A Day at the Downtown Mall

May 5th, Lance and Jude and I decided to take the day and have some fun. We spent the morning just hanging out and then went out to lunch with George. He's doing his Geriatric rotation and his schedule isn't as rigorous as other units and he got an hour for lunch that day. We went to Chipotle and had a lot of fun, partly because it's always fun to be together, but also because George was wearing his med coat and some random man came up and started in on this 10 minute, one-sided conversation about UVa's hospital, his motorcycle accident and subsequent coma and recovery. George was so nice--he just kept smiling and nodding and asking little questions here and there. This is happening more and more. When people see you wearing a white lab coat, they assume you know everything there is to know about medicine and will start asking questions or dishing sometimes really personal medical information about themselves. Oh, the things we have to look forward to!

After we dropped George back off at the hospital, the boys and I went to the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. It's this great stretch of stores and restaurants that truly is a tribute to the unique culture and air of Charlottesville. It's an open, cobble-stoned area with an arena on one end where on any given Friday a band is playing for free. It's always a treat to visit, especially since they have a children's museum right there!

Lance has been after me to take him to the little children's museum, so we decided that was the plan for the afternoon. It's a great place packed full of hands-on learning and displays.

Jude was happy just to be out of his carrier and sitting up in the big boy stroller. Precious baby.

Mirrors.

Lance loves climbing up the ladder to the loft inside an authentic log cabin.

Bees! In the back they have a collection that is constantly changing. This month's theme is light and colors. However, the one thing that doesn't change is the bee display. They have this large bee hive available to watch with a pipe that leads to the outside for the bees to go about their business. It's always an interesting experience to watch the bees. You're fascinated and a little grossed out at the same time. So many stingy things!

Look at those bees!

Right outside the door of the museum, there is a restored, authentic carousel. It's man-powered (meaning Mommy pushes) but can get up a lot of speed!

See what I mean about not looking at the camera? Even when he's "looking", he's really not. What a stinker. :)

After riding the carousel, we walked down to a place called Splendora's and got the tastiest gelato I've ever had. It was so nice to be out on a beautiful day with my boys, just having a good time.

That night, we had dinner as a family when George came home and I put the boys to bed. Bath time is a lot of fun now, because Lance likes to help bathe Jude. He's a good big brother!

Just another day in paradise!

Daily Happenings

In an effort to keep myself up-to-date in our lives, here is a quick re-cap of what's been going on this month...

My sister, Amy, celebrated her 25th Birthday on May 2nd (her birthday being on the 3rd). It was a great time with our family. Not one to be left out of the fun, Lance convinced me it was a good idea for him to have his own little candle to blow out at the end of the Birthday song. You can tell how pleased he is. I'm glad I could do something so small, but make him so happy.

Also of note on May 2nd, Jude's first two teeth broke through the gums! On the day he turned 4 months old! I still can't believe my little baby has teeth. George's dad has been telling us for weeks that he was teething and we just laughed at him. We need to listen to PopPop more often! The teething process hasn't been too bad, just a whole lot of drool (and I'm talking "soaked clothes down to his belly button/I can't believe you're not dehydrated" drool) and wanting to put everything including other people's fingers in his mouth. Good job, Jude! Way to be an overachiever! He is also learning how to roll over and has done so a few times. :) He's just like Lance was--always moving and wanting to be older from the start.

Lance discovered sidewalk chalk and we've had a blast drawing pictures on our road out front. We live at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac so there wasn't any danger of cars. We drew a lot of tanks and in the picture above, Lance is drawing a baby scorpion inside the mommy scorpion he had me draw. He's really into scorpions, for some reason.

George got into the action when he came home from his hospital rotation for the day. He's showing Lance how to draw this ugly man he would always draw on the chalkboard in High School. Ah, the memories. I love Jude's little face peeking over George's shoulder.

