The Jackson Four

Museum of life & science

2010-06-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the life & science museum in Raleigh & it was so awesome. I think we all enjoyed our time there. We were there for hours & didn't even get to see the inside displays. What a fun place!

The kids loved the dino trail. Maddie still talks about the dino's on the trail & asks questions about them.

A quick break for some snuggle time with grandma.

Tyler loved the area that taught you about wind using sailboats. He was really good at steering the big sailboats.

The outside music area was so much fun. Everyone got into the action! I think Stu had the best time playing here though.

It was such a fun day. We'll definitely we going back.

Tyler's room redo

2009-08-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

We've never fully decorated Ty's room since it was a nursery so we thought it was time. We wanted to make sure it was something he would like so we let him decide the theme. He & I looked online at tons of bedding sets & he fell in love with a pirate set. Stu decided it would be easier to just take the kids to grandma's & pop pop's & let me work on the room in quiet. It was tons of work but I definitely think it was worth it & best of all Ty loves it.

Here he is enjoying his new room. His favorite mural is this one of him & Alvin in the crow's nest. I painted the walls a lighter blue also.

Another mural. It's hard to see, but it says Tyler's treasure.

You can see the curtains mom worked so hard on. I told her I wanted to make something that looked like a sail with rope going through it out of a drop cloth. She totally pulled it off for me. So glad she was there to help or I would have never gotten it all finished.

This is a quilt mom made for Ty. It has pictures from his pirate party & all kinds of pirate flags.

A little fun time.

Tyler sleeps on the bottom bunk so I thought some portholes beside his bed would be kinda cool.

There it is, I still have a few small things to do but it's pretty much done. Maddie kept saying "ooh ooh let's go to Maddie's room". LOL I had to explain I only had time to redo brother's room this time.

Celebrating the 4th

2009-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

We left Friday night to head to Raleigh to spend the 4th with Grandma & Pop pop. We got there late, played for a while then headed for bed. Saturday started with bright skies, low humidity, and cool air. We loved it & headed outside for some playtime. Stu & pop pop took the kids to the park while grandma & I headed to the store to pick up some necessities for the grilling activities later.

We had some snacks & started the grill. Pop pop & stu were in charge of the grill while we got the sides ready inside. The kids loved running in & out.

A little tickle time with Grandma.

Man talk out by the grill.

Trying to quiz pop pop & loving that he can't remember.

Mmmm.....

The feasters. We're hungry & ready to eat. We had quite a set up & grandma decided to get out the china. It was a beautiful & delicious dinner.

After dinner, grandma & pop pop set up dessert while we headed down to the pond for a little fun.
It's hard for me to get shots of both kids looking at me but I'm always trying.

Our soulful boy.

The rebel.

We ended the night by driving to the end of the road & watching some fireworks. The kids loved them. The kids love going to grandma's & pop pop's they know it will be a fun weekend of playing. This weekend was no exception.

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

We really didn't have any plans for this memorial weekend, but it turned into a couple of fun packed days anyway. We started in Topsail with some giant inflatable slides & jump houses. Of course, the kids loved it & after eating some cheeseburgers we headed home.

Our next stop was the splash pad. This is a new spot the city opened last year but we haven't tried out until now. Most of the time, we had the place to ourselves. It's full of all kind of spraying water. The kids had a blast (so did Stu).

We ended up at Nash & Da Da's pool. It was a little cold 74 degrees, but you get used to it quick. The kids spent the entire time cannon balling in. Ty can finally walk around the shallow end really well by himself which is great. Maddie just likes to do whatever big bro is doing.

Maddie crashes

2009-05-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

Lately, we've been busy & it seems like we're hardly home at nap time. Unlike Tyler, who gave up naps as soon as he turned two, maddie still needs her 2 hour afternoon nap. So, she's been falling out all over the place. I'll look over & she's just out.

This is Maddie asleep in her chair at dinner. Nope, she didn't finish eating just leaned back & fell asleep.

Here she is asleep in a storage box.

Her favorite position seems to be this one. She's been leaning over the arm of the rocking chair & going to sleep. So, her feet are still touching the floor & her head is in the seat of the chair. I'm amazed at the places she can go to sleep. Tyler never did that, he just didn't sleep.

Camping out

2009-04-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

We've been talking about camping out & decided this weekend was the time. So, we got the tent out of the attic & put it up in the back yard. It was a brand new tent we've had for about 4 years but just never got around to using. The kids helped clear a spot for the tent. They were very excited about camping out.

This is where we started. A tent in a bag & no clue how hard it would be to get up.

