The Many Faces of Grant

This kid could win an Oscar with the range of emotions he can demonstrate! Here's a series of pictures taken in the span of approximately 30 seconds. Hilarious!What did Daddy say or do?My personal favorite!Gotta love this kid!

Argggggg!!!

Ahoy, Mateys! Our dear scallywags, the D Family, were in town for Spring Break, and we thought what better way to celebrate than with a pirate cruise! You can't do that just anywhere!The kids, all SIX of them, seemed super excited for the adventure. I'll admit I was looking forward to it as well! Can you blame me? It's not often that you have the chance to sail on a real life pirate ship.

Even little Grant was awake and pumped up for the sail. He probably didn't know what to make of all the commotion and strange characters, but he sure looked cute in his skull & crossbones bib.

As we sailed the waters of the bay watching the sunset, the pirates on board entertained us with witty banter and a brief somewhat educational and somewhat humorous history of piracy.Stories were told, songs were sung, and faces were painted. The ship's wench served up gruel and grog. It was a jolly (roger) good time!Grant was just as fascinated as the older kids, if not more so. I certainly can't say I blame him. The whole event was definitely a spectacle...in a good way!
The sword fighting lesson was especially entertaining. After days of non-stop activity, Baylor could barely keep his eyes open, but he certainly wasn't about to miss an opportunity to slay a pirate. I don't think this band of pirates was prepared for my sword-wielding boys!What a special way to end another fun week with the D Family! It's always good to have them around and sad to see them go. Thankfully, we know there's always another group adventure on the horizon, and we never let too much time pass without a reunion. Counting down the days until our Summer vacation!

2 Months

Look at that face! Could he possibly be any cuter? The answer is NO! Grant is giving his two big brother's a run for title of Best Baby Ever! Not only is he cute as a button, but Grant has the sweetest disposition. He's so happy and content.His cries aren't the wailing that you so often hear from babies. Grant rarely fusses, and if he does, it's easy to determine what he needs. He has a distinct cry to indicate whether he's hungry, wet, or tired. Those are his 3 concerns. Seriously, he's pretty darn low maintenance.
At 2 months old, Grant has discovered his hands and his tongue. He makes the funniest faces! His hands are always in his mouth. I swear Anh must be dipping Grant's fist into chocolate or coating it with jam when I'm not looking because Grant is always gnawing on it like it tastes heavenly! The play gym toys occasionally serve as a punching bag. I'm sure in a few weeks the punching will transition to grabbing. Ahhh...I remember the grabbing phase well. My hair and jewelry make me an easy target!

Grant already seems frustrated that he can't run and play with his brothers. His favorite activity is "standing" with some help, of course. He just loves to feel like he's making progress towards walking. Our little guy also seems to be taking an interest in food. He studies you as you eat, and now cries if he's not seated at the table to witness a meal. I guess he likes torturing himself! Thankfully, 5 ounces of formula seems to fill him up quite nicely, and for now, he's content with his limited offerings.

At our latest check-up with Dr. M, Grant was 23 1/4 inches long and 12 lbs, 12 oz. That places him in the 75th percentile. A bit bigger than Jax at that age, but smaller than Baylor who was off the growth charts. To me, that makes him just about perfect! I'd say the opinion is shared by many!

Indulgence

It's early Spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, the birds have started to chirp, and the temperatures are starting to climb. What does that mean? That it's time to make the trek to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival, of course! Okay, it's only our second trip, but it feels like a Spring tradition already. Last year, Scott and Geraldine joined us for the adventure, but in 2012, we recruited 2 new couples for Round 2.
Truth be told, it wasn't hard to find willing participants. We actually had to limit the number of couples in our group to avoid the possibility of feeling like we missed out on any special opportunities due to a large group size. Plus, you know what they say...Quality not quantity!
This year's hotel was Charleston Place. While we loved the Vendue Inn last year, Charleston Place is a little more centrally located and therefore took less of a toll on our feet when walking to & from the festival's events.
Upon check-in, Anh and I did a little room-hopping. Initially, we had a balcony overlooking the fabulous shopping on King Street, but ultimately, we opted for the quieter balcony facing the hotel's courtyard. We're too old to enjoy the all night party in the streets!
Ready to celebrate, we all freshened up a bit after the 4-hour drive and set out for the Charleston Aquarium's Opening Night Party.

We posed like red carpet celebrities, and then, we were treated like royalty to what seemed like an endless variety of savory and sweet dishes.

The party was a huge success. The perfect way to kick off the festival, and by the end of the weekend, we unanimously agreed it was our favorite event. The dishes were not only delicious, but creative as well. Plus, the venue was amazing! You couldn't ask for a better backdrop.

Day 2 was spent wandering the grounds of Middleton Place Plantation. This was a repeat visit for Anh and me, but we had such a wonderful time last year, I wanted our friends to share in the experience. The event while fun just wasn't the same. There seemed to be fewer food & wine stations which resulted in longer lines. Not a good thing when the temperatures and humidity are high, but we made the most of our time together since the real highlight was spending time together surrounded by the picture-perfect gardens.

Day 2's Bubbles & Bites evening event seemed just as overly crowded as the plantation which was a definite disappointment because we had such great reviews of the event in the past. As we wandered between the various tasting stations, we often found ourselves trapped in what I can only describe as shoulder to shoulder gridlock. Eventually, we made our way to the rooftop patio where they were serving dessert flavored vodka. Yeah...that made the situation a little better. Ha!
Thankfully, we left Saturday morning and afternoon open for sight seeing and shopping. I think the break from eating and drinking was necessary to truly appreciate the festival's main event, The After Hours Party. This year, the event featured a street party theme complete with food truck and street performers.
The food and beverage stations were plentiful, and the crowd was festive. By all accounts, it was a fabulous night that had a redeeming quality after the two previous disappointing events.
On our final morning in Charleston, the group gathered for Sunday Brunch. I'm sure we all knew it would be best to make the most of our gluttonous weekend together because the only thing awaiting us at home were diet & exercise routines to undo the damage we had delightfully inflicted on ourselves during the festival. Why not go out with a bang? And, that's exactly what we did. The High Cotton Jazz Brunch was exceptional! Seriously, you must go!
Although the crowds were greater, I still say the same about the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. Good food/wine and great friends...that's a combo that's tough to beat!