Summer Week 6

This week was an odd week with July 4th right in the middle of the week. We tried to stay cool in during the record setting highs in Tennessee this summer. Gaines will not nap at all if we do not do somethng really active so we stay super active because I live for nap time!

Good Morning! I tried to take a picture of the boys and me all sitting in the rocking chair watching a show. i love this time when they want to sit in my lap.

Monday, I took the boys to Pump-It-Up. Will had some firsts here, he did all of the inflatables and slides all by himself. He got scared a few times but he really did do it. Always trying to hang with his Big Bro.

This is what the boys looked like playing on Tuesday morning.

We spent Tuesday morning at Providence's Swim Club. I tried to get the boys to practice their swimming and floating. Gaines refused and I ended up putting floaties on him. I am so frustrated with this. Of course the boys had a blast.

 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY on Wednesday.

The library hosted the Nashville Zoo and the boys were terrible. They lasted about 15 minutes of the presentation. Will kept yelling, "SNACK! SNACK!" and Gaines was just wollering all over me.

Thursday night Will and Gaines got the stomach bug for the first time ever. It was miserable! Maybe this changed my mind on a newborn because we were literally up all night. The worse part was Garrick and I waiting for our turn to throw-up! Will was pitiful. Thank goodness for Garrick, he would clean up and I would console. I'm not very good with the throw-up. The boys felt so much better on Friday thankfully but G and I felt terrible. I was supposed to head to Knoxville for LeeAnn's Baby Shower weekend but I ended up going up on Saturday. Come to find out quite a few of the kids from the Fireworks Party got sick - at least it wasn't the spaghetti. Lord knows our house would starve without spaghetti!!!

Garrick took care of the boys while I was enjoying some girl time in Knoxville. Gaines called me and asked me to come home that i just had a Girls Weekend and we needed to spend some time together. I am sure his Father did not put him  up to that at all!

Gaines: "Will you are just jealous. Jealous means when you think someone is prettier than you or they have something you want. That's what jealous means."

Gaines: "Will you need to wake up, here's your monkey."

Is this a sweet or mean face? Votes still out with this little boy.

All Vol Cutie!

Cute Booties

Shopping for their new bikes and helmets

I could not have said it better...

Amen.

4th of July

We had all these plans for the 4th and then decided to just hang out at home instead. It was just what we needed! We started off with breakfast at Cracker Barrel - Gaines's request (after some prompting!) with Nonni and Poppy.

Nonni and Poppy came back over to the house and we had a little impromptu water party! The boys were loving it.

Uncle grant stopped by and taught the boys how to gamble and the proper way to "scratch off" their winnings.

 We headed off after naps to the Firework party at the Hanna's House. The boys were pumped for the Mt. Juliet Fireworks being set off in Providence (how lucky are we?!?!). In the drought that we are currently having, there is nothing better than have major fireworks in your backyard to set a house fire! We had fun hanging out with neighbors. 

Gaines grabbed a chair and set up camp right here where he could have a good view.

Gaines, Emma, and Saylor

The Connors joined us our blanket to watch the show

Their interest lasted about 10 minutes. Gaines really cannot stay interested in anything for too long.

Sheree - the Hostess with the Mostest!

Belated Father's Day Celebration

Since we were on vacation on Father's Day, we postponed our celebration until today. The boys and I woke up early to make Daddy breakfast and let me tell you that is true love - not the breakfast part but letting them actually help! I always struggle with gifts for Garrick. This year we went with the gift of time. In my personal opinion is this best gift ever - ALONE TIME!!!!

The gift: Artwork made at HOME not at school.  Coupons to for an afternoon movie, a morning to sleep in, and a free Saturday. I even told him he could really redeem them unlike some coupons in the past.

My Chefs

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY! 

We headed to Nonni's and Poppy's house for a Father's Day dinner and this was Poppy's gift. He was so thrilled.

Summer Week 5

Another non-stop week for the Odom boys and their Mommy! VBS and swim lessons have taken up the majority of this week. We did manage to pack in some different activities as well. 

Thursday night we celebrated Aunt Judy's birthday. We started a tradition about 5 years ago that all the women in the family get together for dinner and gifts (of course) for each of our birthdays. It has been a great way to make time to see each other and I love that the boys get to have this relationship with my Great-Aunt and Cousin (who I call "Aunt").

While we were having some birthday dessert in the dining room for Aunt Judy and the boys were busy and content in the living room working on their "vehicle." I love seeing them playing together!

Me, Will, Mimi, Aunt Judy, Aunt Nita, Nonni, and Gaines

Practicing our floating in the bathtub. This was the conversation: Gaines says, "Will, you blow bubbles this way. We are not rolling on our back - this is a new thing. I am the teacher."

After swim lessons on Thursday, we finally got to my childhood friend Dani for lunch. She is VERY pregnant with her first baby and we have not seen each other in ages. The boys were WILD - these pics should sum up this eventful lunch date.

Will Odom - 25 months

Swim Lessons Week 2

We had out second week of swim lessons this week and it went much better than the first week. Gaines and Will both did not cry except for drop-off the first day. Will still said as soon as we turned on the road, "No Swim, No Swim Gaines, No Swim." Finally Gaines looked and him and said, " Will, we can't swim, we have to go to swim lessons."

They still worked with Will on Sleeping Fish and rolling and floating on his back. He finally got it by the end of the week and did not dead man float as long. He went off almost all week without a life jacket.

Gaines they started with blowing bubbles and kicking. He did pretty good but still not great. I think we need one more week with him but financially that is going to have to wait until next summer. It was so less stressful this week without the screaming and crying. 

On the last day, both Will and Gaines went to the bottom of the pool with a teacher to get a ring.

Gaines would look for me and give me a thumbs up! Major improvement from the first week.

So proud of their swimming shirts!

Vacation Bible School

Another "First" for the Summer, Gaines is old enough to participate in our church's VBS. It is Sunday through Wednesday from 5:30-8pm and I also signed up to teach with Tatum the 4 year olds. This was the most stressful week I have had in a while! Garrick brought Gaines the first night where I could do what I needed to in my class and it was chaos. I really thought Garrick was not going to leave Gaines with me being right there! You dropped the 3-5 year olds off in the gym with the bouncy houses and it appeared that you just left them even though there were teachers in there as well. Gaines did ok in there but did not participate in the bouncing. He kept telling Tatum that he was trying to decide which one to jump in. The theme was "Dive in with God." The music was so good and Gaines would come home singing the songs and doing the sign language.

Tatum and I ended up with 59 4 and 5 year olds along with 4 other teachers. It was a nightmare but we made it through the week and the kids had fun and I loved getting to know so many of our church children. Next year, I am reminding myself to sign up for 2nd grade!!!

Gaines said he loved it even though he did not like being dropped off each night. I tried to sneak pictures when I could but with 59 kids of my own this was not often.

First Night - He looks so big!

Sneaking a picture of Gaines eating dinner

Will was so upset each night that we left him and he had to stay home. On tuesday night he got to go and stay in the nursery and he was so excited until he realized he was not going with Gaines. He calmed down and started playing pretty quickly.

Gaines and his neighbor buddy William 

Wednesday night program for the parents. Gaines did not stand up or sing the entire time. The only child not standing.