5 Little Monkeys

We've been reading the 5 Little Monkey's books.  The boys' favorite is 5 Little Monkeys Jump on the Bed.  Isaac loves to say the story with me and recently Caleb is getting into it too.  When I picked Isaac up for preschool on Monday I heard our baby sitter reading the book with Caleb and he had almost all the words.  Later that night when Zach & Isaac were at AWANA, Caleb was singing it to me while I did the dishes.  I decided to try and get it on video.  He did a really good job but would only do it once.  Good thing because the camera died as soon as we were done. :)

We can't believe the holidays are next week.  I have so many things I want to get done before Thanksgiving but I'm not sure it will all happen.  I guess I'll do my best & the rest will get done after.  Zach & I are going to our high school retreat this weekend.  The boys are going to spend the weekend with my parents.  Their cousins, Garret & Alyssa will be there Friday night.  I haven't told Isaac that yet but he will be very excited!  We will be home Monday thru Wednesday and then we travel to Minnesota for Thanksgiving.  Very excited to spend some more time with Zach's family!  The boys can't wait to see Grandpa Leif!

Halloween fun

I am a couple weeks late in getting our pictures up from Halloween but better late than never!  The boys had such a fun time doing Halloween activities and the weather, while a little chilly, wasn't so bad.  Both boys were dressed as characters from the movie Toy Story.  Isaac was Woody and Caleb was Buzz Lightyear.  Both were incredibly cute!  Saturday evening we went to Night Eyes at the Blank Park Zoo with my brother's family & my parents.  The boys enjoyed trick or treating with their cousins.  They also enjoyed the inflatables and pedal tractors at the end.  Then Monday night was costume night at AWANA so Isaac got to wear his costume again.  His friend, Hadley, went along with us & just so happened to be dressed up as Jessie from Toy Story.  Tuesday night was trick or treat night in Indianola and we went with Hadley & her sister Carsyn (who broke the Toy Story theme and dressed as an adorable giraffe!).  We have more than enough candy to last us for a while!

Woody & Buzz ready to go to Night Eyes

Sunday afternoon Zach and the boys got out the pumpkins we bought at the pumpkin patch a few weeks before.  Zach carved the big one and the boys used sharpies to draw on their smaller ones.  I started helping Caleb draw a face but he just colored over it so I quit. :)  We put a candle in the big carved pumpkin and set them all outside.

Here are a few pics from the weekend for your enjoyment:

One of our favorite parts of Night Eyes is the free ice cream sandwich at the end.

Caleb ate the whole thing and managed to stay mostly clean

Daddy & the boys working on their pumpkins

Isaac with his pumpkin

Caleb's pumpkin (I drew the face and he colored all over it)

The pumpkins out on the back deck

Woody & Jessie ready for AWANA

Caleb & Carsyn wanted their picture taken too even though they couldn't go to AWANA

The gang ready to go out trick or treating

Headed out

Buzz & Woody, best friends

Caleb can't reach the pedals on our tractor so Isaac got on the front and pedaled him around.  Our boys are so creative!

Weekend fun

We went to Minnesota this past weekend to visit Zach's family & to help his dad with a project at the cabin he's building.  Leif is building a cabin on their farm & this was the weekend he needed help putting up the second floor.  I went out with the boys so they could run around and play but it was pretty chilly.  Isaac was done after an hour.  Both boys wanted to help get the large posts off the trailer.  It took 5 strong men to get the one off the trailer so I'm pretty sure the boys were no help!  They had fun trying though. :)

Caleb really is trying to lift this post!

Isaac is just posing for the picture

The boys sitting on the trailer waiting for the men to be done

We had a pretty good weekend although emotions seemed stronger than the previous weekend we visited.  Both Zach & I are finding it interesting how the further out from his mom's death, the more we hurt and feel the void.  Logic tells you the opposite but I guess grief isn't logical.  We made beef stroganoff for Grandpa Don's 87th birthday.  It has been a tradition to make that for his birthday and we were happy to honor the memory of Mary and carry it on.

Last Thursday Caleb decided he wanted to wear Pullups.  I'm pretty sure I am not ready for this yet but I let him start wearing them with the understanding that he had to start practicing on the potty.  We haven't had any success but that's okay.  He loves to read his Potty Elmo book while he sits, it's pretty cute.  

