Positively Exhausted

Oh my goodness gracious! The boys and I are positively exhausted from a week of fun (and it's only Thursday morning)!

If you follow me on Twitter (@allisonfowler), you know that on Monday we spent most of the day at the JCC pool, on Tuesday we went to the Carolinas Raptor Center and Historic Latta Plantation, and yesterday we went to Carowinds.

Today, the boys and I are going to Ray's Splash Planet. We've never been before but it seems like a really neat place. Here is what the website says about the site:

Built on the campus of Irwin Avenue Open Elementary School, Ray's Splash Planet is a joint venture between the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. This unique partnership allows the students at Irwin Avenue access to the splash park and other amenities during the school day for specific programs while Park and Recreation utilizes the school's gymnasium in the evening and on the weekends.

Ummm...why didn't MY elementary school have a waterpark on campus?! What a great idea!

Ok. We're off to have another full day of fun! Remember - you can keep up with us and view photos by reading our Twitter updates in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. Beware, though. You might become exhausted by just reading about what we're up to!

Coming up next week: the LYNX Lightrail, the Levine Museum of the New South, a tour of the Panthers Football Stadium, the Charlotte Nature Center, and the Tweetsie Railroad!

BIG Changes - Comin' Right Up!

I know. I haven't been around much lately.

To be completely honest, between working 50 hours a week as a Nanny and trying to keep up with my ever-growing photography business in the evenings and on the weekends, life has been...well...just a wee bit crazy.

In addition to the everyday craziness around here, there are some BIG changes coming up that I've been processing and evaluating. I've been trying to find the right words to explain how I feel about it all, but there just aren't any. There are just lots of jumbled and mixed emotions, so I'll just give it to you straight.

The Wallers informed me last Monday that they won't be able to keep me on as their Nanny in the Fall. After crunching numbers over and over and over again, they just couldn't make it work with their budget for this coming year. Mike and Liz made it clear that their decision was completely professional and not personal. They're just in a different season of life and had to make the best decision for their family. And I respect that. But it still makes me more sad than words can express.

I was stunned when they gave me the news. I was prepared to meet with them about the boys' changing schedules for the coming year (since Sam will be starting Kindergarten and Toby will be starting some form of preschool), but I wasn't expecting to be laid off. Laid off. That sounds so weird.

To be honest, I was looking forward to working fewer than 50 hours as a Nanny each week because it would potentially give me time to schedule photo shoots and edit photos during the week instead of after work and on the weekends. I've been working so much over the past few months that I was starting to feel the strain...physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. In my heart of hearts I knew that I wanted something to change this coming fall, but I didn't know this was what the Lord had in mind.

In the past week, I've been contacted by 4 different moms who want to talk with me about a part-time Nanny position with their family (which would leave me the rest of my week to build my photography business). God is good!

I'm not yet positive what the next step for Aaron and me will be (as far as my career is concerned), but God is working in and providing for us...and that's enough for now.

My official "last day" with the Wallers will be Friday, August 28th. I already told Liz and Mike that they're stuck with me forever and they can expect me to come get the boys frequently on the weekends to go on fun adventures with Aaron and me. And, after all, Sam has already promised me a job in 25 years or so, remember?

The next 5 weeks will continue on just like the past 97 weeks have...making lots of memories, sharing lots of love, and having lots of fun :) This chapter of our lives isn't over quite yet...

God Bless America!

Happy 4th of July!

I'm in Columbia, SC shooting a wedding with Sean today but wanted to take a moment to share Sam and Toby's versions of "God Bless America" with you on this fabulously sunny, historic holiday :) Enjoy!

The Food Chain

While Sam and I were outside playing with bubbles this afternoon, he spotted a bug trapped in a spider web.

"Oh no!" he said. "The nice bug is going to get eaten by the mean spider! Help him, Mrs. Allison! Heeeeeelp hiiiiiim!"

I saw enough bugs on the Appalachian Trail two weeks ago to last me a lifetime (and still have the bites to prove it). I was really okay with letting the pest be eaten by the spider. Since I had no intention of rescuing the bug from its inevitable fate, I seized the opportunity to teach Sam a little bit about the food chain.

