Saturday, August 21, 2010

A Good Day to be a Gamecock Fan


A week ago, Winston got to take a ride with The Plylers to the land of garnet and black. It was Gamecock Fan Appreciation Day in Columbia and as it turned out, Winston and Hampton garnered quite a lot of attention and enjoyed a big day together.

They each chose these crazy garnet wigs as their special treat for the day - they wore them proudly to the event and got the attention of many....including Coach Spurrier! This picture cracks me up - Spurrier is grinning at
those two and their crazy hair!



They went as part of an early birthday celebration for Hampton; rumor has it, Cocky had advanced notice on Hamp's birthday and the boys had a private birthday moment with the big ole' rooster. Good Times for sure.

They made the online photo gallery of the State's newspaper with the 2 pictures below...with the wigs, there were several flashbulb mome
nts from USC staffers and news reporters.



They came home from a big day with lots of Gamecock memorabilia including a cool poster with freshly inked autographs of many of the football players and other fall sports athletes.

Even for us fairly "neutral" SC football fans, we might have tipped in the direction of the Cocks after this fun day!

Houston, We Have A Kindergartener.....


We kicked off what promises to be a milestone school year.

Beginning a new school year is always a
study in multi-tasking if you ask me and when you factor in PTA responsibilities, the "To Do" list reaches a length that is daunting for sure.


We had everything times 2....2 sets of forms to complete, 2 Meet the Teacher events, school shoe shopping for 2 pairs of feet,
and lunch planning for 2 very different palettes.....we managed our first week just beautifully with only a few tears and those came from Mommy!!


So first, our Kindergartner...


Last Monday, the baby of our house grabbed her lunchbox and backpack and walked into her new school like she owned the place. This is not surprising considering the time she's already spent the
re over the last few years. More on the comforts of Beech Hill later....

I struggled the first day to let her go...she'
s used to preschool and all the structure that comes with it but it still seemed a year too soon for all of this with my baby girl.



The tears came when I first saw her name written at her seat...the reality set in...big school was here for her.It seems to me that ti
me takes a different pace when real school starts....first Kindergarten and in the blink of an eye, we'll be shopping for her Senior Prom. I am excited for all that she has to look forward too but it's scary to slowly let go of the tight grip we've had for these first 5 years. She seems much more attached to me that Winston ever was - making my heart a bit more tender this time around. With lots of prayer and faith, every grade will bring both fun and challenges and we'll do our best to navigate things as they come.


So...back to our littlest Beacon....




Lilly is in KC with Mrs. Canty and Mrs. McCl
ain - without any doubt they were my top choice for her. Lilly has very different needs than Winston did as a new Beacon and I think the Canty/McClain combination is perfectly suited for my girl. She already loves them both; she sits next to her neighborhood buddy Sebastian, and frequently talks about how much fun centers and carpet time are each day.

She had a wonderful first week and aside from being a bit tired at night (Mommy too!) she woke up ready to hit the path for school. She got 2 "Caught Being Good" certificates that also came with trips to the coveted Treasure Box. She is going to do GREAT and really there was never any doubt!


I am looking forward to being the Room Mom for KC - a shared responsibility with 2 other Moms, one of which I know very well so we are going to have some big time fun with our KC Class!!




Next up our 2nd grader....even more difficult to beli
eve...he was just 3 years old, wasn't he?


Winston has Mrs. Havens and as much as we know the vast majority of the teachers at BHES, she is one we don't know qui
te as well.I put 100% trust in the Administrative team to place Winston where he would be successful and their choice for him was clear - Mrs.Havens was the teacher for him.


She is very structured and I've heard from many par
ents that she is fantastic with her students, has next to ZERO discipline problems and gets her students fully prepared for the rigors of elementary grades (3rd-5th). I love that she has raised 3 boys of her own -- I feel like she must understand the riddles of testosterone in a way that not all teachers can and for my boy...who is ALL boy...this has to be a plus!