Caleb reading his Potty Elmo while practicing on the potty

Howell's Pumpkin Patch

It has been a little while since we updated the blog.  Isaac is really enjoying preschool a lot.  Caleb is continuing to grow and talking more and more.  Yesterday we went to a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin and I wanted to share some pictures from the outing.  I took the afternoon off of work so that we could go before the rain thunderstorms got here on Saturday.  Regina picked me up from work and we headed out to the pumpkin patch.  Caleb and Isaac were eating some Doritos so I took a picture of Caleb's dirty hands.

Caleb's showing me his hands, note his sun glasses.

At the pumpkin patch we got to ride a trailer pulled by a tractor out to the corn maze and pumpkin patch.  Regina and the boys loading up on the trailer to go out to the corn maze and pumpkin patch.

Regina and the boys.

Part of the corn maze had pedal carts to go around a circular track.  We took some pictures of Isaac riding with Regina and Caleb riding with me.  This was a really good workout for Regina and my legs.

Regina and Isaac on pedal cart.

Zach and Caleb on pedal cart.

Isaac and Caleb in the corn maze.

Isaac and Caleb with the pumpkin that we picked out to carve.  We also picked out two small ones for them to draw on.

 At the corn maze they had a combine modified with a large platform on top.  You could climb up on the combine and look out over the corn maze.  It was pretty cool.

Regina, Isaac, and Caleb on top of the combine.

 After we picked out our pumpkin we went back to the play area for the kids.  Isaac and Caleb played with the pedal tractors and a number of other things before we came home.

Isaac on the pedal tractor.

I will leave you with a picture of the boys creativity when they are playing outside at our house.

Preschool

Yesterday was Isaac's first day of preschool.  He was so excited!  He woke up at 7:30 and before 8 o'clock he had asked me 3 times if we could eat lunch and go.  He goes to preschool from 12:00-2:55 PM.  He was dressed with his shoes on and back pack in hand by 8:10 so I had to keep him preoccupied for a couple of hours.  We watched a new Mighty Machines video and then played outside for 2 hours.  Finally it was time for lunch and time to go.  Zach came home early yesterday so he could help me take Isaac to preschool for the first time. 

Isaac ready to go to preschool

Both boys before we left for preschool

When we got to preschool Isaac said goodbye to me at the car.  I couldn't answer him because I was choking back tears.  Not tears of sadness that he was going but tears realizing that my little boy is growing up so fast.  Isaac went right in and started playing like he belonged there.  We said goodbye and left. 

Isaac went right in a started playing

Caleb cried for all of us.  Until that point he was convinced he was also going to preschool with Isaac.  As we walked to the van he kept saying "I play Isaac, I play Isaac."  It was absolutely heart breaking and when he got in the car he put his head down in the seat and cried.  Zach took him to the park to play though & I think that made him feel better.  

Caleb thought he was going to preschool too.  Broken hearted little boy!

Isaac's first day was a success.  We picked him up and he was all smiles from ear to ear!  After preschool we celebrated at Dairy Queen.  Isaac saw a couple of his classmates there and recognized them but didn't know their names.  He has plenty of time to learn names! :)

Wisconsin Dells

We left last Monday, the 13th, for the Wisconsin Dells.  We arrived just before supper on Monday evening so the only activities we did were check in our hotel and eat supper.  Supper was at the Pizza Pub & we had some of the best pizza ever plus there was an awesome salad bar.  I LOVE salad bars! This was the 1st time we didn't bring Caleb's pack n play with us so he had to adjust to sleeping in the hotel bed with mommy & daddy.  We stayed at a cheaper hotel Monday night & then moved to a hotel with a small waterpark for Tuesday & Wednesday night.  Tuesday morning we went to Pirate's Cove where we did some mini golfing and rode the pedal carts.  They also had trampoline basketball and a giant pillow to jump on.  Isaac loved the mini golfing and Caleb liked to pick up his ball & put it in the hole.  Can't say he's a golfer yet

Daddy trying to help Caleb putt.  Caleb did not want his help.

