We love our Vikings!

We love our Minnesota Vikings (except last Sunday)! Every Sunday the whole household, including the kids, get excited for "game day." It's been fun this year to watch the kids even look forward to the big game. These outfits are compliments of Uncle Mike from California. Looking forward to the rest of the season!

Monster Truck Jam

Last weekend, Drew took Alex to a Monster Truck Jam at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. It was a daddy-son date. Alex was excited to hang out with dad one-on-one as was Drew. It is a huge understatement to say that Alex had the time of his life. They had pit passes so they were able to go down on the track before the exhibition and see the trucks up close and meet the drivers. Then he was able to see some of the races before he pooped out at the end of the evening. And to top it all off, he was able to ride the lightrail downtown or a "train" as Alex called it. It was a day to remember. He fell asleep on the way home and Drew carried him inside and as soon as he heard my voice, he opened his eyes and woke right up and said, "Mom, can I tell you all about it?" He was thrilled. And dad had a great time too!

Getting ready for Xmas

This year on the day after Thanksgiving, Drew and I and the kids went and cut down our Xmas tree. We haven't had one in a couple of year for fears that one of our young kids would eat the needles. But they are old enough this year, that we could do a real tree again - no more artificial. So, we bundled up and headed out to pick out a Xmas tree at a tree farm and cut it down. The kids were so excited to pick out the perfect tree. It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun. Then that evening once the tree was up in our living room, the kids helped decorate it. It was a riot. They were so incredibly excited this year, it made it so much more fun. Each and every ornament that they took out of our storage bin was "the best ornament ever"
And also this year, the kids wanted to decorate a gingerbread house. So we made that last weekend. They were so excited and had a blast putting frosting all over it and little candies. Now of course, they want to demolish it and eat it, but we're still holding out a couple more days.
This year, it has been even more fun than usual to get into the Christmas spirit. The kids make it very easy to get caught up in all the holiday joy. They are so excited about Santa, reindeer, snow, Xmas cookies, and of course - presents. They also know that it's Baby Jesus' birthday. We're definitely looking forward for the next couple of weeks. It's a lot of fun around here!

The things kids say are priceless!

Alex and Lauren, like most kids, say some of the funniest and hilarious things. Here is a recent recap of the things that I can remember. I know that I need to be better about writing them down as they happen. And of course, they are always funnier in person when you can actually hear them say these things, but this will have to do!

Alex is so logical and so rationale that sometimes when he says funny things, it reminds me that he is a kid. Sometimes he seems like an old soul in a kid's body!
- The other day, it was freezing outside, our first real winter day. Alex looked out the window and said, "Mom, i just love being in a cozy home." What 4-year old says cozy?
- And the other day, he said as watching some squirrels play in a tree in our yard, "Mom, is that our tree?" I let him know that yes, the tree was in our yard. Then he said, "I just love having pet squirrels."
- He is currently sick with a cold and kind of an sourpuss about it. He lamented, "Mom, why do I always get sick and have fevers?" Keep in mind, this is a minor cold and no fever. Then he said, "It's going to take me years to get better. You and Lauren better stay away - I don't want you to get sick." "Lauren - STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Lauren, on the other hand, is a total spitfire. She currently will display some attitude and put her hands on her hips and say, "I am mad at you. Stop doing things that make me mad at you." And she puts her best mad face on her face. It's actually hard to not laugh at her.
- She also is totally into pretending and using her imagination, thanks to her brother I'm sure. But lately, she uses her "magic wand" (totally pretend, when actually she is holding nothing) and tries to turn her dad, her brother and myself into "happy princesses." She is overjoyed when we allow ourselves to be turned into happy princesses.
- Yesterday she gave me a huge grin and a big hug after her gymnastics class and told me that I'm her "best buddy." Then when we got home and she rememebered that Alex is actually her best buddy, she looked at me and said, "You know what mom, you are my best girl."
She is so funny, it's hard to remember that she is only 2 years old. She's definitely 2 going on 5!

