The Usual Suspects

Every Wednesday Evan gets together with a group of boys that are all within a few months of each other in age. Evan is the youngest at a little over 13 months and his friend Quinn is the oldest at 15 months. They have had the best time playing with each other at their houses, but this week we decided to change it up a little bit and meet at the play area at the local mall.

If you go to the play area at most times of day it is swamped with children, many of which are too old to be in there, climbing on top of the play structures and jumping off onto unsuspecting babies. However, if you go before the stores are open and the older kids are awake, it's heaven for one-year olds. So, that's what we did.

Here's some pictures of the usual suspects in action. Everyone looks forward to our Wednesday playgroup, including the moms. We can't wait to watch our baby boys grow up together!

(Evan and his first microscope)

(Edward)

(Carson)

(Quinn)

(Nathaniel)

(Owen)

(Evan and Quinn try to escape and head to Panera.)

(Carson, Edward, and Evan hang out in the helicopter.)

(Evan enjoys the funhouse mirror.)

(The boys in a boat)

Evan also had a fantastic play date at his friend Graham's house today. The weather was beautiful, so the boys headed outside to Graham's water table. We immediately realized that the boys would get far too wet in their clothes, so here was our solution!

A Blissful Week at the Beach

We just got back from a heavenly week on Litchfield Beach in South Carolina, and it's hard to be back. It was a fabulous vacation, and we all had a blast!

The week started with a five hour drive from Durham to the South Carolina coast on some windy country roads. It was actually a nice release from a tough couple of days at home. It felt like the cares of North Carolina drifted away as we headed south. Plus, this new route helped us to avoid all of the Saturday beach traffic. By the time we got there Evan had had enough time in the car, but he really did very well.

Once we arrived we met up with my wonderful in-laws, John and Jennifer who I would like to thank again and again for making this week possible for us. The only negative for us at this point was that Ian wasn't there yet. He had to stay in Durham until Tuesday night for big work meetings. So, we arrived and unpacked and couldn't wait to get our little man down to the beach. We ate a quick dinner, changed him into his swimsuit and off we went.

First was a dip in the pool with Gramps. They had a great time because there was a great kiddie pool off to one side of the main pool that was just Evan height. Then, we scooped Evan up and headed over the boardwalk to the big time. The ocean was beautiful, of course, and Evan was enthralled. He wasn't scared at all and headed straight for the water. I shouldn't have been surprised, the Davises are definitely beach people! Evan had a great time on the beach as the sunset and it set the mood for a fantastic week.

(Evan takes in the beach for the first time.)

One of the best things about the week was the mornings. Gram and Gramps and I liked them for different reasons. Evan would wake up about 5:30 am each morning and I would groggily stumble out of bed to get him a bottle. As soon as I would get to the kitchen his Gram or Gramps would pop out of their bedroom and take him off my hands. They would head out to the balcony to watch the sunrise on the beach and I would head back to bed. Fantastic for everyone involved!

(Gramps and Evan watch the sunrise--while I'm still in bed.)

The rest of the week after Ian arrived was filled with the beach traditions that I have come to love and expect from a Davis family vacation. There was a puzzle always out on the kitchen table that somehow we never got solved, a couple of nights out to partake in the fantastic local seafood, everyone taking turns cooking a homecooked meal in the evenings (with several appetizers, drinks and desserts), a round of pretty ugly but fun tennis with Ian, a hilarious night of games, soaking up the sun and sand with a good book out on the beach, girly shopping at the Hammock Shops, peach fuzz, Cheetohs Natural, walks on the beach, runs to the end of the beach to search for sea shells at sunrise, drip sandcastles, riding the waves (or should I say watching John and Ian ride the waves), floating out past where the waves break, refreshing dips in the pool, the list goes on.

(Evan learns how to ride the waves.)

(The girls always flock around the Davis boys.)

(The boys built a masterpiece in the hot sun.)

(Baby Godzilla attacks the sand castle.)

(Evan and I investigate the sand.)

