Our Little Man

Bicycle and One More Birthday Celebration...

2012-03-12T20:18:00.002-07:00

Nico got a bike for his birthday. A BIKE! My baby is big enough to ride a bike!?! He loves it and is really getting the hang of it. Poor little guy has my chicken legs and just doesn't have any strength in those tiny muscles!

Last couple of adjustments from Papa before taking off.

We went to AL to visit Granny the Sunday after Nico's birthday and there was more cake! This boy is SO loved...and he deserves every bit of it!

Birthday Festivities...

2012-03-03T09:30:00.003-08:00

Our little man is 4. Four! Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday my water broke and we were heading to the hospital to welcome our bundle of joy and finally find out if we were having a girl or boy. We have experienced nothing but joy from this little guy. He lights up our lives and adds so much to every day. It's such a pleasure to celebrate him...and boy did we?!

Licking the spoon!

Monday afternoon we made cupcakes for his party (Tuesday at Chick-fil-a) and to bring to school on his actual birthday on Wednesday.

This year's theme: Legos...specifically Ninjago Legos. The yellow cupcake are supposed to be Lego faces.

And the gift tags made to look like Lego blocks. The goodies included a Hot Wheels car, raisins and Star Wars fruit snacks.

Making a wish...

At home, after the party, with all of his presents.

Wednesday morning I treated him to a doughnut breakfast. The owner at the shop gave him an extra doughnut complete with candles!

Wednesday night there were more...you guessed it...cupcakes!!! You can't really see it here, but his face was covered with crumbs.

Saturday we had all of our family over to celebrate. We had a such a great time catching up and visiting with everyone. We had family come up from Alabama, over from Knoxville and Georgia. Thanks to everyone that made our little man's day so special. We love you all!

Happy Valentine's Day...

2012-03-03T09:26:00.002-08:00

On February 13 Nico had a Valentine's Day party at school. Here are some photos and highlights...

The boys...Coleton, Nico and Daylen.

The class:

Mrs. Florence, Daylen, Nico, Adam, Coleton

Cami, Olivia, Rylee

Musical chairs!

Star Wars...

2012-03-03T09:22:00.002-08:00

Nico is all boy! He has recently discovered a love for all things Star Wars. The thing is, he has never seen the movies (honestly, neither have I). David was so excited when he found out that the saga was going to be rereleased in theaters. The boys took in a Sunday matinee. A fan for life? I think so!

Sword fight before heading to the movies.

My boys.

Show and Tell...

2012-02-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago. Nico had his first Show and Tell at school and what did he bring?! LEGOs, of course! Ever since I pulled out a huge box of David's old Legos around Thanksgiving, this child has been obsessed. He and David can play Legos for days. I love sitting back and watching their relationship grow. David is an awesome dad and Nico is an awesome son. I love my boys!

Finally. Christmas at Our House...

2011-12-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve evening we drove back to Nashville. Babbo and Tammy came later to spend some quality time with us before the rush of Christmas morning. It was nice for them to see Nico's reaction to all of the wonderful things Santa brought. Then it was time for more presents (from my dad and Tammy). Then we all sat down to a yummy lunch and fun conversation. My mom and sister joined us, along with David's mom and dad. Such a great day. We are still coming down from all of our Yule Tide Adventures. I hope your holidays were just as merry as ours and I wish you all the best that 2012 has to offer!

Christmas at MeeMaw's

2011-12-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, we did things a little different this year. We had lunch at my Granny's (instead of dinner) which allowed us time to visit with David's MeeMaw. We usually have to dart out of there to make it to Granny's. Not this year. And it was nice being able to hang around for awhile. The kids had a great time and can do no wrong at MeeMaw's. The food was good, the company better and we're already looking forward to next year.

These boys are really getting this posing thing down!

The 3 Stooges. Sweet cousins.

Christmas at Granny's...

2011-12-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

We did things a little differently at Granny's this year. We usually head over there for a big lasagna dinner (which cuts into our time at MeeMaw's and puts us on the road home pretty late). This year we decided to make things simpler and do lunch. Things weren't as rushed, there wasn't as much prep, making it easier to just enjoy the company. We laughed and laughed and ate and ate! We swapped gifts and then headed to MeeMaw's. Phew. Even writing all this makes me tired :)

Nico, Papa, Granny and Mommy

La-La, Nico, Granny and Mommy

Ooooohhhhh, monster trucks!

Christmas in Alabama...

2011-12-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas fell on a weekend this year our usually short trip to Alabama for the holidays was even shorter. David worked until 2 on Friday. When he got home we packed up the car and headed down to Madison for about 24 hours. Christmas Eve morning we woke up, had a homemade breakfast and then exchanged gifts. The little kids are all at an age where they really enjoy opening all of the gifts and seeing what everyone else got. It was so much fun just seeing them interact with each other. After that we went to Granny's to have lunch and exchange gifts with her (details and photos in another post). After several hours with her we headed to David's MeeMaw's for dinner and even more gifts! After a nice visit with the Monger side of the family we drove back to Nashville to meet my dad and Tammy and to get everything ready for Santa's arrival. We put out Oreos and milk for Santa and some special food for the reindeer (dried oatmeal and glitter).

The Monger family at Gabby and Paw's on Christmas Eve.

Buds.

Nico and Eli have gotten closer as they've gotten older. The one year age difference isn't such a big deal now. They had a great time playing together over the holidays.

Gabby and Paw got all of the kids a little sofa/couch thingy. As you can tell, they all loved them!

Gabby, Emma and Paige

Aunt Julie and Robbie

Uncle Adam, Eli and Nico

Christmas at Giggy's...

2011-12-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Since my mom moved to Nashville several years ago, we have celebrated Christmas with her the weekend before the actual date. This is a great way to start off the holiday season and it helps free up the schedule (a very little bit) on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We all pack up pj's and head over for a night of good food, too much stuff, and a great time. This year we added baking dozens of cookies to the list of activities...such fun! I love making these memories and starting new traditions.

Snuggled on the couch watching Shrek the Halls.

Nico and all of his loot!

Nico and La-La (and all of her loot!)!

David and his (you guessed it) loot!

La-La, Giggy, Mommy and a sweet little monkey!

School Party...

2011-12-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

Nico has his cute little holiday party at school on December 14. I always like going to these to see how all the kids interact. Mom's sign up to bring special treats or activities and this time it was my turn to help set up the room. Here are some funny shots from the day.

Nico posing with his nativity wreath.

I just love this one. It's so typical of this age!

Visiting Santa...

2011-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

It's hard to pass up a free photo with Santa. Bass Pro Shop offers this every year and we actually took advantage last year too. It's really a cute set up, complete with remote control cars, trains and a carousel. Nico told Santa he wanted Legos and ninjas for Christmas. Then from that point on he would say that Santa was only going to bring him 2 presents since that's all he asked for. Boy, was he wrong!

We've been practicing our smile. Practice makes perfect!

Such a big boy. Nico. Not Santa. Well, he's big too.

Nico and Frosty. Check out the picture from last year. It's amazing the difference a year makes. My baby is so big!

Wii...

2011-12-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

I think we have a future gamer on our hands. We brought out the Wii for Nico to try out and he absolutely loves it. He's pretty good at the controls. It was actually quite surprising.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2011-12-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

Indeed it is the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the BUSIEST! Here is a quick look at what we've been doing...

...making abstract art with Bendaroos...

...hamming it up at Granny's birthday lunch...

...singing to Granny...

...hanging out at the cabin in Georgia with great friends...

...trimming trees...

...and being on our best behavior so that our Elf on the Shelf, Kenjamin, has nothing but good things to report to Santa.

I hope to post again before Christmas, but don't hold me to that. If not, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Halloween 2011...

2011-11-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Halloween was so much fun this year. Nico really got into trick-or-treating. This child hasn't met a candy he doesn't like...just like his mommy. We actually went through his candy to let him pick out about 12 pieces to eat over the next couple of weeks and then donated the rest to a dentist that will ship it to troops over seas. He was also fascinated with all of the spooky stuff (spiders, witches, zombies, skeletons, etc.) that comes with the holiday. He would say, "Why are skeletons scary?" He couldn't understand why they were supposed to creep people out. He is not a huge fan of dressing up in general, but tolerated his costume (hat and all) for the evening. We enjoyed trunk-or-treating at his preschool. We played games, rode a hayride, ate hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. We even made it home in time to hit a couple of houses in the neighborhood.

