End-of-Season Team Party!

Last Sunday we headed out to a local park, armed with cupcakes, team photos, and one very excited little boy!  One of the players' father is the park superintendent, so for the past few seasons, we've headed out there for a bouncin' good time!  

Brant handing out the cupcakes he helped make

The kiddos enjoyed Reno's pizza, topped off by Brant's "Toptakes"

The girls on the team stick together!

Pop Pop's Train Club

What do you get when you combine Pop Pop, trains and Brantley? 

Pure and utter joy! 

 I found these photos on the camera, and realized they didn't get in the Delaware post.  On Sunday afternoon, Pop Pop's train club has operating session.  What's that you say?  They get together and run trains.  Now, let me tell you what I imagined the club to be like....several train layouts with men at the controls.  OH NO, I was mistaken!  They don't run trains, they RUN trains, work trains, deliver loads, basically, run an actual working railroad, but in miniature form!  And the layout?  It was larger than my classroom, and went into two rooms! 

Brant was in heaven.  His cousins Jacob and Hazen rode along to Delmar, along with Grandma.  Now let me explain something about Delmar.  Half of the town is in Maryland, the other in Delaware. Literally, it runs down the middle of the street! About an hour from Milford, the boys enjoyed the ride down.  And you know Brant enjoyed the trains!  Truth be told, we all did. Grandma was pleased to see there was an entire Ohio River Valley section, complete with the towns around where she grew up!  Take a look at Pop Pop's Train Club!

A logging operation

Notice Brant's hands, he was told not to touch ANYTHING!

This was the larger scale train side

This is the computer screen they use to control the trains AND all the controllers use radios!

Remember those pumpkins?

Snoozing in Daddy's arms

This week's blog was supposed to be about Brantley's first field trip.  Daddy took off the day, and was heading with the K4 class of BDS to the Corn Maize, Pumpkin Patch and Gem Dig in High Point.  




The weather was calling for light showers, so the boys dressed in their rain gear.  Expecting an 8:30 departure from school, Brantley hopped in the car to meet the bus there.  8:30 came and went, NO BUS!  A call to the bus company says that they thought the trip was cancelled!  They sent a bus, but it was 2 hours later than the kids were supposed to leave!  By the time the kids got to High Point it was POURING rain.  They had to turn around and come back. 

The kids were so cute, because even though they didn't get to have their trip, they had a bus ride!  For the kids at BDS, this is a few and far between experience, as we don't have school buses.  Although disappointed, Brantley bounced off the bus.  Daddy decided to check him out early, to salvage the day, and they headed to see Alpha and Omega in the "fee-a-ter."  

Remember those pumpkins we brought home from Delaware?  Brantley does, he had to load them AND unload them twice before we got them back to North Carolina!  Well, tonight was THE night.  It had to be, as Brantley doesn't have another night off before next Friday, and carving pumpkins in the O'Day house is a family affair. 

Two of the pumpkins Pop Pop bought Brant for his "pumpkin train"

Daddy working hard on the Thomas pumpkin

We didn't set out to carve pumpkins tonight. As a matter of fact, we went to a birthday party (Brantley's good friend Allie from school), Lowe's (to try and pick out paint for the laundry room) and a few other errands.  It only dawned on me as I was pulling into the driveway at 5:30, that Halloween is NEXT weekend!  

Another birthday at the Little Gym, good thing it's a favorite!

Nothing like a good belly flop!

Taking it slow on the beam...look at monkey Hannah on the bars!

Smacking the mats and singing Happy Birthday to Allie (center)

As much as we got done today,we only got two pumpkins carved tonight, Brantley's and mine. Daddy will do his one morning he's home (that baby's huge!) Didn't Thomas turn out well, and my owl on a branch is ok.  I don't know what these people do who carve these pumpkins in magazines! Either we got really thick pumpkins, or it's not as easy as it looks! 

