The "Finnster, et al."

On Saturday the boys were up at 5:00 a.m.  They were so excited about their trip to Beech Bend.  We met Gran, Pa, Chelsea and James at the Hardees in Goodlettsville for breakfast.  Neither was terribly impressed by the cinnamon raisin biscuit - sacrilege! We got to the park about 10:30 and immediately started riding rides.  I think that both of my children will be "big time" theme park fans.  Finn, Sam and I rode "the boat" ride first.  They loved it.  Then we rode one of those circular, nauseating rides with uncle James, but every time James would try to spin our seats Sam would yell at him to stop. Next, Micheal and Finn rode the kiddie roller coaster. Then we found the bumper cars.  Sam couldn't make his go at all - so he basically sat there the entire time wedged between the wall and other cars. Next they rode the "obnoxious horn ride" (these are my own names for the rides.).  On this ride, the boys rode stationary motorcycles aro...

Well, it looks like both boys will be going to the main HCA campus in Hendersonville next year.  We got a call from Headmaster Slater informing us that the Gallatin campus is closing.  I was pretty sad because I love the teachers at the Gallatin campus.  Finn and Sam are so ecstatic to be going to the same school in the Fall.  Finn was pretty sad about leaving Sam behind.

The boys love having their pictures taken - especially if they can see themselves while the picture is being taken. Sam in the pool with Michael.  He has graduated to jumping off the side of the pool to me and then swimming to the side.  He swims underwater and can only go a short distance, but he is getting better.  If he determines that he can't make it to the side, he will turn a circle and swim back to me. Sam modeling the new "headlamp" that I will be taking on our next night hike to LeConte. The boys playing with their new bath "goo."  Gran took the boys to get a haircut at Giggles and let them make scary bath goo.  It had eyeballs and spiders in it.  The boys thought it was awesome!

This weekend Grandad came to help the boys build the Avenjet at the Lowes Build -N-Grow workshop.  For the last six weeks I have been renovating the house and have gone to Lowes more times that I care to admit.  Every time we walked into the building, Finn would beg to participate in this workshop. Once we got there the boys suited up. Then they started building.  It was a challenging little toy to build. The end result was pretty impressive.  We had a good day - made all the better by the angry Englishman standing directly across from us yelling at his kids while slapping them in the backs of their head and calling them "twats."  It was soooo uncomfortable.

On Tuesday we went over to Sharon and David's house for a "going away" dinner for Papa, Uncle David, Aunt Sharon and Henry.  We had taco salad, watched wrestling in the man cave and Michael bonded with Henry.

Bathroom humor or maybe I should say "potty words" are a staple in the Begley home.  Try as we might, we can't seem to make Sam and Finn understand that while bathroom humor may be funny, it is not always appropriate.  As a mother of boys, I was prepared for bathroom humor - I expected it. What I did not expect was just how nonchalantly little boys address bathroom issues in a serious setting.  For example: 1. On Sunday I took the boys to the pool.  Midway through our day I had to use the restroom so I made the boys get out of the pool and sit on the chairs until I got back.  Our pool area is rather large and always full of people.  When I was on the other side of the pool, Finn decided that he had a important question that could not wait - so he shouts from across the pool for all to hear, "MOM, DO YOU HAVE TO PEE OR POOP?"  I seriously considered leaving and never coming back.  2. Last night I spent hours in the boys' bathroom washing ...

This week Gran took the boys to VBS at Goodlettsville First Baptist.  Finn had a good deal of anxiety about going on Monday because he was worried that he wouldn't be in Sam's class.  Sam is such a source of comfort for Finn.  Anyway, the anxiety quickly dissipated once he realized that Gran and Pa would be helping with VBS.  They had a really good time.

This past week I was home with the boys on Thursday and Friday.  Both days the boys asked to go to the pool.  This was a big week swimming wise, because Finn is actually swimming on his own.  He swims under water - which is weird to me because I though that Finn hated putting his head under.  He doesn't get very far - especially when you look at all the energy he is expending. Sam has been less enthusiastic about swimming - I think it is because the water is so cold and the pool was pretty crowded when we went.  On Saturday, we made it to the pool by 9:00 a.m.  The boys basically had the entire pool to themselves.  Sam loved this.  I put his little float on and he swim back and forth across the pool for an hour. This is how Sam prefers to dry off.  He doesn't like any part of his body to be uncovered. I got to noticing the other day that Finn is starting to sit like an adult.  He even is sitting like this in his booster s...