More couch rumpusing

I apologize if you're sick of couch rumpusing videos. Well, actually I don't--you always have the option not to watch! We are trying to limit the amount of couch rough housing that goes on, but this has been a common scene at our house all fall. This particular day was a very rainy Saturday and the boys had a lot of energy to burn off.

And this gives you an idea of the "love" Thomas shares with Jojo. The entire video was 1 minute long. I edited it down to just the Jojo hits. But as you can see, he never stops grinning!

The Pumpkin Patch 2012: The Picture in My Head vs. Reality

One Sunday in October, we decided to take a family trip to the pumpkin patch, conveniently located just 3 miles from our house. I took the "good" camera, envisioning some great shots of the kids and their pumpkins, and maybe even a few family shots, as we frolicked in the idyllic pastures (dirt area loaded with pumpkins), leisurely selected pumpkins and some cool gourds, and enjoyed the gorgeous fall temperatures. We even took our wagon, and I hoped that a hay ride might be an option.

The Reality:
The weather had fluctuated all afternoon between completely blue sky and 20-minute sky blackening thunderstorms. When we left home, it was gorgeous. Any guesses where this story is going?

During our 3-mile drive, the horizon got darker. And darker. By the time we got out of the truck, the wind was gusting. The pumpkin patch (home of Gene the Pumpkin Man!) had wagons, so we left ours in the truck. Thomas only wanted to pull the wagon, not ride in it, and Josiah either wanted to stand in the wagon or not be in it. We let the boys wander amongst the pumpkins, and I shot photo after photo like some crazy paparazzi mom. Thomas picked out pumpkins that he liked for him and for Jojo. Then it started to drizzle. We thought we'd wait it out in the gourd shed. Then it started to pour, but since it was windy, the rain was falling sideways. Ed took Jojo and made a run for the truck. Thomas and I went to pay for the pumpkins, and then I picked him around the waist and took off running, pulling the wagon with our two pumpkins behind me. By the time we ran the 50 yards to the truck, Thomas and I were both soaked. No gourds, no family pictures, definitely no hay ride. But I did get some pretty cute pics of the boys, and we got our pumpkins! We'll try again next year...

Best Dinner Ever and Random Pictures

It's official. If my kids could eat nothing but graham crackers (breakfast and snacks) and spaghetti and meatballs (lunch and dinner), they'd be thrilled. 

And also, Jojo might end up consistently mastering the silverware concept before TJ does. And that's not comparing them at similar ages; I'm talking real-time here. These days, Jojo often refuses to eat unless a) the food is presented with silverware, and b) he gets to feed himself. That includes stabbing the food, not just directing a pre-loaded utensil into his mouth. 

And TJ, bless his heart, still prefers to pick up his meat and dip it into a 3-condiment concoction: mustard (a new favorite), ketchup, and white ketchup (ranch dressing). These are not mixed together; they're lined up separately, and he drags his meat and fingers through all three with each bite. We may wait a little longer to teach Jojo the beauty of condiments, because with TJ, it appears to have gotten out of control and we have no one to blame but ourselves. 

Back to the spaghetti and meatballs:

Those are some happy boys! 

And to be fair, TJ is not always anti-silverware. He was very interested in the twirling concept with the spaghetti.

Other photos:

 Helping Daddy clean the boat. TJ is Ed's big helper in any task.

Taking turns hiding in the plastic bin was a game one day.

 Which I'm pretty sure led directly to the situation shown above. TJ and I were playing hide and seek (pretty much a daily occurrence). I was in the same room counting when he (none-too-stealthily) emptied the train set out of the plastic bin and then hid under it. If the noise wasn't a giveaway, the translucent bin walls were, unfortunately.
Another hide and seek story: Thomas has realized that Jojo can be an accomplice when I hide. After TJ finishes counting, he turns to Jojo and asks, "Jojo, where's momma?" and Jojo faithfully leads him to me.

 Ending with some extreme cuteness. :) Happy Friday!

Trip Over the Top

After we visited baby James, Ed and I left the boys with Grammy and Buppa and drove home through the Upper Peninsula. The timing was perfect--the foliage colors were absolutely gorgeous! We thoroughly enjoyed a few days of sleeping in, eating meals without negotiations and threats, and having grown-up conversation. And even better, we were thrilled to see the boys when the week was over!

 Ed dipped his feet into both Lake Superior (above) and Lake Huron (below). Just Lake Ontario to go and he'll have been in all five Great Lakes!

