Is it summer already?

'Cause it's hot!!



So hot that we had to cool off in the pool today in the backyard.



Yesterday, we went to a St. Patrick's Day festival in Tallahassee where it was equally hot, but we had a good time. Who doesn't love green kettle corn for an afternoon snack?



We danced to the Irish music, got a couple of balloons, and generally enjoyed ourselves.

(And yes, I decided to be a green dragon - not a dinosaur! - for St. Patty's Day.)

Not much other news from this week. Just some pictures from Lilli and my playtime that I will one day wish were never taken



And lots of building with legos and blocks waiting for Mom to come home.



She did come home, and she is officially done with all her travels! Of course, now Dad takes off for a work trip this week. It's a good thing that Lilli and I keep each other company.

Love,
James

It's spring!

I don't know about where you live, but spring surely has sprung around here! We've been enjoying the dogwoods in bloom, and are very excited by the flowers on our blueberry bushes that indicate we should have a good crop of berries in a few months!



Mom was gone again a few days this week, so to get back in our good graces (and get some rest herself in the bargain), she took us to the Big House on Saturday. It was so good to get back there and visit with Coach, Lil, Bella, and Amos! We went to the Raw Bar for lunch, and then I snoozed and snoozed. James got up from nap before me and spent some time learning new words with Lil.



After realizing how many he could recognize, he even read a book (with help from Lil)!



I heard the story and woke up to suggest that we use my tea set to have a hot chocolate snack. Really, it was just an excuse to eat marshmallows!



The tide was out by the time we finished snack, so we headed to the bay to test out the kite that our friend from school gave us. We had a little trouble getting it going from the dock,



Even with Coach assisting us,



So we moved into the bay to try there. James and I quickly got distracted by our first trip to the bay in a long time and left Lil to struggle with the kite.



But as soon as she got it up in the air, we were back at her side to "help"!






Even Amos was in on the action!

We took a quick outside shower and then tried to "surf" on the deck,



But the no-see-ums have also realized it's spring and they quickly chased us inside.

We woke up to sun this morning, but by the time we got to the beach, it was cloudy and VERY windy. James and I had fun letting the wind blow us down the beach,



and then we built a sand castle in the lee of the Jeep.




We also marked our spot with our very own driftwood tree!



We were covered in sand by the time we left, but no matter. It was fun.

After a quick lunch, we piled in the car to come back home to see Dad (who got some much needed time to himself for the weekend). A bit of yard work and then pizza night, and then it will be the start of a new week!

I hope you're enjoying spring where you are, too.

Love,
Lilli

Who needs Mom?

It was another fun-filled week with Dad, since Mom was gone from Sunday to Wednesday and then again all day yesterday. No matter, though! We baked cookies



And serenaded Grandpa on his birthday (Happy Birthday, Grandpa!).



We had to spend a lot of time inside because of rain. But we got pretty good at making huge messes (witness Lilli's room) and then cleaning them up again!



Yesterday was a real treat - first the Florida Museum of History, where we made crafts, listened to music, and generally had a great time. Then it was on to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and THEN, we went to our first movie in the theater! The Lorax. A good one, since we know the book, and we loved it. Mom was pretty disappointed to miss our first theater experience, but that's what you get when you're gone al the time!

The sun finally came out today (perhaps to celebrate Mom's return? or the Tarheels win over the Blue Devils?), so we pulled out the tennis set that Grandma gave us for my birthday.



Fun!

Otherwise, it's been the usual trip to the grocery store, pizza-making Sunday as we prepare for a new week.

Love,
James

Back on track

We're finally fully settled back into Florida life, (mostly) sleeping through the night. Hooray!

One night this week, James remembered all of the loot that we got at school on Valentine's day, and since we'd eaten a good dinner, we got to choose some candy. He went for Fun Dip (with lots of coaching for me, since I had some at school, much to Mom and Dad's surprise!).



I went for my old stand-by- M&Ms.



When you combine the candy with the spaghetti that we'd already inhaled, we were quite a mess!



Mom was gone again for part of the week, so Dad kept us on a strict schedule after school of playing, dinner, shower, and bedtime. We were all happy for the weekend! We kicked it off with Friday night movie night (Shrek) and lots of hugs with Mom. Then on Saturday we explored a new park in Carrabelle,





And met Coach and Lil for lunch.



It was fun to see them, even though it was a quick visit!

Today is pretty rainy and chilly, but we spiced it up with a tea party snack,



And a trip back to our usual playground.




Hope you've had as relaxing a weekend as us!

Love,
Lilli

PS - Happy birthday, JuJu!