We really lucked out it was a really easy tent to put up. It was about a 20 minute process from start to finish. Not too bad for some newbies. Of course, we had a lot of help too.

Finally, it was up. Of course the kids jumped in right away. Ty spent most of the day inside it arranging & rearranging his sleeping bag. He even set a place up for his water cup & flashlight.

Here they are getting ready for bed at 1pm. Yea right.

Now, we're ready. The tents up, beds made, dinners grilling, and night is falling.

My sweet boy finishing up a hot dog dinner. Thanfully, we had a little wind blowing so the bugs did bother us. It was a perfect night for camping.

Maddie getting ready for bed. She was concerned it was getting dark but was still excited about sleeping in the tent.

Tyler informed us that all camp outs have ghost stories. So he held the flashlight up to his face & told us a spooky story about a monster who eats
tents. It was one of my favorite parts of the night.

We made it. It's about 7am (which is our usual wake up time). Everyone woke up happy & excited to still be in the tent. It was a very quiet night except, of course, for Stu's snoring.

A little fun with daddy before we take the tent down. I think everyone had a good time. Stu & I discussed maybe doing it again soon. It was a great family adventure.

Beach day

2009-02-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

It was so nice Sunday that we decided to head out to the beach. The kids had been asking when we could go so they were excited about our trip. We packed up, grabbed some lunch, and headed out. It was nice out & the kids had a great time. Of course they ended up soaking wet so we didn't stay too long.

We took Alvin with us to see if he'll be going out with us this summer. He did a good job. He just wanted to check everything out so we need to get a longer leash.

We strapped the power wheel on top of the car & drove it down too. The kids love driving it all over the beach. The tide was going out so we found this cool little spot that was hard sand with water on 3 sides of it so they could just ride & ride.

Alvin is such a lap dog. He loves to sleep on someone. This was his favorite spot.

Oysters

2009-02-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

My dad dropped off some oysters for us. I'm not a big fan but Tyler & Stu like them so we set up the big pot.
Ty dove right in & started eating as soon as Stu could shuck them. He loves the big juicy ones. I don't know how he eats them that way.

Madeline's first look at an oyster.

She kept saying they were "ummy" but she only licked it. She would never bite it.

Stu did manage to get some in a pot for some oyster stew. Ty & Stu almost ate the entire pot when it was finished. Guess I'm odd man out when it comes to oysters.

2009-01-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

I was returning some emails when I heard a little mom help. I look over & this is what I see. We had been waiting on a lady to come look at the last puppy we're trying to find a home for. So, I never put Maddie down for a nap. I guess brother was a soft, warm place to snuggle up to. He was sweet enough to let me take exactly 2 pictures before he started moving & I had to grab her so he wouldn't wake her up.

Snow Day!!

2009-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to get a little snow here & it finally happened. We used to get a little dusting almost every year but for the last four years nothing. So, neither of my kids had seen snow except on TV. I was thrilled we were actually getting the chance to go out & play in it. The kids loved it & begged to stay out longer. Even the pup seemed to enjoy running around in it. We made a tiny little snowman & several snow angels. I was a great snow day!

new dog

2009-01-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

So, my dad's dog had puppies & the kids have loved playing with them. Tyler fell in love with the only little male puppy. He carries him around & will sit & talk with him. It's so cute. My dad finally said he was getting rid of the puppies & has been trying to convince us to get the little boy for Ty. We finally gave in. So, now we have a new beagle puppy named Alvin (from Alvin & the chipmunks).

Everytime I think I must be out of my mind to agree to this, the kids start playing with him & my heart melts. I'm such a softie sometimes. I don't think Tyler really understands what's going on yet he keeps asking if Alvin can stay forever & if we'll have to take him back. Maddie's just thrilled to have him around & loves when he chases her.

Wish us luck, we may need it.

2008-12-26T04:39:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas! Both of the kids were so excited this year, it just made Christmas so much fun. We baked a ton of cookies & delivered them to the neighbors. Tyler really got into this & wanted to give away all the cookies we had baked. He loved handing over a bag of cookies & saying Merry Christmas! We made some special chocolate chip one's for santa & Tyler was amazed when he got up Christmas morning & most of the cookies he left out were eaten. Maddie just helped herself to the plate to finish them off. The kids got so much stuff I'll be spending my day today trying to clean & organize before my in laws come tomorrow. My brother asked his girlfriend of 5 years to marry him so we can finally officially welcome her to the family. I had noticed a switch in both of them the last few months. They just seemed more into the kids & playing with them. We tried to teach the kids about giving not just receiving & I'll be putting that to the test today when I go through the toy boxes with them to donate some toys. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas morning

A little daddy time.

