Fun Weekend at Home

We had a fun weekend at home this weekend. Thanks to a heads-up from a MOMS Club friend, we headed to an Air Show in Eden Prairie on Saturday morning. We'd never been to anything like that, so it was fun to see all the old planes and watch the flying formations. We had a yummy breakfast there too.

Pilot Jacob

Pilot Gavin

Flying Formation

Taxiing Toward Us

There were some "bouncers" at the Air Show, so Jacob go to pick 2 to go on.

Fred and Gavin watching planes

Jacob and I at the Air Show

I got in some shopping during naptime on Saturday, since the Air Show wore everyone out. Then Jacob and Fred set-up the backyard for camping. Tent with air mattress (which was part of my shopping adventures since all of our camping gear except our tent is in Melrose) and "camp fire" bowl.

We had a pizza picnic on our deck and hung out.

Then had a fire so we could roast marshmallows and enjoy s'mores.

Jacob testing out the comfiness of his sleeping bag, as he didn't want to sleep on the air mattress. As that would detract from the camping experience.

I woke Jacob up this morning (after they had come in the house at about 4 am because it was too cold in the tent) to go to Annandale to watch my sisters compete in the annual triathlon there.

"the crazies"

Drea took 3rd place in her division, she's done that a number of years now.

Jacob and I went to the pool this afternoon, he's obsessed with his new swimming abilities. He was telling me he couldn't swim in the deep pool. Funny how he thinks it makes a difference if he's in 3' of water or 4.5' of water. He can actually dog paddle a minimal distance in each pool. We hung out outside after our indoor swim to soak in some of the warmth that has finally returned to the area. We left when someone decided to smoke out there - gross and with the chlorine isn't that dangerous? Hmmm.

Tonight we went to the Chaska Cubs game. They lost to Prior Lake, but we enjoyed free sweet corn, Jacob got to ride in the vehicle that dragged the infield between innings and then at the end they got to run the bases. Jacob also had a new knot on his forehead from not watching where he was running and going literally head-to-head with another poor 4 yr old. Ouch!

Gavin enjoyed the corn.

Jacob and his friend Kyle enjoying their ride.

Just to make sure they were good and tired, they made a few laps around the bases.

Fred is heading to Iowa for training tomorrow and returning on Wednesday. Just when he got done with school, then he takes off for work. Arg.

Photo Shoot

We did family pictures at the end of June and just got the CD yesterday. Here are some of the pics...

Swim lessons complete

We survived 8 days of swim lessons in 2 weeks. They were 30 minute lessons and that was about all Gavin could handle, or all I could handle while trying to keep Gavin from jumping in the pool. He found other ways to get wet, like sitting in poolside puddles or wading in the kiddie pool outside. Jacob as well got wet and stayed wet for his entire 30 minutes. I would venture to say that about half the time he was underwater. His very patient teacher was very good about just letting him do his thing as he was beyond the skill level of the class, but according to the Red Cross not old enough for the next level (though the community center would have allowed him into it anyway). His teacher did say at the end of class today that age wise he could go to Level 1 and skill wise he could go into Level 2. We'll see when lessons are this fall and maybe get thru those when he's 4 1/2.

Jacob with his classmates at the beginning of class.

Jacob underwater as the rest of his classmates get their lessons.

I have mentioned what a monkey Jacob is on the monkey bars, right?

Here Jacob is at our nearest park swinging across the rings.

And across the actual monkey bars.

Gavin wanting to be just like his big brother "asking" for his turn.

I enjoyed a girly day at the Mall of America with my niece for her 6th birthday. She got to get her first American Girl (she chose Kit who looks much like Maddie herself) and a couple outfits. Then we got to eat at the American Girl Bistro. Too cute! Lots of pink and lots of fun.

Maddie and Kit

Back to all things boys, it still amuses me how young boys start driving cars...

Gavin "driving"

The boys driving out on our new patio.

Fred had cards at the house on Saturday night, which encouraged us to clean out our garage that we haven't parked in for months. Amazing what organization and a dumpster will do for a garage. I am parking in the garage again! Nice. We have 2 new service doors in the garage. The front one I understand is just for poker parties (we can use it other times, but that's what it was put in for) and the back one is for easy storage of backyard stuff - very nice.