The cutest Peter Pan ever! We got lots of, "Look. Robin Hood." Next year, he may wear the same thing and go as Robin Hood...just add a bow and arrow. David could be Little John and me Maid Marian. I can see it now!!!

Our jack-o-lantern.

Papa and Peter Pan at trunk-or-treat.

Fall-filled Posts Below...

2011-10-28T12:17:00.001-07:00

Enjoy ALL of the fall themed posts below!!! Hope you have a happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Party...

2011-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Nico had his Pumpkin Party at school on Wednesday. The room was decorated so festively and the kids had some yummy treats to eat and fun games to play.

Nico and his classmates sitting so nicely at the table.

Cheese ball!

Showing Mommy his jack-o-lantern. Look at those dimples (on Nico, not the pumpkin, those are "band-aids" he said)!

Pumpkin Carving...

2011-10-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

We carved our pumpkin earlier this week. Nico decided our jack should have one circle eye, one triangle eye and a square nose. Nico was extremely excited to carve our pumpkin. He kept talking about the goop inside...

Here he is doing some preliminary artwork on the pumpkin.

Bring on the goop!

He has his spoon ready to scoop the goop...

...and now the look of total disgust! He didn't get near the thing again once David started pulling the seeds and pulp out...HA! Such a stinker!

(I'll post a picture of the finished product in the Halloween entry.)

Music and Molasses...

2011-10-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Another year, another Music and Molasses Festival. Every year we get together with the family to attend this fun little festival. They have mule cart rides, a "little farmer" area, local arts and crafts and yummy food. It's a fun family tradition that I see happening for many years to come.

La La, Nico, Mommy and Papa on our mule cart ride.

Nico hulling corn like a pro! This seriously occupied him for a long while. I think you can buy these corn cobs in the bird food section of stores...hmmm?!

This would have been impossible without the help of the sweet girl working the booth. After a minute she held the string making it a little easier for him to "grab" it. It was quite hilarious to watch him try to get this apple!

Walden Farms...

2011-10-28T11:42:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Nico, Giggy and I went to a local pumpkin patch called Walden Farms. It was a beautiful fall day...perfect weather for such a fun memory!

There was a pint-size hay maze that was quickly navigated by Nico. He loves doing mazes in activity books, so this was right up his alley.

Nico snuck into the locked toddler area to check out a rock table. We might be recreating this for our backyard since he's quickly outgrowing the turtle sandbox.

My sweet sunshine! I love this picture!

Nico and Giggy in front of the GIANT pumpkin! Yes, it's real!

Nico was fascinated with the water pump.

This was a terribly uncomfortable train ride for mommy!

Such a big boy! And check out those muscles!

Disney World 2011...

2011-10-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to DISNEY WORLD!!! We went with David's entire family (just about). His mom and dad, aunt and both sisters and their families. So much fun was had and many great memories were made. The best way to share all of these fun times is to recap below the pictures. Enjoy our journey...

Nico and Emma at the timeshare discussing what they think Disney World is like.

The first night in Orlando, we ate dinner at T-Rex (a dino-themed restaurant). Yummy, but loud. The kids (and kids at heart) enjoyed it for the most part.

Sticker Girl! I'm not sure what this guy's job was at Downtown Disney (worked at the information desk???), but the kids had a great time covering themselves and each other with stickers. Thanks to Nico and Robbie, Emma definitely had the most, which is how she earned the nickname.

Eli, Nico and Woody (made entirely of Legos).

This picture cracks me up. I just had to include it :)

The Monger Family with Mickey Mouse.

Nico and his favorite, Pluto.

Nico and his $10 gelato sundae at Epcot. The adults had "beverages", the kids got ice cream. Fun times!

The Monger's and the "giant gold ball".

Surprise! You're in the picture Paige!!! You tried hard not to be though...or maybe I just stunk:) This was Nico's favorite ride: The Monorail. We could have paid $14 to park and just rode the monorail back and forth!?

Peter Pan trick-or-treating at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

David and Nico's best impression of Peter Pan. Yes, David has on the hat.

This was were Nico sat most of the trip. This was at the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.

If you know Nico, you know he doesn't sleep in. This was after our first full day at the parks. We had to practically drag him out of bed. David joked that Nico turned into a teenager on the trip!

Lindsey and Nico at The World of Dr. Seuss at Islands of Adventure.

Day 1 of non-stop rainfall. We were so optimistic that it was just a shower and that it would pass over within the hour.

NOPE. We thoughtfully put Nico in his swimsuit for the day thinking that it would quickly dry when the rain stopped and he wouldn't have to walk around in wet clothes. By the time we got to the first stop in the park he was shivering with blue lips. We quickly purchased a beach towel (reasonably priced at only $20!) to wrap him in.

This was in line at the Toy Story ride. 60 minutes waiting wouldn't have been so pleasurable had it not been raining cats and dogs outside. Better to be in here versus out there.

Day 2 of non-stop rainfall. At this point people had nothing to do but laugh. The hard rain and gusty winds made it seem ridiculous for people get out in it. When we got off the monorail water was pooling at the bottom of the exit ramp. Pooling probably isn't the best word since it had a strong current! We were a little more mentally prepared this time (we knew it would rain all day). We also purchased ponchos since our rain jackets were water-logged in the first 20 minutes the day before. This was definitely the better route.

Nico in his cute poncho.

Of course on the day where we think we'll be battling rain all day, the sun comes out. I'm not complaining...just sayin'. Here's my sweet boy on the carousel in the sunshine!

I'm pretty sure David told Nico to "look at mommy" as to demonstrate how to lean in for the picture. I love it all the more!

Well, that was our trip in a nutshell. Hope you enjoyed it!

Story Time...

2011-10-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

Nico and I met friends at the downtown library for story time, a picnic lunch and a little bluegrass...gotta love living in Nashville! I used to take Nico to these weekly story times all of the time, but it's been hard to get down there lately. It was nice to revisit it and the kids enjoyed it in a totally different way at this age.

Sweet monkey!

Nico and some of his best buds: Keenan and Finley. These kids will play and play and PLAY!!!

Friends...

2011-10-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

We had our great friends, the Williams, come for a visit last weekend. They brought their girls and a good time. We have been friends with these guys since college and our friendship is effortless and easy. We are all perfectly content sitting at the house, watching the kids nicely playing together (most of the time), talking about old times and funny memories, and creating new memories. The weather was perfect while they were here so we took advantage by making our way to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. They currently have a great train exhibit made of only things you'd find outdoors in the woods or a garden. The kids had a great time chasing the trains around the tracks. We let the kiddos tickle their tootsies in a stream and made a craft...all before lunch. After "rest" time we prepped dinner and watched the game with even more friends. Thanks for the visit! Eagerly waiting for our next visit!

This was not staged.

Nor was this. This photo is so telling of this time in our lives!

Family photo opp. They had these frames set up all over the grounds...great idea!

Little daredevils!

Cue theme song from Andy Griffith...

Playing with Dirt...

2011-09-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

Nico has had a lot of fun playing in dirt this weekend. He is definitely ALL boy! We're actually thinking about making a little dirt pit in the back yard complete with dump trucks, shovels and rubber galoshes.

Love.

That shirt was white when he went out there.

I kid, I kid :)

This was the night before at the Vandy game.

Vandy Game...

2011-09-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you Cat!!! Cat was able to get us tickets to the Vanderbilt Family Day (she works there). In addition to tickets to the game we were fed and entertained at the picnic. We got a late start, thanks to traffic, but had a nice time visiting with Giggy and Wampus a little before the game. Nico was impressed with all of the hype at the game. His attention span quickly shortened after the distraction of cotton candy was out of the picture. We left at half time, but a great time was had the first half for sure.

This was about the 10th picture we asked Nico to take. We'll take what we can get ;)

Cuties!

Eh.

He wanted to see his blue teeth from the cotton candy. I loved his big eyes in black and white, so you'll have to just imagine the blue lips and teeth.

First Day of School...

2011-09-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Nico started preschool last week. This is his second year at this school and he loves it. His teacher's name is Mrs. Florence and there are 7 other kids in his class. I think 5 of those are boys...Mrs. Florence has her work cut out for her! Nico is growing up so fast. I am soaking up every little bit of him I can. We are looking forward to watching him grow and change even more this year. Love you bud!

After a couple of failed attempts at smiling (think Chandler Bing), I told him to smile like her was being tickled.

My big boy!

Happy Birthday La La!

2011-09-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ashley's birthday last week with a Mexican dinner, margaritas and cookie cake. Hard to believe my little sis is 26!!! You are such a beautiful, smart and hilarious woman!

