Grand Opening!

Jersey Mike's of Chapel Hill's #1 fans!  We are super proud of our dads, they make the best cookies around! ;) 

Today is the official 'Grand Opening' for our second Jersey Mike's store in Chapel Hill!  If you are in the area make sure to check it out.  You might see some cute little 'workers' roaming around.  We are starting them early.  

nesting?!

Well isn't the nursery coming along nicely.

People have started to ask if I have my bags all packed and ready to go.  I have a minor anxiety attack every single time.  What bag?  You mean for our park lunch we are about to have? I attempted to get some things done this weekend, but between this over bearing belly and my trusty side kicks, I would say we still have some work to do.  I am really ready to not be pregnant anymore.  But I am really not ready for this baby boy's arrival.  Here's to a productive, feeling good, organized, ice cream eating week.    

Afternoon Showers

"Mom, mom, mama, hey mom, MOOOMMM, mommy mommy, mom, mom, mom, hey mom, MAMA, mom, mom! What can we do now? MOMMMYY where are you? What should we do? MOM?!!"

I can faintly hear something as I hide in my room, in the bathroom, in the closet and eat Easter egg candy.  Surely they can't be calling for me after a whole 27 seconds of sneaking upstairs.  I think Charlie is going to get a nice text message in a few… just wondering your ETA, we are all patiently waiting for your arrival.

Happy Easter!

How Great thou Art

The Easter bunny came to our house.  Although lucky for me neither of these guys really get what in the heck the Easter bunny does or is or why he is not outside hiding eggs.  And after all these years I don't really get it either.  

But he brings Tah-heels hats and mom lets us poor jelly beans on our oatmeal, so what's not to like?

An instant classic, dressed in our Easter Sunday best.

Sweet Carinci cousins picture, we should probably give it another shot next year.

'Spring' Break

We rented a condo for a few days and headed down to Carolina Beach for a little 'Spring Break,' pre-baby, pre-new store opening vacation.  We went with Unc, Brittni and baby Brooklyn and my parents and Aunt Nat came to visit / entertain / baby-sitt!  It was super cold and windy which was unfortunate for those who were looking forward to seeing me in my bikini.  Despite the weather we all had a really good time.  I am already looking forward to heading back this summer with 3 children, it is sure to be relaxing...  1 month count down to baby boy #3 is on!

Up and Away.  Our beach 'hour.'  Jackson loved the kite flying.

My stud muffns.

My goof troop. 

Sweet morning snuggles with 'BABBYY BRICKLYNN.'  Nash is slightly obsessed with her.  

Nash is serious about his ball playing and even more serious about his stance.  We did not teach him this.  The boy does not miss a beat.  Watch what you say around him.

Prepping for Easter!

Fun at the aquarium in the wind tunnel with Unc!

And the best part of the vacation…  Chuck E Cheese in Wilmington with Tat, Will and Nat.

Prepping

Just some morning reading of 'I'm a Big Brother.'  Nash's time of being the youngest is quickly ticking away.  

Birthday Daddy!

Happiest of birthdays to the best dad around.  Seriously, I have no idea what we would do without you.  And you look ridiculously good looking doing it!  Rock on dad life.  We love you!  

A few of my favorite things.

Saturdays when we are all at home.

Early morning baking in our pajamas.

Sunshine.  Matching shirts. Tarheel town with my favorite boys.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunts.

Cannddyyyy.

National Siblings Day

Did you know yesterday was National Siblings Day?  Who knew there was such a thing.  With social media you are sure to never miss a made-up holiday again!  In honor of this very special day, here are a few iPhone pictures of what these brothers have been up to this week.

Nicely 'playing together' while mom gets ready...

Got to pick a little treat for being so good while running errands.  Treat of choice, a donut the size of their head, duh.

Shhhh...

Their favorite spot, The Children's Store!

Baseball break to collect some worms.

Plotting with water balloons.  

The giddy anticipation of cookie decorating!

                                               

Flash back Friday love from about 2 years ago.

Bunk Beds

We have new 'big boy' bunk beds over here!  We are 1 out of 4 nights in everyone sleeping through the night.  I am going with 'one is better than none.'  Jackson loves them and of course loves sleeping on the top bunk.  Nash loves them and of course loves getting out of the bottom and roaming around the room when it is time to go to bed.  Can you tell I long for some good hard sleep around here? 

Rainy Monday

Some rainy Monday morning goodness for you.  Speaking of, does it take you 2 hours to get your kids ready for bed?  Really, 2 hours.  They rule our lives.  No one ever wants to get in the bath or shower and then no one ever wants to get out.  Then you have to put on their pjs in just the right order and make sure they have enough milk and hold them down to brush their teeth and read the 3 longest books possible and then lay with them and pat their back just the right way and fall fast asleep long before they do.  I am so excited that this third baby is gonna sleep through the night.  Third times a charm, right?! 

Kidzu

On Fridays Nash and I often head over to the new Kidzu Museum while Jackson is at school.  Don't tell him, he would freak.  But it is so much easier to just take one kid somewhere.  Especially if one of those kids is Nash.  If you are around here you should check out the new museum spot, so much bigger and lots of cool kitchen stuff, Nash's favorite. 

Here's some coffee mama.

Snack break!

I workin' mom.

Or you could just skip the museum and go straight to Rose's (which is closing?!) and let them try on all the tar heel hats and gear.  Poor guy's head is too big for a kids hat.  He rocks the adult ones though.  

P-A-T

Jackson is still stuck on naming the new baby, Pineapple Tree.  He says it so much now that we all refer to him as Pineapple Tree.  I am over here getting bigger and crazier and starting to think Pineapple Tree sounds cute.  We can always call him Pat for short.  I don't think I can get much bigger or my heartburn can get much worse. Wishful thinking I am afraid.  I forgot about that last month or so of pregnancy.  During the last month pregnant ladies should be allowed to go to a 70 degree breezy island and wear over sized soft t-shirts and be fed Dairy Queen Blizzards and sleeping pills.  A little over 6 weeks to go, we can do this!

Jackson's sympathy belly.  Noted, he needs some new summer gear.

play-doh-yo

At the beginning of Jackson's Preschool year you could volunteer to bring snacks and various supplies for the classroom.  I opted to wait until April / May to sign up since that is when Jackson's birthday is and we could do some 'special' things.  I did NOT know that in less than 8 weeks we would also have another little dude in the house.  In trying to get a few things done we decided to go ahead and take in his purple play-doh.  All the other moms make their own play-doh and it is so easy.  But is it really easier than going to the store and buying play-doh?  Well… I am here to tell you that it actually is.  Especially if your supposed to bring the color purple.  Bulk purple play-doh is not readily available.  Here is a recipe that is so easy I could even do it.  Of course you will need a handsome helper to mix all the ingredients together and tell you exactly how you should do it.

Cream of Tartar Play dough Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain flour

2 cups of colored water (food coloring)

1 tbsp. of cooking oil

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup of salt

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a medium size or large pan.

Cook slowly on medium-high and stir it until the playdough thickens.

Thought there would be more steps? Nope, we keep it simple.