Team E

Good times, baby. That is what this life is all about. Sure, there is triumph, heartbreak, and lessons to be learned...but really, it's all about the good times. Seeing how many you can stuff into a single day, or better yet, one weekend.

{this guy can fit alot of fun into one weekend}

Enter, Team E.


Team E is made up of good friends and people that are fun to hang out with. Team E manages to squeeze lots of good times into a one hour softball game on Sunday afternoons. Team E isn't the best softball team out there, but I have to bet it's the best time out there.


Team E came about when 1 person asked Andy to join the forming league. I mentioned it to another friend that her husband should play. From there, it blossomed. Now, it's full of friends and fun. Love that.

Here's to a Team E win this weekend. And even if they don't pull it out, it will be amazing. Promise.

Tagging Thursday

I thought Harry had outgrown the tagging phase. Really, I did. He hadn't written on anything recently...including himself. Clearly, I was mistaken. Enter, the dry erase marker.

Mental note to self: Wipe down those doors. They are dirty.

Wacky Weather Wednesday

{our front yard halloween decorations. they aren't great, but sawyer loves them and they were all his idea!}

I swear the weather has been off here for the better part of 6 months. We had very little HOT weather and now we are having true fall. It has been raining for 4 days and it's been chilly.

The best part? After our lovely fall weather, there will be no biting cold winter! No snow! No blizzards! No wet feet! Hooray! So we get to enjoy the chilly temperatures without the dreadful season that comes after!

We have been having lovely evenings after the homework is complete. In fact, the other night we all ventured out into the front yard and enjoyed the chill in the air. The boys played their usual baseball and Andy joined in after a while.

While the boys shouted to one another and ran from the basketball hoop, the the sprinkler head to the tree...I curled up under a blanket and read a magazine.

I love a good scented candle. This one happens to be one of my favorites, Leaves from Bath and Body Works. Another one of my favorite things? Enjoying the season and taking a moment to relax and enjoy. We all know there are many hectic moments, this just wasn't one of them.

*yawn*

It's Tuesday. An otherwise ordinary day.

Wake up. Take kids to school. Put clothes in washer. Run Errands. Put clothes in dryer. Check facebook. Pick up kids from school. Help with homework. Clean bathroom. Make dinner.

And so on and so forth. There are things I didn't even do. Things even more thrilling than the things I *did* do. Like fold laundry. You know what though? None of it really matters. It's all part of this amazing little life. The mundane, the humdrum, the boring. They are all things that sustain my family and propel us into the next day. And while I don't particularly like scrubbing toilets, I do it all for the good of the boys I live with. I embrace the ordinary and everyday, it's some of the best parts of my life.

Other best parts of my life? Crafties. Particularly paper crafties. This weeks creations? Two just in time for halloween!

{the SPOOKY banner hanging from our mantle}


{a closer look. it's made from a cosmo cricket chipboard mini album, Lucky Girl Goods crepe paper rosettes, My Minds Eye patterned paper, Distress Crackle paint covered chipboard letters, Recollections spider stickers and random ribbon and tulle}

{i'd intended for this to be a good close-up. instead, it's not good. BUT, you get the idea}
The fun isn't limited to banners. I'd seen something similar to this somewhere, and I wanted to make one myself. I had thought I'd have to use wood letters from Michaels, but when I was in Iowa I picked up heavy duty chipboard letters at Hobby Lobby. Love these.

{the entire shelving set up where the BOO letters reside. you'll also see harrison's first ever school project proudly hanging next to them!}

{i used the hobby lobby chipboard letters, asphalt making memories paint, ribbon, and American Crafts Flair, rub-ons, cardstock stickers, chipboard and vinyl pieces AND Thickers. LOVE American Crafts}

{details on the bottom O!}

The ordinary little life is amazing. Creating with paper and a little bit of glue? Makes that little life even more satisfying!

Hip Hip Hooray! It's Harrison's first day!!

Yup, the day finally came.

The day where Harrison traded in his old, worn and dirty flip flops for a pair of Mickey Mouse tying shoes. The day where he was able to pack a lunch, sling his backpack onto his back and actually go into the school. (Anyone who knows Harrison knows he's dying to go into the gate at school with brothers. At the beginning of the year, we had a few meltdowns right at the entrance. Tragic.)

We found a school for Harrison where one day a week was just fine. A school where he could go and paint, where he could play with the play kitchen and where he could eat his lunch at school, just like brothers.

What do to once you've found a place so warm and perfect? Have your first day, of course!

{The traditional before school shots at home}

{walking into school. you know we ONLY do mickey mouse, right? official mandate from management, of course}

We look forward to many more Friday's to come!

Friday afternoon is reason enough to celebrate!

Quite frankly, by the time Friday rolls around I'm ready to SING! I'm ready to kick off my shoes and pat myself on another week done well. Okay, I don't really want to pat myself on the back. I really just want to rejoice we've made it through another week happy and healthy, that is really a feat in itself.

This past Friday was no different. We'd practiced, learned, and volunteered all week...we were ready to kick our heels up. So after an Oreo shake we flipped a U-turn and headed to the park. Friday afternoon is reason enough to celebrate!