We love you La La!!!

It's not a Mayes party without a reference to Drop Dead Fred!

Nico has turned into a real ham. It takes a good 3 tries before I

get a "serious" picture out of him.

Maybe it's all of the sugar?! He ate that whole piece of cookie cake!

One Last Time...

2011-09-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

We got out our little pool out one last time last week. It was a hot one so he needed a strawberry popsicle to help cool off. We have had a great summer, but are truly enjoying the cooler days we've had this past week. Welcome FALL!!!

Notice the murky water...fun with Dove soap :)

Last Days of Summer...

2011-08-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying the last few weeks of summer. School starts in 2 weeks. I am sad that I won't be spending each day with little man, but am excited for what cooler weather and a schedule bring. I'll let the captions explain all we've been doing!

Nico and Eli enjoying a movie on their "boys only" beach trip.

The 3 Amigos!

Any weekend morning, this is the view from our kitchen window. Nico will sit out there for hours playing with Moon Sand. He makes roads and mountains with his little construction trucks. His favorite playmate? His papa.

Last week we tagged along on David's business trip to Knoxville to squeeze in a visit with my dad and Tammy. We visited Parrot Mountain in Pigeon Forge. I highly recommend it if you've never been. There are tons of parrots that you can touch, feed and talk to. Above I am trying to get Nico to sit still for a picture.

This is what happened when I told him I would just take a picture of Babbo and Tammy.

No naps is NO fun! He is desperately trying to drop them. I'm not having any of it ;)

This little guy magically appeared from a pack of gum. Nico was thoroughly impressed with the guide's tricks.

Aye, aye, captain!

Tammy was holding the blue parrot and the red one just jumped on my dad's back. It was quite startling...and hilarious!

We have taken advantage of some slightly cooler temperatures and lower humidity by hitting a local park with soccer ball in tow. This park is a hidden treasure. Pssst...it's behind a local elementary school.

My little man!

His silly attempt at smiling.

We've been to a handful of birthday parties this month. Great time with great friends!

In a bounce house.

Nico took a cooking class with some of his buds. This was a great class that he really enjoyed. We'll be posting more pictures of further adventures I'm sure!

Yummy...cinnamon swirl muffins!

Sweet boy!

Swim Lessons...

2011-08-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

Nico just completed two weeks of swim lessons at the YMCA. He took lessons when he was barely 2, but they really just got him comfortable in the water. This time he was a little more coordinated and could actually doggy paddle for about 10 feet and go to the bottom of the shallow end (3ft) to get a toy. These won't be the last swim lesson he takes, but we are one step closer to putting away the floaties. We'll definitely be working on his technique for the remainder of the summer.

My sweet little pisces.

No floaty!!!

Weekend Trip to Chattanooga...

2011-07-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

A friend and I were excited to learn that a reality TV star and entrepreneur would be coming to TN to speak at a women's expo. Last minute, we decided to make plans for a multi-family mini vacation to Chattanooga. We drove over early Saturday morning and hung out until it was time for the mommies to go to their "meeting". We met the guys and kids for dinner afterward and played at the hotel (including a surprise fireworks display curtesy of the nearby baseball stadium) until bedtime. The next day we rode the free electric shuttle to the Choo Choo, rode the trolley there, walked to lunch on the bluff and played at the children's museum. It was a long, but fun weekend! Looking forward to doing it again soon!

Skinny Girl's Bethenny Frankel! I guess I don't have a future as one of the paparazzi!?

It is such a crazy, small world! David was swimming with the boys at the hotel while we were at the expo. He came up for a breath facing the hallway into the lobby when he saw our longtime friends, Trevor and Mary, walking by. They all did a double take. Trevor and Mary happened to stop in Chattanooga on their way back home to NC. They just happened to choose to stay at the same hotel where we were staying. And they just happened to walk by that tiny window at the exact same time David came up for a breath! WOW! They were able to join us for dinner and we had a great time catching up.

Sweet Finley! She was such a trooper...she didn't miss a beat even though she was fighting a cold. She has such a cute personality...so independent, it's cute!

The boys riding the free shuttle to the Choo Choo.

Nico posing outside the trolley.

Keenan and Nico waiting for the conductor so we can start the ride.

All the kids on board got to take turns ringing the bell.

Family shot :)

Playing with the water at the museum. Fun times!

And this was what happened on the ride home. Zonked!

Sweet Boy...

2011-07-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Nico has been trying hard to drop his naps lately. Mommy needs his naps. It's a time for me to do some work and to have a little quiet time. If this is the attitude I get when he doesn't nap I am OK with him dropping his naps. I'm not saying I'm not going to try though!

4th of July and S'mores...

2011-07-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

These 2 things seem to go hand in hand, so I thought I would combine the posts. David had to work on July 4th, so our day wasn't too different than any other week day. Nico and I visited the gym, ate lunch at home and then rested (he is desperately trying to drop his naps so I have to take what I can get) before Giggy and Wampus came over for a cookout. When David got home we stuffed our faces and then headed to an awesome fireworks display in Mt. Juliet (neighboring town). The show lasted about 30 minutes. It took us about 45 minutes to get out of the parking lot. Needless to say, next year will will strategically park near the exit. I bought stuff for us to make s'mores on the 4th, but we were too stuffed to make them. So later that week we attempted s'mores on the grill. Pretty successful!

Bigfoot waiting for the fireworks to start.

Giggy and Nico

(yes we were sitting in a parking lot)

Wow, we look sweaty! It was pretty humid...

Nico's first s'more. He wasn't a fan of the marshmallow, so I made him a peanut butter, chocolate and graham cracker s'more. Yum!

Sweet boy!

Look at his thumb...he has the weirdest thumbs. It's like they are double jointed...it makes for hard hand holding :)

Lane Motor Museum...

2011-07-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we visited a local car museum. I was pleasantly surprised at this little museum. There were lots of old and unique cars. I think it was one man's private collection. This is a place that I see us visiting for years to come and each year Nico will become increasingly more interested in the cars instead of just playing in the play area. He thought they were pretty cool this time, so I am excited to take him next time.

Papa and Nico in front of an old fire engine. Thumbs up!

Even though this car looks old, it was actually built in like 2008. Pretty cool!

This was the only car you could get in (or touch). We just had to take the opportunity! It's a "beetle car" as Nico would say :)

Music Camp Program...

2011-07-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

Nico attended a mini music camp at his school the last week of June. It was 3 days filled with fun, friends and music. The last day the school treated the parents and grandparents to a sweet program and lunch from Chik-fil-a. It was a cute little program where the kids (ranging from 3 to 5) lined up in the gym and sang along with their music teacher. I'd say maybe a third of the kids were actually singing though!

Nico had fallen out of bed earlier in the week and had a scab on his lip that he picked at for the first 3 minutes. It looked like he was picking his nose...ha!

As soon as the program was over the hat and the bandana were off. I was actually surprised he wore it AND kept it on during the show.

This Weekend...

2011-06-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend! It was great being in town and just doing fun things around town. Saturday morning was filled with running errands followed by a 4 hour nap for little man. After he finally woke up we met mom and Cat for dinner and an outdoor concert. Sunday morning Nico and I made homemade blueberry muffins, we walked the greenway and then the family met friends for a movie...Cars 2!!! The boys loved it and, I have to admit, it was pretty cute. Sunday night wasn't so good for Nico. He fell out of bed (he said trying to get a stuffed animal that fell onto the floor). I heard a thud followed by crying so I rushed into his room to console him. The part that really broke my heart was when he walked into our room this morning with a fat, busted lip. The best home remedy, you ask? Popsicles, of course!

Nico's handsome chariot to the concert: my wonderful hubby.

Look at that face! And that shaggy hair!

Two excited boys!!!

Enjoying his strawberry popsicle after lunch today.

What's Been Goin' On...

2011-06-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am way behind! I would love to say that I have tons of pictures to post, but I am way behind on that, too. I'll share what I do have and I hope to get better from here on out.

David turned the big 3-1 this month! Confused by the zero candle? That's all I had at home. Apparently I need to get on top of that, too :)

I was at the beach for two weeks and this is the only decent shot I got. I had a great time hanging out with all of the kids (and grown ups) and enjoyed my time with my girlfriends, but 2 weeks is a LONG time to be away from home. I am happy to be home with my sweet boys!

We've been playing at home when we aren't out enjoying the dog days of summer. Here Nico is concentrating hard on making his play-doh smoothie.