"Have you ever heard of the food chain?" I asked Sam. "Yep," he replied. "Daddy taught me about it. It's a big chain of food."

Hmmm.

"Well..." I said. "The food chain is when, say, a spider eats a bug...and then a bird eats the spider...and so on. So now it's your turn. What animal eats birds?" I asked.

"A cat!" he exclaimed, happy to be understanding my little game.

"Right!" I said. "And what eats cats?"

"Hmmm...(tapping his chin with his pointer finger)...A DOG!" he said, proud of himself.

"Well..." I said, thinking about my cute, cuddly, orange tabby back at home.

"Wait!" he said. "Dogs don't eat cats. They just chase them!"

I liked that answer better.

"Ok, let's try another one," I prompted. "What animal eats grass?"

"A cow!" he said.

"And what eats cows?" I continued.

Sam had a genuinely confused look on his face...like he couldn't imagine what animal would eat a grass-eating, milk-giving, moo-ing cow.

"I don't know," he said.

"People eat cows," I said, unsure of whether I should have started this little "food chain" conversation.

"People eat cows?" Sam said in disbelief.

"Yep. You know those yummy hamburgers that Daddy makes on the grill? That's meat from a cow," I explained.

"Oh," he said solemnly. "Well, I guess that's the end of him, huh, Mrs. Allison?"

Hmmmm. Maybe I should have just saved the stupid bug...

Busy Week!

Since Sam finished preschool last week, I wanted to plan lots of activities to keep the boys extra-busy until he starts camp on June 22nd. And, boy, have I succeeded this week!

On Monday, I took Sam and Toby to the Sprayground at Latta Park in Dilworth. The boys played in the water, had a great time on the playground, and enjoyed a picnic in the shade.

On Tuesday, Tonia and I took all 4 boys to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia! It was an early morning and an exhausting day, but we all had a great time. Sam's favorite part of the zoo was the lions and Toby's favorite part was the elephants :)

Yesterday, I took the boys to ImaginOn for Family Fun Time and freeplay. They've changed their story schedule for the summer, so check out the new one here!

Today, Tonia and I are taking the boys to deliver meals provided by Friendship Trays. Tonia, Asher, Toby, and I delivered meals once every few weeks while Sam and Cooper were in preschool, but now they get to join us on our route! What a great way to teach the boys about helping others and sharing :)

Tomorrow, I'm taking the boys to Pump It Up! We like Pump It Up better than Monkey Joe's because it's a lot less crowded. In fact, the last 3 times I've taken the boys to Pump It Up, we've been the only ones there! Sam and Toby climb, jump, and run their little hearts out all morning and then they crash after lunch. It's the perfect activity for a rainy or super-hot day!

On top of planning activities for the boys, Aaron and I have been planning our week-long summer vacation trip. It's a doozie...and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

The boys and I are off to pick up the meals for this morning's Friendship Trays route. I promise to post some new photos of the Sam and Toby from our activities this week...as soon as I can get them all edited :)

Ahhhhh...

That's the sound of me being refreshed and refocused after a long, relaxing weekend spent in Charleston with my family! I'm so refreshed, in fact, that I've had a hard time jumping back on the blogging bandwagon this week.

Anywho, I'm baaaaaack...and have lots to share!

I haven't updated much on the boys lately, so here's what's going on with them:

• Toby has been officially potty-trained since our little "potty party" almost 6 weeks ago! Who knew it would be so easy (knock on wood)?!
• Sam had his last day of preschool yesterday! He'll start kindergarten in the fall and neither Liz nor I are ready for that. Heck...we had a hard time processing Sam's last day of preschool. How in the world will me make it through his first day of Kindergarten?! Oh, boy...I need to change the subject...
• The boys got the movie Toy Story a few weeks ago and it's all we've been watching during TV time. I love that movie, but it might have to mysteriously disappear for a while if they ask to watch it again (just kidding...sort of...).

In other news, Aaron and I had a fabulous time at my best friend's wedding in Charleston this past Memorial Day weekend. I had the honor of standing next to Rebecca (in my favorite color blue, nonetheless!) as she married her best friend on Saturday. We partied like rockstars and danced like fools at the reception (photos coming soon!) and have lots of memories to look back on forever :) Thanks for inviting us to be a part of your special day, Beccaboo! We love you and Ryan!

