Soccer is fun!!

I think watching soccer is more fun for us parents. The three, four and five yr olds in this intro to soccer class are hilarious!! During the games you can commonly hear the coaches say:

Stop picking grass and stand up!
Take your hands out of your pants.
No climbing the goal nets!
Stop!! (As they all run way off the field in one mass)

The kids run as one swarm and if one falls down they usually all fall on top of him or her. They never kick towards their own goals. They have to stop alot and visit with each other and parents.

The boys were doing really well last week until mid-scrimmage the worst happened.....it THUNDERED!!! They were both instantly sobbing and in tears and running off the field. Soccer OVER!!

Hope for sunny skies this week!!

Does watched pizza cook faster?

Hayley's Christmas card choice

She has been having a ball, literally, at the beach now that dogs are allowed. She loves Labor Day when they change the rules!

Another beautiful beach day

We have to enjoy every one of these days while we can! There was no one else on the beach today and yet it was a perfect day.

AND, tonight, HAPPY HOCKEY SEASON!! We're enjoying a Red Wings pre-season game. Ahhh, life is really grand.

Our anniversary present

Jeff and I decided to buy a tree for our front yard for our present this year. We bought a King Crimson Maple tree and it's in the yard already.

Then, some random wrestling shots. Pretty typical for our days around here.

The perfect ending to a perfect day

We spent the day at the beach, beautiful weather, no one else around but our friends and the water was warm. We had cocktails and appetizers and Jeff brought dog Hayley down to play. We got dinner from Butch's Beach Burritos, watched the Wednesday night boat races and the sunset. It was just about perfect!!

New beds and soccer lessons!

Pictures, as promised!

Big day tomorrow!

It seems to be the last bit of toddler life we have, the race car toddler beds. Tomorrow, we put together the bunk bed and say goodbye to the little beds. The boys are thrilled, it's very bittersweet for me. I don't want them to grow up. I keep telling them that they don't know their birthday so if I don't tell them when they turn five they won't know and they won't keep growing so quickly. That will work, won't it??

Jonathan asked me the other night if I will still come tuck him in bed at night when he joins the Coast Guard. I explained that he would probably not need me then but he could feel free to call his old mom every night.

They had their first soccer lessons tonight, they did very well. I will add pictures of that tomorrow.

Here is the new bedding they picked out for the bunks. I had to fight new Thomas the Tank Engine bedding. ENOUGH Thomas, sweet as he is, in our house!! No more trains.

I like this choice and so do the boys. I am declaring right now that Jeff is going to have to change the top bunk and if anyone up there needs a kiss goodnight they are going to have to lean down. I'm not letting them grow up ANY more after this!!

A night out

Well, the boys are happily camping in Grandma's driveway. Really roughing it in the big old RV with the flat screen tv and all the comforts of home, have the heat on too as it's raining and in the 50's right now.

Jeff and I were going to grill steaks and have funeral potatoes (cheesy potatoes) but we decided to go to the movies instead and took in "The Nanny Diaries" which I loved. Read the book years ago but the movie was good too and makes you appreciate our boring normal life. We also ran to Clover Bar for a pizza and beer and enjoyed not having to contain the boys in public, it was almost strange. Not strange enough I missed the boys but strange.

I have a few belated Labor Day weekend pictures to share from the beach with cousin Emma and the cottage association Labor Day breakfast on the tennis courts.

By the way, Jonathan has proclaimed that he no longer likes steak. Why, you ask? What's not to like about a beautiful grilled steak?


According to Jonathan, "It's too juicy!"

Fall

We made a quick trip to Grosse Pointe last week to visit with Grammy. Just two days since we had to hurry back for preschool open house night.

We spent a beautiful HOT day at the Farms Pier and enjoyed the pools and fed the ducks. The next day we visited two of the local public safety departments and checked out police cars and fire trucks. Then we headed downtown Detroit to the new Riverwalk area and rode the carousel and checked out the view. We saw a circus setting up downtown and three elephants enjoying lunch outside!

The boys are continuing practice on bike riding with some frustrations. Someone (J) gets VERY mad when someone else (M) is riding too close to him or can ride better than he can.

Yesterday, they helped close the pool at Grandpa Mark's house. We had a great time there this summer but the Kelley's head out next week for the winter so it was time to shut down.

The boys are spending the night camping in the RV tonight. There is a chance of thunderstorms so the RV is in Papa's driveway and not going any further. Really roughing it!

Thanks to the Stoepkers, the boys are getting bunkbeds soon so we spent some careful consideration this morning picking out new bedding for them. They are very excited and wanted Thomas the train bedding but I talked them into some very cute rescue heroes fire and police bedding instead. They will have to take turns sleeping on the top bunk for now, I'm sure that will be a battle but they will have fun.