Just today we got out with some friends to enjoy the little cool front that came through (only 90 degrees today!!!). We played in the creek and in the mud at a local park. It was our first time here and I feel like we'll be back a lot this summer. We had a blast!

Memorial Day Weekend Fun...

2011-06-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

We had a full and fun holiday weekend. We got back from Memphis around dinner time on Friday, so while I was cooking, Nico and David played in a huge inflatable ball. Nico got this for his birthday and this is the first time he's used it. Fun times! Saturday I took Nico to a friend's birthday party at the zoo. That was followed by a visit from Gabby, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Adam and all the cousins. They watched Nico while David and I went to a wedding that night. Sunday morning, the kids played in the sprinkler while we waited for Aunt Pam, Uncle Stinky, Babbo, Tammy and La La to come over for burgers and dogs. After stuffing our bellies, the Monger side headed back to Alabama. Babbo and Tammy stayed the night and we all (Ashley, too) hit the road to Granny's on Monday morning for a quick visit. This weekend was long in more ways than one! I'm pooped!

"Look mommy. I'm king of the castle!"

We had Mattie bathed while she was boarded...look how pretty she looks in her purple bandana!

Eating his first slice of watermelon (it's usually cut up into nice, mess-free bites). I have a feeling by the end of the summer he'll be a seed spitting champion.

ME TOO!!!

Visiting Papa in Memphis...

2011-06-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

When Nico got out of school last Wednesday we got on the road to Memphis to visit David. He has been gone a lot this month, so we needed to go to him to get in some face time. We swam in the hotel pool, dined out and visited the Children's Museum of Memphis. Below are some pictures from our day there.

Nico the basketball man!

Riding a police motorcycle.

Nico's from Munchkin Land!

Fishing was his favorite part. Total, we probably spent an hour at this fishin' hole. I think we've added something to out to-do list for the summer!

Surfin' USA! They had a room with a green screen, various videos and props. Check out my little surfer! (One day I'll remember that I can't film videos sideways!!!)

Last Days of School...

2011-06-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

Last week was Nico's last week of MMO. He really loved this program, his teacher and his friends. We are looking forward to September already!

Nico and Mrs. Lee Ann

Nico's year-end project. Everyone did a hand print on the back and then each kid had their own hand print on the front. I think this is a keeper.

On Monday the kids got to have a picnic outside.

Family Reunion...

2011-06-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month (well actually last month since it's already June 1!) we had a Langan family reunion. This is my mom's side of the family. It was great visiting with family we don't see that often. We had good food and better company. We had a great time looking at my grandfather's old photos from his travels as a serviceman and our sides hurt from looking at old pictures of ourselves as kids...wow, the outfits and the hair!!! We were able to get a decent group shot after about 10 tries and 20 minutes of positioning the camera and setting the timer. According to my mom, the organizer, this will be an annual event. I look forward to seeing this group shot expand over the years.

Back Row: Pattie Langan, Sara Langan, Cathy James, Ginny Mayes, Lindsey Monger, Nico Monger, David Monger, Bill Langston, Joey Langan, Pam Langston

Bootom Row: John Avitt, Harry Langston, Ashley Mayes

La La and Nico.

Great picture of Ashley. Great picture of Nico playing with his gum :)

Springtime Fun...

2011-05-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Spring as sprung!!! And it feels a lot like summer! We have been busy doing lots of warm weather things: trips to the zoo, water play, cookouts and more!

Mommy and daddy goose with their gaggle of goslings. Try saying that 3 times fast!

Nico riding the hippo on the carousel at the zoo.

Happy Mother's Day! Mother's Day cookout at my mom's house.

That monster truck was just itching to get in the mud. Thanks to Nico he could!!!

Oh. Yes. The cicadas. Yuck. That's all I have to say.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens has an awesome exhibit on display. They have a train track and town made out of sticks and other garden things. There are like 20 miniature TN landmarks dotted along the course. One of the kids' favorites was a little ladybug car that drove around the track itself. It would periodically make an appearance in this little porthole.

Wooden Beale Street

Cooling off in the creek.

Hiding behind a chair to play with Buzz and sneak some candy.

I love these little moments. Stopping and watching instead of interrupting by asking, "Wha cha doing?" Just watching him be him. Wonderful him. I am taking in all of these moments. I'm soaking up all of the I love you mommy's. I am ecstatic about the curiosity that comes with this age. As each month passes by with no positive pregnancy test (almost 2 years) I am a little more heartbroken because I may never see this stage again as a mommy. We are not giving up by any means, it just puts things in perspective. In a weird way I'm grateful because it has made me really cherish this boy (even more than I already did!).

Easter Festivities 2011...

2011-04-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Easter was so fun this year. Nico really got into coloring the eggs, hunting the eggs and the candy! He also tried to understand why we celebrate Easter, but that may be a year or two off. The weekend was a great one spent with family and friends (furry ones with lots of legs and slimy ones with no legs). We spent most of it outdoors which is always a plus! Check out what went on...

Friday night we dyed Easter eggs. I only boiled 8 for him to color because he wasn't that into it last year. I should have known...of course, he wanted to do more!

Check out that blue hand!

Ah the fun you can have with a hard boiled egg and a plunger. Don't worry, it was brand new!

We played with a caterpillar. It was so cute how Nico talked to it and called him his "little bud".

The Easter Bunny brought him a new train!

Nico even shared his jelly beans with Mattie.

The Easter Bunny hid the eggs a little too early. Shell-less snails had invaded a few of the plastic ones (thus the look of disgust on Cat's face)...I guess, looking for a home.

Looking for the eggs was a group effort.

David is so proud of his irises. They are gorgeous!

Smiling through a mouth full of jelly beans! Happy Easter!

Zoo Class...

2011-04-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I have been a horrible blogger. My apologies. I am trying to stay above water here, but am having issues lately. But alas, I am here to update you on all things Nico. We are taking a class at the zoo again this spring and we are loving it. Ms. Julie brings out real animals to demonstrate whatever it is we are talking about that week. Last week we learned about camouflage.

Nico is hiding/disguised as a fireman...sort of.

Nico looking at a tree frog changing colors because of the dark paper around his container. So cool!

Spring Break 2011...

2011-03-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last week/weekend Nico and I went down to the beach with Sarah, Emma and Eli. The weather was perfect and so were the kids...most of the time ;) The first day we were there it was a little chilly so we opted to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. We watched an IMAX movie and explored a little before heading to the play area. After we got back and the kids napped we braved the beach...the very windy beach. From that point onward, we could be found in the pool or on the beach. Nico liked playing on the beach a lot more this year. It probably had a lot to do with his cousins being there to play, too. We had a great time and we are looking forward to Spring Break 2012. I wonder when the kids will start begging for those awesome airbrushed

t-shirts??? Or maybe a hermit crab to take home?

On our way into the museum.

The 3 Musketeers posing in front of a huge anchor.

Future Blue Angel?

The kids found throwing sand into the air fun. It was so windy that the sand was going everywhere. If you look closely you can even see some individual pieces of sand flying from Emma's shovel.

Coloring before dinner.

My little Pisces. He loved the pool and he loved the freedom of being able to float around on his own with his new floaty.

Snack time. Swimming makes you SO hungry!

Beach babies.

Courage was up at this point. All the kids were playing pretty close to the "crashing" waves.

Nico was throwing "mud" onto the beach and watching the waves wash it away.

Nothing like playing with sticks on the beach.

Our last trip down to the sand...we had to get a picture!

Love this!

Western Day...

2011-03-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was Western Day at Nico's school. He was not into this at all. My mom found some cowboy boots...perfect...except Nico didn't want a thing to do with them. What little boy doesn't want to be a cowboy and wear cowboy boots!?! I had to bribe him (by promising he could take off his get up as soon as we got to his classroom) to wear this outfit. The main issue was that he only wants to wear "pulled up sleeves" (short sleeves) these days. I think he got this from David. Any of you that know David knows he seldom, if ever, wears long sleeves. The two pictures below were taken like 5 seconds apart. I have no idea how I got such extreme reactions for the camera!

This is how most of our pictures turn out: Nico looking cute, but looking away.

And then we have this! Makes me smile every time!

Big Boy at The Dentist...

2011-03-18T17:16:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month (I know, I'm way behind on blogging!) we all went in for our dentist appointments. We have been bringing Nico with us for the past two years just to get him used to the ordeal. He did AWESOME...We really didn't have any doubt that he would do anything else.

