by Carter
by Rylan
by Gray (w/ a little help)
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Fall Break in Kentucky
The boys had fall break last week (they got Wednesday - Friday off). After a crazy start to the school year that was even busier than normal now that Carter is in 3rd grade and has real homework and tests, we needed a few days away. We decided to head up to Kentucky for two days. We had planned on taking the boys to Kentucky Downs last month to see horse races but the race got postponed to a weekday when the remnants of one of the hurricanes came through. Rylan was especially disappointed that we didn't get to go. Keeneland in Lexington races in October so we decided that would be a perfect place to go.
We drove up to Lexington on Thursday morning and got to Keeneland about 45 minutes before the first post. It was a cool and overcast day but I was fine with that instead of 90 and blazing hot. We sat in the general admission area with was perfect for the boys so they could run around and be close to the horses.
We stayed for all 10 races and were able to go right up front for the last few races as people started to leave.
We even got to pet some horses :)
We gave Carter and Rylan $20 each so they could bet $2 on each races. Brian and I bet $2 each on all the races as well. Some of us did better than others :)
Carter was the big winner! He won something in 7 of the 10 races for a total of $41.40
Rylan only won twice for a total of $9.60. There were a few tears. I still haven't figured out how to make it fair for keeping their winnings. Maybe Rylan will just forget that Carter won more ...
This guys is just cute :)
I won $28 and Brian won nothing (though he was doing the more complicated bets where you have to get more than one horse correct in hopes of getting a big payout).
We were super happy that we made it to Keeneland. We all had a lot of fun and even Gray keeps talking about it.
After the races, we drove over to Louisville where we stayed the night. The boys always love getting to spend a night at a hotel!
The next morning we headed downtown to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Tour.
The museum is small but the tour was good and the boys just finished up baseball season and have been watching the playoffs so they enjoyed it. Plus they each got a mini bat to keep after the tour (I think the bats have been in time-out more than they have not).
We drove up to Lexington on Thursday morning and got to Keeneland about 45 minutes before the first post. It was a cool and overcast day but I was fine with that instead of 90 and blazing hot. We sat in the general admission area with was perfect for the boys so they could run around and be close to the horses.
We stayed for all 10 races and were able to go right up front for the last few races as people started to leave.
We even got to pet some horses :)
We gave Carter and Rylan $20 each so they could bet $2 on each races. Brian and I bet $2 each on all the races as well. Some of us did better than others :)
Carter was the big winner! He won something in 7 of the 10 races for a total of $41.40
Rylan only won twice for a total of $9.60. There were a few tears. I still haven't figured out how to make it fair for keeping their winnings. Maybe Rylan will just forget that Carter won more ...
This guys is just cute :)
I won $28 and Brian won nothing (though he was doing the more complicated bets where you have to get more than one horse correct in hopes of getting a big payout).
We were super happy that we made it to Keeneland. We all had a lot of fun and even Gray keeps talking about it.
After the races, we drove over to Louisville where we stayed the night. The boys always love getting to spend a night at a hotel!
The next morning we headed downtown to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Tour.
The museum is small but the tour was good and the boys just finished up baseball season and have been watching the playoffs so they enjoyed it. Plus they each got a mini bat to keep after the tour (I think the bats have been in time-out more than they have not).
We had lunch downtown and then went to the Kentucky Science Center which was in the next block. We got in free with one of our memberships to a TN museum which is always a bonus!
The museum didn't appear large from the outside but it was huge inside and we kept finding new exhibits to explore. And being a Friday afternoon, it was almost empty (no field trips or weekend crowd). We spent about 4 hours there before deciding it was time to head home.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Go Titans!
Rylan's new haircut ...
