Reading, Prayer and a New Toy!

We have been very busy the past couple of weeks so I haven't had as much time to post.  Sloan is still babbling away all the time.  We think she can almost say "juice" but I still am not sold on it yet.  She says a lot but nothing that can be understood just yet.  She appears to be a mama's girl just like her brother!  This will change one day so I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts.  She started to cry tonight when I walked out of the room when Luke was bathing her.  It was sad but I had to get back to Grant who was yelling in the other tub for something, lol! 
Grant has finally figured out "yesterday" and "tomorrow"....he understands what they mean and said them both right today for the first time.  He used to say "last morning" for yesterday and we haven't heard that lately.  He is constantly asking questions and there is never an end to most of them.....the never ending "but why?".  So, I started responding with "what do you think?".  He looked at me yesterday and said "No, YOU talk, not me!".  Lovely.
He is learning a lot in preschool already.  He can now say the prayer "God is great, God is good...." which is very cute.  Although the version is a bit different than what I learned so I always get a few words wrong....I am working on it because Grant does not appreciate me messing it up.  After he says it, he will look at me and say "Now, you say it!". 
We have been reading a new book at bedtime, "Big Dog, Little Dog" which is a Dr. Seuss book.  We had read it several nights in a row. The other night he wouldn't let me hold the book and I couldn't read the words the way HE was holding it.  So, I told him that I couldn't read it.  He looks at me and says, "I will read it to you mom".  I thought yeh right...this should be interesting.  He proceeds to read almost the entire book!  Only missing a few words....his memory never ceases to amaze me!  I was in utter shock and came downstairs and told Luke how crazy it was.  The book is not paragraphs but it is not single sentences either.  He proved me wrong and got a lot of amusement out of it!

Helping unload groceries!

 No clue what this pose is....I was trying to get one of them together outside but we all know how easy that is, ha ha!

 New Toy....aka my latest kids consignment sale purchase!  My new found love is shopping children's consignment sales.  Sloan and Grant love this one!

 Grant likes to run around the house after dinner each night...he says "let's go wun!"

Beach Photos

Here are some of the pictures that we had taken while we were at the beach.  I had a hard time deciding which ones to put on the blog.  Again, it was not easy getting both kids to look at the camera and then smile at the same time. Maybe next year will be easier!

Soccer Time

The sports schedule has begun.  Grant had his first soccer practice this past Thursday.  He enjoyed it and did really well.  He got a little frustrated when they stopped to blow bubbles in the middle of practice.  There is a HUGE focus on having F.U.N.  He asked "why are they blowing bubbles and not kicking the ball?".  Honestly, Luke and I were thinking the same thing, lol.  Oh well.  We plan on taking some video soon and will post it later.  He will have a game this Saturday and I am sure we will see a swarm of kids chasing one ball, ha ha.

Doing warm ups

 Sloan liked to eat the grass!

Family Vacation....Full of Firsts!

We went to the beach this week and had a great time!  We got a house right on the beach with a pool.  The last time we went, Grant was 15 months old.  So, he didn't remember it.  And we didn't go last year since I was super pregnant.  The week was filled with "firsts".  Grant's first trip to the beach in his mind.  He LOVED it and had no fear at all.  He ran straight out into the ocean.  We actually had to tell him numerous times to not go so far even after he was knocked down a few times by the waves.  The first time he has ever gotten out of bed in the morning and come to our room happened on the first night.  He woke up at 6:30am and came into our room and said "the sun's up mom, time to go to the beach".  I let him get into bed with us for a little while until we got up and prayed it wouldn't happen again.  The kids rooms were pretty bright in the morning so we ended up covering the windows with blankets.  This solved the problem and both kids actually slept until after 8am on most days.  Yay! The first time Grant ever uttered the words "I'm tired!" occurred on one of the first nights we were there.  He didn't take a nap and almost fell asleep at dinner...and we eat at 5:30pm!  Grant had his first warm, Krispy Kreme donut too!  I thought he would love it but he took a couple of bites and didn't want anymore.  I finished it for him, ha ha.  Grant also got to experience putt putt for the first time.  He didn't quite get the concept because he kept taking his ball right up next to the hole and then tapping it in.  He beat us on every hole to say the least! He did get upset when he realized the last hole swallows your ball.   

Sloan's first trip to the beach was funny too.  She does NOT like sand at all.  I was worried she would eat the sand and it was just the opposite.  She wouldn't leave the blanket to even crawl on the sand.  She would touch it and make a horrible face.  I also put her feet in the ocean and she hated that too.  It scared her and she tried to crawl up me to get away from the water.  She loves the bath tub though so I guess it was just the waves.  Sloan also crawled up the steps for the first time.  Almost as soon as we got there, she found the steps and made it up 2 of them but would have fallen if we weren't there to catch her.  She tried to turn around and sit on the second step....not a good idea.  Sloan got to try hush puppies this week and she loved them.  She is a carb girl....she loves anything with carbs!  She is also saying her n's now "na na na na".  If you say "no nooo" when she is crawling towards something she shouldn't be getting into, she will stop and look at you and then speed towards it faster than before.  Feisty little thing!

We did get some professional pictures taken while were there.  That was a painful process to say the least.  Getting 2 kids to cooperate is like pulling teeth.  When Sloan smiled, Grant was looking away and vice versa.  And it didn't take long for the whole process to become annoying to both the kids.  Very limited patience and attention span for this kind of thing.  I will post these soon.

Getting ready to hit the beach after dinner!

 How fast can you get to the water....

 Enjoying the water even without a bathing suit on

 First Krispy Kreme donut

Aunt Jill and Sloan hanging out

 Sloan playing on the mat

 Baby pirate at Drunken Jacks restaurant in Murrells Inlet

Getting ready for the beach

On Garden City pier

Grant and his cousin Drew playing after dinner.  Drew turned 3 this week!

Not sure the bucket is supposed to be used like this, haha

Ready to head out for dinner

Putt Putt.....this was Grant's starting point on most holes!

Sloan enjoyed eating puffs and goldfish while watching us play

Grant was sweating by the end....not sure what that smile is....

Hush Puppy time!

Hanging out at the beach.  Grant and Luke are in the background digging holes in the sand.

Headed up the steps to get to what she wants....