Anxiously (not!) waiting for his turn in the chair. He's actually watching a little TV before he gets his teeth tickled.

"Show me your teeth." Still watching TV :)

Riding the chair!

4 Generations...

2011-03-18T17:12:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my dad came to visit. We took a really quick trip to Huntsville to visit with Granny. We seized the opportunity to take a 4 generations photo. I hope this photo will be enjoyed and cherished by many generations to come, not just the ones photographed.

Robert Mayes, Marie Mayes, Lindsey (Mayes) Monger, Nico Monger

Birthday Party Part Deux...

2011-02-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had some family and friends over to our house for lunch and cake. David and I made homemade lasagna, salad, bread and, of course, a MONSTER TRUCK cake!!! Nico basically had a whole weekend of parties and celebrations...and he loved every minute of it! Needless to say, yesterday (his actual birthday) was pretty low key. I can't believe that he is 3! He is such a joy in our lives and the lives of many others. We are so lucky to be his parents! We love you, Nico!!!

Such a big boy!

Babbo and Tammy got to our house a little early and we were able to exchange Christmas presents. Better late than never. It was actually quite fun. I forgot some of the things that I got them and so it was a surprise for me, too!

I am pretty sure Robbie took this picture just to make Paige mad ;)

The birthday boy!!!

Hamming it up when it was time to open presents. Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Birthday Party Number 1...

2011-02-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I won a birthday party at a local indoor play area (Peek-a-boo Play Town). One of the stipulations was that it had to be during the week. So Friday, we had the first of Nico's two birthday parties. We invited just about every kid he knows. We had a great turnout and a wonderful time celebrating with everyone!

The birthday boy in the ball pit.

Cousin Emma in the ball pit.

Nico, Emma and Eli in the ball pit. By the look on Emma's face she may have just gotten bonked in the head. These ball pits are dangerous places!

Cade and Nico

Bubble time!!! This is how they rounded up the kids for pizza and cake.

Nico playing with the chalkboard. He's gotten pretty good at writing his name, but usually chooses to do it on his own terms :)

Blowing out the candle on his AWESOME monster truck cake (that I made, by the way)!

He got to forgo a nap and instead opened all of his presents when we got home.

Handy Manny's Workshop! Thanks Emma and Eli!

A Mess...

2011-02-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

This child is a MESS! I took these silly pictures last weekend after an afternoon of playing at home.

Aubie as a fireman...

...and Nico with chocolate all over his mouth, a star sticker on his nose, blue marker on his neck and a nice scrape after a run in with the driveway. Again, this child is a mess!!!

A Great Weekend...

2011-02-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed family time, time with friends and wonderful weather. Here are some pictures from our fun:

Nico and Mattie playing Lite Brite!

Getting better at smiling for the camera.

We went to one of Nico's classmate's birthday party on Saturday morning, too. Who knew 3 year olds could conquer ice skating?!?

Skating really works up an appetite!

OK, so he wasn't skating all on his own. David had to push him around with this little scooter. There was only one wipe out and no one was hurt!

Destini, Sarah Beth (birthday girl) and Nico. He was trying to get back in the shot in this one. We probably had them stand there for 5 minutes! This is the best of what was on my camera. Too cute!

Discovery Center...

2011-01-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

Nico got a membership to The Discovery Center in Murfreesboro for Christmas. We have already been several times and he is really enjoying learning new things each time we go. It's a sort of hands-on place that teaches kids things without them even knowing it. Below are some of the fun things we did last time!

Working the conveyor belt at the "market".

Let's put the produce away.

I'm going to need him to start doing this at home!

He got to climb on a firetruck!

And change a tire. This is how I would look if I was ever asked to change a tire :)

And of course lots of time is spent at the "train" table. I say "train" because that's what he calls it even though it's cars and trucks. It's more of a city scene than a train track. Look at that concentration!

Roller Skating...

2011-01-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

The local roller skating rink has Family Nights on Thursdays. I recently took my little sister from Big Brothers Big Sisters and noticed that there were several kids Nico's age there. So last week we gave it a try. Nico wasn't too fond of the skates at first, but he eventually got used to them. I'd say he did about 5 full laps through out the evening (with assistance, of course). It's definitely something we'll be doing again soon!

Nico and La La

Such cute teeny, tiny skates!

Nico, Wampus and Giggy playing air hockey.

Snowy Days...

2011-01-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

It's so hard to believe it's already been 2 weeks since New Year's!!! This year is already going by too fast. Mother Nature decide she would put our busy schedule and crazy lives to a grinding halt early last week. It was much appreciated. Sometimes it just takes being forced to stop and breathe to put your life back in focus. Since David was gone to Arizona to see the national championship game (War Eagle, by the way!!!) it was just me and the little man. Housebound. For 3 days. It was actually very nice to play in the snow, to snuggle and watch movies and to not get out of our pj's!!! This little guy is so much fun to be around and there is never a dull moment.

He enjoyed the snow a little more this time around. We probably stayed outside for an hour sledding and building a snowman.

I wish I had gotten a picture, but Mattie actually went down with us a time or two! Then I had to chase her around the neighborhood to get her back inside, but it was well worth the two minutes of amusement!!!

Our country bumpkin snow-woman. Nico was done at this point, as you can tell.

His attempt at smiling on cue. We'll have to work on this.

A Very Merry Christmas...

2010-12-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Monger family had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS this year! We have been celebrating for over a week! It all started the weekend before Christmas when we celebrated my mom's birthday and exchanged Christmas gifts while we were at it. Then it was off to Alabama to celebrate with David's family and my Granny. I love this time of year! It's so nice spending time with the ones you love, which to me, is the best part. The spirit of the season is just amazing! We hope you all had just as Merry a Christmas! And we wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR, too!

Putting together Santa's gifts: a "dirty jeep", Stinky the Garbage Truck, a puzzle, a shuttle with "spacemens"(astronauts), letter magnets and much more!

Taking inventory of what Santa left. When Nico first woke up he didn't want to go see what Santa left because he thought Santa was still in the house waiting for him!

Granny, Patrick, Ashley, Lindsey and Nico

Goof ball posing in front of Granny's tree...a family tradition!

Sweet hugs!

Patrick got a car care kit for Christmas and Nico just had to wash his monster truck!

Nico, I mean Chris Johnson, driving while at the Galaxy of Lights at Huntsville's Botanical Gardens.

Who's ready to see the lights???

David the Mighty Multi-tasker!

WOW! Look at all of those presents!!! Merry Christmas from Gabby and Paw, Aunt Julie, the Fishers and the Roaps!!!

I feel like we may be looking into handheld games for next year!

No peeking!

Thanks, Giggy! A racetrack!

The Mongers in their Christmas PJ's...

A bag to keep all of his cars in: It's made from ARMY tents...cool!

School Christmas Party 2010...

2010-12-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

Nico has just loved going to school. He actually asked about going today. On the 15th, he had his school party. We were in charge of bringing a craft and a game. We brought Santa and reindeer masks to color and a fun game of pin-the-nose-on-Rudolph. FYI, this game does not work so well with 2 year olds. They did have fun strategically placing the red noses all over the reindeer's face, though. Sadly, it was also Mrs. Jackie's last day with the class. She was taking a full time position at her other job. We will welcome Mrs. Lee Ann when school starts again in January.

Handsome man!

Nico, Sarah Beth and Hunter coloring their masks. Nico LOVES Sarah Beth!

A BIG bear hug from Mrs. Jackie.

East Tennessee Christmas...

2010-12-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning we, along with Gabby, drove to Sevierville to see my dad (Babbo) and Tammy. Dad works at the local paper and was able to get us LOTS of discounts (by this I mean mostly free admission) to local attractions thru the many contacts he's made there over the past 2 years. It was great to be able to see Dad and Tammy for more than one day (which is usually the case), but hate that we won't see them on Christmas. We all had a blast and it was a nice, relaxing trip!

Nico's first trolley ride. On our way to Dollywood!

Mommy and Nico on the trolley.

Another mother and son you might recognize...

Dad and Tammy, the happy couple. They recently celebrated their 1 year anniversary!

Some of the Mongers at Dollywood.

It was CHILLY, but Nico (and Babbo) was up for riding the antique cars despite the freezing temps!

The boys at Flapjacks. We had a grand plan going into our trip: The area is known for their abundance of pancake places. We were going to try to eat at a different pancake place every morning. That didn't happen. We actually only ate pancakes one morning. That's OK, my waistline appreciates it :)

The place we stayed had a nice playground and putt-putt course for the little ones to use. Nico is waiting at the top of the slide for Gabby to send one of his monster trucks up into his reach.

