Halloween Hauntings...

The boys had a fun Halloween season. We got Boo-ed twice! The second time Andrew sighted a girl ghost with blond hair running toward a red pick-up (Thanks Brock family for our treats, especially the vampire teeth!).

Our neighborhood had a costume parade for the kiddos. The kids decorated pumpkins and enjoyed cookies and treats. On Halloween the boys (Ed, Zach, Andrew and Zach's friend Hayden) trick or treated this year. After going around the whole circle (over 60 houses), they headed out to the next part of our sub for even more candy. Andrew is really growing up. Last year he made it about half way on the circle before tiring out, handing me his candy bag, and walking straight home!

OUCH!!!

Andrew has scar number 2. Both are on the kid's head too. Poor boy was standing too close when one of the neighborhood kids let his hockey stick rip right into Andrew's forehead. Next thing I hear is,"Andrew's got blood all over him!" WHAT!!! Oh my gosh!! And, he did! All down his face, shirt, pants, hand, and my hand. Once the bleeding stopped...And, mom composed herself...

We headed to the Acute Kids in McKinney. Soon he was all glued up and looking pretty. Well, not that pretty. His cut oozed blood every few days and his face turned black and blue. The dermabond is really holding on. It's been over 2 weeks and the stuff won't budge.

Here's my boy the morning after...

Last Looks of the Season...

Andrew finished up his first season of T-ball receiving the Game Ball at the last game (the coach sent an email at the beginning of the season letting parents know when their child would receive the game ball. Andrew had a long wait...) And, a great season! He made a few outs, ran fast, and had some good hits off coach pitched balls.

Zach played in the bigger leagues this year moving up to machine pitch. The team had a lot to learn and made huge improvements each week. Zach finished the season strong. His last game he hit 2 singles, made 1 or the 2 runs scored, and recieved his 3rd game ball of the season.

Way to go boys!!!

October Highlights...

A day at McKinney's Round Up on the Range...

Body Art...

Shana, I've learned my lesson. From now on all body tattoos go on arms and legs only! These Transformer tattoos really last too. Even after tonight's bath, they are still intact.

Lowes vs. Home Depot

We like them both!! Love the free Saturday A.M. classes for my little carpenters. On Saturday I took the boys (since dad is OOT in Maine and Boston for work/play)to try out the class at the new Lowes in McKinney. We built red firetrucks. I especially liked the safety goggles which all the kids got to keep. Last week the 3 boys stopped by Home Depot to make crayon carrying trucks...very cute idea! Can't wait to see what we're making in the next class...

Another Yellow Belt!!

Congratulations Zach for passing your test to become a yellow belt in Taekwondo!!

Sneak Preview...

The boys are soooo excited for Halloween this year! They would wear their costumes every day until the 31st...if I'd let them;) Here's a sneak peak at Optimus Prime and Raphael...

Weekend Fun...

Another busy September weekend. Zach played baseball on Friday night. He hit a single and made it to first. Now that the boys are playing machine pitch, the runs are fewer and far between. But, Zach had a geat time and that's what matters!

On Saturday morning we peeled ourselves out of bed to go to the Plano Balloon Festival. This is a big local event each fall and an annual MOMS Club outing. The last two we peacefully slept through! Fortuntely, we stopped for coffee and were feeling wide-eyed for the sight of the balloon take off!

Zach had his buddy, Hayden over on Saturday for a sleep over. We headed to Snuffers (my favorite Texas burger joint) for dinner. After Zach finished his virgin strawberry daquiri, he was definitely on a sugar HIGH! Ed and I look over to see him doing push-ups on the floor by the table! I took the boys (all sugered up) to see the McKinney HS production of Beauty & the Beast. It was really good. The boys enjoyed the show and their intermission treats...more sugar. We headed home and were lucky to have lights out by 11pm.

My Other Pirates...

Player #7, Zach Abbott
Asst. Coach & proud Dad, Ed

Andrew Updates...

