Itty Bitty Beach Party

On Friday night, the DeVaults went to SAS for the Itty Bitty Beach Party.  The Recreation and Fitness Center threw this party that was open to parents with children 4 or under.  There were about 50 people at the party.  It was held at the pool at SAS.  There were plenty of activities for the boys to do.  There was a beach bucket toss, sidewalk chalk, as well as general fun play in the pool.  The boys played outside with the sidewalk chalk and the beach bucket toss with their friend Clayton Hughston.  Now to be fair, they didn't really try to throw the bean bags into the sand buckets.  It was more of putting the sidewalk chalk into the buckets.  So, they were actually combining the two activities.  After they had enough time outside, they went inside and played in the pool.  The boys really enjoyed finding the balls, including footballs, soccer balls, and basketballs, all over the pool.  They also shared a tube and enjoyed doing laps in the pools on top of the innertube.  At the end, the boys were very tired, but didn't want to get out of the pool, especially Jack.  All in all, the boys had a great time at their first Itty Bitty Beach Party.  Here are a couple of pictures from the festivities.

Jack picks up all of the buckets at the Beach Bucket toss while Clayton picks up the bean bags.

Mark shows how to pick up the chalk and put it into a bucket.

The happy family in the pool.

Mark looking spent but content upon leaving the pool.

Father's Day 2011

This past Sunday was my second Father's Day.  We had a great morning as we attended church.  Then, we went to Moe's for lunch.  We had a good afternoon (although the boys didn't really sleep much).  We played with the boys, as well as going up to see Grandpa to give him his Father's Day cards.  The only way the day could have been better would be if we could have been with Poppy as well. 

I am so lucky to have two such great boys as Jack and Mark as my sons.  They are truly a gift from God and I am pretty amazed at how much they have grown and how much they have learned through the past 23 months.  I am looking forward to their 2nd birthday. 

Thanks boys for everything you have added to my life.

I love you all!

Each boy gave me a #1 Dad cookie.  I must be doing something right.

Jack and Mark with Daddy and Grandpa.

Daddy with his two boys.

NC Zoo

On Saturday morning, we got up early in the morning and drove down to the North Carolina Zoo, located in Asheboro.  Granna and Grandpa went with us.  The boys, who still aren't really into watching TV, lately have really enjoyed watching two things:

1.  "Ball" - anything that has a ball in it.  So we have been watching soccer, basketball, football, and tennis lately.
2.  "The Crocodile Hunter".  They love watching Steve Irwin finding animals all over the year.

With their love of seeing animals, going to the zoo was a no-brainer.  Unfortunately, we had tried to do this several times earlier in the year but something had always come up.  But Saturday everything was a green light.  So we drove down to Asheboro and arrived around 9:10, which was good as the zoo opened up at 9.  We wanted to get there before the heat and the large Saturday crowd arrived.

The first animals we saw were giraffes, ostriches, and zebras.  The boys absolutely loved it.  We could get up to about 10 feet from them.  They were pointing and talking to the animals.  It was so cute.  Then, we wandered over to see the elephant.  Although we basically saw the elephant's backside, it was cool to see them watch how much straw the elephant was eating.  Next up we saw a rhinoceros.  We saw him do number 2.  Good thing we were not too close to that as I bet it would have been real smelly.

The next animals we saw were a plethora of baboons.  One of the baboons was born in December.  We saw his mother pull him around by his tail.  It was really cute to see.  We could get real close to the baboons.  The boys were real excited seeing them.  When they left the area we were standing at, Mark waved at them and said "Bye-Bye." 

The last major animal we saw was a female lion.  Unfortunately for us, she was sleeping.  Still, the boys liked watching her breath and sleep. 

All in all, the boys had a really good time, although in another year or so, they will have even more fun at the zoo.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Africa, here we come!

Jack and Mark point out where the giraffes, zebras, and ostriches are.

An ostrich and zebra coexist peacefully.

Giraffes munch on some leaves while a zebra hangs out in the shade.

Mark pointing out where the elephant is.  "Hey big guy, I am sitting on a bronze elephant.  Cool!" - Mark

A mother pulls her newborn away from the water bucket.

The happy family at the end of the zoo visit.

Friday Night Dinner

First of all, we must apologize that it has been so long since we last blogged. We had to post the quick video for you yesterday, because we knew our loyal blog followers were probably on the edge of their seats waiting for a new post.

The week after we got back from Hilton Head, Mark got sick. He had a fever of 102+ for about four days. Poor little guy didn't feel good at all. He wasn't eating and just didn't feel good at all. He was totally not his normal self. We first took him to the doctor on Thursday with a high fever and they indicated that he had a really red, sore throat, but suggested that we just treat it with Advil. By Saturday afternoon, the day that we took the boys to the gym, he seemed to be getting worse. We then went to a pediatric urgent care and he was diagnosed with tonsilitis. We were given a prescription for an antibiotic and by Monday he was doing a lot better. He returned to school on Tuesday.

