The Hustle and Bustle of Christmas

the last few weeks have been so busy.  we've had Christmas programs and parties at school, shopping for gifts, wrapping presents and so much more.  it has been a whirlwind, but it's finally slowing down.  today i finished the last of the shopping and wrapped all the presents and we're now ready to celebrate.  just tonight as pete and i were driving over to meet my in-laws to pick up the boys (they so kindly kept the boys for the day so i could get some things done), we both said we were so excited about Christmas in just a few short days.  of course, we're excited for the boys to see what santa brings them, but we both just love spending time with our families enjoying good food and good company, and most of all, celebrating the birth of Jesus.

i remember being younger and being excited about the gifts i was going to get (even as a young adult), but now it's just not about that.  i love to find the perfect gift for the ones i love.  i really put a lot of thought into the things i choose for my family.  

i'm happy things will slow down this week, especially since the boys are out of school for two weeks.  even though it was crazy for a few weeks, i so enjoyed seeing the boys perform their Christmas songs and have fun at their Christmas parties.  they are such precious gifts and i love that i'm able to enjoy these times with them.

we've also had an amazing program at church called intentional acts of Christmas where we were given a pool of money from the church as well as our own contribution to help a family or families in need.  it's been a wonderful experience to be able to help people who are really in need and show them God's love through our giving.  we assisted one family through our couples' small group we've been involved in since september.  the other family is a girl in my women's small group.  they've had a difficult year of several job losses and have really struggled.  i felt God press on my heart to help this family (they have 4 children) and along with the generous contributions of my parents and their Sunday school class, we are able to provide them with some much needed financial help and some gifts for Christmas.  i'm so excited to share everything with them next week.

so i end by wishing all my friends in blogger-land a very Merry Christmas!  may you be blessed during the wonderful, magical season! 

Time for Santa

last weekend, we took the boys up to hoschton where my parents live to visit with santa.  santa comes to the depot (i assume it was an old train depot at one time??) and the kids get their picture made with them and then receive a little goody bag.  we've done the whole mall santa thing and just never liked it.  it always seemed like such a rip-off and the santas were never very good.  this deal is free...it's put on by the women's civic organization in town and everything is done on a volunteer basis.  

doodlebug was excited about seeing santa this year and about telling him the 3 things he has on his list.  he walked right up and sat on his lap...no fear at all.  now, peanut on the other hand was not having it.  he screamed the second we put him on santa's lap.  we snapped our picture quickly and ended his torture.  doodle stayed up there a few extra minutes to have a little chat with santa.  it was quite adorable to watch them talk.

now, i know some people don't get all into the santa thing b/c they don't want to take away from the real reason for the season, Jesus' birthday.  doodlebug knows it's Jesus' birthday on Christmas and he's learning all about the story of his birth at church and at preschool and at home.  that will always be the most important part of Christmas in our family.  however, i have no issue at all with letting our boys enjoy the magic of Christmas and santa and all those fun things.  i still have memories to this day of my sister and i crawling into the same bed on Christmas Eve and eagerly awaiting santa's arrival.  there were many a Christmas where i would sneak down in the middle of the night to see what santa put under the tree.  it's a fun time of wonder and excitement and i want my children to have those same type of memories growing up....as long as the always remember the greatest gift given to us on Christmas day.

Catching up!

it has been way too long since i've posted.  this last month has been crazy.  with the holidays and work and happenings at preschool, i've just been so busy.  so where to begin to catch up...

i'll start with thanksgiving.  we spent the holiday weekend with my in-laws in blue ridge, georgia, which is up in the north georgia mountains.  we had a wonderful family weekend.  the weather was pretty crummy, but it really didn't matter.  we brought games, watched football and, of course, ate!  

we left out thursday morning and were there by lunch time.  we brought a honey-baked ham and all the fixins for our thanksgiving dinner.  the cabin was off a dirt/gravel road at the top of a steep hill.  It was very nice and very big.  i really wouldn't call it a cabin.  it was more like a house!  it had plenty of room for all of us.  the cabin had 3 bedrooms, a huge wrap-around porch with great views of the blue ridge mountains, a pool table/game room in the basement and a hot tub...my favorite!  

we did venture out on friday for a hike, but it was short-lived.  we got down the long driveway, around the bend and up the hill and doodlebug said he was tired.  so we turned around and trekked back to the cabin.  later on, pete, emily and i went on a nice long hike on the benton-mackaye trail.  it was nice to get out and walk and see all the quaint little cabins hidden in the woods.

most of the weekend was spent playing with the boys, reading, watching TV, playing games and, of course, eating!  we had an outdoor fire pit so we lit that two nights and enjoyed the warmth of the fire on the cool nights.  it was actually quite warm up there for the mountains....days were about mid-50's and nights were in the mid-30's.  and wouldn't you know, the day after we left, they got a good little snowfall right where we were.  we kind of hoped to have snow while there, but we missed it by a day.

all in all, we had a great weekend.  it was nice to just relax and hang out and not have any chores to do or anything like that.  and for me, personally, nobody got on my nerves the whole weekend. that's saying a lot for me....especially in close quarters!

enjoy the pics!  more to come soon of some holiday festivities!

