summer splash park fun

The splash park season has come to an end.  I have to say, we are very lucky to have so many splash parks to choose from around here.  We usually gravitate to our favorite one - Inlow.  Love, love, love it!!

Halloween 2011

We started trick-or-treating around 5:30.  All 3 kids had a great time.  Austin was a little tired, though, because he refused to take a nap earlier in the day (he has started to nap more lately).  Andrew actually napped for an hour or so during the day, and was still tired by 7:00 when he declared he was done.  Ashley did really well - she seemed to enjoy the ride in the stroller and watching all of the kids running around, especially her big brothers.  She also reached her limit, though, at about 7:00.  We did learn one important tip...if you are around the age of 2 1/2 and trip as you walk up to someone's front door, you get double, if not triple, the candy!  This happened at least 3 times for Austin.  He was also referred to as a girl at least 3 times.  I don't get it, but it must have been the bangs.

It was a fun night!

Pumpkinfest 2011

We attended our 4th Annual Pumpkinfest this year.  We have been every year since Andrew was 11 months old, except for last year when we decided to skip it.  It is a little pricey, but I think it is worth every penny.  There is so much to do!  The boys rode ponies, Andrew rode a big old-fashioned trike (Austin couldn't reach any of the pedals), they slid down the giant hill slide, all 3 kids picked out their own pumpkin from the "pumpkin patch", we found our way through a corn maze (and no one got scared!), we played in 2 corn boxes, the boys rode in a cow train, the list goes on...

I think my favorite part was listening to the bluegrass music, watching Andrew practice his moves on the dance floor (which was quite comical), and watching the boys and Loren play corn hole.  We could have entertained ourselves all day, but after a couple of hours we were all worn out.  The Pumpkinfest will still be there next year!

             

 This is where you have to humor me as I take a look back....

                                       

   

                                                                                                                       

Indians Game

We went to an Indianapolis Indians game last weekend.  There were a block of tickets for sale where half of the ticket price benefited the Indy Humane Society.  It seemed like a good night to go, so we bought 2 tickets (for Loren and I) in the reserved block and planned to buy the boys' tickets once we got there.  It turned out Austin didn't need a ticket and we bought a season pass (definitely worth the money) for Andrew.  We knew full well that we would sit in the outfield (as in beyond the outfield in the grass) instead of the stands.  We went to one Indians game last year and had a great time.  There was plenty of space to spread out a blanket, sit next to friends, our boys played with their boys.  It was fun and relaxing.  If you have young kids you almost have to sit in the grass, which is fine by me.  We did the same thing this year, but with the 3rd child, things were a little more complicated.  We knew we didn't have to get there right on time, but we were going to try and get there close to the start of the game.  The game was slated to start at 7:10 pm, I believe.  (Please note that the boys normally go to bed around 7:00/7:30 and Ashley is usually down by 8:00).  We made sure that both boys took a nap earlier in the day...and they did.  We ate dinner, got everything ready and left the house a little after 6.  We needed gas, so we stopped at Meijer across the street and since Ashley was already crying, I went ahead and fed her.  We then drove to the stadium (after waiting and waiting in traffic when we got really close) and, even though we were already late...not that it really mattered, I fed Ashley again in the parking garage.  Phew!  We got everyone together.  I put Ashley in the Bjorn, hoping she would eventually fall asleep.  The boys and the 'gear' road in the wagon and we walked across the street from the parking garage to the stadium.  All was well.  We had been told by a friend, who was already there, that right field was the place to be.  We went to right field....the farthest corner of right field.  There was room, but it was completely in the sun.  The entire grassy area was packed, but we decided to mosey on over to the more shady left field and hope that we could squeeze in.  We ended up finding a spot closer to center field and the people we were squeezing in next to ended up leaving as we were setting up, so we ended up having plenty of room.  Nice. Ashley fell asleep pretty quickly.  The boys began enjoying themselves.  It was the third inning when we arrived and we left during the 8th, I think.  I'm pretty sure the Indians were winning when we left, but I don't know if they ended up winning or if their opponent (the Louisville Bats) won.  It was just cool to be there and enjoy the out of doors.  None of us payed very much attention to the game, but, like I said, it was fun just to be there.

