What We All Need

Somebody to lean on.  :)

Back to School

We made it through the first day!  The girls went to Ms.  Brenda's and had a happy and playful day.  No fussing when Jon left.  Brenda said they were "perfect."  Ms. Brenda is very nice...I'm sure they were a handful, but at least they can come back tomorrow.  And, Liam.  He loved it.  The owners and directors were welcoming kids at the door when we arrived, and when they said, "Hi, Liam," he sprinted right past with a quick wave, entered his classroom, found his cubbie, found his assigned seat, and started meeting new friends.  When I picked him up this afternoon, he was still excited to be there.  They learned about rainbows today.  If Jon and I can't be with them everyday, we sure found the next best places for our  little ones.

Superior Memories

Tomorrow is it.

We all start back to school. 

I was talking to Liam about the summer, visiting about all the fun things we did the past two months. 

One of his favorite was when we were in Wisconsin on Madeline Island and stopped at a beach and had a picnic.

Liam loved swimming in Lake Superior.

And rolling in the sand.

And chasing waves.

And I loved watching him!

Lifetime Playmates

Today the kids spent a lot of time playing together.  It's so nice now that the girls are bigger and can really interact with their big brother.  They laughed.  They squealed.  They ran.  They tickled each other.  They gave each other lots of hugs and kisses.  It's pretty incredible to see how much love for each other these little bodies can contain.  It makes me so thankful that we have them, they have us, and they have each other.

Khan Sightings

Ever since Jon went to the Genghis Khan exhibit at the Irving Art Center and brought back this little hat, we've seen a new side of the Mongol leader.  Around our house, we've spotted the emperor eating a peanut butter sandwich, coloring a picture, playing baseball, and sitting on different kind of throne. 

Let's Roll

Sometimes I'll just find the girls just rolling around on the floor.  Must be the coolest spot around on hot summer afternoons.  Hmmmmm...I maybe should try to find little onesies with dust mops attached!

Just One More

Tomorrow is the last week day that both Jon and I will be home with the kiddos.

We're thinking we should do something really fun...maybe a trip to the zoo, maybe a visit to a museum, maybe a picnic.  Anyway, whatever we decide to do, we'll be soaking in time with each other and these three little ones. 

 What.A.Great.Summer!

Splashin' the Morning Away

The lazy days of summer are coming to an end.  Sigh.  We couldn't let it pass without a trip to a splash park, and this year we have a fun one right here in Irving.  We met Owen, his mama, and baby sister and let the power of water work its entertainment magic.

Avonlea and Marin's Experiment

Marin and Avonlea...at it again.  Watching these two can be quite entertaining!

When there are extra bottle parts...



Marin gets creative...



Until she realizes that it's easier to just stick with what works. 



Aquariums, Sharks, and Penguins

No trips to the zoo these days...way too hot in DFW, but Jon and Nana took the kiddos to the Dallas World Aquarium last week when I was in a training.  Liam had a great time.  He liked the sharks, and the girls love the cute little pink penguins they found at the gift shop.



Ridin' My Bike

The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard. ~Sloan Wilson

County Fairs

Still more catch-up from our month in July...We were pretty much on-the-move the entire time.  Although we won't be there for the greatest of county fairs (Steele, of course!), we did hit the Rice County and Waseca County fairs. 

Getting ready for fair food! 

Marin did not like the animals...at all. 

Don't squeeze!

 The Elmo hay bale at the petting barn was cute.

A whole lota fried food goin' on at this table.

Grandpa and Liam rode the Ferris Wheel.

I wanted to take this guy home.  How cute!

Ellery loved, loved, loved the animals.

Liam and a sheep.  Not his sheepy, but a real sheep.

Okay, then.  Looks like this guy is on board. 

Liam's favorite ride was the Tilt-a-Whirl.  He rode it twice, once with Daddy and once with Mama.  He laughed hysterically the entire time the car was spinning.  We laughed hysterically at him.

Cute little calf.

Liam liked this one, too!