Football Fun

today we had a fun family day.  pete's dad, a.k.a. grandaddy, got 5 tickets to the falcons game so we packed up the boys and headed downtown with grammy and grandaddy to watch the game.  i'll be honest, i was a little hesitant at first to take peanut b/c i thought for sure he would not sit still and i would be chasing him all over the georgia dome.  boy, was i ever wrong.  

of course, we started our adventure out at the varsity.  i mean, really, how could we make a trip all the way downtown and not eat at the greasy V?!  when we finally got to the game, peanut was absolutely enthralled with all the lights and people and action going on all over the place.  then about halfway through the second quarter, he was sound asleep.  i kid you not...he was sacked out on my shoulder.  we couldn't believe he could actually sleep through all the noise around us...particularly this loud-mouth behind us.  don't get me wrong, he was not obnoxious or anything, he just had a very loud voice and it seemed like he was always yelling right in my ear!

after about an hour or so, pete was going to take over as peanut's pillow b/c my arm and butt were going to sleep and of course when we moved him, he woke up.  he was so sweet and so good at the game.  he really was a trooper.  he even kept up on the long walk to and from the dome in the chilly weather!

now, doodlebug had a ball.  he, too, was enthralled with everything going on around him. grandaddy brought some binoculars so he thought it was very cool to watch the game through those.  he would cheer when everyone else cheered (particularly grandaddy) and just really seemed to have fun.   both of the boys were really good and i was so proud of them.  you just never know how they're going to be when we have a long day like that b/c they get antsy and tired.  but they were so great and made the day really fun.

so thanks go to grandaddy for hooking us up with the tickets.  it made for a really fun family day!

Finally, An Update

so i didn't get my post up last weekend like i hoped i would.  sorry!   life has been busy at the duke household here lately.  obviously, the pictures i've posted are from halloween.  doodlebug was a racecar driver (although he tells people he was a racecar!) and peanut was a lion.  i tried the lion costume on peanut twice before halloween and he would not wear the head, but for some reason, might've been the cool weather, he wore it the entire night for trick-or-treating.  i was shocked!  they both looked so cute and did a great job trick-or-treating.  they weren't scared and doodlebug was polite with his thank-you's at every door...sometimes with a little reminding!

i know some people don't "do" halloween, but i think it's a fun occasion for the kids, particularly when they're young like my boys.  they look so cute and get so excited about something as simple as getting candy.  i think it's just part of being a kid.  

aside from halloween, we've all had the "head rot" (as my good friend in nashville always used to say) around here.  just when i think we're all getting better, one of the boys will start running a fever (usually it's peanut b/c he's always putting his hands in his mouth and ingesting all those yummy germs!).  that's definitely one of the downsides to the fall/winter months...it seems you never feel 100% and it's a constant battle against germs, especially with little ones in school.

i don't think i've given an update on peanut lately and his progress with talking and his hearing tests.  he's still only saying "mama" consistently, although he is babbling a lot more than he was before.  i believe he's truly trying to say some words, but they're just not quite coming out right. he had another hearing test and the audiologist again detected some mild hearing loss so she referred us back to his ENT to see what steps we should take.  the ENT had us take yet another hearing test which again detected mild hearing loss.  the issue is that there are some inconsistencies as to whether it's one ear or both ears and to what extent b/c it's hard to get a 20-month-old to be still through the entire test.  

so the next recommendation from the ENT is to have what's called an ABR performed.  an ABR is a procedure where they will sedate peanut and test his hearing while he's asleep.  don't ask me how they that, but somehow they do.  it's a very safe procedure...no actual surgery involved.  in fact, it's not done by the ENT...it's actually done by a pediatric audiologist.  the scariest part is having him put to sleep and for up to an hour.  but the anesthesiologist will be in there the entire time so he should be fine.  the test will be able to give a good reading on his hearing and what type of loss it is and what the next steps should be.  since it's a mild loss, we're hoping it will be easy to correct.  we know he can hear us, it's the low sounds and whispers that we think he cannot hear.

