Boys Will Be Boys

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-25T19:21:00.006-04:00

Today Andy and the boys spent the afternoon carving the pumpkins they got at the pumpkin patch. Each one picked a really cool design. The boys "helped" by running around the yard while Andy did all of the carving. This is what they looked like all lit up outside.

Andy chose Superman.

Alex - ever the Gator fan.

Of course, Caleb chose Darth Pumpkin.

Just because...

2009-10-12T12:18:00.002-04:00

...Is the absolute best reason in the world to get flowers from my hubby!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-12T12:16:00.003-04:00

Caleb's class went to the pumpkin patch today. Andy was lucky enough to be able to go with him. They both had so much fun!! Now I have a porch full of pumpkins.

Spirit Week

2009-10-09T12:14:00.008-04:00

This week was spirit week at school in honor of our Fall Festival Homecoming on Friday night. The boys had so much fun dressing up. I had so much fun working at school each day and seeing all the different costumes. There are definitely some creative students at GCA.

Alex as Davey Crocket

Caleb's tribute to Lightning McQueen on Disney Day

Our favorite superhero Batman!

Alex the movie star

We supported our family's favorite professional teams...

...as well as our favorite local team. Go Gators!!

Camping...Sort of

2009-10-08T17:15:00.008-04:00

Some of our friends decided to go camping last weekend. They invited us to go along. Here's the thing - I don't camp. I prefer hotels to tents, beds to sleeping bags. That sort of thing. I do love spending time with my friends though. The solution - hang out with them at the campsite during the day and into the evening, then go home when it was time for bed. We had so much fun hanging out (despite the bug bites) and we got to sleep soundly in our own beds. That's my kind of camping.

Campfire music

Caleb and Frank hunting for a toad that is desperately trying not to be found

This is what I like to see - men cooking dinner!

Alex roasting his marshmallows

Caleb enjoying his s'more

Monday Night Football...Little Gator Style

2009-10-06T14:54:00.008-04:00

Alex has been having football practice each Saturday morning for the past five weeks. It all led up to tonight - the big game. He has been waiting for tonight's game since the season started. They got to play on the actual football field rather than the practice field, and they got to play under the lights since it was nighttime. He had such a blast!! And to top things off - his team won!! Go Gators!!

Standing for the national anthem

Caleb was there to offer his brother moral support.

Go Alex!!

Alex and his good buddy Connor

Alex's turn to hold the down marker

Finally Football!

2009-09-13T15:15:00.005-04:00

Alex has been waiting for this day for a loooong time. Third grade is when the elementary students can participate in Little Gator sports. He nearly went crazy last year waiting for third grade to come so he could play football. He had his first practice on Saturday. I must admit - I was pretty excited too. I've been looking forward to being one of those moms who get to go to lots of games and cheer their kids on and scream at the other kids. I feel like we've stepped into a new world. For years to come, school sports will now be a part of the Weissinger household. Go Gators!

Alex probably had more fun doing this than anything else.

Great catch buddy!

Time to huddle up

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T18:44:00.005-04:00

There's no better way to celebrate finishing the first week of school than with a three day weekend! As usual, we headed down to the Outer Banks and spent the weekend at the beach with my parents. The boys had their last official jet ski rides of the summer. We're already excited for next year!

First Day of School

2009-09-07T19:06:00.005-04:00

Well it's official - I now have two boys in elementary school. Preschool is nothing but a memory. I have never met a child so proud to be in kindergarden. The boys were both so excited for their first day of school.

I'm baaaack!

2009-09-07T18:18:00.002-04:00

Ok, I know I haven't blogged in months. So much has happened. I thought about going back to where I left off and putting in tons of posts and not missing a single event. Then I decided I didn't want to sit at the computer that long. So instead, we'll just do a quick summer recap. There were lots of trips to the Outer Banks, lots of visits with friends and family, and lots of swimming in the pool. Summer flew by, but we enjoyed every single minute of it.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Awards Night

2009-05-20T14:51:00.004-04:00

Tonight was the final Wednesday night program for the kids at church until next fall. They sang for us and recieved awards. This is the first year that Caleb didn't have stage fright. He had always refused to go on stage with his class. He was front row and center this year, singing and dancing his little heart out! Alex got a small trophy for being the Bible Verse Master. I'm so proud of my awesome boys!

Shopping Spree

2009-05-16T14:50:00.002-04:00

I'm used to having a pretty full cart at Walmart, but this takes the cake!

Mother's Day Tea

2009-05-15T14:45:00.008-04:00

I've been so excited for this all year long!! The preschool holds a tea for all the moms in honor of Mother's Day. They completely transformed the cafeteria into a tearoom. The kids sang for us, then joined us for tea and snacks. Afterward, the kids gave us gifts along with special crafts they had made. I am so going to miss being a mom of a preschooler next year. He's officially a big kid now.

Alex's Field Day

2009-05-11T14:41:00.005-04:00

Today was Alex's field day at school. Thanks to the weather it ended up being "Fieldhouse Day" since they had to hold all the activities inside the athletic building. He missed out on running through the sprinklers, but they still had tons of fun!

A Berry Wonderful Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:55:00.010-04:00

What a wonderful day! My boys treated me like a queen! Alex gave me a poem he wrote about mothers as well as a homemade coupon book that he worked on at school. Most of the coupons were pre-made with stuff like back rubs or uninterrupted bubble baths. There were a few blank ones that he could make himself. One he made was for peace and quiet. I'll have to photocopy that one and redeem it every day. The other one was for $1.25. If I redeem that coupon, he'll give me $1.25 from his piggy bank. How cute!! And no, I won't take money out of my son's piggy bank. We spent part of the afternoon strawberry picking. Andy, Alex, and I each had our own container to fill. Caleb didn't want one - he brought his own built-in container. That child ate everything he picked. The entire house smells like strawberries. Heavenly! I'm so looking forward to strawberry pies, sundaes, smoothies, and of course chocolate covered strawberries. Thank you Lord for blessing me with such a wonderful family, who make my life so super special.

