New Neighbor!

3 Years, 19 Weeks.


It only happens every two years, beginning back in 2007.

The emergence of another creature into the world.

Dormant, hidden in it's protective cave for 9 months; forced out into a bright new environment...

Welcome Colby Cabot Grodack!

Yes, once again our good friends and neighbors Corey and Duncan have produced and brought forth yet another beautiful offspring, their 4th child and their second son.  He will be a great addition to the already lively Grodack clan, evening out their family number to 6 and giving the boys equal voting power.

That is, until their next one comes... in 2015.  Ha!

You forget how quickly they grow up until you hold a newborn infant in your arms. And though you can barely remember all the hard work, the late nights and early mornings, the 3 AM feedings, the spit ups, the poopy diapers, the crying, etc etc, it almost, ALMOST makes you want another one.

I said almost.

Congratulations Corey and Duncan!  He's beautiful!!


Here was our week:

• Friday evening had a bunch of families from our subdivision get together at our neighbors Cy and Devi's home for our "traditional" residents' dinner. We started it years ago when we moved to our current neighborhood and tried to keep it going for a while, until we all were just swamped with work and schedules and kids.  So it was nice to finally get together once again, to catch up and share in everyone's culinary contributions.  This was the first time we have done it since the Grodacks moved over here, so it was nice to have them join in on the mix and officially become members.  We are very lucky to live in a subdivision with such kind and wonderful friends, especially when we can all get together and have fun like we did that evening!

The adults downstairs, representing 5 families in the neighborhood.

The kids upstairs, all playing nice.

Happy to see each other after a week apart.

• Sabbath brought us to church and Sabbath school; it was actually pretty funny seeing all the families there at church just a few hours from the previous night's soiree.  The twins are finally starting to warm up to their new Sabbath school class and teacher, Miss Patty.  We picked up some Indian for lunch (because eating the buffet there had become so exorbitant) and because we were expecting Lolo and Lala later that afternoon.  We were surprised to find them already at the house, eating lunch, as they had attended 3rd service over at Forest Lake!  Naps followed, as afternoon and evening showers rolled in.  That evening the grandparents stayed with the children while Tangie and I attended the BETA Center Diamonds and Denim Benefit Gala at Disney's Contemporary Hotel.  We had been invited by a good friend who works at Florida Hospital as guests to the gala, along with some other friends from church.  What?  A free night without the kids? ABSOLUTELY!  We had a great time, participating in a couple of the silent auctions and enjoyed the dinner and the company.  We even placed a $2050 bid on an 8 day/7 night vacation to Cancun but was outbid by the Jamersons during the live auction.  Of course, we both weren't planning on buying the vacation, worth $4500 and sold for $2750, but we just wanted to be a part of the action and use our bidding paddles!  A funny moment though when we did that, former NBA Orlando Magic player Bo Outlaw, who was one of the celebrity guests, came up to both Jeremy and I and asked us if we were together!  As if he didn't see the lovely ladies to our sides!  We topped the evening off with Disney's fireworks, and I even got to dance the Cuban shuffle right next to Bo Outlaw.  As we were leaving we went to check and see if we had won any of the silent auctions, and were surprised to find out that yes, indeed, our bid for a night and dinner at Orlando's Peabody Hotel had won.  Which was hilarious in that the only reason we had bid on it was so that it would force someone else to bid much higher, in order to raise more money for the BETA Center!  So much for that plan, it backfired on us!  Let's just say our "free" night out turned out to be slightly expensive in the end.  Oh well, at least it was all for a good cause.

The twins kneel down for prayer.

Scruffy Daddy with Braelyn at her Sabbath school.

The kids in pink, matching the Caladiums.

The Contemporary Resort, with the monorail going through.

Enjoying an evening out together.

Loving her new diamond ring!

Hanging out with our friends Susie and Jeremy Jamerson.

Bo Outlaw towering behind me.

The girls pose together.

Tangie puts some goody bags together for the kiddos.