She prefe
rs to manage her classroom alone and doesn't need much in the way of parental support IN her classroom. We've never had a teacher like this and I'd be lying if I said this won't be a bit of an adjustment for this Mama who likes to be involved but frankly the hard truth of the matter....this is WINSTON'S 2nd grade year, not mine and I have to "get over myself", focus on him and trust that Winston is exactly where he needs to be. My needs don't really enter into this equation...an important notion that God has been reminding me.


So on Monday, Winston rolled into 2nd grade as if he'd been going all summer. He is learning independence and responsibility
as he has also been charged with keeping a protective eye on his little sister too!! He's up for the task...


He came home his first day exclaiming he had
the "Best Teacher Ever" and hasn't skipped a beat. Mrs. Havens sent a note home yesterday describing Winston as a very considerate and intelligent young man. Music to his Mama's ears!!

Daddy and his favorite girl


Ready for the walk up the path to start a new year at the Beech...



We had our annual "Back to School" driveway par
ty for all of our neighborhood friends right after school ended on Monday. The heat and humidity were really quite miserable so we cut our cookie cakes, poured cups of Crystal Light and congratulated our friends in record time but it was still fun and it kept the tradition alive and well.

Lining Up for cookies....Ms. Holly couldn't cut and serve fast enough!



Big Girl after her first full day as a Beacon!

Homework was thankfully light our first week - we worked on earlier bedtimes, quiet and calm mornings and what on EARTH I am going to do each day from 7:10 until 2:05.....I'm SURE I'll think of something!!

Meantime, here's to a fantastic first week of school for 2 of Beech Hill's most precious Beacons.

SHINE ON W.E. and Lou Lou!!
Mommy and Daddy couldn't be more proud if we tried!!



Eight is Great



When Winston started muttering about having a birthday party this year, I had flashblacks of the sweat-fest we staged 2 years ago when Winston requested a Panther Tail-gate Party in our backyard. It was an awesome concept and frankly a super fun party to plan - Joe even painted yardage lines on our back yard for that one. We were set and ready to go and about 5 minutes before the first guest arrived, I looked out my kitchen window at the thermometer and saw 108 degrees. To say it was a hot party would be the understatement of the year!

August birthdays are tricky -- Winston wants sports-themed celebrations which require the eleme
nt of the outdoors...."the hot and insanely humid in August" outdoors. I was tempted to offer up another set of Panthers football tickets in lieu of a party but I remembered that this was NOT about Mommy....what a concept!!

Winston quickly put my angst at ease when he asked for a pool party -- perfect for offsetting the heat and absolutely N
O requirement to have the house spotless and ready for a whole bunch of people!!

The guest list grew by the day as another fr
iend would pop onto Winston's list; we made it a Saturday night gathering by the pool for Winston's friends and their families. It was a great party with some really great friends and some we hadn't seen much over the summer which was an added bonus. Grammy, Grandddaddy, Auntie and Unc Unc made the interstate trek down to celebrate with us which sweetened the deal for sure.


We stocked up on Atlanta Braves party supplies, ordere
d pizzas and made some giant sub sandwiches and things went off without a hitch. Great times for sure. It was fairly sweaty for those of us running around "doing stuff" but the kids had so much fun and the birthday boy was happy as could be.

We are beyond blessed to have a talented
cake baker in our lives, her skills are unbelievable as practically all of her creations are done from scratch - no shaped baking pans used. She simply bakes sheet cakes and sets about carving shapes and designing by hand. She has been so gracious to us over the years with her replica of a Carolina Panther football field and Lilly's life-like princess cupcakes last year. She manages to blow us away every single time. This year was no different- the Braves Tomahawk cake will rank up there pretty high in The Grant Birthday Cake Archives!


