Five

The past five years have zipped by...I can't believe she's five!

 

The Tot Clock

We started with the Tot Clock in Laura's room when she was two. We swore by the clock magic of the wake time yellow and bedtime blue for her and eventually the clock worked its way over to Sam's room. Sam is finally figuring out the clock, but he's not a fan of it. Here is a recent conversation.

9:30pm
Sam: I'm up!
Me: No Sam, your clock is blue. You need to go back to bed.
Sam: Clock not working...It needs batteries.

Tri Wife

Being a triathlon wife is not for wimps. I'm pretty sure I deserve a medal after this weekend. College friend, Matt Freyer and Eric competed in the Hy-Vee Triathlon on Sunday. Matt's wife, Molly, and I were the supportive wives that brought along 4 children to cheer on Eric and Matt.

While the triathletes were preparing bikes, energy bars, and timing chips; the tri wives were waking up and feeding the kids early on Sunday morning and packing tons of peanut free & egg free snacks.

While the triathletes were warming up and stretching for their race; the tri wives were cleaning up vomit off a car sick child and looking for the nearest Walmart to buy another outfit.

While the triathletes were swimming, biking, and running; the tri wives were finding a parking spot MILES from the course, reassembling a stroller that had to disassembled to fit in the van, & running to the race with two double strollers and one mom in flip flops.

While the triathletes were being cheered on by spectators and downing cups of Gatorade; the tri wives were getting stroller wheels stuck in mud and slathering kids with sunscreen. Amazingly enough, nobody had to go to the bathroom the entire morning!

Would we do it again, just to cheer on our husbands for a total of 30 seconds? Absolutely!  That's what love is all about. 

Preschool

Look out preschool, here comes Laura!

Santa?

My conversation with Laura last night.


Laura: Mom, is Santa real?
Me: Of course he's real.
Laura: Well I'm just going to ask Daddy too (in a whisper voice) because he's a little smarter than you.
Me: Speechless...

Sayonara Summer

Summer break 2014 was one to remember. The highlights included neighborhood "school"/play dates, The Strawberry Festival race, buying a pontoon boat (with two other families), the Boyd girls sleepover, Green 4th of July party, Honey Creek Resort with the Illinois Schulzes, and endless picnics and park outings. This past weekend GG and Papa visited after Laura had her first slumber party at Maisie and Molly's on Friday night. Laura came home Saturday evening looking exhausted and dishelved. At her very first sleep over a bat came to visit the party too. The party was moved to M & M's other grandparents house that "had a bed inside of a couch" and all was well. Laura told me she's not afraid of bats and she is also not afraid of vampires either. She's a brave one!

School is back in session and the transition of laying out clothes at night, making sack lunches, and feeling famished after school has begun. This will be the last school year that doesn't include a child going to real school as well for the next 20+ years. What? Can that really be true?

Nevertheless, enjoy the pictures of our last summer break weekend. 

Eric took Sam on a Father Son Adventure on the Neal Smith Trail. Eric was able to rig up a way to bring along Sam's bike on the trailer so Sam could get some riding in too.

Sam rode 2.5 miles with Eric and wanted to keep going!

This contraption cracks me up!



Look at these young pups a week shy of their 41st wedding anniversary!



I think they're talking about bats.

Growing Up

I'm planning on having a garage sale in a couple weeks. As I dug through the baby clothes yesterday, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of heart ache that my babies are growing up. I felt nostalgic holding the dress that Laura wore home from the hospital and I even changed Sam on the changing table just for old times sake (it was absolutely ridiculous, he's huge).   Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to have my basement back and I really feel like our family is ready to move onto the next stage that doesn't require burp cloths, breast pumps, and baby swings.
Laura mastered the monkey bars yesterday which was something she's been working on all summer.  I figured this to be a sign we're ready for new adventures.



I asked Laura if she would like me to pull her hair back, so it wouldn't be in her face. She replied, "No, the hair helps my swinging."

Laura also can load the dishwasher now. Eric thinks she takes after her mom.