• Sunday morning Tangie and Braelyn had a date to spend her tooth fairy money, while I stayed home with the twins.  I was able to mow about a fifth of the lawn before they got home, and then we had lunch and headed back out to IKEA to look for a book shelf for the twins' room.  I took the kids to the pool when we got back and hooked up with Duncan and his crew, while Tangie took charge of dinner.

Testing out some beds in IKEA.

• Wednesday was a full day.  We headed out to OJA in the morning to watch Braelyn participate in this year's Boosterthon FunRun Fundraiser.  The students had over $9K in pledges, so a big thank you to all of you who contributed to her school and class!  Braelyn ran all 35 laps, worrying the whole time that her green shorts would fall off as they were just a tad loose! It was very loud and chaotic and the twins weren't quite sure about all the commotion, so they were ready to leave once the run was completed.  Back home for lunch and naps, and then back to OJA to pick Braelyn up from school.  We headed over to Winter Park Memorial Hospital to visit the Grodacks and baby Colby, born on Tuesday.  It was great to see and hold the new addition; even Braelyn got to hold him, but the twins were a bit timid at the tiny thing cooing.  But I'm glad they were able to have the experience of seeing a new baby at the hospital. We fought traffic for the 45 minute drive back home, reminding me again of why we are never, ever on the roads during that time of the day.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed for an early morning excursion to see big sister.

Her class heading out to the gym.  Of course, she would be the only one wearing sunglasses.

Twins taking a picture with big sister.

Getting her shirt marked after each lap completed.

With college friend Richard Hickam cheering on our girls.

Maddy had the best seat in the house!

Congratulating big sister!

35 laps completed!

Excited to see their new friend.

Gigi holding her newest grandson.

Getting to hold the little guy.  Braelyn was enamored.  

Big sister Calleigh couldn't wait to hold him, 

but she also allowed her friend to hold Colby.  

• The rest of the week:

Trying out some new tractors for Daddy.

Returning our books to the library.

Smiling pretty at Costco.

Keeping busy with individual painting projects.

Napping position:

Randoms:

They said they had locked themselves out of the car.
I wasn't so sure.  Was I stereotyping?

Tangie told me I had to shave before Saturday's gala.  Before and after.

Straws, designed for IKEA in Sweden BUT made in Thailand!

Braelyn's note to Corey.
Translation:  "I am doing a funrun today.  I have a question  (?)  Was his name Colby.
Now I got it.   Thanks." 

Decisions, decisions.  Seriously Publix?

Food this week:

Summer salad for our dinner with the neighbors.

Seared Mahi with Mini Eggplant and Mushrooms.

Wild Hake Fish Lettuce Wraps.

Quotes:

• I was telling Kohlden that Corey had her baby and that the baby's name was Colby.  He said, "Yeah...Kohldie.  Like me!"

• I was preparing their baths in our tub and had stepped out of the bathroom to put all their dirty clothes away in their rooms.  The tub is still a bit high for the twins to get in, so I was surprised to find all three splashing inside the bathtub when I returned back:

          Me:  "Hey, how did you guys get inside there?"

          Madelyn:  "By ourselves!"

          

Squeaky clean!

Have a great weekend!

First Tooth!

3 Years, 18 Weeks.


She couldn't even comprehend what she had just done.  She looked at the thing in her hand, stupefied.  All the talk, all the attention over the past several weeks, had led to this moment.

But once she realized what she had just done, she started to freak out.

In a good way.

The next tooth is already exposed, ready to move into position.

So our  baby girl is, once again, a baby no longer.  Another milestone down in the books:  the loss of her first baby tooth.  Of course, how better else could we celebrate the occasion by making sure the most handsome tooth fairy in all of Ocoee come over while she slept to give her a little moolah for the tiniest of incisors.  She would be thrilled to find a crisp $10 under her pillow upon waking up.

What an expensive tooth!

People on Facebook actually thought we gave her $100 for her tooth!

