VBS Week

While Tuttle has been away at Camp Glisson, Maggie and Jacob both enjoyed time at our church during Vacation Bible School. Jacob is not old enough to attend the real deal, but he spent three mornings with some new baby friends at the MMO program. 

This meant that I had THREE mornings alone. I spent the time running errands and slipped in a foot massage and a pedicure. It is crazy what you can get done without three little tag-a-longs. :)

Maggie loved every second of VBS and came home each day eager to tell me all about her craft projects, new songs, and favorite counselors. We wrapped up the week with lunch from The Varsity truck.

Tomorrow is the day we get to pick up Tuttle and hear about his adventures at camp. I hope he is already counting down the days to return next summer!

Off To Camp

There has been a lot of excitement and anticipation leading up to Tuttle's first year at Camp Glisson. We prepared for the big adventure all week. 

Finally today arrived to travel to Dahlonega, and we turned it into a fun morning before drop off began at 3pm. It is tradition to eat at The Smith House before heading to camp, and we decided to leave early to beat the camp and church crowds. I cannot believe I was the same age as Tuttle 25 years ago heading to my first sleep away week.

The Smith House did not disappoint, and everyone ate their weight in southern deliciousness! Even Jacob sat in his chair through the entire meal asking for seconds (and thirds) of collard greens!

We browsed in the downtown shops and relaxed in a nearby park until it was officially time to check-in. We soon learned that all four of Tuttle's school friends were in his cabin. The moms and I laughed that the poor counselors would not get any time that the kids were a little shy getting to know each other. They were immediately going to have a crazy and loud group of friends! 

After making up Tuttle's bed and unpacking a few things, our brave boy literally pushed us out the door. I cannot stop thinking about all the fun he is going to have all week! I will be checking the mailbox hourly to see if he has sent letters to update us on his activities, new friends, and sweet memories. 

Maggie and Jacob will also be busy this week with camp. Maggie has Vacation Bible School, and Jacob will be attending the MDO program several mornings at the church. I may have looked forward to this particular week all summer since I will have three morning ALONE! :)

Our new floors get installed this week. We are inching one step closer to a new and improved home!

Giddy Up!

Maggie finished her week at horseback riding camp on Friday, and everyone attended her showcase. We were all very impressed with how much she had learned in only one week at camp.

Maggie was able to bring accessories to decorate her horse for the main event, and Peanut was the fanciest horse in the ring.

Maggie completed an obstacle course with Peanut as well as performed a trot for the audience.

Gram's love for horses has definitely rubbed off on Maggie. She even begged Grumps to build her a stable for their backyard- this request was quickly denied. :)

A huge thank you to Gram for researching a horse camp for Maggie and sponsoring it, too! Maggie loved every minute and cannot wait to return next year!

Just The Boys

This week Maggie has been hanging out with Gram while attending horseback riding camp, so the boys and I have been finding some fun to get into each day.

We visited Daddy's new office building for lunch. 

The boys loved exploring the river and spotting all kinds of creatures including a beaver, barn owl, duck, lizard, and tons of insects.

Tuttle was reunited with his best buddy, Ryan, while we visited Fernbank. The Baldwin Family had never been before, and all the kids were so happy to run around the exhibits. Katie and I were actually able to have several full conversations. It was a successful morning for all!

Since Maggie's camp has been over after lunchtime, we have spent some afternoon and evenings with her. The splash pad at the Braves Stadium was a favorite activity after a dinner of pizza and gelato. 

Our biggest bonus to living at Gram and Grump's house for the summer is the open invitation to their neighbor's pool. I do not know who is more thrilled- the kids or Daddy!

We are looking forward to watching Maggie showcase her horseback riding skills tomorrow at a camp performance for families.

Renovation 2018

We have officially gotten knee deep into the renovation which explains my lull in writing blog posts. In all reality, I am the general contractor, so my days have been packed with taking care of babies and organizing all the different projects for the house. Knock on wood that we have been impressed with the quality of work and timeline for all the companies so far which includes completely rewiring the entire house (with beautiful new recessed lighting in all common areas), hiring my sweet friend's MIL to pack up every room, delivery of a giant dumpster and on-site storage unit, receiving a brand new roof, and finalizing cabinets, countertops, tile, grout, and hardware with our kitchen renovation company. I also moved the kids and me into my mom and stepfather's house for the rest of the summer. Daddy is following behind on Sunday after he demos the kitchen, carpet, and tile from the back of the house with Grumps and Uncle CJ.

