10 day Catch-up!

What a whirlwind it has been around here (and elsewhere) in the past 10 days or so!! First, let me just say our basement is AMAZING. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it and have no idea ho we were living in such close quarters before!!!! Dave finished the basement last Friday, just as my Uncle Johnny was arriving to put the carpet down.

Jordan and Carter and I spent Friday (the 19th of June) running around like mad-people trying to prepare for Dave's party! We hit Nick's, The post office, and various other party-preparing places. Poor Jordan said to me at least 20 times "I want to go home. I want to play. I don't want to run earrings (she means errands, but always pronounces it this way)" SOOOOO my Mommy guilt kicked into full force, and next thing you know we were at CHUCK-E-CHEESE!

Apparently this was also on the agenda of EVERY DAYCARE CENTER in Charles County. So, after 2 hours of pizza, root beer, and games/rides, we left with smiles and full bellies and headed to conquor the rest of our errands. (Which were all places I could run into with the car running, picking up tables, borrowing things from my parents house, etc. and Jordan and Carter slept the ENTIRE 3 hours from when we left Chuck-E-Cheese to when we got home.)

When we got home the carpet was done (pause for a heavenly sounding: haaaaaaah) and it looked MAGNIFICENT!!! Jordan immediately started moving in to her "new room." One puzzle at a time, until our floor was quickly covered in hundereds of puzzle pieces and lots of work to do for later. We then realized that Jordan really thought that this was her new room. We tried explaining that we were getting ready to put a couch and tv down there so that we could all use it. Boy was she excited that she'd have a couch and TV for when her friends visit, HER ROOM. Anyways, eventually she got the idea, but it was a hairy hour or two.

Saturday went great, good friends and family, good food, lots of "oohs" and "aahs" over the basement (which from this point forward will be called the living room.) Jordan played with her little friends who came, and of course her Aunt Eileen and her Uncle Mac and Uncle Paul.

On to Sunday, Father's Day. Oops. That one went without notice, but Dave was so busy it would've been impossible to plan something. Jordan and I made a big breakfast of Pancakes, bacon and eggs, and Uncle Mac walked in just as we were finishing up. Then Dave and Mac headed out to the Storage unit to empty it out.

The rest of the week (Monday-Weds.) is a blur of furniture rearranging, on all 3 floors, playdates and packing.

Then, Thursday Morning bright and early (no, really, bright and early. 4:00am) we were up and all piled into Mac's truck to head to NC. Mac really loves his niece and nephew. I know this because he volunteered his pristine white truck for the trip...even I cringe at loading our vehicles for that drive...its never pretty. We made it down th NC by early afternoon, no harm to the truck. Jordan and Carter WOWED Poppy and Nana with their new tricks (you know, songs, blowing raspberries, Carter's size alone is amazing, LOL!) And of course there were presents! Jordan got a Barbie and a My Little Pony (which was actually pretty huge) and some coloring books with a special marker. She also got some beautiful dresses! She was immediately busy with her prizes. They always know EXACTLY what to get her :-) Carter got some ADORABLE clothes and some toys that have tiny wheels and roll across the floor...he was in love!

A few hours later, Pop and Kay (Cathey's (aka Nana's) Father and his wife) arrived for a cookout. Jordan INSISTED upon going along to pick up MawMaw (Dave's grandmother, David Sr's mother) She had actually been reminding us for days "Now 'member, I get to go pick up MawMaw with you guys." Then Aunt Penny arrived (Dave's aunt, David Sr's sister) along with her son Trey, and grandkids: Owen and Emma. It was ADORABLE to see how they got along immediately. They ran for at least 95% of the time they were all there (stopping only for a few minutes to eat a bit) Jordan had a BLAST with her cousins. Later Melissa (Penny's daughter, mom to O and E) arrived with her boyfriend. It was a great little cookout.

The next daywe went to IKEA in the morning. This is a favorite in our little family. Jordan gets just as excited as Dave and I. She loves furniture so much. Its strange, I know. It was Poppy and Nana's first time at IKEA, and we're hoping to have started an addiction, much like the one Dave and I have for the place!!

Later that night Dave's Uncle Harry arrived with his wife, 2 step sons and daughter Wendy. I hadn't yet met Wendy, and Dave and Mac hadn't seen her for 10 years or so. We had alot of fun with them. We went to a "Fish Camp." Jordan loved it and ate the fried fish like it was candy. Then on the way out Daddy let her buy 5 pieces of candy. He's so wrapped. We continued on to a mini-festival type deal in downtown Gastonia. Lots of music and dancing, which both Jordan and Carter LOVED. Jordan got a tattoo on her arm of Tinkerbell. This was her second choice, Daddy told her no to her first one, a playboy bunny. Yikes! At aroune 8:30 the meltdowns began with both children, so we had to call it a night kind of early.

The next day the boys had some guy time, and Jordan, Carter (who is not quite big enough for guy time yet...poor thing) Mommy and NaNa went shopping :-) Another favorite past-time of ours! Jordan had made it clear the day before though, that she WAS going to "Blacks" for lunch. So the guys came and picked her up.

Blacks Barbecue is a very small barbecue place (for those of you in SOMD, it makes me think of Twin-Kiss) They specialize in this GOD-AWEFUL mixture of cole-slaw and barbecue sauce or something that makes the slaw pink. (sorry, I know someone is going to get mad at that comment). Jordan actually likes it, almost as much as her Daddy, Poppy and Uncle Mac, so she wasn't going to allow us to leave her out of that! That evening everyone was over again (minus Owen and Emma) Jordan had lots of fun. I think the highlight of her night though, as she is still talking about it, is when she tried to get Dave's cousin Trey (who is in his early 30's) to do a tumble. He told her he could do it while holding his beer. So, she ran inside, got her cup of juice and showed him that while he talked about doing a tumble while holding his drink, she could in fact do the tumbe while holding hers!

We packed up and left just as early Sunday morning to head home, as we had Thursday morning to head down there. The car ride home was slightly less enjoyable, but still the truck survived. Since then, this week has again been a blur of un-packing, re-decorating, and playdates but we're doing well.

Today Grandma "Lucy" is coming over to visit for a little while (this is Dave's mom and we have NO CLUE why Jordan calls her that). Then we are having a pj and movie party with the Springle Family (minus Daddy Springle who has to work), so I WILL be on here and blogging about all of that tomorrow.

Sorry its so much to read, and I'm sure some GREAT stories are missing, but I wanted to catch everyone up quickly so that I could resume my blogging.