After a long pause, back with a campout

Wow, so March and April have been crazy and busy and are nearly gone.  I've been meaning to get on and post but time has kept passing by.

Easter has come and gone.  We had a great trip to the coast where there was a fun outing to cousin Neal's baseball game, sunrise service, an egghunt and some baseball with Graeme.

Then this past week, Graeme had his spring play at school where he and his classmates were great little flowers.  While he apparently would practice the songs at school, when faced with a big crowd, stage fright set in and he sat there sweetly with his hands on his face and watched everyone else.  He was adorable!

Then this weekend (after a test camp in the backyard last weekend) we met up with Mike's siblings for the first annual Hale Kids Family campout at Jordan Lake.  While Molly (Mike's brother Ken's wife) and I headed back at the end of a great afternoon with the littlest Hales, the rest are braving a coming rain storm and should have some great stories to add when we see them tomorrow.

Graeme liked cousin Josh's big red bike

Liam liked hanging in the woodlands

Graeme taking a turn with the oars

Liam in a rare still moment with a pretzel

Hiking around the campsite

A deep conversation with Uncle Jon

Aunt Leanna and Aunt Katie

Uncle Jon building the campfire

Watching the campfire

Cousins Josh, Sarah and Anna

Uncle Ken checking out cousin Josh's marshmallow (Anna just chillin')

The First Annual Hale Kids Family Campout

Michael (with Emily, Graeme & Liam), Ken (with Molly, Josh, Sarah & Anna), Katie, Leanna, Jon, Nancy & Christina

I Am Buying A Leash

For those faint of heart, do not read on.  This is a story of terror and panic.  This is a story of a monster.  This is a story about Liam.  It is a true story.

This morning seemed quiet and uneventful.  The boys and I woke up and after getting everyone dressed we headed out the door for school.  We were doing well, we made it there a few minutes early.  And this early arrival is where our story truly begins.

Graeme's class doesn't open up until exactly 9:00 a.m.  Knowing that he had drunk his entire drink between the house and school, I decided this would be an excellent time to take him to the bathroom before he went into his classroom.  I took both boys into the nearby women's restroom where Graeme chooses the far stall.  I put Liam down and go back and forth between the boys making sure both are doing well.  Graeme is doing his business, Liam is bouncing and happy.  

As Graeme finishes up and I help him with his pants and washing his hands, Liam decides the time is right.  Right for what you ask.  Escape, of course.  I thought the door was too heavy for him to push, but no, the brief moment away was all he needed.  As I finished with Graeme and went back to grab Liam, he was not there.  I quickly open the door and look down the hall.  Right, left, right, left-no small child in sight.  

I run back in and get Graeme to tag along as I hurry along asking if anyone has seen my small child.  I call Liam's name over and over, NOTHING.  Graeme is running with me as we check hallways and ask if anyone has seen a little boy.  Graeme is definitely feeling my anxiety as we stop back at the desk just outside the hallway leading to his classroom not knowing what to do next.  

At that moment, the elevator doors open and I look over to see a small boy very pleased with himself.  Yes, there was Liam taking an elevator ride.  Quiet and sneaky, my son used his unusual height for his age and took himself on a little adventure.

Praise that he is okay, but Amazon will be delivering the leash on Thursday!

Fish-sh-sh-sh

On Friday, my friend Brooke and I took the boys to the aquarium at Fort Fisher (and yes, Finding Nemo was our movie selection on the way).  We didn't have a long visit because some crazy storms were coming through the area, but we had a blast.  Graeme was very excited to see all the different kinds of fish-sh-sh (he emphasizes that last part of the word :-)

The boys were very excited to see the statue outside the aquarium, they thought it very cool.

They were ready to see the animals.

Look into ponds for frogs and tadpoles as well as fish

I thought this little exhibit was cool with the gray and green tree frogs and the green snake, too.

The aquarium has an albino alligator, Luna

And some regular American Alligators, too.  The boys are checking out the three laying on top of each other watching the visitors go buy (hmm-I wonder if they are thinking about lunch :-)

Graeme was excited to donate some money to the aquarium

Graeme liked the tunnel underneath the crab.  He went through it 3 times, before he actually stood up and discovered he could look through.

Liam loved hanging out on the wide ledges and watching the action in the tanks while Brooke made sure he didn't lean back and fall.

Graeme is showing Liam the shark swimming in the big tank 

My future birdwatcher (yes, he's looking through the wrong end, but hey it was a gloomy day and the only thing checking out the bird feeders were squirrels so we have time to work on his binocular skills)

Liam looking at the turtles hanging out on the log (what the picture doesn't show was him also trying to climb up and over the railing to join them which is why I had to be quick to get this picture)

Graeme found the frog

Graeme and the frog had a conversation 

Liam loved the painting.  This was painted on metal and it wasn't until looking at my pictures later that it struck me how amazing that worked-it looks like he's looking at a turtle in a tank, but it is truly a flat painting.  I will have to check these out in more detail next time we go.

Foreign or Domestic?

When one first sees my second-born child, one sees sweet chubby cheeks and adorableness.  Upon closer examination one finds something a bit more mischievous behind his big smiles and blue eyes.  

He (and his brother, too) love to flip upside down using the back of the couch to support themselves.  This is a very popular happening at the Hale house right now.

He looks so well-behaved sitting in the stroller as we walk around museums and greenways, but he is merely biding his time waiting to be let loose.  (Liam has a great "let me do something I shouldn't" laugh)

And he does indeed take off and run if you take your eyes off him for even half a moment.  He loves to run and explore (as seen here playing at the Marbles Kids Museum).

But the craziest thing my sweet monster is doing lately is putting things up his nose.  It started with part of a cheerio, then it was shredded carrots.  I am now performing routine nose inspections and . . . 

I am happy to report that today we discovered nothing foreign, only domestic "objects" inhabiting his sinuses!

5 reasons 2012 has not been a good start for blogging

#5. Recovering from Christmas and New Year.  Starting a new year always involves a lot of clean up from the end of the last and a lot of prep for the new.

#4.  On the go.  We have been to the coast and to Fayetteville and trying to do some stuff around town with the boys.  With some beautiful days (70 degrees for a couple), I've been trying to get the boys to some of our local parks and playgrounds.

#3.  Graeme potty-trained on January 13th.  He decided that was the day, and while accidents are still common, he has done a great job!

#2.  I'm the mother of monkeys!

And the #1 reason I've been a blogging slacker . . . 

Chasing a very active 21 month old who is into everything.  Liam is sweet, adorable and leaves me completely exhausted at the end of the day!