of course i'm worried about our little peanut b/c i want him to be okay and to not have to struggle with his hearing, but i'm really at peace with everything.  i know it's in God's hands and he will guide us through this process no matter what.  he gives me peace and that's all i need.  i'm glad we have an opportunity to catch all this early and hopefully be ahead of the game.  starting next week peanut will be doing some speech therapy that will hopefully help him to start talking more.  we'll see how it goes.  it certainly can't hurt.

on a positive note, doodlebug seems to have finally caught on to the potty-training.  he's going on his own now, needs much less reminding and really isn't having accidents anymore.  it's like all of a sudden it clicked with him.  thank goodness!  i wondered if it would ever happen.  

now we're gearing up for the thanksgiving holidays.  this year we're spending the long weekend in the mountains of blue ridge with my in-laws.  we're all looking forward to a nice, long, quiet family weekend.  and although i haven't even thought about decorating yet, and won't until after thanksgiving, i have started buying some Christmas gifts.  i love finding that perfect gift for each member of our family and especially for the boys.  again this year we're doing the angel tree at pete's work and have a little boy we'll be buying gifts for.  we always enjoy doing this and hope as the boys get older they can be active participants in this holiday tradition.

the rest of november will be busy with thanksgiving feasts and canned food drives at school, some cooking and baking and of course lots of family time.  i love the holidays!

Crazy Week

this is just a quick post to say that i will be posting some pictures from halloween and an update on justin's hearing test, etc. hopefully this weekend.  this week has been a crazy one so i haven't had much time to post.  i've been working on a long transcript and had two sick little monkeys all week. they managed to pick up some kind of crud and have not felt even close to 100%. and on top of that, i've had a cold for the last two weeks and neither pete nor myself have slept a whole night the last few nights b/c we've been having a sick little visitor in our room in the middle of the night climbing into bed with us.  we're on the mend, though, and hope to be back among the land of the living soon.  

for now, i must get back to typing.  i have to wrap up this current transcript and get ready for three more coming my way in the next week.  i'm working for some Christmas money!!  

Election Day

so today was the much anticipated presidential election.  i cast my vote around lunch time today.  i had every intention of voting early last week, but the lines were so long every day that i just decided i would take my chances and vote today.  good choice!  i was in and out in 10 minutes.  even though the odds of my chosen candidate winning are not looking good (now i'm sure y'all have figured out who i voted for) i'm not worried b/c i know that God is in control and this is all part of his plan for our lives.  even though that may be a tough pill to swallow for those who do not choose the candidate who wins, it is reality and we must learn to accept it and move forward.  

outside of all this election hullabaloo, i feel very privileged and blessed to live in a country where i am given the right to cast my vote for the candidate of my choice freely and peacefully.  even if i'm not a fan of the next president, i still love my country and love what it stands for and am proud to be American.  i'm sure the next four years will be very interesting for us all and things may get worse before they get better, but i'm not afraid b/c i put all my faith in the ultimate authority above.  and even though i may not ever understand His reasons for things that happen, i know He's got this!

Fall Festival Fun

first let me start off by noting that i did not intentionally take fewer pictures of peanut at this particular event.  i have a bunch of him but they're just not very exciting.  it's extremely difficult to get a 19-month-old to even look remotely close to the direction of the camera.  he was way more interested in the inflatable slide than in mommy taking his picture on this day!

last week was the annual fall festival at the boys' preschool.  it's always the week before halloween and the kids get to play games, earn prizes and play in the inflatable caterpillar slide.  i think they do this instead of dressing up and having candy and all the halloween stuff.  maybe it's b/c it's a baptist preschool and they don't get into all that.  whatever the reason, the kids love it! and trust me, we don't miss the candy at our house.  we get enough of it to put us all into a serious sugar coma!

this was doodlebug's second year at the festival and he had a ball.  it's a little more fun with him b/c he actually tries to play the games.  peanut, not so much.  as soon as he spotted the inflatable slide, he had a one-track mind.  plus, children his age totally do not get the concept of playing a game.  but it's cute, nonetheless, to watch them wander in awe of all the fun things they can participate in and most importantly filling their goody bags with all the little prizes!

just like last year, i volunteered to work at the festival again this year.  you just help the kids with the games and give them their prizes once they've played.  of course, i get the most joy out of seeing my own children come through and enjoy themselves, but it really is fun to watch all of them.  they just get so excited about the simplest things!  and this year was extra-special b/c daddy got to join in the fun.  pete is usually working during all of their little school events, but this year he decided to telecommute and participate with us.  all the parents are invited to walk through the festival with their children during their class's designated time.  it's nice that we get to be involved!  doodlebug was thrilled when he saw daddy was there this year.

