you sleeping practically underneath me, now we really need five more things in here with us? Not to mention, when he wakes up in the middle of night and comes into our room he brings them with him to put in our bed - umm, nope, not happening! We (not really, we, more like I - my husband is snoring his face off and has no clue what is happening) have now started walking him back to his room so that he and I and all his belongings can get a little more shut eye. I guess I'll be sleeping with DJ again once my kids are grown and out the house!

On a side note, last night's bedtime routine reminded me just why I love it most of the time - Dutch told me I was his best friend and that he loved me to the moon and back. Melts my heart!

Back to School

I am so happy to be back to a routine and have the kids back in school. They went for their first day today and I am proud to say there were no tears.

Dutch was ready to go back- a few days ago, he saw an old picture of his class from last year that I had just taken off our fridge. I figured it was time to retire it to make way for his new class. When he saw it, he named them all and said "Those are all my friends. I miss them." It was really cute - and so, today, he got to see all of those old friends and some of which he is in a class with this year too.

Lane started in a new and bigger class this year. I thought she would give me a hard time this morning, but to my surprise as I put her down she walked over to where her "friends" were playing and only looked back for a second. She will be there three days - the same as Dutch - and they will both go to P.E. and music this year.

I hope they both have a GREAT year!

Kids on their first day!

This one was sent to me by Dutch's teacher - taken at school

Beach 2011

This year we went to Litchfield with my family for a week. We stayed on the creek, which was Heaven for DJ - and the boys liked it too :)

Lane really took a liking to the pool and the beach; in fact, she learned how to swim with her swimmies on, so it was much easier for me with both of them swimming on their own. Dutch went every morning with DJ to fish and usually ended up taking an evening boat ride as well. We all had a really nice trip!

My loves

Pop with the littles and Joseph celebrating his 6th birthday at the beach.

My sister and her cute little family

My three nephews and ALL the kids together

My sweet munchkin!

The boys on the creek

PRODOH proud :)

Beach bums

Lane and Dutch

I just realized that I never posted after taking both the kids for their check-up with Dr. Phillips.

Dutch - at three years:

Weight - 31 lbs., 7 oz. (46th percentile)

Height - 38.4 inches (68th percentile)

Lane - at 16 months:

Weight - 21 lbs. 4 oz. (22nd percentile)

Height - 31.3 inches (68th percentile)

My loves are growing so fast!!!

PRODOH shirts!

We are excited to announce that the PRODOH shirts are in!!!

DJ and Evan have worked long and hard to create a shirt for kids (12 mo-4T) that they can wear doing anything outside - playing, swimming, boating - really anything! So far, things are going great - we have sold some shirts on our website as well as some in a few stores. At this moment, we have shirts in Greenville, Charleston and the Myrtle Beach/Pawleys Island area. We are hoping to expand beyond those areas, but with anything it takes time, so we are trying to be patient. Please check us out on facebook if you haven't and "like" our page - and check out our website too (www.prodoh.com - it is a work in progress with a few minor glitches, but we are working at it everyday).

Thank you to everyone that has supported us and helped us along the way!!!

Summer 2011

We've been so busy this summer that I haven't found much time to post on the blog, so here is a summer recap leading up to our family lake and beach trip.

After coming home from Moab, we spent every weekend at the lake. I am not kidding. Up to the beach, we were at Jocassee or Hartwell every single weekend - most times just for the day with our fantastic neighbors, and spent the entire 4th of July weekend with lots of our close friends (including our great neighbors). The kids have had so much fun on the boat and in the water!

Here are a few pics of our weekends at the lake!

4th of July:

Big kids at the lake!

Little girls at dinner

Best buds - no smiles here...

Group shot!

Attempt at group shot

Showing off their PRODOH shirts!

Lake Jocassee:

Kaylee and Lane

Group shot

The three amigos

KT and I

Me with Kay and Lane

MegaJed Wedding Event - part 2

Sorry it has taken me SO long to post the wedding pictures. Our internet has been down almost an entire week thanks to these crazy storms we've been having. It is nice to be up & running again.

Anyhow, because I had so many pictures - and so many are so good, I couldn't choose which ones to post. I had to dedicate two postings to the great wedding of Meghan & Jed - ENJOY!

Mother and Daughter sharing that "moment"

The KISS

Mr. and Mrs. Wolfrom