Life's a Beach...For a Week

After we hit the NC Zoo, we spent a week at Myrtle Beach Travel Park. We absolutely LOVE this campground! It is very clean, family friendly, and my kids adore the recreation staff. Plus, my Great Aunt and Uncle always come down to their daughter's villa at the campground for the week so it is wonderful to spend time with them!

The biggest excitement of the week was that Trace learned to swim!!! And with temperatures near 100 every day, we spent LOTS of time at the pool! He could go as far as one breath would take him (about 10 feet) and can now come up once or twice for a breath and keep going! We also hit the Pirate Voyage dinner show one evening. The show was pretty good, the kids really liked it! Trace even got turned into a Pirate!

We were lucky enough to spend a day with Aaron, Laurin, and Mary Elizabeth Brooks! Mary E is absolutely adorable and the kids had a blast playing all day! It was so nice to chat with Laurin and Aaron as well! After a day of swimming, pool games and the beach, we had a great dinner at The Sea Captain's House. I cannot wait until we get to see the Brooks family again!

Here are some pictures from our trip!

It's a Zoo Out There (In NC, That Is)

We took our annual Davis Family Summer Vacation in August. It goes a little something like this...
1. The kids pile half of everything they own by the door.
2. I clean the camper.
3. The kids start moving their pile from the door to the camper.
4. I try to move their stuff back to the house without them noticing.
5. The dog goes to the groomers.
6. I put everyone's clothes in the camper, except John's. He is a grown man.
7. We start getting everyone loaded into the truck (including the dog, of course).
8. John asks if I packed his clothes. I reiterate #6.
9. I go pack John's clothes. (I tried not doing this once, but then he just bought new clothes and it wasn't fair.)
10. We get on the road.
11. Trace asks "How many more miles" at least once every 2 miles ALL THE WAY THERE (it's a little over 500 miles, BTW)

In 2009, we started a tradition of stopping in Ashboro, NC and staying for 2 nights. We get there pretty late on Thursday evening and get settled. On Friday, we hit the North Carolina Zoo. It is really an awesome zoo. This year we just did the Africa section (the have an Africa section and a North America section) because it started pouring the rain and the humidity was oppressive (think wearing poncho sweating...not cool). It was still a good time. After we left the zoo, we went back to the campground, and it actually cleared up, so the kids swam and jumped on the Jumping Pillow. The Jumping Pillow was AWESOME, heck, I even jumped on it a few times (then remembered that I'm old and promptly returned to my seat on the bench). Here are some pictures from our stop-over in Ashboro!

It's Rodeo Time - 4Wheeler Rodeo, That Is!

So, I haven't blogged since October. I got busy and lazy. But, I am sorry. I know how much blogs have helped me and Trace, and how, with our network of LP buddies, it really helps us to stay in touch, and I miss that. So, let's try this again.

Trace got a 4-wheeler the day after his casts came off from his bilateral tib-fib osteotomies (when he had his legs straightened) in the spring of 2010. Yes, a real, gasoline powered 4-wheeler. I was not excited about it...the kid just got out of double leg casts, and my husband, his father, goes and buys him something that is very likely to put him right back in them! Crazy mother rant over. We didn't let him ride it too often last year, figure 8's around cones in the back yard only - and only when John was home to handle it.

Fast forward a year, and Trace has really gotten to be very good on the bike. The kid has been driving battery powered vehicles since months before he could walk. He can drive really well. Taylor is a different story for a different day - I've got about 8 more years before it becomes a huge panic-inducing ordeal. Trace LOVES his 4-wheeler. John takes him on little rides through our field, and we let him make laps around the house. I even let him ride it when John's not home.

The Doddridge County Fair has a Youth ATV/Mini-bike Rodeo, and we let Trace participate this year. I went out and bought him new shoes and a new shirt (which I attempted to hem the sleeves - FAIL. It seems so simple, but apparently not so much) that color coordinate with his bike and helmet. They ran 3 courses, 2 times each, with one rider on the course at a time. Trace had a blast and ran perfect courses. He can't wait until next year to do it again! We are so proud of him! He won first place in his class (in the interest of full disclosure, he was the only kid in his class, but that's a trivial detail)!!

Enjoy the cuteness!

