Fall Frenzy!

As with everything else, October flew by! During this crazy month we saw the end of fall baseball, celebrated our 12th anniversary, saw our baby turn 4, wrapped up our first club soccer season, started gymnastic competitions, and finished football. IT WAS WILD! Included are some pictures from our family adventures...complete with my random comments.

                                       

The Color Run was a ton of fun! We will definitely do it again. Next year I will let Knox do it too. The kids had a blast rolling in all the color. I found out later it is colored corn starch, which made me feel a lot better. I hated to think of them inhaling all that junk. I think running it with a bunch of buddies made it even more fun for us all.

Fall sports are so much fun! Both of the big kids worked so hard. We are very proud of them. I love watching them having fun out there. Scoring points is a moment of pure joy for all of us no matter the field. Next year Knox is going to get into the fall frenzy with some soccer.

My baby is four!!! I am so sad. He is growing up so fast. Knox continues to be so different than both Maison and Carson, but I do see sparks of both of them in him. He is funny and creative. He loves to cook, play in the dirt, amuse himself with technology, and play baseball. He still loves to be read to and his favorite book is..."every book,'cept the ones you like." Probably because he LOVES non-fiction, especially shark books. His favorite food is Macaroni, and he loves to help me cook. He is always on the stool beside me at the stove. Presently Knox is left handed, at least for writing. He still cannot sing his ABCs, embarrassing, but he knows his letters and numbers. While his interest in learning is not as high as his siblings, I think he is going to be alright. He might end up driving a trash truck, but as long as he has a gaming device, some apple juice, and some dirt to play in, he will be happy. He is easy to please and rolls with the punches most of the time. I love my dirty boy...he makes me laugh every day, which isn't always easy.

Maison started her gymnastics season this month. She brought home 1st All Around. We were all very proud of her. She was very nervous about her bar routine, but pulled out first. I think it is the start of another great season!

We had another Halloween party to celebrate our little batty boy's birthday. He insisted on being a bat again. He explained it as "I was a fruit bat last year. This year I am a "bampire" bat. He had a lot of fun with his friends at his party. He didn't say 3 words the whole time though. I think he actually might be well behaved in school after all. At least through September, until he gets comfortable.

Halloween was wet and wild! We had some family friends over and let the kids run the street. They brought home ridiculous amounts of candy guaranteed to rot what teeth they have left. It was a great night. We had Friday off from school, which was the best treat of all!

Handsome boys after the last game. Carson had a truly tremendous season at quarterback. While their team record wasn't the best, he was quite the team leader. He set a great example of work ethic and playing through pain. He ran for his life on several occasions resulting in long TD runs. It is so fun to watch him loving what he is doing. I hope his QB1 dreams come true!

Family Fun Day!

The last few weeks, just like all the others, have been crazy busy. We have managed to carve out a little family time the last couple of Sundays though. We have coined them Family Fun Days. The fist one was spent working around the yard. The kids were awesomely helpful and loved it! Knox kept saying this is so fun...working. Carson rocked out building a wheel barrow and successfully loaded it with pounds of dirt over and over again. He was amazing! Maisy contributed her share too. We were all worn out and dirty that night, but we got a lot done. It was a great day! Today the kids and I ran in the Color Run for the first time with some friends! It was so much fun! The kids LOVED all the color, music and atmosphere. It was a fun introduction into races. I think they will want to do it again. I will happily do it too. Hopefully all the color will be out of my hair and skin by then! In case you are worried or wondering, the color is actually colored corn starch, which made me feel a lot better. I really worried about the kids getting it in their eyes or inhaling it. Since they were making snow angels in the powder on the ground, I don't think they shared my concern. On the other 6 days of the week, we are busy driving all over the metro watching fall sports. Rarely do I get to attend a game with my husband, as he is usually with one kid and I am with the other two. But, things are good and we are all happy.

 

Prince Dub

My kids have a new obsession...Baby Dub! All 3 of them think he is the cutest and best baby in the world, which of course he is! Seeing them with him is so fun. They are completely in love. So sweet! Knox is loving being bigger than someone, and the thought of teaching Baby Dub something is more than he can stand. He has already told us he will teach Dub to ride a bike and talk and stand up. It makes me wish we could have a bigger family. My heart would love more kids. My mind knows we couldn't do it. Notice the admiration my kids eyes. To my kids...Baby Dub is the US version of a Little Prince.

Back to School

Another summer has come and gone. We are officially battling the Back to School Blues! It is exciting to start a new school year, but saying good-bye to the late nights and lazy mornings is hard. I love those times with the kids. The school year is such a race. I crave the slow pace of summer and feel it takes me a couple weeks to just slow down and truly enjoy it. Then, a few good night's sleep later, it is over. So...here we go again. Maison is in second grade and loving her teacher. Carson is in 4th and feels the same. It is great when everyone is happy. Jeremy took great photos this year (see below) following his 1st day of school breakfast tradition. I love that he has created something special with the kids. And yes, I am jealous that I can't be there. However, it is HIS thing, and he needs that. Along with back to school comes new fall sports teams and schedules. This fall we are over extended as usual. Maison is still competing in gymnastics and just joined a soccer club. Carson is LOVING football again and playing fall baseball. This new schedule is crazy, but doable. The weekends are a nightmare though. Sadly we have to divide and conquer, so both Jeremy and I end up missing something of someones. I hate that. Sports are a huge part of who we are as a family, and I love to celebrate the successes on the field at home. That is hard when you aren't there to see it. Regardless, we are doing the best we can. I just have to pray that is enough.