Caleb walking up to the hole to put his ball in by hand

Isaac getting some coaching from daddy

It was a really pretty golf course.  Isaac is waiting by the hole for everyone to finish their turn

The boys mini-golfing

Isaac getting ready for his first putt into the cave

Daddy & Isaac when we were through.  I did a horrible job of getting the sign in the picture.  It said "Punishment for taking 5 Putts"

Isaac riding the pedal carts

Daddy giving Caleb a ride on the pedal carts

All my boys on the pedal carts

Isaac & Daddy digging in the sand at the playground at Pirate's Cove

Isaac sliding at the playground at Pirate's Cove

Caleb ready to "wee" at Pirate's Cove

 Tuesday afternoon we went on a Duck Boat tour.  It was a half land/half water excursion.  Caleb took his afternoon nap during this tour.  After the boat tour we checked in to our new hotel.  Zach & I were exhausted but the boys wanted to go back to Pirate's cove for more pedal carts so we headed out again.  We took the boys to a place called Buffalo Phil's where they deliver your food on a toy train.  It was cool but little hands had a hard time not touching the train!  After supper we played in the small water park at our hotel for a short while before getting the boys to bed.

Isaac & Mommy waiting for the Duck Boat tour to start

Daddy & Caleb ready for the ride as well

Wednesday we got tickets from our hotel to a bigger water park off site.  It had both an indoor park & an outdoor park.  It wasn't super warm outside so we spent most of our time inside.  The boys loved the small slides for tots and wanted to try the bigger slides.  Zach took Isaac down one & I took Caleb down with me.  At the bottom the life guard told us they only allow single riders, even with small children.  Caleb was set on going down the big "wee" again so we sent Isaac first, Zach second, followed by Caleb.  Zach caught Caleb at the bottom and I came down last.  We are thankful that our boys are so brave because the bigger water park would have been a waste if all they could do was the small slides in the toddler section.  Our hotel's water park would have been a better option if our boys weren't so brave!  We did try a couple of slides outside and one of them didn't have enough water pressure so Caleb stopped a 1/4 of the way down.  I had to come down after him and give him a push.

Caleb & Isaac playing in the toddler section

Isaac sliding down one of the smaller slides in the toddler section

Caleb sliding down the other small slide in the toddler section

Isaac having a good time!

The big green slide is one of the bigger slides that Isaac & Caleb were brave enough to do by themselves.  We were impressed & so we a lot of other people at the bottom.  They were especially impressed with Caleb.

This slide was outside.  You got on an inner-tube and came down from the left side up to the top of the right side.  And then kept going from side to side until your tube lost momentum & stopped.  It looked interesting & we'd never seen anything like it. 

Isaac wanted to try the big white slide with daddy.  They took the tube & climbed the steps but Isaac decided he didn't want to when he got close to the top.

Mommy & Caleb wait for Daddy & Isaac on the big white slide

Daddy & Isaac on the lazy river

Isaac loved mini-golfing so much that we went again Wednesday evening after supper.  We went to a course that is built right on the Wisconsin River.  Zach & I have never been so afraid of losing a golf ball than we were with Caleb & his golf ball by the river.  He managed to only throw it onto another hole!

We were planning on taking a horse drawn wagon tour through the canyons on Thursday morning but it rained overnight and the people told us every inch of rain equals a foot of water in the canyons.  They weren't even sure if they were going to open that morning.  It was a bummer but we decided to head back to the bigger water park until lunch.  After lunch we hit the road for Dubuque where our friends Mark & Julie live.  Julie used to watch Isaac when they lived in Indianola and her son, Asher, is 8 weeks older than Isaac. Caleb fell asleep in the car before we got out of town & it only took Isaac about 15 minutes to sleep.

We ate supper with Julie & Asher Thursday evening at a restaurant down on the Mississippi. After supper we took a walk on the river walk.  The boys loved running together and watching the boats.  Friday morning we went to Eagle Point Park and played at the playground.  It also had a look out where we could see the Lock and Dam on the river.  We ate lunch with our friends and then hit the road for home.  Both boys slept most of the way home.  We had to stop at my parents to get Molly.  They woke up about 20 minutes from their house so they probably got 2 or more hours of sleep.

Caleb, Isaac, & Asher on the river walk in Dubuque

Our family at the look out point in Eagle Point Park

It's good to be home but we were exhausted!  Caleb did so well in the hotel bed that we decided to take down his crib when we got home Saturday.  We took all the toys and split them between Isaac and Caleb's rooms.  Some made their way to the basement.  We took the rocker from Caleb's room & put it in the living room.  I love the living room with no toys!  Caleb has done pretty well in his big boy bed.  He doesn't really get out of bed but he doesn't go right to sleep either.

Zach taking down the crib

Caleb's big boy room with furniture rearranged