Happy Halloween!

Once again I'm running just a 'little' behind on my posts... I'll skip to the photos - it's what you came to see anyway, right? ;)

Our visit to the local fire department open house early in October was a huge hit with the boys. There was lots to see and do!


Sitting in the back of an ambulance - someplace I hope they never end up!

Putting out a 'house on fire'...

Aiden having a turn.

Practicing putting out a fire with an extinguisher...


The backseat of a police car - another place I hope they don't end up!

A few weekends ago I took off for the weekend with friends for our annual spa weekend. We headed up to Brainerd, MN, for some relaxation and shopping. It's always so fun to get away and shop at the outlets - we even fit in a movie, without animated characters!

Coming home was back to the reality of life though. Brendan's sore throat and cough from the previous week got worse bringing us once again to the doctor to find out he had bronchitis and an ear infection. He missed a few days of school and was miserable, but was healthy enough to go on his class field trip to the Hugo Animal Farm that he had been so looking forward to.

For those of you who don't know, I love fall and Halloween decorations - not the scary ones, but the cute pumpkins, etc. I indulged in a hot knife this year to better 'carve' my craft pumpkins. Here is my first attempt with the new knife:
And then the next two I did...
The ones from last year that have been mauled by the cat (bad kitty!)...

The one from last year Brendan and I did together...

A random picture of Aiden and I hanging out in the office.

Aiden came down with the same cold/cough Brendan had earlier so he spent a day home from preschool and daycare this week. It has been a long-lasting cold with the first week bringing sniffles, sore throats and a cough; the second week bringing fevers and a really bad cough... lots of sleep lost for everyone and some sad little boys :(

And I'm so proud of my little Aiden, look he wrote his name for the first time all by himself this week!



About six weeks ago I emailed a few of the other moms in the neighborhood to see if they were interested in doing a Halloween party for the kids - seems like every year we miss seeing some of the kids during trick-or-treating and the kids sometimes don't see their friends at all depending on what time everyone goes out. Everyone was one board so we hosted it at our house! The planning for it went really well and we had a huge turnout for the event - 26 kids (plus 3 babies!); three kids were over age 6 and the rest were between 2yrs and 6yrs old. Along with the kids, parents were here as well. We had some game stations for them to rotate through, treats (of course!) and then we just let them play. Amazingly, with that many kids here it went pretty smooth. Only a couple minor injuries and no spills!

I'm sure I'll have more photos as time goes on from some of the other cameras going off during the party. It was a huge hit with kids and adults alike. Brendan gave us both a hug at night and thanked us for the best Halloween party ever - made all the work and stress leading up to it worth it ;)

Here are some of the decorations we put up for the party:
I found these online and it was something easy the kids and I could do. We used empty milk jugs to make the faces on and then put Christmas lights in them. The boys had so much fun; and yes, we drink a lot of milk.
The horrible spider web stuff over the shot glass collection. That stuff is so hard to put up - it truly clings to everything!
One of my favorites - the pumpkin in the aquarium! The kids thought it was so funny.

Somehow, we seem to plan our parties just right - right when Wellyn's parents come to town! Some extra hands to help get things ready for the party are always needed. Not to mention during the party to find drinks, napkins, etc for all the kids.

Party night! My biker dude hubby and reggae father-in-law ;)

Me with my little ninja... he was oblivious to the fact we were having our photo taken.

Our sick little Power Ranger... looking a little tired.
The kids waiting for their turn at the Eyeball Bounce game. Brendan kept getting hot with his costume on so it went off and on all night!
Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin was a huge hit.
Brendan with his friend Martina - one of the cutest, sweetest little girls around.

Halloween brought continued fevers and terrible coughing for Aiden sending us to urgent care once again. An antibiotic for bronchitis and we were on our way! Hopefully he'll feel better soon. Here the kids are all dressed up (and bundled up) to go trick or treating.