My future sister in law.

This was about noon Christmas day.

More practice

2008-12-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

Well a friend wanted me to take some shots of her kiddos she could maybe use for a xmas card. So, off to Airlie Gardens we go. I tried chasing her 2 kids to get some shots of them as well as trying to keep up with my 2 kids. Ugh...2 1/2 hrs later I was getting in the car exhausted but with all my hair intact. I did the best I could considering, but I would really love to do a shoot without my kids in tow. Maybe someday. Anyway, at least it was practice. This was the best I could get of them both together. Man they were fast. I think they would both sit together for like 0.25 seconds at a time.

This is the best I could get of M. She has the biggest eyes but she was just all about exploring.

The solo of W. Man he's a little stinker. I couldn't even get him to play games with me very long.

Practice

2008-11-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

So I lined up my brother & his girlfriend for a photo shoot so I could practice. I set it up at their new house & was planning about an hour to get the poses I wanted. Then, my mom decided to invite my entire family over to their house since I was going. Ugh...I ended up with about 15 minutes of shoot time with 9 people standing behing me watching. My mom was actually snapping pictures over my head the entire time. So, there were a lot of distractions & I had no idea their house was so close to the woods. It was very dark with hardly any nice light coming through. Of course, they said they get good light in the front in the mornings. Oh well, I got a couple of shots I like but it was definitely not what I had intended. Hope I get these guys to myself soon so I can really get some nice shots. Anyway, here's one from the day.

picnic lunch

2008-10-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

So today was picnic lunch day at Ty's preschool. The kids made lunch for the parents & we all sat out & ate lunch together. I heard one mom say she had a ham & jelly sandwich so I was a little nervous to open my bag. My boy did me good ham & mayo just the way I like it. I thought wow he did really good he made a ham & mayo for himself & maddie. Then, my mom opened her bag. Yep, ham, mayo, mustard, and jelly. LOL She ate the entire thing & told him how good it was. I could barely hold my laughs in. Ty was so proud of his little sandwiches he had made all by himself. It was a lot of fun. I did speak to one mom who got a peanut butter & mustard sandwich. Mmmm...glad my boy knows what I like. LOL

2008-10-21T04:34:00.000-07:00

Well the birthday party for Ty is over & I think it went well. A lot of people & the rain kept us all inside but we made do. I made spiderman cupcakes for him to take to school today to celebrate with his school friends & then his actual bday isn't until Friday. We plan to do Monkey Joe's that morning with a dinner at Chuck E Cheese. Man, that's one lucky little boy. I can't believe he's 4 already & anytime we have a birthday for him it just reminds me of all we went through getting him here & that we're very lucky to have that little boy in our lives. I still cry when I think about handing him over to the surgeons at only 9 months old to have his open heart surgery. I still hate that we'll have to deal with this for the rest of his life. Just not knowing what the future holds for him scares me to death, but you just keep going & loving every moment that's good right now I guess. He keeps me on my toes & I wouldn't have it any other way.

2008-09-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

The kids are both sick. This is the first time they've both gotten sick at the exact same time. They usually take turns. They seem to do OK during the day but at night they're up most of the time. This is our 3rd day in the house together & I'm getting a little stir crazy. Both of them are sooooo cranky! Well, at least they didn't get sick while we were on vacation. We had a great time. Lots of good family fun. We went to the Asheboro Zoo one day & they're still talking about the animals they saw.

2008-09-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going out tonight. Yay! My dh has been driving me crazy lately so I think I need the time away from him as much as from the kids. Well, I'm pretty sure my camera is broken which really sucks. I have to send it off the canon service place in NJ who knows when I'll get it back. Really bums me out. Got a lot done today as far as errands go but the house is destroyed. Oh well there's always tomorrow. I've been feeling a little bummed lately but feeling a little more optimistic tonight, hopefully that stays around for a while. Glad Hanna wasn't much to deal with didn't even have yard clean up. I guess that's the great thing about not having any trees. I better get ready to go.

2008-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Tyler started school this week & by his 2nd day he told me just let me hug you mom I've got to play with my friends. He then went running off. When did he get so grown up? I had glorious plans of spending quality time with Maddie while he was at school but that hasn't exactly happened. I think something's wrong with my camera. The focus is off & I seem to be getting a lot of noise in the images. Ugh! Tyler's been worried about the storm coming to his house so we're camping out in the living room today complete with lanters & marshmellows.