Christmas Pictures

OK, so it took me a few extra days to get the Christmas pictures posted - sorry we've been a bit busy with projects around the house.  Hope you enjoy some of these photos from the week.

Christmas Eve

Presents from Santa

Christmas Night

Snow!!!

Big fun in the snow

Merry Christmas

We had a fun day today - lots of presents, lots of food.  Now we are ready to curl up and watch the snow!  I hope to have some pictures posted tomorrow - I'm just too tired tonight.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. 

Meeting with the Big Guy

So we waited until the last possible minute this year to see Santa - well not the last possible minute but close enough.  We usually go the same day we do Grace's birthday dinner out but because we were in the midst of a stomach bug at the time, we chose to wait.

Monday night we loaded up and headed to Concord Mills.  As we rounded the corner to Santa's location, I couldn't believe my eyes, there was NO line.  We walked up and Grace was ready.  Now I was prepared for Adam to scream at the top of his lungs, after all this is the year that most kids go ballistic when they sit on Santa's lap.

While Adam didn't scream, he made it perfectly clear that he wanted no parts of sitting on some dude's lap.  We were able to get a quick picture before he was down and away.  Grace of course wanted to hang out and get in good with the Big Guy.  She told him what she wanted and he said he'd see what he could do.  Whatever happened to asking if the kids have been good??

Change of Plan!

So Grace didn't want to do Red Robin for her birthday dinner this year - she wanted to go to a Mexican place so she could wear "the funny hat"

And wear it she did.  At first we didnt think they were going to do the whole birthday singing and all - which is what she wanted (she's just like her mother) but then the waiters came over and serenaded her.  She bowed her head down and wouldn't look at them untl they were done.

Needless to say we didn't make it to see Santa - maybe tonight or tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Grace!

Can you believe it - Grace is 7 years old today!  As I write this post, I think about what was happening at this moment 7 years ago; I was on the phone with the doctor and he told me to get a massage there was no way I was in labor - yeah we showed him!

Saturday, we had Grace's birthday party at the skating rink.  She had about 12 friends there, some of which had never skated before.  They skated, ate pizza, played games and enjoyed cake.  Grace had a ball and is so excited to have received a year's worth of free skating passes.

Today Grace will enjoy cookies with her friends at Kids R Kids after school and then cupcakes with her friends at dance before coming home to open her presents and celebrate with her family.  Since her birthday falls on dance night this year, we will have our customary dinner at Red Robin followed by visit with Santa tomorrow evening.

Preparing for Christmas

Yesterday we rolled on with our Team Buckelew tradition and went out to find our Christmas tree.  It's not as glamorous as it is in the movies - think "Christmas Vacation" or "Deck the Halls".  Nope, we just drive up to the softball field that is made over into a Christmas tree lot and pick one out.  However we have visited the same lot for the past three years.  They have a huge snowman or "mewman" as Adam says and a cute sleigh to take pictures in.  Plus they send you a postcard the next year for a 10% discount!!  Now that we have the tree set up in the house, we just have to decorate it.

Travel Time

Only three more days until we are on the road to NJ!  Grace informed us that she still hasn't packed; Adam keeps saying "No" when we ask him if he's going away for Thanksgiving; and David claims he's going to load us all into the car after Thanksgiving dinner to head home!  Me - I'm excited about celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary at The Borgata!  Maybe we'll have some luck.

Grace's Zoo Trip

I'm a little behind with my updates - sorry.  Moving in to a new job while still doing your old one is tough :)

But last Friday, I took the day off to join Grace and her class (and then entire 1st grade) on their field trip to the NC Zoo.  Parents no longer ride the bus on field trips like when I was a kid, so I had to drive myself and meet them there. 

When the kids arrived, they had lunch and then we split into groups to tour the zoo.  My group consisted of Grace and her two friends Lexi and Maya.  Because this zoo is spread out into two regions, Africa and North America, we decided to take the tram to Africa and then work our way through the exhibits back to North America.