We made chocolate baseball lollipops and handed out
cracker jacks and could have saved alot of time by just offering Mr. Jason as the party favor. He (the baker's husband!) was the biggest kid in the pool -- the boys absolutely loved roughhousing in the water and getting tossed and splashed by him. GREAT GREAT STUFF...although I feel certain Mr. Jason might have needed a nap the next day!!


The icing on the cake was the long awaited arrival
of one of Winston's front teeth -- he lost both in November and we've been sitting watch for those suckers ever since. We were beginning to have some real concerns about the missing teeth but finally, one popped through ON his 8th birthday. One down, one to go!!


A super night spent with awesome friends celebrating
the life of a pretty great little boy....we might have perspired just a bit but we were storm-free and surrounded by people we truly love. It really is great to be eight!
Check out the pics....

Hello Mister Tooth! We are really glad you're here
!



Let's eat!


Pool Party - Braves Style....

Some hungry boys...Matthew, Hamp and the Man of the Hour


YAY for Grammy and Granddaddy - it was a tough night to sit outside in the heat - THANK YOU FOR COMING!!!

Winston and Hampton - as thick as thieves since the day they met.


Snorkel Girl!! Bless her heart, in the rush to get ready for guests, she put her swimsuit front on backwards...a little lower cut than it was supposed to be!!

Mister Jason was AWESOME!


He was outnumbered most of the night but took it all in stride!



Claire getting some big air thanks to Jason!


I can hear the Braves tomahawk chant right now....unbelievable skills that I do not have!!


Cake #2 (there was a #3 too...square cake with the Atlanta "A")


There she is.....Baker Boomer we sure do love you!!




We successfully staged a group jump into the pool!! No small feat considering the number children and the level of sugar consumed!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

You BRETT-CHA!!!



Looks like I'll bleed Viking purple for another season!!

I am excited and yet apprehensive about what the season holds for that awesome #4. He's back in Minnesota and getting ready for another run at the Super Bowl. Only time will tell....either way, he sure makes football fun!

Time to get my sedative prescription refilled....and maybe a few for my family too!


Go Brett Go!!




Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Summertime Wrap Up

It's been a whirlwind for sure - truly, it almost seems impossible that here we are at mid-August and autumn is around the corner. Did I just say "autumn"...clearly the weatherman is not aware of this - we are still sweating profusely here in these parts!

We've been busy with lake fun, cousin fun, and much fun in between. (As is obvious from the state of the blog - not much technology fun!)

Winston turned 8 and Lilly made her debut as an official Beech Hill Beacon. The turning 8 and becoming a Kindergartner are pretty big milestones that will have posts all to themselves but for the other adventures....here's a quick peak at why the blog is a mess and has remained post-free since early July!

This was a favorite spot for sure -- back porch at the Wobbly. Life is just good and easy there. The folks who host us are the very best part.


Homemade popsicles...dockside....summer perfection!


Paddleboat rides - solo....


Pizza Party at the Wobbly - perfect way to end a day in the sun.

Celebrating with a 1st grade buddy - many a play dates were had this summer. Hopefully this will ease the pain of the separation in 2nd grade...they got different teachers but we know they'll continue the fun!


We celebrated Christmas in July when this box of tomato perfection arrived special delivery from the farm in Dry Fork. My goodness they just get better every year. These with Joe's cucumbers made for some awesome sandwiches!!


The annual Cuz Fest made for some great memories -- Kiawah Day with the kids.


A week spent at CSU Baseball Camp was no doubt a highlight of his summer.



Hot and ready for a cold drink and a shower but he had a ball.


A tube ride at the water park. Love those smiles!


Celebrating a special birthday for a most special girl. Happy Birthday Little A!!

A day at the Children's Museum and making a Cupcake run in the torrential rain was a great way to spend a Lowcountry day.


Have many a preschool pictures of these two together - we'll sure miss seeing Parker everyday but there is no doubt we'll stay close.



Easy Saturday nights with great friends and a menu of Chef Yoder's creations is never a bad thing!