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-05-06T20:26:00.001-04:00

I have been sooo excited for this past weekend! We planned our first (of many, I hope) trip to Great Wolf Lodge. The best part is the boys had no idea. We threw them in the car after church on Sunday and just drove there. We all skipped school on Monday and had an absolute blast!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Alex's Covered Wagon

2009-05-06T19:48:00.004-04:00

Alex has been studying pioneers in school. Over spring break he had to make a covered wagon out of a shoe box. I must say - he did a pretty great job! You'll notice Woody driving the wagon full of supplies. Yes, I know Woody is a cowboy, but for the sake of Alex's project he was a pioneer.

I'm handsome and I don't wanna be!!

2009-04-13T19:20:00.006-04:00

That was one of the first things I heard Easter morning. Caleb was highly upset and screaming that he was handsome and he was NOT happy about it. I guess it's just so hard to look so good all the time. After we finally got over that drama, it was a wonderful family day. We spent the morning at church, the afternoon with my family, and the evening with Andy's family. Holidays around here are more like marathon runs. The boys had a great time with everyone. They each took turns reading the Easter story at Tammy's house (Yes, Caleb read too. I was sooo proud of him!) Then they hunted for Easter eggs. Best of all, they had a real understanding of what Easter is all about. It's so amazing to watch them grow, not just physically, but in knowledge and understanding. What a blessing!

Easter Parties

2009-04-11T19:54:00.004-04:00

Good Friday was the last day of school before spring break, and we know what that means...PARTY!!! Alex's class had breakfast, an easter egg hunt, games, and movies. Caleb's class colored eggs, did crafts, hunted for their eggs, then had lunch. And by lunch I mean cupcakes and cookies. I know I've said it before, but I feel so blessed to work at their school where I can be a part of these activities with them.

Crybaby

2009-04-11T12:12:00.008-04:00

No, I'm not calling my children names. The boys were going through their stash from an easter egg hunt we just returned from, when Caleb came across Crybabies, those really sour candies. I told him to eat one and he ran from the room screaming 'No, I don't want to!" I thought he might cry just from the thought of it. Alex of course, bravely volunteered. Caleb, once again ran screaming from the room. "No, I can't watch!!" Such drama. He just can't stand to see his brother in tears, even if it's just from eating candy.

Let's see if these things are really sour.

I'm starting to feel it.

Yup, it's sour.

I can't take it anymore!

Daddy Donut and Kite Day

2009-03-27T21:03:00.002-04:00

Caleb has been waiting for this day to come for weeks! Today, all the preschool dads got to come to school and have donuts with their preschoolers and go outside to fly kites. Weather being what it was, the kite idea was replaced by games in the gym. Caleb didn't care. He was way more excited about the donuts than the kites anyway.

Officer Dan

2009-03-25T20:30:00.002-04:00

Alex was just as proud as a peacock today. My brother-in-law, who is on the Norfolk police force, came and gave a safety presentation to his class. The entire second grade learned about bike safety. My sister brought my nephew and I took Caleb out of his class so he could join in. Then they got to go outside and watch him do some demonstrations on his motorcycle. Being the wonderfully biased uncle he is, Uncle Danny allowed Alex to sit on the motorcycle and demonstrate the lights and siren. What could be cooler than that when you're in second grade?

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-03-21T20:18:00.002-04:00

Today I got spoiled rotten. I know, I know. Alot of you are thinking that happens every day. Well, it does happen alot. What can I say - I've got a great man and some great boys! When Andy woke up (I was sleeping in of course), he found Alex in the living room hard at work. Bless his heart - he was making a banner to hang up in the hall. He said he wanted to make me something since he didn't buy me something. My heart just melted that he did that all on his own. What a sweet boy! The boys gave me a card the size of a calendar that played music. I can't tell you how many times Caleb opened that thing and danced to it. He's such a nut! I was served breakfast in bed, taken shopping, out to lunch, then to my parents for dinner. If only every Saturday could be like that. Thank you to my wonderful friends and family for making me feel so treasured.

I have to brag on my friend Kristy for a bit. She made this flower arrangement for me. I'm so blown away by her talent!

Politically Correct

2009-03-20T20:12:00.000-04:00

Today Caleb got to dress up like Spiderman for school. It had to do with the book fair. I always enjoy listening to the boys' conversations while we're on the way to school. They can be so interesting.

Caleb: Hey Alex, the red Spiderman is the good one right? I want to be the good one.

Alex: Yes, he's the good one.

Caleb: So the red Spiderman is good and the black Spiderman (Spiderman 3) is bad.

Alex: No Caleb. You don't say black Spiderman. You say African-American Spiderman.

I almost choked on my coffee. Just didn't see that one coming.

He's one awesome golf pro!

2009-03-14T20:01:00.000-04:00

Andy was awarded the President's Plaque by the Mid-Atlantic PGA. That means he's really good about introducing people to the game and bringing in business. I'm so proud of him!! They held a dinner at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. So we got to spend a weekend away and play dress up! It was so much fun and I just can't say enough how proud I am of my man!!

Andy received the actual award at a meeting in Fredericksburg a week before the dinner.

Doesn't he look spiffy?

The General and Sergeant Major that just left Ft. Eustis both came to see Andy get his award. What an honor that was for Andy!

Is it really Bon Jovi?

2009-03-12T17:23:00.004-04:00

Hardly. It's just an imposter, but oh what fun! Last weekend our friend Kris threw a suprise welcome home party for her husband Steve, who had just returned from tour in Iraq. They're being transferred out of state next week, so it was also a going away party for the both of them with some extra suprises thrown in. Like myself, Kris is a HUGE Bon Jovi fan. Four guys rented costumes and suprised her with a lip-sync concert! It was absolutely HILARIOUS!! I laugh so hard that I cry each time I see it on video. I wish I could post it, but I don't have my own copy yet. I really enjoy having such crazy friends.

I took so many pictures, but hardly any came out due to the smoke from the machine they had for special effect. This picture is before it got too bad.

This is our pastor posing with the band. We held the party in one of the church buildings. He wasn't too sure what to think about us throwing a rock concert there, but he was the one yelling for an encore at the end. Rock on Pastor John!

I'm not sure if you can tell, but I'm proudly wearing my Bon Jovi t-shirt.

