Odds and Ends, But Mostly Charleston--April 8-11

April 7--Lauren loves to water the plants.  Since she pitched a fit that I wouldn't refill my watering can, she threw it a few days prior, busting the spout.  I found her one at Wal-Mart more her size, so I gave it to her...and kept filling and refilling and refilling...but she was happy!

April 8--Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island.  We LOVE Sullivan's Island!  This is where we stop at Poe's for an awesome burger (named after Edgar Allen Poe who served at Fort Moultrie on the island).  Lauren kept stealing Paul's Coke.

We went to the ocean...YES, the OCEAN in the beginning of April!  The water wasn't too cold at the edge of the ocean.  The wind was wicked, making it colder than it was.  Lauren and Paul had a blast playing in the waves.  I enjoyed watching from the sand.

BEWARE: blinding white legs in photo below!!  Yes, a rare photo of Lauren and me! 

Paul and Lauren wanted to build a castle.

Paul got carried away with the moat and pond...

Then Lauren stomped it down!  Go, Lauren-zilla!

April 9--I have been itching to visit an old plantation.  Paul and I researched and I figured Magnolia Plantation and Gardens would make me happy...however, it was steeped in history, but this was actually a summer home up the river that was moved at the end of the Civil War and had been added to...I was a little disappointed, but it was still fun!  This is the backside of the house.

Lauren was moody and didn't want to take picture.  This is what we got.  I tried coaxing her...

When I said, "Lauren, smile so we can send this to Grandma!" Lauren still ignored me, but a passer-by from Michigan didn't and really became invested in making Lauren look!  (She was a grandma herself.)  We got a tiny smile.

April 10--Paul wanted to hit the farmer's market as well as the old slave market in the French Quarter.  On our way in, Lauren spotted a pony...she's been dying to ride...so we let her!  She was thrilled!!

After our trip through the farmer's market and the slave market, we stopped to eat lunch.  On our way to another location, Lauren stated, "Mommy, I have to pee-pee!"  I looked around, not sure what to do or where to go.  I said, "Okay, honey, let me see!"  I kid you not--Lauren whipped down her pants and was trying to take off her diaper!!!!  Passers-by were in hysterics!  I prayed for the sidewalk to open up to swallow me...no luck. Paul laughed so hard.

Then we went to Battery Park to walk around.  This area is where the mansions are located, so Paul was camera crazy and took off for pictures.  Our mission was to see how many dogs we could pet...and Lauren had her fill!  Everyone kept stopping and saying, "Oh, she's so cute!"  A wedding party offered to include Lauren into their photos as we passed.  Had to laugh!

Mommy needed some "Chocolate Therapy" so we ended up at Ben and Jerry's for my favorite ice cream!  We got Lauren some concoction that had chocolate shaped cows in it!  However, she commandeered my cone...Paul made the executive decision that from now on, whatever Mommy gets, Lauren does too!

This frog is in some pictures from when my grandparents came last June and we made our first trip to Charleston.  I took a picture and sent it to Grandpa!  They had a great laugh!

"What?  I didn't steal Mommy's cone..."

I loved how blue her eyes were in this shot!

April 11-On our final day in Charleston, we went to Charles Towne Landing where the original settlers set up shop.  There was a lot of walking, but it was neat to see the history and where the town began.

This was part of the embankments that helped protect the area from attack.

Some super cool turtles lined up on a log...ready to swim!  There were 4, but if you look, you can see the water ripples where the 4th jumped in!

A smaller replica of the Adventure

An example of a garden

There was a house on the grounds from the owner who donated the land.  I think that the house is used for weddings.  Anyway, at the entrance, I turned around and saw these cannons...nothing like saying, "Welcome to my home!"  Maybe that was how historic solicitors were deterred...

April 16--We missed our Logan SO much that they came to visit.  Logan is enrolled in baseball and LOVES it, so they also came to show off his uniform.  Paul received a package from Justin as a congratulations on his new job (Paul starts at Conover Hardware on May 4).  Included were two bags of Troyer Farms Chips (our favorites from PA!).  Included in the box were a million foam peanuts...which ended up ALL over the floor!

Paul had a genius idea to have Logan put peanuts in his hat and drop on Lauren...and Paul did the same with his hat to Logan!

April 18--Lauren has taken a love to ladybugs.  She thought she'd pose for a nice picture for me!

Here is a rare and covetted smile!

April 21--I have NO idea why I took a picture of Lauren, where we were going, or why we were in the car, but she looked SO CUTE and was full of grins...had to take them when I can get them!

April 26--Our weather had turned a bit cooler, but Lauren insisted on wearing a T-shirt, her pool robe, and a pair of my heels around the house!  What an outfit!

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!

Dan Nicholas Park April 17

Our friend, Carrie, had come up with a BRILLIANT idea--let's do a friends and family day at the Asheboro Zoo!  However, in the end, only Suzy, Carrie, and I, plus our kids, ended up on the list!  Instead of the zoo, we opted for another new location--Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury, NC, about an hour away.  Carrie planned it all--including printing maps and figuring out a game plan for the day!  So we had a mommy's and baby's day!

Harris and Lauren "cheesing" while on the train.  I squeezed in there with these two...it was a tight fit!

Carrie's boy, Chatham (he and Cara are in the same class at Abernethy)

Cara and Suzy

Carrie and Chatham

Cara riding the world's fastest carosel!  Yikes!  We were all a little woozy after!

My boy, Harris

Mommy and Lauren

There is an unhealthy obsession with Cheerwine amongst the husbands Chris and Devin.  So the girls decided to show them what they were missing--Cheerwine Slushies!  I even partook of a slushie and actually found it yummy!  (Harris drank mine, too.)

Lauren LOVES slides!

Harris was a little more hesitant...until I took him down!

Cara has no fear.

Moody like Mommy!

We found another slide--for two!

Aunt Suzy giving Lauren some love!

Suzy asked some random people to get our picture.  We had a blast!

Lauren said she was going to visit Papa!

The park had a mini-aquarium.  The kids LOVED the fish!

We stuck the girls together to go through the "petting" zoo (which posted signs that the animals may bite).

On the return trip home, all 4 of the kids napped.  I would have, too, but Harris woke up and kept me occupied.  This was probably the most favorite part of the trip for me--snuggling with my kids!