Babymoon in Milwaukee

Wow, how time flies. It feels like yesterday that Dave and I were looking way down the calendar to October and saw that he had a week off and we could maybe take an adult trip with some friends of ours. A vacation! Somewhere warm and sunny. I could get in shape and have fun drinking tropical drinks and read novels. And then I saw the little line on the preggo test...:) 

Well, I refused to totally nix the trip. And in fact, I felt we needed the trip more than ever! I nurse my babies for a very long time and so far, they have not taken bottles well, at all. So, it didn't look good for me getting away from the kiddos for 2015...we needed a Babymoon (getaway before the baby comes)! 

We backed off going to Mexico or an island and our friends backed out of coming and we trimmed the nights away to three...but oh well. We could not decide what to do or where to go, but we wanted it to be special and wanted to explore somewhere we hadn't been. So, somewhat at the last minute, we decided on Milwaukee for three nights early last week! 

Mom and Dad came up Sunday to watch the kids and keep Kate in school/gymnastics, etc. Dave came back from Appleton, had a very short time with the kids before we loaded up and headed east. It was about 2.5 hours to Milwaukee and an easy drive. We stayed at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, about 5 blocks off Lake Michigan. It is fancy. It is old. It is the place to be in Milwaukee. Very fancy and basically "above our pay grade," but we got a helluva deal so it was super fun to "pretend" and indulge for a few days:) 

Super cool building, loved this part of town

Huge room, high ceilings... beautiful

It's a Babymoon! Pic of the Babe and me when we arrived (25 weeks:)

The sitting room part

We paid the small fee each day to get to up to the 23rd floor and get free food/drink/Internet, etc. WORTH IT! That is Lake Michigan out the window.

Do touristy things...check!

Hotel lobby!

The huge marble stairs - we were on the 4th floor

Check out the elevator!

We stuck to our plan of sleeping in, eating a lot and at places we would never go with kids:), being touristy and just relaxing. We were upgraded to a King Suite in the historic part of the hotel at check-in, so that was a bonus! And Dave insisted we do a spa day (half day) at the hotel spa (twist my arm:). 

We walked down to the Milwaukee Art Museum...

We maybe loved the architecture more than the art? :)

Looking up from the lobby area

We ate at wonderful places, dressed up a bit, shopped and had a great time. It was the perfect time to be away from the kids. Much less and you feel a little rushed and much more and I would be getting really antsy to see them and hug them:) We had some Face Time, phone calls and text pictures from Mom and Dad throughout the week which was wonderful. The kids had great time with Gma and Gpa Brown, of course, they had as much or more to tell us when we returned. 

Pics from Mom and Dad while we were gone...:)

They got to see her do gymnastics! Brought back some memories for Mom:)

Collin slept great and was a pretty good and goofy guy for them - yay!

We came back late Wednesday afternoon and hit the ground running, did the "catch-up" chat with Mom and Dad before they headed out and had to get Kate to dance and supper and then to bed for school the next morning. The next few days were super busy with commitments and then we were heading out of town again Friday for Luther's Homecoming:) So much to do, so little time! How blessed we are to have so many opportunities and so much fun. 

Stubborn Babies, Snow & a 5K!

I was trying to get some photos off my phone and it reminded me to do a little post from them:) We had a pretty busy week and I am rather exhausted right now! Dave is in Appleton for an anesthesia conference for the weekend and we did a 5K this morning and though I did not run that much of it, I am kind of mush right now:)

Me and Babes 3 at about 24 weeks, carrying just a wee bit high, huh?

Me and my gal

On this day, we had our second ultrasound and it was the whole crew in the room! Luckily, Dave was able to be done with work, so he managed Collin (not easy) while I just laid there:) and Kate was fine. She was watching intently and then maybe watched something on a phone. This New Punkin' proved to be once again, the stubborn stinker he/she has been the whole time. Was in the exact same position as ultrasound #1! and wouldn't move. So, we got up, used the bathroom, rolled over and over and finally the tech was able to get some good pics of the spine. So crazy. We also got the needed pics of the kidneys and to me, they looked WAY more equal than the first time. However, the grapevine (clinic hasn't officially called me yet) has informed me that we will have to go back for yet another ultrasound as the right kidney is still on the high end of normal and they need to watch it. The good news is there is plenty of fluid around Baby, so we know Baby can pee (good thing!) The next one will be sometime around 33 weeks, I guess. I'm anxious for the clinic to call to verify all this information (which came home with Dave from his work days). 