i have to explain the one picture of peanut strapped in the little red buggy.  those buggies are the ones they use to transport the younger age classes like his around the school.  i mean, really, can you imagine trying to keep twelve 15-23-month-olds traveling in a straight line down the hall? it would be mass chaos!  there would be little ones running amuck all over the place!  i just think those buggies are the cutest things.  when you see them sitting in there, they all just have these looks of anxious excitement like they can't wait to see where their destination is.  and as you can tell, peanut enjoys the ride! 

being able to volunteer for such events is one of the many reasons i'm so thankful i can stay home with my kids and not work full-time.  it may not seem like a big deal to some people, but i get such joy when i get to be a part of the things they do at school.  i guess part of it is b/c i'm not usually there with them and i'm always dying to know what they are doing while they're there.  i mean, before they went off to preschool, they were with me 24/7 and i always knew what they did all day.  it's so different when they're gone for those 3 short hours, especially b/c you don't always get much response when you ask, so what did you do at school today?  i think the other reason i enjoy it so much is i really feel like God's purpose for my life is to be an active participant in the live's of my children and to savor and enjoy every moment of their childhood.  my boys are my passion and my ministry in life and just being there for these little moments in their lives is what i was meant to do.  it took me a long time to figure that out, but now there is no doubt in my mind that's what God planned for me.

 

Blue Ridge Pumpkin Patch 2008

sunday was pumpkin patch day.  the boys and i drove up to blue ridge, georgia (up in the mountains for those not familiar with it) with my parents to ride the blue ridge scenic railway up to the pumpkin patch.  we did this last year and doodlebug loved it.  i mean, really, what boy doesn't just love riding on a real train?  it's about a 2-hour drive from our house so it makes for a nice day-trip.

last year, peanut was only 7 months old and cried every time the train blew the whistle.  we worried it would be the same this year b/c he is terrified of the vacuum cleaner, lawn mower and any other really loud noise, but this year he was very brave.  he did not shed a tear.  peanut seemed to enjoy the train ride, but i think his favorite part was running around in the pumpkin patch.  of course, at 19 months, that's pretty much all he wants to do these days is run!  it was fun to watch him run aimlessly around the patch so carefree.

unfortunately, doodlebug woke up on the wrong side of the bed so he was a grump for a good part of the day.  it seems sometimes no matter how perfect you want a day to be for your kids, it just doesn't always happen that way.  but that's okay.  doodle still seemed to enjoy it even if he wasn't in the best humor.  he loved the train ride and picking out the pumpkins.  he picked out 4 of our 5 pumpkins and he did a great job.  

my dad picked out the 5th pumpkin.  it was a rather deformed "bumpy" pumpkin that papa thought was a perfect one for pete.  pete didn't make the trip with us.  he went to the nascar race in hampton, georgia with his dad.  this is their annual outing which unfortunately falls on the same sunday as the pumpkin patch trip.  we missed him like crazy, but i know he enjoyed the day with his dad.  back to the bumpy pumpkin...it is probably one of the ugliest pumpkins i've ever seen.  when i told pete my dad picked it out especially for him he said he would carve it in my dad's likeness!  i'm anxious to see what this pumpkin looks like when we carve it tomorrow night!

we had a beautiful fall day in the mountains and i thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with my family (missing pete, of course).  i love to see the boys enjoying the outdoors and this beautiful earth God created.  that is one thing our boys can't get enough of...being outside.

we're carving our pumpkins tomorrow so i'll post some pictures of them along with the boys in their halloween costumes after friday night.    

A Good Week

as the title of this post says, this has been a good week.  the pictures above are from a trip to the park last sunday evening.  we have had some beautiful fall weather lately so we've been trying to get outside as much as we can.  the county we live in may be extremely overcrowded and way over-developed, but we do have access to many great parks.  this particular day we took a trip over to the suwanee town park down the road.  it's a big open park with lots of room for running around and riding bikes and it even has an ampitheater.  in other words, there is no playground. but the boys love it there b/c they can "run free" and they also get to watch the train go by every now and then which is a huge thrill in the toddler and preschooler mind !

this week i had a phone conference with doodlebug's teacher.  i'm so proud to say she had nothing but good things to report.  she said he is very well-behaved in class, always has a smile on his face when he arrives in the morning, he listens well and participates.  much like his teacher said last year, she says he loves arts and crafts and music.  he's shaping up to be a creative child.  hopefully more creative than i've ever been!  : )  she said there is a part of the evaluation where they discuss challenges your child needs to work on and she honestly said she could not think of anything for that part.  i'm so glad doodlebug is doing well at school.  i know he's smart, but sometimes i worry how he is when he's away from home b/c there are many moments at home that he can be a real toot.  it's a relief to know that he acts in a way that makes his mama proud when he's not here!  i really am proud of my sweet doodlebug.  it's wonderful to see him doing well at school and enjoying it.  as a parent, it's important to me to know my child is happy and gives his very best effort in whatever he does.

