Marathon Weekend

We had a full Fox Cities Marathon weekend again this Fall. Ellie and Emmit ran the kids run, and I ran both the 5K and Marathon Relay. We had events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

On Friday, we headed to the kids run with our neighbors. The kids had a great time running all together, even though it was cold and RAINY by the time they actually got to run. Unlike other runs we've done with them, parents weren't allowed on this one, so the kids went all on their own! After the race everyone came back to our house for pizza.

Emmit and Eli waiting patiently before the race (in the middle holding hands) =)

Ellie, Sydney, and Palmer waiting too. These 3 were holding hands almost the whole time too.

Here comes our whole crew!

Ellie and Emmit after the race - all wet!

Everyone together after the race: Emerson (6), Eli (3), Ellie (4 1/2), Emmit (3), Sydney (5 1/2), and Palmer (4)

The next morning the Moms got in on the action running the 5K. It was a beautiful morning for a run and a bloody mary afterward!

We wore our flowers in our hair =)

Aunties, Uncles, and cousins arrived later on Saturday since we were running on Sunday together. The kids loved this of course!

Crazy boys together

Ellie getting some lovin' too

The next morning we were up at 5:30 am to head to the Marathon start line. Ellie came along for the ride with us which she thought was so cool =) We ran a good time, taking 8th in the female division. After the relay, we headed to the Betkers for a post-marathon bbq. Perfect ending to a fun running weekend!

Our relay team - me, Sara, Shannon, Steph, and my friend Julia. And our cheerleader Ellie too! =)

And a big group shot with our male rival team! Matt, Mike, Tim, Kraig, and Brett ended up beating us but we met up at the finish line for a post-race shot!

So Long Old Camera

Both of the kids love playing with the camera, so it was only a matter of time I guess. It is officially broken. Sad thing is, it wasn't that old! The lens won't close (because Emmit held it open with his finger I think), so here are the last few shots I had on the memory card. We can still take pictures with the phones, but I will want a new camera sometime again. The phones just aren't the same! Kid cameras might be good gifts from Santa this year =)

This was from back in late August, but we had a sleepover with our friend Lukey one night. The boys are so silly, they had a lot of fun. I'm sure we will do this again!

I think we are officially done paying for haircuts for Emmit. Daddy bought some clippers and has assumed the role of barber. He buzzed it right off, and it was good as new! Emmit is due for another haircut soon!

I had to take a picture of this becuase it was the most perfect rainbow I had ever seen. Our whole neighborhood was out taking pictures on this rainy day!

And, this was just moments before old camera said 'good night!'

A couple other recent shots from the phones now...

Eli and Emmit have been having fun mornings with Miss Kim now when Ellie's at school. 'The boys' (as Ellie calls them) sure do love each other. We do swimming lessons together on Thursday nights too, and they are inseperable! This is a cute one of them apple picking with Miss Kim =)

Ellie and Emmit together on a Friday. Ellie looks forward to her Friday 'stay home days'. She's always concerned that Miss Kim and the boys are doing fun things without her, so on Fridays they do something fun too! This was a pumpkin patch outing =)

Colin has had to work a couple Friday nights recently, so what do the kids and I do? We have living room picnic and movie nights. Perfect end to the week for all of us.

And a video to close. What's amazing about this? 1. Ellie teaching Emmit, and 2. Emmit actually listening! I have watched this about 10 times, so cute =)

Weekend with the Leusteks

The weekend after Labor Day, our friends Jen and Matt along with their 3 year old twin Lauren and Elizabeth came to visit. As we expected with 4 toddlers in the house, it was a lively weekend! Thankfully the weather was nice, so we spent a lot of time outside =) Jen and I got away for a few hours for pedis and shopping...the boys went to a Packer game...the kids played great. It was a fun Fall weekend.

We had a dance party to 'Share it Maybe' by Cookie Monster. Kids LOOOOVE this video! We listened to it several times!

Kids digging into some fun frosting cookies

On Sunday, the guys were gone all day to the Packer game, so Jen and I took the kids to a farm near-by for some fun activities. We had a little bit of a drive there, and were debating on whether we'd eat there or stop on the way. Well, 3 of the 4 kids fell asleep almost instantly in the car, so we decided we'd wing it and eat there, not really knowing what they'd have. We knew there were yummy caramel apples (which was half the reason we went!) but we needed something of sustenance first. So we get there and go into the farm house, and they have muffins and quiche. We asked if that was all the food they had, and the girl said yes, so we're like 'ok, quiche it is!' It was a bit of a process eating (anything with three 3 year olds and a 4 year old will be a process). The kids weren't too excited about quiche, but after some convincing we finally finished up and then went out to play. Funny as we walk out the door, there's a big sign for 'hamburgers, hotdogs, and brats'...we instantly started laughing, yes that would have been a bit easier!