The playground was also for the kids at heart!

Nico has been fascinated with taking pictures lately. "Say cheese, Mommy!"

"Driving" the Dukes of Hazzard go-cart.

We made a trip to the aquarium in Gatlinburg. Here, Nico is inside the tube at the clown fish exhibit.

I love these two pictures (above and below). I love the wonder and amazement I captured while he was looking at these amazing animals.

I recently got a new computer and have been playing around with the photo software. I've had fun so far and it may become an addiction...

Nico spent a lot of time in tubes when we were at the aquarium. He's making his way to the penguin exhibit.

Leo.

Mommy and Nico inside the penguin exhibit.

Munchin' on some popcorn at the Dixie Stampede pre-show. They had a bluegrass band playing Christmas songs and such. Nico really got into it. There's a video at the end of this post. Too cute!

Waiting for the show to start at Dixie Stampede.

After the show we went down to pet the horses and visit with a special cowgirl Nico had his eye on.

Babbo, Tammy and Nico at Olive Garden. Happy birthday, Tammy!

The resort also arranged to have Santa stop by for a visit. He even brought along promotional photos of himself to autograph and give to the children.

Mesmerized by the mandolin!

It's the Holiday Season...

2010-12-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

We have been doing many a festive things this holiday season...

Story time with Mrs. Claus...complete with cookies and milk.

Thomas, Nico and Keenan: These boys are trouble!!! They will play and play, squabble and play some more! It's so fun seeing these guys grow up together!

Mommy and Nico riding the train. The Opryland Hotel is open again (after months of recovering from the May flooding) and has put on a special Christmas themed play land for kids. It was a great way to spend a blistery afternoon!

The Festivities Continue...

2010-12-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

This time of year is full of so many fun things to do. Nico is getting to the age where he really gets excited about things so it has been EXTRA fun this year. Thursday, Giggy and I took Nico to see Santa at Bass Pro Shop. They had a really cool set-up, complete with toys, crafts and tents. He has sat on Santa's lap every year with no issues. Not this year. He chose to give his wish list from afar (I don't blame him. This Santa was pretty creepy.). All this child has talked about for the past week is a "dirty Jeep". He saw this lego-ish Jeep at Hobby Lobby. The box has a picture of a real Jeep driving in mud. He is going to be so disappointed when he opens the box and there is no dirt to be found. I'm thinking about getting a little brown paint and doctoring up the toy :)

At the North Pole.

Giggy helping Nico drive the remote control monster truck.

This tent is just his size!

Friday after breakfast we built our gingerbread house. Friday after dinner Nico ate all of the decorations. He just didn't understand that people usually don't eat these houses made of COOKIES!!!

Christmas Picture Follies...

2010-12-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

Trying to get a good picture these days has been comical. Enjoy!

Monkey!

Eli was not happy about this!

This one is so good. Nico and David both smiling...but, oops, why is my face hidden behind Nico's head???

I really liked this one, but David was dead set against having the dog in our Christmas photo.

Seussical the Musical...

2010-11-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had tickets to see Seussical the Musical. Nico has been watching a lot of The Cat in the Hat on PBS so I thought this would be right up his alley. David so generously gave up his ticket when we found out his mom was coming up for a couple of days. I know it was really tough for him to do ;) We went. It was OK. I think Nico really would have enjoyed it more if he was about 3 years older. Oh well. You live and learn!

Nico and Gabby

This child LOVES candy. I'm not sure where he got that from. Definitely not me!!! Here he is eating a Sour Twizzler!

There was a carnival of sorts after the show. Gnash, the Predators mascot, was there. Nico is not afraid one bit of these sorts of characters. He just chats them up like they're his best friend. He practically jumped into Gnash's arms for this photo.

Halloween Happenings 2010...

2010-11-02T13:22:00.001-07:00

It has been a hectic, crazy, wonderful time in The Monger household lately. The holiday season is officially upon us and I love it! We started the season off right by baking cookies for Nico's fall party at school. The kids were so cute; They kept asking whose birthday it was!!! Then it was time for Halloween parties galore and trick-or-treating. Phew! Now onto planning for Thanksgiving!!!

Nico loves to help me cook. He drags one of the chairs from the dining room into the kitchen just about every time I prepare a meal...whether it's cereal or pizza or tacos...he wants to help. My little chef!!!

Doing the Monster Mash at his school party.

Ms. Jackie's Little Monsters :)

Gluing the apples on his apple tree.

This poor little fire fighter was such a trooper. Unfortunately, Nico was cursed with David's horrible allergies. Nico has been fighting watery eyes and a runny nose all weekend, but he hung in there through parties and trick-or-treating.

Titans Head Coach, Jeff Fisher (yes, David shaved a mustache for this costume!!!), fire fighter and fire dog at Ronnie and Pat Williams for their Halloween Bash. We actually had a party at our house on Saturday, but I didn't have a chance to snap any photos. I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween...we sure did!!!

Granny's Little Man...

2010-10-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last night Nico and I took a quick trip to Alabama to visit with Granny. David has been out of town a lot lately, we were tired of sitting at home alone and we missed our GRANNY!!! The trip was perfect; Complete with snacking on junk food and candy and lots of "idiot box" (TV) watching!

Faggidaboudit! You talkin' ta me???

I'm pretty sure there are a couple of pictures of myself in this same pink bathtub! This tub has seen yet another Mayes bottom!!!

Music and Molasses Festival 2010...

2010-10-22T13:45:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went to the Music and Molasses Festival with Giggy and Wampus again this year. It's a cute little festival that is perfect for little ones.

Snuggling the big moose at the kettle corn tent.

Say "Kettle corn"!

This here ol' horse is called Paint Bucket. He's the first pony Nico ever saddle up to (actually at last year's Music and Molasses Festival). Get on little doggy!

Cheesin' in the bounce house.

Solo in the bounce house.

Nico and his stuffed Paint Bucket watching the gospel singers. He got the horse sitting next to him last December and named it Paint Bucket after the aforementioned pony :)

You caught me!!!

Oktoberfest 2010...

2010-10-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Boy. We have been lucky lately with these BEAUTIFUL weekends! We've attended our fair share of festivals recently and this weekend was no different! We attended Oktoberfest in Germantown on Saturday. There were lots of yummy food vendors, beer tents, polka music, a pup parade and much more. We all had a great time!

Posing with a pup! And, yes, that is a golf ball in his hand.

Riding a pony all by himself!

Mt. Juliet Pow Wow...

2010-10-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we went to neighboring Mt. Juliet to attend a Native American Pow Wow/festival. The weather was beautiful and we just had to get outside. There was a train car at the entrance of the park and I got Nico to stop for a picture!!!

Choo, choo! And, yes, that is a monkey he is holding.

Eagle Dance

My boys eating kettle corn.

Chicago...

2010-09-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

David and I just got back from a much-needed vacation. Neither one of us had ever been to Chicago. With cheap flights from Nashville and 3 nights at a nice hotel free with frequent customer points, we were able to do this extra long weekend getaway for pretty cheap. We both LOVED the city and can't wait to bring the little man with us next time. There is so much to do!

CHI-Town!

Us at Navy Pier.

They should call Chicago the Windy City...boy, it was windy there!!!

Greek Festival 2010...

2010-09-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yep, we went again this year! And yep, we visited the petting zoo again this year! This time he actually got into feeding the animals...too bad they were all pretty much stuffed from earlier visitors. Funny story: Every year they have the children of the church perform traditional Greek dances. Afterward the instructor will introduce all of the kids. Seriously, 3 out of 5 of the boys were named Nico!!! We only thought it was a clever and unusual name :)

I think he's wiping off pig slobber!

School Days...

2010-09-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Nico started preschool (Mothers Morning Out) earlier this month. HE LOVES IT!!! I was very apprehensive because he is not a fan of the gym nursery (cries every time I leave him). I was very pleasantly surprised when his teacher said that he didn't shed a single tear. My little boy is growing up too fast!!!

Silly Monkey!!!

Music Together...

2010-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last week was our last Music Together class. Nico absolutely LOVED this class. It was a series of 8 classes where we sit an sing songs, dance, play instruments and much more. To those of you that gave Nico money for his birthday: A BIG THANK YOU!!! He had a blast and we'll definitely be doing it again!

He had to wear his guitar shirt for music class!

Hellooooo tooo Nicoooo...so glad to see you!!!

Singing along!

And now he's flipping!

