Donuts for Dads & Pottery with Mom

This past Friday, Amelia's preschool invited all Dads to join the kids for Donuts for Dads day. Amelia was so excited that her Daddy would be able to participate that she picked out a fancy dress to wear just for this occasion. Daddy and his little girl:

And off they went. The children all sang some songs in the Sanctuary before enjoying juice and donuts with their Dads at their classrooms later. (Sorry about the quality of the movie but you can still hear them sing).

Each girl in Amelia's class answered a questionnaire about their Daddy, gave them a framed picture and made a plate for them. One happy Daddy and one happy girl. She has truly the best Daddy!

On Tuesday after preschool, I surprised Amelia with a Mommy-daughter date to a local pottery shop. She chose to paint a Mermaid and make a special surprise for Daddy's birthday next month. I was allowed to help her paint too :)

My little girl was very proud of her finished project (it still needed to be glazed and will be ready for pick-up in the next week):

On a side note, I was able to pick up my platter I painted at a recent Mom's Night Out and here is the finished version:

To finish off our girls' afternoon and because it was over 72F (23C) outside, we ate some yummy frozen yogurt.

 

Sometimes it is tough being the oldest and spending quality time with my favorite girl is hard to come by, so it feels extra special when Mommy or Daddy can make some fun memories together with our firstborn. Always know, my little girl, Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back!

A Birthday Celebration in SC

On Sunday, my favorite mother-in-law turned 78 years old and we decided to go down for a day to see her on this special day. So we arrived around lunch time to surprise the birthday girl with flowers, gifts and a cupcake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!

 

Making her wish:

After a delicious, home-cooked lunch, Derrick, the kids and I took a drive down to Charleston. We walked around the new Aquarium, stopped by at the Battery, explored the Charleston city market and saw the horse-drawn carriages. 

At the Battery, where it was unbelievable windy:

We let the kids run free in a park before enjoying an early dinner at Bubba Gump's:

 

The rest of the evening and the next morning, we enjoyed hanging out on the porch with Grandma and Grandpa and playing ball with their dog Marty. 

Grandpa and Elliot: 

Before we left on Monday morning, Derrick's brother, Tony and his wife Melina, stopped by to say hi and to introduce us to their newest family member, Teddy. This puppy was adorable! 

 

 

It was a short trip but well worth it and we were delighted to be able to celebrate Grandma's birthday with her.  Till we see each other again, SC. 

NC Transportation Museum

Today, we took the kids to the NC Transportation Museum, which is located 30 minutes from our home. They were so excited about riding the choo choo train, especially my little train lover. Despite it being a Saturday, it was not crowded at all. As soon as we got there, we boarded our train for a 25 minute train ride through the train yard. 

All aboard!

We saw lots of other trains, cabooses, and a steam engine too.  

The museum sits on a 57 acres site, which once was Southern Railroad's largest steam locomotive repair facility on the East coast. Nowadays, it hosts special events such as Day Out with Thomas and feature rail and automotive exhibitions as well as a turntable, a 37-stall Roundhouse, and repair facilities.

Testing out a police cruiser:

There were lots of trains to look at and walk thru as well as a simulator:

Hands-on:

 

The museum was a great family friendly activity and we all enjoyed learning and exploring trains. Definitely a must-see if you are nearby. 

Spring is in the Air

Even though spring season doesn't start for another couple of weeks, it truly feels like spring has sprung around here in the last couple of days. The sky is blue, the sun is shining and the temperatures are in the low 70's F all week long. Also, the trees are starting to bloom and the first flowers popping their heads out of the ground. 

With the weather being so beautiful, we are spending lots of hours outdoors. On Saturday morning, we took the kids to the park so that they could ride their motor/tricycle. They loved racing down the hills, especially my little daredevil Elliot. No children were harmed in the making of this movie.

Yesterday, Amelia had her spring pictures taken at preschool and Elliot and I went over there so that the photographer can take some sibling shoots too. The photos were taken at the playground so I thought it would be fun to have them wear their favorite play clothes, which brings out their personalities. Amelia loves my little pony and her new rain boots. And Elliot won't leave the house without a hat or cap on, ever. Here is a little preview of some shoots I took with my camera.

 

 

We also put up some Easter decorations in our house. Soon, there will be Easter eggs hunts, egg coloring, and lots of other fun activities to participate in. We are ready for you spring!