Gotta Go Right Now!!

2009-02-28T14:26:00.002-05:00

I wanted to get a picture of the kids before school yesterday since they looked so handsome. Such a proud mom, I know. Anyway, I was running a few minutes late and needed to get to my office, so when Caleb said he had to go to the bathroom I told him to just wait until after the picture. Poor child - he really had to go. Notice where his hands are and the expression on his face. Thank goodness he made it in time.

Grandparents' Day

2009-02-28T14:11:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was Grandparents' Day at school. The kids were so CUTE!! There were songs, poems, and no shortage of proud grandparents. Thank you Mimi & Papa and Mimi & PopPop for sharing in our special day!

Caleb and his teacher Mrs. Dail

Caleb's arms were swinging away when they weren't busy karate chopping - such a little entertainer.

My handsome second grader waiting to perform

Alex is holding up a giant piece of brocolli as his class sings the praises of grandparents who don't force their grandchildren to eat vegetables.

Bed Head

2009-02-27T14:04:00.000-05:00

Before...

After...

Cleans up pretty nice, doesn't he?

Not Morning People

2009-02-19T18:14:00.003-05:00

This morning I was in the kitchen packing up the boys lunches for school while they were getting dressed. Or so I thought. I finished with lunches and made their breakfast. I went into the living room expecting fully dressed boys. Instead I found this...

These boys definitely take after their mom. It's just so hard to get going in the morning. That's why some mornings it's just Pop-Tarts in the car for breakfast.

Roller Derby

2009-02-17T19:46:00.006-05:00

Alex's class had a field trip last Friday to the skating rink. The first and second grade classes all went. How fun to watch! They spent more time falling down than staying up. Alex's knees were nothing but bruises the next day, but he had the time of his life!

Hanging on for dear life...

Doing the Hokey Pokey...

Most of his time was spent like this. :)

I looked out the back window,

2009-02-09T18:53:00.001-05:00

and this is what I saw...

my two oldest kids at play.

Spirit Week

2009-02-08T20:13:00.004-05:00

The boys got to have fun dressing up at school this week.

Monday was Ranch Day.

Caleb chose not to participate in Toga Day, but Alex proudly donned his bedsheet.

All three of us in our "Gator wear" for Gator day. The best part of this day is that the cheerleaders sell suckers that the kids can eat in class. Ya can't beat that!

PJ Day

2009-01-30T11:43:00.002-05:00

Crazy coincidence - both boys had pajama day at school today. Caleb's class is studying nocturnal animals. They learned that certain animals do all of their activities at night, so the class was pretending to go to school at night. Hence, the pj's. He thought it was so cool to go to chapel in his pajamas. He's even got the bedhead going on. Alex's class had a 'snow day', so they were bundled up in their pj's, and watched Happy Feet and made smores. I loved just rolling them out of bed and putting them in the car. Wish I could have had a pj day myself.

Caleb's Quote of the Day

2009-01-22T17:56:00.001-05:00

"No Mommy. Ice cream doesn't make my tummy hurt. Only dinner does."

This was his response when I told him that if his tummy hurt too much to finish his dinner, it would hurt too much to eat ice cream. This child hates dinner more than anyone I know. It doesn't matter what's for dinner. For whatever reason, he just doesn't like the idea of dinner.

My Way of Keeping Track

2009-01-22T11:24:00.003-05:00

So...it's 2009. The years since I've had kids have been flying by like crazy. Since I've started working, they're going by even faster. Even though it's only January, before I know it, Christmas will be here again. Yikes!! The years race by and my boys keep getting bigger! Since I can't slow it down, I decided to start taking notes. This way, when I have time to take a breather and reflect, I can look back at some of the stuff we did and remember our family moments with smiles (and sometimes with tears I'm sure). I thought about buying a diary and just writing down everything, but let's face it - the days of pen and paper have been pushed aside by the computer. So I'm going with the technological flow and starting another blog. Mainly it's just for me, as an easy way of keeping a journal, but feel free to visit if you'd like. The link is at the top of this page somewhere. There won't be any pictures, just random notes and thoughts. I'll save the pics for this page. Don't be looking for anything too juicy though. That stuff doesn't get put on the world wide web. :)

Cool Shades Dude

2009-01-19T18:51:00.001-05:00

Dino-mania!

2009-01-15T20:11:00.002-05:00

Caleb's class has been studying dinosaurs the past few weeks. Today, they took a dinosaur walk around the school trying to scare various staff members. Who could possibly be scared by such cuteness?

Happy birthday Mr. Weissinger

2009-01-15T20:00:00.004-05:00

My baby turned 5 yesterday. I admit, I did shed a few tears. I've officially left the world of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. I wasn't expecting it to be as emotional as it was. Anyway, Caleb was up super early and super excited. He got his first real set of golf clubs (big surprise there). What else would a Weissinger boy get? By the way, he would like everyone, including myself, to call him Mr. Weissinger from now on since he is a big boy. I wasn't expecting that one. What a goof!

We brought cupcakes to school so his class could celebrate with him.

Happy birthday dear Caleb. You bring so much joy and laughter into our lives. We love you!

Partying All Weekend Long

2009-01-11T21:26:00.003-05:00

Two birthday parties in two days - I'm beat! At least I didn't have to throw this one. My cousin's little boy Nathan turned one this week. Alex and Caleb were very excited to help him celebrate at Kangaroo Jac's.

Superhero Party

2009-01-11T20:44:00.003-05:00

My baby turns 5 this week! Yesterday Caleb's friends came to help us celebrate his big day. He wanted a Spiderman party. He dressed up like his favorite superhero, and his friends came dressed up as theirs. We had some cute little characters!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T17:44:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-27T16:19:00.003-05:00

The boys usually put something together out of gingerbread each year. We've done several houses. Last year we did a train. This year - a tree. They ate almost as many decorations as they used, but that's pretty normal.

A birthday dialogue

2008-12-22T09:57:00.002-05:00

I overheard this conversation between the boys a little while ago. Listening to their conversations can be so enlightening and entertaining.

