A Busy Week So Far

Grandma Jane has been in town this week, while my dad is doing some business traveling and we've been having lots of fun...

Monday: A fun stop at Cabelas. I'm not sure if J & G have ever seen stuffed animals before, at first they kept asking "Are they going to move?"

Followed by burning off some energy at the Maple Maze.

Monday Night: Gma took Joel to his swimming lesson. He is all smiles during his lessons, definitely the right choice to go with the non-parent child class. Joel does much better WITHOUT us in the water with him.

Tuesday: Joel's very first trip to the dentist. Good news: He did perfectly and was a model 3 year old patient, and here I was worried he wouldn't even sit in the chair. Bad News: He has 2 cavities :( ... I am quite sad about that, but what can you do. We will brush more often now, but the dentist did say that his top molars are very deep and he probably would have gotten the cavities even if we brushed 3 times a day. However, the dentist informed me that "with his easy and relaxed demeanor, fixing the cavities would be a piece of cake".... Okay, I didn't go back into the room with Joel to witness this "model" cleaning , but I am really hoping that it was my child's teeth that they were cleaning because that is officially the first time that anyone has ever used the words "easy or relaxed" and "Joel" in the same sentence.

Wednesday: Halloween Party at daycare. Grandma Jane even got to go and help Mary with the party at the end of the day.

Wednesday Evening: A visit from Great Aunt Kathy and "cousin" Drake (her grandson)
Thursday: Preschool Halloween Party

Joel's VERY loved teacher Ms. Hohol

The kids performed some songs for us at the end of the class. With so many parents, Grandmas, siblings and chaos in the room , Joel had alot of energy to contain. I noticed that he never stops moving while singing, but frankly, I was quite impressed he was able to contain his excitement enough to stay up there and perform with his classmates. Although there probably wasn't much doubt by anyone as to which little boy had the most energy in the room. That would be Joel :)

Just Because

These photos are "just because" I have realized recently (mainly because I am scrapbooking again) that it seems I captured far more moments of Joel's first 2 and 1/2 years than I have of Grant's first 2 and 1/2 years. So this is just a little photographic celebration of our almost 2 and 1/2 year old. Also, it just so happens that with Joel gone at swimming lessons for an hour tonight Grant was ALL smiles about getting to paint and take a bubble bath BY HIMSELF... alone time is something that Grant doesn't know much about, but clearly loves:)

This is What They Do

This amazing fall we've had has found the boys outside ALOT during the month of October. Either in the front riding bikes or in the backyard below, they can't get enough. There is always less fighting and crying outside, so it's been good for everyone. I couldn't get a clear picture for some reason (I think is was the fact that it was right at dusk and I almost needed a flash).

Pushing trucks around the yard has been a favorite activity for a couple years not for the J &G... this one just never seems to get old. :)

#68

Although it seems that football is just getting started... actually there is only one last game next week! If that means fall is going to be over soon, I am NOT ready for it! Today, Mitch had a great game against St. Michael, with a fumble recovery that actually could have been a touchdown. He was playing nose tackle, there is a play up the middle and the ball is on the ground, Mitch scoops it up and runs into a pile. The next thing you know he was 10 yards downfield with nothing but daylight in front of him. Unfortunately the refs blew the whistle and called the play dead shortly after Mitch recoverd the ball - thinking he was down - it was obvious to his coaches (and dad and grandpa) that he wasn't. This was his second fumble recovery of the season. His team has been playing really well and have won 5 games in a row.

Bison #68

Biggest fans= Little brothers

If I had to guess, I would say Mitchell is probably describing his fumble recovery in the picture below:)

Truth be told this football season, at times I feel like I have spent much more time watching Joel than watching Mitchell. (Sad, but true) This is mainly due to Joel's recent fascination with "friends" at these football games. Playing with these "friends" at games usually draws Joel away from where we are sitting which means my eyes need to be on him, with is usually in the opposite direction of the game....

From what I can tell, Joel's definition of a "friend" is anyone close to his size, but can be quite a bit bigger as well... During a recent game, he insisted on offering yogurt covered pretzels to everyone at the football game (anyone between 3 and 4 feet anyway). Apparrently that is the height range of his potential friends.

I am actually amazed by how social he can be these days. As soon as we arrive at the football game, he leaves Grant in the dust, finds a "friend", and initiates playing, and then runs around with kids laughing and chasing during most of the game. Fun to watch.

Meanwhile, it is maybe equally surprising how content Grant is to stay close to mom and dad and basically SIT (sort-of) and watch the game. A new experience for me and something Jeff hasn't experienced for 10 years since Mitchell has a little tike. :)

Homemade Photo Shoot

Today, despite too much sun in our eyes to take great photos, a crazy 3 year old, a crazy 2 year old, and my terrible camera (and lack of photography training), we decided to make the best of an opportunity to take some pictures of the boys while the weather is still decent. Here are few of my favorites.... now what I should really do is post some of the other 179 pictures that I took that didn't make the blog. haha!

The picture above was right when we got there and Joel and Grant kept looking every 2 seconds to see if a train was coming. No trains came while we were there, but at first Grant just kept saying, "A train is coming, we need to get off the tracks", "A train is coming, I hear it", "I hear a train, a train is coming", etc, etc.

Mitchell, looking very grown-up, I think.
Joel doing a "model pose"... that's what I asked him to do anyway.

A self-timer photo with my camera on a lawn chair we hauled out on the tracks. And even despite one child with a finger in their nose, still probably our best family photo to date. (it may even be the first, I'm not sure)

Highlight of the day (according to Joel), throwing rocks into the Crow River. I am pretty sure Joel and Grant would have done this all day.

You may recognize the location, as it is the same spot that Grant has some of his 2 year photos taken recently. When we got there and I saw how bright and sunny it was, I would have preferred to continue on to a shadier location, but that was NOT happening with how excited Joel and Grant were to go out on the railroad tracks, and I assure you by the time we took these photos, we were NOT going to be able to withstand a second location. no way.