Here are some pictures of our time there...

and just for laughs, Austin got a hold of my camera (and wouldn't let go!)

this was his view as he snapped pictures...

Our 4th of July

We went to a friend's house around 3:30 or 4:00, not knowing what the afternoon/evening/night would bring.  I really wanted the boys to stay up for the fireworks (the first time for even Andrew), but there was a point later on when we just weren't sure what we were going to do.  Stay...or leave.  You see, the boys normally go to bed around 7:00/7:30 and the fireworks were slated to start at 9:45.  Well, we stayed.  We saw the Indy fireworks from about 16th street.  We were far enough away that we couldn't hear them, but we could still see them and appreciate them.  Before the fireworks, Andrew and Austin practiced their baseball skills, the boys and Loren practiced their 'beach' volleyball skills, we hung out with some people I knew and many that I had met for the first time, and I took care of Ashley on the side while taking photos here and there.  Andrew loved watching and playing volleyball, he loved hanging out with a certain older woman, and trying to hit a baseball as various people (in particular, Ott) pitched to him.  He loved the fireworks.  Austin loved trying to hit a baseball while Tim pitched to him.  He also loved playing volleyball with Daddy and Andrew.  When some people nearby later started setting of fireworks, he tiredly pointed to the car and said, "home!"  He eventually got used to the noise and even dozed off a couple of times.  He woke up in time, though, to see the big show from afar.  Ashley was awake to witness some of the baseball/volleyball/hanging out action earlier in the evening, but she slept in the bjorn through most of the hoopla.

To sum it up, it was a good 4th!

Grandpa turns 90!

Grandpa, I hope you don't mind me doing this!  90 years is a big deal!  And it's a 'private' blog so not too many people will see it. :)

July 3rd, 2011 was my Grandpa's 90th birthday.  Wow.  90 years.  And he doesn't look a day over...well, he looks a whole lot younger than 90, I'll just say that.  I can only hope, wish, pray that I will live to be that old  young.  He (for now) still lives by himself, drives himself where he needs to go...he takes care of himself.  He has lived to see 6 great grand children born, the youngest being Ashley Grace (two, unfortunately, couldn't be there that day).  He is a wonderful man and I hope we have many, many more of his birthdays to celebrate!

 

(Ashley, Andrew, Austin)

(cousin Blake, Andrew and Austin)

(Grandpa, my brother Jeff, Blake)

3 of the great grand children playing together

Here's to many more birthdays, Grandpa!!

the museum

We are members of the Children's Museum.  Well, we were up until the end of December when we let our membership lapse.  We used to go quite frequently, but we found ourselves finally going again 2 weekends ago and finally renewing our membership, knowing we would get more than our money's worth in the next year.  I think the last time we went was sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You know, for the whole Yule Slide experience.

We had a good time as we visited the Dora and Diego exhibit for the first time, visited the "balls" and carousel (Loren took Andrew and Austin on it while I fed Ashley), and then we visited Playscape briefly. It's amazing how little we can see there during a short trip.  You really need ALL day!  I found myself reminiscing, though.  As I pushed Ashley around the museum for the first time, I remembered when I pushed Austin around the museum in the stroller for the first time...

(Ashley: 3 months)

(Austin: 5 months)

I know these seem like another other regular carseat/stroller pictures, but I remember these specifically as 'I was at the Children's Museum for the first time stroller pictures.'

We visited the water table in Playscape, and I remembered when Andrew played at that table for the first time when he was 17 months old...

and now...

 ...a lot taller, a shorter haircut, but basically the same kid in a 4 1/2 year old body instead of a 1 1/2 year old body.  On second thought, not really...he has changed sooo much!!

and just for the heck of it, here is Austin at the water table going on 27 months...

Well, that concludes my brief trip down memory lane.  Thanks for humoring me!