We saw elephants, zebras, bison, elk, lions, monkeys - ok you get the point.  But we had fun!  This photo is of Grace outside of the desert exhibit - we stayed outside to avoid seeing the snakes!!!

My New Job

Last Friday, while taking the day off, I got an email from my boss asking if I had time for a quick call to review a few things. I wrote back to say that I would call him since I was heading out - after all, it was my day off.

During the call he told me that I have been doing an excellent job and that I have been chosen to become the Operations Administration Manager for the Hendrick Performance Group. This is a newer division of the Hendrick Organization. They manage Mr. Hendrick's personal car collection and the buying & selling of "classic" cars along with too many other things to mention.

I have been working with this group since it began last year and am very excited to be moving in with them full time!

Buckelew Halloween

The ghosts and goblins have moved on for another year but we sure had fun last night. Grace and Adam got to trick or treat with Daddy while Mommy stayed behind to pass out the candy. After about an hour of crusin' the neighborhood, the trick or treaters came back to home base to help me so I could visit the neighbor who offers treats for adults (jello shots)! But I would have to say the best part about our neighborhood is that most of the kids retire from the streets by 8:00 allowing us to get a good night's sleep.

Adam's Ears

This morning Adam had his second follow up for his ears. One of his tubes fell out a few weeks ago but the other is still intact. The doctor said he wouldn't advocate for replacing them unless he gets three infections in a really short time. So hopefully we get through the winter months infection free.

Grace's Horse Show

To say I am a proud mom would be an understatement! Yesterday, Grace participated in her first Horse Show. She competed in the Walk Only Equestrian Division which means that the horse walks in each class. Her division included three classes - Open Tack, 2-Point and Pattern.


For Open Tack, which is basically just walking the horse, she earned a red ribbon - 2nd place. For 2-Point, which is the riding pose in the above picture, she earned the blue ribbon - 1st place. She was so excited to get that blue ribbon that when she walked by David as she started the next class, she said "this is awesome!"

In her final class, Pattern which is weaving the horse through cones, she earned a white ribbon - 4th place. That surprised me a little because she had done so well in that during lessons. In any case, she had done really well for her first competition and the icing on the cake was when she was awarded Champion Reserve which is 2nd place overall in her divsion!

Grace's Big Day

This coming Sunday, Grace will compete in her first horse show. Yes I am well aware that she just started riding, but it's to help build her confidence. Unfortunately she has told me multiple times that she is very nervous about the show. I told her not to be, it's just like her lesson but with a few more people watching. Keep her in your thoughts on Sunday - we'll let you know how it goes.

Adam's New Trick

Leave it to our son to find a new way to drive us crazy! He likes to drink his milk or eat his food but for some reason he chooses not to swallow.

He just sits there with his lips tightly closed and either giggles at us or stares with a look that says "just try to make me swallow this". And it's not for a couple of seconds - no - he'll do it for 15 minutes. And when he's ready, he either swallows or slowly lets the food/drink dribble out of his mouth into a pool of yuck. BOYS!!!!

The Buckelew Sports Saga

You may not know this but we have a bit of a tug of war in our house when it comes to sports. I am and always have been a Philly sports fans. David is a Detroit fan. So what happens when you have kids - who do they support?

Apparently in my house they all support David's teams - case in point, Adam wore "his" Red Wings jersey to school today. When you ask Grace who she's rooting for she ultimately says the Red Wings or the Lions or the Tigers. I can't catch a break.

I need to take hold of the situation before it spirals out of control - one of my children will be an Eagles fan or a Phillies fan or a Flyers fan. At least until they are old enough to make informed decisions - then we all know they will fully support mommy's teams!!

Coker College Reunion

This past weekend I got to travel back to my old stomping grounds for my 15 year Coker Reunion.

Friday evening was spent with lots of friends from not just my class but as far back as the class of 1980. It was great to meet so many new faces as well as catch up with the old ones. It was as if we never graduated.

