more videos from Christmas morning.....

what a Christmas morning/day we had....

So, I woke up to find an air hockey table before my eyes...my words were "WOW"!!! I also got a Razor spark scooter and so many Star wars things you cannot imagine! Santa had sent me a letter a few days before letting em know I was on the nice list but I did not imagine all this awesomeness!!! I hope everyone has a a blessed and safe holiday season. Merry Christmas to all!! Oh and PS, Santa made an early delivery mid December with my big boy bed...it has steps and a desk!! Check out the cozy blankets and wall decals Santa brought me!!
MORE VIDEOS TO FOLLOW!!

Christmas Eve in SC!!

We had a super busy but really fun Christmas Eve at our new home in SC. We hung out in the morning, played outside in the warm weather, baked Christmas(Santa) cookies and opened a couple of gift!!

Santa Claus rode up and down every street in Tega Cay!!

lots of Christmas baking going on........

some Christmas jingles!!

so Mommy found this very festive microphone and we have had a blast with it...ok, so maybe by we i mean me!!

Here comes "SANTA PAWS"!!!!

So, me and Mommy found a really great pet store close by where everything is all natural and nothing is made in China(this means it is safer). Anyway, the owner had "HOHO" there for pets the other day, how cool is that!!! Luey and KoKo behaved pretty well and I think they are on the fence whether they will make the cut for the nice vs. naughty list!!

A Very Merry Christmas celebration with DiDi and Grandaddy!!

A really fun Holiday party at school...

Pancakes with Santa and Mrs. Claus!!

what a fun way to spend a couple hours this past Saturday. We had pancakes, rode a little train and en elf made me a belt and sword out of balloons. I reminded Santa that I have been good and made sure I am not on the naughty list!!

Here comes Santa Clause...

I hope everyone has their lists together and is sharing them with the appropriate people. I know I have been very big into the list, being good and making sure the elf is giving a good report every night when he flies back to the North Pole. Luckily i got to have a chat with "HOHO" without going to the North Pole!!

Christmas cookies!!

This afternoon me and Mommy made some fun cookies!! The best part is that Mommy let me be in charge...I cracked the egg, poured everything in the bowl and even got to put the mix into our new fancy pan. Check out how great they turned out...YUM!

earned my "green tip" (2nd stripe) on my white belt!!

So, I continue to enjoy my Tae Kwon Do and Mommy is very excited I am showing great progress in the focus and listening department. For those that are unfamiliar with how this works, mommy decided to post some rules. We are learning too.

White Belts: Adults & Children - 6 stripes

1. First Stripe is earned when the student learns and can perform all new white belt basic moves taught by the instructors. A student must also have a minimum of two classes.
   

2. Second Stripe is earned when the student can recite on his/her own the "Songham Spirit of Taekwondo" for both the beginning and end of class. Students should also be aware of the meaning of the words in the "Songham Spirit of Taekwondo" and should have a minimum of four classes.
   

3. Third Stripe is earned when the student can correctly execute from memory the first 9 movements of the white belt form. The student should also have a minimum of six classes. Students should also be aware of the correct names of the movements in their form.
   

4. Forth Stripe is earned when the students can correctly execute from memory all 18 movements of the white belt form. Students should have a minimum of eight classes and be aware of the names of the movements in their form.
   

5. Fifth Stripe is earned when the student can correctly execute from memory the require number of one-step sparring counts. Children ages 12 and under are required to perform the first 2 one-steps. Adults must perform all 3 one-steps. The student should have a minimum of 10 classes and be aware of the names of the movements in their one-steps.
   

6. Sixth Stripe is earned when the student can correctly execute from memory the required amount of one-steps with a partner, being able to perform both roles as attacker and defender. Students are also required to correctly perform their self defense technique. The student should have a minimum of twelve classes.

some call this guy a nutcracker and some call him...

My first Christmas Parade!!

Not only did I get to attend a special Tae Kwon Do class yesterday morning but I also participated in the Fort Mill Christmas parade with my Tae Kwon Do facility. It was a really long morning showing up at 10 for the class, the parade starting at 11 andour group not "falling in" to the parade until 11:45 but a fun time was had. Check out the fun!

"Hide the Pickle"...

not sure if anyone else has played this but I totally recommend it! GiGi and Poppy brought me this ornament over Thanksgiving and me, Mommy and Daddy have had sooo much fun!! I am the best "hider" and "finder"!!