"I don't think I remember Florida manners"

Well, we're home! But first, as promised, here are a few more pics of us playing with Kiara





Playing at the playground near the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, where we spent our last full day in Australia,




Waiting for our final bus (the 244),



And getting settled in for our long plane ride from Sydney to LA.




Coach and Lil picked us up in Atlanta with warm clothes (it was cold!), snacks, and toys for the drive from Atlanta to Moultrie. We were so excited to see them that we talked non-stop the whole way home! Well, at least until it got dark, and then I finally fell asleep. But only until about 1 in the morning, when Lilli and I both thought it was morning and time to get up. (Much to Mom's dismay.) In fact, we've been up for large chunks of the night ever since we got back. Anyone have a good cure for jet lag?

On Monday, we headed home to FL. Check out our clean car, compliments of Coach!



Our first week back was pretty quiet. We returned to school on Tuesday, just in time to give (and receive) Valentines to all of our friends. Despite my concerns, they could still understand me just fine, and Florida manners aren't all that different from Australia manners.

We were thrilled to see Ms. Tracie and Aiyana (who has grown a ton the last 6 weeks!).

Mom had to leave on Wednesday for a work trip, so we held the fort down with Dad. She returned yesterday, and we had a fun afternoon running errands and playing at home. Today we decided that we were experiencing withdrawal from playing at a good playground, so we loaded in the car (not nearly as nice as walking) and went to the best one in town.



Unfortunately, there were no other kids there, and Lilli and I couldn't really get into playing. As Lilli said, "What do I like to do here?"



I guess it will just take us a little while to adjust to being back home. We have been thrilled to see all our toys, though, especially the ones we got at Christmas! (I think we had forgotten about 1/2 of them!) And it's nice that spring is just around the corner.

Love,
James

On the move (part 2)

Well, it's our last night in Australia! We honored the occasion by watching one of our DVDs and going to bed early. I know, I know, not very exciting. But we've been pretty busy, and we have a long couple of days ahead of us!

The last Tuesday we were in Sydney, Dad finally got a chance to surf some waves. He caught the sunrise on an early ferry trip to Manly Beach



And then joined the line-up in the water.




Despite a small board, he said he had a lot of fun!

On Wednesday, Lil departed. Before she left, we got to do our calendar



And then Lilli read her a story while we waited for the taxi.



We were very sad to see her go, so to get our minds off of that, we embarked on an exciting (nail biting?) road trip with Mom at the wheel on the left side of the road! Getting out of Sydney was, well, interesting, but we made it. We stopped for lunch in Wollongong, but heavy rains and an odd upset stomach that struck me in the middle of the cafe conspired to keep us from exploring there any more. I recovered relatively quickly, though, so we did get to stop in Kiama to see the blowhole!

It was awesome.




Mom went there with some friends when she was here in college, and we have a picture of it hanging in our house in FL. And now we all have experienced it first-hand!

We hit the road for a couple more hours after Kiama before arriving at our first cabin by the beach in Bateman's Bay.



The weather was chilly and rainy, but James and I were happy to play in the sand.




The next day, we drove a few hours more down the coast to a beautiful spot at Cape Conran.



It rained the entire way, but if we'd known how nice it was going to be, then we would have hurried down even faster! The beach was beautiful,





Especially at sunset.



And we loved our little cabin.

On Friday, it was time to make our way to the Melbourne area. We actually stayed in the city of Geelong, on the western side of Port Phillip Bay. Our friend Craig, who visited Mom and Dad's marine lab last February, lives in Geelong with his family, and they were wonderful hosts! We especially loved playing with his daughter, Kiara.



They introduced us to their wonderful friends who shared their baby chickens,





Their home-brewed beer (and funny hats),



Their home-made pizza (that rivals Dad's),

And the paint to decorate their wood-fired oven.



We spent the weekend with them, having a blast!

Mom had to work for most of the week, so we hung out with Dad, with trips to the park up the street,



And lots of time playing with Kiara.




James and I cried and cried on our last night (Thursday) in Geelong, telling Mom over and over that we didn't want to leave Australia. I'd say we've found a life-long friend!

Friday was an all-day road trip to rival one of our trips to NC. We finally made it to the marine lab just after dark, ate some dinner, and went to bed. Today was much better - we played for several hours at the cove next to the lab. (Pictures to come later.) And then we had some errands to run in town, culminating with our final bus ride in Sydney.

It's been fun to be back in Sydney for a day, but now it's time to come home! Next post with be from Florida...

Love,
Lilli


PS - Here James and I are showing off the cicadas that we found near our place in Sydney...