Applebutter Festival Pageant

Salem has an annual Apple Butter Festival during early October. There are pageants and entertainment, a parade, craft and food vendors, groups making and selling apple butter, and some games. After sitting out the Doddridge County Fair Pageant, Taylor decided she wanted to do the Apple Butter Festival Pageant.

The color red had to be included on either the dress or an accessory, so my very creative and crafty friend, Kelly (check out Llama's Bowtique on Facebook for beautiful hair accessories and ribbon sculptures), made Taylor some bling for her dress and hair! Taylor looked beautiful! There were 24 children in the pageant, ranging from 3-7 years old.

This pageant also required a talent. Taylor and I worked really hard thinking of the perfect song. After much deliberation, and creative word replacement, we had found it: The Apple Butter Slide! We started with Tracy Byrd's Watermelon Crawl and replaced words as appropriate to make it about Apple Butter and Salem!

All the children looked great and did a wonderful job! Taylor got scared when it was her turn to sing, and I had to get her off the stage to sit with me. After the rest of the children finished, Taylor decided she was brave enough to give it a go - and she did great! I am so proud of her! The pageant director disqualified Tay because she didn't sing at the right time, but she had a blast and was SO proud of herself for singing her song!

Here are some pictures, and a video that my sister took, the video isn't great quality, but you can hear Tay's song (for some reason my sister got mesmerized by the judge in front of her bobbing her head with the song, lol)! A certain individual that will not be receiving a Mother-Of-The-Year award remembered the video camera, even charged it...when I turned it on to record Tay, I realized there was no memory card in it!







Because I haven't seen any expose on this, I thought I'd share a little known fact that I learned this past week - because of Health Department rules, the Apple Butter is not made with whole apples, they have to start with store bought applesauce! Gasp!

Back to School!!

Taylor started back to school last Thursday! She was super excited to get to First Grade and see all of her friends! I was super excited to get one of the kids out of the car for my commute - they pretty much fight constantly, and it really wears you down!

Taylor picked out her outfit the night before, and insisted on wearing not only the coordinating necklace, but a scarf as well. The girl LOVES to accessorize! She was also super excited to wear her Sketchers Twinkle Toes Groovy Baby shoes - every little girls dream! They are pretty much every annoying thing they could do to shoes rolled up into one pair - glitter, rhinestones, lights, embroidered peace signs...you get the point!

We are super lucky in our schools as we do not have to provide any school supplies, just a backpack. Taylor picked a Barbie bride backpack, and in all it's pink and girly glory, it's actually pretty cute. The dress even has a piece of fabric that is loose (which requires the backpack to be hung on a hook by the door out of the reach of the ornery kittens).

Taylor loves riding the bus, and was ready to hop on when it arrived! I reminded her that I would like at least one picture this year, so she didn't sprint up the stairs and disappear like last year! We found out that Taylor's regular bus driver, George, had experienced a heart attack during the week was having bypass surgery instead of taking the kids to their first day of school. Taylor is so sweet, she has been praying for George each night!










Taylor had a great first day of school, although she was pretty tired when she got home! She announced that she didn't have any homework, I think she was a little disappointed, lol!

Stay tuned later this week, Trace starts school on Wednesday. If anyone wants to hang out with me while I cry all day, let me know!

Little Mr. Doddridge County

Mr. Trace decided he wanted to be in the Little Mr. Doddridge County Pageant at the county fair. I grab the form, and begin filling it out. There are a few questions...

1. List 3 of your childs favorite activities

Trace answers, "riding my 4-wheeler, playing with my tractors, and hanging out with daddy". Pretty simple and predictable, question 1 down.

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Trace answers, "A struction worker." Why? "They get to use bulldozers and diggers and dumptrucks all day". Again, fairly predictable, question 2 down.

3. What is the most important lesson you have learned so far?

What? This pageant is for 4-6 year olds!!! It was obvious many of the mothers coached their children on what to say and answered the questions for them, in order to make them "cuter". Not me, that's not my style.

Trace puts his finger to his face and looks at the ceiling for a moment..."Stay away from snakes" he says, shaking his head to agree with himself.

That my friends, is a very important lesson for a 4 year old farm boy. I giggled and wrote it down. Trace is always outside playing (normally in his underwear, barefoot) and we are all constantly telling him if he sees a snake to stay away from it. At least I know he is listening to something we say!

