Saturday, March 22, 2008

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter to everyone, hope the easter bunny brings you lots of chocolate!!!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Math made fun

Sam received a ds for his birthday and he has been glued to it ever since. His fav game is star wars but two days I finally managed to get him to play brain training. He is now hooked and will willingly play the math training exercises! This can't be the same boy who thinks the whole subject was created just to make his life a misery. He wants to get his brain age down below 80 and I am sure that after a few days playing he will be able to. He doesn't look on it as doing math though and is actually keen to do the adding and subtracting. A huge thank you to the inventor of the game-now if I can just get him off of it long enough so that I can get my brain age down!!

The week started off in a very relaxing fashion I spent sunday with the girls (my antenatal class friends) at eden hall day spa to celebrate two 40th bdays and the fact that we have been friends for 8 years now. I had never been to a day spa before so didn't know to expect. It was absolute heaven, I can't remember when I have spent such a relaxed and chilled day. We did a few exercise classes, had a very yummy lunch and lounged by the pool and in the saunas. It was great to catch up with the girls, none of us could quite believe that it has been 7 years since we all sat uncomfortable and pregnant in jesca's living room. M and Sam seemed to have survived the day without me okay, think they spent the day working on their warhammer board and mouching around.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Separate but equally fun vacations

We are all back now having enjoyed two very different vacations. As you can see from the pics below M when to the arctic circle while sam and I went to florida. M went skiing with friends from work and by all accounts had a wonderful time. The photos show an amazing landscape and the stories he has to tell are very entertaining. He saw the northern lights which was quite a spectacle. He has said that the skiing was the best that he has ever experienced. This was very rugged skiing, they would ski up the mountain, often in virgin snow so that they could ski back down. It was very hard work by all accounts and M has the bruises to prove it!

Sam and I on the other hand had a much less taxing vacation in holt florida visiting my dad and stepmom. Holt is up in the panhandle, near pensacola, this part of florida is jokingly called lower alabama as it has a lot more in common with that state than it does central and southern florida. It is very rural and every second car was a pick up! Most of the houses are brick which you don't see in the rest of florida. In someways it reminded me very much of north carolina. It was wonderful to see dad and amy as we haven't seen them in almost two years. Sam was thrilled at getting to stay with grandpa and grandma for a week and when we weren't out doing things he and dad had fun just doing guy things like walking the dogs and messing with stuff. Dad had a bday party and invited my stepsister and her family as well as family friends whom I had not seen since we were all stationed in germany together. My childhood friends shawnee and tina were there and looked much like I remembered them, except that we are all now grown up! Tina has a 7 year old son, parker and he and sam had a ball. Together with sam's cousin hayden (5), the three were inseparable and spent the afternoon tumbling about like puppies. It was so nice to catch up with shawnee and tina, seems like just yesterday we were in grade school together. Sam really took to shanwee when he learned that she is a manager at target! His first words were "Can you get me a discount?"!! Thankfully she saw the funny side. Auntie C was able to come up and it was so good to see her and to catch up properly. She was only able to stay the weekend as she had to get back to work so it was a short but sweet visit.

Our week with dad went by very quickly-we went out on his friend joe's boat and were lucky enough to see dolphins, we went to the air force museum at eglin airforce base and the naval air museum at pensacola. The naval air museum was fantastic-fully of lots of shiny planes and fun things to do. If you ever get up to pensacola it is well worth a visit-www.navalaviationmuseum.org. We also did a bit of retail therapy-including three trips to target! If they ever open a store over here we will go bankrupt. Between target and the outlet mall sam and I managed to spend all of our bday money and have some nice things to show for it. He spent most of on lego (big shock I know) and games for his new DS lite. I bought some jewellery, clothes and books. Overall though the best part of the trip was being able to spend time with dad and amy-sam and I both enjoyed that the most. Thank you guys for a wonderful visit-we love you!!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

A very yummy birthday cake!


A very yummy birthday cake!
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
My little boy is now a grown up 7 year old and celebrated the day with a very yummy ice cream cake!

Taking the first bite!


Taking the first bite!
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
The boys dived for the chocolate covered strawberries as soon as sam blew out the candles!

A proud grandpa!


A proud grandpa!
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
Dad and Sam having a cuddle.

Hanging out with the blue angles

If you are ever in the panhandle do not miss the naval air museum, it is fantastic. It is fully of lots of pretty shiny planes, an Imax theater, a cool restaurant and what's more entry is free. Dad, Sam and I had a fun morning here but could easily have spent all day.

A boy's best friend


A boy's best friend
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
Dad's friend Joe took us out on his boat and sam and zeke the puppy were inseparable. Could be something to do with the fact that he kept feeding him corn chips!

A combined age of 80!


A combined age of 80!
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
Together C and I have a combined age of 80-yikees!!

Sam and Auntie C


Sam and Auntie C
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
Sam and Auntie C on our quick trip home to see my dad and stepmom.

Fresh tracks


Fresh tracks
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
This is what the mountain looked like after they all came down. M's tracks are on the right.

Amazing view


Amazing view
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
Just one of the amazing views that M saw on his trip. He had to ski up the mountain to see this, then skied back down to catch the boat back to the lodge.

Off out on an adventure


Off out on an adventure
Originally uploaded by mattamsam
M is just back from his skiing trip to the arctic circle and he had a ball. He went with a group of friends from work and they stayed in a brand new lodge near Tromso in Norway. Each day a boat took them out to ski up and then down the nearby mountains. He was lucky enough to see the northern lights. He has said it was the best skiing he has ever experienced.