Catching up.

Kit-Kat's first wagon ride!  She didn't even try to escape and throw herself overboard. 

 Kit-Kat got her birthday present early from Grandma Nan and Poppy.  Now we have three chairs.  The basement doesn't really have room for another chair but it works!

But this is what things usually look like. Kit-Kat wants nothing to do with any chair but Big Will's.  He loves his chair and so he physically removes her from his chair. It's a constant battle of controlling his tears b/c she's in his chair and her tears b/c he ripped her out by her shirt.

 She's a professional at eating a popsicle by herself.

She wants in on the action. Big Will was/still is scared to ride in the car with Miss M driving but Kit-Kat is up for the adventure.  Andrew pointed out that their faces express exactly those emotions. Big Will's trying to bail and Kit-Kat's holding on for her life but ready for the fun.  

 Group Picture!

We've been working our way around the parks.  We have been going to new parks we haven't ever been to.  We went to a new park last week and Kit-Kat played in the swing for over 20 minutes. It was 20 minutes of heaven.

 Racing cars down the bag board.

After Miss M's gymnastics each week we hit up the ice cream shop.  Big Will picks the gross blue stuff and gets it everywhere.  He loves it. It's so gross.

Trolley ride at the Museum of Science and Industry.  Kit-Kat wants to be big so badly.  She's taking steps.  She started taking a couple steps at a time on the 23rd of July. I just remember it being a Thursday.  Then by Saturday she had a solid 7 steps at at time down.  She's falls well and doesn't get hurt which is good.  She will be up and running in no time but she has to be careful not to get run over by the other two bulldozing their way around the house.

 Watching the trains at the museum.

Kit-Kat likes to move all around in the bathtub.  It's quite scary. I can't take my eyes off her. She typically goes to the front corner and plays peek-a-boo with me and laughs so hard. It's so adorable to listen to her laugh.  I like her baby tanned thighs.

 Baby Ninja.

Miss M's hair is getting long.  It's always in her face and she doesn't like it in her face. We haven't found a solution b/c the hair clips just fall out of her hair and it's so curly it has a mind of it's own.

Since we've been home

Playdate at Alicia's. 

A tree swing.

Miss M kept asking about our wedding since there was a wedding picture at Janan's house.  I told her we could see my dress when we got home.

After we finished playing upstairs we went downstairs. I poked my head outside to check the mail and noticed a firetruck. I didn't think too much of it but yelled at the kids to come see the firetruck. It wasn't until we walked outside that I realized there was a serious accident on our block. There were at least 5 fire trucks from around the area and police cars blocking off streets and alleys.  The apartment building on the corner had a roof fire due to the roofing company equipment malfunctioning.  Everyone was alright but now they are displaced since the building isn't livable at the moment.  The kids weren't nearly as impressed with the fire and fire truck as me.

The babysitter came over and the adults went to dinner in the city.  We love hanging out with the Bradys.  Andrew and Steve rode bikes Saturday morning and then Jill and I were able to ride this morning at the arboretum while the menfolk took the kids to the gymnastics center to run them out of energy.

Fun on the Farm

Matt bought a house in the country in Keokuk.  The kids and I went out one afternoon to play. The kids loved playing. There was lots of land for the kids to run around.  There was a pool.   

There were chickens. Six chickens to be exact.  Miss M was brave and petted them without any hesitation.  

There was a tree house.  I think Miss M would have lived in the tree house.  She wanted to spend all her time in the three house.  She was able to climb in and out on her own but Big Will needed some assistance so it's good he wasn't as impressed.

Family pic.  Wednesdays are family dinner nights.

The neighbor has two horses that came over. Miss M was so impressed to see a horse with four legs since she's a horse with two legs.  When we were at Rand Park earlier in the day Miss M told me she'd never seen a frog and there were frogs all over out at Matt's house.

After dinner we had Dilly Bars.  Yum.  Dilly Bars.

Kit-Kat even got a Dilly Bar.  She went to town on her Dilly Bar.

