Color Run = Color Fun

It seems as though Spring might finally be ready to declare its arrival, and Saturday was a gorgeous day. I journeyed up the road to join my brother and sister-in-law for The Color Run at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

It was a mass of people. All of whom were insanely excited about running (or walking) a 5k while getting showered with colored powder along the way. A great way to welcome the spring weather I've been craving.

Disney Disney Disney

So, it finally arrived and then it was gone in a flash. Our trip to Disney World, that is. I had no idea the weeks I spent planning would seemingly mirror the weeks it has taken me to recover and get back into our routine. I've finally managed to compile our photos into one album on Picasa. Now, it is a lengthy album, so feel free to skim!


Our last day there the boys had the opportunity to participate as Junior Directors in the Indiana Jones stunt show. Here's how it went:

Lights Camera Action from Laura Garrett on Vimeo.

To the Moon & Back

Jack, age 5, future astronaut

I'm sure you've heard it. I see it all over the place. A few simple words that carry a weight of emotions: I love you to the moon and back.

Well, I've never thought it would carry such a literal meaning until this week. If you have a young child or have spent any length of time around one, you know they can be indecisive. My five-year-old son is no different, especially when it comes to future occupations.

It wasn't too long ago, he was frustrated at the thought of being unprepared to follow in his daddy's footsteps. And even more recently, he declared he'd have three jobs when he grew up. One would be a doctor, one would be fighting bad guys and the third would be driving an ice cream truck. I asked him if he'd give me free ice cream. He said, "I will if I see you."

Well, this week, he's decided he's going to be an astronaut. I, of course, haven't had the heart to tell him our nation's space program has been all but shut down. Instead, we've been encouraging and assured him he can do anything he wants to do.

Looking for a chance to encourage him, I assured him that astronauts must know how to read. He sighed, but agreed he could continue learning. Josh informed him that astronauts have to do a lot of math, as well. So, yesterday, when he emerged from quiet time, he snuggled up to me and said, "okay, I'm ready to practice some math." We spent 20 minutes doing simple addition and subtraction.

Today while riding in the car he asked, "Mom, do astronauts have to know left from right?" I assured him they do. He said, "probably so they can get to the moon!"

Oh, sweet boy, I really do love you to the moon and back. And, who knows, you may just be up there one day!

Three, can it be?

Three. It's not a big number. Only one more than two, and a tad bit more than one. In toddler years, three is huge! Three certainly seems to be the magic number around our house, because we have a big boy on our hands. "I'm a big boy," Sam declares multiple times daily. After all, he's using the potty, making good choices (some of the time), gave up the paci and said goodbye to the crib this month too.

I remember my oldest turning three. It was a red fire engine party complete with a happy 10-month-old exploring the giant inflatables, red and yellow balloons and dozens of preschoolers. That same little one is now the one celebrating his third.

Three wasn't as big a deal last time around. Maybe because the crib transition had taken place 11 months earlier in anticipation of his little brother's arrival. Potty training had been mastered for a solid six months by the time we celebrated the big three. There weren't quite so many changes at one time. The biggest reason was probably that fun toddler crawling around nearby. Yet to even walk, we had so many milestones ahead with another little one.

This time there's no other little one right behind with a list of milestones ahead. Sure, these two have many milestones ahead, but letting go of jon jons and knee socks doesn't come without a twinge of sadness. There's no shortage of joy around these parts as we countdown the days to a truly magical vacation in a couple of weeks. There's a milestone that will be an incredible memory...watching these two big boys experience the most magical place on earth for the first time. So, amidst the sadness of seeing these two grow up, there is much joy. Thankful to be on this journey.

Here's how we celebrated this little treasure's third birthday on Saturday.

Words from Pop

If you've visited the blog with any regularity, you know I often include "Words from Pop." The posts feature words from my dad, who has been writing probably since he could hold a pencil. He does it for a living, and it's always a treasure when his pieces capture sweet memories or moments for our family. Looks like Pop has bitten the bullet and is going to give this blogging thing a try. In the meantime, check out one of his recent posts:

Laughter was never far from James

Scenes from the Season

Their Point of View

The boys & mom took a day trip down to Athens so dad could get some much needed rest. In addition to some errands & visiting Mimi, we took in UGA's first gymnastics meet of the season & also the boys first. I tried to explain to Jack what to expect. He's been to Stegman on several occasions, but couldn't quite grasp what this "ball game" would be like.

Just before the fourth & final rotation, Jack made an observation: "everyone is just running & doing tricks." I told him that is what they were supposed to be doing. His lack of understanding could also have been attributed to his obstructive balloon hat or the constant snack distractions...M&M's, Cotton Candy, Popcorn & Ring Pops.

As the final gymnast stepped up to perform her floor routine, I told Jack this was the last competitor & we'd be leaving after she finished. He look shocked, "when are they going to do the gymnastics?" I explained that "this IS the gymnastics." He gave his point of view, "well, they're just doing so much dancing."

Overall the boys enjoyed their first GymDog experience. They sure liked the inflatables & balloon artist beforehand. As we exited, Sam gave his version of a recap: "we did that bouncy; that was a great idea....the gymnastics was fun....the songs was good." And, I'm sure the cotton candy wasn't bad either.