i should be hearing from peanut's teacher next week.  i'm anxious to hear her evaluation of him. my prediction is that she'll say he's quiet and sweet.  he really seems to enjoy school now.  he no longer cries when they take him from the car in the car line.  in fact, he reaches for them to get him out.  and on fridays when he doesn't go and doodlebug does, he gets mad b/c he can't go, too.  i'm thrilled to know that he enjoys it and seems to have fun.  he's still not saying anymore words, although he babbles more and seems to try to say some different words at least once.  he goes for his follow-up hearing test on monday. i'm praying for a good report and no hearing loss.

my next post should have some pictures of the pumpkin patch in blue ridge.  i'm heading up there with the boys and my parents on sunday.  pete is unfortunately not going b/c he had already commited to going to the nascar race in hampton with his dad.  it's kind of their annual thing and it's always the same weekend as the pumpkin patch.  we'll miss him terribly, but we'll be sure to pick a good pumpkin for him!  in blue ridge, they only have the pumpkin patch on one day.  you get to take the blue ridge scenic railway to a spot up by the river (i forget which river it is) and they have a whole bunch of pumpkins out.  each person chooses a pumpkin and it makes for some great pictures.  the ones i took last year are some of my favorite ones.  i hope peanut doesn't freak too much about the train whistle.  last year he would cry every time they blew it.  he's not too keen on loud noises so it may be the same fun this year!!  

i'm so happy fall is finally here.  down here in georgia it's the most beautiful time of the year in my opinion.  the leaves are changing and the weather is perfect.  it's so picturesque!

so i guess it's fitting to say....HAPPY FALL!!

Happy Anniversary in Savannah

last sunday through tuesday pete and i took a short trip down the road to savannah to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary.  our anniversary is actually tomorrow, the 19th, but we had to schedule the trip a week early.  in all the years we've lived in georgia, both now and growing up, neither of us had ever been to savannah.  how crazy is that?  i've always wanted to go b/c it looks so neat down there.  we've been wanting to take a trip with just the two of us that last two years, but it just hasn't panned out.  we finally made the commitment to do it this year and stick to it.  my only requirement was not getting on an airplane.  i know this may sound silly to some of you, but i just can't get on an airplane and leave the boys behind.  i have this horrible fear that the plane will crash with both of us on it and the boys will be left behind.  i know, there's more of a chance of getting in a car accident, but I don't care.  the plane crash scenario seems so much more horrifying.

so anyway, pete and i headed down to savannah early sunday morning and left the boys with nana and papa (my parents).  it rained all day and all night sunday, but that didn't stop us from walking around and doing some shopping.  our hotel was located directly across the street from the river front area.  it was a great location and a great place to stay.  monday, the weather cleared up and we had a beautiful day.  we decided to take the $10 trolley tour and it was money well-spent.  we went all through the historic district and learned some of the history of savannah.  i'm ashamed to say i didn't know much about the city so it was very interesting.  we even got a few recommendations for great restaurants.  

speaking of restaurants, we found some great places to eat and ate wwwaaayyy too much.  we did a lot of walking, too, so that made the overeating acceptable....at least that's what i'm telling myself!!  i mean, how can you possibly pass up seafood, southern food and a local brewery all in one trip?? 

we spent the rest of the day after our tour just walking around the historic district snapping pictures and just looking at the beautiful homes and squares covered with all the lovely live oak trees with the spanish moss dripping down.  what a breathtaking city!  and boy, don't i wish i could live in one of those old, gorgeous homes! 

tuesday we drove to tybee island which is about 12 miles from savannah.  what a quaint, sleepy little beach town.  we drove around a bit and then walked on the beach.  if there's a beach nearby, we have to see it...we just love the beach so much.  and, of course, we had to collect some seashells for the boys.