One night we stayed in to celebrate John's birthday. You can tell it's going to be a great night when it starts with double appetizers, crab dip and bacon bites! Then we moved on to dinner out on the porch overlooking the ocean. We had delicious shrimp and grits followed by chocolate cake made by a local bakery--good choice, birthday boy! John opened presents and Evan tore up the wrapping paper. We were so glad we could all be there to celebrate together!

(Birthday dinner-what a view!)

(Happy birthday Gramps!)

It was a great week and I will definitely take some lasting images back with me--Evan and his Gramps sitting in a lounge chair on the balcony watching the sunrise, the Davis boys (three generations) with their shovels building a sandcastle when they should all have gotten in the shade, walking on the beach hand in hand with both my boys (until one of them ran off to chase birds), relaxing past the waves with Jennifer and in a tide pool with my wonderful husband, and enjoying a peach fuzz feeling beautifully tired from a long day at the beach with an equally tired and happy baby. Times like these with the family are so precious and will be treasured. Evan can't wait to head back to the beach!

(Evan with his Davis grandparents)

(The adorable family)

(Aren't we cute?)

(I can't wait to go back to the beach!)

the Next Michaelangelo

For Evan's birthday, our neighbors gave him some finger paints because I'd been telling them how much I wanted him to be able to do some art. So, last week, I thought we'd try them out. I laid out the plastic bags down on the floor, stripped Evan down to his diaper, and squeezed out some paint onto a paper plate. I didn't quite get the reaction I had planned. Evan didn't care in the slightest about the paper he was supposed to paint on. Instead, he just wanted to play with the plate I had squeezed the paint onto. He also was intent on crawling once he had paint covering his hands. Two plastic trash bags don't do much to protect the floor when they're being crawled on by a sticky baby!

However, I did manage to get his fingers to touch the paper for a few strokes and now have some beautiful baby art gracing our fridge. I guess Evan just prefers to paint on the floor. Maybe next time I'll let our little Michaelangelo paint the ceiling!

(actually touching the paper-This didn't happen much!)

(painting the floor)

(Mmmmm...finger painting!)

Fried Food, Festivals, and the Fourth of July

Last weekend our family had a fabulous long weekend and enjoyed celebrating the Fourth of July. Evan has already celebrated one 4th, but since he was only two weeks old, he really slept through most of it. This year, he was ready to get out and celebrate.

So, on Friday we headed down to the Festival for the Eno at a state park in Durham. It was wonderful. It was all the best parts of Durham rolled in to one: the nature of the park, some good southern bluegrass concerts, rock music, folk music, excellent food vendors and crafts, booths about sustainable and eco friendly living, and much more. First, we walked around and listened to the music including a bluegrass band complete with someone beatboxing?! It was actually good! Then, we enjoyed some Chubby's Tacos, one of our favorites and moved on to the craft booths. After finding a great birthday present for my dad we hit the ice cream stand for an ice cream cookie sandwich, YUM! Evan had a fabulous time riding around in the backpack and taking in the sights. He especially like the music, the sandcastle-making booth, and the booth with the turtles. We can't wait to take him back again next year!

(dancers on one of the stages)

(Evan and I take in the craft booths)

(a bluegrass band)

(Evan and Dad watch the turtles.)

(Evan enjoys walking around the festival.)

Early the next morning we headed down to the blueberry farm that is about a mile from our house and did a little picking. At first, Evan rode in his carrier. Then he hopped down and explored the farm. He loved eating the blueberries, especially the questionable ones that had fallen on the ground, oh well. We had a lot of fun and ended up with enough for some blueberry preserves and a blueberry sauce for some pork chops.

(Evan and Dad pick-and eat-some blueberries.)

(Evan samples the blueberries.)

(Evan and I make sure we pick some good ones.)

Next, the eating portion of the day commenced. Our friend Brian came over and brought with him a very large burner and bucket for frying. The boys made hush puppies, fried chicken, and waffle fries. We combined that with some pasta salad, baked beans, and pink lemonade pie for dessert. It was delicious, and we loved eating it all on our screened porch! We were all stuffed, including Evan who probably ate his weight in hush puppies.

(Ian and Brian put the chicken in to fry.)

(hush puppies frying away.)

(the feast!)

