Goldfish... thieves!

Today Reese and Cooper were in the basement playing while I was going through some emails.  All of the sudden I noticed that it was TOO quiet.  I went upstairs and this is what I came across:

It still was too quiet some I went down the hall and could hear some noises.  I noticed that the closet was cracked a little, like this:

I proceeded to open the closet and this is what I found!

These 2 cuties sitting in the closet snacking on the goldfish that they had helped themselves to!  Ha!  Goldfish thieves!

Heron in the pond!

It has been a while since I have seen any cranes or herons in the pond.  This fall, so far, we have seen this heron and white crane a few times.  Maybe it is because the pond is lower!?

 Love that I am SOMEWHAT figured out this aperture setting on my camera.  I love that I can make the subject in the background "blurry" or...

the foreground "blurry!"  I love the purple wildflowers in these photos.  I think next year I will plant some more along the front edge of the pond just as long as daddy does not mow them!

Bye-bye heron!

Uncle Joe's birthday!

Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!  Thanks for always playing with the kiddos - such a fun uncle you are, even though you are a Packer Backer!

Girls Night Out for Auntie Heather!

Dave had to go out of town for the first time this week for work.  So, today I brought the 3 little kids to WI to hang with Grandma and Grandpa.  It is girls night for Heather - some went golfing today, but with Dave being out of town, it was just too much to hit the course also (and I have not been in like 4 years, maybe 5!).  Went over to Heather's and then headed down to Shamrocks for dinner - I had the famous JUICY LUCY and it was delicious!  Then we headed to a little local bar down the street (some people sang a little karoke, not me though) and then to Downtown St. Paul where we went to a few bars.  It was fabulous to be sitting at McGoverns "outside" in their heated sunroom!  What a great use of space for fall/winter and then be able to open windows when it is nice outside!

The girls decided to head to a bar in Maplewood - Jen and I decided that our night was over so we headed back to Heather and Eric's house so Jen could get her car.  When we got there a few of the hubbies/boyfriends where there... needless to say, a few girls needed a ride home so I did not arrive home until about 3AM.  Been a while since I was up that "late" or early depending on how you look at it.  Though I have been up at that hour over the past few years, generally I was awakened due to a little person needing to use the bathroom, or something like that!  :)

Cannot believe my little sis is almost a married gal!

The wedding party gals - left to right: Jodi, Jen, Heather, Jamie and Gina!  Pretty ladies!  Another night of me not bringing my camera!  Oh, what was I thinking!?

Uncle Drew's Birthday!

Happy birthday to my "oldest" younger brother!  So glad that we live so close and have kiddos that play so nicely together (mostly!).  Love ya Uncle DREW!

Bridal Shower #2 for Auntie Heather!

Tonight is the shower for Heather hosted by Eric's family - his mom and his Aunts (one of whom I have actually worked with in the past when I was teaching - she worked at the school!  How funny!).  It was a chilly night and it was held at Matoska park in WBL - such a cute gazebo we were in (too bad it just wasn't a little warmer!).  Only a month until she is married! 

Food was good, nothing like catered sub sandwiches along with some pasta salad, fruit, and other delicious treats!  I did not have my camera with (what!?) so this is a borrowed photo from Heather's FB page!  Guess we were trying to be crazy but the bride-to-be was just too happy and she did not act "crazy!"  Will have to see if there are any additional photos to be had so that I can add them to this page!

Pop-Pop's birthday!

Happy birthday Pop-Pop!  Even though the kiddos might have been "scared" of your goatee when they were little, guess it doesn't phase them too much now!  :)  Thanks for being the best Pop-Pop ever!

Pop-Pop and Cooper

 Pop-Pop chillin with Kendall after a busy Easter day!

Summer... round TWO!

This past week has been pretty hot.  Well, with the exception of the TWO days that we wanted to take the kids out on the boat for one last tubing adventure.  We snuck them out on Sunday but it was barely 70 degrees and cloudy and drizzling rain.  But, Carter went - the Grace & Annie showed up (CArter had to leave for baseball so he and I had to leave) so they went with Dawson.  Kendall & Reese were too cold.  And, Daddy did not want to deal with the camera so I have NO photos of Grace & Annie or Dawson!  :(

 Shortly after this photo, he was trying to change his position or his grip on the tub and hit a wake and off he went!  Reese did NOT like that!  Good thing daddy went back to pick him up!