One of Carter's friends had a power T and checkerboard (for UT) cut into his hair and Rylan REALLY wanted something similar. It wasn't cheap and it won't last long, but Rylan loves it! It's a once-a-year haircut :)
One of Carter's friends had a power T and checkerboard (for UT) cut into his hair and Rylan REALLY wanted something similar. It wasn't cheap and it won't last long, but Rylan loves it! It's a once-a-year haircut :)
Monday, September 25, 2017
Upper Braces & Palette Expander
Notice anything different?
Before:
After:
Carter is starting phase one braces. Today he got his upper braces and upper palette expander. He will be getting headgear, lower braces, and a lower palette expander soon. Our sweet orthodontist likes to go slow with young kids and not overwhelm them with with too much stuff in their mouths at once.
Carter did great getting everything on. I had lunch with him, and he said he wasn't too sore. He only ate soft food (jello, a muffin, and ice cream for lunch) just in case. Hopefully he's doing okay when I pick him up.
We get to turn his palette expander once a day so that'll probably keep Carter a little sore for a bit. We got all the fun stuff I remember from having braces to keep them clean - not much has changed there. Carter is still excited since he's one of the first kids he knows to have braces. I'm sure that'll wear off soon enough.
Gray went with us this morning and he did not want to be left out of the photo session :)
Before:
After:
Carter is starting phase one braces. Today he got his upper braces and upper palette expander. He will be getting headgear, lower braces, and a lower palette expander soon. Our sweet orthodontist likes to go slow with young kids and not overwhelm them with with too much stuff in their mouths at once.
Carter did great getting everything on. I had lunch with him, and he said he wasn't too sore. He only ate soft food (jello, a muffin, and ice cream for lunch) just in case. Hopefully he's doing okay when I pick him up.
We get to turn his palette expander once a day so that'll probably keep Carter a little sore for a bit. We got all the fun stuff I remember from having braces to keep them clean - not much has changed there. Carter is still excited since he's one of the first kids he knows to have braces. I'm sure that'll wear off soon enough.
Gray went with us this morning and he did not want to be left out of the photo session :)
Run With Rotary 5K
Carter is doing running club at school this fall. Our school offers the free club after school twice a week for 3rd through 5th graders. Carter has been enjoying it and learning a lot about running and working out. This semester the club decided to do a one mile fun run at a local race which was this past Saturday.
Rylan has been wanting to do a 5K so we decided to sign him up for that length. And he did AMAZING!!! I didn't sign up for the race but I met him a little before the one mile point and ran the rest with him.
He finished in 25:56 (8:20/mile pace!!!). He placed first in his age group of 14 and under.
Carter also did really well but his race wasn't timed. Brian said he was the third boy to finish though so he also did amazing.
Love our little runners!
Rylan has been wanting to do a 5K so we decided to sign him up for that length. And he did AMAZING!!! I didn't sign up for the race but I met him a little before the one mile point and ran the rest with him.
He finished in 25:56 (8:20/mile pace!!!). He placed first in his age group of 14 and under.
Carter also did really well but his race wasn't timed. Brian said he was the third boy to finish though so he also did amazing.
Love our little runners!
Friday, September 15, 2017
Mountain Biking
Carter got a new bike a couple years ago for Christmas. It's a mountain bike with gears that he uses for triathlons. He's never been a big bike rider around the neighborhood (partly because Rylan still doesn't want to learn to ride without training wheels and it's hard for me to go with him since I have Gray). But now that he's getting older, we'll let him ride around the neighborhood on his own. So he's been riding a little more. He's also started bringing his bike to Rylan's soccer practice or riding on the greenways while I run with Gray in the stroller. Carter's been starting to go off the trails some and ride on the grass and over some roots and really liked doing that.
Last weekend I decided to take Carter to Cane Ridge Park so he could try some real mountain biking. It's the only trail I've done since we've moved to Franklin. I had great intentions of mountain biking a lot once Gray started preschool but with the remnants of two hurricanes coming through here since school started, the trails have been to wet.
Carter and I did one loop on the first trail (about 2 miles). He did GREAT! He never fell and tried most obstacles. He only got off his bike less than 10 times for a hill that was too big to get up when he didn't switch gears correctly or for a tough dip that scared him.
