whobody went to the K.C. Zoo?

 Our first morning in Kansas City....we got up bright and early (a couple of us didn't sleep well at all)...and got ready for our day.  Jason took the kids to breakfast in the hotel lobby by himself (brave man) while I laid every one's clothes out and got myself ready and headed out to find us a different place to stay.  I ended up finding a great hotel with adjoining rooms that we could check into right away (at 8:30 A.M!).  So, I went back to our current hotel where Jason had everyone dressed and ready....we packed everything up....checked out of the first hotel....and checked into the new hotel...all before 9 A.M.  Impressive, I think so.   Our new place to stay gave us a much more controlled area for Nash to roam.  There were no stairs, no sidewalks, no full kitchen...and most importantly, no 2nd story loft to try to dive off of.....

Shortly after we checked in, Evan and Julie met us at our NEW hotel to make the trip to the zoo! We love zoos! Of course, I know most kids do.... The kids had a blast exploring the different areas of the zoo and seeing all of the different animals. The two favorites were the polar bear (pictured below) and the kangaroos (which were actually just running free around us...with no gates or fences...it was crazy, but very, very cool).  Evan and Julie were LOTS of help. Managing Nash kept Jason and I busy, and then Evan and Julie took care of Keaton and Lola.  After this trip to the zoo, I decided that every family with 3 kids could totally use 2 sets of parents!  

I have to say that Keaton and Lola were EXCELLENT on this trip. They handled the heat well, walked a lot, ate at abnormal times, went to bed late, and were very patient with Nash.....and most of the time they did all of this without complaining. I will say, this pregnant Mama CANNOT handle the heat. Normally, I love it when it is hot...but I was struggling to "keep my cool" most of the time! Crazy.  It would be safe to say that Nash and I were the 2 most difficult ones to keep happy on this trip.... 

 

We really had a absolute blast! I loved this picture of Keaton and Lola in front of the elephant. By the way, I was VERY IMPRESSED with this zoo....we really were able to get up close and personal with the animals! It was great....

One Nash "funny".  Of course, he tried to climb up, on, or over anything he could while we were exploring the zoo....The most entertaining thing for Jason and I was that anytime he could get on the OTHER side of a fence or gate, he would go behind it, and then look out at us and say "Neh...Neh....Neighhhh!" as if he was a horse.  I think that he thought it would be pretty cool to live at the zoo!  He was going  full.speed.ahead. the whole time were were there...until....

After lunch, we headed to "Africa".  We confined Nash to the stroller and he really began to get relaxed.  (While in Africa, a gorilla was totally trying to body slam us through the glass, which was hilarious!).  The coolest thing that we did while at the zoo was right at the end of the day.  At the K.C. Zoo they have a ski lift that travels OVER the animals.  It was pretty cool....you are just hanging in the air above the giraffes....and other animals. Can't quite remember which ones right now...but it was awesome.  It gave us a nice relaxing way to get back to the beginning of "Africa", it was cool in the shade of the ski lift, and it was a neat way to see the animals (without walking...which was important to me).  Keaton went on the ski lift with his new best friend, Evan....Lola rode on it with her new BFF, Julie....and Jason and I rode on it with Nash.  See, it totally pays to have 2 sets of parents on vacations.  This ride completely relaxed Nash, which was exactly what we needed...

Above: Nash on the the ski lift ride.... Below: Nash getting "cozy" with his blankie and binkie...just looking at him was making me HOT! It was a very warm day...but he insisted upon cuddling his lovey blankie.

Not soon after getting his blankie and his binkie...he CRASHED....and was out for the rest of the walk back from Africa.  We totally needed this because Keaton and Lola wanted to ride the carousel in the worst way....and I didn't know how much more zoo the little guy could handle.

Now that guy is OUT!

