We had the morning and afternoon today in Milwaukee before we were driving to Barrington. We spent the morning downtown at the lakefront riding the bikes. It turns out those kids are actually not bad at pedaling – it was quite a walk (in flip-flops) to keep up with them!
Then Amber introduced us to a swing park. It was the coolest thing built under an overpass near our first apartment in Milwaukee. I had no idea such things existed.
Amber had to work most of today so Nicki and I took the kids. Our first thought was a walk around a local nature trail. The kids were grumpy about it, but we persevered. Then it turns out the trail was flooded.
We reversed course and headed to the park instead. The kids spend hours on the Merry-Go-Round of all things?! Even Ben thought it was hilarious.
When the kids tired of the first park, we just took them to a second park. (That worked pretty well for everyone but the biggest boys. They were getting antsy for their video games.)
From the first year we lived in Tosa, Wade and I have loved attending the Milwaukee State Fair. We just happened to visit last year during State Fair week and although it made getting a place to stay a little trickier, it was such a fun activity to enjoy with friends. This year we planned our trip on purpose but made house arrangements far in advance. It worked out perfectly and we all had a great time at the fair. I know Wade was sorry to miss it. We had a list of all the best/new fair food and we tried to make it to every one. We didn’t quite make them all, but we got close. Fair food is my favorite!
My kids love our trips to Milwaukee. They would spend the entire time away from me and at either Amber or Nicki’s house if we allowed it. They simply want to see their friends as much as possible. Because it only happens once (or twice if we are lucky) a year, we are pretty lenient on rules. There are sleepovers most nights, lots of treats, and specials events. That also means there are less sleep and less rules. At some point we usually have to call a time out and let the kids all go to bed early or take naps or spend some time apart just to regroup. (They love this of course.)
What I find fascinating is how it’s not only the big boys that have maintained the friendship, it is the little ones – like Kaitlyn who wasn’t even born near these people. She is completely comfortable spending the night (or day) with our good friends that she barely knowns. This is the coolest thing! (Kaitlyn then gets home and doesn’t understand why her friends here aren’t yet doing sleepovers but that’s another conversation.) So here is a collage of sleepovers, naps, the Farmer’s Market with Nicki, mornings, and afternoon hangouts at Amber’s.
When we lived in Milwaukee, the boys and I spent almost every morning at Hoyt pool. When we visit, we make it a point to spend at least one day at the pool. (The main reason is to get a picture of the three big boys for their yearly photo.) The pool works well for all ages and the sand area is still a hit with the younger kids. I’m not sure how long the pool will continue to be fun for the kids, but maybe they’ll still come just for the photo every year?
Then we had a little extra time before Amber could meet us and pick up her crew. This is when I feel the limitations of my car. (I didn’t have enough seats to transport her kids and mine!) Instead we all hung out at the playground outside the pool. It was mostly empty so the kids had the run of the place.
Watching all these kids playing together in the driveway, it definitely doesn’t feel like a year has passed. In fact, it feels like we live just down the street and all gathered together for the afternoon. My heart is happiest here.
When you have sold as many houses as we have, you know that a listing pictures matters. As soon as our trees started to bloom, I started taking pictures. We won’t list the house quite yet, but it’s always good to have a great house picture.
Anybody remember that great picture I happen to have on hand of the Milwaukee house that ended up being the perfect listing picture?
These pants still crack me up – three kids later. I remember seeing an ad for them when Alex was a tiny baby and he was SUCH an unhappy baby that anything called Cranky Pants was appropriate. They were very hard to get and I was so excited the day they were in stock and I was able to order a pair. They were never worn as much as I anticipated by any of my children but I still have no regrets. Alex – age 11 months. Kaitlyn – age 9 months. Ben – age 11 months.
After my last post, I thought it might be fun to look back at all the pumpkin carving parties through the years. It turns out that the locations, people, photography, and camera quality have changed drastically over the years.