Caleb: How come you get to turn 8 but I still have to be 4?
Alex : Because you haven't had your birthday yet.
Caleb: But how will I catch up to you?
Alex: You can't catch up. You never will. I'll always be 3 years older than you. (Caleb turns 5 in a few weeks.)
Caleb(in a whiny, pleading voice): Can't you start over?
Alex: No, you can't start over. You start at 1 and just keep going up and up. When you get to 100, you die.

That was the end of that conversation.

Happy birthday dear Alex.

2008-12-22T09:48:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to you! My sweet boy turned 8 yesterday! I can hardly believe it! I kept thinking about the day we brought him home from the hospital. My, how time flies. We had all the cousins and the rest of the fam over to celebrate. He requested this cake, since his school mascot is a gator. Happy birthday Alex. You have brought so much into our lives these past eight years, and we are so thankful for you. We love you bunches!

Let's Party!

2008-12-22T09:25:00.008-05:00

Friday was the last day of school before Christmas, and you know what that means...Party time! I went back and forth between working in my office, and going between the boys' parties. What a full morning!

Alex's class read the Christmas story for the parents.

They also had a pinata full of candy. That was pretty funny to watch. His teacher almost got whacked a time or two.

Caleb's class decorated Christmas cookies.

Caleb was the song leader for Away in a Manger. They were so cute!

Time to exchange presents!

Once all the kids were gone it was time for the staff to party! We had great food, games, prizes, and best of all...Christmas bonuses! Yeah!! It was such a wonderful day and now I am definitely ready for two weeks of relaxation and no alarm clocks.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.

2008-12-14T08:22:00.002-05:00

I finally got some our gifts wrapped and under the tree this week. There's still more to do, but at least I made a dent. Anyway, the next morning when Caleb woke up and saw gifts under the tree he got so excited. "Christmas is today?!" He couldn't believe it! Poor little guy - I had to burst his bubble and tell him it wasn't Christmas yet, just another school day. You could see his expression change as he realized. Then he said, "That's right. Christmas isn't until December 45th." I told him it wasn't quite that far away. They have so much fun waking up every morning seeing what new things I might have wrapped, and of course looking for their names and counting how many presents each one has. I keep hearing "How come he has more than me?" My standard answer is, "I'm still wrapping." The Christmas countdown is on!

Back to the Christmas House

2008-11-30T21:14:00.003-05:00

While we were in the Outer Banks, we went back to the amazing Christmas house this family decorates each year. They take 6 months to set up and take down. Unbelievable! Pictures could never do it justice. Friday night we went with some friends, then we went back again Saturday night with the rest of the family. 'Tis the season!

A Child's Prayer

2008-11-30T21:07:00.002-05:00

Friday after Thanksgiving we took off to my parents' house in the Outer Banks. Saturday morning during devotions, this was Caleb's prayer:

"Dear Jesus, thank you for this beach house. And please keep me out of jail. In Jesus' name, Amen"

Um, do I need to be worried about something here? Jail??

Thank you God for our wonderful family.

2008-11-30T20:49:00.005-05:00

It wouldn't be a holiday without spending time with family. We spent the afternoon with my family and the evening with Andy's. As usual, the highlight for the boys was "cousin time"! Also as usual, we ended the evening completely stuffed. There will be some major dieting going on this week.

The boys got their uncle in on some of the action too.

Here's a little preview to Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T20:40:00.002-05:00

We hope all of our friends had a wonderful holiday! We sure did. The boys both had class parties last Wednesday. I got to make the rounds.

Caleb was one of many little pilgrims "sailing" over on the Mayflower.

Can you see it?

2008-11-23T15:55:00.003-05:00

I swear it's there! You may have to look really, really close and enlarge the picture. It's the first snow of the year! (or maybe 5 years, I'm not sure) Look in front of the bush - see that tiny white speck? By southeastern Virginia standards, these were blizzard conditions! It was so beautiful to watch, even though it didn't last long, and after a few minutes there wasn't a flake to be seen. Who knows? Maybe it's a sign of things to come. Keep your fingers crossed! I'm praying for a snow day this year!

Shark Face

2008-11-23T15:45:00.004-05:00

We were at the North Carolina Aquarium a few weeks ago. This is Caleb's impression of an angry shark. Scary, huh?

These were taken at the Lost Colony stage. It's so beautiful there with the water in the background.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-04T19:33:00.003-05:00

Well, it was another successful candy gathering year. I'm sure we have enough candy to last us until next Halloween. We had a superhero and a villain this year. It was so funny to see them run (I mean run - not walk) from house to house. We went with some of our friends, which made it even more fun. My favorite comment from the night came from Caleb. We told them each before bedtime they could have just one more piece. He laid there in front of his candy for a good twenty minutes and finally yelled out, "I can't choose! It's just too hard!" Seems that all that candy was enough to blow his mind.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Vader and Darth Spidey??

Farm Day

2008-10-30T20:06:00.006-04:00

Yesterday Caleb's preschool had its annual farm day. They brought in a petting zoo, pony rides, hayrides, and bunches of other fun preschool things. It was FREEZING outside! My fingers and toes went numb, but it was still loads of fun. Caleb was just a bundle of energy! He had been waiting for this day all month.

Look at the cupcakes I made for his class. I'm so proud of myself! I'm really not trying to brag - I'm just so excited they actually turned out!

This is Caleb's good friend Kara. He actually gave her a kiss!! Right in front of me!!! Good thing I was there to put a stop to that! What a ladies' man.

Caleb's class - No matter how many pictures we took, not a single one had all the kids looking at the same time.

A pile of preschoolers

The Defending Champs!

2008-10-30T19:57:00.004-04:00

Our church had its second annual Chili Cookoff/Dessert Bakeoff/Pumpkin Carving Contest. Last year, our pumpkin took first place. Would you believe we defended our title and won again?! Woohoo!! Alex was so excited. I was pretty excited that the prize was a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond. To all of our fellow competitors (I mean friends)- we'll be back again next year!

The boys hard at work

The winning pumpkin! It's hard to tell, but there are wolves carved into it.

We've got the spirit, yes we do!