Oh, the pic is outside a restaurant that we went to after the ultrasound and right before (and next door to) Kate's dance class. 

I've had a few days of lots of movement which was fun! I swear I'm feeling Braxton Hicks occasionally:) I'm eating terribly and having heartburn, the back pain is getting worse - though when you have crazy busy days, that is just not helping. So....I'm vowing to get a little better at the diet again, add back my yoga exercise if I can tolerate it and just try and enjoy the rest of the second trimester:) Getting really excited, started a very preliminary names list and am feeling pressure to work on the nursery. 

My MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers) discussion group had a playdate on Thursday at a local market/farm and I really wanted to go. It turned out to be only three of us and our kids but it was fun! Collin loved the big trikes though he didn't really go anywhere...

He climbed into this and didn't realize it tipped back and forth, not as happy then!

"Meow....meow...."

I just realized this looks, in no way, like there are any others there! There was a 3-year old boy, 2-year old boy and 3 month old girl besides Collin. They were rarely in the same frame and I didn't think you were that interested in the others:) 

Getting Kate from school is always fun....much depends on our exact time of arrival and the parking spots that are left. This day, we were earlier and scored a good spot. We waited in the car for as long as he was happy and he sure enjoyed the peekaboo we played:) Baby/toddler/your child's giggles have to be, like, #1 on the list of best sounds ever, right? 

We did a 5K this morning! Our friends that work at the clinic in Necedah organized a race and I was so happy to be able to attend. I haven't been running lately, so I knew I would be walking most of it, but the great thing about being preggo or having all the kids to yourself is just getting out the door on time can sometimes be your workout! :) Here's what we woke up to this morning...

Awesome! We got up at 6:30 a.m. so we were able to snuggle on the couches first and then get ready to go. It stopped snowing and changed to rain by the time we were on our way. It was a very dreary start - wet, cold and windy. The kids did great. Kate was super impatient and didn't like that people were lined up in front of us, she was very eager to pass them and we did start running! She was off and it was awesome! I'm not sure how far in she decided to sit in the stroller. I was surprised at how long she rode (most of the way back) but the weather could have a lot to do with it. I also had packed lots of snacks and some hot chocolate in case we needed to warm up:) so, that was a bit of a distraction. 

There was a young guy that ran/walked along side us and he was so sweet. He was on a mission to beat his brother and dad:) At the end, I made Kate get out to run with me (she kept yelling at me to run and go faster and get ahead of them and beat them) and so we finished running together. Then it was a bit of a walk back to the school and my back was KILLING me (turns out pushing those two at almost 6 months pregnant was a really decent workout. I was huffing it for a lot of the route:(...and there were some hills!). The race started and ended at the school and we saw lots of friends inside and grabbed some treats before heading home. Collin didn't make a peep until after the finish line but then he was done. Just done. So we didn't visit too long before leaving. Loading a fussy 1.5 year old out of the rain, a hungry and wet almost 5 year old and figuring out our new double stroller in the rain was.....fun:) I have a ridiculous pair of shoes and my feet were soaked, so that wasn't helping. Collin fell asleep in the car and when we got home, I immediately put Collin down for his nap (never opened his eyes), we quickly got out of our wet clothes and a warm, shower with no children interrupting me was just what I needed:) 

As soon as I was warm and clean and wanted to collapse onto a bed/couch...it was lunch time. Wish we had delivery out here, I could have really used it today! It was a fun and busy week. Up next is a little time away, a Babymoon as they call it, for Dave and I before we become a family of five. He gets back tomorrow, my folks arrive to stay at the house with the kids and Dave and I will head to Milwaukee to stay at a nice place downtown and relax and explore Wisconsin! I am beyond excited. Mom and Dad will get to take Kate to school and gymnastics, which should be fun (I hope) and spend some good time relaxing and playing up here. We will return on Wednesday, tackle some things here at home and then head to Luther next weekend for our 10-Year Reunion. What?!?! :) 

Fast and Fun Fall

We've been busy so far this fall (I'm basically considering fall when school starts) and haven't taken too many pictures but I'll do a brief post about what we've been up to.

