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.

Sunday Afternoons

Sunday Afternoons are my favorite...well Sunday afternoons and Thursday afternoons. Anyway, we had another great Sunday afternoon. Eric is home, which always makes things better and we didn't have much to do. So, we enjoyed fun at home, in the pool (baby pool) and time outside. So here are a few highlights of the day! I also threw in a few bath shots. She likes putting "hats" on her head...one is the frog that hold's her bath toys and the other is her "potty cushion". Nice.

CRAZY DAYS

I wanted to update my blog w/ some new pics of "The Squirrel"...but Eric has our camera (w/ the pictures) and he is in L.A. So...I figured I would go w/ the next best thing...pictures Nana took when she last came to visit. It is sad when your most up to date pictures of your sweet baby are pics you didn't take. I am really trying to do this blog justice. But I can only begin about how busy things have been. I have been doing some traveling w/ work and Eric does TONS of traveling for work and it seems like the hamster wheel doesn't stop. I did stay home on Thursday so that I could spend some quality time with Miles and Hannah and Ella (my brother's kids). They came down to spend the day and it was awesome to see them both. I truly love all my girls...I have 4 neices (Halle, Hannah, Keira and Ella) and then of course Miles. There is something so very sweet about having all these little girls in my life. It makes me equally sad that I don't get to see Halle and Keira as much (they are in Baltimore w/ the rest of E's fam). I did take pictures of Thursday's adventures (pool, sprinkler, sand box, slide, extravaganza....) but those are in Mom's camera. Pathetic isn't it? These pictures are from a month ago. However, don't think you are missing much. Miles hasn't grown very much. She is still a very small 18 lbs. She is definitely growing taller...but she is a skinny thing. Her hair is getting more and more blonde every day...but other than that..these pictures look pretty current :). P.S. Miles did make it to a forward facing car seat. So big girl!

Papa and Nana Mac's Visit

This past weekend Papa and Nana Mac came to visit. The Squirrel loved seeing her "Mac" and "Nana". She had a big weekend filled with dips in the baby pool, wagon rides and porch water sports with Nana...despite the HEAT! Miles turned 16 months this weekend. She is about 50% for height and about 8% in weight. She eats good, I promise! She is just tiny. She is 18 lbs and we are just waiting for the day when she hits 20lbs, so she can finally sit in a forward facing car seat! Poor kid...she is going to start Day School in August (Tues and Weds) and she will be the only toddler still sitting in a baby carrier. She acts like a toddler, however. She is talking up a storm, repeating everything. She can pretty much tell you what she wants and doesn't want....what she likes and doesn't like. She loves to dance, read books, and be outside. She is so much fun to be around. My only complaint is that I don't get more time with her.