Getting a head start on my old lady to-do list.

Because why wouldn't a 30-something need to have a cataract removed from her left eye? Surgery was a piece of cake and I get to keep this lovely souvenir on my face for a day or two. And, for the first time since third grade, I will be able to see perfectly out of my left eye. I have been joking that I go to extremes to have vision correction covered by my insurance!
Next up: Colonoscopy. True story.

Golf Outing

Caleb snagged some tickets through work for the BMW Championship in Lake Forest yesterday, and he took the boys with him for a day on the links.
Although both boys had fun, they both said they probably didn't need to go again.



{Caleb clearly bribes with unlimited red drinks...}


{The boys chilling at the course. Among others, they gave knuckles to Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth!}


{National TV debut for these guys! And now we can never delete the recording nor switch providers. Because memories.}





{Two more shots on TV. No big deal.}
The boys came home with lots of fun stories from the day. Sharing the field with Rizzo last weekend, and rubbing elbows with golf greats this weekend. Not sure that we can maintain this pace!

Party of Five

Camryn's first family portrait. Complete with Mason and his three heads.

So Happy Together

Two kid bodies sharing the same space. That usually comes with tears and anger in our house.



I am now preparing for the apocalypse.

P. S. That is the most uncomfortable chair ever made. But it's what my boy monster wanted for him bedroom makeover and it was on clearance (for good reason), so who am I to lecture on the importance of functionality?!

This and That

The mundane details of our days.



{Fridays. My mom is family nanny for my brother on Fridays, which means she has to walk my kindergarten niece to the same school my kids go to. And because the boys are typically bus riders, they think it's pretty cool to ditch their ride and walk with their cousin. They have so much fun that they suggested we move .5 miles closer to school so we can be permanent walkers. We will revisit this idea when it's mid-winter and the weather is miserable.}


{Doll obsessed. Camryn snagged these raggedy dolls from a friend's garage sale, and has loved them like crazy over the past month.}


{Sleepovers. More fun for them than for me.}


{Oil changes. And when the mechanics are on strike, one must travel to get routine maintenance performed. Camryn packed her favorite things to bring on the outing. I drew the line at the one soccer shin guard she stashed in her bag.}



{This kid. He's off to a great start this year, and has already earned the Principal Award! Way to go, Jacob!}


{Iowa. We had a lot of picture-free fun there over Labor Day weekend!}






{Soccer. All three are playing, but only one actually "gets" it. The other two (pictured) just play the part. Jacob (not pictured) earned MVP of last week's game!}

That's Cub.

Caleb and I took the boys to the ole' ballgame yesterday and had a blast!
We arrived very early so that we could ensure that the boys would get wristbands to run the bases after the game. They were first in line, so our plan worked! But before we entered the field, we snapped a photo with this shiny gem.




And then all the boys played around in The Park while I kept our spot in line.



{Bags, anyone?}





{We even had time for a game of Connect 4!}

There was about 20 minutes of additional hang time before the gates opened, which gave the boys lots of time to bug each other. And us.



Though the boys have been to a game or two, this is the first one they have been old enough to remember. And when you arrive when the gates open, you have time to mingle with the players before the game starts.



{No batting practice means no catching fly balls, but these boys were prepared nonetheless!}

Then on to our seats. In the shade. Which warranted a $50 blanket purchase on this 70 degree day.

We skipped out of the confines for a bit mid-game so we could enjoy some ice cream in the sunshine.

  And then back in so the boys could run the bases post-game.






Jacob hauled ass around the bases and passed several other runners in the process. Mason? Not so much.

{NBD. Just Anthony Rizzo hanging out on the field while the boys ran the bases!}

This was an amazing day for my little Cubbie fans! Mason suggested, however, that next time we go to the game when they win. Request heard.

Holy Smokes!

The air was filled with a green haze on Sunday, and we learned it was because of the wind pattern blowing smoke our way from the Canadian wildfires. Crazy! The sun (and moon) was transformed to a vibrant orange, which led the kids to believe that we were just having another eclipse. No eclipse, but a strange occurrence that won't likely happen for another long stretch of time!