I have a couple days of the week where we don't have school or activities and I have to be honest, I really love those days. The busy days are nice because they go fast and Kate just adores all that she has going on, but Collin is happiest (and easiest at home) and I already spend so much time in the car - I only have one big kid - good grief! Last week, however, brought somewhat unexpected trips/errands on all my "days off." Thankfully, the kids mostly do great in the car and out and about and I am super used to dragging them all over and back by myself. And let's face it, life is an adventure, right? I can't remember which day, but we had to run to Baraboo and after shopping/errands we had lunch at a yummy cafe on the square. 

My lunch dates:)

We had a busy weekend last week, Mom and Dad came up to finish a project - the sun room project in February was completed (well, almost) when Dad and Dave (okay, mostly Dad and actually Mom and Kate and I tried to help too) put the trim up on the exterior of the new windows. Friday night we all got to Face Time with the Brown's in Oki (yay!) and then on Saturday Dave, Kate, Collin and I went to Soldier's Grove, WI (not far from Lansing!) to the Driftless Area Arts Festival with our good friends, the Plamann's. After a later start, we hit the festival just as it started to rain:( A normally awesome car rider, Collin, did not nap and was NOT happy for the last part of the trip (was a 1 hr 40 min-ish total trip). So that was surprising and left us a little ragged when we arrived. But, all we needed was some friends and super yummy local food to cheer us up:) After we ate and the rain let up, we wheeled our dueling double BOBs around the festival checking out the booths and corralling the four kiddos (ages 4, 2, 1 & 1). 

Super excited for the festival

Then things started looking up!

We bought a few small things, Kate painted a pumpkin and we enjoyed the really sunny and warm weather that came after the rain! When we hit the road to come home, we were sure Collin would fall asleep immediately, but again - no! It is a VERY curvy and hilly route back to Juneau County and the combo of the screaming and the road was not very much fun. Good thing I had purchased a Ginger Brew from Driftless Brewing Company for the road. We stopped the van and turned his car seat around to face forward. We have kept this option open for this very type of occasion when we thought he would be totally distracted by it:) It did work and he calmed down and then fell asleep. So, we now have our 19 month old facing forward...supposed to wait until 2 years old or longer, but ugh. We tried. 

He loves it!

When we returned home, Mom and Dad were hard at work (God bless them, how did I luck out with these two?!) We tried to jump in and help and soon made some plans for supper out on the lake. Dave was itching to take the boat out and it was nice out, so we packed up for a boat ride across the lake to Carlson's Rustic Ridge - a pretty classic Wisconsin supper club. Collin was a little antsy so we throttled down and got there a little quicker:) Kate's preference anyway. 

Just starting out on a nice evening cruise!

It was a busy but wonderful supper where the kids devoured the soup and salad bar and we watched some weather approaching via radar apps on our phones. All of sudden, Dad and Dave were telling us it was time to leave - some rain coming our way! It was pitch black at this time and I was not quite as comfortable on the water at night, but it turned out just fine. Another quick but calm ride back across the black lake. We docked, got back home and started bath/bedtime with the kids when we heard the downpour! It was so loud! We all came out to the great room and commented that the timing could not have been better - if we had been caught in that....uff da, not good. The wind was super strong too and took down some small trees. But thankfully, we were fed, happy and cozy inside watching football:) Barely. 

These girls love boating!

Like Kate at his age, Collin loves waving to all the other boats on the water. In fact, he wouldn't stop:)

This week is Homecoming week in New Lisbon and Kate attended two days so far and has a Family Fun Day tomorrow - it is only for 1.5 hours and Collin and I come too! It's our first one and I'm excited and curious as to what it is like. On Tuesday, it was Sports Day and I tried to put her in a Minnesota Twins jersey, but she insisted on a Hawkeye shirt. I was proud but literally reasoned in my head, "They won't be too cruel in 4K, right?" Today was Wacky Day and it was supposed to be mismatched clothes and funny hair. I spent a half an hour trying to come up with an outfit with her last night. That was difficult and then I braided her hair into five braids for bed to make it super curly in the morning. She didn't fight the outfit this morning but was not cooperating with the hair so we ended up with just a big headband and I put three weird ponies in the back of her head. I was thinking of all the crazy things we could do, but I guess we'll save that for the years to come.

