Summer List- Pelican's

Tori and I have discussed going to Pelican's for about a year. We finally made it happen today. It is located in Cary. It has putt-putt (which I could leave) and New Orleans style snoballs. Never had one? I hadn't either, but we will definitely be having them again. The ice is so soft and there are a ton of flavors to choose from. I forgot to take pictures of the actual snoballs, but when we go back I'll do that next time. Spence got grape, I got margarita, Matt got pink lemonade and hawaiin, and Tori got sour apple. The price is pretty awesome too at $1.50 for a small which was plenty for me to share with the boys.

Pelican's

Wishing this truck came to my neighborhood

Discussing strategy

brothers

Things were going well until we got to this hole...

And Spence hit his ball here...

let's take a closer look

There is also a playground that the boys loved.

They had never been on a tire swing

Matt enjoyed swinging too

Summer List- popsicles and picnics

These little mini-slow melt-popsicles are amazing. Spence says they are a rip off because you are paying the same amount for half the popsicle. I say they are perfect because it is just the right amount for my boys, AND they don't make too much of a mess.

Zeke loves to talk about what color he has and also the shape.

Ben just loves the popsicle

My mom and dad gave us this super cute picnic table for the boys just before Easter. The boys enjoy having snacks out here when it isn't too hot. It's perfect for a break when we are playing or when Spence is mowing and the boys insist on being out there.

YUMMY snacktime!

Summer List- Pool

We got a membership to a pool this summer. Spence and I grew up pool brats and really want our boys to be comfortable around the water. We also don't want mama going crazy during the summer ;) We were able to join Brightleaf which is just 5 minutes down the road. To say that it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. is really an understatement. There is a sweet baby pool that is 1 ft and also had 5 fountains spraying from the ground. This is all fenced in which keeps my boys contained. The big pool is an infinity pool (just gradually goes in), doesn't go any deeper than 5 feet and has 2 cool slides (no, my boys aren't enjoying those yet). We go as soon as they open and stay through lunch a lot of days. I even shower the boys there so that I can put them straight down when we get home. I am loving how it is wearing them out, and the tan I am getting isn't anything I would complain about.

The baby pool

Ben yells over and over WATER!

Another view of the pool

Little fountains around the pool, Ben loves walking under them

Z drying out the toys and himself

Summer List- Smores edition

Spence got a firepit for Christmas and we put it to good use with the boys. They enjoyed their smores experience (it was Ben's first)

the goods

future pyro (do you see the joy in his face?!)

Roasting and toasting

Zeke tried to catch his on fire

Ben tried to wave his all around (yes he is a lil redneck in just a diaper)

First bites!

BEN! This is how you eat it!

Ben preferred to take his apart (and Z did not like that)

YUM-O!!!

wanna bite?

Just chilling

Summer List

I have some cute friends who have made cute lists with their kiddos, example Erin, about what they want to do this summer. I thought I would do that too, but then I realized my kids responses would be "roll cars" and "cereal, milk!" I decided that wasn't that fun of a list, so I would just think of one on my own. Now, I haven't actually made the list, but I know some things I want on it and will be doing a series of blogs that are part of the lists. Going to the beach was obviously one of them. And today's post is another:
SPRINKLER!

Z is telling B what to do

Big belly getting wet

It looks like he is having a conversation with the sprinkler

Zeke loves jumping over the spray

Beach ABCs

We went with Spence's side of the family to Emerald Isle for the week before Memorial Day. We had a fun time with everyone, had perfect weather, and wore ourselves out between the pool, ocean, and put putt.
Here is our beach trip alphabet style:

A is for annual family beach photo

B is for Benjamin, our crazy wild man who L.O.V.E.D. all things water. We had high hopes that the beach would wear him out so he would sleep really well... instead he was our early morning riser (5:15! most mornings). Ben enjoyed all the extra attention from family members and soaked up time with everyone.

C is for cornhole, our choice beach game this year. Ben and Zeke are already pros from all the time they play up at daddy's office.

C is also for a COLD COLD pool, but we braved it everyday for our boys.

D is for ducks, Ben's favorite part of the putt putt course (when asked about putt putt later that day, all he talked about were the ducks he had seen)

E is for expert golfers. The boys loved playing golf and Z actually got pretty good at putting.

F is for fishy. Zeke and Ben greeted and wanted to pet each fish or shark that Uncle Matt caught

F is also for FORT. We had one bedroom we didn't have to use in the house, so this became the perfect room to make a fort for the boys. We stretched a blanket across the twin beds and the boys made EVERYONE hang out with them and their cars of course.

G is for guarding in reverse. Bampa had to scoot around the edge to be sure that Ben didn't take a dive into the pool.

H is for holes in the sand.

I is for I-DO-IT-ALL-BY-MYSELF, Zeke's proclaim all week long.

I is also for I-DO-IT! Ben's proclaim allweeklong

J is for Just the guys

K is for kicking-it-in-my-hole

L is for LET-ME-IN!!

M is for my firstborns love/hate relationship with the water. At the start of the week Zeke did not care for the ocean...

...but we had a HUGE turn around on the last day. He began running, jumping, and playing in the waves like he was born a fish!

N is for NANA-TIME!!! Thank you Nana for a great week of helping with the kiddos. We really appreciate you taking those early mornings

N was also for Nap where ya can. Zeke fell out while watching a movie one afternoon in the entertainment room. This could have also been titled "why we should take naps when mommy suggests it instead of playing with cars in my bed for 2 hours"

O is for Obstacles on the golf course

P is for Popsicles! (and hey it was the beach why not have 2 at one time?)

Q is for Quick photo op while playing putt putt

R is for Runaway Zeke! He seriously would have just ran forever if we (ahem, Spence) hadn't chased him down and brought him back.

S is for Shelton family pic

T is for TNT... this kid is DANGEROUS!!

U is for Uncles and Aunt

V is for Very sweet snuggles with Bampa

W is for "WATER". Ben's battle cry of the week. He yelled this at anyone and everyone and then charged the ocean. It was a bit like that scene from the end of Braveheart where Mel Gibson is on the horse and yells the charge.

X is for eXtremely shocked to see Ben and Scott hanging out. Ben practically chased "Scottie" around all week and was so pleased with himself when Scott held him

Y is for You are supposed to hold me AT-ALL-TIMES!! Mommy. The week before we went to the beach, Spence and I had been to California with out our boys (thanks to YaYa and PawPaw for keeping them), we think that because of that, Ben wanted to be held by me anytime he could see me. Yes, it was sweet, yes it drove me crazy!

Z is for Zeke! Our sweet boy had such a great week. He loved rolling cars with everyone, throwing his torpedo in the pool, playing in the ocean (the last day), playing golf, reading books, and building forts. He did a great job sleeping and also did a great job with only 2 accidents the whole week (still sometimes an issue when in a new place, but they were both my fault, oops)

We had such a great week. Thank you Nana and Bampa!