The First Broken Bone

I am surprised that Charlie made it 7 years without breaking one bone, especially considering his father managed to break 7 bones before the age of 12. Despite the odds against him, so far he has done well. Our little one was not so lucky. Evy was jumping on a couch cushion in the basement tonight and when she fell off she hit her elbow just right! First, she was fitted with a temporary cast and today, she got the full blown cast. She has 3 more weeks and then she will have additional X-rays to see how she is healing. She is not having any trouble functioning as a lefty, so her ambidextrous skills came in handy. Not surprising, none of this has slowed her down. 

(in the ER waiting for x-ray)

(adjusting to life with the splint)

(last minute with the splint)

(fitting for her cast)

(waterproof cast ready to go!)

Spring Break 2017

We decided a family vacation was needed after a crazy year, so in part for Charlie's birthday and in part due to his spring break we headed to Clearwater. We all needed a break and spending uninterrupted time together in the sun was exactly what we needed. We spent lots of time in the pool, at the beach, golfing and visiting local attractions like the Clearwater Aquarium which Charlie loved. We even squeezed in a special birthday celebration (Matt's 38th) on our first night in Florida. The sun and the sand were exactly what the doctor ordered!

(time to head to the airport)

(happy birthday daddy)

(we had them sing happy birthday and daddy had to ride a horse. the kids loved it!)

(Charlie and daddy golfing) 

(Checking out Winter the Dolphin)

(Lounging)

(These two...LOVE) 

(Loving the beach life) 

(Shell collecting)

(Soaking up the sun) 

(Relaxing poolside) 

(loving life at the Lowry Zoo)

(charlie pretending to have fun)

(the boys)

(and this crazy girl...daddy bought that hat!)

(get out of the way, the dino is coming!)

(charlie is scared and Evy is talking to him...that sounds right!)

(hatching)

(she came out smiling)

(my two babies)

(snacking poolside)

(evy-daddy time)

(mini-golfing fun)

(we finally locked them up)

(all tired out (don't judge the neck pillow!)

Our First Visit to Busch Gardens

Matt and I decided when we booked this trip that one whole day would be spent at Busch Gardens since it was less than an hour from where we were staying in Clearwater. We made sure everyone rested and napped the day before and we packed up to visit Evy's first theme park. Busch Gardens was the perfect mix of animals, rides and games and the kids loved it. Evy even rode her first roller coaster - 4 times!

(Up close encounter with a tiger)

(Charlie riding with his sissy. This was way to tame for them, they were both bored!)

(Evy on the carousel with the flamingo she won)

(The end of the day. Charlie won a Minion and Evy won a flamingo. Happy kids!)

(Driving in the outback)

(so happy to see elephants)

(Gators bigger than we've ever seen)

(watching the elephant get a pedicure)

(Up close and personal)

(daddy and Charlie about to get soaked on the raft ride)

(awesome rollercoaster!)

(Evy's very first rollercoaster ride)

(And her third ride...she loved it)

(The fam at the end of a long day)

No School Day

Charlie had a rare day off of school so when I asked him where he wanted to go for lunch he first said, "Benihana" and when I told him that was extravagant for lunch he chose the Choo-Choo restaurant. We picked up Evy from school and had a great lunch together. I cannot wait for summer when these lunches will happen more often!

Happy 7th Birthday Charlie!

Happy 7th Birthday to this guy! 

This year, Charlie has been through lots of changes. We moved from his first home, started a new school with new friends, lived with Nana and Pops for 6 months and away from Matt at the same time. Most kids would have struggled, but not Charlie, he crushed it. He made new friends in school, some of which may be friends through high school. He excels in school especially in reading, spelling, and math. (Despite his success, he still says lunch and recess are his favorite things about school!) He only missed one day of school, which 3 years ago I would have thought impossible, during the entire first part of the year and never complained about going to school or waking up early to get there. He is resilient and we have been truly amazed by him this year. He is still full of energy and loves a good battle (even if it's in his own head) He is the greatest big brother to Evy, she is one lucky girl. He still loves spending time with mommy and daddy, which we need to cherish. He has the most caring and loving soul and would do anything to make someone smile. He loves a good joke and doing funny dances (aka his moves). Currently, he wants to be Michael Jordan. He loves going to the movies or having movie night at home. He loves family time and vacation time. He is a very special boy who is going to do amazing things and we cannot be more proud of this seven year old. Happy birthday Charlie! 

(We took Charlie to lunch on his birthday - he requested a birthday hot dog and milkshake!) 

(Sunning his skinny body) 

(Wbat a smile!)