Wacky Day

Just a normal day in Kate's life...big difference, huh?  :) 

Let's see, anything else about the kids...Collin is just silly. His naps are still all over the place though I guess I'm not expecting too much any more and that is better. Last night, he had a bad night so I'm hoping that tonight goes better! His big word of the week is, "Owie!" He says it all the time (well, he is getting hurt all the time) and sometimes says it when he is not hurt. He likes to watch and yell at football games. Dave does too, but he definitely has some Rosendahl in him:) He has a big, "Wow!" for almost anything. Loves his new cat sound, "Meow," it is very drawn out and any squirrel or small animal will elicit this response right now as well. He will sit and watch TV when Kate gets a show. I like this/don't like this. It is obviously hugely useful but I don't love the fact that they both are so into the television. Something I definitely try to use only when it is super beneficial. And he is only 19 months! Obviously, my first child never watched TV so young;)

When he falls (all the time) he usually bounces right back up. We have had some bigger falls (a pseudo-black eye/cheek right now) too and I hate it! Tonight, I set him down on the garage floor (cuz he fell on the one step up to the garage two days ago - so was trying to avoid that for the time being) and I hit the button to open the garage door. I stepped back in to grab a coat from the closet and he just went running out as soon as he saw daylight. Hit his head on the rising garage door. Gift idea for Christmas...cool band aids, ice packs, etc. :)

Kate is loving school, does SO much art and tells me she likes it when she can go two days in a row and doesn't have to wait a day to go back. Dance and gymnastics are also much anticipated and I don't have any convincing to do with her (unlike me at her age - sorry, Mom:) Their favorite thing is still to chase each other. When Kate came home from school today, Collin was asleep (Dave picked her up) and she did not like this. "Mom, I just want to come home from school when Collin is awake!" 

On our walk tonight, I had the kids in our new double BOB, pushing them both around with, you know, my little finger:) and was so happy we did splurge to get the stroller. I felt pretty swanky. And then we got passed by a guy "walking" his dog. On a Segway. Then Kate asked what it was and I was describing it and trying to convince her I was saying, "Segway" and not "subway." Then she paused and said, "Ohhh...I get it. It is for older people. Great Grandma should get one." That would be pretty cool and it is her 88th birthday today (what?!) but I think the drawing Kate did is probably more Grandma's style:) 

Baby #3 Update: Still have not even talked about names. Ahh!! At the last appointment we couldn't find the heart beat, had to call in someone else to eventually find it. Such. A. Stinker. The second ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon finally (please pray everything looks good!), feeling good! some heartburn and a little bit of sciatic pain but finally feeling more movement. I'm 23 weeks!

Kiddo Update

One of the reasons I wanted to blog was to basically journal what the kids are doing so I can go back and remember (how is it that every milestone feels so important and monumental at the time and then the first time someone asks me when Collin started crawling, I can't remember?!) So, I'm going to try and catch up a bit on the kiddos...

Kate 

• She is chatty as ever and if you don't give her your attention she says, "Mom, you look at a person when they are talking!" This is stemming from me asking for her eyes when I am talking to her....it all comes back out of their mouths! 
• Kate can count to 30. And then she goes a little haywire... "28, 29, 30, 4060, 4070, 4080, 4090.  :)
• She is still SO good with Collin but still picks him up too much. The last couple of days Collin sits on her lap when they are playing in the playroom. The biting and scratching from Collin has calmed down a bit, so that is a relief! Right now, their favorite past time is to chase each other and scream as they run around the house.
• She started preschool and is doing great. From what I can tell so far, she is helping the teacher, Mrs. McGuire quite a bit and adores her. Her favorite friend is Gracie, she sometimes naps longer than the others and wakes up and most of the kids are outside already. She likes going to the art room and is doing a LOT of coloring, drawing and artwork lately. 
• Kate talks about soccer a lot, she is excited to play again but it isn't until spring.  She is however starting dance next week and we started gymnastics this past Tuesday! She was so excited, was bouncing off the mats before it started and did great for her first time. I was somewhat preoccupied with a very antsy 18 month old who was not prepared to sit still and be quiet for 45 minutes. It was sort of a disaster for me in that respect and if at all possible, I just cannot take him there. I hate having to find sitters for more and more things! Kate said her favorite element was the '"runway" (vault) and I did get to see her do that at the end. It is 45 minutes, once a week for only 8 weeks, but I'm guessing she is going to want to continue this activity as well:)
• Kate is so serious when she is "playing Mommy" with her babies. She takes Bitty Baby (her American Girl baby) to her school, changes her clothes each day, she just walked past me with her doll in a carrier and said, "Having an 18 month old is a lot of work..."  

