My 2nd 1st Haircut Weekend

First, the reason for the title of my post. The McKay boys seem to grow a bunch of hair in the back before they ever get any in the front. So the weekend in May when I fly to Erie for Patty's shower, Kerry took Luke to the barber to get rid of the mullet. But he didn't take any photos or save any hair, so this is the haircut we will record.

As you may be able to tell from the pictures, Luke did not enjoy the experience. He cried from the point the haircut started until it was over. They cut it pretty short, so hopefully we don't have to do this again soon.

That afternoon Luke started to run a fever and just act pretty out of sorts. When he woke from his nap his fever was much higher and I noticed he was breathing really quickly and his chest was heaving in and out. When Hunter had croup he did the same thing and had to have nebulizer treatments to bring his breathing back under control. Since at this point it was 5:30pm on a Saturday the only place I could take him was the ER. So I spent my first evening in the ER as a mom. After a chest xray and a nebulizer treatment we were discharged with the diagnosis of a double ear infection and bronchitis. It was a long night but I felt much better that I didn't wait until Monday to take him to the doctor.

Let the good times roll.....

So in the last few months our lives have gotten considerably easier!

Hunter is really maturing. The tantrums are less in both frequency and duration and he is really behaving in school as well. It has really made such a difference in our lives to parent this child.

Luke is sleeping through the night. He has really developed a predictable schedule. He goes down for the night at 7:45pm with no fuss what so ever. The fact that a child is sleeping through the night at 16 months may not seem like something to be so thankful for, but in the McKay house this is such a surprise and a gift. He is the easiest of kids these days, he eats when he is supposed to and sleeps when he is supposed to THANK YOU!

They both are perfectly content when my parents or my brother watches them. No crying, no clutching to my leg, just happy to be left with them and have some fun.

Now to find a new house to move in to and our life will be bliss!

Summer Fun

It is so nice to have neighbors with kids our age. Hunter and Luke love playing outside after school.

Best Buddies

Erie Summer Vacation 2009

We had such a great vacation up in Erie. Patty and Dave had a beautiful wedding and also managed to host a great reunion. This vacation was perfect for the kids and they had a blast. We went to the zoo, the amusement park, the water park, and had a bunch of picnics on the beach. Here are some highlights:

Hunter, Dom and Luca got to spend a lot of time together being goofy and got along great.

We had a bunch of bonfires and ate yummy smores.

We watched the fireworks from our house

We played at the beach. Something both Hunter and Luke loved. Kerry and I were even able to slip away twice for sometime along, priceless. It was tough to come back to reality.

Hunter's 4th Birthday Party

Hunter had a great birthday at the Softplay room. The kids got their sugar fix in and were able run it off for an hour after. This year the parents got really involved staging a giant ball fight. The kids thought it was a blast. Here are some highlights:

Father's Day 2009

For about the last 30 years, the Meisters have been meeting up with the McPhersons in St. Michaels, MD for crabs, followed by a ferry ride to Oxford, MD for ice cream and a trip to the park. We are really creatures of habit!

Kerry and I tried to take Hunter when he was a week old, but haven't been back since. The meal is a long one and it is an almost 2 hour drive each way, difficult with little ones.

Well we tried it again yesterday. Kerry ate a crab cake sandwich so if the kids needed to get out and run he would be ready...it was a good call, they did. They really enjoyed the park after lunch, Hunter didn't want to leave, surprise. But the car ride home was tough. We hit the returning beach traffic on the way home and the ride was long. They both slept in the car on the way home, but it made for really late bedtimes. Will we try it again next year? The jury is still out.....Happy Father's Day Kerry and Dad!!

Hunter's Party at School

I was able to get out of work early to celebrate Hunter's birthday at school with him. We baked cupcakes the night before and he was so excited to celebrate with his friends!


When he came home from school he wanted to go for dinner at the "small" Mexican restaurant up the street, then in keeping with tradition went for ice cream and to play at the park.

When we got home he opened presents before bed. I think he had a great day!

I'm 4!

What a year it has been! Hunter is an active, talkative and fun kid who loves his friends, being outside and riding his bike. It hasn't always been the easiest year, he has a tough time dealing with being told no and has had many, many tantrums. Once he starts getting out of control it is hard to bring him back down again. We are working on getting him to express his feelings with words instead of screaming, but so far we haven't been successful.

He is such a good big brother and Luke adores him. He is extremely gentle with him and usually Luke ends up hurting Hunter if they are wrestling and not the other way around.

Hunter is obsessed with all things super hero, wants to be spiderman when he grows up, frequently asking what he as to do to get super powers and can often be seen walking around in full costume.

My hope for the next year is that he begins to learn to control his emotions more and not lose control so easily. He is so fun to be around when he is the "good Hunter!"

Another Reunion

My godmother (my mother's cousin) was in MD for a wedding a couple weeks ago and took a side trip to meet Hunter and Luke for the first time and spend some time with us. It was a great visit and I hope we don't have to wait so long for another!

Hunter and I took a couple days off to go visit my friend Amy in Yorktown VA. Amy has two boys, Drew who is 5, and Dean who is 4, so they all had so much fun together. We went to a state park to see turtles swimming in the canal and hike some trails. The next day we went to the beach, and they got to see 2 really large ships pass by (a major highlight!)

It was way too short a visit, we will have to plan another soon!

Power Tots Performance

Hunter's class had their year end Power Tots show today at school. It was so neat to get to see what they do every Wednesday. We were very impressed with what they were able to do on a bar!

Memorial Day 2009

We had a great memorial day weekend with perfect weather for breaking out the sprinkler, Luke's first time. He had a blast, loved getting wet and chasing the water.

We spent our days riding bikes, going on walks and playing with friends. On Sunday we went to my parents house for dinner. Mark got suckered into wrestling both kids (which they loved.) It of course ended in tears (Luke's), but he was back at it in no time.

As you can see from this picture, after Luke was done his dinner, he hopped back on my lap to finish my meal, steak, gnawing on a large piece I didn't finish!

A Reunion Dinner

My Aunt Nancy and Uncle Lee were in town for a business trip and my mom hosted a great dinner Sunday night. We haven't seen them since my cousin Suzanne's wedding almost 3 years ago so we had a great time catching up and introducing them to Luke. I wish we all lived closer so these occasions weren't so far apart!

Easter 2009

We had a fun and chilly Easter at my parent's house. We started the morning with Hunter trying to eat as much candy as possible before we took away the basket. Then I took him to church (always a good combination.) He did remarkably well, even listening to portions of the sermon and asking questions! I need to figure out how to explain heaven, spirits and God to an almost 4 year old.

Then we packed up and traveled to MD for a delicious Easter dinner and egg hunt in the backyard.

1st Soccer Practice

Hunter had his first soccer practice this weekend and had a great time. Hopefully he will enjoy each class and not want to stop 1/2 way through!

Luke's Birthday Party

We had Luke's birthday party on Saturday. Ever since he was a newborn he has slept with a blue elephant that my Aunt Susie gave him, so I chose that as his cake.

We had a great time with great friends and family in attendance. Unfortunately I didn't do the best job capturing everyone who was here...hopefully there are more pictures out there that will get sent my way.

The kids had a fun time, playing outside for a while thanks to Kelly and Joyce and most important Luke had a great time, enjoying all the chaos and the cake!