Amelia and Thomas the Tank Engine

Two weekends ago, Amelia had a ball with GG and Granddad at their home in Salisbury, NC. The slumber-party was highlighted with a very special ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. Friday afternoon, Julianna loaded up Amelia in the family car and met GG half-way in Greensboro to hand off "QOB," as we like to call her ("Queen of Busy").

First on the agenda was a trip to Granddad's bank to say hello and then it was off to the church playground. Amelia played on all kinds of swings, toy airplanes, and slides. GG and Granddad made sure that Amelia burned off some energy before heading to the house for dinner and bedtime.

Saturday was the BIG day Amelia had been talking about for weeks! The threesome headed over to The North Carolina Transportation Museum where they got ready to meet and ride on Thomas, the famous tank engine.

The museum was decked out in pictures of Thomas’ friend Spencer and an inflatable Percy. Bob the Builder did a song and dance and a magician was on hand as well.

None of that could top riding on Thomas, however. GG, Granddad, and Amelia climbed aboard the passenger car and traveled over the tracks as Thomas happily chugged and tooted around Salisbury. Amelia couldn't have been happier and she hasn't stopped talking about her adventure.
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In addition to Thomas and the playground, Amelia got to see GG and Granddad's terrific new home under construction. She was sure to give her best buddie, Mickey, a full tour.
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We met up half-way again on Sunday for the hand-off and Amelia was not pleased. "No Dada, I can't go home!" Between the tears and bold statements, we finally got our little one in the car. Once settled in, the stories of the weekend began pouring in from the backseat - clearly she had a terrific time!

Thanks GG and Granddad for a great weekend!

And a special thanks to GG for all the great photos she took of the weekend. For more, see below...

Whoa, Cowgirl!

We're getting ready for Halloween. As you can see, we're trying out costume options.

After seeing the crazy picture below of Matt's birthday celebration, all Amelia want to be is a "Cowgirl, like Grandma and Maddie." This puts a major kink in our formerly SOLID Cinderella plans. Grandma got Amelia a beautiful Cinderella ensemble at Disneyland this summer... fancy ball gown, glass slippers, and silver crown. It's all she's been able to talk about for the past few months!

Who knows what costume will be requested next, but we'll be sure to keep you posted!

Cute hats... CUTER babies!

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Earlier this year (March), our good friends Tanya and Keith welcomed twin girls - Katherine and Casey. Cutest little ones you ever saw!

Their arrival coincided with the start of my new hobby, knitting. I had just come back from a trip to California in February, where I was bitten by the knit-purl bug - thanks to my very talented knitter mom. I couldn't resist the opportunity the Freeman girls had given me... to expand my skill-set, not to mention expand my yarn, needle, book, etc. collections!

I delightfully chose a sweet hat pattern, searched for the perfect yarn, finally found the right needles, and dove in to the wonderful world of baby hats. I have to admit, I must have knit each of these two hats about three or four times... but it was worth it! I think they came out pretty great. The best part is that they FIT both girls. Phew!

The icing on the cake... Tanya used the photo above of the girls in their "petal" hats for her birth announcement. I was so honored! Then come to find out, she had also entered the picture - taken by our dear friend, and fabulous photographer, Lauren - in a photo contest at her work. Guess what, she won!

What does this arrow mean?!?

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Holy cow... our lives are about to get much more rough and tumble! The arrow above proves it... Baby Brinson is all BOY!

Amelia is very excited to have a little brother and so are we. Anyone with suggestions on raising boys, send them along. We're about to enter a whole new, wonderful, world.

First day of School

Today was a big day in the Brinson household... Amelia's very first day of school! She's in the 2-year old class at Binkley Preschool, here in Chapel Hill.

Lee and I got to attend class with her this morning and fun was had by all. It's safe to assume that Amelia played with EVERY toy in her classroom, meeting a few classmates along the way. She couldn't get enough of the playdough table, but had no time for the family art activity. I was left to decorate our "quilt" square that will hold our family photo.
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Amelia has two wonderful teachers - Ms. Mastin and Ms. Benedict. She can easily say "Mastin," but we need some work on "Benedict."

Snack time, a big hit with most kids, was considered a waste of time by Amelia. She gave it a quick try, but kept asking to get back to the slide.
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When it was time to go, Amelia stood in the middle of her classroom, hands on her scrunched-up face, and declared that she COULDN'T leave! "No Mama, I can't go home."

From the looks of it today, Amelia will love her first year of school!

Check out a few more photos...

Amelia has a secret...

The Brinson girls just got home from a great vacation in California. Thought you might get a kick out of seeing some picture from our trip...


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The big day is February 5th, when Amelia will become a big sister. First though, we are excited to meet Maddie's little sister or brother come this Christmas!

For some more photos from our trip, click here. There are three albums to check out - Summer 2007 CA Trip, California Fun, and Summer Birthdays.

Swim champs

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Amelia and her best friend Sarah just finished two weeks of swim classes. Thank goodness we had a second week to redeem ourselves from week 1. Let's just say that week 1 can be characterized by lots of crying and week 2, thankfully, by sweet laughing. What a difference a weekend can make!