And, to round out this smorgishboard of a blog post, may I present to you my 4 favorite photos from my marathon weekend of photography (from 2 weeks ago):

1-year-old twins, Abbey & Sadie and their 4-year-old brother, Jake. Most photographers would label this photograph a "failure." I, however, think it's hilarious and super-cute. I did end up getting some group photos with no tears (click here to see them), but I still like this one better :)

5-month-old Gracen with her generous, coffee-providing, super-sweet Mommy and Daddy. Little Miss G still has the most fabulous baby hair I've ever photographed...and I hope it stays that way for a looooong time :) Don't you just want to kiss all over that cute little face?!

Beautiful, icy blue-eyed, 1-year-old Miss Katy. Enough said :)

And, as if you had any doubt she would work the camera yet again, here's Katy's 5-year-old big sister, Natalie. So dramatic. So modelesque. So...FABULOUS! Will someone please book this child as a model?!

So...there you have it, folks. You're all caught up! I'm looking forward to starting Summer activities with the boys (going to the pool, the zoo, the park, etc.) and I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share with you!

"Wha's dat mean?"

That's my least favorite phrase of all-time (ok...maybe just the past two weeks...).

I'll share my pain with you. Here is a conversation that Toby and I had earlier today:

Toby: Miss Saaaaaaasin?
Me: Yes, Toby?
Toby: Where we goin' today?
Me: We're going to the library after we drop Sam off at school.
Toby: Oh. Wha's dat mean?
Me: You know what that means. It means that we're going to the library to read books.
Toby: Oh. Wha's dat mean?
Me: What do you mean 'what does that mean?'?
Toby: Huh?
Me: Oh, boy...
Toby: I'm a boy, Miss Sassin! Wha's dat mean?
Me: {Praying silently to the Lord for PATIENCE to get me through the rest of the day...or at least through the car ride :)}

Toby has a fabulous vocabulary...but "wha's dat mean?" is (unfortunately) his favorite phrase to use right now. I can understand him asking that question about things he knows nothing about, but he always asks "wha's dat mean?" about something he definitely knows the answer to (or at least a question someone has just told him the answer to). It's like he just wants to hear me answer him (fifteen times in a row). It drives me bonkers.

On the way home from school this afternoon, it was Sam's turn to be tortured:

Toby: Wha did you do at schoo today, Sam?
Sam: We went to the FIRE STATION!
Toby: Oh. Wha's dat mean?
Sam: Well, it means that we went to the fire station to see the firetrucks and the firemen and...
Toby: Wha's dat mean, Sam? Wha's DAT mean???
Sam: It means that...well...that...I already told you what it means.
Toby: Wha's DAT mean, Sam?
Sam: Nevermind. Let's not talk about it right now, Toby.
Toby: Wha's dat mean?
Sam: I want to be quiet.
Toby: Sam?
ME: Toby, let's play the "quiet game"...

I unashamedly LOVE the quiet game (and I'm pretty sure the boys love it, too). Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me sane in a world full of endless questions from a two-and-a-half-year-old, you know?

:)

The Time Has Come...

...to start potty-training Toby! Can you believe it?! Me neither.

We're throwing a "Potty Party" today! The morning started with lots of cheers and excitement, presents (a potty book and big boy underwear!), and 6 trips to the potty (so far).

After we take Sam to school, our day will continue with lots of juice, cupcake-baking, and more trips to the potty. I think we'll be camping out in the bathroom for most of the day.

I'll be updating our progress on Twitter from time to time for anyone who cares to keep up with how the party is going (LIZ!) :)

Here we go...

Opening Day!

The boys and I went to the Opening Day game at the Charlotte Knights stadium today!

Sam and Toby wore their Cubs jerzees and looked super-cute. I brought my camera with every intention of taking lots and lots of great photos, but I didn't anticipate every elementary and middle school child in the Fort Mill area attending the game, too :-/ Do you know how hard it was for me keep Sam and Toby from getting trampled on by teenage boys stuffing hotdogs into their mouths and teenage girls singing Hannah Montana and High School Musical songs? It was complete madness, let me tell you.