Air Show

We finally made it to the Indianapolis Air Show.  We have thought about going the last couple of years, but decided not to at the last minute because it was too hot, or something.  Well, it crept up again this year and for the week leading up to it I had it mind as a possibility for that coming weekend.  The forecast called for rain or a decent chance of it.  I watched the forecast all week, and it never wavered.  We were going to play it by ear, and I knew a couple of my friends and their kids were also thinking about going.  The day arrived, the sky looked pretty darn good, and any chance of rain or thunderstorms seemed to be in the evening.  We went for it, but soccer came first.  I did as much of the necessary preparations before soccer (packing lunches mainly), so that after soccer we could swing by the house, walk Dylan, load up, and drive to Mt. Comfort Airport by way of the Kia dealership to drop of Loren's car for an oil change (yay random Groupon!).  Oh, we also stopped by Target so I could pick up some sunglasses and Lowes for some earplugs.  We finally arrived there around 1:00 I think and we didn't know it at the time, but totally lucked out by parking on the runway.  We had no choice; it just happened to be the line we were in.  The air show parking is so organized.  I was impressed.  We had to walk (I mean push really hard) 2 strollers through a large grassy field to get to the seating area, but we found out later that it was well worth it.  It turned out that those parked on the runway (one not being used of course) could bypass all of the cars stuck in the grass parking lot who were waiting and waiting...and waiting.  Anyway, our friends met us there an hour later and the boys had some playmates to run around with.  I have to say my vision of the air show was much different than what it turned out to be.  I pictured a lot of people packed tightly together, but this place was perfect.  There was plenty of space to spread out and any seat was a great seat.  The kids could run around without getting dirty looks.  It was relaxing and fun.  A lot of smaller planes performed neat tricks as well as some bigger ones that were pretty cool, but nothing compared to the Blue Angels.  They don't come to our air show every year, so I'm very glad we made it this year to see them.  It. was. awesome!  But, it was LOUD.  Oh, my goodness.  The ear plugs didn't last long with the boys, and they luckily didn't seem too bothered by the noise.  I feared that poor Ashley would wind up deaf.  I kept trying to cover her ears, and I'm pretty she was unharmed by the noise.  Time will tell, but I'm not worried.  If you ever have the chance to see the Blue Angels in person, you should definitely do it.  So cool!

the Blue Angels!

Mutt Strutt 2011

On May 1st, we attended the 8th annual Mutt Strut with Dylan.  It is the Indianapolis Humane Society's largest fund raiser.  I have to say I was amazed at how many participants there were and at how many different kinds of dogs there were.  Wow.  Who new?  It is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Instead of 30-40 cars (that's somewhat of an estimate) racing around the track, there were hundreds of dogs and people walking around the track.  Maybe it was thousands.  I'm not sure, but it was a lot.  Dylan had no problem completing the 2.5 mile stroll.  It was a fun experience for all of us (Ashley slept through the entire thing!) that I'm sure we will do again and again.

Snow!

It has been awhile since the snow fell, and fell again, and again.  Shortly after Christmas we had an abnormal 60 degree day and it all disappeared.  Here are some pictures of the fun we had while it was here!

Andrew Turns 4!!

Party #1: 

We celebrated in style this year.  I wanted to have a party this year, but I didn't necessarily want to have it at our house.  After searching and pondering I mentioned Chuck E Cheese to Loren.  He immediately said yes (or something of that nature) and thought it sounded like a great idea.  Why not?  

Wow.  Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday night is CRAZY.  It was nuts, but everyone had fun.  Andrew loved his party and keeps asking to go back.  What a way to turn 4!

Party #2:

Chuck E Cheese was on the 13th, so we, of course, had to celebrate again on Andrew's birthday, Monday the 15th.  The large part of the day was a regular day.  Loren had to go to work and Andrew had to go to preschool.  After I hugged Andrew and wished him a Happy Birthday when he came downstairs first thing in the morning he said, "I can't wait to show Daddy that I'm 4!!"  Andrew took treats to preschool and walked out afterwards with a crown on his head and a big smile on his face.  We hung out at the house all afternoon.  Austin took a 2 1/2 hour nap, and during that time Andrew helped me make (another) cake for him.  He poured the water, vegetable oil and cake mix into the bowl (some of which ended up on the stove).  I added the eggs.  Andrew helped me mix the cake batter by placing his hand on top of mine while I ran the electric mixer.  He loved being a party of the cake making process.  He later said, "Mommy I really liked watching you crack the eggs and mix the cake."  :)  

When Loren returned from work we headed to Red Robin for dinner.  There really is no better place for a birthday dinner!  It was calm and...quiet (not always the case, but it was at 5:30 on a Monday night).  Halfway through our dinner the waiters and waitresses came to our table and sang a crazy birthday song to Andrew and gave him an ice cream sundae.  Andrew dove in (literally), but ended up eating only a couple of bites of whipped cream before asking for more grilled cheese.  

