American Girl Store, DC, and DC Cupcakes...OH MY!

The very next weekend after the beach/Daytona, we packed up again and headed to DC for the weekend. Back in June, an American Girl Store opened up, so we decided to take Boo to celebrate what an awesome job she did in school this year!  She was over the moon excited about going to the store!  Her eyes lit up and she didn't know where to start, once we got into the store.  She picked out a new doll, some clothes for her doll, clothes for another doll she already had at home, and a shirt for herself.  She LOVED LOVED LOVED this store, but I have to be honest and say I was quite disappointed in it.  Having been to the AG store in NYC, nothing compares to it...I guess Boo and I will have to venture to NYC to see the "real" AG store:)

The next morning, we headed out to the National Mall.  Mackenzie can tell you all about Lincoln, so our first stop was the Lincoln Memorial.  Zach was like Rocky climbing those stairs:)  Oh, and another cool thing we saw was Obama!  OK, we didn't really "see" him, but we saw his helicopters taking him to the airport!  We were walking towards the Lincoln Memorial, and you could hear the helicopter coming so we stopped to look!  Greg asked if I thought Obama was on it and I said "if he is, then there should be another helicopter coming very close behind it because they always fly 2 helicopters for safety."  As soon as I said that, here comes the second helicopter.  (And for those no-sayers, if you google to see if Obama was in dc on July 9th, it will tell you that he left the south lawn in Marine One to head towards Camp David...so YES, we saw Obama:) Back to Lincoln...after we walked around for a bit, we grabbed a snack and took a quick break, and then started the almost 2 mile walk to the Air and Space Museum.  It was so hot outside, but with just a few stops in the shade, we made it!  Zach LOVED all the air planes in the museum.  It was really neat to watch him take it all in.  Boo, liked it as well, but being my daughter, she was ready for the gift shop and to find a place to eat:)  We spent almost 2 hours at the museum and then had a quick bit to eat at the McDonald's (which the kids will tell you was the coolest part of the museum!).

The next place that Mackenzie wanted to go was Georgetown Cupcakes...the cupcake store that is on the TLC show called "DC Cupcakes."  It was a very short drive from the National Mall, so we went.  We really lucked out that there was no line, because we have heard stories of the line being wrapped around the block!  We took lots of pictures and  $17.00 later, we left DC Cupcakes with 1/2 dozen cupcakes!  Greg liked his cupcakes, Boo didn't like her's, mine was ok, and Zach the true food lover that he is, took one bit and said it was disgusting and threw his away!  These cupcakes were made from fancy ingredients and I think that threw the kids off.  I myself have had much better cupcakes (like Magnolia bakery in NYC...)but Boo really wanted to see the shop and it was so worth it!!

Vacation Time

FINALLY we have made it to summer!  Our first vacation of the summer was different than most of our trips.  You see, Daddy and "Uncle" Charlie and some other boys went to Daytona to see a race, so "Auntie" Marie and I packed up the kids and headed to the beach!  I must admit, we had the best time!  Our clipboard of fun was full of great ideas, and our first stop was the battleship in Wilmington.  It was super hot that day, but the kids did great.  At first, Zach was scared (I'm talking crying, shaking, and SOBBING here) about going down the ships steep stairs.  It took a lot of help to get him down the steps, but then I figured out the secret...I told him all about how Dub was on ships like this in the Navy (many, many, MANY years ago:)...and Dub would be so proud to hear that Zach climbed up and down the stairs like a big boy...totally worked! After that talk, Zach was a pro at the stairs!  The kids had a blast seeing all the guns, where the sailors would eat, where they slept, etc.  Later in the afternoon, we made it out to the beach, and to my surprise the kids literally dove right into the water.  They had NO fear...waves were knocking them down and they would bounce right back up and keep going.  The next morning we took the kids to the aquarium to see all the fish and sharks!  Mackenzie had been there before and she loved it again.  Zach wasn't to sure about the tanks that you walk through...especially when he saw the HUGE shark about his head, but once he figured out that he was safe, I couldn't get him away from the tanks:) 

Seems like the boys also had a great trip to Daytona!  Greg said that even though he is not a race car fan, he enjoyed seeing all the ins and outs of a real race!  Although if I was to bet, I would say the kids and I had more fun:)

February just plain stinks....

