Pure EXHILARATION!

Charlotte can pretty much do anything that her older brother can do.  She is fearless and determined to not be left behind.  This has led her to tackle some of the playground equipment that Matthew is just now figuring out!  And slides!  She LOVES a good slide!

Charlotte's First Big Girl Haircut!

Charlotte did awesome at her first big girl haircut! 

Planets!

The past couple of days we have been focusing on planets. Books. Videos. The moon light in Matthew's room. The rocket toys we got for Christmas. So this morning we headed to the Space and Rocket Center. 

When we got to the kids play area, complete with a space ship and lunar landing slide, Matthew and Charlotte spent quite a while acting out their own space mission. It is awesome to see their minds come alive. They travelled to Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn before returning back to earth. 

Then we set off to watch the test launch and explore the Davidson Center. 

Matthew is always enthralled by the test launch. 

These are the engines that are being tested in the exhibit. 

When it was over Charlotte asked for "more" 

He is so much like me...

And I am not so sure that is a good thing. Tonight, he was tired and misbehaving and it was time to go to bed. He usually gets to pick a few toys to take with him but because he was misbehaving that privilege was not available. But there was a box of toys already in his room that he was more than welcome to. I gave him the box, he kept screaming he didn't want it and so I said: I love you. Good night. 

A few minutes later I hear his door open, a loud rustle and thud, then his door slam shut. When I go to see what had happened I am encountered with this: 

See that little bucket on the floor. He had promptly expelled the toys I allotted him. I don't know that I have words to explain this, but I get it. This is something I would do. 

Oh, Mercy. 

But then he says "I love you, Mommy" and my heart melts. 

Rocket to the Moon!

Selfies from the Orion Rocket launch

Christmas Sing

Tonight was our first school performance! Wow. How did that happen! I had no idea how it would go, but little dude did awesome!  I will spare you the video but here are a few pictures from our evening. 

Pre-performance snack (actually that was just a bribe to get him to wear his red shirt) 

When I was growing up I also performed in this exact same sanctuary. Lots of memories here. And now Matthew and Charlotte are going to school here and will likely be with their friends through high school. 

It's way past Charlotte's bed time! 

Matthew walking in to the sanctuary with his friends. 

Post performance cookie. He has been talking about getting cookies for over a week now! 

Afterwards Matthew and I went with LB and Pops to dinner at the neighborhood grill. Matthew was enthralled with the number of TVs surrounding him. We rarely do restaurants (I just don't have the patience for it) but decided he might actually do ok (really that I would be able to handle it) He loved it! I am hoping to get to join LB and Pops more often! 

Enjoying his burger and watching some basketball!

Sunday Adventures!

We decided it was time for another adventure. So we packed up and headed to Chattanooga. However, Paul was a bit bored with the usual direct route so we headed towards Winchester and stopped in Cowan at the railroad museum. Matthew wanted nothing to do with it. So daddy took Charlotte for a look around. 

Matthew finally decided he wanted to get out but was completely freaked out by the horn of the passing train. To assure me everything was going to be fine he kept telling me "there is nothing to worry about mommy."  Such a sweet little boy!

Then we head over to Chattanooga and he literally runs through the ocean journey building so we can play in the water between the two buildings. (So glad we have a membership) 

Now that Charlotte is walking I really wanted her to get to experience the museum in a whole new way so we let her walk a lot. 

She loved splashing in the shark tank with Matthew. 

we headed over to the river journey building and I let her walk as much as she wanted. 

They were both quite tired and we headed to the Chattanooga Market hep at the Tennessee Pavilion every Sunday. Awesome. Check out chattanoogamarket.com!

Then we decided we needed another route home as the stretch between interstate 24 and Scottsboro is interminable. So we took some prettying cool back roads that kept us to the south and east of the Tennessee River until just north of Scottsboro. It was a beautiful drive. And the coal plant was quite spectacular. 

So then, when we stopped so that I could take over driving, Charlotte immediately started clapping. Poor thing though we were going to get out and play. As soon as I started the car again and drove off, she lost it. 

Paul ended up singing to her all the way back home. The way she looked at him was precious. "Daddy. You are my hero." Was clearly written all over her face.