Which meant that Lola got her long awaited ride on the carousel. She was very excited to find a flamingo to ride.  She wanted to see a flamingo at the zoo...but we either skipped it, or it wasn't there.  Lucky for us, the flamingo on the carousel totally counted for her.  Big thanks to Julie for helping Lola make the tough decisions on which animal to ride on the carousel.....

And Keaton, of course, being the brave soul that he is, as usual, chose to ride on the bench on the carousel.  I'm not quite sure what he is afraid of....the carousel is probably the most harmless ride on earth....oh well....at least he plays it safe!

One last picture of all 3 kids at the zoo! Aren't they stinkin' cute?

After the carousel ride, we headed out of the zoo and back to the hotel! Nash woke up on the transfer to the car, and he thought that the 20 min. nap was enough for him!  We got back to the hotel to relax for the afternoon....only 1 person in the whole family took a nap....and Jason had a very nice nap!  The rest of us....well, I guess we just relaxed. The zoo was way too exciting to take a nap after anyway!  We met Evan and Julie at the O.P. for pizza...and had a great night swimming at the hotel, again.   What a great time!!!

whobody went to Kansas City?

So. This summer we decided to take the kids on a little trip to visit our good friends in Kansas City. We ate lunch at home at around 10:30 a.m. and took off on a Thursday at about 11.  We knew it was a long drive and we didn't really want to have to stop for a meal on the way...we figured that they would already be eating enough meals of nuggets and fries during this trip.

Remind me to never try to smash a family vacation into the week after the 4th again! Yikes. I think I am finally recovered.  

Above is a picture of the kids in the car on the way there....notice, that although I did overpack, you could still see out the back window. I thought that was impressive....also notice the PILE of cozy things that the two older kids insisted upon bringing along for the car ride. (Of course, Lola still complained that she couldn't get cozy when it was time for her to nap.) 

After we checked into our hotel, the kids had a lot of fun 'posing' on the landscaping. Classy, I know. They needed to get some energy expended...luckily the hotel had lawn and lots of sidewalks to run on. After the kids were able to run off the energy, our good friends Evan and Julie met us at our hotel and we all went out for supper.  It was lots of fun, and the kids couldn't WAIT to get back to the hotel to swim. We had a long day, but so far so good....then came the nighttime.  Because of the set up of the hotel room (actually must have been old apartments) the sleeping didn't go very well for the littlest one of us. I ended up finding a new hotel for us the next morning...... Other than that, the first day was GREAT!

whobody kept right on celebrating the 4th of July?

As I mentioned in my last post, the 4th is a big holiday for us.  Along with the Guttenberg celebration that we attend, we also have the festivities in Garnavillo!  First and foremost is the "Teddy Bear Parade" which is held the night before the 4th.  The kids dress festive for the 4th and have decorated strollers and wagons and parade around the park while following a golf cart. Sounds normal, I know. It is actually a lot of fun. The kids feel pretty special doing it...and this was the first year that I trusted Keaton to push the stroller by himself, therefore I didn't have to actually walk in the 'parade'. 

Of course, I forgot my camera...but luckily my good friend Mindy was able to catch a pic of the kids on her phone!  The kids LOVE the teddy bear parade because they get to jump in the bouncy house, ride a firetruck, and play at the park with their friends!

 On the actual 4th of July there is the Garnavillo Parade. My. favorite. thing. (well, I love the fireworks too) Anyway, the parade is huge and very enjoyable for the kids. We got SO MUCH CANDY we were able to fill our treat jar, fill the candy drawer at Grandpa's room in the care center, and take a 1/2 grocery sack full to our local hair salon! Yikes. Below is a picture of the kids and most of their good friends (who are consequently, our good friends' kids.....I wonder how long that will last...)  It is not ever easy to get a group picture with these guys. 

 Below, Keaton and Lola are ready for the parade to begin!

 Everyone coming back with their handfuls of candy...it was ridiculous (in a good way).

 Of course, Lola had to put on her ear muffs while the fire trucks went by.