Problem Solver...

2010-08-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

One day last week Nico was being really quiet (highly unusual) and so I sneaked up on him. I found him playing with his wooden puzzles! He probably stayed in his playroom for 10 minutes just taking the pieces out and putting them back in.

Smart cookie!

Birthday Sunday...

2010-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a day of birthday celebrations. We started the party train at Cade's first birthday party. This was an all boy party (except for one little girl) complete with airplanes, balls and a swimming pool. After that we headed over to Lala's for her housewarming/birthday bash. Dree Dree brought her two pups and Nico had a blast playing with them and entertaining all of the adults. Happy birthday Cade and Aunt Ashley!!!

"Happy Birthday to Cade!"

Mmmmmm...cake!

Just his size!

Attack of the puppies!!! The icing all over his mouth didn't help keep the puppies away!

Giggy, Nico and Wampus

Fire Station Visit...

2010-08-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Last week we got to visit a fire station here in Nashville. A friend arranged this field trip to celebrate her little boy's first birthday. Let me tell you...birthday season has begun! I thought Nico would really love this outing. Not the case. He was sort of standoffish and timid. He wanted me to hold him, which is not like him at all. I honestly don't think he felt well. He fell asleep on the way home. This is very unusual for him. Despite the not-so-enthused visit, he insists he's going to be a fireman for Halloween :)

So serious!

Loosening up a little...in more ways than one judging by this pic!!!

Summer Fun...

2010-08-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

Since it has been so hot lately we have been playing in water anytime we're outside. It's amazing how entertaining a plastic cup and old coffee canister can be!!! We also took to opportunity to take a quick trip to the beach while David was gone to Memphis last week. Gabby and all of her grand-kids...in a two bedroom condo...it was a blast! Took some maneuvering, but it was fun. I love seeing all of the kiddos together :)

Look at that tongue sticking out...such concentration.

Gabby had a little cot that Nico slept in every night. This was taken the first night. The next night, Emma had a cot of her own. No, they did not sleep like this!!!

"Emma, are you sad?", was Nico's quote of the week.

How can you be sad with stylin' hats like these???

At Perdido Kids Park

Nico's Big Boy Bedroom...

2010-07-25T18:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend was completely devoted to making over Nico's room. We have been talking and reading a lot lately about his big boy bed. I purchased the bedding awhile back and we've been looking at it pretty frequently. He stayed at mom's all weekend so that David and I could get this done in one weekend instead of four! Thanks Giggy and Wampus!!! It was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it-he loves it! It's car/truck themed-right up his alley! I have to admit that this was hard for me, emotionally. My baby's in a big boy bed! Diapers are the last baby thing I have left to hold onto...he may be in diapers until he starts kindergarten!!! OK, pre-K ;) He's been saying he's ready for a big boy bed. Tonight we will see. I am hoping that he sleeps well tonight...and tomorrow during nap time!

Before: Sweet, yellow and brown bee-themed nursery.

After: ALL BOY-Blue and grey car and truck theme!

Jumping with joy!

I think he likes it!!!

Let me tell you the story behind this bench. It all started about 5 years ago. David and I purchased this old, wooden (quite frankly, ugly) coffee table. We refinished it and actually used it as a coffee table for several years. We recently got a new table (the old one was ugly, remember??) and I decided to transform this $5 table into a reading bench. A little foam, fabric and buttons and we have a masterpiece! Nico actually uses it as a "road" for his cars and trucks now, but I'm holding out hope that once he knows how to read this will be his favorite spot :)

Emma's Party...

2010-07-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday we drove to Madison, AL to attend a sweet 3 year old's birthday party. Hard to believe my niece, Emma, is THREE YEARS OLD!!! This was a GREAT party-complete with a huge inflatable water slide. It didn't take Nico long to warm up to this monster of a slide!

One, two...

threeeeeeeeee!!!!

"Let's do it again!!!"

Gabe Turns Two...

2010-07-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we drove to Easley, SC to visit some very good friends of ours: Friends since high school and college. Their sweet son, Gabe, was turning two and we were not turning down the chance to visit.

Allie teaching the boys a thing or two about boardgames.

Chutes and Ladders anyone?

The birthday boy. It took him a little while to liven up after being woken up from his nap. He came around, though, and fun was had by all!!!

First mate, Nico, clipping on his pirate hoop earring.

To complete the ensemble: an eye patch and a bit-o-booty!

Nico is trying desperately NOT to blow out Gabe's candle!

Telling one of his infamous stories..."and den (then), and um"!

Dig in boys!

It's Potty Time...

2010-07-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

We've been talking A LOT about the potty lately. Nico is not quite ready. Neither am I.

What a great book!!! Hip, hip hooray!

Cute little stinker-literally!!!

Happy Independence Day...

2010-07-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

To round out the holiday weekend, we got a visit from David's sister, Sarah, and her family. They came into town just in time for lunch. The kids played for a bit. Napped. Then we all headed out to Crockett Park to meet Mom and Cat for some live music and fireworks. Hope everyone had an amazing holiday, as well!

Nico has been talking about driving Emma around on his 4-wheeler for weeks! Too bad she wasn't that into it :( She was a good sport and rode for a bit.

Adam, Eli, Emma and Sarah Roap

Wampus, Giggy and Nico

The Monger family all decked out in red, white and blue!

Hangin' With The Mayes Family...

2010-07-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Babbo and Tammy came to town last Friday for a quick visit. As soon as they got to Nashville we all piled in the car to head to Huntsville to visit Granny, Uncle John and my dad's friend John Pruitt and his wife, Bobbi. Granny made a yummy lasagna for lunch and were all miserably stuffed by the time she brought out dessert. It didn't stop anyone! We had a good visit-as always!

"Cheeeessssssseeeeeeeeee"-Goof ball!!!

There's a good one. Love that Granny is admiring her little guy!

Cornbox...

2010-07-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year we visited a farm that had a huge sandbox filled with corn instead of sand. Nico enjoyed it thoroughly. I enjoyed not finding sand in his britches and crevasses for days. We were desperate for something new to do outside last week and I remembered the "cornbox". He and Mattie were both fans!

"I've hit the mother-load!"

And next year we'll be selling corn at the Farmers Market :)

Going Green...

2010-07-05T14:20:00.001-07:00

Check out my other blog: http://goinggreeninnashville.blogspot.com or there's a link under Our Friends' Blogs. Hope you challenge yourself.

Summertime Continued...

2010-06-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Enough said.

Moon Pie Festival...

2010-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of Saturdays ago (I'm trying to get caught up), we went to the Moon Pie and RC Cola festival in Bell Buckle with Lala, Giggy and Wampus. It was HOT(not sure why they plan this for mid-June)!!! It was also a lot of fun. We walked around and looked at crafts, ate, watched a frozen moon pie throwing contest, ate...

I really like this picture for some reason...thinking about making it sepia and framing it.

Mmmmm...moon pie!

Hunka-hunka!!!

Summertime...

2010-06-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

Summertime is officially here!!! Time for sprinkler fun in the front yard and baseball games! Last Friday Nico's buddy, Keenan, came over to hang out and play in the water. These boys had a great time playing in the sprinkler! Later that night, David and I took Nico to the Sounds baseball game. Giggy and Wampus met us there. It was hot, but it was fun! Nico enjoyed his cotton candy and got to see fireworks for the first time. He hasn't stopped talking about them since! I LOVE summer!

So cute!

Nico thought it was hysterical to try to touch people with his sticky cotton candy tube! Notice the mess around his mouth...he's really developed a taste for straight sugar ;)

Oooohhhhh, aaahhhhhhhh!

Nico sitting in Giggy's lap (dripping with sweat) watching his first fireworks show.

Wet Fun at the Zoo...

2010-06-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Nico and I met Sarah, Emma, Eli, Stephanie, Finley and Tucker at the zoo. It was supposed to be a beautiful (albeit hot) day. So true until we were in line to get in. Dark storm clouds were rolling in fast. We made it in the gate and to the "covered" kids area just in time. It was all good for about 5 minutes. The play mat got wetter and wetter with each passing minute. Apparently grass roofs are NOT waterproof! Nico had a blast though. He made the best of it-running and slipping and sliding all over the wet mat. I didn't bring a change of clothes, so I stripped him down to his diaper and let him go...it was a great time!

Finley, Nico and Emma looking out at the rain.

You can see the water puddled up at his feet...mmmmmmm...foot water!

Nice and dry again. The weather cleared up after about 45 minutes. It actually cooled things off and I was thankful for the memories made!

