1st Attempt to Catch Up

Shoo!  What a whirlwind!  Loving life, things are all good, but there was no time for bloggin' about my favorite boys as I began to learn to balance life as a working-outside-of-the-home-Mama.  So it's time to begin to attempt to catch up.  This blog is our family photo album... the boys love to look at old pictures and videos.  So I will try to go back in time and get it up to date with Gladden family fun.

Just chillin' on a summer morning

As I (Erin) began my first official day as a Kindergarten teacher and working mom, Steven took the boys on the Gladden family trip with his parents and brother's family.  The boys all had a great time in Orlando while Mom made it through the busy pre-planning/back-to-school prep.

The Gladdens took Alexander on his "5-year-old" trip to Panama City before preschool began in the fall.  We joined them for the weekend.  Ahhhhh, the beach.

Sometimes you just have to get back to nature with the people you love.  We escaped to Line Creek for a sweaty family hike.

It appears Daddy was having a little too much fun helping the boys stay cool.

Alexander played his first organized sport, soccer, this fall.  What fun!

Good News Gladdens

We have SO MUCH good news to share you might as well just call us the Good News Gladdens!  Our avid readers probably know all our good news already, but it still needs to be posted on the family blog for posterity.  Good news reveal after some yummy strawberry picking pics...

Alexander recently had his five year well-checks with all his Dr.s (pediatrician, GI, and allergist), and all three were super impressed with how well he is doing.  He is in the 50th percentile for height and weight... we have come so far and are TRULY thankful for our energetic, healthy boy!  In other news... I have been offered (and accepted) a position teaching Kindergarteners.  I could not be more excited about getting back to teaching and cannot wait to meet my class in August.  I am busy, busy: preparing my room, catching up on new curricula/methods, and getting my sweet boys ready to share Mama full-time.  I'm sure it will be quite a transition for all of us, but I am looking forward to what the future holds!  Yay for the Good News Gladdens!

Late Spring Catch-Up

This Spring sprinted right past me... and we had such a JOYOUS one!  Here are some of our late Spring pictures.

Alexander had a great time at his school Easter Egg hunt.  Each kiddo in his class had a specific number eggs they had to find.  His favorite teacher, Mrs. Fisher, is helping him find some of his tricky eggs.

Of course, Little Brother is always there to help.

The Preschool Crew

Steven and I had a blast in Texas at a dear friend's wedding in April.  The grandparents were gracious enough to split babysitting duties, so we had a FABULOUS time hanging out with some of our favorite peeps.

The Super Cool Bride and Groom

The Madison Locys came down for a super fun weekend in April.  Uncle Ian made Alexander a VERY cool Batman card...

...and of course there were several dance parties involved.

Everyone had a TON of fun at Legoland in Atlanta...

...and the older boys got to see the Lion King at the Fox Theater.  They LOVED it (despite our nosebleed seats).  Alexander told me a few weeks later that he was really glad we were so far away because the actors looked like they were the real animals since he couldn't see their faces (haha).

And then our sweet little bundle of joy (well it seems like it was just yesterday he was a sweet bundle of joy) turned FIVE... WHAT?!? How could five years have possibly gone by already?!?

Supervising cake commencement

The finished product

Grandpa and Grandma definitely made his day with this Millennium Falcon toy.  Our little guy has gone through a few obsessions in his short five years... Curious George, Batman, and now... STAR WARS!  The boy will talk your ear off if you get him started on his favorite galactic characters from a galaxy far, far away.

Good times celebrating five years with his friends at the bowling alley.

Some post-birthday Gladden fun... what a great shot of the whole Gladden crew!

Budding Artists at Work

The password is orion.

Budding Artists from Erin Gladden on Vimeo.

Alexander Goes for a Snowy Ride

The password is orion.

Alexander Goes Sledding 2014 from Erin Gladden on Vimeo.

Elliot Sledding Like the Big Boys

The password is odin.

Elliot Goes Sledding from Erin Gladden on Vimeo.

Brothers Go for a Snowy Ride

The password is orion.

Gladden Brothers Go for a Ride from Erin Gladden on Vimeo.

Snowpocalypse and Other Winter Fun

Happy 30-something Steven!

Celebrating the Gladden menfolk birthdays at Chops Lobster Bar

Silly straw glasses

The snow started to fall on the way home from picking up Alexander at school... he was HOPING for some snow!  We weathered Atlanta's snowpocalypse fine and escaped to Auburn for the ice storm that followed a few weeks later.  It has been a crazy cold winter, and we were thankful for some pretty/fun snow to go with our cold temps.

We used the boogie board (for riding waves at the beach) to ride the snow in the front yard...AO is getting brave in his "old age."