4. Name a song or nursery rhyme your child might perform for us.

Trace's answer: "John Deere Green". Me: "Buddy, I'm thinking Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light". Trace: "Maybe Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee". So I wrote those two down.

Off the application went and Trace was entered into the pageant. Over the next couple weeks, I encourage Trace to practice his songs, he refuses. John encourages Trace to sing "Pants on the Ground"...Trace walks around all day singing "Pants on the Ground". I forbid him to sing "Pants on the Ground" at the pageant. He grins the evil grin.

Pageant practice #1, John takes Trace (I was enjoying a day at the spa). Trace makes John walk with him and stand by his chair. He refuses to sing.

Pageant practice #2, I take Trace. Trace goes on stage by himself and does everything they ask...except sing. "I'll do it tomorrow (in the pageant)".

And it's the big night. I take off work early, get the kids, give them baths, and get them all ready. Taylor's not in the pageant, but she's got a reputation to uphold, and can't go to the county fair without looking like a little super model, you know. Back stage, Trace is clinging to me and making me hold him. I finally hand him off to another mother and walk out thinking it's the best bet to get him to actually do this.

Back stage waiting (and waiting, and waiting)...



The pageant starts, and he comes out on stage! He does the parade around the stage and takes his seat. He stands when they introduce him and smiles.




All is going well. He has major cuteness on his side. Then they call him up for the interview...

He gets up and walks to the front of the stage.

How are you Trace? He says "Good."

What do you like to do for fun? "Play with my dada," he whispers.

Do you have a song you want to share with us?....He looks at me, takes a breath...and says..."No." Grins huge and turns and runs back to his seat. Little booger.

This video isn't very good, especially since I used my digital camera instead of the camcorder, and turned the camera up for the interview portion (then had to rotate the video to get it right-side up), but here you go.



Needless to say, he didn't win, but we are very proud of him! He had fun, and got a little confidence boost! Taylor didn't want to do the fair pageant, but was a little disappointed in herself for not participating. They are both asking to do the Apple Butter Festival Pageant, and they both say they'll sing...we'll see!

We did let them have a little fun at the fair after the pageant!

Wordless Wednesday - Myrtle Beach 2010

Once Upon A Time, A Long, Long, Time Ago...

We went to Hershey, PA! OK, so it was actually Memorial Day weekend, and I'm only blogging about it, um, 2 months later!

Jenn Greene organized a great meet-up at Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA. We decided to make a weekend of it, and camped at the Elizabethtown/Hershey KOA. We all met up at Dutch Wonderland on Saturday, and then Hershey Chocolate World on Sunday! It was so great to see so many of our friends, Kim and Preston, the Camenga's, the Greene's, the Hall's, the Yiakannis', the Swartley's, the Weisser's, and the Dressel's! I hope I'm not forgetting anyone, but it has been two months!

Dutch Wonderland is a great little amusement park for younger children. Trace was barely walking, only having his casts off for a couple weeks, but we still had a great time! We spent a lot of time with the Yiakannis', Taylor and Peyton are the same age and really hit it off!

Trace LOVED this horribly boring ride...can you see how focused on figuring out how to control the bucket he was?



What Taylor thought about the same ride (although Ben is happy in the background)...



Taylor and Peyton!







Attempts at group shots...





The Straight Leg Club...



How sweet are Peyton and Jaxson? My kids only hug if they want something...



Trace was ultra-cooperative. At one point, he was even "snoring"...



Girls who were totally over having their pictures taken...



I have to post this, and hope that Cory forgets in the next month before we see him again...he LOVED this ride, seriously, he was FORCING Parker to ride it...



On Sunday, most of us met up at Hershey Chocolate World for the *free* tour! We got there first, and of course Trace had a backpack of cars. It was actually really nice to let the kids play a while so us parents could chat!







I guess Trace didn't want to share this truck, he went like 20 yards away by himself to play with it, lol!



Hot mamas! (Seriously, it was like 90 outside, we were really hot)



Sunday afternoon we returned to the campground and spent the day being lazy! They had a great pool and the kids had fun playing!









The KOA was great, and if you are up for camping, or even renting one of their "Kabins", I highly suggest it! Hayrides nightly, movie on the lawn, cool pool, a couple playgrounds!