Our little Ninja ;)
And Power Ranger...
Such good brothers!
With biker dude daddy ;)
Kicking back after getting candy to do some coloring with Grandma Donna.

Hope you all have had a wonderful October and a Happy Halloween!

So Much to SEE and DO!

We had a very productive weekend in the garage last week - counter tops were cut and glued, pegboard was installed and then came the best part; putting away the tools! The boys were very involved in the project and each had their own area of interest. Aiden was very focused on using the shop vac to get all the dirt, dust, leaves, etc. that were on the counters and under the boxes we unpacked. Brendan really liked putting the hooks in the pegboard and hanging up the tools. He is meticulous and likes to have things organized so it was right up his alley. He did tend to use a lot of hooks for each item and some items probably don't need to be hung, but in the end he had a fabulous time and that was all that mattered!

Fall has definitely arrived in Minnesota. The temperature has dropped and we had several days of rainy weather before having a couple dry days mixed in. Unfortunately, Brendan played soccer last weekend in one of those cold and rainy days. He did pretty good considering the weather and still getting over his cold. Needless to say, it was way too cold to be taking pictures! We did get his official soccer photos though:

Thankfully, the following Sunday was a little nicer; in the 50s with brief sprinkles of rain. A good enough day to head to the apple orchard! This was our first family trip to pick apples at an orchard. We generally go to the pumpkin patches in the fall, but with both boys going on field trips with school to get pumpkins we decided to mix it up a little! We bought a 1/4 peck bag to fill, not realizing just how quickly that would fill up with two excited apple pickers. There was enough to do though that they were ready to move on anyways.





After we filled up the bag with apples it was off to eat some apple brats (hot dogs for the kids) and apple slices with caramel before doing all the rest of the activities offered. A very popular one was the tricycles! They had a blast racing around together. Aiden found that when he crashed into a hay bale it tipped him over - so he kept doing it!


What could be more fun than a pony ride? Definitely not the long line of kids waiting to ride the ponies - goodness it was a popular attraction.

Then on to a little hay ride behind the tractor.
The kids raced through the hay maze and had the most fun on the huge pile of hay for them to play on and jump off.

Our trip out would not have been complete without feeding the animals ;)


Aiden had a big week at preschool; no tears at drop offs AND his first bus ride! Wellyn took the morning off to go with him and his class to their annual pumpkin patch trip. Aiden had so much fun hanging out with his dad and vice versa. Getting ready for the big ride:
Hanging with his friend Ryan. He and Ryan both go to the same daycare part-time so it was perfect for them to be in the same preschool class.







Last Friday night we all had eye doctor appointments. Wellyn (aka Mr. Lasik) and Brendan checked out just fine. Me on the other hand, needed glasses - yeah, big shock there! A little more shocking was that Aiden needed some glasses too. We picked them up this morning so here's our little cutie with his new look... and mommy too.

Eleven Years Gone By in a Flash!

Life is certainly keeping us on the move these days. Brendan has a soccer game every weekend, Aiden is in preschool two mornings a week, I'm babysitting four days a week, Wellyn is busy at work and finishing up on the garage in the evenings, Brendan is in school everyday... All good things!

Last week was soccer team photos - right after the game! Not sure how that was planned, but our hot and tired boys went straight from the game in 85 degree weather to pictures. We get the 'official' photos next week.



With teammate and best buddy Mason.


On the 16th Aiden had his first 'real' day of preschool. He was there with half of his class since they stagger the first week to give the teachers a lower ratio. He was fine until it was time for us to go... and some of the other kids were crying... and then his tears started. I was pretty confident he would be fine once the class got going and when I picked him up two hours later the first thing he said was, "You were right mom - I had fun!" (Always nice words for a mommy to hear ;)

Our traditional first morning pictures:






Last Saturday, Wellyn and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. This year one of our good friends came to watch the boys for us and we headed to St. Paul for a night out. We had a great dinner downtown at a grown-up restaurant followed by the sold out Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts concert. It has been a long time since we've been to a concert - boy are they loud! Thinking back, the last one we we've been to at an indoor arena might have been Bon Jovi - also very loud. And, no, this isn't my actual photo, but one from the same night - I wasn't quite this close!