Saturday I got to meet the new Athletic Director and tour the facilities. She shared her vision for the future of Coker sports and it's exciting. After that I joined a few other alumni at the President's home for breakfast. There we got to meet some current students and their parents. After that I walked around downtown Hartsville and checked out some of the shops before heading to the alumni baseball game.

I joined a few friends for lunch before heading back to campus to enjoy the Homecoming Festivities which included watching the 1994 Coker Baseball team get inducted into the Coker Hall of Fame.

It was a fun day and I'm glad I went. I'm looking forward to next year!

My First 5K!

Yesterday I participated in the 2nd Annual Hendrick Marrow Program Half Marathon & 5K. Now I've participated in 5Ks before but this is the first time I ran in one.

I started my "training" at the end of June. It consisted of running in the neighborhood on the days that I didn't have Boot Camp at the gym. For the most part I was running about 10 - 15 minutes which was about a mile (I found a website where I could plug in my route to find out how far I had gone). If I was only making it a mile, how the heck was I going to make the 3 mile run??

It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it. I got to the race and got ready to go. Once the horn sounded, I was in the zone. Sure I had to walk a few times but for my first 5K I made it in 34:48. I was 93rd overall (135 participants) and 9th in my age group - not too shabby!

We saw an ad this morning on the news for a 5K in two weeks, David said "there you go, sign up for that one". I told him I needed to pace myself - although being able to nap all afternoon would be worth it.

Riding Lessons

I think Grace has found her thing. She started riding lessons last night and was a natural. She got to work with a horse named Breeze. First she had to tack and groom him and she walked right up and did it.
Next she and her instructor brought Breeze out to the middle of the barn so she could mount him - and I couldn't believe how she just threw her leg over and hopped on.

Once she was on, her instructor led them them outside and showed her how to hold the reigns, direct the horse and move her body for control. She rode with the instructor holding the reins, played a few games and then got to trot - by herself!! She had the best time and didn't want to leave the stable. The entertaining part was when we put the horse up. He could tell we were new and kept pushing us toward the grass so he could graize. We'll get the hang of that part - but I am so glad that she found the thing she really likes !!!!!

Our Routine

I've heard people talk about how one thing can throw off their entire day. I know exactly what they are talking about. For example, if I don't park in the same spot at work every day, it messes me up. But more importantly for me, if one thing gets messed up in our morning routine, it starts a free fall of problems that lead to us being late.

Case in point, a few weeks ago, Adam was awake earlier than usual. So David got him out of bed and took him downstairs. Harmless - right? Well once David left for work, I couldn't get Adam upstairs. So then, I had to stop what I was doing to get ready in order to bring him upstairs to get ready. All the while he was crying because he wanted to be downstairs with all the toys. And Grace was no help because she was doing her thing.

This instance allowed me to reinforce our need to maintain the routine. David gets up and gets ready for work. He thens gets Grace out of bed and takes her downstairs for breakfast. In the meantime, I get up and get ready for work. Just before David leaves, I get Adam out of bed so he can see him. And then the kids get ready.

Ok you get the point but this is what keeps me sane in the morning. I'll be honest, I used to yell - a lot - in the morning. Grace would move at a snail's pace and then I would hear the school buses rolling which meant we were late. Now everyone knows what they have to do to be on time. When we stay in the routine, mornings are a lot quieter at our house and that's what really makes everyone happy!

Day at the Fair

Last Saturday we made our annual trip to the Cabarrus County Fair. Grace was all about the "games of chance" and winning more stuffed animals. She ended up coming home with a very large dog, a panda, a duck and a new ball (which Adam has claimed as his own). She also rode the rides with David and took a pony ride.

Adam got to try a game too. He was sitting in his stroller pointing and saying ball, so the carny told us to put him up on the wall so he could play. He made three baskets and was given his choice of three stuffed animals. He picked up each one and threw them in the basket, then pointed and said "BALL!". That's what he wanted.