The big boys decided to do what they usually do, play baseball. They have a favorite plastic bat and numerous wiffle balls that are up to the challenge. The employ ghost runners and their own bat twirling and big hits to make it around the bases.

{wait for it...}

{there it is...}

Harrison and I choose to celebrate in other ways. We kick our heels up and rock...we lean back and ride.

{This was taken prior to the trip to the car for the potty break. The money invested in that portable potty is some of the best money ever spent. However, I will say, keep some Target bags near the potty if you decide to invest in this device. Pee in ziplock bags+trip to trash can=walk of shame. even worse? poo in ziplock bag!}

Anyway. We swang. We chased. We bounced. Then, we broke out the big guns. The most prized possession. The bike!

{We beg and we plead to take this bad boy with us every where we go. and I do mean everywhere. and if we get somewhere that we've laid down the law and said no...then, we see another kid on wheels. watch out, boy.}

So in ode to Fridays, and Friday afternoons in particular...you slay me Friday afternoons. Your cool breeze and your sunny skies promise immeasureable amounts of fun for the coming days. We love you and we look forward to you every.single.week. Hurry back, we anxiously await your return. ♥

Birthday

It's always incredibly fun to celebrate a birthday, especially when you're turning nine. It's even more fun to relive the birthday, say, a month later. (hint, hint!) Nonetheless, birthdays are a big deal!

{blowing out the candles surrounded by friends}

Happy 9th birthday (a month late!) to my wonderful boy. You provide me with fun, laughter, pride and INNUMERABLE parenting challenges. You are brilliant and kind, a wonderful athlete. You will grow and change but you will always be my amazing boy!

'nastics

There is a problem with being the third child. Specifically, the third boy in the family. You are forever the baby and you have a lack of activities geared towards you. I guess that was two problems.

Really though, in most families, (or is it just mine?) the third child doesn't get Music Together, playdates or leisurely mornings in the park. Instead they are often shuttled to be babysat while mom volunteers (again, personal experience), they spend hours at soccer/baseball/dance/swimming lessons and they sit in long pick up lines at school.

Because of the injustice, I decided to see if Harrison would like an activity of his own. Something that would keep him happy and active, plus maybe make him a friend. (Independant of his brothers!) Enter, gymnastics at the Little Gym.

{this is how he starts. refusal to do the warm up circle time activities. instead he sits with me by the wall}

{or often, he'll play on the equipment when he's not supposed to, when the other kids are singing and warming up}


{finally the real activities begin and harrison will participate}

{serious love for jumping}

See, here's the thing. Most of the parents, they sit out in the parent waiting area. Behind the glass and the door. They watch the kids but they mostly chat with one another. I have to sit in the room. I have to have the boy pressed up to my side while the other kids sit in the circle. I have to encourage him (read: threaten) to participate in the jumping and forward rolls.

While I might prefer to sit behind that smudged glass wall, watching him clap and jump...watching him break into a huge grin after a particularly huge landing makes it okay. It makes me appreciate the last bits of my preschooler joy.

excuses

I'm full of 'em. I was sick. There's a lot of activities. Soccer consumes my life. I would rather be shopping. And so on and so forth. However, I'm going to make it up to you. Big time.

You know why? Because we went to Iowa! And you know what happens when we go Iowa, don't you? We hop on an airplane (adventure), let our hair down (relax at home) and see and do as much as we can in the time allotted. This trip, my friends, did NOT disappoint. We had 3 days there, roughly 72 hours and we made the very most of those moments.

{the old capitol. the best landmark in the state, if you ask me. might just be because I know it so well. that one building sums up the word home to me}

So, what did we do, you ask? I'm so glad you're interested because I would love to tell you.

After a lazy Saturday moring with ma and papa (we're good at lazy, just ask anyone!) the boys headed north for the IOWA STATE football game. Who did they play?! It so happens that I.HAVE.NO.IDEA. Really. I don't know if they won or lost. I suppose I did at one time.

And, while they rooted for the 'Clones, I shopped. Shopped at central Iowa's best scrapbook stores. I did that very, very well. And, I was victorious!

We were not early to bed nor early to rise but we headed to Iowa City on Sunday all the same. We dined with granny

{the vine yum yum}

wandered downtown iowa city and visited great grandma and grandpa. and, as usual. there wasn't enough time. there never is. we wanted to camp out in prairie lights and enjoy a slice at the airliner. we would have loved to see friends (kelli and missie!) and driven around and around and around. next time. next time.

we drove back to the dsm past barns and cornfields

{taken from a moving car along i-80}

we pulled over along the side to threaten spankings, and walking. and finally, there was blissful silence when all 3 cashed out for a few peaceful moments.

this is right before we decided to make that right turn onto 35 north and head for ames, the mecca of all iowa state...and home to our very favorite, great plains sauce and dough. nosh we did.

there they are crabby and waiting for a piece with thick crust and a cold drink in a take home cup. every.single.time.

monday meant fun and monday also meant home. but not before we played with cousins and tore around ma and papas house. one.last.time.

iowa, our home. we love you and we can't wait to return. you will always be our favorite. ♥