Happy Turkey Day....

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving...I know we sure did. My Mommy cooked for days and I was so very blessed to have my Nana, Gigi and Poppy here from Tennessee. Daddy was here too as he is lucky enough to have this day off from work...I love those days!

decorating the tree in our new home!!

I know, I know we are certainly getting a head start but it is just what is working best for us this year. We are really excited about all the extra space...Mommy got to bring out her "reindeers" to put by the tree and we think it all looks great so far.

a big accomplishment...

...at Tae Kwon Do!! I earned my 1st stripe on my white belt in only my 3rd class. I do not pretend to know how it all works but I know the 3 focuses, which are eye focus, mind focus and body focus were part of what earned me this stripe. I am still having a bit of trouble standing still and not talking but I am certainly having fun!! Mommy was super proud!

fun in the leaves...

...mixed with a bit of yard work for me and Mommy!!

My 1st "official " class...

So I am all signed up and will take Tae Kwon Do twice a week for now. I really like it though I will admit I have alot to learn in regards to standing still and not talking so much.

Mommy found a super cool park in Fort Mill!!

Tae Kwon Do!!!

Finally started hockey in Charlotte!!!

I am so excited about my new hockey place...The Pineville Icehouse. I will play on Saturdays from 10:50-11:50 and I am certainly the youngest out there. Mommy seems a bit nervous as I am only 4 and everyone else is at least 6 but the age range is 6-12 in my group. I guess kids just start later in this area?? I had an awesome time and can't wait until next Saturday!!

A Happy Halloween in South Carolina!!

First we carved the pumpkins...
Ans then we trick-or-treated!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Harvest Time...

So yesterday at my school we had the chance to dress like anything on the farm. I chose to be the farmer but some of my friends were pigs, cows, a bunny and a couple scarecrows too. We had a party and Mommy got to be there!!

hanging out and more skooter time with friends

check out my pirate bathroom!!!

Fall Festival hosted by Ivybrook Academy

Friday night my new school hosted a really fun Fall Festival at a local farm. I had soooo much fun leading the way in the corn maze with my new friend Conner and roasting marshmallows was a really fun "first" for me. A ride on a tractor is always a big hit in my book and Mommy was excited to be getting some pictures. We had a super time!!

Happy Birthday to Daddy

this was a really great week!! I started my new school, we celebrated Daddy's birthday AND Nana was here from Tennessee. Wow, that is certainly alot going on!

today is picture day at school.....

....and I have my first "black eye"!!! I was playing kickball with my friends outside and simply got hit in the face with a fast kicked ball. I did not even worry about it at the time or mention it that evening but when I woke up yesterday morning the evidence was there. This morning it is looking a bit worse. Mommy says my school pictures will simply have a bit more character this year...what can you do??

1st day at my new school in South Carolina!!!

Today was an awesome day at my new school!!! I have 2 new teachers...Mrs. Jenna and Miss Melissa as well as so many new friends. I was not the only new kid starting today in my pre-K class so it was really nice to have another little boy to identify with as "the new kid".

riding my new scooter around my new street

My new digs...

So, as most of you know we have moved to South Carolina and are trying to unpack and settle. We finally got cable, internet and phone so Mommy can start posting again...YAY!! Here are just 2 pics in front of the new house but more will follow once things slow down. I am very excited about my new friends that are right here on my street. A 4 year old little boy name Tyler lives right next door and then there is Landon, Kelsey, Mackenzie, Daniel, Justin, Kiara and Sophia too. I might have left someone out but I will have to have more time to remember everyone. I live on a cul-de-sac so we have a great place to play!!

Last day of hockey at The Rinks...

Sad but true, Saturday I played my last day of hockey with so many friends and awesome coaches. I have learned so much about the game of hockey, sportsmanship and just how to bring my "A" game while playing this great sport. I will miss so many great people at The Rinks...a special thanks to Ms. Nan Sinclair and all the following coaches:Matt, Mike, the other Mike, Corey and Steve!! I was super excited to receive 2 very special medals just as a token as this was my last day. I also made a great friend, Kyle(in the next to last pic) and I wish him well in his hockey career.

PS, if i may take a moment to brag but I did go out in style by scoring 2 goals on the 6-8 years olds during scrimmage time!! Oh Yeah baby!

pizza night at the Lauer's!!

keeping with the fun but sad events of this relocating thing we were invited to a family pizza night at Olivia and "Baby Nate's" house. We had soooo much fun running around and playing! I will definitely look forward to The Lauer Family visiting us in South Carolina!!!