I’m not going to list the people, but here are the locations and years. 2008 was a slim “party” (no offense Judy and Jerry) but we are still going to call it one!). 2009 I have tons of pictures from during the party but didn’t manage to get everyone outside for a picture before many people went home. I have learned a lot and now try to take a picture early in the evening. Now I’m really regretting not having one in 2017!
2004 – Atlanta, GA
2005 – Atlanta, GA
2006 – Anderson, SC
2007 – Anderson, SC
2008 – Milwaukee, WI
2009 – Milwaukee, WI
2010 – Milwaukee, WI
2011 – Milwaukee, WI
2012 – Milwaukee, WI
2013 – Milwaukee, WI
2014 – Platte City, MO
2015 – Barrington, IL
2016 – Barrington, IL
2017 – No party
2018 – Grafton, MA
We’ve had 7 years with Teague and we celebrate every day of it!
The drive home from Milwaukee is not quite two days so we wanted to make today our “short” day and spent some extra time with our friends. We decided to visit Hoyt one more time and leave straight from the pool. Saying goodbye is never fun but we’ll hopefully see these guys before too long!
Amber, Nicki, and I had worked hard to plan another “Girls’ Day” while I was on this trip. Tony and Nick and agreed to watch all the bigger boys and we were taking Ben with us. We managed to fit everyone in my van and headed off for Chicago. We put a movie on for the little girls and stopped in Gurnee at the Rainforest Cafe. We had a yummy lunch and then continued driving till we arrived at our main destination – The American Girl Store. Glenna, Iris, and Kaitlyn were so excited to run and look all over the store. They shopped and looked and played until it was time for tea. Then we had some yummy treats and drinks. We had also planned to stop at Dylan’s candy bar, but we walked down the street only to find it was closed and moving locations. Maybe next time. Ben was fairly well behaved through all of our adventures. We arrived back in Milwaukee quite worn out but having had a great day. (We hear the boys had a great day too.)
As we were picking dates for this trip, last January, we realized it would also be the week of the Wisconsin State Fair. At the time, that seemed like a great idea. The state fair is always a fun activity. I did not factor in that it would make getting a hotel or house rental tricky. Wade and I have been to the state fair numerous times over the years but we have never tried to meet up with two other families or stay together with this many people. I was a little doubtful that it would be possible, but we did manage to meet up (after a few misses) and then we easily walked the fair with 15 people and 2 strollers. I consider that quite the achievement. It was hot, but we found all the food, activities, games, and rides. It was a fun day. The state fair never disappoints.
I don’t have a good picture of this, but the best part of this day might be that our kids were all watched by friends (even Ben) while Wade and I went on a date! Our anniversary (14th) is this week and we celebrated with a dinner out tonight!
Wade flew in to spend the weekend with us. (Notice the mustache he has grown – hopefully just for humors sake.) Amber, Nicki, and I had spent part of last night trying to figure out which days worked best for which activities based on the weather. We all decided today would be a great day to visit Hoyt Pool and then return tonight to the Landing for dinner. I haven’t found anything quite like Hoyt in Boston, unfortunately, and I truly miss this kind of place – especially for Kaitlyn and Ben. The kids had a great time. I rarely saw the two big boys. Kaitlyn spent the majority of the time going down the water slide and was annoyed she wasn’t tall enough to go down the big slide. She also “sunbathed” and spent as much time as possible with Glenna and Iris. At dinner she was glued to Abram’s side and he was so sweet and tolerant. It was adorable to watch. Ben was his normal chill self. He played and then napped and then played some more.
Now for one of my favorite parts of summer – and maybe one of my reasons for this trip. (The big boys 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
My kids could barely contain themselves on the drive from Paducah to Milwaukee. They were so excited to see their old friends. The unexpected traffic that kept changing our estimated arrival time was driving them bonkers. We did finally make it and they were ecstatic that everyone was gathered together to greet them. We hung out for a wile and then the boys were super excited to begin their “sleepover” away from the girls. I love that Kaitlyn has never lived in the same city as these friends and only sees them once or twice a year but is completely comfortable spending the night away from me after just a few hours of being together. That’s pretty awesome. Ben and I hung out a while longer with Nicki and then we headed to our hotel for a quiet evening.