 ....and if Nash wasn't picking up candy, he was in this pose....the "I'm so excited I don't know what to do with myself" pose. This may have very well been the best day of Nash's life.

After the parade we ate lunch in the park. Keaton must have gotten too much heat, because he asked to go home and take a nap (and later got a little sick, poor guy).  So, Mom and the boys went home to nap. Well, actually, Mom had a little party prep to do while the boys were napping. 

BUT Daddy and Lola stayed at the park and Lola got 3rd place in the tractor pull (who-hoo!) and had the time of her life in the park. (But we won't tell Keaton that...he was pretty broken hearted to miss out on all of the fun...not to mention the party we had that night.) 

As always, that evening, we had our annual 4th of July party to watch the Garny Fireworks. Back in the day it used to be a great night of adult conversation, snacks and drinks.

It has turned into a free for all of bubbles, chalk, bikes, trikes, pedal tractors, sparklers, m&m bars, smores desserts (yum), trail mix, lemonade, and sparklers. 

I'm pretty sure that we had over 20 kids there that night...at least there were that many at the end of the night...not sure how many we started with. :) 

Because Keaton wasn't feeling well, the wonderful Grandma Piano saved the day and took him to her place during the party, and then brought him down to watch the fireworks from our yard away from the crowd.  He was happy with that...and woke up the next day feeling great!  I am so lucky to have a great Mom to make Keaton's 4th special too. I think it is safe to say, we had an excellent holiday weekend!

whobody starred and striped it up?

So...the 4th of July is a BIG holiday around our house. First of all...it is a summer holiday which makes it all the more fun.  :) That includes going on the river for Jason and I...but I probably won't blog about that.  The first thing that our family did this year to celebrate the 4th was attend the Guttenberg Stars and Stripes celebration. This is always held on the Saturday evening closest to the 4th.  They have a parade at 7 (not so hot out then) and then fireworks at dusk (or, this year, at pitch black).  We headed to Guttenberg right after supper so the kiddos could enjoy the 'rides' at the park before the parade. This pretty much just includes bouncy houses and the 'lawn mower train' pictured below.  The bouncy houses were AWESOME for Keaton and Lola...but Nash was too little to go in. Instead they had a little kids bouncy house. This was actually only about 5 foot square. Nash was NOT impressed. He was, however impressed with his ride in the 'lawn mower train'. 

 How nice of Keaton to let Nash drive.....

The second time the kids rode this ride, Nash refused...so Keaton got to ride alone.

(I don't think he minded.)

Next we got snacks and sat down to get ready for the parade. Below is a RARE picture of all 3 kids together...without anyone turned around or crying.  I'm not quite sure why they all have the same pained look on their faces....

 Keaton just eating popcorn, waiting for the parade to start....

 Lola eating a huge bite of a pickle while waiting for the parade to start....

 ...and Nash actually doing what he was supposed to be doing (which is rare)...waving at the people in the parade. He absolutely LOVED the parade.... he could yell at people and wave as much as he wanted and we didn't tell him to be quiet!!!  At this point he hadn't figured out the candy thing yet....

 And then, big brother Keaton did some coaching....then Nash figured out the 'candy thing' all too well.

 I'll leave you with Nash putting parade candy into his mouth. Yes. that is directly off the ground. and Yes. the wrapper is still on the candy. Yes. we spent the whole parade trying to keep him from doing this....Just in case you were wondering.

We ended the night with fireworks with the kids' new besties...John and Amy. We had a great spot on the dike and really had a wonderful time watching the fireworks. Lola was a very good sport...for as brave as she is, she hates loud noises and usually cannot handle fireworks. Thank goodness for those trusty earmuffs (and the distraction that Amy provided....). Happy 4th (only 3 weeks late)!

whobody is a tee ball STAR?

