ORTHO, SHOPPING & FRIENDS

It has been quite a week. Jake went to the orthodontist this week. He was referred by our dentist due to a "bite issue". Turns out they will do nothing for Jake for awhile, if ever. They want to see him yearly to see if there are any changes, but right now it is just a waiting game. The good news is that they don't charge us until they do some sort of work.

The kids and I met Mandy, Kim & Drew in Williamsburg for some much needed back to school shopping at the outlet mall. I didn't have a ton of luck, but did manage to check a few things off of my list.

The kids both have friends over today. I agreed to let them have friend over, figuring it would keep them occupied so that I could get things ready for Allie's party this weekend. WRONG!! My kids have been fighting like cats & dogs. The kids are bored. They are hungry. ETC!! I finally grabbed both of my kids & informed them that I would be calling their friend's parents to come get them if they didn't shape up. I also explained that MY kids would be grounded to their rooms without any privileges if their friends went home. They have been ANGELS ever since & I even have a few of my chores handled.

We are celebrating Allie's b-day with family on Sunday. Our company starts to arrive tomorrow night. Michael, Kim & Drew arrive around dinnertime. Mandy & the kid are coming Saturday. The rest of my family & Scott's family will come for the day on Sunday.

WHERE HAS THE SUMMER GONE??

School starts in less than a month! I can't figure out where the summer went. It always seems to last longer than this one has. Maybe it is because I was working?? I didn't get to enjoy the first nice days, because I was at work? Or maybe it is because, I might not get to enjoy the nice days after school starts & I keep thinking of that. Whatever the reason, it has gone by way too quickly!

Baseball is over. I'm not sad! Jake really isn't either. He actually loves to play ball & does pretty well. However, this year's team was horrible. Not only weren't the kids on his team not very talented ball players, but they didn't even try! It just killed Jake to see kids watch the ball roll past them or to see kids jog to 1st base. Anyway, their team didn't win a game & frankly didn't come close to winning! Maybe next summer...

The kids and I made a flying trip to visit my family on Thursday/Friday. Mom watched the 4 older grandkids so that Kim, Mandy & I could go eat lunch & shop a little (we took Drew). We had a great time. We grilled out that night at mom & dad's...yummy!! On Friday, we took my grandmother out to lunch & had a nice time. The kids were pretty well behaved. We got home on Friday night just as Scott got done working & hung out with him the rest of the night.



Maddie, Ben, Jake, Allie & Drew

Drew & Jake

Maddie enjoying a Push Up

FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY

This week's theme is "SOOOO Sleepy"...this is a theme that will be seen again!!




Allie at about 6 months


Allie, just a few days old


Jake just a few days old


Jake a couple of months old

MILDLY INSANE!

I had a moment of weakness today after Jake's ballgame. Allie was asked by a friend to go play. Since her friend has a brother, I felt the need to invite him to play with Jake. It was an "even" trade & everything seemed good. Little did I know, Jake was conspiring to play with the twins on his team...I told Jake it was fine to ask them over. We are now up to 3 extra boys. When the twins went to ask to come over, they said it in front of another boy. SO, I invited him along. Now we are up to 4 extras. They are all playing really well together...then...the doorbell rings and we added ANOTHER boy to the mix. I now have 5 extra boys & Jake here playing. WOW!! Fortunately, we have the Wii & PS2 games to play & it is keeping everyone busy. However, they are all pigs & are eating me out of house & home!
Here are the boneheads! Nicholas N, Sam, Will, Nicholas C, Jake & Mason

LAUNDRY!

The kids and I were on the "Hill" yesterday having lunch with friends and attending the art festival on campus. As we left the festival, we passed a laundromat & our conversation went like this...

Me: "Hey guys, your dad & I used to do laundry here when we were in college"

Kids: "huh"

Me: "This is where daddy & I did our laundry in college"

Jake: "Why didn't you do it at your house?"

Me: "We didn't have a washer/dryer in our houses"

Jake: "WHAT??? No washer & dryer??"

So, I explained the joys of college life & not having certain items. He couldn't even begin to comprehend not having a washer/dryer where he lived. As I thought about it, I realized that he has probably NEVER been to a house without a washer/dryer! I guess I understand why this was odd to him!


Allie & Jordyn at the festival

FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY

"The Eyes Have It" is this week's theme. It was hard to narrow it down, so I took out those that could be used for other themes!

Allie at about 3 months

Allie at about 10 months

Allie last summer, taken by our neighbor who is thinking of entering this picture into a contest

Jake at about 6 months

Jake at about 18 months or so

JUMP!!

The kids went to their friend Makenna's birthday party on Saturday. It was held a Waterloo Trampoline & Tumbling. Boy did they have fun bouncing on the trampolines & trying their skills on the rings, ropes & other things. Allie is determined to start taking classes there in the Fall. I may check into the class that her friends are in so we can carpool.

I am working on getting the kid's Fall activities in line. Jake is registered for flag football, soccer and Scouts. Allie is registered for ballet and Scouts. She is also begging to add tumbling and soccer as well. We'll see! I'm also looking into private swimming lessons for the kids...our favorite coach isn't doing lessons anymore so we'll see what happens.

I have been cleaning like crazy the past week or so. We have a huge Good Will pile, lots for a garage sale & so much trash that it didn't all fit in the garbage can today! Almost every closet, drawer & cupboard have been gone through & reorganized/purged. I even have an empty drawer in my kitchen & 1/2 of a shelf that is empty in my bathroom closet! We also cleaned out the garage (most of it), washed windows and power washed the house over the weekend. Today, I am tackling the basement...it shouldn't be THAT bad since we purged quite a bit in early June when we had water.