First day of gymnastics

Collin

• Collin loves to come up to you and just nuzzle your leg. Kind of a little hug, he is really quite affectionate. His stranger danger seems to come and go, dependent on his mood/sleep. When we have had friends over, he was constantly going up to Amber, Cassie, etc and wanting to be held and would cuddle with them. He grabbed the hand of a lady at church (Dave knew her, but the rest of us did not) and he just walked with her all the way to her pew. Kind of cute, like he was ushering her to her seat, but a little upsetting that he would just go with a stranger! Then the other day, I needed our neighbor to come over to watch the kids during my ultrasound and he was not happy that Barb was here! 
• Collin is starting to eat better! He has started to eat Cuties and started liking watermelon. He loves the lentil soup that I make and has been eating more and more. Makes me very happy! 
• He needs a his hair cut and I have finally decided we should do it:) At least the front, the curls in back are cute. Dave wants to take him to a real barber for his first, and probably subsequent haircuts. I know that he will look older when we cut it, not sure I'm ready!
• Collin has started wanting to carry around a baby and he always says, "Shhh" when he holds one. He says, "Baby!" when he sees one. At the MOPS meeting, the gals said he went up to one of the babies and was very protective of her and wouldn't let anyone near her (sleeping in a car seat):) 
• He still walks around with his hands clasped behind him and he also seems to have some sumo moves. He stomps each foot and squats down and then runs away. Where does he get that?!
• He is getting better at saying, "please" and "thank you." Gets excited when he sees animals or a ball and we are learning more animal sounds, which he likes to say. Loudly. He has started to say, "Ya" for "yes" which is pretty awesome and helpful. He shakes his head emphatically for no:) Usually when I ask him if he is tired! When I hand him things, we count and I'll say, "One...." and he says a kind of "two" and sometimes "three!" Which we also do when picking him up and lifting him into the air...so fun to hear all the new words and get more and more communication from him. I love it. 
• With naps, he is SO all over the place! Each day is different (school, just starting MOPS twice a month, running errands, appointments, Kate activities) so I know it is hard and I don't even know a time of day that is consistent each day. It would make my life more easier or at least more predictable if he took one nap each day but if we are home, I can sometimes get two out of him and I love that! And he is obviously way happier if he has more rest. Suppertime can be a little hairy on the days when he is short on naps. I will be very happy when we figure this out. 
• Collin likes to sit and look at books. For a pretty good length of time, for an 18 month old. Also magazines, there was one of the Kate's High Five magazines that had a bunch of cars in the back, for two weeks he would climb up on the couch and just sit there looking at it. Lately, he climbs up and just chucks all the magazines on the floor, but he likes some of Kate's old books. And anything with trucks/trains/cars:)  

They are changing, growing and being ridiculous every day:) We love it. 

Outnumbered:)

Hey there, I'm pretty sure you already know this, but I realized that I never really mentioned this pregnancy on here, so here ya go! 

Sometime in early/mid May, I took a pregnancy test at night while Dave was in the hospital all night. I actually couldn't believe it was positive and after sitting down and letting it sink in, I started looking on Pinterest for cute ways to tell Dave. I have never done a "cute" way to announce to Dave (or our family, really). With Kate, he came into the bathroom after I was in there for awhile, I was just standing there staring at the positive test. With Collin, I very plainly told Dave after taking a test in a hotel room in Chicago the night before Dave and I flew to South Carolina for a vacation/anesthesia meeting. It was something we were expecting but also something we weren't getting our hopes up for, after a rough time, we didn't celebrate too early. I kind of hate thinking of that now, knowing it was Collin in there and he would eventually make it into our arms! So, I thought I could be cute this time and surprise Dave....

But...I was tired and didn't come up with anything. I had considered not telling him for awhile and maybe get to the doctor before even telling him. Right. The next morning, instead of my regular K-cup, I popped in a decaf one. I thought it was pretty easy and clever since we have the Keurig - he wouldn't even know! Oops. I forgot to take the cup back out. As soon as Dave went back to make another cup, he saw the decaf and asked why I made that. I panicked and kept my head down and said I wasn't tired and didn't need the caffeine. (worst lie ever!) He never bought it, said, "Are you pregnant?!" I said no, I just liked that coffee. (I am so bad at lying) "Are you pregnant?!" "Ummm..." I just looked up at him and nodded my head. I was excited, especially seeing his reaction, but I was so bummed I blew another opportunity to make a special announcement! He picked me up and spun me around and couldn't stop smiling. A really great moment, but come on, Erin! 