I'm beginning to H-A-T-E the month of February, because it is turning out to mean sadness...

February 16th, marked the one year anniversary of Lulu's passing, and let me just say it feels like just yesterday I got "the" phone call, and it hurts, just the same.  This has been a rough year for me dealing with Lulu's passing.  It's just hard to accept that she is gone (I refuse to go to the cemetery because in my crazy little mind, seeing the grave marker will just do me in...).  The kids talk about her often, which makes me smile.  In fact, just last month, Mackenzie had to go to school dressed up like she was 100 years old, and what better place to get "supplies" for this project than Lulu's house!  Oh, how Lulu would have loved to see this!  On a happy note, Lulu had a great love for People Magazine...and when I say great love, I mean don't you dare think about touching her copy of the magazine until she read it cover to cover and did the crossword puzzle:)  Well, People magazine did an article about Elizabeth Edwards the other month, and in the article they included a picture of the cemetery where she is buried, which just so happens to be the same cemetery where Lulu is.  In this picture, you can see Lulu's headstone!  LULU IS FAMOUS!!! (I don't tell people this a lot, but I think it was a sign from Lulu to let me know she is ok). 

On February 20th, my brother-n-law lost his Grandmother who had been sick.  Then on February 21st, Greg's grandmother, known to the kids as Faraway Great Grandma passed away.  She had been sick for sometime, but that didn't make it any easier.  Thankfully, we took the kids to Florida last December (2009) so that Zach could meet her.  He had a great time with her and she really enjoyed meeting and playing with him.  The family had a nice little service for her in Florida and Greg and his family were able to attend.  The kids and I stayed home because Boo had school and the trip was really short.  Greg said that it was very nice, and it was nice to see family that they hadn't seen in years.

Here are a few pictures of these special ladies that we have lost.  I chose the one of Lulu because she was SO happy the day that she met Zach for the first time...and that smile on her face is how I remember her.  The pictures with Faraway Grandma are from our trip...you can she how happy she was to see her great great grand babies...

An Update

It has been months since my last post so here is what we have been up to.  You would think with me being a stay at home mom, that I would have all the time in the world to upload photos, organize them, and update a simple blog, but the truth is, most days I hardly have time to breath:)  The kids are busier than ever with school, choir practice, soccer practice, play dates, speech, and field trips!  Every time I turn around we are going in ten different directions (but the real secret is...I wouldn't have it any other way:)!


 Mackenzie:  Booskie is now 6 years old!  She can now offically use two hands to show how old she is (and she is super proud of that)!  She LOVES LOVES LOVES school!  She is learning to read on her own, with just a little help from us, and continues to love any type of art project.  She still loves riding the bus to and from school which is a huge blessing for me!  She is also really into reading chapter books.  Each night we read to her and her favorite books are the Junie B. Jones books...and to be honest they are really cute!  Booskie is still loving choir and has asked for next year to join our Church dance group AND do choir:)

Zach: Well, he is all boy!  My little man is into EVERYTHING!  He is going to speech therapy two times a week and he loves his teacher!  He is doing SO much better with his words...it is amazing how fast he picks up stuff!  He will go pack to his regular preschool in the fall, and let me just say, I CAN NOT WAIT:)  He keeps me busy for sure.  Zach is really into Transformers and is starting to get into Star Wars thanks to his big cousin Thomas.  It's kind of sad he doesn't like the toddler toys any more, he has moved on to big boy toys.

A few weeks ago, Zach learned how to ride his bicycle with no training wheels...he literally did this in about a two week time period!  Mackenize has been riding without training wheels for a while now...I can not believe how fast they are growing up.

Jamestown pictures...

Here are a few pictures from our visit to Jamestown to see the "pirate" ships! As you can tell from the pictures, the kids had a great time!