Lance has brought this set of puppies with him everywhere he's gone this month--even inside stores and in my diaper bag at Church. (He couldn't play with the puppies, but he wanted them inside anyway.) He requested this picture to be taken... which is a pretty big deal for Lance who absolutely despises pictures and subsequently will not look at the camera ever! Lance is always talking about the things he'll build for his puppies--you know, the real ones he'll get someday--like his puppy plane, and his puppy house. I've been commissioned to sew puppy blankets and so far we have the material and the stuffing. The only thing lacking is the time. Isn't that always the case?

A hornet? So, over the past few weeks I've watched this mother hornet build this nest on the door jam of our shed. A rather precarious place, if you ask me, but it seems to work. For those of you who have seen our house, you know that our shed houses our clothes dryer and must be accessed routinely. George thinks I'm crazy, but for some reason I can't bring myself to kill the hornet and destroy the nest. Maybe it's the mother in me--watching how this hornet has carefully built the nest for her babies day by day and then guards them constantly. She is always there, always watching. Whenever I go inside the shed, she turns and watches me with spread wings (I guess to warn me off?). I haven't been attacked, just watched. I have to admit I'm nervous going into the shed, but I still can't stomach the idea of destroying this little mother and her babies. Am I crazy? Probably.

Date Night

April 30th George and I went on our first date when someone other than family was watching the boys. We usually leave them with either set of grandparents and the occasional aunt or uncle if we go anywhere and we usually don't even do that. I can't remember the last time we actually went on a date.

So, at the prodding of my friend Catalina, we dropped the boys off at her house and were off. Pizza for dinner at Christian's (a Charlottesville favorite) and then on to the Downtown Mall theater to see, appropriately, "Date Night".



It was probably the most hysterical movie I've seen in a long time. The premise of the movie is this regular married couple with kids are stuck in the everyday ho-hum routine. Their friends are getting a divorce because they've become "just good roommates" and it makes them worried about their own relationship. In an attempt to spice things up, they go out on the town for an expensive date night. They are mistaken for another couple that's tangled up in mob business and it's just downhill from there. In between running from mobsters and dancing in bars, they have a chance to examine their relationship and why they fell in love. I didn't stop laughing from start to finish. It's PG-13 for a reason, but anyone who is married with children will immediately relate to this couple and appreciate [most of] the humor.

After the movie, we ate gelato from Splendora's (also a Charlottesville special) while we walked around the Downtown Mall and then hurried back to pick up the boys. They had a wonderful time and Lance was upset we were leaving.

It was a great night. We really need to do this more often.

Jude's Blessing Day

April 25, 2010--Jude's Blessing Day.

We finally blessed Jude! We had a hard time figuring out when everyone would be able to make it, so we decided to bless Jude at my mom's house up in Ashburn.

Proud parents!

It was a beautiful blessing given by George. George, Uncle Rob, and Glenn were able to stand in the circle. I thought a lot about my dad that day and wished with all my heart he could have been there, helping to bless my little baby. I miss him so much, especially at times like this. I'm so grateful for the Gospel and the truths it teaches. I know my dad is aware of me and my family and that one day I'll get to see him again. I can't wait!

Uncle Rob, Glenn, George, Jude, and George :)

A lot of our family was able to attended. Besides my mom and Glenn, Jason, Laura, and Amy, George's parents came and so did his sister Jen and her daughter Callie. Allen was there and so was Der. Aunt Linda and Uncle Rob and their daughters Kailey and Bethany were also there. It was so fun to be with so much family and share this special day.

The Allred side of the family

After the blessing, we had a wonderful lunch of BBQ pork, fruit, and pies. It was nice to just sit around and enjoy the company of family.

The Glass side of the family

Jude, you are such a blessing to our family. Thanks for being ours. We love you so much!

Busch Gardens and a Bottle

To celebrate George finishing his Boards, Step 1 (and because we won't have another chance to do this for about the next two years due to George being in his hospital rotations 24/7) we decided to go to Busch Gardens--just the two of us!