Matt McKoskey Wedding

It is so hard to believe that I am attending the wedding of someone that I used to babysit.  Wow... I feel old!  Matt McKoskey is getting married today.  I went to the wedding but Dave and I are both going to the reception.  Tommy was his best man and another "kid" that they used to play with when they were "little" was also in the wedding.  I saw his name on the program and was shocked!  I think that the last time I saw this other "Matt" he was literally only 10 years old! 

Jen, Heather and I had a blast dancing!  I guess we are getting our "groove" on for Heather's wedding in October!

Whoa... giant moth!

This moth was on the window today.  He was ginormous!  I have never seen a moth so big - look at him compared to the size of Kendall's 5 year old hand!  It was cool to look at him - you could see all his features so well!  Look at those antennae, his eyes were so visible and the pattern on him!

Kendall's a Kindergartner!

Today was Kendall's first day of REAL Kindergarten.  She was a little nervous last night about going to school, but she was excited to get on the bus with Dawson and Bella.  She was wearing her new sandals along with a dress that we found at a garage sale this week (it was from Sami, the daughter of Carter's baseball coach who we have visited their garage sale the year prior also!).  Her first day was a success!  She is excited to go back tomorrow - helps that she only has 2 days of school this week since tomorrow is Friday! 

 

Dawson's First Day of 1st Grade!

There was some construction on Park Terrace this year - they added 8 new classes so that one of the other schools could become the Spanish Immersion school.  Due to the construction starting late (darn winter weather this past year!) school started a day late for him and he did not meet his teacher until yesterday.  He has a new teacher, who has not been teaching too long.  I guess there are quite a few new teachers this year and some teachers that came over from the other elementary schools - it is a new year for everyone!

Carter's First Day of 7th Grade!

Today is the first day of school for one of 3 kids!  Carter is now in the middle grade of his middle school - 7th grade (not a "little 6th grader anymore but not yet the BIG 8th grader!).  He did the typical baulking of me taking a photo and after taking the photo I noticed just how dirty the front window was!  Don't judge!

 Daddy always teases CJ that he is going to walk him to the bus... to the curb he made it, but not across the street where CJ actually gets on the bus!

Kendall's K-Start day & meet the teacher!

I don't really care for SLP's K-Start day.  My kids don't like it.  It is a day when the Kindergartner's get to go meet their teacher, see their classroom and meet a few kids in their class... for ONE hour.  Both Dawson and Kendall had an issue with this - first of all, there is a break of one day for them - so meet the teacher on Tuesday, then nothing on Wednesday, and then go to school on Thursday.  No bus ride.  Only for an hour.  They don't like it.  I don't like it.  But, we go anyway.

So, Kendall met her teacher, Mrs. Farid.  We got to do some activities & read a story.  She will come to Kindergarten on Thursday on the bus for a full day!   After meeting her teacher we were off to meet Dawson's teacher, Ms. Wodicka!  

August Birthday Bash!

It is August birthday party time... on the 1st of September!  Thank goodness it was a nice day this year - the last few have been cool!  The kids were able to run outside and have some much needed fun with the cousins!

Carter was excited as most of his presents involved $ or gift cards, along with some "cool" clothing from Hollister, Aeropostle, and Abercrombie!  This was the FIRST year in MANY that he did not ask for any legos (he says he has no room for them anymore!).  Dawson got some legos, the Skylander kit & a few extra Skylanders, and some lego candy - before he knew that it was candy, he said that he got some "smelly" legos!  Only to find out these were legos he could actually consume!

Dawson had told me that he wanted an army party this year.  Carter has not really cared about the theme the last few years, so he has just let Dawson pick it out.  A few days after Dawson told me this, these cupcakes popped up on FB!  How perfect.  Carter and I made them the night before the party.  They were quite simple to make and quite a hit at the party!  They were delicious, too, especially the ones where we remembered to put the fudgy filling in them!

Before baking...Before frosting!

 The finished product!

The actual BD CAKE, with the requested army trucks and guys on it!

Carter and his love of birthday cash!

 Dawson has wanted Skylanders for quite some time... yippee!

 Tynan gave Dawson a Beyblade arena - in this photo he was telling Dawson that you need to be careful so that you don't spin them to hard or you might "poke your eye out!"

Look at all these kiddos!

Hunk Smashing Cooper!

Smiling Tanner!

 Gramps with Tanner... oh how they adore each other!