Unfortunately, the very beginning of the month started with the boys having a horrible sinus infection. Both were content to relax for a few minutes at a time. This is so rare, I had to get pictures! I know the picture above is blurry, but I just thought Carter relaxing while sick was so sweet and look at his hair! It's gotten so blonde!
I knew Dawson really didn't feel well because he was willing to lay down and watch tv for about 30 minutes straight which is rare. We watched part of the Fox and the Hound.
Thankfully the boys recovered quickly once they got antibiotics, and they were well in time for us to tag along on one more work trip with John. He had to go to Chattanooga Saturday-Wednesday, so the boys and I went Saturday-Tuesday. Carter seemed like such a big kid on the way there drawing on this magna-doodle!
John had to work most of the time we were in Chattanooga, but Dawson, Carter, and I had a great time!!!
We spent an entire day at the Chattanooga Children's Museum. I wish we had one like this here!
Carter loved splashing in the water area.
Carter drove the car while Dawson worked on it!
Then Dawson took a turn.
We took Dawson to this museum when he was 2, and he loved the kitchen! Not much has changed! Both boys had fun playing in the kitchen.
Of course, farmer Dawson had to do some gardening while we were there.
Both Dawson and Carter LOVED the dinosaur dig area! This was a huge indoor sand area with dino bones buried for the kids to dig up. Carter LOVED the sand, and Dawson had fun finding dino bones!
Then we found these dino tails the boys wore around for a while. Carter took off running in the sand with his, meanwhile Dawson wanted me to take a picture of him as Dawson-o-saurus!
Carter and Dawson both had fun exploring the museum!
Dawson really enjoyed the horse and buggy, churning butter, and cooking over the fire!
Just for fun here is John and Dawson last time we visited the children's museum when Dawson was two. This was taken June 2011. And below, me with Dawson June 2011 when we visited the museum.
And now here are our TWO sweet boys visiting the children's museum in July 2013, just over two years later! Hopefully we wont' wait 2 more years before we go back-it's so fun!
While we were in Chattanooga, it rained, and rained, and rained! The river was up over TWENTY FEET! You can see the river behind the boys covering an area that is usually a grassy hill! On Sunday after we left the children's museum, it had finally stopped raining, so we took a walk around downtown! Both boys loved looking at the river and the ducks!
On Monday we headed to the Tennessee Aquarium!
The two pictures above show Dawson and Carter outside the aquarium.
Just for the sake of comparison, here's a picture of Dawson last time we took him to the aquarium. This was in June 2011, so just over two years ago!
Our friend Sara and her boys Ethan and Austin drove up from Huntsville to meet us for a fun day at the Aquarium. Dawson had a blast running around and exploring the aquarium with Ethan and Austin! Above the boys are checking out a gecko!
Dawson got a turn to touch it!
We saw the bird show while we were at the aquarium! Dawson and Carter both liked the owl.
Here are the four boys in one of the touch exhibits. They were trying to touch the huge fish swimming in this very cold tank, but could never quiet reach them. (Can you tell Carter is starting to get a little sleepy at this point?)
After we made our way through the first building of the aquarium, we went to lunch. Along the way, the boys found this brick boat and had fun playing in it!
After lunch, we headed back to the aquarium to see the second building which was ocean life! Dawson loved the penguin area!
Both of our sweet boys in the penguin area.
Here's one more comparison photo just for fun. This is Dawson in the same area last time we went to the aquarium two years ago!
We put the big boys in the shark cage!
They obviously don't look to afraid of that giant shark behind them! Dawson had such a great time with Ethan and Austin! Look how silly they are being!
Checking out the BIG crabs!
We were almost to the end of the aquarium when the boys climbed inside this little viewing area and announced they were taking a nap! You know they must have been worn out to say this!
Meanwhile, Carter really did fall asleep in his stroller! This rarely happens anymore!
After the day at the aquarium, we let the boys play in the water outside the aquarium. It was so hot that this was perfect!
Our last day in Chattanooga we attempted to visit the Chattanooga Zoo, however upon arriving we were told they were closed due to all of the rain Chattanooga had experienced over the previous days. Thankfully, there was a park right by the zoo, so the boys weren't too disappointed when I told them we couldn't see the animals that day. Above: Dawson playing at the park.
The boys outside the zoo.
We had a great time in Chattanooga!
Safety City is a mini version of Knoxville where kids can go to ride bikes, tricycles, or small battery-operated things. It's only open two days a week and only in June and July. Dawson loved it last summer, so we knew we had to find a way to make it there at least once this summer! Last year Dawson rode his John Deere tractor and Carter was 2 months old and in the Moby wrap. This year Carter rode his push tricycle half of the time and then rode on the John Deere Gator with Dawson the other part of the time. Both boys loved it! Thankfully we did this on a day that John was off, because I'm not sure I could have kept up with both of them there!
The bulbs that the boys gave me as part of my Mother's Day present in May, started to bloom this month!! So pretty! I love them!
One afternoon John took Dawson to play golf, and Carter and I got to hang out. Carter was VERY smilie and silly the whole time! Look at that sweet grin!
We made a trip to the Knoxville Zoo and invited Lolly to come with us in the middle of July. Here Dawson and Carter are having fun with the macaws!
Everyone had fun in the zoo safari truck!
Carter had fun running the cash register inside the Wee Play Zoo where we went to cool off (it was SO hot the day we went to the zoo)!
Dawson helped me make some 7 layer bars! See evidence of taste-testing on his face?!
I took the boys to play at Carl Cowan Splash Pad one Friday morning with our MOMs group. Carter and Dawson both had an absolute blast!! See Carter sitting down right in the middle of all the water! No fear!
Caught Dawson mid-jump! You know he's having fun!
The favorite activity was filling up buckets of water from the pop jets.
When our boys get in the water together they get WILD! They have such a fun time playing in the inflatable pool in our backyard!
Drive a steam roller in the water? Why not!
A big "first" that happened this month was Carter spent his first night with the grandparents! This was the first time Carter has spent the night away from home without me and only the second night ever being away from me. He and Dawson spent the night with Nana and Grandad, and had a blast! As soon as I picked them up the next day, Dawson asked he if AND Carter could spend the night there together again.
The following week they both spent the night with their Lolly and Pop. (I can't even explain how much I got accomplished with no kids in the house!!)
Carter started sitting at the table in a booster seat with us this month. He thinks he's so big!
I decided to take the boys to Dollywood one more time before Nora Kate arrives since Dawson had been asking to go everyday!! Lolly came with us since John was working. We had a great time!
Dawson and I rode the teacups!
Waiting in line with the boys for the Lucky Ducks.
Dawson with Lolly on the train.
The boys and I waiting on the train ride to begin.
It's so unusual for Carter to fall asleep in my arms that I just had to get a picture! He fell asleep on the train! It's so loud, but he was tired!
Dawson caught a fish!
And won this prize!
What a fun day at Dollywood! Next time we go we will have THREE kids!!
In other exciting news for the month of July, John has a new work schedule!!! About halfway through the month, he got to switch to a day schedule! He still has to work until midnight some, still works some weekends, and has to be there at 6 or 7am most mornings, but he's no longer sleeping during the days! We are very excited about this. I'm excited to have him home to help with Nora Kate during the night too! :)
Also in July, I hosted a bridal shower for my sister-in-law, Emily. I think everyone had fun. She got a lot of great gifts, and I had fun hosting an event at our house.
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