Brendan is doing very well in first grade - it's been a long few weeks for him adjusting to going everyday, but he's been bringing home 'Golden Tickets' several days a week for being a good example to the other kids. He has also been selected to participate in a Talent Development interest unit with a focus on literature. He and the other chosen kids will be working on writing their own book. The nightly homework also started this week... an adjustment for all of us, finding the right time to get it done. We've been doing it after dinner so he has some free time when he gets home to just relax and play.

Today was yet another busy Saturday with Aiden having his preschool Sports-A-Thon followed by Brendan's soccer game. The weather truly cooperated, the rain held off, the sun came out and it was beautiful - much nicer than expected. For the Sports-A-Thon there were different 'stations' set up around the track for the kids to try out activities and get their participation cards checked off. Brendan was terribly disappointed after we arrived as he wanted to see his pre-K teachers, but they were at a training workshop. He was able to see the preschool director and a mom of one of his friends from his pre-K days so the disappointment didn't last too long.

Aiden and Wellyn showing off their hula hoop moves ;)



Good practice for both of them before heading to the soccer game.


A family long jump!

Yeah, we know, he with the longest legs wins!


He shoots! He scores! (with an assist from Daddy)


Brendan working on his moves.


Aiden very proud of his medal for completing all the activities and thrilled to have gotten a snack to go with it.


Brendan showing off this new tattoo and painted arm.


Brendans soccer team won their game again... not a big surprise since the other kids on his team are so competitive and physical. I actually feel bad for the other teams we play and for the parents because I understand their frustration at having their kids slide tackled by ours. Brendan had a good personal game and best of all, he had fun! We played against a team with two other friends on it so it was fun to see the other parents and the boys liked seeing their friends out on the field. This photo cracks me up:

Labor Day and First Days

It has been a big week around our house! First off we celebrated Labor Day weekend in the Twin Cities - one of only two times we haven't traveled to MI for the holiday. With the amount of work we've been (and still are) putting into the duplex, Brendan starting soccer again, and both boys having school and preschool open houses during that week, we decided to stay put.

I started a new 'job' last Tuesday as well. Three to four days a week I'm watching a 2 1/2 year old little boy from 10:30am-8:30pm. He fits in really well with my boys and they seem to enjoy each others company.

Last Wednesday was Brendan's open house at school. He, Wellyn and Aiden got to go meet his new teacher, see his desk and see some of the other kids in his class. Last year we missed the open house and it was very stressful for him to not really know what to expect. We had arranged a tour, but it was a few weeks before school started so I think there was too much of a time lapse between the tour and the start of school.

Thursday night was Brendan's second soccer practice for the fall. He is on a very experienced and competitive team this year. I'm so glad his best buddy Mason is on the team with him so he has someone he knows. It should be an interesting season... games start next Saturday.

Friday was one of the best days we've had in a while. Wellyn took the day off from work and we took the kids to the Minnesota State Fair. It's been five years since we were last there! The kids had a great time and so did we. The weather was sunny and hot, the food was great and there was plenty of things to see and do. Of course the highlight for the kids was all the carnival rides. What amazed me and Wellyn the most was how serious they were - absorbing every detail and making big choices about which ride to go on.

The race cars were about the first thing we saw when we entered the fair grounds and they couldn't wait to go for a spin! Poor Aiden, still just a little too short to do some of the things his brother could do. He had to be shotgun with his dad... maybe next year he'll be tall enough.



From there it was a trip down the Wild River. They ended up with wet butts and shoes ;)


Then on to one of mom's favorite stops - Sweet Martha's Cookies! Aiden enjoyed them too.


After some proto pups it was off to the Kidway!



Brendan really wanted to do this ride, and I must say, I was really worried he would get up there and freak out. Going up!

