Hoop Dreams

And so it begins....

Another season of basketball.

Griffin had his first game of the season last night.

It wasn't pretty for either team.

Early season nerves.

Working out line ups and team chemistry.

Poor officiating (as always in my opinion!).

Lack of offense.

You get the idea.

They ended up losing by 3 but Griffin played pretty good overall.

Now it is back to the PRACTICE court to work out the kinks!

Brotherly Love

Brett LOVES Murphy. He is always smothering Murphy with hugs and kisses and telling him how cute he is. I hope this "loving feeling" continues ahen Murphy gets bigger and starts getting in to all of Brett's "stuff".

Man on the Move

Why can't I have the baby who is content to sit still and not move until they are at least 1? Murphy is so fast  with his Marine crawl that he is finding lots of trouble. I throw down lots of baby friendly toys for him to play with but he is more interested in plugs, the fireplace, air vents and table legs. He is constantly getting wedged under the coffee table and dining chairs. I was so hoping he would be happy on my hip for a few more months. Basketball and Gymnastics seasons are going to be so much fun with a baby who wants to get down and crawl on the nasty floor!

Can You Hear Me?

Whit loves to talk on the phone. Whenever it rings he always asks to talk no matter who it is. He carries on a pretty good conversation for a 2 year old and when he is done with his conversation he will hand the phone back. Luckily, he just likes to share a few pleasantries and then is off to the next thing on his "to do" list but heaven help us all if you don't let him get his minute of air time because all you-know-what breaks loose!

Thanksgiving 2010

This year we went to Winston-Salem to visit Mimi for Thanksgiving. It has been many years since we have been able to spend an actual holiday with them because they lived so far away. Now that they have moved closer we were able to see them. It was just us, Mimi and Kalyn because Bepa, Kimmy and Patrick had field hockey festivals and hunting  plans. Mimi and Kalyn  (with a little help from the kids) prepared a nice feast for us. The kids spent lots of time running around the "farm" and "helping" Mimi with groundskeeping. We also played some "Apples to Apples", Wii Rock Band and watched some movies. We started a little Christmas crafting and got spoiled with the wide variety of Pop Tarts that Mimi had to offer. We had a great visit and we appreciate Mimi and Kalyn putting up with our less than stellar holiday behavior at times. All said, it was a successful Thanksgiving!

Playground Fun

We needed a break from our house and yard so I took Whit and Murphy to the park. There is a perfect size playground for Whit so he had fun climbing, sliding and throwing rocks in the creek. We also stopped at "ZESTO" for a vanilla ice cream cone after we played. YUM!

Raking Leaves

Today was our first day of Thanksgiving break. The weather cooperated so we spent a good portion of the day outside. We raked up some leaves and the kids jumped in them and posed for some pictures for me. I LOVE it when we can be outside in shorts in November!

Murphy @ 7 mos.

Murphy is 7 months old. He has become a very busy beaver in the last month. He does his "marine" crawl at record speed across the floor so he can get his hands on many things he is not suppose to have. He has also started to eat solid foods at least 3 times a day and he LOVES it! He can also sit for extended periods but prefers to be on his belly so he can move. He has also gotten his first tooth. He is still a pretty happy guy and a trooper when it comes to being dragged to everyone's activities.

iPod touch for toddlers?

This is Whit and Brett playing on Reese's iPod touch- I am amazed she even let them look at it let alone play with it. As a result Whit, when sitting on Santa's lap, informed Mr. Clause, that he, Whit Markland, would like an iPod touch for Christmas.

What a Workout!

Murphy was busy playing on the floor with all of his toys will I was doing my INSANITY video. Next thing you know he is passed out. See, I told you INSANITY is brutal. It wears you out even if you are just watching it!

Autumn Splendor

Electricity

Can you tell that Whit needs a haircut! This is what his crazy hair looks like after jumping on the trampoline. He insists that he just got a trim and that he does not need another one. I guess he wants to grow back his "Surfer Dude" hair.

Little Sleep Stealer

If Murphy was a little "Indian brave" he would be given a proper Indian name and if I was in charge of naming him I would definitely call him:

SLEEP STEALER

I feel and look like I have aged 10 years since he was born because the kid just won't sleep. He is getting a little better but waking me up at 3 or 4 in the morning is getting very old- just like me!

Soccer Spectators

It was a chilly start to our soccer Saturday and the kids who were watching bundled up like we were heading out to the Arctic tundra. As soon as we got to the fields it started to warm up and everyone started shedding their layers which meant I soon became the pack mule carrying everyone's discarded coats, gloves and hats. It turned out to be a beautiful fall day. Uncle bean, Aunt Debbie, Cole, Jake and Emma were in Columbia and were kind enough to come out to the soccer fields and watch/endure a couple of games.

Soccer Saturday- again

Hadley's last game

Carson breaking down the defense

        Trophy Day for Brett- the best day of the season for him!

Saturday was another busy day for us. Four soccer games and a gymnastics meet. Brett and Hadley ended their fall seasons (YEAH)! They both had fun and established themselves as solid defensive stoppers. They will play again in the spring but in the meantime they will concentrate on gymnastics and maybe basketball for Brett (he is still deciding if he wants us to sign him up). Carson and Reese will play in their last tournament next weekend and then they too will have a couple of months off! I won't know what to do with myself on Saturdays without having a soccer game to attend. Something tells me I will find something to fill my time.

Hadley's 1st Level 5 meet

Hadley had her first meet of the season. She did pretty good but still has room to improve on her routines. I am so proud of her for working so hard all summer and fall to learn her new routines and get the level 5 skills she needed. The hardest skill was her "KIP" on the bars. She finally got it after many blisters, rips and calluses on her poor little hands. We are looking forward a great meet season!