Unfortunately, swim class came right after the girls woke up from afternoon naps... it takes them a little time to rev up. Day 1 started off with a bang - the girls loved class. It went downhill from there. Each day there was a bit more crying, running away, looking for moms, etc.

Catherine and I got smart for week 2! Our new plan - meet Kim (their swim instructor) at the pool entrance, say good-bye to the girls, and go hide in the "big" pool where little eyes couldn't find us. Kim was thrilled! Amelia and Sarah finally got with the program and actually had fun.

I'm amazed at what they learned in class. There's such a difference in Amelia before and after swim classes. She now willingly blows bubbles, puts her face in the water, and requests to "swim" instead of her favorite activity of jumping. I can't get over how deep in the pool she wants to go. I have a little fish on my hands!

All in all, we had a great two weeks. We don't know what to do with ourselves now that our lives don't revolve around the pool!

Holden Beach Excursion

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We just got back from visiting Stephanie, Bill and their sweet Sophia at Holden Beach, NC. It was so wonderful to see them, as it has been way too long since our last visit.

Each year in June, Steph's entire family gathers for a week at the beach. The twelve of them have been going to Holden Beach - at the same perfect beach house - for over 20 years.

I was lucky enough to spend the day with the fabulous Hylan clan last year and was thrilled to be invited back. This time Lee as able to come with Amelia and me. We made a weekend out of it, staying in Myrtle Beach and spending Saturday and Sunday with Steph and company.

Amelia and Sophia, Steph's little girl, share the same birthday - March 14 - one year apart. I can hardly remember Amelia at Sophia's age... boy, how time flies! Sophia is such a cutie. She kept us all laughing with her sweet noises and desire to eat sand.

Our surfer girl got a new "surfboard" this weekend. You may think it's a boogie board, but to her, it's the real deal. She's just starting to catch some waves - soon she'll be hang-tening!

This is Stephanie and Bill's last vacation before moving up North - way North to Alaska. Bill is being stationed in Fairbanks this August. They'll live there for a year before coming back down to the lower-48 when they'll move to Alabama. Talk about extremes!

It will be hard to have Steph so far away, but it does provide a great excuse to go to a state I've always wanted to visit.

Slideshow...


For bigger images, click here.

The silly...long...ride home...

Topsail Adventure

Topsail Island was TOP fun! Our friends the Neals recently invited us to join their wonderful family for a few days at the beach. They had rented a house right on the ocean with a view that couldn't be beat. The fun started from the minute we got there Wednesday night and didn't end until the second we left Sunday afternoon.

The girls, Amelia and Sarah, were early risers - much to the dismay of their parents. There was no doubting that they wanted to get as much beach time in their day as possible!

After early breakfasts (ask Chef Lee about his yummy egg & bacon sandwiches!) the dads rushed out to stake our claim on waterfront... tent, umbrellas, chairs, towels, and monster sand piles... the Neal/Brinson group knew how to make their presence known. You should have seen the massive sand mountains Chris and Lee created. The girls couldn't have been happier climbing up and sliding down.

Between digging, wave jumping, more digging, shell finding, swimming, even more digging, and crab watching, our little Wahinees kept themselves mighty busy. Don't let the pictures fool you - there were SMILES on their faces all day long!

When we weren't on the beach, we could be found at the local putt-putt testing our skills, sampling the local treats, and enjoying delicious meals thanks to our personal chef Catherine. For a 7-month pregnant gal, she never stops - the Engergizer bunny has nothing on her!

One evening saw an action-packed, highly competitive round of Taboo... the winner is still being determined. A dispute was filed by the Brinsons against the Neals for delay of game. Something about being tired due to an early-rising toddler and a pregnant wife was offered as an excuse... we're not buying it! Rematch!

All-in-all, it was the perfect beach weekend. The girls got along famously, the adults actually relaxed, the weather was beautiful... no one wanted it to come to an end. Thanks Neals for including us on your beach adventure. We had a blast!

Mermaids Surfer Girl Putt-Putt Dancers

To see more photos from our beach adventure, click the link below...

Topsail Adventure

Signature Party

"Every couple should have a signature party." - Tanya Freeman. The Freemans have fabulous annual Derby party. I've been going for ten years now, but it's been around much longer.
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We all get dressed up in our Derby finest - including hats, sample traditional Derby treats, and cheer on the ponies. The party has changed over the years as our families have all grown, but the event still remains a highlight of the year.
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While we Brinsons are still searching for our "signature party," the Linkes have found theirs! This past weekend Dean and Leah held their second annual Corn Hole Tournament. A bunch of us gathered at Leah's Dad's home in Pittsboro for an afternoon of grilling, competing, and socializing. So much fun!
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Corn hole is bean bag toss game that you play in teams of two. Thankfully, it was a double-elimination tournament. My poor partner Keith - he had the misfortune of getting paired with a complete novice, me! While I had a few good practice tosses, I was no match for our competition. Like putting, you really need to learn the "touch" of your toss. I might find mine after about a 1,000 more tosses.

While the adults tossed bean bags, the kids played. Amelia couldn't have been happier to have partnered up with Shelby - one of her favorite friends. Much to their delight, Leah had sidewalk chalk waiting for them. As you can tell from these pictures, the girls had a ball!

Stay tuned for updates on whether we ever find our signature party... for now, it's still missing...