So, come Friday, we were ready to celebrate that everyone was healthy in our family and back to normal. (let me tell you, you really notice the added work of twins when one of them in sick! -- we were up lots at night with Mark, but had to keep up with Jack who was full of energy during the day, while giving Mark the extra attention that he needed while being sick!). Friday, we celebrated Jack and Mark's 23 month birthday and the kickoff to Father's Day weekend. I cooked one of Craig and my Dad's favorite meals for dinner. We had a very yummy shrimp pasta dish for dinner. Since the weather was so nice, we decided to take advantage and enjoy a meal on our screened in porch. It was so nice.

Bathroom funnies

Here is a video of the boys during bath time.  They are playing with a basketball hoop and whatever the two of them are doing, they are having a very good time.  This is a cute video.  Enjoy.

My Gym

Yesterday, we took the boys to a My Gym.  This is a play area for little kids.  This is the place where the boys are going to have their birthday party at next month.  One of the perks to having the birthday party there is that we can take the boys to the gym on one Saturday morning before their birthday.  We went yesterday.  There was a class that we joined from 10:15 to 11:15.  The class usually has at least six children, but there were only two girls there for the class.  After some free play time, the owner of the gym had some circle time where everyone sang and played and had a good time.  Then we had some more free time where the boys played with some soccer and kick balls, as well as jumping on the trampoline and climbing into a ball pit.  They also had some of those big ergonomic balls that the boys would carry around the room.  The boys had a good time, especially Jack.  Mark had gotten up real early in the morning and was ready to go with about 5-10 minutes left.  But they both had a good time and are looking forward to coming back for their birthday party.  Here are a couple of pictures from the gym:

This is how you dunk the ball Jack!  - Mark

Mark, I love swinging as much as you do.  - Jack

Wow, I know you are strong, but where are you going to put that ball?  Not where I am. -Mark

Mommy, I found out Jack has been hiding.  - Mark

Vacation time to Hilton Head Island

This past week we were in Hilton Head with Mimi, Poppy, Aunt Janet, Uncle Jarett, Kate, and Macy.  We all had a great time.  We rented a house on the second row from the Atlantic Ocean.  We all went down last Saturday.  Impressively, we all showed up within 15 minutes of each other.  After unpacking and ordering pizza, we all settled down for the night. 

The next day, we all went to the beach.  Mark and Jack hadn't been back to the beach since last September so we were interested to see how they did on the beach.  Kate really enjoys the beach.  And so does Mark.  Anywhere Kate went, Mark wanted to go.  Jack was a little more cautious.  He played up on the sand mainly and wouldn't get too close to the water.  We went out for some good seafood that night.

This was our basic daily plan.  Beach in the morning, come home for lunch, followed by naps for the kids, and then some relaxation time.  Dinner was at the end of the day, and then a relaxing evening.

We did have one day that had a change of plan.  On Tuesday, the boys did not go to the beach, but to Sea Pines (home of Harbour Town Golf Links, which is the host course for the PGA Tour's Heritage Classic).  We played on the playground they had.  The boys went to the swings and had a really good time.  The reason we didn't go to the beach on Tuesday was that on Monday, both boys got some sunscreen in their eyes and it started hurting.  Their eyes started watering, getty puffy and read and they were having issues keeping them open.  They were both in pain.  We wound up taking them to the ER (as it was Memorial Day) and they had to flush their eyes out and give them numbing drops to stop the burning.  Within a couple of hours, the boys were doing fine back at the house.

For the rest of the week, the boys loved the beach, especially Mark.  On Friday, Mark even walked into the ocean where the water was up to his ankles and then sat down.  He absolutely loved it.  Jack wound up having a good time at the beach as well. 

But most importantly, Jack and Mark spent a whole week with Kate and Macy.  The cousins all got along great.  Kate enjoyed playing with the boys and vice versa.  Macy liked playing with the boys as well as their toys.  It was a lot of fun had by all. 

Here are some pictures from the week:

Kate reads a book to Uncle Craig and Mark.

The four grandkids at the beach.

Mimi and Poppy walk with Mark back to the house from the beach.

Kate plays with Macy in the ocean.

Macy looks around but can't find her legs.  She is wondering what happened to them.

Am I prettier than the Little Mermaid?  I think so.  - Kate

The grandkids in the bathtub in Mimi and Poppy's bathroom.

The boys playing with some sand toys on the beach.

The family portrait, and most likely, Mimi and Poppy's Christmas card this year.

Macy, Uncle Jarett, Kate, Aunt Janet, Mimi, Poppy, Jack, Mommy, Mark, and Daddy