Here are a few highlights from our day at the ballpark:

• The Knights' mascot is a dragon named Homer (and his girlfriend's name is Caroline). When Toby saw Homer and Caroline on the field, he latched on to my arm and said, "I don't wike da dwagons, Sassin! I don't WIKE dem!" I promised that I wouldn't let them get him and he eventually loosened up and had lots of fun.


• Two minutes after we sat down in our (awesome) seats, Sam said, "Mrs. Allison, when are we going to take a break from sitting in the sun?"


• Sam and Toby sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"...27 times. Instead of singing, "Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks...", Sam sang, "Buy me some peanuts and Apple Jacks..."


• And this moment, captured right before we left to go home in the middle of the 5th inning (thank you, iPhone):

Both boys are currently fast asleep and worn out from a fun day at the ballpark :)

Tee-Ball!

Tee-Ball season has officially begun...and I have the photographs to prove it :)

Sam's team is the youngest in the league, but also the luckiest. Their sponsor is Chick-Fil-A. OH YEAH :)

Toby wanted to be part of the action SO badly!

LOVE that face!

(above) This is Aaron's favorite. When he saw me editing this photo on the computer, he said, "What are they doing?!" I said, "I don't know what they're doing. They don't know what they're doing. That's the fun part of Tee-Ball. No one knows what anyone is doing for a full hour. It's great!"

And...just to prove that Toby knows no strangers (just like his big brother), I give you exhibit A. And B. And C. Just watch the sequence. It'll make you smile (...and it reminds me that I need to have him strapped to me at all times when we're in public so someone doesn't walk off with him...)

Toby and one of the other Tee-Ball players' moms peacefully watching the game...

"Heeeeeeey...HEEEEEEY!" he says, beating on the woman's purse.

All is well with the world when he has a hand to hold :)

Teachable Moments

So...

Yesterday morning, on our way back from dropping Sam off at preschool in Uptown Charlotte, Toby and I experienced a good ol' fashioned "teachable moment" together.

Let me set the scene for you:

It's 9:40 in the morning and rain has been pouring down for days in Charlotte. I'm driving down the middle lane on 3rd street (one-way heading out of the city) and I'm super-focused on the cars in front of and around me.

Then, I see a light flicker above my head. It's the dome light in the 4-Runner. Which can only mean one thing: A door is open somewhere.

Did the lady who took Sam out of the car at carpool forget to close his door all the way?

Did I not close the trunk hard enough when I put my camera bag back there this morning?

Then I feel wind. And RAIN.

I turn around to see Toby's guilty face and the rear driver's side car door flung WIDE open. Water splashing everywhere, horns honking, Toby laughing.

I was not laughing.

Thankfully, I was able to pull over and close his door before anything catastrophic happened.

And then we had a talk about not touching car door handles.

And then I put the child safety lock on both back doors.

Needless to say, Toby and I both learned a lesson yesterday :)

Super LAME

That's how I feel about my lack of blog posts lately.

I won't make excuses. I'll just fill you in on the last few weeks and hopefully do better at updating from here on out :)

• In addition to my full-time 50 hour per week job, I've started scheduling family and kid photo shoots on Saturdays and Sundays. 'Are you CRAZY?!,' you ask. Yes. Most definitely, I am. I LOVE photographing children and building up my clientele...even if it means working 7 days (and close to 60 hours) a week sometimes. Wedding season is getting ready to kick into high gear soon, too (I shoot weddings with this guy, remember?). Our first wedding of the year is this coming Saturday. Yippee!
• My family came to visit this past weekend! Bryn was on Spring Break from The Citadel...so he, Tiffany, Mama, and Daddy made their way up to our house to celebrate my birthday 2 weeks early (with a PUBLIX cake, nonetheless!), shop, eat, relax, and go to Elevation. We took the LYNX light rail into the city to Elevation's Uptown campus on Sunday and enjoyed lunch together before my family had to get back to Charleston yesterday afternoon.
• Sam and Toby are growing like WEEDS! Toby is talking in complete sentences now and is most definitely too heavy for me to carry around on my hip like I used to. Sam is smart as a whip and has fabulous handwriting these days. He has started playing tee-ball, swims like a fish, and knows how to play more songs on the piano than I can count on both of my hands. Have I really been with Sam and Toby for more than a year-and-a-half?! Wow...

