Waffles

Everyday we hear new words coming out of Lincoln. Most recently, he announced that he (like the girls) wanted "waffles" for breakfast. Plain as day, we heard it and now we can't get enough of his "wabble". Click HERE  for a glimpse of our dialogue.

Lincoln's first hair cut

At just over 22 months, we finally made the decision that it was time for Lincoln to get his hair cut. I couldn't bear to cut off those curls and I successfully convinced Ryan to delay it over the summer. Then last week, the humidity broke and his curls turned into a stringy mess. So it was time. 

Before

We took him to Kids' Hair and we all voiced our hesitation as we walked in. I had scheduled the first appointment so the place wasn't even open when we got there. As we waited outside, the girls asked for a piece of gum and Lincoln begged for one. I gave him the tiniest piece and he chomped away as we walked in. I was pretty certain that he wasn't going to sit still, and was even concerned he was going to scream once we got inside! 

I was in love with the stylist because the first thing out of her mouth was "you're not going to cut off all of those curls!".
Perfect! 

And instead of crying and screaming, Lincoln patiently sat, chomping away on his gum as she clipped away. It also helped that there was a small TV playing Mickey Mouse (which he's rarely seen) and was a complete distraction. 

Just look at this sweet boy, with his fresh haircut! He's the sweetest thing ever.

Click HERE to watch a video (the gum chewing is worth your time).

After 

Fall ball

Fall ball is upon us. The weather is right for it, but the calendar still says August. Nonetheless, these two sweeties are 2 weeks into their respective teams and are both having a wonderful time. Regan has made the jump to 10U this fall and it is a whopper of a leap (more later). Sid has embarked on her very first softball experience and has jumped right into fastpitch, skipping over any previous ball experience (including t-ball!). 

Unfortunately with 2 different age divisions and 2 totally different teams, it also means we have to split our time between them all. 

Lincoln and I took on Sidney's first game today (both girls had double headers about 10 miles from each other). She is so darn cute out there and is learning so much. She put her heart into it, is enjoying the team experience, and told us that she had oh so much fun today!  

Their team name is the Bulldogs, and I gasped when we arrived to see their mascot hanging out behind the bench. A real bulldog! Gosh darn he's awesome! Ryan could not wait to switch games, just so he could see the dog! 

For the next game, Lincoln and I headed over to Regan's 10U game and Ryan passed us on the highway heading to Sidney's game. We waved. Side note: is this how it's going to be with multiple kids in activities!? 

The big move in softball is from 8U to 10U. While in 8U, the rules are modified significantly (thank goodness!), and there's no stealing, no running on pass balls or overthrows, no bunting, no running on a dropped 3rd strike, etc. But the biggest of them all is live pitchers, no more pitching machine! Wowzas. 

The girls move up during fall ball to the next division to play where they will be during the following summer (confusing I know). So this fall, Regan and most of her former teammates and friends made their leap. We have a study guide at home with all of the rules and though we review them daily, she's still got a long way to go. 

But we're making progress and most of all, she had a great first game(s)! 

And just in case you're wondering, what does it look like to attend a ball game with Lincoln?...something like this :) Toys, snacks, more toys scattered around a blanket, because it's safer to sit there than on a bleacher! He was a trooper and did so well cheering on his big sisters! 

This happened

Lincoln loves all of the ride-on toys we have accumulated over the years. Being the 3rd child, we have many options stored away in the garage and back shed. I pulled out a (non-pedaling) trike a while back and he just couldn't figure it out. So it sat collecting dust for a few months...til recently.

He begs for his trike almost daily and we often go down the block, turn around, and repeat. For those that know the area, we live in a very hilly neighborhood. So going any further than the end of the block produces a bit of a challenge on the way home. Well tonight, after getting home from our family anniversary dinner (and I'm still in fancy clothes and sandals), I could not convince him to turn around. And so, rather than pick him up and risk a scene, wearing my fancy clothes, I just kept following him. And following. And following. He tipped himself over 3 times and scrapes his poor toes as he drags them on the ground after each push, but he just kept laughing! We made it all the way down to school (about 5 blocks downhill) before I text Ryan asking for a ride home :) thankfully, after much teasing, he showed up, horn blaring! 

Click HERE to watch our little man roll! 

Sid's summer gymnastics meet

Sidney has a love for gymnastics. Actually, she likes a lot of activities, but for the bulk of summer, it's been gymnastics. She moved up a level from spring to summer, so she has had a lot of learning to do: front handsprings is the biggest. Her gym is amazing, and we feel fortunate that they have taught her so much over the course of the years, always making it lots of fun. 

At the end of summer, she participated in a meet, again, in this new level she had achieved. Given that she took First Place in the spring meet, she had some incredibly high expectations. And we were feeling a little nervous that she was going to be let down. 

So we gently had a few conversations with her, relating her gym experience to things she could understand. Gently explaining that she may not win first place, or second or third for that matter. 