Here was our week:

• Sabbath we went to church and Sabbath school.  Correction:  Tangie went to church while I took the kids to Sabbath school.  Actually, Tangie had to do the offering call for all three services this past Sabbath so she was there bright and early, with me and the kids making it there around our usual time.  We did get a chance to see Mommy up front via the church's webcast while we were getting ready.  Lolo and Lala came up for the weekend and met us at church, and then joined us for lunch back home.  We all took naps while a couple of nasty thunderstorms rolled through, enjoying Vietnamese Pho for dinner and then wrapping up the evening with game night.

Doing the appeal.

Sending Mommy a picture message after the offering call was over.  Great job!

Maddy and Kohl bring up their offering.

Working on the craft.

Lala helps Maddy,

and then Braelyn on theirs.

Posing with some...bread?

Hanging out with Lolo.

Everyone enjoying their soup!

Grandparents had fun playing the kids' games.

Maddy knocking over Mommy's Jenga tower!

• Sunday morning I mowed the lawn while Tangie and the grandparents hung out by the pool.  Because of the storms the previous evening the pool had a lot of debris in it so there were a couple of workers cleaning it up, which made them have to wait for close to an hour before being able to go in, so they played in the splash area and playground.  After lunch the grandparents headed back home, as we drove across town to the Alvarenga's home in Avalon Park, for a potluck meeting with their health group.  They have twins as well, the same age as ours, so it was nice for the kids to play together, while we met up with the adults and chatted and made some new contacts.  On our way home was when Braelyn pulled the feat.  It was exciting to watch her have this new, toothless experience.  It was short-lived for about 5 minutes when she misplaced the plastic Ziploc that contained the pearly white specimen, making Daddy drag the garbage bag he had just taken to the curb back inside so he could sift through it just to make sure he hadn't thrown it out by accident!  Luckily we found it, sitting under a cardboard box, on top of the kitchen counter.  Crisis averted!

The last day her tooth was in her mouth!

Lala helps loosen the tooth more with some dental floss.

Helping the twins with some swimming lessons.

Watching a cooking demonstration at the Alvarenga's.

Mommy enjoying the Lean and Green potluck.

First picture without her tooth!

Baggie in place, hoping for a good haul from the tooth fairy.

Time to get to work!

• The rest of our week:

Working on her homework.

I was working on extending Brae's bed to make it longer.  Here they pretend to be in jail.

Ready for a fun morning outing with Daddy to...Lowe's?

Looking for something.

Decorating some cookies before baking.

Enjoying some water play this week.

Loving up on Mommy before bedtime.

Garden Update:

This week's haul: bell peppers, purple and white eggplants, and more cherry tomatoes!

Napping Positions:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Food:

Hot and spicy Pho sure!

Randoms:

Rough day?

Another sad milestone in the minivan.

Oh man!  Someone already took that vanity plate!
Seriously, what is that all about?

Quotes:

• Ok, this could only happen to me:  Last week I was grocery shopping, in the produce section at Publix.  They had some big cantaloupes on sale, which I pointed out to the children, "Hey guys, check out the size of those melons!" then realizing the shocked glare of the well endowed lady standing right next to us.

          

I had to take a picture of them with the melons on a return trip.
The lady behind them was not the one aforementioned! 

• Listening to the radio on our way to pick Brae up from school, the song When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars comes on, and there was a verse where he talks about regretting the "mess that he made" when Maddy pipes up from the back:  "Daddy, he's not cleaning his mess!"

• Early Thursday morning Kohl noticed the moisture on the windows from the previous night's rain:

          Kohl:  "Daddy, is it raining?"

          Me:  "No, it's just humid outside, and there's water on the glass."

          Kohl:  "Is it fog?"

          Me:  "No, it's called precipitation.  Can you say pre-ci-pi-ta-tion?"

          Kohl:  "Fog."

          Me:  "Precipitation."

          Kohl:  "Fog."

          Fine...Fog.

• Bedtime story, we were reading a Dora the Explorer book for the twins, and was on the Swiper the Fox section of the story:

          Me:  "Kohlden, can you say 'Swiper, no swiping!' three times?"

          Kohl:  "Swiper no swiping three times!"

          Oye.

Anticipation.

Have a great week!