Tour de Michigan 2012: The Troy Times

Gus had a "mancation" planned for Labor Day weekend, and I was planning on a quiet weekend home with the boys. At the last minute, I decided that I was confident (or crazy) enough to take the boys to Michigan by myself. Traveling with them on the plane was actually easier than I expected. They were on their best behavior, and the nearby passengers sang their praises.

Once we arrived in Troy, we stopped by Grandma and Papou's house for a quick visit. They were heading up north with Uncle Chris, Aunt Stacie, and George the next day, but we were happy to get in some hugs and play time. Uncle Joe stopped by, too, and Henry and John loved getting wild with their crazy uncles. Henry and John also played us a little ditty on Nonnie's old piano.

The next morning we surprised my Papa at his favorite breakfast spot, The Nip and Tuck. He has been a regular customer for years, and used to dine there often with my Grandma. Now he eats breakfast at The Nip and Tuck everyday. In fact, the owner will call him to make sure he's okay if he doesn't arrive by ten o'clock! On this particular morning, we walked in the door just as Papa was sitting down at "his" corner stool. Henry ran right up to him for hugs, and the look on Papa's face was priceless! Papa couldn't have been more proud to introduce all the regulars to his great-grandsons.

That night we took the boys down to Ford Field to watch Zia Bella perform in the Athens High School halftime show. She performed a beautiful routine, and Henry and John loved watching the flags fly in the air. Henry was even more "cited" when he spotted her face on the jumbotron!

On our last night in Troy, Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Guilbault stopped by to see the boys and get some hugs. Henry loved telling them all about Thomas the Train, and John (as usual) couldn't stop smiling.

Next up, the Longo Lakehouse!

Grab some popcorn!

Daddy doesn't have to do a whole lot to get Henry falling over with laughter. A little sniffle goes a long way in our house.


Bebe John loves this stuffed piggy. He even brought out his best squeal for our little porky friend.


Henry is learning all sorts of new things. I'm pretty proud of him because, let's face it, Augustus is not the easiest middle name to pronounce.

Peekaboo is a daily game in our house now. A part of me thinks the boys love it only because of the ridiculous "peekaboo!" sound that comes out of my mouth.

The Makris Men

In just five short months, the Makris Boys have already turned into Makris Men. Slow down, sweet boys.

Just another day in Perrydise

Last weekend we headed to Nanna and Pa's house for some good ole' Middle Georgia fun. Only in the South would you find a barefoot little boy and his Daddy riding a lawnmower down the street. (Mama forgot to pack his shoes. Klassy!) And only at Nanna's house would you find doughnuts frying on the back porch. I'm pretty sure Nanna served Henry dessert after every meal. In the pool, Henry blew bubbles and floated on his back. The swim lessons must be working.

Later in the day, the whole family came over for dinner and to celebrate the birthday of my cousin, Kevin. Henry played trains with Uncle Bobby, and John received the attention of the ladies like a gentleman.

We ended the day with a few pictures of the boys. Henry was kind enough to share his thumb with John.