A Weekend Away + Ellis's Month O' Sickness + Potty Training

Three random topics, but such is our life right now.

We'll start with potty training. Fingers crossed that we are on the way to having it down pat. Fingers crossed. RF has had numerous successful potty experiences the past few days, including zero accidents since Sunday, and we are hoping that he is well on his way to being potty trained. Nana brought a bag o' prizes, so every time he goes potty he gets to choose a prize out of the bag - he LOVES it. I came home from work today and he ran up to me yelling, "Mommy, I pee-peed in the potty. I pee-peed in the potty." He gets the biggest grin on his face and is so proud of himself - and we are so, so, so incredibly proud of him, too. We've figured out a few things through trial and error, but all in all, it's going well. Thankfully the boys' school is out this week on Fall Break, so he and Nana have a routine going and it is working really, really well.

Picking a prize out of Nana's bag o' prizes

Mid-September Mr. Ellis had strep and bronchitis. Two weeks later, another dr. appointment gave us the additional diagnosis of croup, hand, foot, and mouth disease, and another round of strep. Poor guy has been so out of sorts - hurting, not sleeping well, cranky, etc. We are on a heavy does of steroids and antibiotics to try and clear everything up. We need the sickness gone NOW.

No.

More.

Sickness.

A breathing treatment at the dr.'s office. He had such a rough night that he fell asleep during the treatment...poor fella.

Last Friday RA and I headed out to the NC mountains for a weekend away while the boys hung out with Nana and Babu. We had a great time decompressing from the craziness that has been this year. A plethora of photos below of our time in Bryson City, NC - a beautiful mountain town on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Curvy mountain roads into North Georgia and North Carolina...

It rained the entire way to Bryson City...

But cleared up right as we got to the bed and breakfast --- The Folkestone Inn - wonderful property, wonderful food, and wonderful innkeepers...

We stayed in the Trains and Tressles Room...

Train bedspread...

Cute little bathroom...

View of the property from our private balcony...

View of the Great Smoky Mountains from the Inn's property...

Another view of the GSM from the Inn's property...

Downtown Bryson City, NC...

First evenings dinner at The Cork and Bean...

Downtown fall display...

Coffee on the front porch of the Inn on Saturday morning...

Morning coffee view...

RA enjoying coffee on the front porch...

Side view from the porch...

Mountain road to private cabins on the neighboring property...

Mountain stream across the Inn's property...

Smoky mountains...

Front of the Inn...

Winding mountain road on our way to explore...

Mountain roads follow the river...

More smoky mountains...

Rainy mountain road through the GSM National Park...

River through the park...

Mountain river...

Fall in the mountains...

Baptist church hidden away in the mountain woods...

Fall through the door of the church...

Fall through the church window...

Baptist church in the GSM National Park...

Mountain river through the GSM National Park...

More mountain river through the GSM National Park...

Road with the river flowing right next to it...

Wild turkeys roaming through the park...

Reintroduced to the park a few years ago - elk!

Elk with the GSM in the background...

More downtown Bryson City, NC

Happy Fall Y'all!

Bryson City, NC is the headquarters of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad...

Barn near the Inn...

Horse saying "Hello!"

Such a great bed and breakfast...

Looking down on the town from higher up on the mountain...

Gateway to the Smokies...

Such a neat little town...

Saturday lunch at Nate and Nick's...Yummy!

Saturday evening dinner at Jimmy Mac's Restaurant...

A mile from the Inn's property is the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park @ Deep Creek...

Photo time...

First of the three waterfalls on the Deep Creek Trail...

Mountain trail...

Selfie at the first waterfall...

Next to the mountain stream...

So peaceful...

 

Thinking...and hunting river rocks to take back to RF...

Second of the three waterfalls on the Deep Creek Trail...

Photo-op at the top of the mountain before we began our trek back down the mountain...

So calm and peaceful - nothing but the sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing...

 

Third waterfall on the Deep Creek Trail...

:-)

Photo of the mountains as we were leaving Bryson City...

A great weekend getaway for Mr. Hawk and I...

September in Georgia

 

September was a busy, busy, busy month for the Hawks. We had something every weekend this month and many of the week days, as well. RF is also in the process of potty training (sort of, it's not going too well --- trying not to force him, but he'll do it at school, but not so much at home...), I had an out-of-town conference in Birmingham, Ellis had a pretty rough, sick week which meant little sleep for RA and I, and the month rounded out with Homecoming Week (which I was in charge of planning and executing) at EHS. A photo montage below to showcase some of our month...

 

Big boy smiling away...

Bananas on the kitchen floor. Mr. Ellis has started a new thing where he plops himself down on the kitchen floor and smacks his lips. When you ask him if he's hungry, a big smile crosses his face and he nods his head, "Yes!"

Another beautiful GA sunrise...

Beautiful blue skies with white puffy clouds in Birmingham, Alabama earlier this month...

 

While in Birmingham for a conference, RA was on daddy-duty for the boys and had to pick up Mr. Ellis early from school as he was running a low-grade fever. Unfortunately, he didn't get to feeling much better and by the time I got home Saturday afternoon, he was pretty puny.

His fever spiked to 103.6 on Sunday night and we knew we had to get him to the doctor...Poor little man was feeling really sick. He just wanted to be held. All. Day. And. All. Night.

A trip to the pediatrician confirmed that our little man had strep throat and bronchitis. A round of antibiotics + lots of fluids and rest were prescribed to getting Mr. Ellis back to his happy-self.

 

After some medicine and a good ole' nap, Mr. Ellis was able to enjoy a few minutes outside - one of his three favorite places (other two favorite places are the bathtub - he walks to it and throws his leg up onto the side to try and get in - and the kitchen floor/kitchen table - where the food is).

Brothers playing with a baseball RA found in the backyard...

Family time digging up spider-lily bulbs...

Helping daddy in the backyard...

 

RF being silly in the front yard with his jet planes...

Another afternoon outside --- RF showing off his rock garden...

Helping daddy do some yard-work...

Mr. Ellis feeling better enough to vacuum the rugs...

 

RF doing some fall painting...

Oh yeah, mama --- I'm feeling better!

More backyard time for the Hawk boys...

RF collecting pecans in the backyard...

Ice cream on Friday night to help bridge the week of sickness into a fun weekend...

 

 

Plopped down on the kitchen floor for a snack...

Peek-A-Boo...

Ellis's new hiding spot...

 

More outside time...these boys LOVE the big backyard...

Such a big kid...wandering through the back yard in his rain boots (it hadn't rained) carry his army tanks...

RA planted me some fall mums...my FAVORITE season is here!

Oooooohhhhh water, mama...

Can't quite reach it, mama...

Oh, yes I can! Splish-splashing fun...

Such a big boy...

Helping daddy prepare for the planting of the garden...

Two of my favorite men...

As happy as can be...

Turning on and off daddy's water hose...

More water, mama!

Oh no, mama. Where'd the water go?

 

 

Eastside Homecoming 2015 is in the books...great school, great kids, great dance...

We transformed the Commons area into a fun Homecoming Dance space...

The kids did a wonderful job decorating and had a great time at the dance...Homecoming 2015 is in the books!

SUPER excited about the month of October! RA and I are headed to the North Carolina mountains next weekend for a getaway while the boys hang out with Nana, RF and Ellis have Fall Break, RF's first experience at the GA National Fair in Perry, Fall Break for me including a trip to Mobile for a conference with some of my Baldwin County teacher friends, another work conference in Montgomery, and hopefully a trip to a local pumpkin patch with my three favorite men as we get to experience fall - my favorite season of the year - in Georgia!