Hopefully we get a break from the rain and can go again soon!
Last weekend I decided to take Carter to Cane Ridge Park so he could try some real mountain biking. It's the only trail I've done since we've moved to Franklin. I had great intentions of mountain biking a lot once Gray started preschool but with the remnants of two hurricanes coming through here since school started, the trails have been to wet.
Carter and I did one loop on the first trail (about 2 miles). He did GREAT! He never fell and tried most obstacles. He only got off his bike less than 10 times for a hill that was too big to get up when he didn't switch gears correctly or for a tough dip that scared him.
Hopefully we get a break from the rain and can go again soon!
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Game Ball
Carter had his second baseball game of the season tonight. Carter's team is the Tincaps (a minor league team out of Fort Wayne). In the fall, our league doesn't keep score and it's designed to be a developmental season. Carter is now in the 9 and 10 year old division and they are starting to play "real" baseball! The kids are pitching for the first time and they can steal.
Carter is one of his team's main pitchers after working with Coach Jeff a little this summer and looking really good. He pitched in a practice game and in his first real game tonight. He pitched the entire first inning. He struck out two batters, only walked one (which is AWESOME for these kids right now), and had a few kids hit off of him (which is actually a good thing because there are so few hits right now with all the bad pitches).
Because he did so great, Carter got the game ball! YAY! Here he is with Coach Jeff's kids (Christopher and Jack Henry) and Gray.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Head Injuries
The boys REALLY wanted to visit the emergency room this weekend but their heads are just too hard.
After warning the boys to calm down and stop jumping on to the couch, Rylan soared over the couch and into the wall. There is a huge dent. If there wasn't a stud right there, we're pretty sure he would have gone through the drywall.
And then the next day Gray fell down our hardwood steps from the very top to just a few steps from the bottom where I caught him as he rolled on his side down the steps. He pointed to a few spots that hurt (including his head) but stopped crying after five minutes and acted normal the rest of the day. We've been in our house almost six years and it's the first time one of the boys has fallen down the stairs so I guess we made it pretty long.
Hopefully no more head injuries for awhile for us!!!
Solar Eclipse
Nashville was in the path of the total solar eclipse a few weeks back. While the partial eclipse most of the country saw was pretty cool, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND seeing a total eclipse. It was AMAZING.
Williamson County Schools purchased thousands of glasses and were planning on having the kids outside during the eclipse. However, our school was out of the path of totality by less than a mile. I decided if there was ever a reason to take my kids out of school, this was it. So we skipped school that day and drove over to a park in Smyrna where there was a minute and 45 seconds of totality. We decided to go east because the traffic in and out and Nashville (which is north of us) was predicted to be horrible.
We went to Sharp Springs Park and it was a perfect location. We set up under a line of trees with giant open fields on both sides of us.
It was a really hot day but the shade was nice enough to even play soccer while we waited for "first contact". We had no idea how bad traffic was going to be so we got to the park pretty early.
Brian and I even fit in runs before it all began. As I was coming in from my run, Carter was excited to tell me he saw the eclipse just starting.
This guy was excited to see the "banana in the sky", as he called it. He kept having to check it out and make sure it looked the same in each person's glasses.
Jen, Burke, and Lofton ended up joining us. They left there other kiddos in school because they were getting 45 seconds of totality there. There was a rogue cloud in front of the sun for about 30 minutes before the total eclipse started. It kept morphing and would not move until just a few minutes before totality. It was stressing us out but it all worked out!
As it started to get darker, all the cicadas started making noise and the birds started to roost. It was pretty dramatic. As totality was getting close, you could hear people off in the distance shouting and the noise traveled to us. And then the total eclipse started. It was really, really cool. I didn't take pictures (just these two) because (1) it's supposed to be difficult to get good pictures and (2) I wanted to experience the eclipse with the kids!
