summer is coming

Ready or not, summer is coming! Praise to all the teachers out there and bless all us mamas.  We started off Memorial weekend with a quick trip down to Wilmington.  My favorite people live down there and we all love a good visit.  'Wanksta Lodge' is becoming one of my favorite traditions!

Deans, Lackey, Farris & Coley babes!

Love all wrapped up in a sun kissed, belly full, warm heart, cheesy front porch photo.

celebrating!

May is a hap-pen-ning month!  Jackson's birthday was a day full of celebrating my boys and driving Miss Winnie around town.  Thankfully she doesn't mind a car nap and is always up for some snacks.

Theo had an 'art show' at his pre-school camp.  We listened to jazz, dined on cookies and lemonade and explored our artist work.  I also think he enjoyed his teacher, Mrs. Winslow. ;)

Brunch with the birthday boy!  J has the first lunch of the day, hello 10am!

Kindergarten 'graduation' for Nash!  He sang a song and then we had cake with grandmama as a special guest.

A tradition like no other, Kanki!  Winnie girl had no problem keeping up.

And one of my new favorite pictures.  Our friend Graham did a mini family session a few Sundays ago and we went for it.  I had the biggest grin on my face when I came across this sneaky shot.  I love this 8 year old.

eight!

I can't believe my first baby boy, Jackson Arthur Farris is eight years old.  It seems like just yesterday I was walking around the hot back yard, in the middle of the night, singing to him and hoping that he would stop crying for just a few moments.  It is a funny thing, he is such a content and happy big guy now, maybe he got it all out those first few months.  J-man is a lover of sports, jokes, facts, people and life.  He is a goober who still rocks a contagious laughter and finds joy out of everything.  I am so lucky to be his mama.

Birfdays was the worst days, now we crush donuts every Thursday.

Jackson's 7 year old Favorites!

TV Show - Sports Center, Garfield, Brain Games

Song - Anything besides the Christmas CD that Theo still likes to listen to. 'Oh my gosh, it's almost summer, this is ridiculous.'

Foods - Cereal, pb&j, Jmikes turkey wrap, pizza, fruit, Kanki

Candy - chocolate

Toy - Rubix cube, Prodigy (math computer game?!), Monopoly, 

Book - Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Guiness Book of World Records, Fact books, 

Activity - baseball, basketball, football, bike riding, playing with his buddies 

party-rocking

We had a party-hardy weekend around here.  Theo wanted to celebrate turning 4 by going to 'Pimentochies' aka Menchies frozen yogurt with his preschool class.  We told everyone to meet us there on Saturday afternoon and pretty much took it over.  And it was the easiest cheapest birthday party ever, fyi.  Jackson wanted a flag football party, just like last year.  The clouds finally parted, the rain stopped and lots of boys got super sweaty playing some football.  These boys are growing and there is nothing I can do about it.  Except feed them, sooo much food, all the time.

Rise and shine - he is always the first to awake in the morning - it is time to get this weekend going.

Rain Rain Go Away!  We have to head outside anyway!

Mama's 4 year old!  He still tells me he loves me 'all the way to Hillsborough.'  In kid terms that is really far, right?!

Menchie's Love!

He got another cup of yogurt and sat with more friends, because it was his birthday, and he loves to entertain.

Sneaky ninja turtle savage.

Headed to get some pizza for dinner, still going strong after all that sugar.

They had a band! Winnie was feeling it too!

Coach Will and Senora Winslow with the bday bro!

Next up, Sunday funday for the almost 8 year old, Jackson!

Theo vs. Nat.  I mean, look at that form!

He chose to make a cookie cake, score!  Happy day Jackson!!

Whew.  That was a seriously exhausting and delicious weekend.

Four!

I can't believe it, my Theodore Joseph Farris is 4 years old.  We had such a great time celebrating this boy this weekend.  He is a jersey wearing, always entertaining, mama loving, sports obsessed, never tired, third bro Theo!  We all want to be you when we grow up! 

Theo's 4 year old Favorites!

Song - Thunder, Feel the Thunder.  Oh My Gosh, Look at her butt...

Candy - gum, skittles, m&ms

TV Show - Team Umizoomi, Mr. Grinch, Angry Birds

Foods - dessert.  waffles, pizza, spaghetti, J mikes turkey sub

Toy - baseball, football, basketball, bike, cards - playing war, board games

Book - I Love You Stinky Face, Goodnight Football & Goodnight Baseball

Activity - Shoot and dribble basketball, play baseball, ride his bike, loves school!

Fri-Yay!