We continued the celebration at home with cake, ice cream and presents.  I took a 20 minute video of Andrew opening his gifts (sorry no pictures of that part) which was pretty fun and funny to watch.  His biggest gift was a 16 inch Toy Story bike which he got to ride around the circle inside our house.  It was much too dark to take it outside Monday night and yesterday was yucky and rainy, so maybe today he will get to ride it.  

Andrew had a fabulous 4th birthday that I'm sure he will remember for a very long time.  And it isn't over!  More gifts are coming as we see family this weekend and next.

...and my favorite part happened while tucking Andrew into bed.  With a sleepy smile on his face Andrew looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you."  

Pumpkin Picking

Last weekend we made another trip to Stuckey Farms, but this time it was for pumpkins.  We, of course, couldn't resist the urge to pick a big bag of apples while we there.  We took a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, which Andrew loved, picked our (one) pumpkin and then took a tractor ride back to the front where we began our apple picking.  It was a great fall day.  I'm thinking we need to hit up another pumpkin patch or festival this weekend!

Turkey Run

Last Saturday we met some friends at Turkey Run for the day.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day!  We looked at the car show first, ate our picnic lunch and then embarked on a hike.  A real hike.  I wasn't sure how long Andrew would last, but he did super.  I am convinced that having 5 year old Mason there was extra incentive for Andrew to keep going.  Our normally timid Andrew was very brave and showed a lot of independence.  We walked down steps a few times (some of them were a little sketchy, too), and every time he refused to hold anyone's hand.  "I can handle it my-self."  Austin took a nice nap in the back carrier.  About 45 minutes into the hike he woke up and got a little antsy, so Loren and I took turns carrying him.  After the hike we all visited the nature center and afterwards the boys attempted to fly a kite while Nikki and I sat and watched.  

It was a good day!

State Fair

A few weeks ago we visited the State Fair.  We put off going because it was so incredibly hot.  When the last weekend came, I decided we were going no matter what.  It turned out to be one of the best days to go because it wasn't too hot, it was overcast, and quite comfortable.  We all had a good time.  Andrew had an absolute blast.  He had been talking about the 'bee ride' for the past year, and was very excited he got the opportunity to ride it again.  He also got to pick out a couple of other rides, AND he was tall enough to ride them by himself!  I've never seen the kid smile so much.  We saw some animals, tractors, ate junk food, enjoyed a lemon-strawberry smoothie, walked through the Pioneer Village, Andrew of course rode a few rides, and we very simply enjoyed the day at the fair.

Our 4th

Here is a glimpse of what we did during the 4th of July weekend.  We visited my Grandpa to wish him a Happy Birthday, we drove to Lafayette for a fun and tasty cookout at the Engels', we hung out at the neighborhood pool (sorry, no pics of that), Loren washed the cars, we went to the 4th of July Parade which took place on the 5th, Loren mowed the lawn, there was a lot of sand box playtime, and I think we also went to Costco - I'm sure we did several other things as well.  It was a fun, hot weekend and the boys were happy and exhausted when it ended.

Bowling

The plan on Saturday was to take 2 vehicles, drop Loren's car off at the Toyota dealership for an oil change and then go next door to the bowling alley and after bowling (and possibly lunch), pick up Loren's car and head home. Well, we drove 2 vehicles to the Toyota dealership, only to find it closed for floor cleaning. We went bowling anyway. Getting an oil change was an excuse to go bowling, but there was no reason not to go bowling if we couldn't get the oil change. Andrew had a lot of fun. Everyone had a lot of fun. Austin very badly wanted to crawl down the lane to reach the pins. Hey guys! We have a baby stuck in the middle of the lane! Could you help us out here?! The scores aren't worth mentioning, but lets just say we are all better at Wii bowling than real life bowling. After bowling we treated ourselves to lunch at Scotty's (yum!) where Andrew had his first ever glass of chocolate milk.