Andrew had a very busy September. He tested for his yellow "Little Tigers" belt in Tae Kwon Do...and, much to his parents surprise PASSED! He was sooo proud of himself. This a real first in our house, since Andrew is the only family member to have a yellow belt. Andrew often waves the belt in front of his big brother tormenting him relentlessly.

Andrew also began pre-kindergaten. He goes to school on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-2. His class is made up of ALL boys. Fourteen I think. All the boys will be 5 by the end of December. The teachers admitted to being nervous at first, but the boys seem to be doing great!

Andrew started playing T-Ball this fall. He is on the Pirates with his buddies Nathan and Ben. Coincidently, Zach and Andrew have the same coach and are both playing on the Pirates. Zach moved up to the big leagues...machine pitch.

Our trip to North Carolina

Labor Day weekend we flew to NC to visit my parents (or Grandma & Grandpa Townsend). It was so great to see my mom and dad. We live so far apart and I really miss them. We spent 5 days turning their nice neat home topsy turvy!

The boys loved playing checkers with grandma, coloring with their new crayons, and eating all the ice cream she had bought. Zach especially liked eating all his dinners at restaurants, and he really enjoyed the different coloring pages each establishment offered! The boys got lots of pool time, spent a day at the beach, and Zach rode in the golf cart with grandpa & dad for a round of golf. His job was score keeping. It took Grandpa a few extra minutes to add some of the numbers that Zach writes backwards. He caught on quickly. Zach's favorite hole is the 9th, where you can get snacks and a bathroom break!

We loved our end of summer trip!!

First Grade - Here Comes Zach!!

Zach started back to school on Monday, August 26th. He is very excited to finally be in the first grade. His proud mom, dad, and brother accompanied him to school. We saw Zach's classroom and desk. Then, headed outside for the annual flag raising ceremony to start off the school year.

Zach Cooks???

To my complete surprise, I found Zach busy preparing his lunch one sunny summer day. He actually had all the right components collected and was happily making his own sandwich. I didn't even think he knew where the bread was kept...He sure was proud of his PB&J sandwich!

August Highlights...

Summer's not over yet...Here's a peak at what we've been doing in August.

The boys participated in a week long VBS program, completed 2 weeks of swim lessons, and started weekly Taekwondo classes. We had lots of fun catching up with friends at playdates, pool outings, and the MOMS Club back to school bash in our backyard. With friends the Lehmans and Hagers, we had a fun day sliding, spraying, and splashing at Hawaiian Falls water park. Zach celebrated turning 7 with his pals with a pool party at our neighborhood pool.

Back Home in Texas

We headed home on the red eye from NY, since our flight was delayed from 8:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. We were finally all tucked in our beds by 4 a.m. Needless to say it was pretty low energy at our house the next day. The boys and I sprang Hamilton free from the kennel and grabbed a few edibles at the grocery store before heading back home to nap.

The next day....we were well rested and ready for a MOMS Club outing to the new McKinney fire station and museum. We were so happy to see our friends again!

Week Four!

We spent the beginning of our last week on vacation at my sister Cindy's house in Massachusetts. The boys loved all the special attention they received. They especially liked hanging out with their cousin's Matt and Sarah. Thanks guys for teaching the boys how to play Sorry. It's now one of their favorite board games. After fun outings to the pool, park, restaurant, and being spoiled by Aunt Cindy, we continued heading North.

We visited my brother and sister in-law in MA. My sister in-law, Sue, took us all on a road trip to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. The kids had so much fun boogie boarding, digging for crabs and playing in the sand. We all enjoyed the homemade ice cream we stopped for on the way home! The next day we went to the park, Friendly's for lunch and for a couple rounds of candlestick bowling.

