Thursday, September 21, 2017

fall fun


Every year for the Iowa/Iowa State football game Craig's family comes to either our house or his brother's house (depending on where the game is, it alternates each year) and this year it was at his brother's house.  This is the only picture I took the whole weekend- ha!  Cousins playing while adults were at the game!
My friend, Andrea came to visit for a game and we took our girls out to lunch while the boys went to the game. 
We taught together years ago and were pregnant with these two at the exact same time.  It was so fun being at school together as preggo mamas!  And we are totally fine with these two getting married someday- ha!
Some of you may have heard about "the wave" that happened this year at Kinnick stadium.  Every game the fans turn and wave to the kids in the hospital and it has become an amazing tradition.  While I'm a cyclone fan at heart, this is so touching and I'm proud of Iowa.  Andrew has spent many days and nights in that hospital (the old one, this was newly rebuilt last year), so this is close to my heart.  Anyway, this day I got to take my 3rd graders on a field trip and they had them turn and wave.  It was such a special moment.
Just a Saturday morning reading in mama's bed!
Lots of sidewalk chalk with the neighbors!
She drew this pretty picture for Ga Ga
And this cracked me up.  He wrote "HELP!  I've been forced to play outside!"  Ha ha ha!  This kid.  He's such a homebody and I have to make him go outside most of the time!
The one activity I can get him on board with is Taekwondo.  He loves when they do fun things in class like this!
Kerigan has been working hard in the gym all summer and fall, getting ready for competition season!  She finally got her splits!  Look at those legs #legsfordays
What can I say?  Getting back into the swing of homework is hard, so we have to make it fun around here!
All that work makes it worth it when my girl brings home something sweet like this.  I love that she loves our family game nights. 
We love fall nights having a fire pit with the neighbors. This night we put 2 together in the backyard and grilled hot dogs and made s'mores!
The kids all played football- it was such a fun night!
One Saturday I took the kids and a neighbor to look at Halloween decorations and costumes at this crazy store in town that has all kinds of fun things!
Who knew poop emojis were so awesome?  Ha!
They love all the creepy things that make noise and move around!
They tried on all the masks

A chicken for Ga Ga!
At school the kids had dress like your favorite character day- Kerigan was Laura Ingalls and Andrew was Dog Man!
Ga Ga was here so we went and had lunch with this sweet girl
I cannot get enough of this toothless smile!
Andrew's teacher posted this of the class!  Andrew loves fun days like this- and he has such a nice class with lots of friends!
Ga Ga and I took the kids to see this movie- Andrew had been wanting to see it!
The school had a fund raiser where the kids decorated pizza boxes and then parents could call and have pizza delivered in their child's box!  I thought this was such a cool idea!  Until Andrew's came in another Andrew from his class' box!  Oops!  We did end up getting his box back!
Fun night at the kids school is always a hit!
This girl won the cake walk, and I may have squealed- Ha!
They have all kind of games and activities set up in the pods outside the classrooms

Then in the gym there are tons of bouncy houses and slides!
Andrew and his buddy Jack doing twister

Avery and Andrew loved their crazy glasses
We just love our school!
One day they had rainbow day where each grade wore a different color.  Andrew was blue and Kerigan was orange- they are in there somewhere! (And that's our neighborhood in the background- love being so close to school!)
More pictures on the playground when I get to school- I love seeing these two!  This day was pajama day in first grade!
Nutcracker practice underway!  The day they brought out Mother Ginger's skirt was so exciting!
Lunch date with this girl after Nutcracker.

It's been a fun fall so far!


Tuesday, September 5, 2017

labor day weekend


This cracked me up.  I mean seriously though, Craig's schedule is such that he is often not home at dinner time.  And let's face it, the kids are the pickiest eaters on the planet.  Cooking is not my thing.  Ha!
Whenever we lose Belle (which does happen often!) we always look here first.  She loves Kerigan's bed because she has a really big window and a loft bed!  She loves to lounge in the sun!  
She sleeps with Kerigan most nights too.
This boy reading before bed- his favorite thing to do!
These girls had Nutcracker try outs
I was so thrilled she wanted to do Nutcracker since I was in it as a little girl as well.  We couldn't wait to find out what part she got!
And I may have cried when we found out she was going to be a Polichinelle (a Mother Ginger kid).
This was my first Nutcracker experience as a kid also, and it was so nostalgic for me to watch my daughter get to be the same part!
These two besties were slightly excited they both get to be Polis together!
Over Labor Day we headed up to the lake/farm to see my aunt, uncle and cousins!
The kids just love getting to ride horses and explore the farm!
This is their sweet miniature horse, Daisy
Goats!
And they always love to tease Ga Ga with the chickens! 
Here they were running to bring a chicken to her!  Ha!
Andrew loves the kittens.  He found this special one with one eye.  He has a soft spot for animals with differences!  Sweet boy.
Then Kolton took him for a fast ride in the 4 wheeler!  And they insisted I go next, which I may or may not have regretted- Ha!

After the farm we took the kids to the lake for a little while

This place is my happy place
I grew up coming here as a kid and walked along this same beach at their age
They could wade in the water for hours
Special memories!
A certain guy asked me to marry him sitting on this very bench overlooking the lake.
They love to play in the fountains!
They found our family brick!

Kisses on the seawall 
We headed back to Ga Ga and Papa's and the kids had a bubble bath and a sleepover!
Ended the weekend with these girls selling emojis in the neighborhood!  The ideas they come up with!  Ha!
Look out neighborhood!  They are both riding with no training wheels!
Beautiful fall evenings in the 'hood!

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