I-O-W-A

Through the graciousness of my dad, Caleb, the boys, and Papa were able to attend the Northwestern v. Iowa football game on Saturday in Evanston. It was the boys’ first college game and, although the team didn’t win, the boys had a blast!



{The perfect day to catch a game and do some tailgating. Gotta get these boys ready for college...}


{Pretty good seats if you ask me!}

Good stories and great memories had by all. Thanks, Dad, for having connections!

And that’s that.

We have been consumed with all things Cubs the past couple of weeks. Cubs on TV, Cubs parties, and Cubs at Wrigley!

Caleb and I went to the game last Tuesday for Game 4 of the NLDS. Except the game was cancelled. Because rain. So then we went to the game again on Wednesday...






{Tuesday. Not raining. But in a rain delay...}





{Tuesday. Still not raining. But covered in generic white plastic.}





{Back at it on Wednesday. We did not Fly the W.}

We allowed the boys to stay up for the final game in the first round of playoffs last Thursday. And when a game starts at 7, there is no expectation that it should last until midnight! What a crazy game! That makes for a tired next day at school. We all make sacrifices...

And then my mom and I were back at it on Tuesday for Game 3 of the NLCS.






{No win. But watching my mom get sassy with a fan was worth more than a win to me!}

And now we are all feeling a Cubs hangover as our season comes to an end. Probably a good thing we are done. I’m not sure my heart is healthy enough for this activity!

Zoo Day

Camryn’s preschool spent the day at the zoo yesterday. It was the perfect day! My favorite part was the parakeet house. Camryn had two favorite parts: The dolphin show and that time when I screamed for my life when I was nearly dive-bombed by a free flight bat. Creepy!















Fun time!

Day with Dad

Camryn’s preschool hosted a fall festival on Sunday. No moms allowed! From what Camryn told me, it was a ton of fun. She brought home a pumpkin she decorated along with this scarecrow that she and Caleb crafted.



O...M...G...Those lips.

Our busy fun weekend.

The school kicked off our weekend of fun with Funky Friday where the boys took the theme very seriously. Down to their shoes...



We watched the Cubs take the first game Friday night while at a friend’s house. And then we woke up way too early on Saturday to catch the Homecoming Parade where the kids successfully gathered enough candy to get us through Halloween.


Saturday night we watched the Cubs lose Game 2 while at the same friend’s house. Superstitions have been busted.

Today we completed Halloween costume shopping, Jacob had football practice, and the other two played hard at the park.






And tomorrow the kids don’t have school, which means I am going to have to figure out how I am going to entertain these goobers for a third day straight.

Eek!

Spiders are not my thing. And this dude who is strung across our back patio should be happy I haven’t yet found the insect killer. But... it was kind of cool to watch it wrap up and carry away its feast of bumble bee. Not cool enough to stop hating spiders, however...



Super zoomed in because getting close to any and all spiders gives me the heeby-jeebies and makes me do a nervous dance. My kids will confirm.

Spirit Week

Yesterday was “wear your favorite team.” No mistaking who this house cheers for!



P. S. Jacob’s shirt is a throwback to Caleb’s youth. Jacob thought he was pretty hot stuff wearing a shirt to third grade that Caleb wore in junior high...

It's October

So we immediately crossed pumpkin patch off our to-do list.
This is our 7th annual (I think) trip to this farm, and the kids still love it!

{The rock wall was first on the list for the boys. Jacob made it to the top, and Mason quit about two feet shy of the top. Typical of both.}

 

 {We all took a ride on the zip line. Some of us rode way lower than others...}

{The "big kid" corn maze this year was Chicago Cubs themed. But since my kids get lost when walking in a straight line, we opted for the easier maze where the kids picked and threw corn at each other for a solid 15 minutes while navigating around. Riveting.}

 {We take this exact picture every year!}

 {The corn silo is nasty, but the kids love it...}

{Camryn with a nearly 900 pound pumpkin. Lightweight compared to the monster sized 1800+ pound pumpkin behind her!}

 {These goofballs crack me up!}

{School buses clearly make Mason anxious.}

Not pictured: The hayride, the jumping bubble, the train ride, the sports centers, the batting challenge, or the ten pounds of dirt we all brought home in our shoes. A great kick off to October!