His 'scared' face.

The 'it's not so bad after all' face.


Aiden ended up on this whale ride since he was too small to do an airplane-type on - thankfully the tears didn't last too long.


A little ice cream break to cool off.


Then back to some more rides!




Some of the over 155,000 people who attended the same day we did.


A long holiday weekend spent here wouldn't be the same without us doing some type of project! This time it was continuing to work on the garage... previously started and put on hold in order to rehab the duplex. With the wires all ran, it was time to put up the insulation.


Aiden getting chance to help his dad!



This was picture-worthy since it never happens, all that is left of the insulation! Usually we end up going out to get more of something because we ran out or having a ton left over. Not so this time!


While we were working in the garage the boys played out in the sand with one of the neighbor kids. They worked/played for four hours straight out there and were bummed when I said they had to call it a day and head in.



Sunday afternoon we put up some of the drywall in the garage. Hope to have the rest up after this weekend. Monday we had a babysitter over for the morning so Wellyn and I could head to the duplex to finish some things up. We've been showing it consistently and are waiting on background checks for a few people. I painted some windows I'd previously scraped and primed while Wellyn worked on fixing some screens and patching the wall where we ran wires for a doorbell. A very productive time!

We went out that night for new school year haircuts. I know, nothing like waiting until the day before school starts (and a holiday, no less!) to get it done, but that is the way life has gone lately. Aiden charmed his way into this ladies heart - she thought he was just adorable!


Brendan was very serious about the whole thing, some before school nerves!


All done and ready to go out to dinner.



To keep in the spirit of the season, I searched the web high and low for a school-themed blog background, but couldn't seem to find what I was looking for. Except for one, and I couldn't make it work! So, I figured a fall theme was close enough ;)

And then the day that always seemed so far away came, the first day of First Grade. Brendan was pretty nervous and edgy in the morning, a result of the anticipation and stress, I'm sure. He did let us snap some photos of the big day!







We met up with one of the neighbors to walk to school and that really snapped Brendan out of his stress - it was just like old times! By the time we reached the school and lined up with his class out front he was ready to go - yeah! I always dread tears and not wanting to go. Really helped that one of his friends from kindergarten is in his class this year; also helps he's one of the nicer little boys!





This year Aiden starts preschool so it was a busy week of parent orientation one night for me and then of classroom orientation for all of us. Today half of his class of 16 kids went in with their parents to hang out, fill out papers, meet the teachers and other students and kind of get them ready for their first full morning next week. Aiden goes back and forth about wanting to go, most of the time he says he wants to stay home with me because: 1. What if there is something he wants to tell me while he's there 2. Because he will miss me 3. Because he never gets to spend time with me - okay, seriously????? Today was good since I was able to stay with him, a very good way to start if you ask me.

Walking up with his new backpack ;)



Aiden with one of his teachers... the other he's decided (before even meeting her!) he wasn't going to like... we'll see about that!

Baby Emmit and Other Updates

The past few months I'm getting slower and slower about updating - why is that??? Mostly because we're just busy; it's important to fit in as much summer fun as possible. Not to mention our camera has been acting up and not taking very good pictures. So, some of the photos may be on the dark side. There may be a new camera sometime in our future!

The best thing since the last post is we're an aunt and uncle again! Wellyns brother Colin and his wife, Stacey, welcomed a new baby boy into their family last Tuesday. Little Emmit John is just adorable and we're very excited to meet him soon. He is very close to the size Brendan was when he was born, weighing in at 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 1/2" long.


The boys have been enjoying summer - playing on the playset, riding bikes, running around crazy! Much of their time before dinner is spent with one of the neighbor boys from down the street. As soon as he's home from daycare, they are at his house or he is at our house. They get along so well and he's just as obsessed with legos so it a good fit!

The duplex is coming along. All the big stuff is done and we're down to just some little things and finding a renter. That has been a little harder this time, less people calling and coming to see it than usual. It looks good though, judge for yourself:




Fixing up the duplex is a family affair so me and the boys head over when we can. The boys have a good time and it always makes them feel involved in the endevor.