Amber sent me this picture of Kaitlyn and it’s definitely one of my favorite.
It’s another comparison game. All three babies in the same outfit in the same chair – but at different ages. Guess who is who.
Now it’s time to compare those babies. Below are all three babies at 4 months. Amazingly, I still had the same blanket, the same t-shirt, and almost the same cloth diaper.
If you are interested in how they compare by height and weight:
Height: Alex – 26.75″; Kaitlyn – 26.75″; Ben – 27.5″
Weight: Alex – 17 lbs and 10 oz; Kaitlyn – 15 lbs and 5 oz; Ben – 16 lbs and 13 oz.
I have tried to choose the same pacifiers for all of my children. Avent makes a clear pacifier that I discovered when Alex was born. I was so happy it didn’t have cartoons or something silly on it. As the years (and pictures) went by, I realized I loved it also because it wasn’t as glaring in pictures as others would have been. For some reason I couldn’t find the entirely clear ones when Kaitlyn was a baby, but they were easy to find when Ben was born.
I decided to tackle my first painting project since moving into the new house. I spent the weekend painting the boys’ room – walls, trim, and ceiling. As I was painting, it occurred to me I was painting the day I went into preterm labor with Alex (and in the same paint clothes). I found a picture of that day back in 2009 (34 weeks). Here’s a comparison with me today in 2017 (at 36 weeks).
We are thankful every year on this day that Teague came into our lives.
Past Korea Day Pictures.
We had planned this day at Hoyt Pool for a while and were sad the Kubickis wouldn’t be joining us – especially since I hadn’t been able to get a picture of the three big boys yet. (Nicki had to work.) Tony came to the rescue and brought Glenna and Riley! There was a dad in the sand burying his kids. The minute he was done, both Grant and Kaitlyn wanted to be buried. They loved it.
Now for my favorite part. Let’s compare past years of the entire group (2015, 2016, 2017)
Here are the big boys year after year (2014, 2016, 2017)
I’m pretty sure needing to carry on this picture tradition ensures a trip to Milwaukee next summer for the kids and I.
We started the day with an early drive to Milwaukee. The FARE walk is today and we wanted to be there to support Iris. We spent the morning at the event and then headed to Amber’s for lunch and a bouncy house.
Alex evidently had an incident in the bouncy house and we made our first trip for stitches due to an accident. He bit through his lip and a pediatrician at the party pointed out the cut crossed the lip line (which evidently is an automatic stitch to fix). I left the younger two and took Alex to a pediatric ready-care and they suggested two stitches. We didn’t anticipate the trouble Alex would have (in retrospect an ER would have been better – they could have given him something to calm down). We finally got the two stitches and headed home.
Today we ventured to Milwaukee (with three car seats in the tiniest rental car backseat you have ever seen) and Hoyt Pool. Everyone had a blast but Kaitlyn and Iris were the cutest to watch. They loved the water slide and spent the majority of their time sliding. Kaitlyn couldn’t quite get herself out at the bottom but the girls quickly figured out a solution.
Amber started our Saturday-before-Easter brunch and Egg Hunt when the big boys were two (and there were only four kids). Over the years we have multiplied quite a bit! To try to make the hunting fair we’ve tried to separate the eggs for different kids in different ways. This year we told the big kids they couldn’t pick up an egg that was too easy to find – as in laying in the grass. Maybe soon we can just hide them and let them go wild.
One of my favorite things to do is compare old pictures. Here is our history of Easter Brunches (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017)
We went to Milwaukee for a game night with friends. The kids had a blast and the parents did too! We attempted a group photo and that went about as well as expected.
We usually have a Friendsgiving with our Milwaukee friends, but this year it happened after Christmas. That made it even more festive and fun. The kids played with toys, the adults played games, and everybody ate!
