It's Raining...

We finally have managed to get some RAIN this week. We haven't had to water our grass constantly as we have in the past several weeks, thank goodness. So anyway, with the drought, I have no idea how Grady has managed to learn this song... there's been no need to sing it! ha. But he LOVES this song and will just walk around the house singing it. I could listen to his sweet little voice singing all day long. In the video, he had a little help, but you get the idea. It's funny, but I can remember when we were little and Jenny was about Grady's age. She would chatter on about any and everything and no one could understand her but my mom. Susan and I were talking about this the other day when she couldn't understand what Grady was trying to tell her, but I could make out every single word. SO...if you can't understand him, he is singing "It's raining, it's pouring" in "Grady language."

Christmas in July

Happy (late) birthday to my sweet Mama! We went to paint at Easely Amused's Christmas in July for her birthday on Tuesday...and as always, we have a ball!

Must-Read!

This book was recommended to me by several different people. It's been out for over a year, but I just hadn't had the time to read it until a week or so ago. When you have a two-year-old, your reading time gets cut short! But anyway, I finally got the chance to read it and what an awesome book! I had to pass along the recommendation. If you haven't read it, it's a must-read. It's funny and sad and inspirational and I just could not put it down! You will find yourself literally laughing outloud and rooting for the characters in the story because they are so real. Best book I have read in a long time! The movie is coming out in August, so if you haven't read the book yet, hurry up and do so. The book is ALWAYS 10 times better than the movie of course! :)

The Beach Wears You Out!

This video cracks me up. We had just come in from the beach for a lunch break and for Grady to take his nap. He played SO hard that morning that he was having major trouble staying awake long enough to eat his lunch. I am a mean mama and got the video camera out... ha!

The Fourth

My child wants to move to Orange Beach. What a long way we have come from March!!! During that trip, Grady asked to go home the first night we arrived at the beach. This time, we'd ask him if he was ready to go home and he'd say, "No go home. I stay here!" We are so glad that he finally loves the beach as much as we do. Pete has dubbed him a "regular little beach bum." I'm with Grady...wish we could have stayed longer. I don't think I am ever ready to come back home when I am down there! We enjoyed beautiful weather, delicious seafood, awesome fireworks on the 4th, and just good ole relaxing and fun with the fam! I am counting the days until we go back! :)

feeding the fish at Wolf Bay

Grady even decided that he liked to WALK on the BEACH! WOW! Couldn't believe it! A few months ago, he wouldn't even put his pinkie toe in the sand. This time, he begged for someone to take him walking to look for "she-shells" to put in his "buh-kit". We brought home 952 "she-shells"...ha. Well not quite, but he did pick up every shell in sight.

splashing in the waves

He's getting so opinionated. Every day, I'd let him choose which swim trunks and hat to wear to the beach. He is attached to his MSU cap... what a loyal little bulldog!!!

Josh built Grady a sand castle. Mom and I had to take Grady for another one of those "she-shell" walks to distract him during the building process. During our last beach trip in May, we taught Grady to tear down the sand castles we were building...just in hopes that we could get him to like the sand and not mind standing in it. But now that he is a beach bum, I'm sorry...he's GOT to learn the Fulton Family Rules of respecting all sand castle creations. There is no tearing down of the sand castles... When Susan, Jenny, and I were little, we'd guard our sand castles from destructor-kids and watch like hawks to make sure no one bothered them. I can remember even watching from the balcony once Mom and Dad made us go inside...just to see if it was still standing. I also remember one time watching (from the balcony) a group of kids tearing down our castle and wanting to run down to the beach and give them a knuckle sandwich... ha. SO... Grady is being tutored in the lessons of sand castle etiquette. ha. He did good for his first lesson and this castle stayed in tact while we were on the beach!

Happy Birthday, America!

I scream, You scream...

....WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!!!

Grady caught Josh eating out of the ice cream container...

Move over, Dad!

Monkey see, monkey do!

mmm, mmm, good!

Picture of the Day

Susan sent this picture to me. I thought it was too funny and had to share. It was from Grady's birthday party. He HATES leaving the children's museum and pouts every time we are there and it's time to leave. He and I visit often. Just yesterday when we were there, I convinced him to leave by talking about lunch...sandwiches and apples and so on... A little bribery in the form of food usually works well on my child. ha. Well we got outside and were walking down the sidewalk to the car. I called Josh to tell him where to meet us for lunch and Grady apparently decided he wasn't hungry anymore and wasn't ready to leave, so he pulled a typical toddler moment and laid down on the sidewalk and started crying and saying repeatedly, "Children's Museum, Children's Museum!!!" (in his own pronounciation of course!)

So anyway, this picture cracked me up. It's the typical response we get EVERY time we go to the children's museum and it's time to go. HA!

"It's my party, I can cry if I want to...

You would cry to if it happened to you!"