The 360 degree sunset was pretty cool. My phone camera was trying to adjust for the darkness and these pictures turned out much lighter than it actually was.
And then it was over and time to put our glasses back on if we wanted to look up. We stuck around for a little bit (the rouge cloud totally disappeared during totality!!!) and looked at the partial eclipse as we packed up all our stuff. But after the main event, it wasn't so exciting :)
I'm so glad we took our kids out of school to experience the total eclipse. It was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend traveling in 2024 to get into the path totality!!!
Williamson County Schools purchased thousands of glasses and were planning on having the kids outside during the eclipse. However, our school was out of the path of totality by less than a mile. I decided if there was ever a reason to take my kids out of school, this was it. So we skipped school that day and drove over to a park in Smyrna where there was a minute and 45 seconds of totality. We decided to go east because the traffic in and out and Nashville (which is north of us) was predicted to be horrible.
We went to Sharp Springs Park and it was a perfect location. We set up under a line of trees with giant open fields on both sides of us.
It was a really hot day but the shade was nice enough to even play soccer while we waited for "first contact". We had no idea how bad traffic was going to be so we got to the park pretty early.
Brian and I even fit in runs before it all began. As I was coming in from my run, Carter was excited to tell me he saw the eclipse just starting.
This guy was excited to see the "banana in the sky", as he called it. He kept having to check it out and make sure it looked the same in each person's glasses.
Jen, Burke, and Lofton ended up joining us. They left there other kiddos in school because they were getting 45 seconds of totality there. There was a rogue cloud in front of the sun for about 30 minutes before the total eclipse started. It kept morphing and would not move until just a few minutes before totality. It was stressing us out but it all worked out!
As it started to get darker, all the cicadas started making noise and the birds started to roost. It was pretty dramatic. As totality was getting close, you could hear people off in the distance shouting and the noise traveled to us. And then the total eclipse started. It was really, really cool. I didn't take pictures (just these two) because (1) it's supposed to be difficult to get good pictures and (2) I wanted to experience the eclipse with the kids!
The 360 degree sunset was pretty cool. My phone camera was trying to adjust for the darkness and these pictures turned out much lighter than it actually was.
And then it was over and time to put our glasses back on if we wanted to look up. We stuck around for a little bit (the rouge cloud totally disappeared during totality!!!) and looked at the partial eclipse as we packed up all our stuff. But after the main event, it wasn't so exciting :)
I'm so glad we took our kids out of school to experience the total eclipse. It was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend traveling in 2024 to get into the path totality!!!
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Art Camps
This summer the boys played a lot of sports but also each did one art camp.
Rylan did a three day camp with Julie Alley. Both boys did her camp last summer and over winter break. Along with painting some awesome canvases, the kids get to play outside. She has an awesome backyard and she organizes games of kick the can and capture the flag. Rylan did the camp with Mae and Reed this year. Here are a few of my favorite art pieces that Rylan came home with ...
During the same week, Carter did a five day camp at O'More College of Design. He did one there last year as well. This year he did a photography class and Evie did it with him. Carter is now convinced he wants a good camera for his birthday. The class involves classroom instruction as well as walking around campus and downtown Franklin to take photos. Here are the pictures that Carter submitted at the end of the class for the art show at the end of the summer ...
Rylan did a three day camp with Julie Alley. Both boys did her camp last summer and over winter break. Along with painting some awesome canvases, the kids get to play outside. She has an awesome backyard and she organizes games of kick the can and capture the flag. Rylan did the camp with Mae and Reed this year. Here are a few of my favorite art pieces that Rylan came home with ...
During the same week, Carter did a five day camp at O'More College of Design. He did one there last year as well. This year he did a photography class and Evie did it with him. Carter is now convinced he wants a good camera for his birthday. The class involves classroom instruction as well as walking around campus and downtown Franklin to take photos. Here are the pictures that Carter submitted at the end of the class for the art show at the end of the summer ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)