Keaton LOVES tee ball. This year Jason and I decided to take on coaching, so we got involved too! In Guttenberg, the tee ball league takes kids going into Kindergarten and First grade....so this was Keaton's second year as a tee ball star.  Jason helped coach last year, and decided that we could handle being head coaches this year. Our team was the "Tigers" and we had so. much. fun.  The kids had games every Saturday morning and Monday evening.

Below is a picture of Keaton ready for a ball at '1st'.  The kids all fought over playing first so we had to take turns.... It was amazing how much they all improved, especially at fielding the ball, by the end of the season.

Keaton is a right handed kiddo who bats left handed (well trained by his dad who does the same).  He swings for the fences every time! In tee ball, the coach pitches to the kid 4 or 5 times, and if they don't hit it by then, we get the tee out. Keaton did great at batting....I believe that he only used the tee one time.

Did I mention that he has his socks pulled up because he truly believes it makes him run faster? I had to convince him to wear the white ones every week....he always wanted to wear colored/striped/patterned ones.

He really LOVED tee ball and is a little sad to have it be over....not to worry though, soccer is starting soon.

whobody needs HELP!?!?!?!?

I know I know....it has been WAY TOO LONG since I have posted. We have had a lot going on...tee ball, swimming lessons, the 4th of July, and a family vacation. I will update you on all of those soon (when I have more than 5 minutes....and no one on my lap).  For now....just a quick one from last night.

 

Picture this:

Jason and I are in the house (going outside periodically to check the grill...and the kids) and we are getting supper ready and catching up from the day.

 

Lola RUNS into the house and YELLS:

 

"EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY.  KEATON NEEDS HELP........HE IS STUCK....HE IS REALLY STUCK....COME QUICK!!!!"

 

So, I, of course, throw down what I am doing and run outside after Lola.

 

I take one quick glance, and then immediately turn around and came back inside to get my camera (and Jason).

 

Here is a picture of the emergency of Keaton being stuck.



Huh.

Can you believe it? This was the emergency. The Hot Wheels couldn't fit through the opening at the top of the slide.

Remind me to talk with Lola about the difference between emergencies and non-emergencies.

Also remind me to discuss general safety rules with Keaton.

whobody caught the most fish?

Well....as you can tell by the tally that Keaton kept...he caught the most fish. He made sure to let everyone know that too. By "caught" he means "reeled in".  We won't discuss the fact that Jason actually hooked 1/2 of them and then offered the pole to Lola, who refused it...and then offered the pole to Keaton to reel in.  Keaton is our child who LOVES to fish.  Luckily we have Grandpa Tractor's beautiful pond to go fishing in. 

(keaton)

When we go fishing, Keaton is a champ. He loves to cast, loves to sit and watch the bobber, and LOVES to reel in the fish. He will even touch the fish and sometimes hold it after it is caught. This is a big step for the kid who once jumped up crying onto a table at preschool because he was scared of the baby kitties that someone brought to show.

(nash)

Our other son, Nash, will not be going fishing again for awhile. The whole "family fishing trip" idea was really not a great one.  As far as we can tell, Nash is actually thinking that he should jump in the water and catch the fish by hand. (for real)  He really runs toward the water and tries to get in. (Notice the life jacket.)  We gave him a pole to hold...thinking he might try to be like Keaton....he just kept whipping it down into the water...getting the top of the pole muddy and mossy. I brought along a couple balls and a bat for him to play with while we fished...he threw those into the water.  Ummm....the two of us just ended up going on walks for most of the evening.

(lola)

Lola likes the idea of going fishing...but in reality...she is more interested in heading up to grandpa's cabin to get a treat or chips or water or go to the bathroom.....  She likes errands.  I think that once she learns to cast, she will enjoy fishing more, but for now....she just likes to be a spectator.  She also might be a little afraid of the fish. She has no problem touching them or holding them, but is always afraid of reeling them in.  On this night, she had to "go pee" soon after we got there. I was already halfway around the pond with Nash and Jason was helping Keaton get a fish off of his hook....So I hollered for her to squat behind the car. I tried to also holler instructions, but she couldn't hear me. (This was her first time 'squatting'.)  By the time Jason got there to help...it was already too late. :)  Luckily I had a change of pants in the car. I guess we will have to work on that outdoor skill a little more this summer....just in case of 'emergencies'. Below is a picture I took right after she finished saying "mom, take my picture!"

