Blurb Book Giveaway

There is a cool website out there called Photo Book Girl.  She has made tons of photobooks and she reviews all of them.  She has reviews for tons of different companies.  She also has a section where she posts the daily groupons, coupons, giveaways, or contests for different photobooks. 

I have been using a company called Blurb to make photobooks.  So far I have made two blog books (the first and second years of the blog) and also made some photo books.  I’m working on the third year blog book and hoping to do more photo books soon (I’m only about 3 years behind!).

Photobook Girl is doing a Blurb giveaway.  You can win $75 towards a Blurb book.  I’d love to win this one so I could get a book for free!

Check it out!  http://www.photobookgirl.com/blog/blurb-review-of-softcover-photo-book-giveaway-ends-912011/comment-page-5/#comment-5880

Lindy’s 1st Day of Hearing Impaired Preschool

Seems like we had a good bit going on last week, the biggest being that Lindy started back to school. 

Tuesday Drew and I spent the afternoon at the Winston-Salem Open.  It is the first year Winston has hosted this event so we decided to check it out.  They billed it as “Big time tennis served southern style.”  And it was big time tennis.  Drew and I got to watch James Blake and John Isner play matches.  Isner ended up winning the tournament and he is from nearby Greensboro so that was neat.  It was a blazing hot afternoon but we really enjoyed our little outing.  The kids went and played with Katie, Claire, and Micah.  They had a blast playing with their friends.  Lindy had her first accident in weeks though.  Sorry Katie.

We left there and grabbed dinner and then we headed to Lindy’s open house at her hearing impaired classroom.  She was pretty excited to be back at school and to see Ms. Asbury and Ms. Mary.  We chatted a bit and then headed home.

Wednesday Drew had an endoscopy done in the afternoon so Janice came to watch the kids for us.  Drew has had years of reflux and ‘burning’ so he finally got it checked out.  I had to go with him since they put him out to do the endoscopy.  Everything turned out fine.  He has a small hiatal hernia but they said to just stay on his medicines and see the doctor in a couple months.  He was pretty sleepy the rest of the night.  Again, I know the kids loved playing with Janice. 

Thursday morning, the 25th,  was the first day of the 2011-2012 school year.  Lindy was so excited to take her backpack back to school.  She didn’t skip a beat.  She went in and went straight to her cubby and didn’t look back at us!  She knew her classroom, her teachers, and her friends.  I was sad for a split moment when we left but it was short-lived.  The only thing I was worried about was her going to the bathroom on the potty.  I sent her in big girl pants and I was so nervous all morning.  I sent many changes of clothes but she actually still had her dress on when we picked her up!  She went in the potty!  I’m sure she’ll have accidents but that was a good first day!  Will and I dropped her off and then ran to Target and ended up at the mall.  At one point Will did ask if it was time to go get Lindy yet.  They fight like cats and dogs but he still misses her!  Lindy will go to her hearing impaired classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays this year.  After Labor Day she’ll start preschool with Will on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Thursday evening we headed to a nearby park for a work gathering for Drew.  It was a BBQ dinner which was pretty tasty.  They had a playground that the kids loved.  We ended up leaving early because the kids were sending us over the edge.  We tried to sit down for dinner and between the two of them they told us they had to pee 6 times.  Not a lot of eating was going on and Mom and Dad were getting more irritated every time they told us!  After dinner Lindy fell back and hit her head on the playground and I was just done.  So we headed home.

Friday I went shopping with my best friend, Carrie, at some nearby outlet malls.  We didn’t find too many good deals but it was still fun to see her.

Saturday was the first day we’ve had absolutely nothing to do in forever.  I ended up cleaning and mowing most of the day.  It was pretty windy for Hurricane Irene but we were too far west to really get too much.  Some neighbors lost limbs of their bradford pear because of the wind.  We hardly got any rain at all. 