Okay, you don't need the whole first half of the pregnancy discussed, here's the synopsis...I felt pretty sick, the trip to California was a little hard for me, the fatigue was OFF THE CHARTS, I started feeling better by 14 weeks, we had an early ultrasound to help date and find the heartbeat (due date moved to January 20), this little one is a stinker and every time we go in, we cannot get the heartbeat. It takes a long time and I do NOT enjoy that part! But luckily, so far we get it eventually and it has been very steady at 140 bpm. 

My little bump out berry picking in July

We were going to wait as long as we could to tell Kate, but when Dave was stuck at work and I couldn't get a sitter for my first appointment, the kids had to come along (long, ridiculous story -tell you later)! She has been excited and flip-flops between wanting it to be a boy or girl. She talks to the baby a lot and tells me every day that my belly is getting bigger. 

16 weeks -whoa! They say your body remembers.....yup.

Digging my maternity shirts, so comfy

I first felt the baby move on August 10, but so far this one is not super active. I know it is still technically early, but I felt the others much more even at this stage. So...we'll see if that continues (I don't love this either! I get nervous when I haven't felt baby move in awhile) We are not planning on finding out the gender (never have) and we have all kinds of baby gear, so though it would help in our grand room-rearranging plans, I just really love finding out at the delivery! 

We haven't really discussed names yet (yikes! we always struggle!) so I'm hoping we can really feel that out a bit soon. We are also working on a plan for Kate and Collin to share a room and then will keep the nursery a nursery with some sort of guest bed. Kate is super excited about the room sharing, so hopefully that continues. 

I'm 20 weeks, halfway there:) Gotta go. Eat. 

UPDATE: I wrote this last week and then forgot to publish it! Yesterday we went in for our ultrasound and for some reason I was really nervous (I guess I didn't realize how much our pregnancy past was going to affect me). Thankfully, we saw baby right away and a heartbeat and proceeded to check things out. These ultrasounds are so fun, taking the time to really look at everything. It is MIND BOGGLING what they can see...we just love it. Dave was super focused in on the babe (looking for gender?! we didn't find out) and he told me later he enjoyed it the most of all three for some reason, and when he came home, he kept saying, "There's a baby in there!" Not sure what he thought was happening before:) but I guess finally seeing our Peanut really made it hit home for him:) 

As I have said before, this Peanut is a stinker. Though we were able to see most things clearly, the tech could not get a good look at the spine. We tried everything, I went to the bathroom, I walked around and did some yoga poses, I turned onto my belly briefly and laid on my sides. One. Stubborn. Baby. Didn't budge. Oh, that reminds me, the cord was up around Babes' neck and we didn't like seeing that one bit, but of course they can move around and change so often, they don't get worried about that yet. But I keep praying it has moved! Oh - we also saw that my placenta is anterior and she said that could be why I haven't felt quite as much movement. Or this stubborn one could also just be super laid back and chill. We'll see!

So...we get to go back! Another ultrasound to try and check the spine. I'm not sure when, I am waiting for a call once the radiologist talks with my doc. Here are a few pics of #3...

First Day of School!

Kate started 4K! (preschool or junior kindergarten) She goes to New Lisbon Elementary Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m and then another Friday each month and there is a Family Fun Day on another Friday for a few hours. I'm still learning a lot on how this school does it, but so far so good. 

The day arrived. I was excited and thought I'd do fine. I did. Until I left her. Then I cried as I pushed Collin in the stroller back to my van. And some more in the van. And then I was fine! :) She had a great day, loves her teacher, had gym, played with Blayne, sits at Table 2, read a book about a dinosaur, slept really well (these are the bits I can remember right now:) and can't wait to go back. Here are the pics...

Happy to take a photo this morning!

Someone didn't want to be left out..."cheese!"

Heading out the door...

Big backpack

Such a ham:)

I haven't figured out parking yet...we parked a couple blocks away and walked in

Dropped her off to her breakfast (second one of the day)

Labor Day Weekend

Well, we hadn't really planned out a deliberate Labor Day weekend, but we ended up having a phenomenal holiday!