Growing Up

Grady had his two-year appointment with his pediatrician recently. He is growing up WAY too quickly! Here are his "stats" from his appointment. Not anything surprising...he's still a BIG boy! (Remember, the "percent" is for comparing him to children who are his age...so for example, he weighs more than 82% of kids his age...ha!)

Weight: 31 lb. 4 oz. (82%)

Height: 38 inches!!!! (greater than 95%)

Head Circum.: 20 1/2 in. (greater than 95%)

This summer is already flying by! Can't believe we are almost at the "half-way" point (well, I am at my half-way point before school starts, I guess you'd say). We made the tough decision to switch Grady to a new "school" this fall. Telling Granny Gail and Aunt Amanda that Grady was going to a new school was the hardest thing EVER. They have kept him since he was about 8 weeks old and he loves them dearly....and so do we! We wanted him to be able to be in more a of school-type setting and able to be in a class with kids his own age. When an opening came available, we took it. So he has started to go to "school" 2 or 3 days a week to help him transition to the new setting before we start full-swing in August. It's been hard on the little guy to leave such a familiar environment and switch to something completely different, but he is already learning things and I am excited to see how much he really takes off over the next few months. In his class, they do not use sippy cups anymore. So we have been working hard on using a "big-boy-cup" at our house. He's doing great after just a few tries... Here's a quick video:

Sand and Water

When we went to the beach in March, everyone said it was my fault that Grady was afraid of the sand because I am such a neat freak and thus my child is becoming a neat freak because he never gets dirty. Maybe so. I am trying to change my ways. ha. Grady got a sand and water table for his birthday from my parents. I am learning not to care when sand gets all down in his shoes, under his fingernails, and tracked inside my house. In a catalog, I found this cool little bucket shaped like feet for you to sit outside on your patio by the back door for little ones to wash their feet off before coming inside. When I told Josh, he said I was being a wuss. So we didn't order it. I am learning just not to care... This is what happens when you grow up with all girls in the house and no brothers. But I am learning to be the mom of a BOY! :) Hee Hee!

Grady-man LOVES his sand table dearly! Here are a few pictures of him playing and happy to be dirty! We are making progress!

Boy's Best Friend

It seems that everyone we know...friends and family both...have dogs. And Grady loves them. But we do not have a dog. Nor do I want one at this point. Number one: Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not want an inside dog. Like them, but like them outside. Which brings us to Number Two: We do not have a fence in our backyard. Nor do we want to build one at the moment. So therefore, we do not have a pet. For now, Grady must spend time with dogs at both his grandparents' houses. AND pretend with Frank. Who's Frank, you say? Ha... Frank is his pet dog. DeeDee brought this little stuffed dachshund one day named Frank and Grady LOVES the little dog! He goes all over the place with us...to Kroger, out to eat, to Dudy Noble, on vacation. Grady likes for Frank to ride in the car with him as well. (See Frank and Grady-man below...)

I know it's just a matter of time before Grady will begin to want a real dog and will start to ask for one. Until that day comes, though...Frank sure is an easy pet to take care of and clean up after! Thanks, DeeDee!

First Boat Ride

Grady's first boat ride on the reservoir... So much fun! Thanks, Grana and Pops! We will have to do this again soon! And maybe conquer the fear of the swimming pool...

Steak and Picasso

For our anniversary on Friday, Josh took me to Shapley's for an early dinner. My last visit there was the night he proposed! We joked that it will probably be another 5 years before we go again. I hope not...it was outstanding and such a treat!

Then, much to my delight, we went to Easely Amused for "date night portraits." I've been to Easely Amused several times already and had seen this class and wanted us to go, but Josh never seemed too thrilled about that. Surprisingly, he signed us up on his own... We had a lot of fun and I thought these pictures were worth sharing...

"The reveal"

(you have to sit across from your date and you do not see each other's paintings until you are done... You are supposed to paint a Picasso-inspired portrait of your date)

Sweet Treats by Susan

Hurray!!! Susan started a blog! Click on the link I've added to my sidebar to check out her yummy creations!

Today marks...

5 years!

June 10, 2006

For Aunt Sue

Grady apparently has seen the light and decided that CAKE is YUMMY! For the past couple of months, we have gotten to sample lots of Susan's goodies as she has been baking away. She would bring over the most elaborate cakes and cupcakes and Grady would just look at them, but not eat them. For his birthday party, Susan made the CUTEST animal cupcakes.

Again, at the party, Grady wouldn't touch them. He played so hard at the museum that when he got home, he was starved. I gave him a left-over cupcake and he devoured it in three seconds. Guess that was all it took to realize that he does indeed like cake. ha. Now he will ASK me for cake.

Anyway, these pictures are for you, Susan. Thanks for making his cakes. They were beautiful! Hope these make you smile! :)

The calm before the storm...