Yesterday was a super busy day with church, a lunch fundraiser for church at CiCi’s Pizza (their cinnamon dessert rolls are to die for – yum!), a 31 Party at Jamie’s (Drew’s sister Anna is a 31 consultant) and then Lynn and Anna came by after the party to see the kids. 

Today we kind of finished up the summer with one last outing – to the NC Zoo.  It was a perfect day to go.  It was almost chilly this morning (although it was plenty hot by mid-morning) and since school had already started back, it was practically empty!  We’ve never seen the zoo so empty.  We ended up only doing the North American exhibits but that was fine.  The kids weren’t really that interested in the animals.  Especially since Lindy can’t see a lot of them.  But they had a blast with the steps and doors at the zoo.  We had lunch at our favorite Asheboro spot, Sir Pizza, with a former student pastor who now serves a church in Asheboro, and headed home.  Those babies were tired from all that walking. 

And what you all really came for anyway – pictures.

James Black on the left.  He played badly and lost quickly.I’m shocked Drew posed for this picture!John Isner – he was ginormous.  6 foot 9 inches! Lindy’s first day of school!Will wanted his picture taken too!Will wanted to give her a hug but she wasn’t into it at first.She finally decided to hug him back!And topped it off with a kiss!SO excited about her back pack!At her classroom door!With her teacher, Mrs. Asbury.In other news, I took the diaper genie and changing pad out of the kids’ rom!  BIG STEP!!!!  Will has been playing with tents and caves this week.  He has had so much fun!Doesn’t my girl look beautiful?  The dress she is wearing was made by her Mimo, about 26 years ago!  Lynn made it for Anna when Anna was like 2 years old.  Anna refused to wear it that year!  She decided to wear it the next year, when it was too small for her.  So she never really wore it.  Lindy on the other hand loved it!I’ve waited all summer for Mimo to come to church so Lindy could wear her dress!  Mimo finally came and we totally surprised her!  She was so excited that someone would wear her dress!The zoo!

Fun, Fun Fun with Friends and Nana and Papa

We had a fun week and we were so excited to have Nana and Papa in for a visit.

Tuesday I took Lindy in to pick up her new ear molds for her hearing aides.  For the first time ever, they both work, the first time!!!  We usually have to remake both her ear molds.  The last time we got them we only had to remake one of them.  This time, they both worked!!  Our new audiologist must have the magic touch with  Lindy! 

Wednesday Drew and I got to go to the March for Babies Awards Lunch while Uncle Ed watched the kids for us.  Aunt Jamie, Katie and Kris, and my friend Wendy were all there so it was a fun lunch.  It was also fun because for about the 3rd year we had the TOP family team and Drew and I were the TOP money raisers for the Winston-Salem March for Babies walk!   Thanks to you, all our friends and family, who keeping supporting us and keeping us at the TOP each year!

Nana and Papa rolled into town late that afternoon.  They wanted to get in one more trip before Mom starts school next week.  They also came down to help me with the kids because Drew was going away on a youth group retreat with our church.   It worked out perfectly!

My parents got the kids their first bikes for their birthdays. They have sat in the boxes in the garage because the kids have slack parents.  We just hadn’t gotten around to putting them together yet .  Then I found out my parents were coming down and I thought it was the perfect job for my dad and that they could see the kids’ inaugural rides on their bikes.  Papa had Will’s bike put together in no time. He got Lindy’s put together too but as soon as she got on it we knew it wasn’t going to work.  They originally got her a 10” bike but the pedals were on the front wheel and she couldn’t reach them.  Dumb design.  If you need  a 10” bike for a kid, the kid is obviously really small and probably can’t reach those pedals.  We knew we’d need to return it and get her a different one.  She rode Will’s bike until after dinner when Mom, Lindy and I went and got her another one.  We ended up getting her a 12” bike which is a good fit for her.  When she woke up the next morning Papa had her bike all together too. 

