Family VAY-KAY

What's out there?

Twister Fun

Twistin' with Keira "Keeze"

Fave pass time

Is that Nana behind me?

Pool time

Kate & The Girls

Miles & Keeze searching for shells

Daddy and Papa Mac's golf outing

Bunking with Keeze

Ladies....

Rainy day crafts

***THE MCGREGOR FAMILY NEEDED SOME FAMILY TIME TOGETHER. SO WE ATTEMPTED A FUN FILLED (LAST MINUTE) FAMILY VACATION IN THE OUTER BANKS LAST WEEK. WE SECURED A PLACE LAST MINUTE, TOOK TIME OFF WORK, CHECKED THE WEATHER (LOOKED GOOD) AND SET OUT FOR AN 8 1/2 HOUR DRIVE, MINUS ALL THE STOPS AND BREAKS NECESSARY WITH A DOG AND A 20 MONTH OLD.

SO, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING....WE SHOW UP AT THE RENTAL HOME...NOT PLEASED. WE SPEND SUNDAY TRYING TO SECURE ANOTHER PLACE, KNOWING WE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE FIRST HOUSE. THAT IS HOW UNSATISFIED WE WERE. WE SECURE ANOTHER (AWESOME) HOUSE FOR AN (AWESOME) FEE, AND WE LEARN THAT WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE A DAY EARLIER THAN PLANNED. BUMMER. HOWEVER, WE WEREN'T GOING TO LET THAT STOP US FROM HAVING A FUN FILLED FAMILY VACATION.

WE ARRIVE AT THE NEW RENTAL. VERY NICE, WITH ALL THE STUFF WE WANTED, HEATED POOL, BIKES, HOT TUB, BEACH ACCESS AND SPACE (WE HAD FAMILY JOINING US MID WEEK) AND STUFF TO DO AROUND THE HOUSE. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND HOURS ON THE BEACH AND DO THAT ONLY...I KNEW WITH A TODDLER THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO WE FELT LIKE THINGS WERE GETTING BACK ON TRACK. WE HAD A NICE FIRST DAY AND THEN THE WINDS CAME. TROPICAL STORM-ESQUE WINDS. NO JOKE. WE TOOK THE SQUIRREL TO THE BEACH ONE TIME AT THE FIRST OF THE WEEK AND ONLY LASTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES. IT WASN'T FUN AND THE WIND WAS THREATENING TO BLOW HER AWAY. SO THIS CONTINUES. AND CONTINUES. THE HIGHLIGHT WAS WHEN CARA, SCOTT (IN-lAWS), KATE (SISTER-IN-LAW) AND "THE GIRLS" (MY NIECES HALLE AND KEIRA) ARRIVED. AGAIN THE WEATHER..NO GOOD.

HOWEVER, FRIDAY THE SUN CAME OUT AND THE WINDS SUBSIDED. WE MADE A TRIP TO THE BEACH WITH THE GIRLS, PLAYED IN THE POOL AND FEASTED ON LOCAL SEAFOOD AT THE HOUSE. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR IT.

IT IS TRULY EASY TO BE AGGRAVATED BY THE LIMITATIONS OF THE INTERNET (CAN'T REALLY TELL WHAT YOU ARE RENTING) AND (THE WEATHER CHANNEL PREDICTED A BEAUTIFUL WEEK PRIOR TO OUR DEPARTURE). BUT YOU GET OVER WHAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL AND YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU WERE GIVEN.

WE ARE BACK HOME AND GLAD. ERIC AND I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. WE WILL NOW PLAN OUR VACATIONS VERY CAREFULLY AND IN ADVANCE. AND WE WILL NEVER RENT A BEACH HOUSE IN HURRICANE SEASON (REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WEATHER CHANNEL SAYS) AGAIN.

Baltimore trip&First day at school

THE GIRLS!


JUST A SWINGIN!


WEEEE!


I WAS RUNNING.....


HMMMM!


HALLE & AUNT KIKI


KEEZIE & MILES


SHE DIDN'T GET THIS FROM MOM.

GIRLS AT THE AQUARIUM

MOM & MILES AT THE AQUARIUM

MOM & MILES AT PAPA MAC's BALL GAME

NANA, KEIRA, HALLE, MELINDA, MILES & ME

I COULD NOT REFUSE! She likes to play in my drawers and I guess appreciates good support as well.

MILES CHECKING IT ALL OUT!

MILES CHECKING MAC OUT!

MILES WATCHING HER TEACHER KATHERINE!

MOMMY & MILES

MILES ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL! GUS IS THRILLED!

MILES STARTING THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL OFF RIGHT!

Miles has had a big couple of weeks. Miles and I took a trip to Baltimore to see Nana and Papa Mac! They were keeping Keira and Halle while Kate and Jer were out of the country. So we were able to catch up with the girls and Miles was able to play with her cousins. We were able to see family and family friends, went to the Baltimore Aquarium w/ Uncle Mike, and took in a ballgame to watch Papa Mac coach the IronBirds. It was great, as always, to see the family and catch up with Halle and Keira. It is incredible how fast children grow and it makes me sad that I don't see them more often.

Then the next week, after our return from Baltimore, Miles started "school"! She has had a lot going on these past few weeks and seems to be growing by leaps and bounds....no joke. She is starting to speak in fragmented sentences, getting used to playing w/ friends and has woken up a few nights in a row b/c she was hungry. So she is physically growing as well! It's about time.

OK! I felt guilty not adding even one shot of the Squirrel at school. Here is one of the few shots (on my computer) of Miles on her "practice day" at school. I love this pic, it totally sums up that day in a nut shell. Me looking on in amazement and the Squirrel running dizzy around the room from one thing to another. She has already met some friends that have made an impression..."Mac" and "Evie" and she seems to really like her teachers "Catrin" (Catherine) and "Re" (Marie). We feel great about her school. She will be going to First Baptist in Greenville from 9am-2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They study the "Reggio" method....whatever all that means. It seems very discovery oriented and focused on learning to love learning and sharing with friends. The Squirrel will thrive here...I have no doubts. P.S. When Eric gets home from his trip I will send over some more pics/videos of her first day of school.

Moment of time

I am sitting in a Panera Bread over lunch preparing for the rest of my work day when I decided to check out some blogs of friends and family. This got me thinking that I don't even take time to update my own blog. Ironic. But it is a busy life. I have chosen to have a career, have a child and to try and remain somewhat involved with my friends and the community. When Eric is home, he is of much help, but he travels and that means his help is limited. Enter my mother....selfless in every way. I sometimes worry that I take advantage of her services. She quite literally raises Miles during the day. She has made it possible for Eric and I both to continue our careers and feel good about the care and attention she is getting when we aren't there. It takes a village people...it truly does. I worry, sometimes, that I have made the wrong decision to continue working with a toddler. I sometimes question if Eric will regret traveling so much during her early years. But at the end of the day, Miles is incredibly smart, social and above all happy. There is no doubt that she knows she is loved. She has "Mimi" and "Papa" during the day, a few days a week she goes to "school" for a few hours to play and learn with friends, and then every other minute of the day and weekend Eric and I work hard to be very present when we are with her. It isn't easy and it isn't perfect. But it is good and with that, I am going to get back to work. College is expensive you know! P.S. Next blog...nothing to do with me, just pics of the Squirrel and her first day of school. Stay Tuned.