That 5:00 grocery store run, because I hate myself.  Sike, they were decent and we got the milk and the wine and some pre-made ribs and pizza flavored Pringles, because why not.  Thankfully Hulk Smash came along to entertain - it is his last night of being 3 (going on 17). 

Great Wolf!

In a sneaky surprise attack, we planned a quick trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  Theo has been asking to go every single day.  They have also all been saving up their coins in a huge jar to go there and were up to $92.00!  We headed that way after Jackson' wax museum at school for the night.  All things considered (4 kids, 0 that are chill) it was a really good time.  I even got to sneak away from Winnie and go down 'The Tornado' with Jackson a few times, that thing is no joke.  I love watching these rascals face light up.

We here! It only takes 2 1/2 hours IF that.  But, you would think it was 8. Theo does not stop talking (whining) the entire time.

Winnie loved it and is a handful.  

'Ninja warriors' scouting their next course.

Donuts!  Don't even think about it Theo.

And thankfully Charlie beat the high score at Corn hole in the arcade, otherwise we would have had to extend our stay...

Wax Museum!

Every year the second graders at our elementary school host a 'Wax Museum.'  All of the students select someone to be, research them, write a speech, memorize it and then perform.  It is extremely impressive for 7 and 8 year olds!  Jackson was Bill Gates, a rather studly one I might add.  I love our NC public schools and these students and teachers!  Today many of the teachers marched for better funding for our public schools, and we are all for it!

Bill Gates in the hiizzoousseee.

Frida Kahlo, Bill Gates, and Rosa Parks walk into a bar...

J-man's class of extraordinaires.

Everyone was lining up to catch a glimpse of Bill.  Unc even snuck in!

SaveSave

Mother's Day!

I never knew how my own mother could love me so much, no matter what or why she was so crazy - until I had my own.  I am the luckiest! Happy Mother's Day to all. 

Ball life!

After a week of baseball games or practices every single night, we are strutting into the weekend for some more baseball!  That's all I got for our life update right now.

Homegirl is a good sport.  And can already throw a ball, of course she can.

Baseball is life.  He cried his eyes out last weekend when he didn't have a game and refused to believe us.  So, he wore his full on outfit all day and we went with it.

Game ball! This guy has learned a lot this year and improved his hitting sooo much!  This is for 4 RBI's and hitting it down the third baseline!  Not suprisingly he is the smartest one out there, he knows and loves the game.

Coach Dad, pitching to Nash while his big brother is the base coach at third.  I love these crazy nights.

buddies

These two are becoming seriously sweet buddies.  Winnie thinks Theo is particularly funny and Theo also thinks he is particularly funny giving them both the giggles.  Winnie does her best to keep up with her big brother.  We do lots of walking around and throwing gumballs in the pond while on the way to the park - hallelujah warm sunny weather! Today we did it while Theo was at school and she did exactly everything he showed her the day before, I forget how much of a sponge their brain is at this stage. She has started to take some for real steps and there is no stopping her now!

The ways of the pond.

Taking after her big bro and rocking some shades.

Runway!

Last weekend Orange County Habitat for Humanity had their annual, High Heels & Hard Hats fundraiser.  Retailers around Chapel Hill dress local 'celebrities' to walk the runway and raise money for habitat.  This year they begged the 'red shirt' guy from Jersey Mike's to do it and his wife of course made him.  All for a fun night and a good cause!

My booiiiii

Handsome daddy!

Charlie & our neighbor, finally cutting loose a little bit...

Heels House

Dude is a trip.  I do not know many graduates that know all the words to this (cough cough) much less a three - almost 4 - year old!

Just trRyan It!

Jackson and Nash competed in their first triathlon this weekend.  And good news - it was too cold for the swimming part of the triathlon.  This was a sigh of relief for me and the 2 boys that have not swam since last summer.  Biking and running it was!  I entered them both in the 'mini' course, they were mad that I put them in the youngest, shortest one, but I had an inkling they would appreciate it on actual race day.  ;)  It was a perfect Sunday morning for the Just tRyan It , a fundraiser for families fighting childhood cancer.  I am super proud of these boys on their first (maybe last...) biathlon!  They both did exactly as I expected, Nash bobbing his head all cool at the finish and Jackson walking until he heard me cheering for him.  When Jackson crossed the finish line and the first thing he said was 'I'm not going near the longer course.'  It was a whopping 1 mile bike and 1/2 mile run.  :) I said I guess you won't do Cross Country in high school since it is 3 miles. 'So you ran what I just ran 6 times?! Why would you do that?'  Good question, dude.

They all look really nervous...

#1 Aunt Natalie came to cheer them on with a sign!!

Post race family shot!