So, April 24th we left Lance with his dad and Jude with my mom and jumped in the car for the three hour drive to Williamsburg. I was nervous. Not to ride rollercoasters with my husband... I had been looking forward to this for months. I was nervous because this was the first time I would be away from Jude for more than 3 hours and he had not successfully taken a bottle. In my mind, my little boy would be starving all day and my poor mother would have to endure a screaming baby for more than 12 hours. "She's raised 6 kids, she can handle it." I kept telling myself this to keep the guilt at bay. It mostly worked and we were on our way to a fun day!

In front of Apollo's Chariot

It would have been fairly empty at the park, but we just so happened to go during a High School Music Festival and the park was crawling with "kids". George and I kept looking at them and wondering if we really looked that young or were really that immature when we were in High School. It was fun to walk past the hoards and listen to their conversations. They probably felt the same way we did when we were 16--all grown up with real relationships and real problems and feeling like the world was about to come to an end every other day.

Get your Griff on!

Brisket and ribs...yum!

The day was really overcast and cold, but that didn't stop us from riding all the major rides twice. It was crowded, thanks to all the kiddies, so we went ahead and spent a "few" extra dollars to get the "Quick Q" passes. It was awesome! We'd jump in line, be ushered to the very front and get right on the ride. Totally worth it! At the end, George convinced me to ride the Roman Rapids, reassuring me that I wouldn't get wet and that the waterfalls were off. Trusting my husband, I bravely climbed aboard the raft that was bobbing precariously in the water. I could see little splashes crest the sides and the seat where I was headed looked soaked. Hmmm. As I positioned myself and buckled the seat belt, George turned to me and said, "Oh, you will get wet. And the waterfalls are on." Thanks. I don't feel too bad about it, though, because not only did George hit every single waterfall (as usual), we got to share the raft with three High School girls that squealed and screamed and complained about the water the entire way. Totally worth it.

Where the horses are kept. Appropriate name. :)

Even though it was crowded, it was fun to be there with all the High Schoolers because it brought back fun memories from our High School days. George and I dated off and on through HS--he asked me out our Freshman year right before Christmas and then I called it off in April because "I'm not supposed to date anyone until I'm 16." We hadn't even held hands. All we really did was eat lunch together and sit next to each other in class. I remember the butterflies I would get when he would look at me and my racing heart every time I saw him in the hallway. Even after we "broke up" we still hung out still liked each other.

Our Sophomore year, we went on a Musical Festival in the spring and went to VA Beach for our competitions. We had a great time seeing Phantom of the Opera and playing on the beach. On the way home, the bus stopped at Busch Gardens for a fun day with all our friends. How appropriate that we happened to come more than 10 years later on the one day all the High School band kids would be there.

So, our Busch Garden story--that year (our Sophomore year) I had just turned 16 years old. We were there riding the rides together with our other friends and having a great time. It was the first time I had been to this park and it was awesome! George and I separated from the group near the end of the day and went to ride "Escape from Pompeii". As we got on the ride, George turned me to me and said:

"You're awesome. I love you. Will you go out with me?"

I actually laughed out loud. It was just so cute. And, of course, I was happy. George saw me laughing and thought I was laughing at him. He dejectedly scooted over on the bench and looked really depressed. I laughed again, hugged him, and said, "Yes! Of course I'll go out with you."

We got wet on that ride, so we went to a shop and bought matching sweatshirts and then had to run to make it to our awards ceremony. The bus ride home was nice because we held hands (for like, the first time ever) and just talked. Perfect.

"Escape..." back in time

We had a great time! Oh, and my mom survived with Jude. He took a bottle no problem for her (something I haven't been able to repeat since) and spent the day running errands and playing with his grandma.

Busch Gardens has got to be one of my favorite places. I'm so glad George and I got to go together again and relive some our best High School memories.

It's worth it!