Bruins vs. Islanders

So, check this post out!! Me, Mommy and Daddy got to see the Bruins beat the Islanders tonight...we sat right beside the bruins bench.

A fun playdate with Olivia and "baby" Nate

It was a Summer like day on Monday so me, Olivia and Nate decided to meet up at the park. We started the afternoon with a little tennis and then moved on to the awesome playground. Olivia and Nate brought me a really nice going away gift...I will certainly miss these 2 very special friends!!

An adventure at the Westport Playhouse

Today was super fun as I have recently been introduced to the greatest little dude ever...(http://www.skippyjonjones.com/) SKIPPYJON JONES and today we went to see his show at the Westport Playhouse. I was so excited to sit with Susanna, Caroline and their Mommy too. Afterwards we all went for icecream!!

BumbleBee!!!!

My first ever sleepover....

so last might my very dearest friend got to sleep at my house and even in my room!! Charlotte's Mommy brought her to my house yesterday afternoon and the fun began. We played outside...check out what an awesome jumper she is on the stomp rocket. Later, Mommy and Daddy took us out for dinner, came back to the house and we had icecream cones while we started our movie. We rented Rio and I would recommend it for sure. We had so much fun bouncing around in our PJ's and did a pretty good job going down for the night. We both slept all night in my room and enjoyed a special strawberry pancake breakfast this morning.

Tennis anyone???

Happy Grandparents Day...

...to Nana, Mamaw, Gigi, Poppy, Didi and Grandaddy!!!

Red, white and blue...

those are the colors everyone at my school are wearing today. We have been learning the "Pledge of the Flag" and have a small little ceremony planned today at the big flag pole in honor of 9/11 coming up this Sunday. Mommy has been very impressed as I have been reciting "my new poem" every night and doing a great job.

On another note Mommy took another picture at my school today to share with everyone...everyday we have a question of the day and Miss Jocelyn writes down exactly what we say. I guess Mommy thought I would have given the answer of cleans, works in the yard, shops etc...I think she does sit on the couch some.:-)

A super fun playdate...

with Charlotte at my house!!

WOOHOO...Fall soccer started yesterday!!

big fun for me yesterday as soccer started. I play every Wednesday from 2:45-3:45 and was so excited to be there!!

School is back in session!!

I am happy to report I had a great 1st day in my new pre-K classroom...some call it a 4's program. My new teachers are Ms. Jocelyn and Miss Amie and they are super cool!! I will be going 5 days a week, M/W/F will be from 8:45 until 12:20 and T/Th I will go for "extended day" which means I stay until 3:30. Mommy is very sad and seems concerned about what a long day that is for a 4 year old but we do nap from 12:20-2:15 and after that it is snack-time and recess so it will be fine...I hope.:-)

A big day in my world of hockey!!

Saturday, August 27th I had my last hockey session until September 10th and I not only received a medal but I graduated to the next level...The Little Islanders! I am so excited to see where this next big step takes me as I learn more strategy as well as sportsmanship and the true game of hockey.

My best girl turns 4!!

I was so excited to be a part of the celebrations as Charlotte turned 4. She had an awesome gymnastics party and everyone had such a great time!

back to my vacation pics....

need a bit more practice but....

...I am off to a decent start!!

Boogie boarding in the Outer Banks!!

some fun video captured on vacation!!

OBX 2011

So, there are alot of photos and mommy is bit overwhelmed and decided to just post them in several posts. We had a very eventful vacation but sooo much fun! Poppy and Gigi were with us in the Outer Banks and we all enjoyed the pool and the beach! Here is slideshow number 1.

A great start to my vacation!!

So, we have been gone for almost 2 weeks and have alot of pictures to sort through but we decided to start from the beginning. We spent a few days in Charlotte, NC and recommend you stopping there if ever in the area. The city was really clean, the people VERY nice and many fun things always going on. Here we are in the Discovery Place on a bit of a rainy afternoon.

A day at the lake with friends...

My friend Olivia turns 4...just like I did!!

Chandler movin' it....