All the Activities

We are now two weeks in to the school year and things are going well. This weekend begins all of our activities - so it's about to get exciting. Grace has swimming on Saturday, Faith Formation on Sunday and dance on Monday. She wants to take karate/tae-kwon-do too! This is fine for now but what happens when Adam starts participating in activities? Will I still get to go to the gym - of course I will, at 10:00 pm.

I have already become that mom - you know her, the one with all the magnets on the back of her car for the activities that her child is in. I've got a Next Step Dance magnet and an Odell Elementary School magnet. Grace wants me to get one for the swim school and of course if she does take a martial arts class, that one will go on too. Didn't I used to make fun of that mom? Oh no, that was the mom bragging about her Honor Student; although I do hope I get to add that magnet to my collection!!

First Day of 1st grade

I couldn't help but tear up as I walked away from school this morning. My baby girl is in the 1st grade!

We continued our tradition of going out for a quick breakfast before walking to school (in the rain) and all the while she kept telling me how nervous she was. She's worried about homework and her classmates. Of course all her fears went out the window when she got inside and saw her friend from last year Alexis. Her teacher is Mrs. Wallace and I think Grace is going to enjoy this year. I can't wait to hear about her day.

One Week To Go!!

Can you believe it - Grace will be in first grade next week. Her first day of school is Wednesday, August 25th. We have Open House on Monday and will find out who her teacher is, where her classroom is and the most important thing in her mind - which friends are in her class!

I remember first grade. I attended Boudinot School and had Mrs. Bennett. It was there that I made my first two lifelong friends - Nikki and Stephanie. We still keep in touch - thanks to email and facebook but it would be awesome to get to see them more often. Girls trip anyone?!?

I hope Grace gets at least one lifelong friend out of first grade. I couldn't imagine life without my two and I certainly love the memories - the Winstons, the bus rides to ELP, the MBS test song (I"ll bet they forgot it), the safety patrol - I could go on and on.

Happy Back to School!!

2nd Annual Girls Day

So today was our annual girls day. This is where Grace and I get to spend the day together and do girl things. We started out with hair and nails, then we got some lunch and went shopping for new clothes. Grace got lots of cool outfits for 1st grade!! Now it's time to put our feet up for the evening.

The end of summer!

I can't believe how fast the summer has flown by. Did it go by this quick when I was a kid?

Well, in two weeks, Grace will be in first grade. She is very excited. Saturday will be our annual Girl's Day. On tap for this year - hair, nails and clothes. I love that she is getting into this!!

On the flip side it will also be Boy's Day. All signs point to them hanging out in the garage. That will certainly change as Adam grows.

The Beach!

While the kids had a blast at the beach - we have found that it is a lot of work! Chasing kids from one pool to the other, keeping everybody happy, getting in some time to nap - whew I need a vacation from my vacation.

But seriously we had a good time. We stayed at Embassy Suites Kingston Plantation this year. The kids loved the on-site waterpark; Mommy and Daddy loved the two FREE drinks per night - LOL! We got to see Uncle Sammy and Aunt Nancy - they came out while we played miniature golf on Thursday and joined us for dinner on Saturday. We spent some time at Broadway at the Beach on Friday - visiting the aquarium and some of the shops (Build a Bear - really they have one at home) and after spending the afternoon at the waterpark Grace got to enjoy a kids night out at the resort.

Back from NJ

What a fun weekend for the kids (and mom too)!



Friday, we went to Sesame Place with my cousin Michele and her kids Abby and Colin. I hadn't been there since I was little and I always forget it's right across the bridge. The kids went on a bunch of rides and saw several shows. Adam was not a big fan of the Merry Go Round. Grace loved the roller coaster and went on it twice - it's all she can talk about.

Saturday we ate outside and played in the sprinklers to stay cool. Now, Adam did not like the water park at Sesame but after a little while of watching the water come out of the sprinkler, he couldn't get enough of it. Grace always has fun in water so I wasn't worried about her.

