How to embarrass the dog, two ways!

Poor Hayley, she gets no respect. The boys insisted she needed puppies so she has a little of pups they insist on following her around with. NOW, we dress her up for Halloween too! Love my three little superheroes. I don't think they would intimidate any evildoers!

Our house is ready for Halloween too, are you?

We fell into Fall

Not happily, fall has arrived in West Michigan. We went from 84 and sunny on Monday to 45 and rainy on Friday. Not such good beach weather.

We did manage to get a last day of beach fun in on Monday and the water was a glorious 72 degrees.

Tuesday, the boys had a day with Grandma Cindy and Papa Terry as I had dispatch training. They spent some time at North Shore beach and played. They had soccer in the evening, which is always entertaining. We raced from soccer to Grand Haven Twp Fire Station for their annual open house and had some fun checking out all the rescue trucks. We didn't last long, the winds kicked in and it got chilly.

Yesterday we road tripped to Rockford and went to the original Rosie's Diner, home to all the tv commercials with Rosie and the quicker picker upper Bounty. We got our pumpkins too and have been having trouble explaining why it's too soon to carve them yet.

Today is rainy, inside fun with playdoh. We're making a big pot of chicken soup for dinner.

We have definately hit the defiant fours and new depths of parental frustration as the boys test their limits and boundaries and seem to have no fear of getting in trouble. We'll continue to try getting through it but it's sure been hard this week.

The boys did make it over to Grandpa Mark's this morning after church and found bounty the pirate left them for Halloween. (For those who don't know, there is a pirate who visits Papa and Grandma's house and leaves the boys regular treasures to find. It started last spring with a treasure map and hats and outfits for the boys who had to follow the map to the beach to find buried treasure boxes. Ever since then, the pirate has been visiting to leave gold covered chocolate coins and other treats.)

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!"