A little glimpse into a photo shoot we had for my 4th Bday

My 4 year old update

Well, this is a bit late as I turned 4 on the 15th but man has it been busy around here!! Anyway, I had my 4 year well visit Thursday the 28th and it went pretty smooth. I did a great job on my hearing and vision tests and they were normal. I weighed in at 37 pounds and I am 41 inches tall! The end of the visit was a bit brutal for about 2 solid minutes as I got one shot in the arm and one in the leg. I did a bit of swift leg kicking with my legs dangling off the table and the PA could not believe how strong my legs are. HA, hockey and ice-skating 2 times a week for 6 months builds muscles for sure. Mom says I will thank her at my 5 yr visit as I will have already had my MMR/V and my DTaP/IPV...shots usually given between 4 and 6 years and most pediatricians wait until 5 so you are kindergarten ready...whatever that means?? Dr. Lori asked me a bunch of questions, asked me to draw a stick person(I refused as I do not like to draw) and asked me to stand up and show her a few things. She was impressed with my "gross motor skills" and said many 5 year old children cannot hop on one foot(I can do left or right) but she told Mommy to work on the fine motor skills and get me focusing on "sitting down tasks" like drawing and writing my name.
COGNITIVE MILESTONES:

knows all colors including silver, gold and grey as well as which colors mixed together make a few other colors(shocking considering he will not sit and do art)

Has a pretty good concept of time

Can count to 25 though always skips 15 and often 21 and 22??

LANGUAGE MILESTONES:

can easily recall parts of a story as well as memorizes many books(do not skip pages or you will be caught)...even Dr. Seuss books which are on the longer side

easily speaks sentences with 5 or more words and is able to use past and future tense

Knows full name, address, town and state we live in as well as that our family lives in Chattanooga, TN

Chandler knows many simple songs and loooooves to sing them!

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL MILESTONES:

has the amazing ability to make friends with every stranger in a new place

is truly well liked by many(maybe all?) children he meets

is often complemented on his willingness to share his toys

loves as much attention as he can get and is NEVER shy or quiet in an unfamiliar place

clearly able to tell the difference between reality and pretend

unfortunately shows great skill in being demanding when over-tired(thank goodness we keep that in mind)

GROSS MOTOR OR MOVEMENT MILESTONES:
stands or hops on one foot or the other for 10 seconds or longer
can gallop as well as skip
hits as well as catches a ball with ease
ice-skates with ease including on one foot, backwards etc...

A sneak peek of my pictures recently as i just turned 4!!

 

A fun birthday party at the park...

Happy Birthday to Ella and Sophia(sisters turning 2 and 4) and thanks so much for inviting me to the celebrations!! It was a very warm day but playing in the water and tossing water balloons cooled us down a bit. We especially enjoyed playing with the parachute and the yummy cupcakes!!

check out this awesome gift!!!

For those that know me well you can see right away why this has been one of the most used and abused gifts received for my birthday!! Thank you to Susanna and Caroline for an awesome toy!! Me, Mommy and Daddy would recommend this to anyone of all ages...all you do is load a rocket on and jump on the air bladder!! The rocket can soar up to 200 feet!!

Let the 1st round of gift opening begin...........

My actual birthday was Friday the 15th!!

what a super fun day it was...I started off the day with taking special "spider-man" cupcakes to camp and celebrating with all my friends there...they loved the cupcakes Mommy made! After camp me, Mommy DiDi, Grandaddy, Daddy and CHARLOTTE spent a few hours at Chuck E. Cheese playing games, dancing and having a little dinner...so much fun! After that Charlotte's Mommy joined us at our house for some birthday cake and check out my AWESOME gift from their family...handmade BOSTON BRUINS bookends...what a special gift. I have rearranged them in my room several times trying to find the perfect place!!

I am 4 now!!!

So, it has been a little busy around here with celebrations in my honor! We have a couple posts to get up regarding my birthday and we have decided to work backwards. LET'S START WITH THE PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a hockey theme party at The Sports Center (where I iceskate and play hockey)...we started with bowling and ended with ice-skating. I had so many friends there and was super excited to see everyone having so much fun. For many of my friends this was their first experience ice-skating but each and everyone was eager to give it a try...Moms and Dads alike. Turning 4 was soooo much fun! I as very happy to have Didi and Grandaddy here to take part in the celebrations!

DiDi and Grandaddy are here from Tennessee...

...and we are on the move and having fun!

My sweet friend Caroline turns 4....