Lola actually fished a little...but as you can see, doesn't pay very close attention to her bobber...

Keaton and Dad were hard at work...

Keaton wanted to have a picture of one of the Bluegills that he caught...

And yes, by the end of the evening, I had Nash confined in the 'playpen' a.k.a. the car. I had the keys out and was standing there the whole time. This was actually where we was the happiest...I only let him hang out of the window for a little bit.  Funny. It seems like once Nash started honking the horn, we really didn't catch very many more fish......



whobody lost their FIRST tooth?

That is right! Keaton is now a "man" (or so Lola says)....he lost his first tooth.  He is very excited about it!  It happened on Monday night (1 week ago)....he had been talking about how it was loose for quite some time, so I strategically made corn on the cob...and it happened on his first bite! He didn't know what happened at first, he just wondered why there was blood on his corn on the cob... :) *sorry if that grosses you out.... but then Jason helped him find his tooth (on the table, thank goodness) and then it was all fun and games from there! Any time I bring it up to anyone in front of Keaton, he kind of puffs his chest out and gets a VERY proud look on his face. My little guy is growing up!!!

<from new tooth....>
(I should point out that this is Keaton when he was 1)

 <to no tooth.....>

It really happens pretty fast! I guess this is just another one of those times that

I realize how fast the kiddos are growing up.

On another note....I am feeling "normal" again! Yay! I haven't really felt sick for almost a week now...which is very refreshing. I am still a little tired (as can be expected), but I feel like I can function as a normal citizen of society...oh yeah, and function as a Mom again! That being said, I need to get off of the computer and get out to the garden. I need to hunt for my vegetables and then pull the weeds around them so that I can find them more easily next time!

whobody is a first grader?

 from this...

to this!

Today was Keaton's last day of Kindergarten...and BOY was he ready! He has been ready for weeks now...so I am glad it is finally here. He will miss school, but I think that he is just getting exhausted and needs a break! All day kindergarten, 5 days a week....was just too much for this little guy.  Emotions were always running high by Thursday afternoon.  I guess we just keep him a little too busy... :)  Well, the first picture, in the red shirt, is Keaton on the first day of school this year....the second picture, in the blue shirt, is today.  It is a little hard to compare the 2 :) because of the silly face I am getting...but I couldn't get him to give me a real smile...he kept giving me this one...

I'm not sure where this smile came from, but that was all he could give me this morning. He was very busy working on drawings for his teachers and wanted to get them done before the bus came....my photo shoot was interrupting his work!!!

He has grown up so much since he started kindergarten....he is a much braver little boy than before. He used to be deathly afraid of any animal (except bugs or worms) and wouldn't ever go near them. Now he is open to petting almost any animal! I am also amazed at how well he is already reading as a kindergartner! I am loving seeing him grow, but I sure hate to lose my little boy!  I have this saying hanging above my purse/coat rack.  "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." by Dr. Seuss.  I need to repeat that to myself daily because I have always been bad with things changing! 

At kindergarten graduation the other night he even got the "Best Handwriting" award! He was very proud. It was a super cute program, the teacher gave each kid a special award.  They all loved it  (but my pictures did not turn out well...so none on here).

Well...I WILL say that I am very much looking forward to the official summer starting. Not so many schedules and routines...more free for all fun! (Although...summer IS always exhaustingly busy.)  I guess Jason and I need to work on our 'bucket list' for the summer. Phew....blog posts done, for now. Hopefully I can be a little more regular about posting soon!

By the way...baby's heartbeat on Tuesday was 155bpm. I just love to hear that quick little heartbeat! :)