Onward to Maine, where we stayed in Apt. #2 in Grandma Frost's building. The boys love swimming in the heated, indoor pool and eating all the fun treats she has. We took a trip to an animal farm on the hottest day of the summer in Maine. We still got to spy on a Moose. For dinner we hopped on ferry ride over to Peak's Island, off th coast of Portland, for dinner over-looking the bay.

Ed flew in on Saturday, our last day of vacation. We headed to the beach to soak in the sea air and play in the sand one last time. That night we saw a minor league baseball game with the Portland Sea Dogs, who have our favorite mascot, Slugger. What a memorable, busy, fun month we've had. We LOVE to visit with all our family and friends each summer!

Week Three...

Ed returned to Texas and the daily grind. The boys and I continued on our East coast tour. First stop, my sister Colleen's house in Connecticut. We visited with her family - Uncle T.D. and cousins Alyson, Caitlin and Maura & all their boyfriends. My sister Carol along with her husband Jim and 2 of their 4 kids, Meaghan & Courtney were there as well.

There was a pool party/cook-out with even more of my family - my sister Cindy and 2 of her 3 kids, Matt and Sarah. We celebrated all the July Birthdays, which of course meant presents and cake for Zach. Thanks all for his new Nintendo game cartridges. There was plenty of swimming in the pool, playing games, too many great meals, and lots of fun with our family. Thank you Colleen and T.D. for such a great visit. You treat us too well, we're tempted to move right in...

At the end of the week I was able to hook up with the Toth gang for a day outing. We took a ferry ride around the Thimble Islands off the Sound. The kids loved the boat ride and the park they played at afterwards. Next stop the Jersey shore. We headed down for a couple nights. Our first stop was visiting my childhood, life-long friend Michele and her family. I finally met her beautiful little boy, James. The kids and I spent the afternoon at the beach. Then, back to Michele's for a really memorable night of catching up with some high school friends. Thanks Michele and John for hosting such a fun party.

The next day we headed to the beach with my high school friend, college roommate, and life-long buddy, Jeanette and her family. We stayed at the beach from 2:30 to 7:30. My kids were beat. A day of sun, salt air, and swimming really takes it out of you. I just love those days... Thanks Jeanette and Rick for the beach outing and the cozy beds to spend the night in.

Three down, one to go...

Week Two

We met up with our good friends from Virginia, Anna and Rob Toth and their kids Daniel, Andy, and Abby for the 2nd Annual Abbott/Toth Family summer vacation in Maine. We rented a great house surrounded on 3 sides with water on Sebago Lake. There was an association beach with a large floating deck for the kids to swim to. We had our own little sandy beach, which attracted many ducks for us to feed. The house was even big enough for us to have guests. Our first night Aunt Annie and Uncle Luke visited. They were on a mission to eat as many lobsters as possible during their stay in Maine. So, we had to suffer through another lobster and clam feed.

We rented a pontoon boat(aka party barge)for three days during that week. We had lots of fun boating, swimming and tubing in Sebago. On Wednesday, Grandma and Grandpa Abbott, Woods, Sue, Brittany and Mathew joined us for a day on the boat and to celebrate Zach's 7th Birthday.

As always, it was great to see the Toth family and catch up on all the events of the past year. I'm so glad we can get the kids together to make these forever summer memories. You know if we were still in VA, we'd be knocking on your door most Saturday nights... We miss you Toths! And, are looking forward to another fun filled summer with you next year!

Our East Coast Adventure - Week One

We left on our annual East coast excursion on June 30th. Landing at La Guardia, we found out our connecting flight to Boston had been cancelled. This was Friday and the next flight we could get on was on Sunday...mmmm. Plan B! Pay for an exorbitantly high costing rental car and drive to Boston ourselves. Once on the road, I could feel the East coast vibe immediately. In Texas folks drive BIG trucks and SUVs (myself included). It's a big state and people prefer big cars. Back east the roads are full of small, old sedans, VW's and Subaru's zipping about the road. The other immediate change is the music played on the radio. I can never get enough Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Beach Boys. The night just kept getting better as we headed into a 24 hour diner for dinner. I LOVE diners. Their coffee, booths with plastic covered seats, and especially, ordering breakfast at any time of the day. Of course, I had eggs and bacon!