usually i'm not all that into shopping, but savannah had some great shops, especially antique shops.  i love to peruse the antiques sometimes finding an inexpensive treasure, but mostly wishing i could afford many of the beautiful things they have.  we actually lucked into this little art shop on river street and found two prints for the house.  one has two magnolias on it which is fitting b/c we have a beautiful magnolia tree in our backyard right next to the deck that we begged the builder to save when they were building the house....and they did.  it has beautiful blooms every year and we love it!  the other print is the neatest thing.  it's a scene of a little pond with lots of green around it and when you look in the middle of the picture you see classic pooh bear and piglet sitting together like best buddies at the edge of the pond with their fishing pools.  it immediately caught my eye b/c we are very sentimental about pooh bear in this house.  pete and i both love pooh bear and we've passed that on to the boys.  both boys had/have classic pooh bedding in their crib and they were both brought home from the hospital in adorable pooh bear outfits.  and of course, we all love that sweet song "House at Pooh Corner".  so it was a must-have.  now we just have to decide where to hang them.

and we had to bring home "souvenirs" for the boys and a little something for nana and papa for keeping the boys for us and for our neighbors for looking after casey while we were gone.  of course, you can't go to savannah without getting some salt water taffy!

it was funny, the whole time we were in savannah we kept saying that pete's mom would love it here.  she's always wanted to go to savannah, but i guess could never convince pete's dad to take her.  this place was right up her alley.  and then when we went to tybee island, we thought the same thing.  pete's parents love quiet beach towns (kind of how gulf shores, alabama used to be) where they can just kick back and relax, which is totally the kind of place tybee island seemed to be.  we planned the whole trip for them in our heads, now if we could just get pete's dad to take her.

we had a full two days and would love to go back when we have more time.  we enjoyed seeing the great city of savannah and enjoying its history, shopping and food, but most importantly, pete and i got some much needed time together with just the two of us.  it's so easy to put your relationship on the backburner when you have two young children and all the demands of daily life.  seeing savannah together was great, of course, but what i'll treasure are the good, long talks we had and just being together.  i have to say, so many people have told us that when you go away without your kids you ended up talking about them the whole time and not much else.  believe it or not, we didn't have that problem.  of course we talked about them, but we had so much other stuff to talk about and catch up on that they really didn't dominate our conversation. we decided a weekend trip is something we want to do every year just for us.  eventually i'll get over my silly fear of airplanes and we'll venture out further on the map, but for now, there's so much for us to see just within the southeast and within driving distance.  

but even as much as we enjoyed our time away, we missed the little munchkins like crazy.  i felt my heart ache a few times while we were gone when i thought about them or saw something that reminded me of them.  but i know they were in good hands with nana and papa and we are both very grateful to them for keeping them while we were gone.  i have no doubt they wore them out! 

More Frequent Posts

when i started this blog, I had every intention of posting a couple times a week.  well, that has not happened and i'm disappointed.  so i'm really going to try harder to do that.  i always have a lot to write and i end up doing several posts in one night.  it would make more sense to spread those out and do a couple posts a week, which is my goal.

but i must say, that this is all for my post tonight.  pete and i just got back from a short trip to savannah for a couple of days and i'm worn out.  my plan is to write about the trip and post some pictures this week...hopefully tomorrow : )!!

Stone Mountain

it has been so nice having some cooler weather lately.  this past saturday was the first one that we didn't have plans and the weather was going to be nice so we decided to load up the boys and head to stone mountain park.  of course, like any other outing, we had to make stops along the way, including lunch, so we finally made it there about 1:00.  thankfully, peanut had slept late, until almost 10:00, so he was good to go for a while and was not ready for his usual afternoon nap at 1:30.

we decided to walk up the mountain.  for those of you who aren't familiar with stone mountain, there are lots of different things to do there - very family-oriented - but our choice for today was the trek up the mountain.  it's not a bad walk up there at all.  it's not too steep, except for maybe right up at the top where they have the little handrail to hold onto to walk up one steep part.  it's mainly just navigating the rocks along the way.

this outing is right up doodlebug's alley.  he loves anything outdoors.  in particular, he loved climbing the rocks.  he was constantly saying he was climbing this BIG rock.  he would be huffing and puffing and we would ask him if he needed to rest and he would emphatically say, no, he was fine.  he was a trooper the whole way up.  once at the top, he was absolutely fascinated by the cable car.  they have one that takes you up and down the mountain.  for some reason when we went earlier this year he never noticed the cable cars, but this time we had to tear him away from them when it was time to head back down the mountain.  i guess i'll have to confront my fear of heights and ride them one day with doodle.

i'm sure you're wondering what peanut did on this trek up the mountain.  well, peanut had the best ride up.  we have a backpack carrier for him.  pete gets a big workout carrying him up the mountain.  we figured he was lugging an extra 35 pounds with peanut on his back.  he seemed to enjoy the ride, except for the last 20 minutes or so.  he was getting tired of riding in the carrier and he was getting sleepy so he started to fuss.  at this point, pete took off ahead of us b/c doodlebug was beginning to lollygag (as 3-year-olds do).  doodle and i finally made it down the mountain after he took a little spill on the rocks (at this point he was getting pretty tired) and scraped his knee and elbow.  but he was fine.

after the long afternoon of hiking, both the boys were pooped out.  peanut was asleep about a mile down the road and doodlebug followed shortly thereafter.  it was a fun family day.  i look forward to more and more outings like these as the boys get bigger.  i'm sure pete will be glad when peanut can make the trek on his own!!  