A few weeks ago we had our second tornado warning of the year - a nice, slow year, so we grabbed the boys out of bed and headed to the basement. Aiden never woke up and Brendan fell asleep shortly afterwards; neither remember it!


Brendan started soccer last week. He is on a different team, but still with his buddy Mason. The team is very competitive and for the most part, very good. I'm hoping Brendan doesn't get discouraged and has fun. I already miss his old team!

And, after months of failed attempts, it has finally happened - Aiden is pooping in the potty. May not seem like big deal to some, but a red-letter day here! It has been almost 3 weeks and it is just the best thing ever - for all of us ;) It took a Playmobil firetruck and a lego set for Brendan to make it happen. I bought the firetruck for him and the set for Brendan, but no one could open them until there was an actual deposit in the potty. Nothing like some added pressure from your brother to motivate you! Some extra little toys spread out over the next days and phone calls to people to tell them all about it - who doesn't like to get phone calls about poo??? ;)

Another very important outcome of taming the potty is that Aiden will be able to start preschool in two weeks. His feelings about preschool waver between being super excited and wanting to stay home with me... I think he'll be fine after the first few times. It will help that one of his good friends from daycare will be in the same class with him.

Brendan starts first grade on Sept 8th. So far, we know of one other boy from his kindergarten class that will be with him. I think there are three or four first grade classes this year. Like most other places, the schools are feeling the effects of the economy too. His school is on the list to be closed for next year along with several others in the district. A bummer since we are so close to it...

A couple weeks ago I took a day off from any type of housework and just played legos with Brendan... for hours! He built a jet to destroy some evil guy and I worked on the truck and trailer to pull it. Here he is with the finished product:


Here is Aiden reading with me last night (only my 3rd time yesterday reading that book!):


And enjoying a little cuddle-time with daddy before bed ;)

Falling Behind

Whew, how the days do fly by! We've had lots going on and I've been lazy about posting.

The kids had a fabulous trip to Michigan to visit with Grandma Donna and Grandpa Herb. Brendan was excited, but very sad to be leaving us for a week. He was clinging and sobbing the whole time we were loading them up - heartbreaking! Aiden just seemed to go along with everything, but didn't seem to really realize how long they were going to be away and was fine until they were both buckled in the car seats and he heard Brendan was sobbing. I think that is what really upset him - he hates to see his brother upset! Off they went though and I'm pretty sure there was a stop for ice cream not too far down the road ;)

Here are some photos of the boys during their time in Michigan.
















As for us, we stayed and visited with Colin, Stacey and Ellie for a bit before heading back home for a week without kids. Ellie is getting so big, sleeping in her big-girl bed and being so independent. She will be such a good big sister. I even got to meet an old high school friend for lunch in Appleton to catch up on the past 17 years or so!

While the boys were gone our schedule was pretty consistent with trying to get as much done at the duplex as possible. We were there for over 9 hours on that Sunday and three other nights that week. A lot was accomplished, but it always seems there is more to do. The floors are now done and look awesome, the painting is done, outlets have been changed, bathroom caulked, ceiling fans installed, as well as a myriad of other items. We just put out the For Rent sign so we're hoping for some good applicants.

We did go out to dinner one night with one of Wellyns' high school classmates and her husband. It was so much fun to catch up with them and see some people from the 'old days'!

After picking up the boys the following Saturday, we had a few days to play and catch up before hitting the road again. This time to go camping at Itasca State Park. Every year we meet up with our old neighbors from Burnsville and camp. Two other families joined us this year making it even more fun. The boys LOVE camping - and all the other kids, running between sites, staying up late and MARSHMALLOWS!

It ended up raining, really raining, when we got there so setting up the tent wasn't much fun, but after the tent was up the rain ended - of course! It was also a little on the cool side for late July/early August, but it sure made the campfire feel good. Nights were a little chilly, but still fun. Until the night the raccoons raided our site!

