May 4, 2009

Sara James Turns Three

After months of build-up and eager anticipation, Sara James finally turned three years old. For some time now, SJC has heard things like "your birthday is almost here," and "your birthday is next." It should come as no surprise then on Friday morning, when I entered her room singing Happy Birthday, that she said "no daddy, it's not my birfday yet...it's still comin'!" The reality eventually sunk in, and within a few hours Sara James was fully embracing being the birthday girl. We enjoyed dinner at Deorio's Friday night, and SJC was excited to wear the birthday hat she had brought home from pre-school the day before (her pizza even came out with a candle - thanks Sue! - which she happily blew out). The real party was Saturday at Lakebottom, complete with some of SJC's favorite people, big and small. It was hard to pick our favorite pictures, but I think these few sum up the big birthday weekend pretty well. We love you, Sara James!

April 14, 2009

He's Doing What? She Said What?

Like most children, ours are always doing and saying the most unpredictable, incredible, and amazing things. We tend to believe that ours are alone in their originality, but I'm around enough of my friend's kids to know it's something they all do. It's often hilarious, and I spend a lot of time with these two laughing out loud. Here's a quick recap of some of their most recent milestones and soundbytes:

Smith, who is now eight and a half months old, stands up all the time. He's been at it for about two weeks, and is only getting more brave - to the point of letting go, first with just one hand, but then both. This always ends in his collapse, but he thoroughly enjoys it.

Friday, when we made our trip to the museum, we visited a video art exhibt that was in a dimly lit room. Once we were inside, Sara James looked at me and said "it's kind of creepy." Tricia and I were doubled over. When we stopped later to look at an Indian hut, SJC remarked "this...this is Jesus house, where he lives." There was no convincing her otherwise.

No one is funnier to Smith than his big sister. All she has to do is look at him and say "Boo!" and he nearly wets his pants laughing. Of course, she gets a pretty big kick out of it as well.

Sara James was chugging her juice the other day and I encouraged her to slow down and eat before she drank it all. In her most matter-of-fact voice, she looked at me and said "I have a cough, daddy." Within a few minutes, she was back at it, and when I tried to stop her, she replied rather forcefully, "I said, I have a cough." She got timeout, but inside I thought it was brilliant!

Easter '09

We had a wonderful Easter, despite it meaning the end of Spring Break for Tricia and Sara James! The service at St. Luke started off our day on a celebratory note, followed by lunch and an egg hunt at Grandma Betty's house. This was the first year that SJC has actually understood the whole egg hunt thing (we'll deal with the resurrection and its accompanying questions at a later date, although she did wake up Sunday morning and tell me "Happy Easter...Jesus lives!), but as soon as she realized that candy was involved, she was onboard. Here are a few glimpses of the day, along with our first legitimate Carver family photo:

March 22, 2009

Exploring the Museum

The kids and I have been enjoying the occasional Friday trip to the Columbus Museum recently, and this week was no exception. Sara James has already picked out her favorite spots (the mini-stage and dress-up clothes, as well as the big building blocks), and Smith really enjoys the animal puppets and the mirror (and indicated below). The children's area (or Transformations, as they call it) is a hands-on paradise! I carried the camera along with us this week and snapped a few of our fun moments for the blog. Enjoy!

March 15, 2009

Let it Snow (in March)!

March roared in like a lion in parts of Georgia, and Columbus was not exempt. The last two days of February were full of heavy winds and rain, as well as some tornado activity for our neighbors in Alabama. Then, as the temperatures dropped and talk of a snowstorm intensified, we woke up on Sunday morning to a steady downfall of white powder...and it didn't let up. Parts of town varied, but it's safe to say we got three or four inches. Sara James thought it was the best thing to ever happen, and she was eager to suit up and get her hands in this cold wonder. Smith seemed nonplussed, but was kind enough to accommodate us for a few pictures. Here they are!

Our Weekend in Charlotte

Last month, in an effort to give Tricia a long weekend to lesson plan, I took the kids to Charlotte to enjoy some Uncle/Aunt/Cousin time with the Hiatt's. This was my first solo roadtrip with either Smith or Sara James, much less both, but they seemed up to the challenge, and so was I. We pulled out of Columbus on a Thursday afternoon, and six hours and one stop later, we were in their driveway. Smith was a fairly easy passenger, as long as his stomach was full and his diaper changed. SJC required a bit more entertainment, so the DVD player occupied most of her time. There were a few times, both going and coming back, that a movie would end and she'd say "I'll just look out the window now," or simply begin playing with her princess figurines (action figures?) on the window's edge. Mostly, as if to encourage me, she'd volunteer updates from her car seat: "we're almost there, daddy...just a little longer." Both she and Smith napped from time to time, especially on the way home, because (as the pictures below indicate), these kids did not slow down! Needless to say, we all had a wonderful time. SJC, who was very excited about playing with Carver and Springer (and their toys), was not disappointed, and Smith loved all of the attention (especially from Springer, who was head over heels for her "little Smith-a-rooney." Tricia and I are both so thankful for Amanda and Giorgio, as well as our nephew and neice, and are grateful that our children have such a wonderful extended family. We love y'all!