We had to be in Milwaukee this morning so we met up with some friends at the park. The kids wanted to go walking through the woods and we all had the best time (and the best pictures)!
We got home in time for Kaitlyn’s nap and then the big kids wanted to rake leaves. Leah quickly joined in and the jumping began!
Today was a birthday party day! After a quick nap for Kaitlyn we loaded up and drove to Milwaukee for a bouncy house and cake.
Today was a pool day in Milwaukee. I always forget how much I have missed Hoyt until we return. The kids had a blast and played the morning away.
I always love a good comparison. Here are the big boys in 2014 and then again in 2016.
We had the coolest birthday party to attend today! Grant is turning 5 and celebrated with a ride on the East Troy Railroad.
These three big guys were thick as thieves and even let me get a couple of pictures.
With a week free of anything scheduled, we headed to Milwaukee to see some old friends!
But I think Kaitlyn was there only for the snacks.
Picking up Alex from a sleepover always turns into a day of fun. We had planned a morning at the pool, but the weather didn’t cooperate. Instead we played at Amber’s house and the kids ended up in their bathing suits anyway!
Today was the FARE Walk in Milwaukee. The kids and I drove up to walk and support Iris. She had a great group!
Then it was back to the Stroud’s house for food and fun. Iris and Kaitlyn shared a plate and tried to feed each other. Teague and Grant rode everything on wheels all afternoon. (Grant wearing his new conductor outfit.) I barely saw Alex or the other big boys.
We spent the day in Milwaukee with friends. We ate, we laughed, we played. It was a perfect Memorial Day.
I convinced everyone to get together for a group shot this year!
The boys (and I) were so excited when they realized we were now close enough to return to Milwaukee for our traditional Easter brunch and egg hunt on the Saturday before Easter. We loved spending the morning with old friends!
I’ve been into comparisons lately. So here are the last few years in Easter Brunches (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, no 2015 due to living in KC, and 2016).
Alex spent last night in Milwaukee so we drove back up to get him and loved the idea to join in at Yo Mama’s story time. We used to go all the time and haven’t been in so long!
And just for fun. Below is a picture of one of the first times we attended Yo Mama story time with Riley (or roughly in the March 2012) and one taken today (February 2016). It’s crazy what a difference 4 years makes.
(I kind of miss the pink old lady glasses they used to provide at story time!)
I managed to get everyone dressed in Valentine’s appropriate clothing but getting a picture was quite a feat!
Then Teague had a birthday party he didn’t want to miss. I braved the sudden snowstorm and we made it safely.
Wade and I figured the snow couldn’t be too bad on the interstate so we bundled everyone up in the MDX (the minivan would never make it up the driveway) and drove to Milwaukee for a night of games and fun.
I wrote a few weeks ago about Wade helping Nate and Amy unclog a drain. They offered to buy us dinner and we told them that wasn’t necessary. Then someone brought up a trip to Racine for Chick-fil-A (the closest one to us and the only one for hours). We all agreed that sounded yummy and tonight off we went. We all had chicken, waffle fries, and a milkshake. The boys also had some sweat tea. Yum! I didn’t think to take a picture at dinner, but I got one of Wade and I and our authentic Chick-fil-A cups. Thank you Nate and Amy!!
I woke up this morning to this:
It continued throughout the day. I did some work and then Madison joined me for a nap:
I finally got motivated to start working on my last big painting project – the small guest room. I moved the last few things out of the closet and began stripping shlack with the heat gun. I have mentioned before how well it works, but here is a picture:
I didn’t realize the walls and ceiling need as much work as they do. That part generally falls to Wade so I’m not sure exactly when I expect to complete this project. I think my goal of Christmas is a little unrealistic – especially with our travel schedule.