Brother and Sister - Best Friends Forever

Alex and Lauren are really like two peas in a pod. They are the best of friends. Alex is always quick to make sure Lauren in taken care of and he'll be the first one to try to make her happy when she is throwing a fit or crying. He's so kind and loving to her - a fantastic big brother. And while Lauren adores Alex and always wants to be near him doing whatever he is doing, she's shown some empathy lately for him too, which made mom very happy! The other day, Alex left preschool upset because his teachers made him throw away his crackers because he hadn't finished them yet during snack time. So he started crying to me when I picked him up. Lauren rushed over and started patting him on his back saying, "I'm sorry about your snack Alex, but you can have more at home." It was too cute. Then the other day, Lauren asked Alex to go upstairs and play trains with her. Alex said, "Sure Lauren." Lauren responded with, "Thanks Alex, that's so nice of you!" They are really each other's best friends and I feel so fortunate to have had them so close in age. We are at such a fun age to watch them interact with each other, it's just priceless!

Halloween is coming!

The kids are so so so excited for Halloween! They've been counting down the days for the last 6 weeks. And they literally had their Halloween costumes at the beginning of September and they are just dying to wear them. I'll be sure to post some pictures after Halloween. But this past weekend, we went and allowed the kids each pick out a pumpkin and we carved them. Of course, Alex wanted his pumpkin to look scary and spooky and Lauren wanted her pumpkin to look like a happy princess. The kids had an absolute blast helping to carve them and lighting them up outside in the dark afterwards. They are so thrilled that Halloween is in 5 days!!

Lauren started gymnastics

Lauren started her first gymnastics class last week. To say she loved it is one of the biggest understatements of the year. She was infatuated! She loved doing somersaults, walking on the balance beam, doing rotations on the bars, and jumping on the trampoline. She had the biggest smile on her face from start to finish - the entire 45 minutes. She's already ready for Friday so she can go again. Alex even thought that maybe he'd like to try it too next session, so we'll see!

The Apple Orchard

Again this fall, we went and visited the local apple orchard. Aunt Betsy and I took Alex and Lauren. They had an absolute blast riding tractors, running through the outdoor maze, climbing on hay bales, and picking their own apples and raspberries. It was a really fun experience, as always! It's so fun to watch the kids enjoy something different, it was a really nice afternoon.

Alex and his first soccer season

Alex had his first experience with organized athletics this fall. He played on a soccer team for 4 year olds. It was so fun to watch and of course, I think my "little" boy was darling! He struggled a bit in the beginning. As much as I love that my son is a very kind, sensitive, and loving boy - it's not exactly the correct mentality for organized competition. He was sad a lot in the beginning about "how the other boys could run faster than him" or that "he can't kick the ball as much as the other boys." But by his last game on Saturday, Drew said that he was running with the best of them and having a blast kicking the ball. Nonetheless, he was sad that it was his last game and is ready for next season already. He's also ready to play football, baseball and basketball he has informed us. Dad is trying to talk about hockey, but mom is not a huge fan of that! Good thing at this point, Alex doesn't like to skate - he says that it is too slippery!

Fall is here????

You would think that by September, I'd say that fall is here. Maybe? The leaves are turning and falling yet my kids were just swimming the other day in a little pool on our driveway. I thought that picture was so funny - swimming yet leaves on the ground in the background. Only in MN. No complaints though - glad we are finally getting some summer weather even if it is a bit late. We're enjoying it and are in no hurry for the cool weather to come!

Alex started school!

Alex started preschool this week! Here we go – he’s a big boy now! And he loved it! He is so excited to go back next week. He’ll be going 2 mornings a week. He did great and was so happy to tell us all about everything he did and all the friends he met. And Drew was able to come with Lauren and I to pick him up and we took him out to lunch afterwards and Alex thought that was pretty neat! The one who struggled with it all was Lauren. They are like 2 peas in a pod especially after spending so much time together this summer so she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t go with him. She had a hard time watching him leave her on Tuesday. It was sad but I’m so happy for Alex. Lauren will be fine – she’ll soon realize that having time all alone with mom is a good thing!