We couldn’t ride long because Mom, the kids, and I were headed to Greensboro to the Nature Science Center to meet up with my friend Wendy and her girls Riley and Berkley and my friend Jamie and her girls Mia and Mollie.  I think we all had a great time but we were all tired at the end!  I was so thankful my mom was with me!  The kids were constantly going in opposite directions and kept having to go potty at totally different times.  I was so glad she was there!  It was much fun seeing my friends and letting our kids all play together. 

Friday we saw Drew off on his youth group trip and then we headed to the mall to do some shopping.  I was able to get some things returned and exchanged.  The kids enjoyed having Nana and Papa to play with while I was shopping.  The kids got to ride on the train and carousel, after Will batted his long lashes and said, “GrandBob took us on the train and carousel at the mall!”  We stayed out for dinner and frozen yogurt and finally headed back home.

Saturday afternoon we drove around Mooresville NC, a place my parents are checking out as a possible retirement location.  It seems like a nice place with all the shopping they want and lots of restaurants.  It’s near a lake so my dad can go fishing.  We’d love to have them about an hour away but I’ll believe it when a moving van pulls into a house in NC.  Until then, who knows where they will end up!  We drove all around and then enjoyed dinner in Davidson, a neat little college town.

My parents left after lunch today and Drew got home around 6pm.   Having the help while he was gone was awesome. 

Lindy LOVES her bike!  She is getting better at pedaling but she needs some reminding.   She wants to ride it all day!  Will learned how to ride his bike all by himself but he doesn’t seem to love it.  He is so scared he is going to fall off or roll back.  Hopefully he’ll become more comfortable because he did a great job pedaling all by himself.

After this weekend being out and about almost all day every day, I can safely say that Lindy is potty trained.  Number 1 and Number 2!  She hasn’t had an accident since August 8th.  She wore big girl pants out everywhere we went this weekend and she successfully told us when she needed to go.  One issue we have is that she tells us when she has to go and then doesn’t go.  It makes me so irritated!  It’s never at a convenient time and then it turns into a waste of time.  But I have to take her because I don’t know if she is going to go or not.  Hopefully the longer she is potty trained she’ll quit doing that.  Being potty trained is obviously cheaper but it’s still so new that it isn’t exactly any easier yet.  I know the more she practices the easier it’ll all get.  The other cool thing is that she has basically night trained herself as well.  She wakes up every night and we take her to the potty and she is dry in the mornings.  She has been doing this for about 2-3 weeks now.  I’m going to use all the pull-ups I have and then I guess we’ll do big girl pants at night too!  She has done well with with each new transition this summer.  I started her on the little potty and when she had that mastered I moved her to the big potty with a potty seat.  Last week we busted out a sticker chart and I transitioned her to the big potty – with no seat.  I knew there wouldn’t be any potty seats at her schools so I needed her going on big potties.  If she went all day she got a new pair of Ni Hao Kai Lan underwear.  She is now going on the big potty all the time!  It’s been a summer-long process but she got it!  I will admit that I’m very nervous to send her to school in big girl pants.  I’m afraid she may have accidents.  I hope she can do this well at school.

That is the news!  Here are some pictures from our fun week.

Papa putting Will’s bike together.Lindy was a big helper.First time on his bike!On her first bike.  It got returned.  Trying out Will’s bike.The next morning she had her very own new bike!Playing at the Nature Science Center in Greensboro.Mollie tried to take off Lindy’s glasses!First group shot attempt! Riley brought a friend Kylie with her.Lou and RileyBrushing the goats.Seeing eye to eye with the sheep.Checking out the river otters.Second group shot attempt!  Pretty good except I cut off Kylie’s head.Lindy, Berkley, Will and Riley.Third – and best – group shot!  Lindy, Berkley, Mia, Mollie, Riley, Will and Kylie.Will checking out with cashier Berkley.Will and Mollie bonding at the train table.Wendy, me, and Jamie.  We all graduated high school together.Riding his bike like a big boy!Doing it all by himself!Riding the train at the mall with Nana.Riding the ‘horseys’ at the mall.Eating dinner in Davidson at the Brick House Tavern.Nana and Papa and Lindy and Will