G-O Illini Go

A few weeks ago, we took the boys to their first Illini basketball game!  Oskee-wow-wow Illinois!!

Happy Halloween

Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and his first mate, Smee, wish you a Happy Halloween...a few days late!

Last night at bedtime...

Soccer

B played soccer this fall with the Park District.  The first game made me think it would be a long season, but as the season progressed, he participated more and even scored a goal and played goalie a few times.  He knew no one on the team nor the coach and I think that was good for him. He really liked having a big audience of his people to watch him and probably played his best the weekend he had his biggest crowd.  We all learned a little bit about soccer throughout the season and had lots of fun practicing at home.  Somehow our soccer practices turned into tackle soccer though, which led to tackle football.  And this mom is unsure how she feels about football...

Brody did tell me today that he was longer going to ride bulls for his hobby...we didn't know he ever wanted to, so I am relieved to hear we don't have to worry about sport.  And no worries about Riley riding bulls either because ALL animals are going to eat him, or at least that is what his three year old mind thinks!

Off to the combine

Harvest is here

 

It's harvest time and we are busy people right now.  

Cardinals

The boys LOVE to stay in hotels.  Up until our weekend in STL, their favorite was the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.  I believe our STL hotel might take the cake now though.  The view from our hotel really was quite exceptional.

We started out the game with everyone occupying their own seats, intently watching the game.  Check out those cushioned seats!!

Riley loved being the audience!

The view from our seats...not to shabby!

Then, in about the fifth inning this happened.  
Note: The couple sitting to my left were super friendly.  I heard their life story if you are ever interested.  

Cotton Candy saved the day though!!

My new friends insisted we needed a family photo..really glad she insisted too!

After the 7th inning, we decided to pack it up and head back because it was already after 9:00 pm and we were all slowly falling apart. We were safely tucked into our room to watch the 9th inning and the fireworks as the Cardinals won.  Actually we watched the fireworks twice...once live out the window and a few seconds later on TV!  

Riley woke us up the next morning with his chattering out the window to the trains, boats and vehicles.  

To cap off the weekend, FredBird seated us at breakfast.  Riley was attempting to melt into the floor with fear.

The only negative thing I have to say about the whole weekend is that we are now spoiled...I may never be able to go back to Busch Stadium unless I have a seat with a built in cushion and an exceptional view of home plate?  I swear our seats were a little wider than the standard seat too.  

St. Louis Arch

A few weekends ago, we took the boys to St. Louis for an overnight.  We had never taken them to the arch or to the river front, so off we went.  We checked out the museum underneath the arch but were not brave enough to take them up into the arch this trip.  We could picture two little boys screaming about half way up!  The river was full of activity with helicopters zipping around and tug boats moving some barges around.  I think the boys could have sat on the steps and watched the activity most of the evening.  But we had tickets to the Cardinals game so off we went...

An evening with The Bible's

Saturday evening, we spent the evening at Kuhl's Kozy Kampground with Kurt's grandparents.  Even with the excessive heat, the boys still fished, took golf-cart rides and played their own version of baseball with fly spatters and a wiffle ball!  The highlight of their evening might have been taking a bath in the camper though.  They really wanted to sleep over, but we weren't quite prepared for that this trip.  Maybe next time?  

just a couple more of riley on his first day...

Working Guys

My working guys are busy prepping a new flower bed for me.  Riley has picked a new favorite accessory...his red rag.  He prefers the dirty one he found on the tiller.  However, after catching him wiping his nose and then the kitchen counter with it, I switch out his red rag daily and he has no clue!  I'm not sure what they are going to do when I start transplanting flowers?  

First Day

Last Tuesday was Riley's first day of three year old Pre-School.  He has been pre-planning to cry since VBS in June, but thankfully his tears were minimal and mine were too.  Cousin Eli is in the same class, and I do believe that helped the whole process go better.  I also promised him an ice cream cone after school!  I think he has made a new friend who likes to farm, but otherwise he just calls all those other people, the boys and girls.  Last year, it seemed Brody was old enough to go to school, but Ri just seems too little still?

Last Wednesday was Brody's first day of school.  Four year old Preschool meets three days a week and he basically has no need for me once I walk him to his room.  I think he would do that on his own as well, but I like to know that he got to his room safe and sound.  We rode our bikes to school the first day, but he asked me to pick him up in my car so we could go eat lunch, because you know mom, we did that last year!  