At times, she stomped her feet and ran off. And other times, she accepted our pep talks. No matter what, we are proud of her! 

Well, let's just say that little girl proved us all wrong one warm summer night in August. She went and placed 3rd in the meet! Climbing up on the podium, she was so proud of herself, and that's the best emotion that anyone could have asked for! 

Congrats Sidney! We love you :) 

The little things

This month is just slipping by all too fast. We are living it up and soaking in every last ray of sunshine this summer. I haven't found much time to sit at my computer, this because all of our waking moments are spent outside. Even in this recent dreary weather of cold, rain and wind, I'm outside with Lincoln. Side note: After watching me pace the sidewalks with Lincoln pushing/riding on multiple toys, the neighbors came out and commented "can't get him inside, huh?" I'm really starting to worry about winter!

Here's a little snippet into some of our fun moments over the last few weeks: 

Lincoln simply adores when they send a tractor to the park across the street for mowing day. 

We took in a Circus Juventas show as a family of five. It was loads of fun and incredibly entertaining to all of us! 

The girls have had lots of playdates and it's even better when a friend comes over that loves to play with both of them! 

We got dressed up fancy and went to a wedding with an outdoor reception. In 95F heat. Then I suggested the kids stand by the flowers for a picture, and Lincoln took my request a little too literally. It's like "Where's Waldo"!

At the wedding, Ryan socialized with some high school friends, and I took the kiddos on a long walk around the park and pond, stopping for a few selfies along the way!

Post swim, pre-rain snuggles. And he asked for this all by himself as he commented he was "colll" aka: cold. 

Here's hoping for a nice warm up before we jump into fall, school, and eventually.....S#@$. It's practically a curse word to me :) Please summer, hold on a bit longer! 

Growing and learning

With each child, I have always received (and actually read) the weekly emails about their new developments and abilities. This third time around, those emails serve as a reminder of things to help Lincoln master that are developmentally appropriate (ie: he's mastered use of a spoon and it's beyond exciting!). Ryan never read the emails and stopped getting them altogether at some point along this journey of parenthood. So he gets super shocked to discover Lincoln can do something. 

Weeks ago, there was a sentence in one of those emails that he will likely be able to stack blocks up to 7 or 8. And so, we started working on this task and he would get so excited! I watched as his tiny chubby fingers would set each block ever so delicately onto his tower. And with each one, his arms would go into the air as if to declare "SCORE!". 

It wasn't long before he got real good! 

Ryan called me one day after he dropped the kiddos at their summer programming, with an excitement in his voice "Lincoln can stack blocks like 9 or 10 tall!!".

He was mighty impressed :) 

And the look on Lincoln's face when they all topple over is sure something! He just loves hearing the crash of the blocks and is eager to start all over again :)

The middle

Our dear Sidney is growing up before our eyes. She's funny and sweet, stubborn and strong-willed all wrapped up into a ball of energy! 

Apparently her lack of good sleeping as a baby was a preview of her 'not-so-great' sleep habits as a child. Sure, she sleeps through the night (thank goodness!), but she fights an 8pm bedtime like no other and is up at the CRACK of dawn....like 9pm-6:15am on a typical day. 

I'm seriously questioning this girls' actual hours of sleep during that time too, and here's why: she has lost a total of 5 teeth and THREE of them came out in the middle of the night. THREE!? Who loses a tooth in their sleep?, let alone three! The latest was at 12:34am (I know, because she wakes me up). She taps on my body, smiles with her hand out as I open my eyes and sigh "did you just pull out your tooth?". 

Girl! 

And then, she's got a little attitude too (coupled with chronic lack of sleep)....oh boy, talk about testing our limits! The other day, she grabbed Lincoln just as I was sitting down for morning coffee and asked him "do you want to go dance?". He jumped at the offer (the boy loves to dance) and they raced into the toy room. She glanced over at me (mind you, I was moments from my first sip of coffee), and declared "you dance mom. I don't want to", as she ran out to find something else to play. WHAT!? Little stinker. 

Thank goodness that she is just as fun and sweet as she is stubborn and strong-willed. 

We love you our sweet Sidney!

"mooor"

I just can't get over it. The way that Lincoln signs "more" is just adorable. Last night, as Ryan jumped off the diving board, Lincoln would sign "more" over and over. I quickly grabbed my camera and made poor Ryan keep climbing out and jumping so that I could get pictures and save this moment in my memory forever. His tiny chubby fingers are just so stinkin' cute as he begs for "more". 

A bit ago, I commented to Ryan that we really should teach him to say the word....boy was I met with objections! "No, I don't want him to stop signing it!". 