2008-10-26T22:03:00.008-04:00

Last week was spirit week at school in honor of Friday's homecoming game. Alex had so much fun dressing up. Caleb participated when he felt like it. I even joined in for a few of the days. I had some super cute pictures from Mad Scientist Day on my cell phone, but it isn't cooperating and emailing the pictures to my computer. That'll teach me to forget my camera. Here are some pics from some of the other days.

Decade Day - Alex and his grunge look, me sporting Andy's letterman's jacket and class ring around my neck-what a throwback to the 90s, and Caleb the yuppie.

Gator Day - Go orange and blue! Alex LOVED his hair!

It was also Lick 'Em Day. The cheerleaders sold suckers to all the students. Yum!

Pep Rally - Alex was so excited to attend the pep rally. They really made his day when they chose him to participate in a race. He loves to be in the center of things.

Game night - The boys had so much fun at the football game, even though I don't think they saw a minute of it. Alex was off playing with some classmates on a dirt mound next to the bleachers (Thank goodness for Clorox.), and Caleb was having an absolute blast with his friend Gracie. They played ring around the rosie, cheered with the cheerleaders, and played duck duck goose (which was so funny to watch with just the 2 of them). Needless to say, they slept very good that night.

My dear Jamie, how many football games have we watched from those sidelines? It was fun to watch yet another one with you. Here's to many more!

Something Special for My High School Friends

2008-10-24T22:47:00.002-04:00

Jamie, Beth, & Heather W. - this one's for you. We had a costume party at school last week. I was in tears when Mr. White walked in because I was just laughing so hard. I love how he and Mrs. White get in there and have fun with everybody. I hope I don't get fired for posting this, but I just couldn't resist showing you. :o)

My 3 Pumpkins

2008-10-23T20:21:00.002-04:00

Look at these three scary faces! Alex and Caleb had so much fun carving a really cool cat face into their pumpkin. Actually they mostly had fun watching Andy carve while they watched. It looks pretty neat all lit up. Of course I didn't think to light it up for the picture. Happy fall everyone!

These boys love to bowl!

2008-10-19T15:53:00.006-04:00

Alex is doing his 'move to the right' dance.

Caleb waits in anticipation.

Caleb's favorite part of going to the bowling alley:

STRIKE!!

It is WAY past time to go grocery shopping.

2008-10-04T12:38:00.001-04:00

Yesterday for breakfast - animal crackers on the way to school. This morning's breakfast - chicken noodle soup and leftover pizza. 'Nuff said.

Asleep With an Attitude

2008-10-03T06:35:00.002-04:00

Caleb was mad at me when I was tucking him in last night because I wouldn't give him anymore to drink. No, I'm not a completely evil mother - I'm just doing what I can to prevent bed-wetting around here. To show his disapproval, he hid his face under his pillow to prevent me from kissing him goodnight. It must not have taken him too long to fall asleep after that because this is how we found him before we went to bed. What a nut!

Sharp Dressers

2008-10-03T06:23:00.003-04:00

When we got to our friends' house for carpool the other morning, we discovered Caleb and his buddy Frank were wearing the same outfits! Of course, Caleb came home with his pants ripped right through the knee. That was the second pair of pants in 2 days that he did that to. He takes after Alex that way. I swear, those two go through pants like you wouldn't believe!

You know your child watches too much TV when...

2008-10-01T06:32:00.002-04:00

During one of their many wrestling matches, Caleb inflicts more pain on Alex than he intended. I hear him say he's sorry and ask Alex to forgive him. Alex's response - "Forgiveness? I've got your forgiveness right here!" as he starts wailing on Caleb with a stuffed animal. Don't you just love that insurance commercial?

Summoned to Lunch

2008-09-29T18:58:00.002-04:00

I am happy to report that the 'Mom is embarassing' streak is over! Alex actually invited me to join him for lunch today. He was even wondering if I could come every day. What a turn of events! I knew it would happen once he saw other mothers coming. As the new kid, he just wasn't sure of how things worked in the beginning. It amazes me that even second graders are pressured to fit in. I'm just glad that my presence is desired once again. (Of course, the ice cream I bought him at lunch probably boosted my position.) That's okay. I'm not above bribery.

I knew it would happen...

2008-09-28T20:50:00.003-04:00

I knew that once I started working, I would hardly ever find the time to blog. Or to take pictures to post on the blog. Overcome with guilt, I finally pulled the camera out this weekend. We had a great family weekend - dinner with my sister and her family at my parents' house Friday night and a family day at the Living Museum on Saturday. Hopefully, I'll get back into the swing of things and keep this updated more often. Of course, it'll be a little difficult with certain readers of this blog trying to get me addicted to Facebook. :)

Embarrassed by Mom

2008-09-06T17:16:00.002-04:00

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. My second grader is officially embarrassed by his mother. Wow. I don't remember being embarrassed by my parents until seventh grade. I mean, isn't that when all kids are supposed to be embarrassed by their parents? I never imagined Alex would get there so early. I guess I'm just extra embarrassing. I'm sure it's payback for what I put my own mother through. :) Anyway, I had to take something to his teacher on Friday and I thought I would just do it during their lunch break so I could say hello to Alex. He LOVED it when I visited him last year. Would you believe that child pretended not to see me? When I went to say hello to him, he practically turned around. I asked him if he was embarrassed and he said...YES! I was told later that he would like it if I didn't come to see him at lunch without getting permission from him first. (Ouch, what a stake through the heart!) Get this - Mimi and Papa (my parents) can come to lunch without permission and so can Andy. Mom, however, needs to make an appointment. This boy is growing up way too fast for me.

1st Day of School

2008-09-03T19:17:00.005-04:00

What a big day! My two boys were off to their new school! They were both SOOO excited! Then of course we get there and Caleb's teacher has to peel him off of me. He ended up doing great though, and ran right into his classroom this morning, so things are looking good. I am so excited that the boys can be at the school I graduated from. And I'm even more excited that I can be there with them.

Please ignore the chili peppers hanging in the background. Andy strung them up to dry them out so he can use them for cooking. I promise, we don't randomly hang peppers around our house for decoration (no offense to those of you who might).