ROLL TIDE!!!

okay, so i'm sure you never expected to here that out of my mouth since i'm an auburn fan, but i was saying that last night when alabama played georgia.  what a great football game!  here in the duke household, we love us some sec football...particularly if it's auburn or alabama.  i'll admit, i pull for alabama when they're not playing auburn.  i just can't help it.  pete does the same for me...he's been known to go to auburn games and even wear an auburn ball cap.  

we are surrounded by georgia fans, obviously, and they make it known that they pull for the dawgs.  i was so thrilled when alabama kicked their butts last night.  we had to talk a little smack to all of our georgia friends after the big win last night.  and, just for the record, auburn won against tennessee yesterday, but it wasn't even close to the kind of exciting football like georgia and alabama.  

i've posted a couple of pictures of the boys posing in pete's alabama hat.  doodlebug has already been  brainwashed into being a bama fan.  that started at birth.  so peanut will have to pull for mama's team and will have to learn the war eagle battle cry when he starts talking!  he's already decked out in orange and blue as often as possible!

i love this time of year when college football starts back up.  we love to watch a couple good games on saturdays and talk a little smack with all our rivals!  so i'll end this entry by saying...well, what else but....WAR EAGLE...and....ROLL TIDE!!!

Peanut's First Day of Preschool

sorry it's been awhile since i've posted.  it's been a busy week!  peanut started preschool last tuesday.  we decided it would be good for him as far as gaining some independence and just for the social aspect.  he goes two mornings a week for 3 hours.  he is going to the same preschool as doodlebug and on the same days, although doodlebug goes one extra day.  peanut has adjusted really well.  he only cries when they take him out of the car.  his teacher says once he gets inside he's fine and doesn't cry at all.  i'm so happy he seems to be enjoying it.  and amazingly, i can already tell that it's helping.  today at church when i dropped him off at the nursery, he walked right in and didn't look back or shed a tear.  that was a first!

now i have 2 free mornings a week which is nice.  last week i spent the time either getting things done around the house or working.  it is a nice breather for me, i must admit, but i sure do miss those little munchkins while they're gone.

here is a picture from his first day.  please keep in mind, it is nearly impossible to get an 18-month-old to sit still long enough to take a picture so this was the best i could get!

Quiet Play...A Rarity with Boys!

these pictures are from yesterday. this is a rare moment these days...both boys playing quietly. i was cooking dinner, which is usually the loudest time of the day. the boys make laps through the house either on foot or with their ride-on toys. and of course, they are screaming and being loud. sometimes it can drive you insane! i think they do it at this time of day b/c they are tired and all the activity keeps them awake.

i definitely think this blog is appropriately name b/c these two boys are like little monkeys climbing and jumping on everything. i think if they could swing from tree to tree, they would! the other day they had slid the mattress off of doodle's bed and were using it as a trampoline. at least it was on the floor so no real fear of anyone falling several feet and getting hurt. i asked my mom the other day if julie and i were like that as kids. she said we were definitely not as physical and rambunctious as the boys. she said most of the time julie and i were content to play barbies or school or other activities that were much more tame. all this activity is definitely a boy thing!

anyway, back to my story. yesterday, i was busy with dinner and noticed the house was strangely quiet. i walked around the corner and peanut was at the bottom of the stairs playing with his wooden animal bus. he stayed there for a long while just taking the animals in and out of the bus and looking at them. doodlebug was parked at the fireplace playing with his leap frog game...Cars of course. he, too, was content with this activity for quite some time.

i had to snap a few pics b/c one of the things i love to do is watch them when they are not paying attention to me and are engrossed in some activity. they can get so intent on what they're doing and so focused. i find it really endearing to watch them, especially b/c it's so rare. they're such nuts all the time that i treasure the quiet, calm moments.