(Evan hangs out on the screened porch.)

(The boys hang out in the sand box.)

Our family had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend! Evan can't wait for more summer fun at the beach!

What a difference a year makes! (same outfit)

Evan in the Big City

On the third day of our visit to Connecticut, we headed down to New York. We decided that any trip to that part of the country wouldn't be complete without a trip to the big city. So, we hopped on a train (after several platform changes which involved carrying a stroller up and down many stairs, not fun).

Our train dropped us off at Grand Central Station. Immediately upon leaving, we saw a bunch of people on the sides of the road. We stopped to see what they were doing and found out that there would be a big parade coming through. So, we stopped to watch. Evan thought his first parade was fantastic. There were motorcycles, floats, balloons, and a ton of people to watch. We even got to see the governor of New York, Mayor Bloomberg, and Cheryl and Kim from Dancing with the Stars! Evan had his first brush with fame on the streets of New York City, HA!

(Evan enjoys his first parade.)

After we had seen the parade we were all getting very hungry, so we headed down to Central Park to eat at a little brunch restaurant that Audra had found next door to the Plaza hotel. It was called Sarabeth's, and it was delicious. Audra and I both had the french toast, and Evan stuck to the fruit and a little bit of apricot sausage, fancy!

(Audra enjoys some french toast and fresh squeezed juice.)\

Once we were refreshed it was off to do some shopping. We hit some stores looking for some shorts and shirts for me and more maternity wear for Audra. We both found some cute things and Audra was nice enough to get me the shorts and a shirt for a belated birthday present. Thanks Audra! While we were in the Gap trying on clothes Evan decided that he had had enough of the shopping and had a little baby meltdown. Once I got him in his carrier he just crashed.

Even though Evan was asleep we had to take him (and Audra) on a pass through FAO Schwartz. I can't believe he slept through a life size Lego wookie and the man dressed like a toy soldier. Sigh. Maybe he'll be awake next time we visit.

(The toy soldier and I smile while Evan snoozes.)

On our way back to the train we stopped in a cupcake store called Crumb for a little dessert for the evening. Then it was off to the train and back to Connecticut. We had a wonderful trip, and I can't believe how much we managed to squeeze in to three days! I can't wait to head back up there for another trip, and the exciting part is, the next time we head up there there will be a new addition to the Mhire family to visit!

Connecticut Adventure-Day Two

Our first day in Connecticut was filled with shopping, something that Audra and I definitely enjoyed. So, on the second day we decided to do something that Evan would really love, going to the Bronx Zoo!

Turns out the Bronx Zoo is a fabulous zoo, and we had a wonderful time! Our first decision as we were buying our tickets was whether to get the basic admission or the total experience package. Well, we sprung for the total experience, and we were really glad we did. It gave us admission to parts of the zoo we wouldn't have gotten to see otherwise that turned out to be our favorites of the day. One of the best extra parts of the zoo was the Children's Zoo. It was huge and perfectly suited for little ones. Evan's favorite were the turtles, although Aunt Audra and the alpacas got along quite well. I didn't quite know what to think of the slide, but Evan had a good time.

(Evan and I check out the turtles.)

(I can't believe I'm actually posting this slide picture on the blog!)

(The alpaca says hello to Audra and baby Mhire.)

Evan is at the perfect age to take in the zoo. Every creature was fascinating! He especially liked the mice in the "mouse house", the giraffe, and the lemurs. We even got to go in a butterfly house and see all the butterflies fly around.

(Uncle Tommy shows Evan the giraffes-what a great Uncle!)

(I think these are fox ears, don't they look great on Audra and Tommy?)

(Evan checks out a butterfly in the butterfly house.)

(Evan enjoys his second carousel ride of the weekend with Aunt Audra and Uncle Tommy. I promise, he is actually enjoying it.)

Thanks to Audra and Tommy for taking us to the zoo for a wonderful day! I can't wait to take Evan to see more animals. We finished off the day with an early night out to get dinner and chocolates in Norwalk. Dinner was great and the chocolates were absolutely fabulous! Stay tuned for tales of the next day's adventure in New York City!