2012 Fair

First stop NC State ice cream.  State can't do many things I like, but they do ice cream well.  I hadn't gotten it the past two fair trips because it is right near the gate we come in.  Spence always says it's too early to get it on the way in and the line is always too long on the way out.  This year I got in line at 10:45, the stand opens at 11:00.  (then I got to see our tax money at work with those poor kids trying to figure out how to set up the line...)

PBS tent is always a great stop for us

This shot was taken after I had just casually thrown and gotten 3 rings in a row

The boys don't really know who this is, but are all about some characters after Disney

I love this picture of my girl

Ben has been talking about the ferris wheel for a year.  It was the only thing he wanted to do. 

In line ready to go.  I'm pretty sure we will be hearing about the ferris wheel for another year.

Zeke asked to go in the Fun House.  Spence and I were really surprised this is what he wanted to do, but went with it because Z is typically nervous about stuff.  Neither of the boys were big enough, so I drew the short straw on going in with them. 

I'm not posting the next slide picture... of me coming down.  You are welcome

 

Our last stop was corn.  Z ate more than I did.  I said last year that I wouldn't share and I mean it for next year.  That boy loves him some corn. 

What's the fair with out yummy lemonade?

E chilling in the jump seat

 

 

March Madness

My new love

Spence and I went to pick up our new-to-us van on Saturday. To say I was excited is quite the understatement. We went through a friend of our sister-in-law's family. He goes to autctions and can buy cars at cost basically. We were able to get a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country because of the great deal he got us. We were so excited! When Spence called to tell me Tuesday, I asked if we could go get it right then. He convinced me that we had to wait until Saturday. We dropped the boys off at my parents and headed to Germanton to get our car! Once we got back Zeke was so excited to check it out. I think he has been the most excited of all of us.
Perks to having a van:

• buttons that open and close both doors and the back hatch


• both boys can climb in and out of the van with out assistance (this is gonna be so great once I have a big belly in the way)


• rear ac, poor Ben gets so hot sitting backwards and was always sweaty in the Escape. This hasn't been a problem at all


• There are so many cupholders! Just in the front there are 6! I'm not sure why this is so exciting, but it is


• it drives so smoothly


• The inside is so roomy, I can walk between the seats and get in to buckle the kids if it were raining


• the back has so much room to store stuff. My weekly grocery run didn't even fill it all the way across

So, if you don't have one, run start test driving rightnow

Zeke climbing in for the first time

"Do you like my new van?"

"WoW, that door opens too?!"

She still needs a name, so I am taking suggestions...

Nutella

Confession: I love Nutella. No, like I really love it. I like it on toast, Nilla wafers, bananas, smores, anything really.
Confession: I have passed my love onto the boys. Zeke's fave way to eat it is by dipping mini Nilla wafers into a scoop. Ben's fave way is just all over.

Ben's Nutella Face

Zeke's happy Nutella face

Peanut Paintshop

As I am typing this I am realizing that I haven't posted pictures from where Erin made an amazing sign for Zeke's room. I will get that up soon, but for now I have to share the amazing sign she made for our front door. I emailed her and basically said "I need a sign that I can have on our door to keep people from ringing the bell and waking my kids up during nap, but it needs to be flipped just to say our name for nonnap times" I gave her a few ideas from things I had seen on her website. But really she just knows what I am looking for and goes above and beyond. Check out the cuteness that she created:

the sheltons

close up

Go ahead and squeal, you know you want to

AND no one has rung the bell since we have been using the sign!!! YAY!

Go Fish Guys

Just had to let ya'll know about a great deal. Go Fish Guys are having a sale right now. Buy one cd/dvd at $15 and get as many as you want for $5. We love these guys. We have 3 cds, Splash, Party Like a Preschooler, and Snazzy. I am thinking I might buy the dvds and see what Zeke thinks about them. Happy shopping!

Raindrops on Roses...

My friend Erin did a favorite things blog and it has only taken me about a month to try to get mine together. So, Erin for you here are my favorite things:

*I am loving this springlike weather we have been having. It has me totally excited for these:

but hopefully with a tan soon

and these on a little boy who can run circles around me

for lots of this

and this

*I love ridiculous tv shows like this The Marriage Ref

*Family time is a blast for us

*I adore crafty things like this

can't wait to try this

these aren't the ones I made, but I have done this one

this is a bookmark that is a magnet, how cool is that?!

*I love

this guy

then

and still

*I am a blog stalker of

craftiness

ways to keep my marriage fresh

ways to improve our home

ways to teach my kiddos

*I love my babies in cloth diapers even if it ends up like this

*Pondering dating my husband again because of this.

What are your favorite things? I'd love to hear about them and then maybe copy you and find a new favorite thing for myself :)

Phil & Ted

When we found out we were pregnant again, we knew that we would have to get a new stroller to accomodate our bigger family. We were able to sell our Bob on Craigslist. I would still recommend a Bob, we really did love it. But after researching, we decided on a Phil and Ted Sport with a doubles kit. This is a single stroller that you can make into a double with a clip in seat. The stroller works in a bunch of different ways. We currently have it as a bassinet for Ben with the clip on seat on the front for Zeke. We tried it out the other day and LOVE it!!!

Side view- you can't even see Ben hidden away underneath

Zeke in front- he really does like it, even though it doesn't look like it

This is the view from the back, you can peek in and see Benjamin

Ridiculous kid

This past week was a rough napping/sleeping week. Zeke FINALLY broke through two of his molars which totally explained his crabbiness. One day I was not in the mood to fight him on taking a ball from him when I put him down for a nap. So, I let him take it with him. When I checked on him a little later, this is what I found:

Oh, just for Jen Heidorn (the amazing sew-er/designer guru extraordinaire) he has started putting his head on his little pillow every so often when he sleeps. Isn't that so cute!!!

I found my thrill

on Blueberry Hill. I doubt that Zeke and Fats are talking about the same thrill, but my boy LOVES blueberries. I think he would eat them all day if I let him. We have had to learn how to get blueberry out of clothing because it doesn't seem to matter if we use a bib or not. But when I see how much he loves them, I don't care at all about the stains.

YAY! Blueberries!

He looks like he thinks he is getting away with something...

YUM!

Copycat

We have found a copycat of Zeke's model pose. Please compare the following photos, which began basically from the time he came home...

August

July

June

May

March

And the culprit:

Our beloved Chick-fil-A!!!

Some of our sweet nursery workers love Zeke and love his model pose. When they saw this cow striking the pose, they had to bring us a toy. How awesome is this? Thanks Maggie and Sammy for thinking of Zeke!

For Pawpaw

Courtney's dad thinks that balloons are the ultimate celebration accessory. Growing up I remember him putting balloons on our mailbox for everyone's birthday. I am pretty sure he still puts up balloons for our birthdays even though we aren't there. He loves blowing up balloons for Maddie to play with. I am sure that Sophia loves a balloon as well. Zeke has been intrigued by looking at balloons for a few months now, but I haven't let him play with one. The girls (my mom, Sierra, and me) and Zeke went to Red Robin last week for lunch. Zeke got a balloon tied onto his high chair and had a blast with it through out lunch. Of course we had to bring some home. Zeke thoroughly enjoyed playing with the balloons. Pawpaw, you can start blowing some up for him!

Showing off his balloon

Probably not the best way to play with a balloon

So happy to have a balloon

Of course the model pose with a balloon