There were all kinds of things for the kids to play with, they loved it. We all went on a hayride and got the delicious caramel apples before leaving. All was good until Emmit took a digger goofing around, and then Lauren wanted her apples, and then didn't want her apples, and then wanted her apples (after they were already thrown away)...we ended up carrying two crying 3 year olds out to the car, but we survived!

Back at home, the kids played outside some more, and we ordered pizza for the dinner. Emmit gave everyone rides on his 4 wheeler which was really cute. The kids also had fun playing in the sandbox. After a full day, it was early to bed, and everyone was up early Monday morning, the Leusteks getting on the road home and us to work and school. We love you Leustek family and can't wait to see you again!

Ellie the School Girl!

Ellie started 4 year old kindergarten (4K) the Tuesday after Labor Day, and she LOVES it. She goes to school Mon. - Thur. from 8-11 which has seemed to be a good balance of 'school-time' and 'stay-home' time. She's always ready for her 'stay-home day' with Kimmy, Emmit, and Eli on Fridays, but by Monday morning she's excited to go to school again. After 1 month, the excitement hasn't worn off yet. She rides the bus to school and back, which is still her favorite part of the whole day =) Her morning ride is with the elementary and middle school kids, so I was a little nervous about this at first, but Ellie wasn't the least bit nervous! The first day she just walked right up and got on. I drove to school the first week to see her get off (and that she did), so after that I have been good too =)

Ellie's favorite things about school so far are:

1. The bus. She sits with Brooke, and they take turns sitting by the window. She was also very concerned one day when Miss Marie (bus driver) was sick.
2. Snack. We usually get the daily snack report.
3. Playing with Grant and Ethan. These are her 2 friends that she talks about a lot, and also ride the bus with her too.
4. Doing art projects. She has always loved to draw and color, and since starting school this love has seemed to increase even more.

She has a couple field trips and class parties coming up this Fall with the holiday season rolling around, so I plan on volunteering for a couple to check out school 'in action'. So far, it's been nothing but good!

Very excited and waiting for the bus on her first day. I was nervous about this whole bus thing, but she was so excited about it, we had to let her do it. If it didn't work out we could always stop. I get her on the bus every morning at home at 7:40. She rides all of 10 minutes (she's one of the last kids picked up) to the Middle School. Then all the elementary kids get off and change to other buses (5 elementary sites). She gets on a different bus there, and then rides about another 5 minutes to school. Her first bus ride goes right by her school. On the way home, she comes directly home from school (a total of about 5 minutes). The first few weeks an extra teacher rode the bus with the kids until they learned the routine, and now it's just them! After she got on the bus the first day, I had myself a good cry and I've been good now ever since =)

Posing for school on various mornings

Ellie's very imaginative, and school has seemed to amplify that as well. She's always making up games or things for her and Emmit to do. Her tiger was 'scared by himself' downstairs one night, so she insisted he come up to her room.

Having a picnic with her babies in her room. I thought it was cute how she set the place settings =)

One of many coloring projects

She likes to pick her clothes out for school (and matches decently well too)! I just had to buy her all new 'warm weather' shoes because nothing from last year fit and sandal season is officially done!

Playing with her baby...she wanted to wear a hat like her baby had

And the latest indicator that our little girl is growing up. She cut her hair. I have determined this is a right of passage for little girls, because everyone I talk to is like 'I cut my own/siblings/doll's hair'! The picture of Sara and I when I was probably about Ellie's age (maybe a bit younger), and Sara had NO bangs is proof that I was one of those kids too. This past Friday, Ellie came downstairs to tell me she cut her baby's hair. Scissors WERE in a drawer that had child safety locks...which she then proceeded to show me she knew how to open. It took all of two seconds for me to look at her and ask "Ellie, did you cut your hair too?" She said 'no', but the missing pigtail was a dead giveaway =) We went up to her room and sure enough, a trash can with hair in it...her baby's and her own.

The same night...I thought she was sitting so sassy =)

And the next morning with a fresh haircut. Just a bit more side-bang now than before...thankfully her hair looks cute short! =)