We went down to Pinehurst a week or so ago to visit with Mimi, Popeye and Ma! While we were there, we went to Pinehurst Lake, which has a great beach area. In addition to playing on the beach and swimming, we also took a pontoon boat out on the lake and had lunch. It was so relaxing, and the boys absolutely loved it! :)
The next day we went out for ice cream (as you can see from Grady's face!), and Popeye taught Grady how to play chess (at Grady's request). The preschool version is not as complicated! :)
Preschool started back up after Labor Day, so Grady is now going three days a week from 9am-noon. While it's definitely nice to have a bit of a break and know that Grady is making friends and having fun, it is still bittersweet. Grady was happy about going the first day and didn't have any problem with me dropping him off. I was of course clutching on to him trying not to sob and look crazy! Here is a picture on his first day before we left the house.
In other news, Landon turned 10 months old last weekend. The next day (Sept. 12) he took his first steps all by himself! He's also starting to talk a a bit... his first official word was "ma-ma," which was then followed by "poop." Yep, no surprise there. With a 3-year-old brother who thinks it's hilarious to go around the house saying that, we knew we were doomed. He now also says "da-da" and we think "cat." Not sure how Brandon feels about "da-da" coming in third (especially to "poop"), but that's how it goes! :) On another note, we have also recently confirmed the fact that Landon has an allergy to dairy, so he can't have yogurt, cheese, etc. We're hoping it's something he eventually grows out of, but until then he will be on a dairy-free diet. Hard to imagine since it seems Grady lives on yogurt, cheese and milk, but we'll figure it out!
Here is a video of him taking some steps (not the first time, but the second time).
This same weekend Grady, Brandon and Gramps went down to Atlanta to wach a Braves game. This is a tradition that Brandon and his dad have shared for many years, so this was the first year (of many) that Grady joined the fun, and they had a great time! Grady did tell me that he "didn't like it when the people growled really loud." This is apparently what he called it when the crowd cheered really loud. :) Pictures will be coming soon....
A couple of weeks ago we randomly decided to go to Jordan Lake for an afternoon (well, for 30 minutes really). It took us 4 hours to prepare - or it felt like that anyway - and we stayed there about 30 minutes. Go figure. Grady and Landon seemed to enjoy themselves though, so that's what mattered. Here are some pictures from the day. You can tell Grady loves taking care of his little brother. :)
Here are some other recent pictures and videos just for fun! Maybe Landon has a future as a model for Levi's.... :)
Great spot for relaxing....Landon's carseat. :)
One thing Landon loves lately is having us chase him around the house (mostly when Grady does it, but he likes it when we do it too). He especially loves if we growl at him, which is so funny because he used to be really scared when Grady would make his dinosaurs growl. Now he loves it (as you can see)!
T-ball officially ended a couple of weeks ago, and Granny came down to watch Grady's last game!
Kelly, Louis and Hannah were vacationing with some friends in NC, so we got to spend some time with them as well. This is the last time we'll see them until Christmas since the citrus season starts up in November, so it was nice to squeeze one more visit in. (Here is the web site for their citrus farm: http://www.schachtgroves.com/. They literally have the best oranges you'll ever taste!) Here are the little ones at Maple View Farm after getting some ice cream. :)
We went to campus (UNC) one day to meet Brandon for lunch. Since one of his offices is located under Lenoir Dining Hall, we decided to eat there. It was actually a great place for kids (since it was a buffet), but we definitely stood out! It was the day before classes started, so there were loads of students everywhere. It was definitely a little bizarre to be eating in the dining hall (with our kids) where we all ate when we were students 10+ years ago. Here is a picture of Hannah sitting in the window overlooking campus.
They are true UNC fans! (Landon of course tried to eat his blue hair!)
During their visit, we took a trip to Kidzu one day, which is a children's museum in Chapel Hill. The kitchen area was a big hit! :)
We randomly decided to take a day trip to Mt. Airy (or "Mayberry") where Andy Griffith grew up. It was a really cute town, and the people were extremely friendly! :) Here is a picture of Brandon and Grady with Andy and Opie. :)
Opie's Candy Store! (They actually had squad car tours, but we decided not to do it. Couldn't really picture three carseats in a squad car!
They are true UNC fans! (Landon of course tried to eat his blue hair!)
During their visit, we took a trip to Kidzu one day, which is a children's museum in Chapel Hill. The kitchen area was a big hit! :)
We randomly decided to take a day trip to Mt. Airy (or "Mayberry") where Andy Griffith grew up. It was a really cute town, and the people were extremely friendly! :) Here is a picture of Brandon and Grady with Andy and Opie. :)
It was a long day in Mayberry. :)