These are our carpool buddies. My friend Kristy got a job at the school too, so we're able to ride together since we live so close! It's such a blessing to be able to share the cost of gas with someone!

The Official End of Summer

2008-09-03T19:02:00.004-04:00

Monday was such a wonderful day. Andy was off work, I was off work, and the boys didn't have school. I was so excited not to have to wake up to an alarm clock. Andy's sister gave us their canoe when they moved to Florida a few weeks ago, because they didn't want to take it with them. We took it out for the first time. I was looking forward to how relaxing it was going to be. I didn't realize that I would spend the first twenty minutes clutching the sides of the canoe for dear life, afraid we were going to tip over. I started to relax and enjoy the ride after a while, and we made it all the way back without getting dunked!

Pretty Please?

2008-09-01T13:32:00.002-04:00

The crazy thing about kids is that they can make you can want to put them in time out and want to laugh at them all at the same time. I run into that alot. Take this conversation with Caleb, for example.

Caleb: Mom, can I have more Fritos?
Me: No Caleb. You have to stop eating for a little while. (The child can eat non-stop.)
Caleb: Please?
Me: No Caleb.
Caleb: Pretty please?
Me: I said NO Caleb. Stop saying please.
Caleb: Por favor?

The little booger. I had to laugh. I didn't even know he knew what por favor meant. I guess he's seen a little too much Dora.

Handsome Haircuts

2008-08-27T19:50:00.002-04:00

It's the end of the shaggy-haired summer. Tomorrow the boys go to school to meet their teachers and drop off school supplies, so tonight was haircut night! Are they handsome or what! Caleb decided no more buzzes, he wanted scissors this time, so this is a first for him. I don't remember what he looked like without a buzz cut.

I kissed a girl and I liked it!

2008-08-13T19:08:00.002-04:00

This was Alex's response when we asked him what he did in day camp today. I swear my heart stopped beating. Then he started laughing and said, "Just kidding. That's just a song I learned from a kid there." After double and triple checking to make sure he hadn't really kissed a girl, my heart started beating again. Boys!! Excuse me while I go check for gray hairs.

My Last Week of Freedom

2008-08-13T18:25:00.007-04:00

Here are some pics of my official last week of summer before I started work (which is going great, by the way). Andy took the entire week off so we could have some family time in the Outer Banks. We had so much fun and were even able to hook up with some of our friends who were also down there. It was a great way to recharge myself until next summer.

Two little pirate pals - Caleb & Frank

And the biggest kid of them all...

I had to include this too. The squirrels at this marina, whether at the beach or the pool, are just insane. They will jump right into your beach bag with you sitting there so they can look for food. This one scurried right on our table by the pool (I was sitting right there), grabbed Alex's bag of pretzels, and ran off. How brazen!

1st day of school...for mom

2008-08-11T19:34:00.003-04:00

Well, I survived my reentry into the workforce. I came home in one piece and even stayed awake the entire day! I took the position of high school receptionist because I thought it would be the perfect way to ease back into work - no work to take home, just answer phones, do a few other things, socialize with other adults (woohoo!) and leave for the day. My nights are left free for my family and whatever else needs to be done. Now I have a decision to make. I was offered the position of middle school math teacher. The pros are more pay and bigger tuition discount. The cons are, of course, work to take home and the fact that middle schoolers are considered by many to be evil (no offense to those of you who have any). So, I'll take some time this week and weigh my options, hopefully making the best decision for my family. By the way, Andy insisted on taking my picture since it was my first day of school. He said we do it with the kids so we were doing it with me. Notice my big cup of coffee. I don't think I could have made it through the day without it. Oh, I don't know if you can tell or not, but my toenails match my shirt perfectly. Is that too cool or what!

It's the end of the world as I know it.

2008-08-10T21:36:00.002-04:00

Wow, are my nerves jumping in a million different directions right now. Today is my last day as 'Stay at Home Mom'. Tomorrow I become 'Working Mom'. Most of you already know I got a job at my boys' school. (Heather W, did you know I was headed back to good ole GCA? I wasn't sure if Jamie mentioned it. ) Tomorrow is my official start date. School starts the day after Labor Day, so the boys will be coming with me and attending the summer camp at the school until then. I feel so blessed to have the same schedule as the boys. What more could a working mom ask for? I'm still nervous, though. I've never had to juggle work and family before. Please keep us in your prayers! I know there will be a transition phase before things start to feel normal. Just pray that that phase goes smoothly and quickly. So my next post (if I ever have time to post again) will be from a workin' woman!

Alex's Special Day

2008-07-31T14:11:00.002-04:00

My precious firstborn reached yet another milestone. He was baptized this past Sunday. There were quite few kids in the church who wanted to be baptized, but some were afraid of going up into the baptismal in the sanctuary, so our pastor decided to purchase a pool to do baptisms outside followed by a cookout, water games, inflatables, and the works. What a day! I absolutely love the look of joy on his face when he came up out of the water. He kept commenting on Monday how special the day had been. It just warmed my heart. Thank you to all of our family members for making the trek out to our church to be there with us.

Silence can be golden.

2008-07-27T21:10:00.005-04:00

When dealing with a 2 year old and a four year old however, it can also be a sign of trouble. Tammy even made mention of the fact that Caleb and Eli were suspiciously quiet in the bedroom where they were watching cartoons. My naive (I could kick myself) response was, "Oh, they're fine." Well, a few minutes later this is what I found.

What you see is a combination of sunscreen with a little bit of lipstick added in for color. What you can't really see in the pictures is the entire bottle of hand sanitzer mixed in there as well. They had raided Tammy's purse. I don't have pictures of the lipstick covered walls and carpet, because let's face it - I had to put down the camera and get to scrubbing. It's one thing when kids destroy their own home, but this was Mimi and Papa's house. Thanks Mom and Dad for being so understanding! We love you and promise never to decorate your house again.