First of all, I should mention Thursday. It was a rainy day and I was quite busy with a trip to Madison with both kids to take my van into the Toyota down there. Collin didn't sleep on the way down (as was my grand plan) and we didn't have much time to do anything else (just a brief trip to a park) before we had to get to Kate's open house at the school in the evening. It was pouring rain by then and I was sort of waiting around for Dave to join us, but he was of course stuck at work and eventually said we should just go, he wouldn't make it. So, we headed over and saw her classroom and where all her stuff needed to go, I very much enjoyed it and asked the many questions I had (I feel like they have told us nothing, how am I supposed to know this stuff?!) At the end, Dave was leaving the hospital, so we stuck around and he saw her room and where her things needed to go as well. We headed home and thank goodness I had made bread and soup already, it was the perfect meal to warm us up and chill us out (very hectic, full days for us both!) While I was driving Kate home, she said, "That open house was not very fun. It was not like a party at all." I think she thought all her friends would be there or they could play, she was definitely disappointed! 

Dave was able to come home early on Friday and he took Kate out on the boat to swim at a beach while Collin napped at home with me. Well, Collin ended up refusing the nap (in his crib and happy, but doesn't sleep) and so they came back and he took both kids to the pool to swim so I could have a quiet house to relax in tackle my to-do list. After swimming we grilled some yummy pork chops and then decided to go to town for ice cream (Culver's). 

I was nervous that the two kids would be a lot to handle for Dave at the pool, assuming that Collin would just want to run around on the concrete while Kate wanted his attention in the water; but his report was that Collin floated by himself for the first time! (in a life jacket). I was stunned. He didn't love the life jacket and so we had been just holding him in the water. But Dave had him in a puddle jumper and he just floated and loved it! Very cool. He does have less fear of the water in general, compared to Kate, so I guess maybe we should have expected it, but after convincing Kate to love and do this stuff, it is always surprising when Collin just goes for it. 

This is from the next day - Dave was right there:)

On Saturday, the Swoboda's drove over to see us!! We have missed them so much since they moved to West Des Moines in the spring and they came to Mason City on Friday and then drove over for a one-night visit with us before stopping back in MC on their way back to WDM. Derek had an engagement in Madison and thus the trip was killing two birds with one stone; however, on the ride over, we were informed he was just going to stay with us the whole day, sweet! Somehow, this was also the first day of college football (that snuck up on me!) and so it was kind of a perfect day of visiting, playing and watching our favorite teams (thankfully not against each other:) The Hawks survived and the poor Badgers kept us up WAY too late for that sad finale. But, we had a wonderful time catching up and even got the kids over to the pool for a bit in between games. Aniyah is two years younger than Kate and they love playing together. They are also both tall and love to be active, It is pretty amazing to watch our girls together. And Collin just kind of played by himself (mostly) and was silly and happy with his toys. 

Everyone playing in the pool!

Cuties:)

Running off some energy!

On Sunday, we bid farewell to our friends and then after naps (for everyone but me!) Dave and the kids hit the beach while I cleaned the house a bit. I was then convinced to take the boat out for supper (it is nearing the end of the season, Dave suggests this plan only once or twice a day...) and I acquiesced:) It was still rather busy being Labor Day Weekend and I was worried it would not be a quick endeavor and we already started late (for early birds like us and the senior citizens) but we found a table inside at Shipwreck and sat by the window so they kids could still see the many boats, people, volleyball games, etc. The boat ride home was very warm and beautiful, calm water and I enjoyed snuggling and playing with them on the boat. Kate does not enjoy the "putzing" back we do after dinner, always wants to go fast:) Collin was pretty good, but is very busy on the boat, so we are on our toes! 

Fun in the pond

On Monday, we slept in and then made a dessert to bring to Plamann's for a somewhat impromptu early supper/late lunch. Kate and I made jello cake:) and we headed over to their beautiful home. We caught up and played and they made a fantastic meal for us, Collin loved everything! He was eating lettuce salad, grilled eggplant, watermelon, chicken, tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and basil...that was fun! We tried to eat outside, but of course, at that particular moment a cloud dumped rain. It was pretty random and kind of funny to watch us get everything and everyone outside and then all go running back in:) Dave shot the two different bows that Ryan has (for hunting) and then Dave had to go as he was heading to Grundy Center, Iowa to work for the next few days. We had to say goodbye and after a little longer visiting, the kids and I left as well. 

So many helpers:) (Clara and Kate)

At one point, everyone in the kitchen had a child in their arms!

It was early bedtimes for the kids as we had Kate's first day of school in the morning and the night went perfectly, which I very much appreciated. I guess Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and as I said before, I am pretty much okay with that. I always welcome the changing seasons. I will say that we have had a very fun summer and I will cherish the memories, but I just love fall:) Bring on the fall fun and memories!