So all in all, the first days went well.  Being able to transport them to and from school makes me very thankful for the flexibility and location of my job!

Seven

Swimming at the Aldrich's

Kurt's cousin Quincy celebrated his birthday recently.  Quade was kind enough to share the pool with the boys, who were thrilled to swim even though it was chilly.  Brody and Quade were jumping in and Riley just sat on the stairs and was happy as could be.

Baseball

A typical evening at our house involves baseball.  If Kurt isn't around, I am good enough to do the pitching.  If Kurt is home, I am only allowed to be the audience or the catcher.  I've never liked a ball hurdling towards my personal space anyway so audience is a good job for me!  

'Struction Site

I received a major scolding for taking pictures at the 'struction site, also known as a construction site.  They had quite the set up...the John Deere loader, gator and their Caterpillar digger as well the new digger Riley got for his birthday that is pictured above.  Buckets, garden trowels and posts were their remaining tools and a mom that left them alone was the other key ingredient to their successful project!

Brody

* Note:  Brody is in pajamas and Kurt and Riley are already dressed.  Proof that he really loves his jammies.  Friday's are his favorite day because it's Grammy day and he almost always wears his jammies to Grammy's!*

He wanted his picture taken with his hand on his head and said something each time he posed, but neither of us can remember what he said?  Silly kid!

Annual Picture

A note about Riley.  He has a definite opinion about what he wears.  Complete opposite of Brody, who wears whatever I lay out everyday.  The shirt above is his Grampy John shirt.  Grampy wears a t-shirt with a pocket on it everyday, thus the reason he named his shirt.  He has about six other t-shirts that make him the happiest...a Super Graham, Batman, and John Deere shirt and then three t-shirts with stripes on them.  He is wearing one of the four pair of shorts he finds acceptable.  I believe he likes this style because they have deep pockets for whatever he is gathering.  He is most likely wearing a pair of striped boxer briefs.  He has about five pair and he reaches for them every morning over any of the other pairs in his drawer.  He LOVES blue jeans.  After he was potty trained this winter, he refused to wear anything but blue jeans.  Elastic waist pants would be so much easier for him, but he refuses.  The last five days he has pulled down a pair of jeans to wear and I'm not sure if he will put shorts on the rest of the summer?  He knows where his clothes are and if something unacceptable comes downstairs in the morning, he will go upstairs and find what he wants, or this morning, he simply took upon himself to get his own clothes out and get dressed.  This is also the absolute opposite of Brody, who would live in his pajamas and occasionally has to be threatened to be left at home if he doesn't get dressed right this moment!  Church clothes are his least favorite because he can't wear his favorite stuff.  I have got to the point that I expect his tantrum and just leave options out and make him choose from what is out, but it's a fight every Sunday. 

Then there is his footwear.  The shoes above are his blue running shoes.  He named them, not I.  He got them wet one day last week and they were not dry the next day.  Holy Moly did we have a problem the next morning.  He has a pair of socks that look like candy corn and they are his absolute favorite.  Sadly the last time he wore them, he put his big toe right through the end so they are being saved in my collection of things for him.  I have convinced him that plain white short socks are okay to wear so I keep those on top for him.  He has a pair of 'lip locks', also known as flip flops that he loves, but he can't wear them to Julie's or to school, but occasionally sneaks them on for church.  After the tantrum about getting dressed, I chose not to fight him on his choice of church footwear even though he has a pair of adorable Sperry's he could wear.  His other favorite footwear would be rubber boots.  However, his jeans must never be tucked in his boots.  Brody helps him pull his jeans over boots when he gets frustrated.  Like me, he rarely is barefoot.  He likes to always have shoes of some sort on.  

His preferred accessories are his Buzz Lightyear hat, the sunglasses pictured above or a pair of swimming goggles or all three at once!  

It shall be interesting to see what he finds acceptable out of the drawers of winter clothes I have saved!

Stuck

there isn't a proper picture of the boys after they stood behind cohen while he was stuck, but they sure had fun getting sprayed by mud!

Grant's Farm

We most definitely have a lover and a hater in our house when it comes to animals.  Brody would have sat in the sun and talked to all the goats ALL.DAY.LONG.  Riley couldn't crawl up my body and get on the other side of the fence fast enough.  

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Riley wouldn't have stood by the fence with me holding him, let alone put his hand up for the horse...

And way to go Kurt.  We wouldn't have many pictures of the STL trip if it weren't for him!