Stay tuned for those beach photos of Bryn and Tiffany I've been promising to share for the past few weeks. Here's one of my favorites:

Leave it to me to pick a black and white photo as one of my favorites from a colorful sunrise shoot :)

Toby-isms

When I arrive at work each morning, I'm always amazed at how many new words Toby seems to come up with overnight. I think Sam reads the dictionary to him before bed :)

Here are a few silly things Toby has been saying lately that make laugh every time:

• Toby walks through the house saying, "Miiiiiiiiiing Woooooong! Wiiiiiiiiiing Woooooooooooooong." When I ask him what he's doing he says, "Doobeaw, Sin! (Doorbell, Allison!) Miiiiiiiiiiing Woooooooooong!" Evidently the doorbell sounds like a Chinese guy's name.
• Toby sings most of his words these days. When we're in the car, he looks out the window and sings, "Dare's no suuuuuuuuuun todaaaaaaaaay, Siiiiiiiiiin! Oh-ney coooooooooooouds!" (There's no sun today, Allison! Only clouds!). His little songs make me smile every time.
• When Toby tries to get me to let him watch TV, he runs up to me, grabs the sleeve of my sweatshirt, puts his chin down on my arm, looks at me with puppy dog eyes, and says, "Pease pease pease pease pease pease pease peeeeeeeeeeeeeease?!" Where (and when) did he learn how to beg?
• When Toby has something he wants to show me, he says, "Wait a min-ite, Sin. I be wite back..." (Wait a minute, Allison. I'll be right back...). Then he turns around and runs full speed into another room in search of whatever it is he wants to show me.
• One of Toby's favorite books at the moment is this Winnie the Pooh sing-a-long thing. The microphone pops out of the front and he sings along with the button he chooses (always the "Eyore Likes to Walk Along" song). For some reason the song has been cutting off in the middle of Toby's solo and he gets a little angry. He sings, "Eyore wikes to wok-a-wong, wok-a-wong, wok-a-wong, Eyore wikes to...(song cuts off)...DANG IT! (He pushes the Eyore button again.) "Eyore wikes to wok-a-wong, wok-a-wong, wok...(song cuts off)...DANG IT!" I have NO IDEA where he learned the phrase "dang it" because no one around here says it. It's really hard to keep a straight face when I tell him that the phrase "dang it" is not nice to say.

On our way home from school today, Toby babbled on and on and on and on in the backseat next to Sam. Sam, the most talkative 5-year-old I've ever met, said, "Toby, are you ever going to be quiet? Why do you talk so much?"

Heeeeeey Baby!

Yesterday, Aaron called and left a message on my phone while Toby and I were at ImaginOn for storytime. After storytime was over, I was trying to listen to Aaron's message but Toby was screaming, "TALK! TALK TO AANEN!"

I called Aaron back but got his voicemail. I left him a message and then handed the phone to Toby.

"Heeeeeeey Baby! I wuv you!" he said.

It doesn't get much cuter than that :)

Ok...maybe it does.

Here is a photo of Toby watching Sesame Street after lunch on Tuesday.

As soon as Elmo came on the TV, he picked up his Elmo costume, handed it to me, and demanded that I put it on him.

He didn't move from this spot for 20 minutes :)

Happy Birfday!

The conversation Toby and I had as I changed his diaper the other day:

Toby: Sass-in?
Me: Yes, Toby?
Toby: HAPPY BIRFDAY!!!
Me: It's not my birthday, silly boy!
Toby: Yes! HAPPY BIRFDAY, Sin!
Me: No...
Toby: Oh. Happy birfday, head? Happy birfday, feet? Happy birfday toeeeeeeees?
Me (laughing): You're so silly, Toby!
Toby: You siwwy, Sin! HAPPY BIRFDAY!!! Cake? Cake, Sin? Cake? Peeeeeeeease???

