New Year's Eve

In which no one has to go to the hospital.

After you watch this, I think you'll agree that was a pretty big feat.


If you notice Thomas missing from the festivities, it's because he was in NYC for the Times Square spectacle (for work). He promises to post about that. Perhaps you should nudge him.

Christmas 2012

Holiday Performances

Experience the boys' holiday performances in under 40 seconds. Carter's is a performance of his after school music program at our town's annual marshmallow roast and Santa visit. He is on the far left in the back row. John is is front and center at his daycare performance.

Thanksgiving at the Beach

Thank you to mom and dad who invited us to spend thanksgiving with them at Fort Myers beach where they had rented a condo. Dad flew to Atlanta and drove down with me and the boys on the Saturday before thanksgiving (mom was there a week ahead of us with her sister and mom). Thomas flew down on Wednesday afternoon and we drove home as a family. I was sick, so that wasn't ideal (also not ideal: I gave the sickness to my parents who have been enjoying it ever since), but it was gorgeous and the boys had a good time.

Creating our own taxonomy for shells

Totally awesome hamster ball in water thing

Carter's road food of choice (except for the last hour) was Subway, for which we were all grateful.
John had a deconstructed sandwich.

John didn't love the sand, but it also didn't bother him too much. He kept putting handfuls in his mouth. 

Amazing sand sculpture competition down the road from where we were staying

Our sand castle with a monster nest at the entrance. The monster guards the castle. 

There was much putt putt.

Halloween

We were lucky to have Mama Helen visiting over Halloween. She continues to be Carter's costume supplier. Last year, Carter decided on November 1 that he wanted to be Captain America this year. And he stuck to that plan all year long! John used Sammy's hand-me-down Mickey Mouse costume. But everyone thought he was a ladybug. 

Check out Thomas' costume. He wore that to work all day. 

Carter and Mama Helen made a pumpkin cake using two bundt cakes. 

For the second year, we did trick-or-treating with some of Carter's buddies from school

It must be Father's Day

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Anniversary

We're being positive about the fact that this baby hasn't decided to join us yet.  He must have wanted to give us time to have an 8th anniversary dinner date.  If he shows up tomorrow, he'll be taking over our anniversary every year thereafter, so it is pretty generous of him to give us tonight. Plus, our midwife has been out of town, so we're actually somewhat glad he's held off.  She got back tonight, so he's welcome to come on any time now... 

In the meantime, here's a (final??) belly shot. 

Faux Father's Day

I'm going to be out of town on Father's Day, and I didn't want Thomas to miss out on having a dad-centric day. So, yesterday, we had a Fowlkes Family Faux Father's Day celebration.

Breakfast in bed

Homemade cards presented to Dad on a homemade tray

Headed off to see a Braves game with Cart Cart

"Happy Faux Father's Day, Dad!"

Easter

Finally getting around to posting from Easter. Carter didn't get much candy, instead, he got a much needed new bicycle helmet in his Easter box (which he made). 

He also got his first game for the Wii. A dancing game, of course!

This year we dyed and tattooed our eggs...

Friends came over to hunt for eggs in the afternoon. Silvie shared her Easter treats, including nail polish, which was a big hit with all the kids.

Fastnacht Day

On Fat Tuesday, while Thomas was in Orlando, Carter and I spent the evening at friends Kirsten and Al's house celebrating Fastnacht Day. 

According to my good friend Wikipedia:

A Fasnacht, sometimes spelled Fastnacht or Faschnacht, is a fatty doughnut treat served traditionally on Fastnacht Day (Shrove Tuesday), the day before Lent starts. Fasnachts were made as a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar, fat, and butter, which were traditionally fasted from during Lent....Basel, Switzerland conducts an annual fasnacht festival. The Pennsylvania Deutsch territory surrounding Lancaster, Pennsylvania, celebrates the custom as well.

Kirsten & Al are from PA, and it has always been a big tradition in her house. Kirsten's mom was even there to help with the Fastnacht making and eating!

Carter observes how to shake on the sugar coating. Moments later, he became the most vigorous sugar shaker that anyone has ever seen. We had to quadruple bag the sugar lest he shake the bottom out of it!

By the time Carter and I left, we had the record for most Fastnachts consumed!

Carter on the upcoming holidays

I really love it when someone else does my blogging work for me. Here's a couple of stories shared by Cart Cart about his evening with Carter earlier this week, with a few comments from me [in brackets]:

While reading the fire engine book Wednesday night at bedtime, about halfway through Carter interrupts and raises a finger in the air, and says, "Let's pause for a moment, while I call my parents." And reaches over for the broken cell phone, opens it, and has an imaginary conversation with both of you. Then he puts the phone down and says, "We can go ahead now."

In the car on the way home, he was talking about a lot of things, and especially that Santa had come that day [for pictures]. He remarked the best part of Thanksgiving is that after that, Santa comes. The following ensued:

Cart Cart: "Speaking of Thanksgiving, do you know what kind of meat people eat for Thanksgiving Dinner?
Carter: Yes.
Cart Cart: What?
Carter: Chicken.

Cart Cart: No, actually it's turkey, like the thing you made in art class today and showed me.

Carter: Do people go out and hunt the turkeys and bring them home?

[Its news to me that Carter knows what hunting is. Last time I indicated that something on his plate was an animal he adamantly disagreed, citing (as if I was crazy) that "It doesn't have eyes!"]

Cart Cart: They can, but they usually just hunt them at Publix at the store, and bring them home and cook them in the oven.

Carter: And after they eat that, Santa Claus comes !!

Clearly Carter has misunderstood my attempts to give him a way to think about when the Christmas season starts. If waiting for Christmas is any more difficult than waiting for Halloween was, we're going to have a long weekend after Thanksgiving - not to mention the month after that!

Thanks again to Cart Cart for sharing!

Easter Egg Hunting

Untitled from elizabeth fowlkes on Vimeo.

Egg Dying

We dyed eggs this morning. This was the first time Carter has really been interested in it and has really done it himself!



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Happy Valentine's Day

Pink milk and balloons! What more could a boy want for valentine's? (Decorate-my-own cookies? We did that, too.)




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New Year's Eve

We had 10 adults and 4 kids for a fun new year's eve at our house. As per usual, only the kids' fun got documented (but that's probably better on New Year's, right?).

Christmas 2009

Here is a short (~2 minute) video of Carter's Christmas morning, followed by a few snapshots of the day. We somehow managed to get virtually no photos of any of the adults present. But the kids are cuter anyway!

What Santa brought

Fun goo that Carter got in his stocking (took less than 8 hours for Thomas to lose it with the goo and throw it out!)

Carter's pile o' presents (not as bad as it looks... i even wrapped up socks and underwear because he like to open presents so much)

Carter's awesome play tent from Aunt Linda

In my new boots, his new jeans, his new t-shirt (covered with his new pajama top) and toting the beloved spiderman umbrella (took him less than 5 hours to break said umbrella, but T managed to put it back together)

Hangin' with Anna

Sammy is not as excited to be held by Carter as Carter is to hold Sammy...