Four Wheeler...

2010-06-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Here is Nico's new FAVORITE outdoor toy! He asks about fifty times a day to go outside and ride his 4-wheeler. I have determined that this is going to be a father/son activity. He's not that great at driving yet, especially in reverse, so I end up pushing and pulling the 4-wheeler all over the yard. It's hard work!

Farmer Nico!

Family Vacation 2010...

2010-06-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

We had the BEST time on our little family vacation! Luckily, the oil spill stayed away just long enough for us to get our trip in. The weather also cooperated. It rained just about everyday, but it was usually in the morning an by the time we all ate breakfast and got ready the rain had cleared up and it was beautiful the rest of the day. We celebrated David's birthday by going out to eat and shopping at the outlets in Foley. Most of the other time was spent at the condo, in the pool or on the beach. It was definitely full of some much needed family time and R & R!!! Can't wait to go back!!!

Look at my BIG boy and his BIG muscles! He was a champ about these floaties. I had no idea if he would even wear them, but he did without a fight!

Taking a papa ferry down to the deep end. He loved climbing the ladder.

One of our many trips down to the beach. It usually took Nico a minute or two to get used to the sand. Here, he is crying because he wanted one of us to carry him. David talked to him and convinced him to make his own way down to the water. He wasn't a fan of the waves crashing on the beach either.

He loved it once we were in the water...safe and sound on a float...with no body parts in the ocean water. I'm pretty sure he got this from me. I feel ya, buddy!

As you know, Nico loves golf, so we had to hit up one of the miniature golf courses in Gulf Shores. It was hot, but it was fun...partly because I kicked David's butt!!!

On the way back we saw them putting out buoys to keep the impending oil away from the coast. It was so sad to see that it had reached here-our beach-the place we have been coming to since we were little-the place where friends married. The place we love. There was a somberness in the air while we were there. It was like everyone knew this would be the last time we would see the beaches and water as beautiful as they were at that moment. Even in thunderstorms you could find kids running away from the waves and couples walking hand-in-hand staring out at the ocean. The beauty will return, I'm sure of it. It always does.

Kids eating Cheerios HAS to be one of the cutest things ever!!!

"Check these things out, papa."

We did let Nico play on the pool steps without his floaties. He actually wanted to practice swimming. He did so well. He would go under (try to kick his feet) and come up with a big smile on his face. I was most impressed that he didn't choke on water...which meant he was actually holding his breath. He did learn something in swim class!

Wearing mommy's sunglasses. Superstar!

Bye beautiful beach. See you soon.

David's 30...

2010-06-13T11:18:00.001-07:00

Well David can no longer tease me about me being older than he is...he's finally 30, too!!! We had a beach vacation planned for this momentous occasion for months. Before we left TN we had a little birthday celebration complete with cake (Nico's favorite part as you will see). Happy Birthday, babe. I am so happy you were born!!! I love you more than words can express!

The family on David's actual birthday.

My favorite boys!

Little booger! This was after everyone else had a piece, so I guess it's OK :) How can you be mad at a face like that; especially since it's covered in yummy chocolate frosting?!?!

Vacation Mode...

2010-06-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking on posting, I know. I guess I am still in vacation mode. I PROMISE to update you all this weekend. Lots of pics from the beach!!!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

2010-05-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Monday night we took Nico, along with my Little and her brother, to a Sounds baseball game. I have been mentoring Trinity through Big Brothers Big Sisters since February. She is such a sweetie and we always have a good time together. I'm not supposed to put any pictures of her online...sorry. Anyway, we all had so much fun. Trinity caught a foul ball, we saw a rainbow and the kids all played and laughed the entire time. I see more games in our future!

I want cotton candy, please!

Luckily, the rain stayed just to the south of the stadium.

Weekend in Alabama...

2010-05-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Alabama last weekend to visit some family we haven't seen in awhile. While over at MeeMaw's, Robbie got out some old cars and trucks to play with. These boys always have a great time together. Nico loves his Robbie!

Nico is all boy! Anything cars, trucks or sports he loves.

MeeMaw, Nico and Robbie

Big Helper...

2010-05-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Nico was such a big help around the house last week...

He helped make a yummy peach dessert...

...and cleaned up afterward!

Cover Kid 2010...

2010-05-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was VERY eventful. We (Nashville) knew we were in for a couple of days of rain. We did not know that we were in for one of the largest natural disasters we might ever see. Nashville flooded. Many of our beautiful city's landmarks were damaged, not to mention all of the families that lost everything. I hope to never see anything like that again. It will be a LONG time before everything is rebuilt and back to normal. There's some saying about how you don't really know how much you love something until you (almost) lose it. I know now, for sure, that
I LOVE NASHVILLE!

Before all of the flooding happened, Nico took part in Nashville Parents Magazine's annual cover model search. He did so well! He was a little timid and a lot charming (as usual) on stage. He really knew how to work the judges...he was chosen to be a cover kid! We will get details on the photo shoot and "his month" at the beginning of June. I will keep you posted!

A little nervous about what's in store...

...he figured it out pretty quickly. He really liked his "necklace with money on it". Each kid got a medal before hitting the stage.

The semifinalists.

Waving at the judges one last time.

Boys ruled this age group!

Martin's BBQ and Lucky Ladd Farms...

2010-04-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

After some not so great weather on Saturday, we were itching to get out and enjoy the sunshine on Sunday. There is a local farm that was advertising that they had baby farm animals this month. We decided to take advantage. On the way out to Eagleville to see the animals, we, along with mom and Cat, stopped at a local hot spot for some BBQ. Martin's is famous in Nashville for their yummy fare. With full bellies we were off to partake in some country livin'.

The Mongers at Martin's BBQ Joint in Nolensville, TN.

Nico cock-a-doodle-doing to the rooster :)

The Mongers at Lucky Ladd Farms in Eagleville, TN.

Piglets HAVE to be one of the cutest things ever! We checked in on them again just before we left and they were up playing and running around like little puppies. I want one!!!

This ewe was not happy about us being in the stable looking at her baby. She was chatting us up the whole time. Nico bah-ed back :)

Sweet calves.

Nico enjoying his cupcake in honor of the baby animals' birthdays.

"Hey sweet little goats. What cha doin'?" (in Nico's cute little voice)

Riding a tractor-don't worry it wasn't moving-flat tire.

David in time out.

Feed box-like a sand box, but with chicken feed instead of sand. Much less messy-they are really onto something!

The monster slide. Nico actually went down once by himself!

One tired little boy on a hay ride.

First Beach Trip of 2010...

2010-04-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, that title does allude that this is one of many beach trips this year (I hope)! A good friend and I braved an 8 hour car ride with two 2 year olds and an 8 month old last week. It was just the girls and the kiddos. It was actually pretty relaxing. Nico and I look forward to doing this again sometime soon!

Nico and Keenan at the Navy air museum.

Nico's keeping a look out!

Best buds.

Eating some lunch poolside.

Mommy and Nico

Nico loved, loved the swimming pool this time. Guess the swimming lessons paid off!

Nothing like a warm bowl of mac-n-cheese after a hard day in the sun!

All Boy...

2010-04-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

This kid LOVES anything sports related. To be honest, he's pretty good at most of them, too! He asks me just about every day if he can play soccer. I've told him enough times now that he can when he turns 3. So now he'll say, "When I get older, I play soccer". One day out of the blue, he asked David for a tee. Luckily, Gabby had one she let us borrow.

No one showed him how to bat, he just did it! Look at him lifting up his little leg!

The BIG 3-0!

2010-04-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night concluded my 30th birthday festivities. David and I enjoyed a delicious meal at The Acorn followed by our first trip to the Nashville Opera. A friend was able to give us two free tickets to Rigoletto. What a great way to close out my twenties!

Visiting the Williams Family...

2010-04-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we went to Conyers, GA to visit some friends that just had baby. Nico and their oldest daughter, Addyson, got along pretty well considering she's 2 years older :) We pretty much just hung out at the house and enjoyed being together. Tracy and I did have a chance to get out to do a little shopping and primping. It was so nice relaxing and hanging out with great friends! Thanks for having us guys!

Pucker up, Addy!

Our attempts at a cute shot of the kids. Neither one wanted to cooperate.

Nico was cracking himself (and everyone else) up with his giggling. After several times playing in this car he realized he could make it go by pressing the gas. Every time he hit the gas he surprised himself and would start laughing. He was laughing so hard he was crying. So great to see!

Snuggling sweet baby Kensley!