We made it to Maine on Saturday right on schedule. We headed to Ed's Uncle Walter and Aunt Carol's cabin on Red Hill in Rumford. We had a great meal and in true Abbott style a delicious dessert. Huge servings of fresh picked Maine strawberries, over homemade biscuits and whip cream....mmmm good. The next day was the annual 4th of July picnic. This year we were at the Champ family farm. This picnic has been going on for over 50 years. It's an amazing event that brings together so many generations of family and friends. The dinner bell rang at noon and the eating just doesn't stop. There are annual favorites - Gaye's scalloped potatoes, John's turkey, Sue & Woods' stuffed shells. Then, there is dessert. A dozen or so types of homemade ice cream and a buffet table full of baked goods. After a short respite on the lawn the croquet tournament begins. There is some deep rooted competition here, maybe a little creative playing, and a champion by the end of the flights! The kids all have a terrific time exploring in the old barn, running in the fields, and filling up on ice cream.

We followed all this eating with...you guessed it, more eating! Thank you Woods and Sue for having us up to camp. We spent a few days with Ed's brother's family enjoying their relaxing, peaceful, and fun filled Maine camp. The kids had so much fun being with their cousins, Brittany and Mathew, Aunt Annie and Uncle Luke. Our days were full of boating, tubing, swimming, fishing, sunning and eating!

After a 4th of July cook-out at camp, we all headed to Portland to see the fireworks. Grandma Frost had scored tickets for us all to be aboard the fire boat out in Portland harbor to watch the show. I don't have any pictures of this outing, because I didn't get to go. Andrew was NOT going for a boat ride that night! He and I headed to a local pizza spot for dinner. We watched the boats in the harbor. We watched the clouds roll in. Then, the rain start. We ran to our car and watched the fireworks from a hill top warm and dry in the car;) We drove down to the dock to pick up our crew, who were wet through and through, but still smiling:) Definitely, a night to remember.

We spent the next few days with Grandma Frost (Ed's mom), Annie and Luke in Portland. We headed to the beach, ate more lobster, saw Ratatouille, took a train ride, shopped at L.L. Beans, swam in the pool, ate Mexican food, ate ice cream, and I even took in a Pilates mat class (by now you see how much I needed it;). Week one ended with a visit to Grandma and Grandpa Abbott's new house in Falmouth. They took the boys down to the docks for a little crabbing.

Schools Out!

After a relaxing, rejuvenating vacation in Destin and New Orleans, we came home to the beginning of summer activities. The boys participated in a week-long Sky Hawks sports camp at the Y with some of their buddies. They got to dribble, kick and shoot for 3 hours a day. The next week we headed to the Fort Worth Science Museum for a MOMS Club field trip. We had a great time with our friends the Brock, Cann, and Jurney families. The boys loved the Star Wars exhibit, the Dino dig, and the really cool optical illusion exhibit. We took in the snake exhibit at the Heard Wildlife Museum in McKinney. Fortunately, we were there on the right day at the right time for the weekly feeding of the snakes. Those poor little mice didn't stand a chance. The boys seemed a bit squeamish too. I guess they do have a sensitive side;) We had fun swimming at Lifetime and our neighborhood pool. And, the kids cashed in at our yard sale by selling lemonade. All I can say is...Summer FUN has just begun!