Early Morning Beach Combing

2008-07-27T20:57:00.004-04:00

We were down in the Outer Banks this past weekend with my parents, my sister, and nephew. Tammy had this great idea - let's go down to the beach at 6 in the morning to look for shells before all the people get there. Those of you who know me well, know that I wasn't nearly as excited about this as she was. This little princess has no desire to do anything other than sleep peacefully at that hour. Oh well, I can bite the bullet just once and do it. After all, I do love seashells. As luck would have it, there wasn't a single shell on the beach, I have never seen a beach so bare of shells. I do have to admit though - it was really beautiful and peaceful at that hour.

Look mom - a dead crab! Eww gross! Put it down! Wait, as long as you're already holding it, I may as well get a picture.

It's about time.

2008-07-27T20:47:00.002-04:00

Finally! I was finally able to see my dear friend Beth and her sweet new baby girl. We were able to meet up with her and some other friends when she came into town for a visit. Caleb got to play and I got my baby fix, so all in all, it was a great morning.

Our trip to the Living Museum

2008-07-22T20:08:00.001-04:00

Today we went with our friends, the Browns and the Stahls, to the Living Museum. For any dinosaur fans out there, it's Dino-Mania at the museum. They had some really, really neat exhibits. I like how they change it up every few months. We had a great, fun day and the best part was the naps on the couch that followed at home! Well, I'm not completely sure what the boys did, but I took a nap.

Summer Fun with Friends (and fish)

2008-07-22T19:56:00.003-04:00

At the park with our friends Emily and Connor. They had just finished feeding the ducks. Isn't that such a cute picture!

Cooling off with our friends Frank and Taylor in their backyard. There's nothing like letting the kids splash around after dinner so that they sleep in until 9:30 the next morning!

Alex and Caleb aren't the only boys in this family having some summer fun. While they were busy splashing around in the pool, Andy was busy catching this...

It's fun to play at the YMCA!

2008-07-17T16:10:00.003-04:00

These boys sure have enjoyed splashing around this summer!

Alex's Green Thumb

2008-07-13T21:32:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that this ginormous sunflower started off in a little dixie cup on Alex's desk at school?! He's quite the little gardener! He' also growing some pumpkins. Be watching for pics of those this fall!

Can I go to school now?

2008-07-13T21:17:00.003-04:00

This is the question I've heard almost every day for weeks now from Caleb. He straps on his Spiderman backpack and asks me if I can take him to school. I explain that it isn't quite time yet, but he just can't bear to take his bookbag off, so he wears it around the house. I just pray that he's still this eager when the time actually comes.

Flying high!

2008-07-13T20:52:00.003-04:00

We got the boys a kite from the kite store across from Jockey's Ridge down in the Outer Banks. They have the coolest kites there - everything from simple (which is what we got) to amazing pirate ships (maybe next year). The boys have so much fun seeing how high it can go.

Mmm Mmm Good!

2008-07-06T19:54:00.002-04:00

To Caleb, there is absolutely nothing better in life than eating chocolate, unless of course it's wearing chocolate. He's the only person I know who, when licking the icing off of just one spoon, can end up with chocolate all over his face, arm, and tummy. Yummy!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-06T19:41:00.003-04:00

We spent most of last week down at the Outer Banks. Where else would we be? Alex told us he would like to live down there and we can come and visit him on the weekends. Here are some pics of our family loving life on the SeaDoo!

On the 4th, we went up to the top of the Wright Brother's Memorial hill to see the fireworks. It was such an amazing view! From up there we could see the fireworks up and down the entire Outer Banks. They were everywhere! We're definitely going to make that a tradition. Unfortunately, I don't know how to take good pictures of fireworks. I need some photography tips from Beth! The first pic is the boys waiting for the fireworks to begin. The second is the morning after - Caleb was recuperating from a late night out!

Using Your Talents

2008-06-30T10:39:00.002-04:00

I forgot to mention this in the last post, and it was something that really touched my heart. During VBS, our children's ministry director Kim did something special with the older kids (grades 3-6). They went over the parable of the talents - using what God gives you to produce fruit. Each child in that group was given $2 apiece. She said they gave out about $250 total. They were told not to spend that money on themselves, but to find some creative way to use it to make more money, whether it be having a lemonade stand, or buying popsicles to sell, or whatever they could think of. The money they made would be given to House of Hope, a ministry supporting orphans whose parents died of AIDS. She was hoping to double the money and get back around $500. My first thought when she was sharing this with the parents at the end of the week was, "I bet most of the kids just went and bought themselves candy." I just assumed they really wouldn't get it at that age, or really wouldn't care. Boy, was I brought to tears when she announced that those kids had taken that $250 and turned it into $1200!! Wow! Those kids got it!! I was just so amazed and God just really showed me that he can use kids just as powerfully as he can use us old people.

Vacation Bible School

2008-06-30T10:29:00.002-04:00

Last week was VBS at our church. It was one of the only years I did not volunteer. I thought, Caleb is old enough to go this year, so I can drop them both off and actually have some Mommy time! Well, Caleb had other plans. He threw such a fit on Monday morning that they called us to come pick him up. He did fine on Tuesday, they talked me into helping on Wednesday (I'm a sucker for guilt trips), and he had another breakdown on Friday when he found out his class was performing on stage. So, I went from having a week to myself to having Tuesday and Thursday to myself. Hey, I'll take what I can get. Alex had a blast every single day. They had a performance for the parents on Friday, followed by a cookout and fun on the inflatables ( in the 100 degree weather). All in all, it was a good week.

Firin' Up the Grill

2008-06-24T20:21:00.003-04:00

We had some of our friends from church over for a cookout this past weekend. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives! However, there are a few of them who are on my hit list at the moment. I'll get to that in a minute. The kids were just entranced by Andy's little fireworks demo. He also gave them sparklers and sent them running around the yard. Not quite sure what a smart idea that was, considering the majority of them were 4 or younger. Thankfully they all managed to leave unsinged. About my hit list - some of the guys thought it would be oh so funny to come back with their own fireworks and set a box of them off right outside our bedroom window at 1:30 in the morning. We jolted out of bed, wondering what on earth was going on and why our room was lit up in so many colors. All I can say is this - revenge will be swift and will be very, very sweet. Men can be such kids at times, can't they?

Beach Boys

2008-06-24T20:00:00.006-04:00

Yet another wonderful weekend down at the Outer Banks. These boys LOVE to ride the SeaDoo with their Papa. It's their favorite part of summer.