Massanutten

Our Massanutten vacation was over a week ago.

It took us 12 hours to get to Virginia on Saturday.  We found out that stopping for dinner was as little challenging with a dog.  We went through the Arby's drive-thru and then found a nice cozy spot of grass (which turned out to be a little wetter than we thought) right in front of a used car dealership.  It worked.  Although, we ended up moving our blanket to the gravel because it was getting too wet in the grass.  Because of our arrival time (1 am) we went farther than Massanutten, as planned, to Loren's mom's where we stayed until Monday after breakfast.  Then we drove to Massanutten - a place where I have never been and Loren spent many childhood vacations/family reunions.  We had the place to ourselves until Wednesday when we picked up Loren's younger brother Evan from the Appalachian Trail.  Thursday through the weekend several other family members came and went - Uncle Mike and Natalie, Jessica (one of Loren's cousins), Uncle Brad and Uncle Gary, Grammie, Aunt Kerin.  It was a relatively low-key vacation, and it was a lot of fun.  We played games, attempted puzzles, gave the boys bubble baths, went to the park, played basketball (well, shot baskets), took a hike, watched deer out our window, bought a Wii...

We went to the Massanutten Water Park.  This was awesome!  There was something for everyone.  Andrew had a blast.  Austin had some fun, but mostly he endured the adventure since we went in the evening (when it was cheaper), which took us past the boys' bedtimes.   As soon as we arrived, Andrew went down a big slide on one of his Uncle Mike's lap (which we learned wasn't allowed) and he didn't like the water splashing in his face.  After that experience he refused to go down the slides again (except for the small froggy slide) until the very end when Natalie convinced him if he covered his nose and mouth it would be okay.  It totally worked!  Andrew is normally timid in situations like this and usually becomes the observer - the one who loves watching everyone else go down the slides, but doesn't dare try it himself - and he is very stubborn when he decides he doesn't want to do something.  The fact that he overcame his fear and stepped out of his comfort zone and braved the slides (especially the big one!) was amazing to me.  I was SO incredibly proud of him - so proud I had tears in my eyes.  I was incredibly nervous (so nervous I squealed!) when he went down the bigger slide, but he made it down several times safely. 

We also went swimming, Loren and I played Racquetball one night until we got kicked off of our unreserved court, enjoyed many talks with family members (including several about Walmart), which led to many late nights, and then it was time to pack up and head home.  Austin was generous enough to wake up at 5 am the morning we had to drive 12 hours.  

I'm sure I left something out.  I wish I could recount every last detail, but this is the best I could do!  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  

Dylan

We had been entertaining the idea of getting a dog for awhile.  We visited the Humane Society, but the reality of actually getting a dog made us a little nervous.  We knew we wanted a small dog, friendly, good with children, relatively low-maintenance - to name a few of our criteria.  We didn't do much research, but a couple of friends, who also volunteered at Humane Societies, knew we were possibly in the market for a dog.  Abby came across this absolutely adorable Chihuahua (mixed with another unknown breed) at her Humane Society and immediately thought of us.  She and Mitch brought him to our house one evening and we immediately fell in love.  I thought Loren and I would discuss adopting him in private, but Loren said, "Nope, I'm good."  Dylan had a rough past.  He had a broken jaw, which was repaired though surgery.  Abby took care of him throughout the surgery and healing process and as soon as he was deemed "adoptable" he was ours.  He officially joined our family on May 12th and he was been wonderful.  He is somewhere between 1 1/2 -3 years old.  He is house trained, but has a bit of a skittish peeing habit when he gets nervous (we have identified when that happens and have been able to manage it pretty well).  He is very low-key and puts up with the craziness of 3 1/2 year old and 13 month old boys extremely well.  Andrew adores Dylan and Austin is intrigued and excited about him.  We are so very happy and lucky to have him!