Even though Halloween is not a big holiday for our family, the excitement is growing!  Lots of activities coming up this week!  Tomorrow, team party, Friday is the Halloween carnival AND he gets to wear his costume to school...Saturday...corn maize with Mommy and Daddy...then Trunk or Treat!  Whew...anyone else tired?  Check in often this week!  

A Blustery kind of day in Delaware

Brant: MOM!  When are we leaving?

Mom: Early in the morning. 

Brant:  But I want to go NOW!  I miss Mom Mom, Pop Pop, Jacob, Hazen, Hadley, Baylor and Bwalaney!   

We've been planning to come back up to Delaware for Fall Break, since our last trip up.  Brant had so much fun, and really misses his cousins in between trips.  Mom and Dad love to come up too, so it was no problem! 

Beautiful Delaware mums

The only plan we had for this trip was to go to the Pumpkin Patch.  We took Brant to the Pumpkin Patch when he was only a few month old, and haven't been in Delaware in October since then.  We set off with Pumpkin Patch as our ultimate location, but Pop Pop told us that the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit was having an open house.  We swung by the airport to check it out.  Brant enjoyed the helicopters, and seeing all the Troopers, like Pop Pop used to be. 

Brant made a bee-line for the helicopter

The rear-stablilizer of each plane or helicopter had the State Police emblem.

There were helicopters from New Jersey, as well as Maryland

Checking out the plane, like the one Pop Pop almost got sick in on duty. 

Finally, we got to the pumpkins!  In North Carolina, the pumpkins are expensive!  But here in Delaware, we got a pumpkin that Big Brant could hardly lift..for $10!! (keep posted for carving pictures later in the month!)  We had fun comparing pumpkins, putting them back, getting more and enjoying the fall beauty.  But HOLY COW! It was windy, even for Delaware!  

Of course, a fall trip to Delaware is not complete without a trip to Smith's orchard for some yummy apple donuts, turnovers and cider!  This time, the pumpkins were in abundance, as well, and I couldn't resist sneaking in another photo!

We are now prepping for  a Phillies cookout and game party!  How fun it is to be with family!  How blessed we are to have each other!

   

We're "falling" for fire safety and festivals!

As the boys are taking a rest, Brant with Grandma and Brantley at home, I thought I'd take a minute and update the blog!

School this week has been very exciting!  It's Fire Prevention Week, and the K4s have filled it to the brim!  The local Fire Department did a puppet show in the gym for the students, and then Christopher's daddy (a classmate) is a fireman in another city, on a ladder truck. He brought in all his gear, and the students LOVED it.  I got to slip in for a minute, just in time to see Brantley, waiting patiently with his hand raised (while chaos ensued around him), ask "Can't I just crawl UNDER the fire?!"  This was in response to how you get away from it!  Christopher's dad very seriously answered back the correct way, whew!   But ask Brantley how to prevent fires, how to check your smoke detectors, or what to do during a fire, he knows it ALL!  

Saturday brought another soccer game.  We are down to only 3 left in the season. I really don't know if Brant will play this Spring.  It's up to him, but he seems really interested in playing t-ball.  He can play both, but we'll see.  After the game, we headed home to change, and then to the annual Fall Festival.  It just keeps getting bigger and better!  It always amazes me, that a town that seems like Mayberry, puts on such great events! 

Cleo, the stubborn little pony!

This year, there were pony rides on the sweetest little shetland pony, and regular sized pony.  Brant, of course, HAD to ride, and seeing as the daughter of the operators had to go somewhere, I got elected to lead the pony!  Brant got settled, feet in the stirrups, and with a death grip on the pommel, off we go!  Cleo, the pony, got a bit stubborn with me, and didn't want to follow the other pony, but she got going in the end!  Brant's only comment, "IT'S VEWY BUMPY!" 

Enjoying his bumpy ride!

The favorite of everyone, no matter what age, is the  Garden Railroad.  We found a shady spot to watch the trains (IT WAS HOT!) .  Then the bouncy slide was next on the list.  The first year Brant was old enough, he was petrified of it!  One of the older kids we knew took him up, but he could barely make it.  This year, not a problem!  I can't believe how big he's getting!  