N'awlins

Here I go again, backtracking with this blog. I just don't want anyone to miss any of the fun times we've had this summer;) Back in June on the way home from Destin, Florida, we spent a couple nights in New Orleans. We stayed at the Embassy Suites just a couple blocks away from the convention center and river walk. Our hotel was only a block away from Emeril's Restaurant. Of course Ed has eaten there before on business trips, but this mama doesn't get out much. So, we got the kids and headed over. Emeril's is clearly not a kid friendly restaurant. There is no kids menu only $30 to $40 entrees. Definitely no crayons and coloring books. We got dirty looks as soon as we stepped in the door. The front of house staff suggested we try a local bar/restaurant up the block called Lucy's, which is owned by a former California surfer dude. Surfer memorabilia was everywhere. I was so glad that I had dressed the boys in their matching surfer shirts that evening. They were quite a hit at the bar! After a cold beer, a Juicy Lucy burger, and coloring for the kids, we were safely back at the hotel in enough time to take advantage of the complimentary happy hour and a quick swim in the pool!

The next day Ed headed off to meet clients and the boys and I went to the New Orleans Children's Museum just a block away from the hotel. The boys had a terrific time. We stayed for 3 1/2 hours. At $7 a person it seemed like a bargain. The museum was full of cool science stuff, an art room, and a section on Mr. Rogers. The boys liked everything. But, their favorite things to do whenever we go to a children's museum is play at the restaurant and grocery store. This outing was no different.

We met up with Ed for an afternoon at the Aquarium. Some highlights included an IMAX movie about sea life, petting a baby sand shark, and touching a baby sting ray. Then, we headed to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant in the French Quarter for dinner followed by biegnets at Cafe du Monde for dessert. We were stuffed and tired and ready for bed!

Wacky Wednesday

Last week the boys participated in a Sky Hawks sports camp at the YMCA. They loved having their friends Jackson, Ben and Raj Pal there. They also got very excited about Wacky Wednesday and wanted colored hair. They came home and got into their super hero costumes to play. I couldn't find my boys all day;)

FIRSTS

Yesterday was the first day of Summer. It was 76 degrees and rainy here in McKinney, Texas. In the three Summers that we've been in TX that was a real first! It's usually over 100 every day by now with no rain in sight until next Spring. We are loving this cooler weather. Feels a bit like the East coast.

Andrew can SWIM!!! He took his first strokes on Tuesday, June 12th at the Avalon pool. He made it about 3 feet to me and then back to the wall. The next day he doubled his distance. Two days later he was swimming like a fish or a sinking boat depending how you look at it. We are so proud of you Andrew!! The best thing about all this swimming is how TIRED Andrew is at night.

I cut the boys' hair MYSELF! Tired of paying $30 every 6 weeks for hair cuts and hearing them plead "no, don't take me to the hair cut place." I went to Wal-Mart and for $15 got a complete hair cutting kit. My subjects were sceptical. Now, they were pleading to go back to the hair cut place. But, I was determined and with the help of a little candy got the job done. Aside from the gangster stripes on one side of Zach's head, I think I did a fabulous job - hahaha! The kit has already paid for itself. Ed, you better watch out;)

MOMS Club Banquet

The annual MOMS Club Banquet was last Wednesday in downtown McKinney. The Board did an awesome job putting together a fun, festive evening, which included a catered dinner of chicken marsala. I love any gathering where I don't have to cook. I was awarded the certificate of "Party Mom" for this past year, which I'm gonna hide from Ed. Afterward, a few of us headed to McKinney's newest hot spot Rick's Chop House. I think there are a FEW party moms in our group!!

Destin, Florida

The much awaited trip to Florida came and did not disappoint. We headed out of town at 5am on Saturday (not as early as some people) and rolled in to Destin before 5pm. The highlight of the trip was seeing the Perez family. The kids started playing like they had never been apart and in no time the dads were up to no good;) We had a fantastic townhouse right on the beach (great find Brocks) and Pompano Joe's Seafood Restaurant/Bar a hundred yards away - location is everything! I only left our place twice by car in five days. The weather was great every day and the gulf coast had some waves rolling in. It was a little piece of heaven - family, friends, surf, sand, sun, walks on the beach, seafood dinners cooked by our personal chefs...what more could a girl want?