The Aquarium

My mom had been wanting to catch up with us and Bella had been anxious to see her and show her some of her new things and... then my mom suggested we check out the new aquarium in Charlotte (well Concord). You can see more here. My Grandma joined us and we took all three kids because I had a feeling Porter would be just as entertained. It was the perfect trip for my kids at their ages. It was not as big as many of the other aquariums and doesn't take a full day like a trip to the zoo. There are eight stations and the kids have passports that they stamp as they get to each one. They had a touch tank with starfish, etc and an underwater tunnel to watch the sharks. At the end they have a play area for the kids and stuff for coloring. I haven't been to too many aquariums but I was very pleased. We also got a discount for pre-ordering our tickets online which is always a plus!

eight months!!

Porter is now eight months old going on two! He amazes us everyday with his energy and expressions! He loves his big sisters, especially Ava right now because they spend the most time together. She is so good about playing with him and acts as a little mommy. If she hears a peep out of him, she is there to wait on him hand and foot and he just eats it up. He continues to want to get everyone's attention both at home and in public. He goes around smiling and waving at everyone like he is in a parade and will go to a perfect stranger. At home if we turn away or take too long to give him his next bite, he is moving his whole body to get his face in line with ours and make eye contact. He is louder and more active than the girls ever were but there is something so enjoyable about it. He began to growl this month and we all find it hilarious. It is as if he wants us to know he's a tough boy already. He is eating great and sleeping great with the exception of a few days he was struggling with a new tooth. He has two teeth on the bottom that have now fully come in and at least two more that are slowly making their way in on top. He is generally really happy but lets us know when he is mad too! (Again, he is the loudest of the kids.) He enjoyed his first Christmas and New Year this past month and learned that he will have a new buddy across the street about the time of his first birthday. Our great friends and neighbors are having a boy!

He still loves to get his picture taken...


He just decided to relax after a few minutes like an old man...


And my two and a half, almost three year old being a threenager... (sidenote on her- we have no touch screens or internet on our phones but the girl could operate one like an adult. she is always trying to slide her finger to look at pictures. where do they learn this stuff??!!)

Christmas... Porter's first

I am not really in the mood to go back and recap all of Christmas. It was amazing- don't get me wrong- but I am way behind posting on it so it feels a little bit like too much. Without further ado, here is my attempt at being brief all the while capturing the magical time it was.

We spent the Advent season doing things like visiting McAdenville, decorating, driving around seeing Christmas lights, wearing our Christmas pj's, having playdates and reading the Christmas story.



We always house hop which is part of the fun for us. Randy and I both find a strange kind of satisfaction in running from here to there around the holidays.

Our first celebration was at my Grandma's with my mom and my uncle Les. We had lunch and did presents the Saturday before Christmas. The babies (Porter and Sloan) were both ready for naps but managed to hang in there. Porter got tired of waiting on everyone and dove right into one of his.



Christmas Eve we went to my aunt's and had dinner with everyone. As usual it was a ton of fun and included two new additions this year.



Christmas morning we spent time opening presents and singing to Jesus. It was so nice to hang out and not have to rush to go anywhere until later. My mom and Grandma came by and brought a gingerbread house for the girls to do. We got the girls American Girl dolls (second hand) and a few other small things from one another. Porter got a play mat that he hasn't spent much time using unfortunately. I knew he was a little past that stage but he loved playing with his cousin's and it was a steal so it was worth it. What he really liked was the blonde doll that Bella got (and a set of wooden blocks Ava picked out).



Christmas night we went to Randy's brother's for dinner and presents with his family. The cousins had a blast together as usual and Aunt Joanne and Uncle Dick were in town as well. Sadly we forgot the camera! The day after Christmas we went to my sister's to have a quick lunch and celebration with my dad who had to work during Christmas Eve when we would have normally seen him. The kids had a lot of fun with Sloan that day.



And... done. (long sigh)