Mother's Day is coming up. It's a day to celebrate mothers and the joy that mothering brings. I have to admit, most nights I go to bed feeling guilty about my mothering capabilities and spend the next 20 minutes before falling asleep telling George what a terrible mother I am and how I'm messing up our kids for ever. Poor George. All he can do is sit there and listen and then reassuringly tell me that no, I'm not a terrible mother, our kids will turn out okay, that they really do still love me, and all hope is not lost. Thanks, George.

Yesterday morning, I happened to wake up before the boys and after George went off to school, I made Lance his favorite breakfast--chocolate chip waffles. It was almost time to leave for pre-school and Lance was still asleep. I crept upstairs and ruffled his hair. He sleepily looked at me, smiled, and said good morning.

"Lance, I made you a chocolate chip waffle just your size!"

"You're the best mommy ever!" Lance said in the cutest little sleepy voice as he trundled down the stairs to the kitchen.

Thanks, Lance. I really needed that.

Boards, Step 1

George took his Boards, Step 1 on April 21st! It had been a long few months of studying non-stop. In fact, George moved to his parent's house for a little over a month so he could concentrate on his studies. I guess we're just too much fun. :)

Lance and I made him a Red Velvet Cake (one of his favorites) to celebrate. It turned out really well.

Can you see the relief on his face?

The cake we made. Those are nuts in the frosting, not bits of cake. Just for the record.

While we were making the cake, we made sugar cookies as well. Lance and his cousins had a great time decorating them with little squeeze bottles filled with icing. Lance was pretty proud of his little man.

During the 5 weeks George was living in Ashburn, Lance and Jude and I had to find ways to stay busy. We did pre school in Charlottesville, but for a lot of the time we were up in Ashburn also (counterproductive, I know). George did manage to take some time off from his studies to play with the kiddies and be with us at night. While we missed getting to play with him more, we had a good time filling the days with other activities.

Daddy and Jude relaxing in the hammock. George liked to lay outside to read and study.

While Lance was visiting his dad, Jude and I helped my mom organize and move most of her things from the old house. This is my little brother Jason helping my mom decide what to throw away from the garage.

Jason and Amy enjoying pizza after a long day of packing and moving.

It was fun to go through old boxes filled with school projects, journal entries, and little mementos collected over the years. So many fun memories! Laura (above), Amy and I shared a room for several years and when we were going through it together we found a lot of boxes full of things we had forgotten about. It was a lot of fun!

We even found this great fake mustache. Nice look, Jude.

George's mom makes these wonderful homemade egg rolls and dumplings and I've been wanting to learn how to make them for a long time. A few weeks ago, she sat down and showed me how to make dumplings. I think I got the hang of it, but it'll be a while before I can whip them out like she can.

We did stay down in Charlottesville some during that time so Lance could attend pre-school during the week. I have to admit it was difficult to be a single parent. Lance was a huge help in keeping Jude entertained and helping me with everything from making dinner to bathing. Jude thinks his big brother is the best thing in the world and always has a huge smile for him.

I needed both hands to do my make up. Jude didn't seem to mind.

Lance is getting really good at building with Legos. He can sit for hours on end building mostly airplanes or space ships (you know, like the ones in Star Wars). We are slowly but surely increasing our Lego collection.

At Easter, my aunt gave us some tadpoles to take home. However, they were getting cramped in the half-gallon tank we had, so Lance and I bought this tank for our 60+ amphibians to swim around in. I think they were happier. I just don't know what we're going to do when they start actually turning into frogs.

We celebrated George's dad's birthday by going to a Hibachi restaurant in Ashburn. It was really good, as usual.

While up in Ashburn, we spend most days playing with Lance's cousins Callie and Bryce. One of their favorite things to do beside watch Star Wars and play with lightsabers was to play Mario Party on the Wii.

All my boys. :)

We are so glad Boards are over and we can get back to life in Charlottesville. Now it's on to hospital rotations! Yay!