Caleb is finally brave enough to go into the big pool with a life vest on. Up until last week I couldn't get him to leave the kiddie pool. He just has his own time for doing things, that's all.

Alex, on the other hand, has NEVER been afraid of the water. He's always been a natural water baby.

We finally found a way to tire these boys out before bedtime - letting them run up and down the hill at the Wright Brothers Memorial. Works better than popping an Ambien!

Farewell Franklin

2008-06-17T19:35:00.002-04:00

Well, we decided to turn our turtle loose. The novelty had pretty much worn off for the boys, and they didn't seem to mind at all when we suggested letting it go. We took it to the park and boy, did that turtle book it into the bushes when we set it down. Turtles can actually move pretty past when they want to. I know it looks like Caleb is crying into his hands in the second picture, but he was just rubbing his eyes. PETA would be so proud of us!

Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

2008-06-08T14:13:00.008-04:00

My mom and I took the boys down to the Outer Banks for a few days. With the weather topping 100 degrees here, we were thankful to be down there with the constant breeze. It was so beautiful and relaxing at the beach.

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See those 2 teeny weeny black things on the left side? They are tadpoles. Alex pulled a shell out of the water, and one of these tadpoles was swimming in the water inside the shell. Of course Caleb wanted one too, so he went and pulled a shell out of the water. As I am trying to explain to him how slim-to-impossible his chances of also finding a tadpole were, I hear him shout "I got one too!" Go figure.

No More Pencils, No More Books...

2008-06-08T13:39:00.003-04:00

You know how the rest of that saying goes. Yeah - school's out for summer!! Let the beach season officially begin! We all got to join Alex on his end of the year trip to the zoo last Monday. The kids had a great time. His last day of school was Thursday. I so love not having to get up early and fight the carpool lines. No alarm clocks for the next 3 months. Life is great!

Memorial Day Memories

2008-05-28T10:12:00.005-04:00

Memorial Day weekend at the Outer Banks - the official start of summer for the Weissinger family. This is our home away from home, especially in the summer. We just LOVE spending time down at the marina in the neighborhood where our parents have a home. There is nothing more relaxing than just sitting by the water, watching the boats sail by. The boys are usually either fishing or crabbing, when they aren't swimming or jet skiing. They are much more successful at catching crabs than fish. We can't wait to go back!

First, they catch them...

Then they cook them...

You know what happens next.

My How Time Flies!

2008-05-28T09:56:00.004-04:00

Caleb finished his first year of preschool! Wow, this year flew by. He only has 14 more before he heads off to college. :) Alex finishes one week from tomorrow, then our summer officially begins!

You'll find Caleb on the right-hand side of the picture. He's the only one with his leg up in the air. Of course.

There's no better way to celebrate a preschool graduation than a Happy Meal at McDonald's, Caleb's favorite place for fine dining.

Breaking News - Local Golf Pro Has Saturday Off!

2008-05-20T11:26:00.005-04:00

It's one of those rare occurences, and we're always so excited when it actually happens - a Saturday when Andy does not go into work. I got the call Friday afternoon. The first thing Andy tells me is that he needs to stay late at work that night. My blood quickly starts to boil, but before the steam shoots out of my ears he explains that it's so he can get extra stuff done and have a three day weekend! Ok - my blood pressure quickly goes down. To top it off, the weather on Saturday could not have been more perfect. We started off the day at Bluebird Gap Farm and stayed through lunch. That place is just so cute! Since it's right next to Bass Pro Shops, we had to go there next so the boys could see the fish and jump on the ATV's (not really sure if that's allowed, but they thoroughly enjoyed it). We left with Andy convinced that we need a boat. Hmmm....we'll have to think about keeping him away from that store for a while. Oh, and Caleb wants the red ATV for Christmas because it's his favorite color. Good luck with Santa on that one sweetie.

Isn't this the most beautiful peacock?

This is the couple that Caleb "adopted" while we were feeding the ducks. He just plopped himself down right next to them and struck up a conversation. He is so shy at times, even with people he knows, and then there are times like this. He always keeps us guessing!

The end is near!

2008-05-16T17:59:00.003-04:00

I'm talking about preschool. Caleb had his end of the year picnic this week, and next week is his last week! So long "mommy time" and hello summer! I'll definitely miss my quiet time while both boys are in school, but I'm ready for going to the beach. I need some color on these white legs! Anyway, back to Caleb's picnic. They brought in a petting zoo and a pony for rides, a bouncer, and set up tons of game stations outside. It was so much fun! Of course, he will expect this every time he goes to school now. They served pizza and cookies, and I was amazed at what some preschoolers' tummies can put away! Wow!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T15:32:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love being waited on all day? I can't believe I have to wait an entire year before it happens again! :) Yesterday was so great. The boys spoiled me rotten. Andy always does such a great job of pampering me on Mother's Day, but it was so neat to see Alex and Caleb really get into it this year. They just bring me such joy! They brought me breakfast in bed, along with cards and gifts. After church we had a picnic and went to the zoo. Yes, it was a little chilly, but Caleb insists that one of my favorite things to do is take him to the zoo, so off we went. Once we were home, I locked myself away in the bedroom and took a nap (my favorite part of any Sunday) while Andy and the boys cleaned and made me a delicious dinner. I am SO blessed to have these 3 guys in my life!

Me and my firstborn

Me and my baby

Yeah for Saturday!

2008-05-12T15:19:00.002-04:00

I just love Saturdays. There are no lunchboxes to pack, no one to take to school, and usually no errands to run. This past Saturday we spent at my old high school. They had their 25th anniversary carnival (finally, after being rained out twice) out on their football field. Those boys wore me out! Alex made his first attempt climbing a rock wall. He started to get pretty nervous about half way up and came back down. That was plenty high for him. There were inflatables, games, and even laser tag. As fun as all of that was, both boys will tell you that the highlight of their day was the snowcones. Check out their face painting - didn't the girl who did it do an awesome job? I thought they looked great! Of course, 2 days later, I'm still trying to scrub the red out of Caleb's shirt.