Sunday we went home but not without a little adventure. We got to the airport and breezed through security. Of course I plan my travels so the kids don't have to sit for too long that way they stay content. Well as soon as we sat at the gate, I got a voice mail and email that our flight was delayed. If only those messages had come through 15 minutes earlier, we could have taken a ride around the city to pass the time. But that was the hand we were dealt, so we made the best of it. Both Adam and Grace were pleasant and did not act up. I even had a lady come up to me and tell me how well behaved they were. Wow that says a lot!

So we made it home two hours later than planned just in time for our neighbor's fireworks - you know, right when I want to go to sleep!!

Dancin' Princess

Note I didn't say queen - I don't want Abba coming after me for copyright infringement. Anyway yesterday was Grace's dance recital and she did really well. For her ballet number she knew all the steps, her tap number was a different story. It seems that everyone was doing something on their own once it got past the lyrics of the song. I hope to have the video up later this evening.

Last Day of School (well real school that is)

Today is Grace's last day of kindergarten - can you believe it? She was just born yesterday and now she's a rising first grader. She will spend the summer at Kids R Kids where she will keep tabs on her wild little brother. Lucky for them they have a water playground at daycare so they get to cool off once a week.

We're NJ bound for the 4th of July! We can't wait to see family and friends. And I can't wait to be around some free babysitters for these two monkeys :)

Mom is Lazy!

The mom I am referring to is me. I haven't been to the gym in weeks, I haven't done a good job on my chores and most importantly I haven't updated this blog!

Grace is doing great. She's had a very sucessful year in kindergarten and is looking forward to the things in store for the summer months - swim lessons and maybe horseback riding lessons. Now if only I can convince her to take golf lessons (there is an alterior motive to this one). Adam is crazy. He is in to everything! He loves bath time and gets really excited when we put his "eating" chair at the table. We can't wait to see what he's like at the pool this year. David is enjoying his return to softball. He's caught up with some old friends these past few weeks and it has been entertaining.

I don't have much more to report. Race week is coming up and that leads into dance recital time and the end of the school year. Hopefully I can get better about keeping this blog up to date.

Grace's First School Dance

So last night was the K-2 grade dance at Grace's school. Talk about organized chaos. It was in the cafetorium, there was a DJ and all the kids did was run around and scream. At one point everyone was actually dancing - doing the limbo - but the moms really had the best time as they were all out there doing th Cupid Shuffle!! Here's a picture of Grace and her "date" Ethan.

Easter Greetings

We waited until the last minute to go and see the Easter bunny today. Adam wouldn't have cared but Grace HAD to go when I said something about it - so off we went at 4:45 to the mall.

When we got back, it was time to dye eggs. This year, Daddy was in charge:

Happy Easter everybody!!

Adam's First Hair Cut

We put it off as long as we could but finally broke down and took Adam in for a haircut. I took him to the same place Grace got her hair cut the first time "Snip Its". He was very good, just sat there and wathced the kids that were playing. By the time he was done, ALL the ladies were checking him out. We thought he was getting some curl and now that his hair has been cut, we can really see it.

He's Walking!!!

Finally after several attempts, Adam is mobile.....

Nothing to Report

Things are quiet in the land of Team Buckelew right now. Adam is trying really hard to walk - he took six steps on Sunday, up from the three he took two weeks ago. Grace is embracing her inner Musketeer as she has been watching Barbie and the Three Musketeers and trying her hand at imitating the movie. She is also learning all about responsibility - that's what comes with turning six.

Adam is 1!

Can you believe how fast the year went? I'm sorry I didn't post pictures after the party and got bogged down with Media week at work but I think it was worth the wait now that his one-year old pictures are done!

Happy New Year

Christmas came and went and here it is 2010! Hard to believe Adam will be one in two weeks. We've got a bunch of folks heading our way for his party. The house will be packed :)

We hope everyone had a great holiday and we can't wait to see what's in store for the new year!