Back to Keokuk - part 2

We went to Lake Cooper one day and swim.  Their baby pool is perfect. It's zero entry and doesn't get deeper than a foot and a half.  We met Kathy and her grandkids there.  We had lunch and spent all afternoon outside.  

 Miss M pushed Big Will around in a floatie.

 They have the same face.  A break for lunch.

No one got sunburnt but the kids have the most adorable tan lines.  Kit-Kat's thighs are tan and Big Willie's buns are white.  I love it. 

We walked to Rand Park to throw rocks in pond.  We enjoyed walking around and playing in the park.  Life was quiet in Iowa.  It was quiet - literally and figuratively.  Quiet was nice. 

 The kids and the Chief.

The teeter-totter  is another piece of park equipment that we can't find at our local parks.  There are pretend teeter-totters that bounce but not the real ones that slam to the ground when the bottom person gets off!

Back to Keokuk - part 1

We went to Keokuk after we left Mt. Pleasant since we were already in Iowa and summer camp was over.  It was too hot to go to the Rocket Park every day but we managed to stay busy.  

Janan got out Matt and Lukas' old toys and Miss M played by herself for hours.  Maybe not hours but at least an hour.  Playing pirates.

Miss M has two of the same swimsuits and I packed both of the tops and no bottoms.  It was 90+ degrees so we busted out the baby pool to cool down and Miss M decided to go without bottoms.

Kit-Kat stands up in the middle of the room all the time.  She needs to learn how to walk already b/c she's ticked off she can't move.  She's 10 months old and can throw an amazing tantrum.  I predict she will have the tantrum perfected very soon.  

On the road again...

Miss M had her last day of summer camp on a Thursday and when I picked her up from school that day we headed to the land of Iowa.  We went to celebrate Ella and Ashleigh's birthdays since they are in July and only days from each other.  We were also going to celebrate Andrew's aunt Diane getting married to Ken.  

These two were essentially inseparable the entire time they were together.  They are funny and adorable and so different.  Miss M has no clue about fashion or accessories and that's Audrey's oxygen.  She lives for hair accessories, dresses, noisy shoes, jewelry, scarves and the list goes on! Miss M barely gets her hair combed and it's guaranteed that 5 out of 7 days a week she doesn't match.  Audrey loves to listen to pop music stations and sing along. Miss M thinks music consists of twinkle twinkle little star.  Audrey wants to play in her room and listen to music.  Miss M wants to run around and play tag and collect leaves and rocks.  It was fun watching them play together.  

Audrey wanted me to paint her fingernails to prepare for the big wedding.  I ended up painting a lot of fingernails between Audrey, Miss M, Ashleigh, and Big Willie.  Big Willie wanted blue and he wasn't going to stand for no.  The girls picked multiple colors and wanted patterns with blue and yellow and sparkle and stickers on different fingers. 

There was dress up.

Owen was so funny.  This is his 'strike a pose' pose.

This is him photobombing my picture of Big Will in the tent.

Ashleigh wanted to have a camp out for her birthday party since she wasn't having birthday party at home.  We took our six man tent which really only sleeps three people.  Nathan and Cathy brought a huge tent that made our tent look pitiful.  The girls and Andrew slept in Nathan and Cathy's tent and the boys (Trenton, Owen & Dallin) slept in our tent.  They didn't go to sleep until at least 10:30pm b/c they were busy playing games, and going on treasure hunts, and roasting smores.

Cathy bought the girls a birthday cookie cake from Sam's Club. It had more icing than one person should ever consume but it was amazing.

Saturday morning we woke up and Andrew and I were able to go for a bike ride. When we got home we packed up and drove to Mt. Pleasant to get ready to go to Diane and Ken's wedding.  It was at 7:30pm so my main goal was getting through it without anyone having a huge meltdown in a small quiet country church.  Everything was a success.

Princesses all dressed up to celebrate the festivities with princess dresses and princess crowns.

This girl is the best.  This isn't a great picture of her b/c she's not her smiling self but the weekend would have been a lot harder without her.  Her and Ella were great with Kit-Kat.  They held her hands and walked her all over since all she wants to do. I need her to live at my house.