The kids and I went to the waterpark on Monday. It was a nice day. We will try to go tomorrow after Jake's ball game. It may be too hot....the kids prefer to go on lower heat/humidity days because it isn't so crowded. I agree! On Friday, we are meeting friends for lunch & then we will go to the College Hill Art Festival. The kids love to go into the kid's only tent and buy stuff. No adults are allowed. The theory is to let kids decide what THEY like without their parent's influence. It looks to be a quiet weekend. We have errands to run & a few outdoor chores to tackle. I am also going to work on some Teddy Bear Tea, Scout popcorn & Carnival stuff. Anything I can do now will help my stress level in September!

Have a great rest of the week!




Jake gets to the top of a rope. He has burns on his legs/feet from climbing.



Jordyn and Allie



My kids and Makenna, the b-day girl




The whole group

Allie doing a drop on the tramp

Jake jumping as high as he can!

Allie doing a flip on the rings

BALL GAMES & MORE

My mom came to visit us on Tuesday/Wednesday. She got to see both kids play ball. We had really nice time with her here.

Speaking of ball, Allie is done for the season. She did really well & was probably the best person on the team. Of course that is because Jake has worked with her in the back yard & quite often he just throws balls at her as hard as he can...she kind of had to learn to play to keep up!

Jake's team isn't very good this year. In fact, they are a bit like the Bad News Bears. There is even one kid on his team that REFUSES to run. His mom MAKES him get out on the field...it is a pity! Jake's team hasn't won a game yet & it makes Jake really mad. Jake tries his best & is doing pretty good. He certainly isn't afraid to field the ball & typically does well. I had to remind him that having fun is the most important part of the game...I'm not sure he is buying what I am saying. Jake still has 2 weeks left & I am definitely ready to be done!

The kids had playdates today. Jake went to Will & Sam's house to play. Allie had Renee over. They enjoyed themselves. We went to the Olive Garden for dinner & then came home. We are having family movie night & watching the 2nd Harry Potter movie as I type.

Tomorrow the kids have a b-day party to attend at a Trampoline place. They are pumped up about it. Not a lot on the agenda for next week. Jake has 2 ball games, we will go to the waterpark a couple of time & we are planning to go to a local art festival on Friday. I'm also hoping to get some cleaning done. I spent a lot of this week cleaning out closets, drawers, cupboards etc. I'd love to finish that project & finish up some deep cleaning as well. I want all of this done before school starts so that I don't have to think about it again until Christmas break!


Jake is up to bat.

Ready on 2nd base

Jake tries playing catcher...he says it is really hot!

FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY

This weeks theme is "Fun In The Sun" (you will probably see different versions of this theme off & on)...




The kids playing in the hose at Nana's house in the summer of 2003

The kids enjoying the John Deere Gator in 2003

Last summer at the pool

Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines in 2005

In the wave pool at Lost Island in 2006

NANA & PAPA'S LITTLE FIRECRACKERS

Here are some photos from the photo shoot last week.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!

We had another wonderful 4th of July & we can hardly wait to do it again next year! We went to Grand Mound to celebrate. Mom & Dad had a get together at their house with my siblings & their families, a couple of my aunts, several cousins & my neighbors from here in Cedar Falls. It was tons of fun.

We started the day out with the DeWitt parade. The kids enjoyed watching the floats, firetrucks and tractors go by. They loved getting candy too! After the parade we went back to my parent's house for lunch & to get ready for the water fight parade. The men filled water balloons for a couple of hours. The kids played with water guns & had a great time.

The water fight parade was a hoot as always & the kids had a great time. A couple of the kids that were in the parade are from Cedar Falls and on Jake's baseball team so it was really cool for them to see each other in Grand Mound (their grandparents are from Grand Mound).

After the water fight parade, the kids played whiffle ball, got ice cream from the ice cream truck, went to visit other friends in town, made a tent on the clothes line, grilled out & then went to see the fireworks. The fireworks were the best we had ever seen & Uncle Will was a part of setting them off. They were awesome!!

The tooth fairy made a visit to Nana & Papa's house for the first time in about 20 years! Allie lost her other front tooth. She quickly discovered that losing a tooth at Nana & Papa's is a big deal. Papa paid her $5 for the tooth AND the tooth fairy left her $1!!

On Saturday, the kids got to go to Main Street & jump in some big inflatable balloons. After that, we went to Michael & Kim's to spend the rest of the day & night. Drew had a tough night & was up a lot due to a tummy ache. Once morning hit, I took Drew so Kim & Michael could get some much needed rest. The poor little guy was all tuckered out & you could tell his little belly was bothering him. I hope the rest of the day went better for him (& his parents).

The kids, my mom & Will in the golf cart.
Ben, Emma, Maddie, Allie, Paul, Jake, Drew & Will (in the stroller in the back)
The kids playing with water guns
The kids waiting for the water fight parade

Here they are!

Front Row: Will P (my neighbor)

Middle Row: Will E (my cousin), Paul (my neighbor), Allie & Jake

Back Row: Allison E (my cousin), Mom, Emma (Kim's sister's daughter)

More of the water fight
Hanging in the back yard (Allison E, Will E, Mom, Annie (cousin), Allie, Julie (aunt) & Michelle (aunt)
Enjoying some ice cream from the ice cream truck (Will E, Will P, Allie)

Jake, Ben, Will & Paul in the tent on the clothes line
a firework
The kids wait for the fireworks to start

Jake, Maddie & Allie in one of the balloons

FAVORITE FOTO FRIDAY


Today's theme is 4th of July. Here are a few photos from years past. I couldn't locate 2 of my favorites from '02 & '04...maybe next year??

Jake in 2001, I think we were boating with Scott's family
Jake in 2001, he loves the snakes.
Allie in 2003 loving the snakes.
Sparklers were a hit in2005

The 1st year we participated in the GM waterfight on the 4th
Last year's waterfight crew