good friends + good beach = good times

Griffin and I spent three days in Corolla, NC. My childhood best friend, Katie and her family allowed G and I to crash their family vacation. How great is that?!?!

Katie and I met (literally) in the first grade and after re-kindling our friendship in 8th grade, we've been BFFs ever since! So, when they invited us to hang out in Corolla, we couldn't pass it up. Kat(i)e and Jonathan rented the last house in North Carolina and we had to four-wheel it to get to the house! Griffin LOVED driving on the beach.

Griffin also loved hanging out on the beach, playing with his new buddy Lor-li, and his favorite new pooches, Guidry and Lulu (who were VERY tolerant of a three year old boy!).

Thanks, K, J and Lolo...we had a great time and it was just what we needed! (and thanks to the pups, too...you were GREAT!)

Is there a better way...

...to start a Sunday morning. Griffin and I are in Nags Head (on the Outer Banks of NC) on our way from Corolla (northern OBX) to Rodanthe (Southern OBX). We are some beachin' fools these days!

Anyway, our day started with belgian waffles, hard boiled eggs, fruit and yogurt sitting outside next to the ocean. It's gonna be a great day!

sunnin' and funnin' in Myrtle Beach

In lieu of (good phrase, huh?) of a third birthday party, we decided to take Griffin to Myrtle Beach. I think it was a good choice..what do you think?

good-bye "Mommy?!?!"

Over the past couple of weeks, Griffin started calling me something new. What, you ask? "Mom." Yep, "mom." As in, "Mom, can I borrow your car?" or "Mom, can I have $50 to take some girl (not you!!!!) out on a date?" 

WHAT?!?! MOM!!! It's Mommy to you, kiddo. At least for a little while longer....please.

G turns three!

Well, it happened, Griffin turned three. And, not without a fair amount of fanfare! We started at IHOP for Griffin's favorite meal of the day where he had the "Rooty Tooty Jr."

Then, Mommy and Daddy brought "worm" and "dirt" cupcakes to Co-op for all Griffin's friends. Everyone sang "happy birthday" (this was the second time for the day) and Griffin LOVED it! A few of the kids were a little leery about eating worms...really, they didn't eat them, but others were a bit more brave!

After co-op, we all headed to the land of sensory overload...Celebration Station. We spent our tokens quickly (Mommy rocked skee ball) and headed out (at Griffin's request) to NY Deli for dinner.

FINALLY, we made it home for presents and cake. So, I made the cake. It's a cake for a three year old...'nuff said. We sang happy birthday (again...#3) and then Griffin wanted us to sing three more times. WHEW!

Now, for those people who know Griffin well, you know that he NEVER plays with toys. When people ask what Griffin likes to play with, our response (without hesitation) is "the garbage." So, when we found a garbage truck at Target a while ago, we knew we HAD to get it (along with a fire truck). Well, it was a HUGE hit! Griffin loves his new garbage truck (and the fire truck ain't too bad either...). He actually played with it for at least 45 minutes. He also really loved his very own digital camera (insert someone saying, "When I was a kid...")...

Needless to say, after a long day, our three year old is all tuckered out...being the center of attention can get exhausting!!

(**I'm trying to figure out how to embed the pictures in the text not just in the beginning and end!**)

The last night of being two...

Oh how sad. I laid with my doodlebug for a bit tonight at bedtime. It is so bittersweet that he's three tomorrow.  

I love, love, love this age! I think it's my favorite thus far. I love how Griffin says things, I love the things he says, I love being able to reason with him (as much as you can reason with a two year and 364 day old) and I love how he makes me laugh everyday. I do miss, though, having an infant, him needing me, our late night feedings, footed pajamas, beets all over his face and watching him sleep in his crib.

On August 6, 2005, Danny and I went to our favorite restaurant (Bert's Seafood in Greensboro...YUM!) and came home to watch Die Hard (Danny couldn't believe I'd never seen it). We went to bed never thinking that tomorrow would be "the" day. As cliche as it sounds (and, it's cliche to say it's cliche), time has truly flown. I think I'll home-school him through college. No, grad school, maybe law school or med school. I'd better get to studying!

Here's Griffin's last picture as a two year old...