 Who knew these gorgeous cliffs and beaches were along the shores of Lake Superior?

 Scenic road after road of beautiful fall colors

 This was the sign at a scenic overlook. Likely less part of the scenic overlook and more of a warning.

Our campsite one night, along the shores of the Tahquamenon River.

 Postcard perfect, on a 4-mile hike along the Tahquamenon River. We hiked from the lower falls to the upper falls, conveniently located next to a brewery and restaurant!

 Ed had some camera fun with the lower falls.

 The upper falls.

In front of the upper falls.

From there, we headed to Mackinac Island and took the ferry. We asked about how the huge rooster tail affected ferry speed and were disappointed to learn it was only a gimmick--it had no bearing on boat speed at all! (But it did make it easy for us to remember which of the three ferry lines we were on!)

 Our B&B on Mackinac

 Ed had fun interacting with statues on this trip. The Godfather gives him directions, and he read a story to two young children.

 No trip to Mackinac is complete without a tandem bike ride around the island! (And fudge, of course, but that practically goes without saying.)

We stopped at my aunt and uncle's house in Traverse City on the way home for dinner, and then had a productive two days doing home improvement projects before Mom and Dad brought the boys back.
(Including painting the inside of our front, back and patio doors--goodbye, coral, hello, neutral tan!

Meet Baby James!

James Patrick was born Sunday, September 23rd. 

We were lucky enough to get to meet him the following weekend! (And yes, on weekends we pretty much only wear NU/Packer gear, and the Madison folks wear UW gear, so you'll notice a theme in everyone's shirts.)

Proud aunt and uncle!

 The boys check out their new cousin. Love at first sight, I think (well, maybe for TJ; Jojo looks a little unsure!)

So sweet!

 Grammy and Buppa and their grandsons

The weather was gorgeous, so we took James on his first trip to the park. He loved it.

 Check out the strong man!

TJ has moved on to the more challenging parts of the playground.

Family on the swings

The big guys had fun too.

And then of course the obligatory Packer shirt photo!

A quick video--Josiah got silly Saturday night. He likes to dance when he hears music, and apparently also when he sits in a vibrating baby seat!

Housework

To say that cleaning is not a talent of mine is an understatement. Ed's either. Frankly, it's probably less about talent and more about interest. And neither of us have any.
Fortunately, there is hope for the next generation...

 I don't have a photo of TJ holding a broom for some reason, but the boys fight over who gets which broom/mop/swiffer. All.the.time. We just need to work on technique a little and I think we'll be set.

Ed is trying to trade Jojo the long and rather dangerous broom for the shorter and less-likely-to-do-damage duster. Jojo wasn't having it.

Wedding and Ironman Weekend

We wrapped up our last wedding weekend of the year in grand style: a trip to Madison for a wedding and some Ironman cheering!

We dropped the kids off with my parents and headed to the wedding: Devon, our former neighbor in St. Louis, and her new husband, Brad

 It was great to catch up with some old St. Louis friends. Here, Carrie, Devon, and me

A kid-free night!

Sunday morning dawned sunny and temperate, perfect for an Ironman. Our brother-in-law Pat was competing, and the race had been on--would he finish before Baby E arrived? (I'll spare you the suspense...yes. Baby E waited 2 more weeks to join the world.) What is the Ironman? Why only a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run.
It was amazing to watch the race, and Pat did a phenomenal job. Jenn also did a fantastic job, organizing the fans and the Patrick viewing locations (Jenn & co. saw him 10 or so times? Ed and I came a little late due to our late night).

 Pat on the bike

 The boys cheering Uncle Pat on.

 Jenn watching for Pat to ride by. We chose this spot for watching the bikers go past because they'd be going slower since it was uphill. :)

 Jojo (and TJ) took naps on the fly.

 Love this sign!

 The group cheering on Pat and his two friends--pretty good turnout!

 Jojo, unsupervised, helping himself to some Chex Mix. I found out after the fact that Jenn saw this about to happen and sat back to photograph it rather than stop it. I would have done the exact same thing. :)

Pat often tells Thomas "Not in my house, Kemosabe!" so we made TJ a sign to hold.

Ed gave Pat some encouragement during the marathon. We set up camp right by Camp Randall and saw Pat a few times on the run (the course is a loop, twice).

Hands down my favorite photos of the entire day. Jenn had a spot against the finishing chute and Pat came over on his way to the finish line. His time: 11 hours, 16 minutes. Fantastic! And he looked like he could have run another lap. We were so impressed! Great job Pat!