Getting Big...

As I lay here 4 deep in my bed, I realize how few of these nights I have left. Aside from the locust outside, the sounds of my 3 kids sleeping fill the room. Sometimes it is a snore or a moan. Other times a complete conversation. All 3 of them talk in their sleep, but Maisy is the worst. I am saddened by how fleeting these moments are. It won't be long and we all won't fit in this bed, even if we want to. Already Carson and Maison fight over who is taking up the most space. Knox cries if he has to sleep by the window, which means no one else gets to sleep by me, that makes the big kids mad. It has made me think about all the things I will miss about having little children. Here are my most recent realizations.
 I will miss holding hands. I love being able to put my hand out and know someone will grab it. I don't need to say anything. Just a subtle upturned palm is all it takes. Carson is already a no-go on the hand holding, except in Chicago. He did hold my hand there. He said he knew he wouldn't see anyone he knew.
 Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy will all be deeply missed. I won't elaborate for fear of prying eyes.
 Being able to truly make it better. I can do that now. With Knox it just takes a kiss, and he is good to go. For Maisy it is just a reassuring conversation and to lay with her at night. Carson needs his back tickled and all is right with the world. I wish it could always be that easy.
 I will miss their innocence so much. All 3 of them ask the best questions and see the world through such pure eyes. As they age the questions have become more complicated and messy. I love pondering why waves crash and where the sky ends. How do fireworks change color or why God made bees sting? Or, what makes a word a bad word?
 Bedtime...while it is typically a nightly nightmare. I will miss tucking in. All 3 kids have to have a kiss good-night in their bed or they will not go to sleep. Some nights to stall sleep, they shout, "Love you, Mom." "Love you, Dad." All though everyone, each kid...regular Walton Family.
 Piggy back rides...
Make believe...
bath time...

Pure Michigan

We loved Michigan! It was a refreshing break from our go-to Florida beach. Don't get me wrong, I love the summer sun more than most, but as I have gotten older the heat is not as enjoyable as it used to be. Probably because the majority of my skin was overcooked as a teen, and it is rebelling. Whatever the reason, I could not do Florida in July. So, we headed North...to uncharted territory.
Jeremy planned the lodging and route. I took care of all the packing and preparations at home. The kids pulled their weight by being good sports in exploring new places. We went to Chicago for the 4th of July. It was halfway to Onekama and a cool place to be on the 4th. We walked a brutal distance to Navy Pier, and learned within the first 20 minutes that none of our kids were city slickers. Maison was the first to adjust. She pretty much makes the best of most situations. Knox needed a stroller. Huge mistake on this trip. However, I came back much stronger...hunchback, but strong. Carson was stressed...too many people, too much noise, and too much honking. Poor kid.
 After our brief stay in the Windy City we headed up the coast of Lake Michigan to Onekama. We stopped at some little towns along the way and were blown away at the enormity of this Great Lake. We saw our first draw bridges on this road trip too. Pretty cool engineering feat. Our condo in Onekama was on Portage Lake and a short walk to Lake Michigan. It was perfect for a quiet week of relaxing lakeside. The town of Onekama is really small. There isn't one restaurant. We cooked dinners in the condo and made nightly walks to Lake Michigan to watch the sunset and build campfires. It was a little chilly up there, so the fire was nice. It was really good family time. The kids loved fishing and playing in the sand. Fun fact, the sand there squeaks when you scoot your feet in it. Hmm...
 Carson turned 10 while we were gone, and Jeremy celebrated 37. Crazy! I cannot believe my baby is ten, and my hubby pushing 40. We are halfway done raising Carson. Time is flying by. One of his gifts was a photo album I made of his first 10 years. It was fun to make and great to reminisce. He has always been such a sweet kid. Sweet changes from 2 to 10, but he continues to be very affectionate and loving. He is dying for a pet and asked for a guinea pig, but changed his mind when I made him hold one first. Carson is a very typical first born son...rule follower, pleaser, loyal, hard working homebody. I predict he marries his high school sweet heart and buys a house up the road. That would be fine with me. I love that kid, quirks and all. He is my pride and joy.
Once we had our fill of the sand and the sun, we headed back to Chicago for a couple of days. We went to a Cubs/Cardinals game and then took in the Field Museum and Aquarium. We ate a couple great places and became subway masters cruising all over the city. It was exhausting, but so much fun together fun. Lots of great memories were made. Quote of the trip was from Knox though. In the lengthy wrap around line at the aquarium as he was holding his soon to be motor boats, he asked Maisy in his not so soft 3 year old voice. "Hey, Maisy, wanna go back to the hotel, get naked, get in the bathtub and play boats?"