A Nautical Dream Realized

Ever since I have known Josh he has talked about getting a ski boat.  He has had a "boat fund" for years.  He would build it up and then life would get in the way.  Four years ago, he bought a "starter boat", a cheap and old version of what he really wanted.  The seats were broken, the carpet was frayed but it pulled the kids on the tube and got us out on the lake.  Well, it finally died.  

Josh had finally saved up enough money to buy the boat of his dreams.  Just in time for boating season.  Last weekend, Grady and Josh made the drive to Charlotte to buy the boat.  Despite the cooler weather, we took it out for a spin on the lake.  Josh was like a little kid on Christmas morning. He rarely gets excited but he couldn't hide it when it came to the new boat.

Josh's new toy

Of course, the kids were psyched

Pip found her spot

I'm not sure who was more excited, Josh or Pip

What a ham

That's one happy Dad

Emma could sense the excitement and decided that we needed to make the boat a cake.  She said it was a birthday cake for the boat.  Any excuse to make a cake.

Weekending

We have had a few weekends with nothing planned.  Which is nice but we can't sit around.  Our family doesn't do well with doing nothing....

So we went to the WNC Nature Center one day and the Catawba Science Center the next.  These are two of the kids favorite places to visit.

Look who was having a major meltdown because she didn't get to sit on the turtle's head.

All is right in Emma's world.  The boys were not pleased.  "Emma gets everything she wants", which is not true.

Catawba Science Center

Photo by Emma

They had a nocturnal exhibit.  This is Myles and Emma in a dark room trying to put shapes in a box

No weekend would be complete without Emma wrangling Caesar

Umm, I think she needs some shooting lessons with Papaw

Josh made some amazing bread

I completed the meal with cabbage, cauliflower soup.

One Child Night

Grady and Myles were both invited to sleepovers last weekend.  That left Josh, Emma and I alone for a Friday night.  Emma wanted to "go downtown and eat cake".  So we made the most of having only one kid.  It sure was different.....

Grady, Billy and Max went go-cart racing.

Meanwhile, Emma and I shared a bowl of tasty ramen.

I think she ate more than I did

Walking downtown, looking for cake

Myles was having a blast with friends at a party

Man, having one kids sure is much easier.  We even had the most difficult of the three with us.  Of course, I missed the boys but we enjoyed our night out.

Charleston

We took the camper out for the first camping trip of the year.  We wanted to go some where warm so we headed south to Charleston.  It's only 4 hours away and the weather is usually better.  It was a quick trip, just Saturday to Monday but we made the most of it.  Camping, the beach, strolling downtown and good food.

Nature girl.  Feather and Spanish moss in her hair.  She even fashioned a spear.

We did a little exploring around the campground.  We stayed at Oak Plantation Campground.  It wasn't much but it worked for a short trip.

Of course, we checked out downtown Charleston. One of my favorite places on earth.

I told them to "look normal"

Our favorite Gelato shop

and our favorite bagel shop, Bagel Nation.  

Gaia and Nugget

There are so many things I said I wouldn't do as a parent.  I will never give my kids a pacifier, I will never let my kids ......(insert numerous activities), I will never drive a minivan.  This list goes on and on.  All of these things I have done and more.  Before having kids, I had no clue about what these little beings do to you.  

Well, one of the many things I said was, "I will never have caged animals in my house".  That too has come to fruition.  Meet Gaia and Nugget, our newest family members.

Grady has asked for some kind of reptile for years.  Don't get me wrong, I love reptiles!  Snakes, turtles, lizards.....bring it on.  I just hate to see animals in cages.  I made a deal with Grady after talking with his teacher.  

You see, Grady is somewhat of a slacker....ok a big slacker.  He is a super smart kid with so much potential but if he isn't interested, he won't put in any effort.  I went to school and spoke with his teacher.  As we were talking, she showed me where he moved his desk area too.  It was sandwiched in between the lizard and turtle terrariums.  He sits on a stool next to his scaly friends and does his work while watching out for the class pets.  His teacher recognized his passion for animals (his idol is Steve Irwin, his writing is about poaching, etc).  Together, we came up with the idea of Grady working hard at school to earn a gecko.  Guess what?!  It worked!  Grady is more engaged and involved in school.  After months of working hard, we adopted Gaia.  

Gaia, the crested gecko

She is so loved that she travels around the house.  Here she is watching the boys work a puzzle.

Myles would not dream of being left out of the gecko earning.  So, I though of something that Myles needed to work on.  Myles has what you would call a bit of an anger problem.  Or as he likes to call it "anger tissues".  He has had these anger issues since birth.  We are working on him breathing or counting when he gets angry instead of screaming or hitting.  Okay so we are still working on this one.  BUT Grady earned a gecko so I broke down and got Myles one as well.  Myles has come a long way but is still an angry work in progress.  

Meet Nugget, the gargoyle gecko

As a naturalist, I work with all kinds of interesting people.  I just happen to work with a guy that sells reptiles on the side.  He had a huge operation in his house and it's a part time job for him.  

Just look at this room full of reptiles!  So, with my reptile hookup, it was easy to find healthy geckos. It has been great to be able to text or call our expert whenever we have a question.

Emma was heartbroken that she couldn't have a "baby lizard".  "I need a baby lizard too"!

Poor girl!  I explained that she was too young to have a baby lizard but I would let her pick something else out.  Something of the non-living variety.  She has been begging for cheese balls.  You know the nasty, bright orange balls of chemicals? I have always refused to buy them but her crocodile tears had me stopping for some cheese balls.  Just another thing that I said I wouldn't do as a parent.

Searching for the perfect gecko

So far, Gaia and Nugget are still alive.  The boys are responsible for them.  If Grady slacks off or Myles stops working on his "anger tissues", they go back to Bryan.  

Gaia sits with us while I read to the boys at night.  They really are cute little things.