Seasoned campers that we are, we always put our coolers and totes with food away at night - except for that night. Sometime in the middle of the night Wellyn woke me up to ask how to get rid of racoons. He ended up going outside and yelling at them with the flashlight. Turns out they had quite the party - opened on of the coolers and took some juice boxes, opened the tote and took both bags of marshmallows, the bread, the buns, and worst of all, the Lucky Charms! Lucky Charms are just something I don't normally buy, I'm hardly a health-nut, but I have a limit on how much color and sugar should be in breakfast food. The boys begged for them for camping so I had given in; can't tell you how disappointed they were in the morning to find out the raccoons had eaten the coveted Lucky Charms. I owe them a new box...

Here is the majority of our crew on a walk to the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Amazing that it all starts out right there...

Crossing the little bridge after going over the rock 'wall' to the other side.

Aiden going across with some help from his dad.

The visitor center is nice there with some interactive things for kids to do.

Dressing up like firefighters ;)


Wellyn taking a little snooze outside. Right after this a little chipmunk ran over him!



The boys started vacation bible school the Monday after camping. Unfortunately, it didn't really work for Aiden. He didn't want to go #2 there so I had to run over there a couple times the first two days. As it turns out, the poor kid had an intestinal flu so there was a reason behind him needing to go so much. He spent the rest of the week home with me and is now on the mend. Brendan was very excited to find three other kids he knew in his group. Going with friends is so much more fun!

In the meantime, Wellyn has been working hard on finishing up the duplex. This weekend we should have all the big things done and be ready to get someone moved in. Maybe we'll even have time and energy to finish some projects around out own house!

Last Day to Play!

This will be a catch up week of some older photos and some more recent ones. A little random, but that has been the way our week has kind of gone!

First of all, here are a few pictures from when we were in northern Minnesota for Grace and Ethans birthday party. Sitting on the step with Grace.


Driving topless around the house...Aiden started it ;)


Our little family before we left.


After we came back from South Dakota, Brendan had his last soccer game for the season. They didn't win, but they sure had improved from the beginning of the season! The boys all played hard and had a lot of fun.







We've stayed busy working on the duplex. Much progress has been made, but still much more to go. The tenants really left the place a mess, here are a few pics I took just to document it:







Last Friday morning we met a bunch of neighbors at a local park to watch a kids magician. I've actually seen him three times now, total kid humor! The boys had a great time at the show and playing at the park afterwards.




Last Friday evening our nephew Bryce came to help us out at the duplex for the weekend. The boys (especially Brendan) love it when he visits - he plays legos with them; and what could be better than that! He was a huge help at the duplex, everything from ripping out carpet, painting doors, installing pergo floor, you name it. Thanks Bryce!

Yesterday was our last full day of having the boys with us as they are they are going to the UP for a visit with Grandma Donna and Grandpa Herb. We tried to fit in some fun play with them. I took them to an indoor play area during the day to burn off some energy and get some of the sillies out.


The kids have been feeling very artsy this week so we've done a LOT of painting and papercrafts. Brendan has worked on some projects to enter in the county fair and Aiden just likes to paint everything in sight!





After a nice family dinner we headed out on our bikes for the park. We haven't biked too much this year, mostly due to just being busy and Aiden not wanting to ride his bike. He had two bad falls on it early in the spring and that kind of put the brakes on his biking desire. Thankfully his interest and confidence have risen again and off we went! This park is the only park I know of with no monkey bars - making it not a 'real park' in Brendans book.





We leave this afternoon for WI to meet Donna and Herb and they will be taking the boys up north on Saturday... so many mixed emotions from a mom who is always with the boys! What to do during the day while they are gone... actually, I have a huge list of projects I would like to work on; funny how that list is so easy to make. And the evenings will be pretty full with helping out at the duplex with Wellyn. Hopefully we will get it all done before the boys come back.