There always seems to be a method to Toby's madness. I think he thought that if he could convince me that it was my birthday (or someone's birthday, for that matter), he would get cake for breakfast.

Nice try, Toby. Nice try :)

Time-Out

This is Toby standing in time-out after his bath on Monday afternoon. I know it's a pitiful sight, but don't feel bad for him. He's a big boy now.

I decided to use my new iPhone to quietly capture this moment that could potentially be used as blackmail one day. Right before I tapped the shutter button, I heard his little voice say, "Cheeeeeeese."

Even during time-out the boy knows how to prepare for a photograph.

Amazing.

And super-cute.

And in feety pajamas nonetheless.

Just for You, Mama...

Although I meant to blog sometime during the past week, it never happened. Here is what has been keeping me busy lately:

• The Boys. Our "snow day" last Tuesday was lots of fun...until my SmartWool socks failed to keep my feet warm inside my uninsulated rain/snow boots. I think I got a small taste of what frostbite might feel like. Seriously. Here are a few photos from our fun morning outside:

• Our Fabulous New iPhones! Being the technologically savvy man (i.e. GEEK) he his, Aaron has wanted an iPhone since the day they came out. We had been having problems with Sprint and were able to get out of our service contract with no "early termination fees," so we decided to switch to AT&T and get refurbished iPhones. Aaron had to do quite a bit of talking, but he finally made me see how the numerous benefits of the iPhone could change our lives forever (a little dramatic, I know...). I'm still learning about my iPhone, but I'm pretty sure Aaron has every detail of his figured out. I love that I can check my e-mail, text, listen to music, check the weather, read the Bible, take photos, check my calendar, use a GPS, keep a running grocery list, and SO much more...all thanks to the iPhone. How did I ever live without it?

• A Sinus Infection. Oh, the joys of working with children :) I went to the doctor on Saturday and he told me that the stabbing pain in my ears, sore throat, and stuffy head was the result of a sinus infection that had been brewing for weeks. Ewww. He gave me a Z-Pak and sent me on my way. I'm feeling much better now.

• Working Out. I found this awesome website that has helped me revamp my workout routine and burn off most of the holiday goodies I enjoyed over the past few months. Freedieting.com has dozens of calculators that help you figure out your daily caloric needs, body fat percentage, ideal body weight, target heart rate, and so much more. This is the workout I've been doing for the past 3 weeks...and I started seeing results after the first few days. Between counting calories and sticking to a structured work-out plan, I've managed to lose 4 percent body fat and gain a few pounds of solid muscle. You can do it, too!

Photography Playdate 2

Sam and Cooper had another "photography playdate" yesterday...and I thought it would be fun to take photos of them taking photos :)

And you know a photo shoot of mine wouldn't be complete without a photo of Toby's piercing eyes...

and Asher's precious face...

It's currently snowing outside and the boys are ready to go play! Every time Toby looks out the window, she screams, "Gamma Gampa house! Gamma Gampa house!" (Mike's parents live in Iowa and it's the only place Toby has ever seen snow).

Be on the lookout for some SNOW photos in the next few days :)

The Charlotte Family Buzz

As the Nanny of two engergetic, inquisitive, curious little boys, I'm always looking for new activities to do with them everyday.

Liz told me about The Charlotte Family Buzz earlier this week...and it's so great! Click on the link and it'll give you the "buzz" about what's going on around Charlotte for kids and families. The best part about the activities listed on this site is that you can participate in many of them for little or NO cost!

Toby and I are going to "Boogie Woogie Books" at ImaginOn today...and he's so excited. If you're anywhere near Uptown this morning, join us at 11:15 for some singing, dancing, and reading!

Piano Lessons and ABCD's

Over the holidays, Mike and Liz took some great videos of the boys that I wanted to share with you.

This first video is Sam at his first piano recital in November! He had been taking lessons at Queens University every Wednesday for about 10 weeks before this performance. As you can see, he was a little shy (or NOT!). His next semester of piano lessons starts tonight!



This next video is Toby singing his "ABCD's" (as he calls them). He's talking SO MUCH these days! Can you imagine? I wonder which 5-year-old brother he gets that from?



If you want to see more videos of the boys, Mike and Liz have many more posted on their YouTube acocunt.