Mackenize and "Kung Fu Zachary"

Zach HATES HATES HATES loud noises, and this picture was taken of him walking out to the visitors center from the fort. The musket gun had just been fired and he covered his ears so he didn't have to hear it again...Poor kid!

Zach hanging out in an Indian tee-pee

Trying to get them to pose for a Christmas card photo is like Greg trying to get me to stop shopping at Target...its just never going to happen:)

Yeah, not sure what he is doing here?! My little man sure is crazy:)

Going down the steps into the ship. Zach loved this, and was such an explorer...looking at everything, just taking it all in...

Again, all I wanted was a nice picture of the two of them for a simple little Christmas Card...BOYS!

Williamsburg Trip

Zach sitting in a tree in Williamsburg

Zach reading his map

Just hanging out on the lawn...

Buggy ride...

Buggy ride...

Greg and Charlie right where they should be!

Zach trying on a hat

Mackenzie being silly

Silly #2

Zach taking everything in....

Mackenzie dipping her very on candle shape

This past weekend, we took our annual "Pughman Family" trip (you know, our annual trip with Marie and Charlie...the Sellmans + the Pughs=The Pughman's)...to Williamsburg Virginia. We all had a blast! We could not have asked for better weather sunny and mid 70's the whole time. We were only there for the weekend, so we crammed a lot of things into our vacation. We got into Williamsburg early Friday afternoon and grabbed a quick bit to eat, and then our fun began!!!

First thing we did was visit the Yankee Candle Flagship store, and let me just say WOW! There was a toy room, and candy room, a Christmas room where it honest to goodness snowed inside, and not to mention there were candles galore! I have to be honest, my Mom (who is a die hard Williamsburg fan and who will probably disown me for taking the kids there without her...sorry again Mom) told me that we should visit this store. I wasn't sure what to think, but I took her suggestion and we went. And boy am I glad we did. I really wish that I had taken the camera in to get pictures of the room that snows...the kids were so excited! They couldn't get over the fact that they were in a store (with Santa Claus...I almost forgot him) and it was snowing! To cool for words!!! We probably spent an hour in this store, and even went back the next day:)

Next we checked into our condo, and then hit the outlet mall. No Pughman Family trip is ever complete without a trip to the outlets:) After the outlets, we found the best pizza place ever for dinner. This restaurant just made my heart happy walking into it...there was NY Yankee stuff EVERYWHERE...I'm talking signs, posters, cups, hats...you name it and it was there! Any how, back to the pizza...this local restaurant is run by a man who is straight out of the Bronx, NY...thick accent and all! Now, if you are in a hurry this place (I'll have to look the name up...I know, I know...how is it the best pizza EVER and I can't remember the name...lets just say old age is kicking in early for me) is not for you. It took a good 20 minutes to get our food, but it was worth it...YUM!

Saturday we hit Colonial Williamsburg. We bought passes and tickets to ride a horse and buggy and then hit the town. I had never actually been into the buildings before (well maybe I have, but I have blocked out most of my family trips from my childhood, so maybe I blocked these buildings out too...ok just kidding Mom and Dad), so it was neat to see them. The kids did really well, and it was nice that they could see stuff and then go run around if they wanted too. By the end of the day Zach was "reading" a map and telling us where to go!

We also went to Jamestown to see the "pirate ships" as Zach calls them. Yes, I know they weren't pirates, but I also know that I have to choose my battles and I knew trying to explain to Zach that they WEREN'T pirate ships was just a battle I wasn't up for:) The kids had a great time climbing up, down, and all around the ships. We went into the fort also, and Zach was not a fan of the musket shooter. He covered his ears and kept saying "I go home now Mommy!"

We actually went back to Jamestown on Sunday before we caught the ferry to come home, so that Zach and Mackenzie could climb on the ships again. It was a great trip and I really look forward to taking them more places....like NYC for Christmas? Or NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Or NYC for opening day at Yankee Stadium? Or.......