We woke up to a couple of fresh inches of snow on the ground. Wade and I were a little lazy and didn’t get showered till almost 11 – when Dad and Laura arrived. Wade went outside to clean the driveway and sidewalk – and play with his new toy. The snowblower did great – until Wade ran over my rubber mat. It was buried under the snow and he didn’t know I had moved it. Ooops – he gets to start the repair work early on this one!
We went out for lunch with Dad and Laura and then gave them a driving tour of downtown and the lake. The rest of the afternoon was spent napping and watching football. Do we know how to entertain or what? For dinner we tried a restaurant Christin suggested, The Envoy. We were also pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant was in a cool hotel, the Ambassador Hotel. We asked to see a room and we were all impressed. I think Dad and Laura will stay there next time they visit.
Wade and I spent the evening with the young couples from church – cookie decorating. There was also a gingerbread house which we attempted to decorate. Don’t look too close or you might notice the roof slipping!
We got another round of snow today – about 4 inches I think. Wade decided to tackle the shoveling when he got home from work and I cooked dinner. He came inside quite cold and decided the warmest room was the downstairs bathroom. He could turn on a space heater and really warm up. Madison decided that sounded like a good idea too. I got a kick out of them hanging out in the bathroom.
Wade and I always seem to end up in crazy situations. I think hunting for a tree was more than Wade’s knee could take. He spent most of Saturday in pain and decided to completely stay off of it today. (We are hoping he didn’t re-injure it, and he is going to try to see a doctor on Monday.) He decided the only useful thing he could do was string popcorn. Madison never left his side – hoping for a missed piece or two.
The problem with all of this is our tree is still on top of my car. We decided we needed reinforcements and Kyle and Christin came to the rescue. Did I mention we also bought a really big tree?
The four of us got up and had breakfast in time for church – a great accomplishment compared to the past two lazy mornings. After church we had lunch at one of my new favorite restaurants – Claim Jumper. Karen wanted a rematch in Spades and we never turn down a game. Then we decided to round out the afternoon with a little more Mario Kart (Karen kicks everyone’s butt).
Today we had some fun. We spent yesterday playing Mario Kart and today we decided to race real go karts – the fast kind. We drove almost to Chicago and had two races. Good luck on guessing who is who with our suits and helmets on.
Then we returned home, loaded Karen up with caffeine, and played Spades.
I finished up all the things on my list yesterday so tonight we get a nice relaxing evening before Daniel and Karen arrive. Wade made a fire and we spent most of the evening in front of it.
Wade and I have slowly been accumulating new (and sometimes old) furniture. Today I found a downside. I no longer have a place to sit in my paint clothes. I used to be able to take a break at the kitchen table without changing clothes or worrying about the paint touching furniture. I was working on the trim in Wade’s office and as I looked around I couldn’t find a single chair (or coffee table) that I wouldn’t mind a touch of paint on. It’s a good thing I am almost done with this painting stuff.
And a new goal for getting my painting done – before my stomach outgrows my paint jeans. At 24 weeks I can still wear them, and I only have one more entire room to go….
I think Madison is a little embarrassed by her new favorite toy – a pink elephant. She doesn’t often play with toys and rarely seems attached to one in particular. A few weeks ago she was bored inside and I wouldn’t let her out because of the rain. I tried to entertain her with a new toy – a pink elephant that squeaks. She loves it and often carries it around, but she immediately drops it if I pick up a camera. The only thing I can figure is she is embarrassed.
For once I am not the lazy (read as sleep the latest) one in the house. Madison has decided she doesn’t want to get out of bed in the mornings. She always gets in the bed with me when Wade leaves for work and now stays even after I get up. Today she came downstairs at 11:45 – what a lazy dog I have.
Wade had his ACL surgery today. His surgery time was 7:30 am so we had to be there by 6 am – very early for me these days. He was joking and happy before the needles started:
I would have taken a picture of the groggy Wade, but I wasn’t sure he would like that. He had a lot of trouble waking up, but we eventually got him home and into bed. The doctor said everything went well and to keep him on the pain medication at least until tomorrow.