Caroline had her party at Pinewood Lake in Trumbull last week and it was really alot of fun!! I have never been there before but certainly hope I get invited back. It was so much fun to play with so many friend and wish Caroline a happy 4th birthday. Mommy was super excited about a few of the pictures she got of the birthday girl and her little brother Jack enjoying his cake!

Hockey Camp Day 4....

So Mom actually left her camera at home for day 3 but today was more of the same...and sadly the last day. I have really learned a great deal with my skills, sportsmanship and would like to make a mention to the fact that I won the "Bulldog" race on Friday!!! Basically that is where the one man left standing is the fastest(does not get tagged) and uses the best strategy...OH YEAH!! Keep in mind that by the end all 3 coaches and every hockey player is trying to get me and I DID NOT GET TAGGED!!!! Mommy says I am a super fast skater.

Hockey Camp Day 2...

Today was awesome! We got to dress out in the Bruins locker room again and the drills and scrimmages were so much fun. Our "off ice" activity was Lazer tag which was too cool!

Hockey Camp this week...........

This week I am going to Tiny Tigers/Little Atoms Hockey Camp at The Rinks from 9-11:30 everyday. My first day was awesome but alot of hard work. One of the coolest things was we were aloud to dress in "the big guys" official lockers room...THE BOSTON BRUINS!! I could have made the choice for the NY Rangers..hahaha. We get to do an off the ice activity as a group too and mini golf was the first day. I am so excited to see what happens on day #2!

Fun with Nana...

We started the day off with my first day of hockey camp(post to follow) and then after a bit of relaxation we played in the yard and enjoyed the sunshine.

A great way to spend the 4th of July!!

Me, Mommy, Daddy and Nana spent the day at the lake yesterday. We were blessed with a beautiful Summer Day and played all day.

Happy 4th of July weekend!!

I am happy to report my Nana is here from Tennessee! We all kicked off the holiday weekend with the fireworks show in Milford last night. My favorite fireworks were the "colorful" ones...not the white ones.

A fun playdate with "my sweet girl"...Charlotte

A fun day at the Danbury carnival...

End of the year picnic at my school...

Check out what a party my school put on for all the the 3's program students and families. My favorite activity of the evening was this "dunk tank" thing!! I had good aim but not enough gusto behind me...they let the kiddos push the button anyway and I loved it.

Gigi and Poppy got to see me play hockey!!

A Happy Father's Day

Father's Day was busy over here but what fun we had. I was so excited to spend the day with Daddy, Poppy, Mommy and Gigi. We enjoyed a nice brunch and then played at the beach in the afternoon.

Poppy and Gigi are in from Tennessee!!

I am a few days behind but man are we busy when Poppy and Gigi are here. Anyway, with that being said check out how much fun we are having!! I am so excited for them to see me play hockey today and do some more swimming. We also took them to Lake Mohegan but Gigi took the photos that day so we will catch you up later on that.

YEE-HAW!!!!!

Just havin' a little fun over here.....

Susanna & Caroline turn 4!!

what fun we had at the gymnastics place...we jumped rolled, tumbled and walked the balance beams, then we gathered in the party room for a bite to eat and cupcakes. I walked away with a balloon, a goody bag a rope burn and a busted lip...clearly a good time was had.:-)

a Summer-time project...

an afternoon at Lake Mohegan....

Memorial Day afternoon...

...at the beach!!

Release!!!

So, the time came to release my beautiful butterflies into the world. It was pretty cool though they were a bit hyper. Mom was so hoping for the perfect photo(surprise) of a butterfly sitting on my hand but they were just ready to go and a bit spastic for my liking. Either way it was pretty cool...we noticed them flying around our deck for a few hours after their big moment of freedom.

going back in time a bit!!

okay...not so much but we have been so very busy we did miss a few highlights. I was in a trike/bike-a-thon to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital a couple weeks ago with my friends from school. We had a lot of fun and I did many laps. Thanks to all my friends and Family that sponsored me...there are alot of sick kiddos out there and we are blessed to be so healthy.

An early Father's Day treat for Daddy!!

We headed to Red Sox Nation Wednesday morning to watch the Red Sox take on the White Sox. Unfortunately Boston could not pull out a win but we had really awesome seats, great weather(until we headed home) and just an all around fun day.

Butterfly project update

I am happy to report we have 4 butterflies!! Not sure what happened during the process to 2 of them but oh well, the ones I have are great. We put some recommended sugar water and fruit in their box and plan to watch them for a week before we release them.