Soccer

Fall soccer season! Our first time with a team sport (any sport, I guess). We got to play soccer "games," like volcano, run like a cheetah, red light/black light (dancing)...after a rough few weeks, he ended up really enjoying it. Or possibly enjoying the trip to McDonald's for a chocolate sundae after he went on the field. We love ROAR sports. They do a great job making it really fun for the little ones.

Miscellaneous summer fun

Super-Boy on his bike at Riverwalk

More matrix

Sweetness

In the middle of Gigi and Mommy

Carousel ride GIF

Painting in the driveway

Doodling

Back to the books

Here I am in front of my school. Ready to learn!

Growing up. Sniff. Sniff.

I will hold it up high, like this!

Hi new friends. Ms. Chamberlain and Ms. Boone pictured. Ms. Milem, not pictured

Summer fun

We wrapped up summer with lots of fun. Found a cool park in Salisbury about an hour away and had a blast hanging with Gigi and Pops.

"Picnic with friends"

Carousel boy

Carousel buddies

How does it work?

Cutie.

Come on!

Animals.

Hi, rooster.

Hi dear. I mean, deer.

Donkey.

The Matrix.

July visits

We are just going to pretend that I didn't take a 7-month break from this blog, upload and back-date everything, and keep moving. Right? Right.

Uncle Harry and Aunt Suzi came to visit! And we had the weirdest wet and cold weather in JULY in SOUTH CAROLINA. Aunt Suzi had to wear a fleece the whole time. Just bizarre. But we tried to eek out a little fun anyway. I did a fairly poor job of getting a whole-group shot, so here are some highlights. We attempted a visit to the botanical garden, but were only able to view some sculptures and the indoor orchid house before the rain came again.

veggie tacos

CHEEEEESE!

They are now BFF's

Mommy attempted to take cool flower pictures. She mostly got pictures that resemble cool flower pictures.

Daddy made a snack run to the car for little man.

Pops in the rain.

Men on a mission. Uncle Harry is actually an undercover botanist.

Happy Birthday, Shepard!

Dear little guy,

You are growing in knowledge. So smart and inquisitive. I keep trying to get you to put your questions in the "question box" late at night when our brains are getting sleepy. You just want to know everything. You told us so. I love that you are curious.

Make a wish!

You are getting tall. I'm a little afraid at how much you grow and how fast. I'll have to double-check, but I'm pretty sure you've grown 4-5 inches since your birthday last year. And a full 3/4 of an inch in the last MONTH. I'm also fairly afraid that you outgrew all your summer shoes overnight, with July, Aug. and Sept. to go.

Creativity and focus.

Always in the middle of the good time.

You are vocal. This obviously goes both ways, but I love that you know what you want, how you want it and when. And you are learning to be gracious and kind each and every day. I see a strong mind and qualities of leadership. And I pray a lot for the Lord to help us direct you and teach you to be a gracious leader. From "incapacitated" to "deciduous" to "septic tank," the number of words you retain and use are astonishing. It's as if you can't wait to use all the words you haven't even learned yet.

the singing of the "Happy Birthday"-face

You love to laugh. You ask to be tickled instead of having "consequences." (and who can blame you for that, really?) But you are always ready to have some fun. And you've started telling us silly jokes that really don't make sense, except that you find them funny...so we do, too.

Overseeing the lighting technique.

 You are creative and expressive. Your imagination is so healthy, and you love to make up games and situations for us to play along with. Whether it's playing "restaurant" where you take orders and hand out chocolate milk, or setting up "K-Mart" in the sunroom; you always have a plan. I guess I've taught you that...but I do love it when you tell me what's up and then ask, "does that sound like a plan, Mommy?"

I have no idea what you're thinking here. Looking at the cake...

One of the most interesting things we've discovered about you lately is your keen sense of smell. You evaluate most of the world on whether "it smells right" to you. I surely am glad you like my smell, because you are definitely drawing lines on liking, eating, playing with and even entering places based on smell alone. Not sure where this is headed. Perhaps you'll be a "smellologist."  :)

Thinking about sidewalk chalk

Most of all, your Daddy and I love you to the moon and back. We love discovering each new day with you. We pray that you will meet the challenges that life sends to you with grace, truth and love; and send those things back into the world with a great ferocity. We love you the ocean.

~Mommy

(photos from our 4th birthday celebration with a few friends and family on 6/28 at the Harris Street Park)

My "threenager"

I often joke that Shepard is three going on 15. He acts like he's the boss, and is already saying, "You're wrong; I'm right." At which point we say, "Well, either way, that's being rude, and we don't act like that..." Then he giggles and says, "You're right, and I'm right. And that's being nice, right?"

He's listening! So funny how some days he likes to tell you all the rules, even when they're rules he doesn't necessarily abide by. Kinda like a lot of adults I know...but anyway.

It's already JUNE. And my sweet little baby boy is about to turn four. I cannot understand how this happened. But I'm going to celebrate, either way.

Here is his annual "yearbook" that I'm ordering. This is my version of scrapbooking. I love these. And I love getting a groupon and discount codes for them too. Yay for groupon and shutterfly! Enjoy.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own custom photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Oh the pressure!

HEADLINE: 

Shepard's mom incredibly slack of late due to who knows what

Instead of trying to instantaneously recap the last TWO months, I'll just tell what I loved about the last few days...

Easter-egg dying party

• At night when we're settling in for sleep (at long last, usually), Shepard usually turns on his side and throws his arm over me. Like a sleepy side-hug. It's awesome.
• Last night, Shepard and Daddy built a "house" out of sofas, stools and pillows in the lounge. Then Shepard decided it was Mommy's birthday and had me over for (fake) cupcakes, (real) dance party, and he and Daddy sang (real) "Happy Birthday" to me. I invited Henry Hugglemonster and friends and Shepard did their voices. I like watching his imagination at work.
• Shepard asks me about 492 questions every day. I love his curiosity. I wish it had a shut-off at 9 pm, but I love that he's curious and wants all the answers. Questions lately have included:
• Why do we have hair?
• Do boogers have nutrients?
• Why did the sky go boom-boom last night (thunder)?
• Why are eyeballs round?
• Why do we have eyelashes?
• Why do eyelashes fall out into your eye?
• Why is there an American flag there?
• Why does Elsa have frozen powers?
• Why do you not know?
• Why didn't you write the movie?
• Why don't you work for Disney?
• Why didn't Mr. Disney invite you to work for him?
• Is that tree a forevergreen?
• Why is sugar a treat food?
• Why doesn't it have nutrition?
• Why does William have a girl baby (baby sister)?
•  A few nights ago, Shepard led Gigi and I (with capes) on a mission to blast the bad guy (Pops) with hot rocks and make him go away. We ran through the house yelling and being excited together. 
• I should have bought stock in Chick-fil-A years ago. I think they put toddler-crack in their food.
• This morning when he woke up (in our bed because of the thunderstorm), he asked, "Am I four yet?" Not sure what four holds in store for him, but it's funny because I have a distinct memory of asking my own mom if I would EVER turn 4.
  

  

  Aren't they cute? Next year we'll do way more. I need my own dozen.

  
  

  

  Easter basket in jammies

To the mountains!

We had a little family getaway to celebrate our friend Mike's 40th birthday. This was likely the first trip to the mountains that Shepard will remember. He was very excited about seeing the mountains, the tunnels, the icicles and the leftover snow.

What fun.

Learning about the art of snowball fighting