Soaking Up Summer Part 1

With the start of school right around the corner, we've been spending the last couple weeks really getting out and about. Lots of pics, per usual, so I'm breaking them up into two posts!

Tregembo Zoo

Wilmington Railroad Museum

That smirk

Sums them each up perfectly

And following all that activity, phew, my boys are exhausting, we've also been doing a fair bit of snuggling and hunkering down.

Lastly, I told the boys to clean up their toys the other day and when I came back downstairs, they were collaboratively sweeping the floor. Who are these kids??

Barracuda!

I recently took the boys to meet some girlfriends and their kids, all of which were girls, at a community pool. They were not amused. Except Crew, he kinda liked dunking Mila's dolls in the pool.

Always into lunch

Later that week, we stopped by Nana's pool for a swim. The boys made Nana play "lifeguard" with Nana being the recurring victim and them being her rescuers.

Ignore the sign - Lifeguards On Duty

Post-swim golf cart ride home

And other pool-related news, below is Danny pre-qualifying for the YWCA Barracudas fall swim team! Starting this week, he'll practice every Friday evening. If he likes it, we'll get him signed up for the winter warm-up team and later the summer competitive team.

Pics from another beach day. Pretty redundant, I know, but in a good way...

Kingston heading out to sea

Three boys and a beach pool

Crewisms

I've been meaning to write this post forever, as all our kids are growing up so fast and I don't want to miss or forget any any of the special moments. One of my favorite things about being a mom is seeing their little personalities blossom. Crew, especially, keeps me smiling with all his little sayings or "Crewisms" as I call them. Here are some examples:

• In addition to "show and tell" for hotels, he calls mushrooms "marshmallows" and festivals "vegetables". 
• Just the other day, lying in bed with me while Jimmy got ready for work, Crew asked Jimmy why he had to go to work. Jimmy said something like, "To make money to support our family. It's just part of life." To which Crew replied, "Maybe your life, but not our life," as in not for me and the kids. Well played, my friend. Jimmy and I both had to laugh!
• He loves to baby Kingston as in, "it's okay little buddy, I've got you," in a soft, baby talk. And he's always telling him what a cutie he is. 
• Whenever he's feeling sassy with me he says stuff like, "what's wrong with you, duuudddeee?"
• He still struggles with words that start with "S" which makes me giggle - "poke" (smoke), "kunk" (skunk), "kye" (sky).
• No idea where he learned it, but his new favorite expletive is "Jesus criminy", which we're trying to redirect to something else before he starts back to church preschool in a week. 
• He says cinnamon oatmeal "tastes like Santa".

Crew, you go 100 mph all day everyday, rarely stop talking and always have the biggest, silliest smile on your face (when you're not crying and shooting tears horizontally from your eyes)! You make life fun and uneventful and we love you so!  

Loving Life

Between living at the beach, all the family close by, great friends and mommy carting them around to fun places all summer, the boys really have it made!

Covered in cheese dip at Mexican

This was the best low-tide morning at the beach with the Henson family. Jimmy caught the kids minnow after minnow with the cast net. Kingston floated and played by himself for HOURS in the tide pools. The grown-ups sat in chairs at times. It was glorious.

Different day, same beach.

Making their fishies kiss

King feeding Crew

Sporting Danny's Thriller jacket

On a day trip to the Museum of Bizarre in downtown Wilmington. Such a weird, weird place, but good for an hour or two outing.

In the mirror maze

Post walk along the Riverfront

Had to try the #1 burger in Wilmington at Winnie's Tavern

Summer Staycation

Jimmy recently took some time off work to spend with the kiddos and so we could visit his mom and Ron in St. James. After weeks and weeks of rain, we were so lucky to finally have some great weather! With that, our time was all about beach, pool and pond...and checking out the construction on their new house that will be done this fall! Jimmy and I also got away for a date night, which was amazing beyond belief.

Packing - don't forget me!

Morning fishing

Me actually sitting in a lounge chair at a pool?!?!

Post pool

Loves getting his belly tickled

Rainbow sherbet for the win!

King and Crew holding hands

Hugging Danny in the morning

Oak Island

Danny surfing

Love the pool there!

While mom and dad are away...

Living like a king

When did my baby get so big?

Uncle Kevin and fam came to visit too, as did Nana!