Brant is leaning on the hockey stick he won playing a game.

Brant called this the tunnel to Misty Island, his favorite new Thomas movie

Looking downtown from the layout

What goes up...

must come down!

We rounded off the trip to the festival with visits with some friends who were running booths.  It was great fun to see Dana, and her Cookie Lee friends, and we got to see her sweet kids too!  Bringing home lunch from Reno's and a quick trip to the best chocolate shop in the world, Once Upon a Chocolate (www.onceuponachocolate.com), we walked home.   

The rest of the weekend is wide open.  But I am happy to announce, we are back home.  Brant has finished the floor, and is working on the walls.  I've got to choose a new paint color...things are progressing!  From our house to yours, lots of love!  

A Fallish kind of day!



Heading to the pump in Historic Old Salem

Can you belive it?  I think this may be a world record for me, blogging two posts in three days, but it's been such a glorious day, I just could not help but share.  The crispness in the air, the smell of a fire on the breeze and the turn of the leaves.  Fall has finally arrived!

Brantley had the day off Sunday, so we decided to head over to Old Salem and Salem College, just to walk around a bit.  Brantley has become interested in where Mommy and Daddy went to school, and living where we do, Elon University is easy, Salem requires a day trip.  Although, it did stump him that only girls went to Mommy's school. 

With Brantley yelling "FOOLLLOOOWW me!" we explored every nook and cranny of the campus.  Enthralled by the stream in the May Dell, I thought we were going to have to fish him out!  A good romp back up the hill wore us out, and we headed out to lunch at Billy Bob's Silver Diner!  It was quite good, and fun!

Brantley concentrating on writing his name on Grandma's driveway

Peek-a-boo!  A post soccer game bath

Heading back home, the fun continued.  Telling Grandma about the trip, Brant made the connection with May Dell and Farmer in the Dell.  This spurred the singing of the entire song!  This from my son who rarely sings at all!  It was the sweetest thing, from the farmer to the cheese!

We have a floor!  The white things aren't design, they are spacers.  Haven't grouted yet!

And so, another week begins, with steps in the right direction!  The laundry room is coming along, Brant had an awesome soccer game tonight, and we are all sacked out on the sofa together. Night all!

Oh the places we go...and go...and go....

Whew,  isn't it amazing how you can go through a week with absolutely NOTHING to do, then all of a sudden, it's craziness!  Take today, for instance, we started the day off, at a (leisurely!) wake-up holler from Brant at 8, but had enough time to get a quick run/walk in before Brant's soccer game.

Brant did well today on the field, getting a couple of kicks in, but he enjoyed being out there with his team.  We were playing one of the more agressive teams, with a coach who thought he was coaching a college level team!  Coach Shaun actually came over and asked "How can I get them checked for doping!"  But the Deacons rose above it, and gave them a good run for the money.  Couldn't tell you who won, we don't keep score.  Really...we don't.  Seriously, I don't know!

After the game, a lunch from Reno's and a bit of a rest, we were off and running.  This time, to the first of the two birthday parties.  Emma's at the Little Gym, and Austin's at City Park.  We had so much fun being with Brant's friends, and he had plenty of time/space to run off all the sugar he ingested!

Cute Emma's 5th birthday

Brant and his buddy Mia (see other posts about soccer)

Making a run for the John Deere, and getting it!

Amy, big sis of the birthday boy, and our neighbor

The birthday boy Austin!

The favorite ride at the park

Brant and new buddies from Austin's party. You could hear him scream the whole way around, he was THAT excited!

Say cheese...err, say stick out your tongue?

Now, he's sacked out.  It took exactly 0.07 seconds for him to fall asleep.  What a sweet, sweet boy he is.  The Lord has blessed us beyond measure.  When I look at Brant and think how much I love him, then think, that's how much God loves us, and so much more, it blows my mind!  What a wonderful thing to be in the Lord!