Soiree

A little croquet, a little corn hole, friends, dresses, big hats, dapper young men, cheerful kids (one a little more crazy than the other), a bunch of people, including Andrew, yelling at a big screen for the 'fastest 2 minutes in sports'...and you have the Kentucky Derby Soiree.  Not at our house, but at our friend Mitch's house.  It was fun!  Sorry, I can't tell you which horse one. :)

Where Have I Been?

I obviously haven't been posting very much lately.  My apologies.  It isn't like there hasn't been anything happening around here.  The truth is I have been scrapbooking, and scrapbooking, and scrapbooking.  Seriously. Since the end of January.  It started with my decision to start scrapbooking as of 2010, but once that began I had to go back and get caught up.  The good news was that I already had the pictures printed.  The bad news was that up to that point I had only scrapbooked Andrew's first year.  I was over 2 years behind on Andrew and I had yet to begin scrapbooking anything from Austin, and he was over 10 months old at the time.  Daunting, YES.  But if I didn't start then, it wasn't ever going to happen.  So, that is where I have been!  Working on the past while keeping most of the 'present' in my head...


In February, Loren and I got dressed up and went on a "date" to an awards banquet in which he, along with other members of a group, were nominated for an award.  His group didn't win, but it was quite an honor to be nominated.  Cliche, I know, but when only the final 2 individuals/groups in each category are invited to the banquet, it is indeed an honor.  I'm upset at myself for not getting a picture of us all dressed up.  There was a picture taken at the banquet from one of Loren's co-workers, but I have yet to see it.  My friend Nikki came down from Lafayette and watched the boys, put them to bad, etc. for us.  It was so nice to be able to go out and not worry about the boys.  I knew they were in good hands!  


Loren and I celebrated Valentine's Day with Bubs Burgers takeout.  I can't remember what else we did that day (the exact reason I need to keep up with this blog), but I do remember that it was a good day.  Enough said. 


At the beginning of April, within a week and a half or less, we had nearly every family member (with the exception of Loren's brothers) through our house.  It was great to see family and we had a great time while they were all here.  We went to Granite City and even to a movie while Loren's mom was here.  The movie can't go without mention.  It was Hot Tub Time Machine.  It sounds weird, but it was actually quite funny.  I can't tell you how nice it was to sit in a movie theater for the first time since I can't tell you when.  I tried to remember the last movie that Loren and I saw in a theater and I can't remember.  It has been that long.  I'm talking years.  


I met with Andrew's preschool teachers and he is doing great.  To paraphrase, "He always walks into the classroom with a big smile on his face, he participates, plays well, is very cooperative, interested in 'science' activities, he tends to follow the actions of others (can be good or bad), and is wonderful in class."  According to his teachers Andrew plays with everyone, but has made one friend in particular - Max.  He happens to live in our neighborhood and I am hoping to set up a playdate (or a few) this summer.  I also recently found out that Andrew and Max will be in the same class next year, which I am excited about.  Not that Andrew wouldn't meet new friends, but Miss Diane and Miss Sandy kept going on and on about 'Andrew and Max', so apparently they are a good pair.  


We, I mean I, bought a new lawnmower (exciting, right?).  After trying to cut the grass recently with our 'green' lawnmower (which I loved last Spring/Summer) and failing miserably, I took the boys to Lowe's (after calling Loren) and picked one out by myself (again, after calling Loren).  That night, I'm not sure if he knows I saw it, Loren had a big smile on his face when he started up the new self-propelled, gas-powered lawnmower.  Green was good while it lasted, but our green lawnmower had a short expiration date.  It's still nice to have it around when we miss a patch with the gas-powered lawnmower (I did this) and can whip out the other one without making a lot of noise or wasting even a little bit of gas.


I joined a couple of local Moms clubs.  I haven't been too involved, but I'm sure that will change.  It's one of those things where I can be as involved or not involved as I want to be, but it's really nice to be a part of.


We are getting a dog.  I will explain more about him later, but he is the sweetest.  The absolute sweetest little dog (I want to call him a puppy, but he isn't quite a puppy) will soon become the next member of our family. 


The rest I either already blogged about or can't quite remember right now... 


                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                              Stay tuned!  There will be more!