The kids have been such troopers meeting with potentials companies, driving back and forth to Marietta, and living in a construction zone. Luckily we were able to fit in football camp at Marist for Tuttle, a movie morning with Jacob and Maggie, and a playdate with our favorite Lily. 

Now that we are moved out of the craziness we can focus on summer fun! It is just a waiting game for the next step of the renovation, and flooring is up next. This is the aspect I am MOST excited about the final product. 

I have taken a ton of "before" pictures, but I want to wait for a grand reveal! :)

Summer, We Got This!

We are jumping into our first week of summer. Memorial Day Weekend brought a lot of fun family time despite the rainy forecast. 

Our house is a full blown construction site now with the renovation. I have just succumbed to the fact that I will have no order for the next two months. I know it will all be worth the chaos in the end!

With all the work on the house, the kids and I are staying out as much as possible. We ventured to the zoo with friends yesterday and $1 movies today. I am loving the time with all three babies especially this week with a more flexible schedule and no sports or camps. I know this summer will be full of so many memories!

May Madness

We are literally filling every waking hour with class parties, awards, sports, and end of year fun/stress. Here is a quick snapshot of all our events.

We started last weekend with our annual participation in the Brookhaven Bolt. Maggie and Tuttle both ran the 5K while Daddy and I pushed Jacob in the stroller. Both kids ran and finished with impressive times, including Maggie beating Tuttle by about two minutes with a time of 39:24!

Tuttle kept the energy going on the field for his final soccer game of the season. He made his best play with an attempted goal shot that was recovered by a teammate for a score! 

We left from the soccer game to meet Aunt Peach, Uncle Drew, and the girls at the Renaissance Festival. Gram purchased tickets for Tuttle's birthday. I knew he would love it since he enjoyed Medieval Times so much. When we left I asked Tuttle on a scale of 1-10, what would he rate the experience. He asked if he could go above 10. His favorite part was the heckler that made fun of customers as they threw tomatoes at him!

Sunday Maggie and I had a fun girls outing to celebrate my cousin, Emily, at her surprise 40th birthday party.

Monday I celebrated Tuttle at his awards ceremony. Our hardworking boy received the Flying Eagle Award (all A's) and the Accelerated Reader Award (top AR points in 2nd grade). Tuttle always amazes me with his achievements. We are so proud.

Daddy and I attended a kitchen renovation selection meeting later that morning to choose counters, cabinets, hardware, etc. It was a fun but mind boggling experience. The kitchen reno starts in early July!

Tuesday was a total whirlwind starting with Maggie's award ceremony. The sweet kindergarten classes began with a few songs to celebrate the year, including one song totally in German. I cannot believe the year is already over. I literally just blinked!

The rest of Maggie's day included a bouncy slide, a petting zoo, pony rides, and a Kona Ice truck. I left from the elementary school to head to Jacob's school for his end of year party that I organized. The babies all seemed to love the summery spread, especially the sunbathing bear pudding cups!

Jacob has grown into a little boy this year at OPP. Where did my baby go?

The fun continued yesterday with class parties at Ashford Park. The kindergarten classes signed pillowcases and ate a fun snack while the 2nd grade classes took over the gym with bounce houses, a pizza party, a cotton candy machine, and music. Jacob ran right in and did not look back. All of Tuttle's friends looked after him as he dove into the action.

After school while Tuttle attended a developmental soccer clinic and Jacob stayed with a babysitter, Maggie and I went to her gymnastics showcase. She has matured as a gymnast so much this year. She was eager to show off on the floor, bars, beam, and vault. She proudly wore her medal to school today to show her friends. Gymnastics will really pick up in June with the start of pre-team. 

And because we were not busy enough, our renovation started yesterday with the electrical work. Luckily I remembered to take a ton of "before" pictures on Tuesday right after the maids left because our house will look a lot like this picture for the unforeseeable future!

Tuttle and Maggie are at school for their last day now, and we are all looking forward to lazy mornings and summer fun starting TOMORROW!