Our basement is still creeping along towards completion. Sheetrocking is nearly complete. I got to prime the ceilings yesterday to prep them for texture. 4 hours of painting over my head, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to move today, but I'm not feeling it as I thought I would. After the sheetrocking is complete, painting, trim, flooring, plumbing in the bathroom and finishing of the electical and we should have a finished basement. FINALLY. Its been in some sort of progress for the last 5 years.

Just too cute not to post...

Guess who is the Wii addict in our house?

Who would you guess? When we got the Wii I was afraid Jacob would want to play it ALL the time and he likes it, but he's not obsessed. You'd be really surprised if it were me, or you should be since I suck at video games (the whole lack of hand-eye coordination doesn't help). Maybe you'd guess Fred and he has his moments too, but you'd be wrong. Gavin! Yes, the 18 month old son of ours walks over to the TV and reaches up and "begs" for the Wii remote. At first I thought maybe he wanted a cartoon on TV, but no. He wants the Wii. Tonight while Fred took Jacob to the pool (because Jacob is a fish), Gavin and I played Wii. No, I did not find this an appropriate activity for a 1 yr old, but at the end of the day whatever works, works. We played tennis and he almost beat me one game. I thought that was bad enough, but when he beat me in baseball it was the end of my self-esteem. I do have to encourage him to swing and pitch, but that he actually does it and then hits a home-run (something I've done twice probably) is quite awe inspiring.

4th Fun

We were in Melrose for the big "Riverfest" activities. The kids got to go on some rides down at the park and watch the parade on Saturday. Gavin loved the parade. He most liked waving to the princesses. It was very cute.

Gavin and Maddie on a car ride.

Isaac, Gavin and Maddie on the train ride.




Jacob on the train ride.

"Bucketheads" waiting for the parade.

Gavin waiting for the parade.

Gavin thinks he's four, like his brother. He tries to do whatever Jacob is doing. Climbing on park equipment. Jumping and touching tree branches. Riding bike. Jumping into the pool. Monkey bars. Jacob is pretty fearless, so Gavin has big shoes to fill...

Gavin literally trying to fill Jacob's shoes.

Last week it was finally time for Sports Camp. Jacob has been asking about it ever since I signed him up in March and mistakenly told him about it. Lesson learned not to tell a young child about something "so fun" so far in advance. He enjoyed three mornings of soccer, basketball, t-ball and gymnastics. They played t-ball in the gym with tennis balls, so one morning after "camp" a mom asked her little girl what they played that day. With a shrug the little girl replied "tennis, I think".

The boys and I hit a local beach with friends before heading up to Melrose on Thursday night. Fred had Friday off, so we enjoyed a long weekend. On Friday we hung out with the Rosenbergers, swimming in their pool and playing cribbage with Alyssa while Joe was still recovering from knee replacement surgery. On Saturday, Fred helped with chores while Joel and his fam were at the Grand Canyon and then we headed to the Ward Springs 4th of July parade. Always a wild time, but a little wetter this year. Jacob got a whole bucket of water dumped on him towards the end of the parade.

Jacob and Isaac before the parade.

The kids had a bad cough over the weekend, making sleep difficult for all of us. But we went to the lake despite the illness and enjoyed a gorgeous day out there.

Gavin loved this duck.

Jacob and Fred enjoyed fishing off the dock. Can you see the big fish?

Then they enjoyed canoeing, since the battery on the boat was dead and we couldn't go boating.

And then floating around on a tube. Plus playing in the sand and jumping off the raft and paddle boating. It was a fun filled day.

This week Jacob started swimming lessons. He's doing the Little Minnows class that he did last summer too. He's a bit more of a fish this year. He'll tell you "I can swim by myself without my floaties." And he can doggie paddle to keep his head up momentarily. He can also float front and back and he swims underwater with his arms at his side and his feet kicking. He's a bit advanced for his minnows class, but he was supposed to be 4 and a half for the level 1 class.

Other random note: Jacob has been obsessed with monkey bars this spring/summer and can do them rather well. He has ripped holes in his hands from all the work he's done on them. Ouch!