Peanut's Progress

peanut had his 18-month checkup on tuesday. here are a few stats from his visit...height is 33 3/4 inches (he's in the 86th percentile); weight is 24lbs 8oz (30th percentile); head circumference is 19 1/4 inches. as you can see, peanut is tall and thin with a giant head. seriously, both our boys have giant heads! nana always says they have a "duke" head b/c clearly they got their large heads from pete! everything else checked out fine for peanut including his ears where he had tubes put in earlier this year.

the only concern the doctor has is the fact that peanut is really not talking yet. she said he should be saying about 5-10 words by now and he really only says two. she was also a little concerned b/c the hearing test he had a couple months after his tubes was inconclusive. the audiologist could not get a good reading on his hearing...whether it was normal or there was any loss. so the doctor has recommended we have his hearing tested again and have a speech evaluation done. it could be that she's being overly cautious, but i don't think that's a bad thing. she wasn't comfortable with waiting too long to see if he starts talking. and honestly, i'm not either!

for those who don't know, peanut had chronic ear infections starting about a year ago which prompted the tubes in his ears. we basically were in the doctor's office every week with his ears and he was on some form of antibiotic for about 3-4 months straight. it was very exhausting and worrisome when this was going on. and to add, with chronic ear infections you run the risk of hearing loss. fortunately, once the tubes were put in, he has had no more ear infections. that was a blessing!

of course, i knew this was going to come up when i took peanut to the doctor b/c i knew he should be talking more by now so i wasn't really surprised. but even still, it has bothered me ever since we saw the doctor. i have been praying every day that peanut's hearing is fine and that he's just taking his time with talking. i've had many friends tell me their second child took longer to talk b/c the older one kind of dominated the conversation and attention all the time so hopefully that's just the case with peanut. doodlebug certainly can be a motormouth!

we will go ahead with the tests just to put our mind at ease that everything is fine...particularly with his hearing. i'm curious to see what they do in the speech evaluation. i wonder how they evaluate that in an 18-month-old. i mean, we are always trying to get him to say simple words and we get nothing. so that should be interesting.

another milestone for peanut is coming up next week. after much consideration, we've decided to enroll peanut in a parents' morning out program at the same school doodlebug attends. he will go 2 days a week for 3 hours a day. we both really think he needs this for several reasons. he is very attached to me - very clingy - and does not do well when i leave him at the church nursery or even when i leave home without him. also, peanut does not spend much time with other children his age and i really think he needs more exposure to that. he needs the social interaction. and we're hoping maybe this will help with the talking, as well.

i think the experience will be good for peanut and once he falls into the routine i think he'll like it. it will probably be hard the first day, even the first week, having to watch him get taken out of my car and carried away to his class, but i know he'll be in good hands and will have fun. i'll have to work up to leaving him on his first day, tuesday, b/c going to "school" is another step further away from babyhood...and i still feel like he's a baby even though he's really a toddler now! i guess i have to accept that he's growing up!

so that's the news on our little peanut. i'm sure i'll have more to update later...

Happy 18 Months, Peanut!

september 12th was peanut's 18-month birthday.  we are officially halfway to two!  oh, how i have forgotten how wonderful and frustrating 18 months can be!  peanut is developing a mind of his own and an opinion.  and oh how he loves to reach into drawers and pull out everything he can get a hold of.  i have forgotten how difficult it can be to take an 18-month old on a shopping trip or out to eat.  his main interest is not riding in a shopping cart or sitting in a high chair.  he wants to be on the move and he lets you know when he has reached his time limit of sitting still!  

he still doesn't say much.  i swear today he tried to say cracker so maybe we'll soon be adding another word to his very limited vocab.  i dread the 18-month checkup with the doctor where they ask me, "is he saying 3-5 words or more" and i have to say, "uh, no...he says two".  his appointment is coming up this week so i'm sure i'll have some stats to report on his progress.  we also have the dreaded shots.  i think he gets 3 or 4 this time.  along with his very large vocabulary, peanut has also picked up some new dance moves.  we often have music on in our house and the boys are constantly bustin' a move.  i hope to get some video of them dancing and post it on here soon.

peanut is very much in awe of his big brother.  he studies his every move and tries so hard to be just like him.  unfortunately this does not always bode well for peanut.  his attempts to be like doodlebug sometimes end up with a boo-boo and a crying fit.  i swear these two boys are going to come back as monkeys in their next life with all the climbing they do...on everything!  it drives me nuts!

even at 18 months, peanut is still my baby and will forever be my peanut.  he has such a sweet disposition and is very loving.  he loves to hug your neck and knows just how to get you to pick him up...he's got nana and grammy totally brainwashed on this one!  and even at 18 months peanut will still let me rock him before his nap and at bedtime.  he is such a little cuddlebug.  and let me tell you, rocking a sweet baby (even if he's not really a baby anymore) is very therapeutic.  it is totally relaxing and i highly recommend it. 

so happy birthday my little peanut!  i can't wait to see what's in store for you!