Although he's started to say the word "mooor", he still signs it and for that, we are all delighted :)

DQ Family Day

It's seems like Ryan hit the jackpot when he landed his gig with the headquarters of Dairy Queen a year and a half ago. An awesome manager, Dilly Bars for the kids when we visit, Bring Your Kids to Work Days, just to name a few. And then they go and plan this super fun Family Day each summer...during regular work hours! Bonus for me is that it's always a Friday which is my day off so it doesn't take much for us to round up the family and meet up with the crew. This year, they took us to Valleyfair and started off with a picnic just inside of the grounds (and no, we don't get served a DQ lunch...sniff sniff!). From there, we scattered around the park and enjoyed the rides. It was a wonderful day and fit perfectly into this family's idea of fun! 

Of course, we had to do a few big kid rides so that Ryan and Regan could have some fun....

And Sidney too! Though she wasn't as keen on the big rides this time and was happy to tag along with Lincoln on a few. 

Together they rode that train over and over and over again! I had a hard time convincing Lincoln to find a new ride. He LOVED it! And I was happy that she was short enough to ride along with him. 

When the sun came out and the temperatures climbed, we took some relief in the "ball area" and shot foam balls at each other. The girls thought they were cute behind this desk outside the balls. 

I got in on the riding action too, riding with Lincoln on any ride that required. Not to fret, I got on some big kid rides. I took Regan on the Corkscrew too...and suddenly, quietly worried that the whole thing would fall off the tracks, upside down into the ponds below. That's just as ridiculous as Ryan's statement that he worries Power Tower might just fall over....ahhh, we can both be a little anxious at times :) 

It truly was a fun Family Day and we feel so lucky to have two wonderful employers...and three very happy kiddos! 

Mermaid life

Meet our newest mermaid in the family :) 

Sidney has graduated from standing in the shallow with her mermaid tail, to swimming around in the deep end. This is not an easy feat, trying to swim with your legs essentially glued together is tough business! 

But she was determined and so proud of herself for accomplishing it this summer. She still doesn't have her own plastic fin insert in the bottom but will occasionally borrow Regan's fin. Until she gets her own, she is doing just fine swimming around like a mermaid and pretending to be in her own fairy land. 

Camp

Regan spent a week of her summer at a local camp this year. It was her first true camp experience (not a gymnastics camp, etc), but real camp. To say she loved it, well that's an understatement. The week consisted of canoeing, hiking, new friends, camp songs and loads of lake swimming. It was a 4 day day-time program, and the week rounded out with an overnighter in a tent. 

A tent! (more on that later). 

Before the week's end, all of the parents/siblings were invited to a parent-program and picnic. 

So we loaded up the kiddos, grabbed Subway (along with the vast majority of the other families) and headed to camp. Lincoln tried finding his own fun during the hour long program by hopping on his wee sister like she was a pony. 

Each small group took a turn or two in front of the parents and lead some chants, did some skits or sang us songs. All of those strange words that Regan had been saying all week long each night were finally making more sense. 

And the "Calamine, Calamine, Calamine lotion" song....

yeah it just keeps going and going in my mind :( 

Eventually, it was time for us parents/siblings to head home, so the campers could have some fun, gather 'round the campfire (sing more silly songs) and sleep amongst the stars. 

Regan was over-the-moon excited about this night! 

I was a wreck...."would she be safe?", "what if she went for a sleep walk" (she's been known to descend her top bunk at home and wander downstairs---sleeping), and Ryan's favorite worry "what if someone steals her?". 

Alright, so I know, a bit ridiculous! I felt a whole lot better after getting to know some of the counselors and hearing from more experienced parents that the counselors actually stay awake all night long keeping watch. 

(lucky them)

And so she staked out her spot in the tent of 3 classmates from school and rolled out her sleeping bag. 

She was so ready for her tent experience. 

I was pretty sure these giggly girls were going to need a lot of direction to calm themselves down before bedtime. And I for one, was happy not to have that job! 

Turns out they slept somewhere between 6-7 hours, not bad for a night out in the tent. Most of all, they made memories and had a wonderful experience. Regan says that next year she wants to go to a week-long camp away from home. I think she's ready....I hope that I am! 

Yea for great camp experiences! 

Moving on up

When we had the girls, we followed the rules and recommendations and all of the advice that we heard. It didn't change when we had Lincoln, but what did change was the recommendations we were told. Like the whole: keep kids rear facing til age 2. What?!, TWO?

We weren't sure how long it would last. He turned 1 and we kept him backwards. 

Then 15 months, 18 months and finally 21 months. It was becoming a battle to lure him into the car, and rides were more unpleasant each and every day. And so, I decided that it was time he join the ranks of big-boy status. I figured he'd be pleased as punch to face forward. Boy was I wrong. The kid was scared out of his mind with his new view! I even tried calming him with a pacifier, all without success. 

Thankfully it only lasted a short while and he started to smile and warm up to his orientation. I stopped the car and he signed for more. Lol. So we drove around the lot waiting for Regan to arrive from her camp. And now he's a pro!, loving to see all of the trucks, cars and buses from his new view!