Alex's first train ride

For Alex’s 4th birthday, Aunt Betsy asked Alex what he wanted as a gift. Of course, Alex knowing that Aunt Betsy will give him just about anything he wants, told her that he would like to go on a real train. So on the Sunday after his birthday, Aunt Betsy, Drew, Lauren, myself, and Alex hopped on a real Amtrak train and took a hour train ride down to Red Wing, MN. He was SO excited. He just couldn’t believe how big it was or how “fast” it went. He was memorized. Lauren, on the other hand, was a bit feisty. We had to get the kids up early that day, so she was in an interesting form. It was early in the morning, so most people were resting in our train car. Once we started moving, Lauren starts singing (as most of you know – she is NOT quiet in anything she does), “Down by the station early in the morning…chug chug puff puff off we go.” It was hilarious and also made me want to get off the train as fast as we could! Then we rode on the tracks past the Mississippi River and the kids saw a few boats. Again, Lauren starts singing “Row row row your boat…” Too funny. In all seriousness though, we had brunch in Red Wing and then made the trek back home. Alex absolutely loved the train ride and it was a perfect birthday present for that little boy.

Alex turns 4!

Is it even possible? Alex turned 4 on August 26. Seems hardly possible that 4 years ago, we were looking into our sweet baby boy's eyes for the very first time. I would have never imagined that he would grow into the loving, kind, generous, protective, hilarious boy that we know today. We are truly blessed. We had a great birthday celebration. We spent the Sunday before at Nana and Grandpa Vohs' house. It was a gorgeous day and Alex was spoiled rotten. Boat ride, beautiful Dinosaur cake made by Aunt Jenny, and gifts galore. It was a lovely day. Then on his actual birthday, he asked for donut holes for breakfast. So off we went to the local bakery and bought them for him and put some candles in them. He was so excited. And we let him take us to his favorite restaurant for dinner. He said it was his favorite birthday ever. And many days since, he wakes up and asks if it's his special day and how much longer until his next birthday. And we have been informed that he wants a pinata at his next birthday! Ha!
Also, one day this summer, I commented to him that he's getting to be such a big boy. He put his hands on his hips and exclaimed, "I sure am." Then he looked at me and put his hands on my cheeks and said, "And you know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that you are the best mom ever." He's too great!

Our summer fun!

We had a wonderful summer with the kids. We went on many picnics, went to the zoo a few different times, went to dozens of parks, went to the fair, and basically spent as much time outdoors together as possible. It was a great time and Drew and I have had many laughs with our kids. They are at such fun ages right now and we are treasuring every moment!

Summer playdates

We have such a good group of friends that we met in Alex's ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) classes 2 years ago. Since then, we have spent a great deal of time with them and it helps that I love their moms too! And they are such great kids as well. Now, we just need to find Lauren some 2-year olds to hang out with. She seems to think Alex's friends are her friends as well and luckily thus far, Alex is good about sharing. But I'm sure that won't last forever. But this summer, we have spent many mornings at different parks and had many different picnics with our friends. It's been such a wonderful summer with the kids! Here's some pictures of some of our most recent playdates, including the Teddy Bear Park (which Nana Vohs introduced us to and the kids absolutely love).

Summer vacation

Each year, my grandma Betty (GG as Alex and Lauren call her, for Great-Grandma) takes our entire family on a vacation for a few days in the summer. This year, we rented an entire bed and breakfast in Cambridge, WI on Lake Ripley. It was great! We had 8 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms for our entire extended family. Alex and Lauren loved hanging out with my cousin's kids. My cousin, Heather, has Carly (she's 2 - 10 weeks older than Lauren) and Elise (who just turned a year). Alex and Carly were dear friends the entire vacation. You'll notice in 1 of the pictures that Carly and Lauren have the same swimsuit on. Heather and I have bought the girls the same swimsuit now 2 years in a row without even discussing it! Apparently, we have the same great taste! We had a wonderful time and feel so grateful that my Grandma can make this happen with us all year after year.