Cousins are Like Siblings

             Today we got up early and went to Uncle Doug and Aunt Deb's House to meet up with Landon and Lilah to go to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. We almost closed the place and Bradley and Landon could have spent the whole day playing in the Hot Wheels Exhibit, but there was so much more to see. Jaxson was a huge fan of the playscape area and mommy liked it, because there were fewer kids and he was able to walk around and play with things that were designed for his age. Jaxson really liked to sit on the John Deere machine and moving the levers on it.

               Then when we got when got back to Doug and Deb's the three older kids played in the pool for a long time. I love that even though Landon and Lilah moved to New Hampshire, they are still able to spend a few weeks in Indiana in the summer. Bradley really enjoys the time he is able to spend with them. It is so important to me that Bradley spends time with his cousins, since Dan, Darcy, Anthony and I grew up together. Being that we only lived a cornfield apart, at times it seemed as though we were more like siblings and there was a beaten path in the cornfield from riding the go-kart and bikes back and forth nearly everyday and created some funny memories.  

               After they played in the pool, we went to the garden and Aunt Deb cut some broccoli for us to take home. We don't have a garden at our house due to our extremely sandy soil conditions so the boys have had very little exposure to growing veggies with the exception of our potted tomato plants. I grew up with a full garden and it started when I was very young. I have many wonderful memories of being in the garden with my Grandpa Felix, especially the excitement of waiting for Grandpa to tell me the canteloupes were finally ready to eat. Doug and Deb live in the same house that Grandpa and Grandma Felix did, so tonight we were out in that same garden. It meant so much to me to watch my own children in that garden. Uncle Doug was checking the potatoes and asked Bradley where they come from, his answer, "The garden." It gave me a feeling of nostalgia as I listened to Uncle Doug explain to Bradley about how they came from the bottom of the plant and you dig them out of the ground, just as Grandpa had taught me the same thing in that same garden twentysome years ago. Bradley also discovered a newfound love of sugarsnap peas. Yay!! For for my picky child liking a new veggie! 

Jaxson in the Playscape area.

 

Jaxson abd Bradley pretending they are an archaeologists.

 The three cousins in the dinosaur exhibit.

Bradley was so proud of his tower, he actually requested that I take his picture!

This was a thing that you could walk through in the Hot Wheels exhibit and when you did hte lights came and it made rumbling sounds, we all thought it was really cool.

All three fascinated by the trains.

Our veggies from the garden.

Thanks to Aunt Deb for the better snapshots!

Curious George Goes to Columbian Park

         Currently one of Dan's off days falls on Fridays, so today we decided to take the boys to Columbian Park in Lafayette, before running all of our normal monotonous biweekly errands.

            Columbian Park is not at all the Park that I remember from my childhood; there is no Monkey Island, no Paddle boats, no hot metal slide that I was too much of "scardy" cat to go down, and there are fewer rides. However, the playground has different areas for different ages and many more slide options, but only three rides plus a train.

         Today, Bradley decided early this morning that he was going to take Curious George to the Park with him. He started reading Curious George books with his Papa Felix when he was very young and has really developed a passion for reading the books. This is amazing because some of them are very long, Jaxson can barely sit through a three page Elmo board book and Bradley can sit through two plus George Books.  

       While I was in the hospital pregnant with Jaxson, having a valvuplasty and Dan was overwhelmed all that was in front of him, my mom "Grama  T" took Bradley to the Riley Hospital Gift Shop and bought him a Curious George. So then he could sit in the waiting room with his George and watch his Curious George DVDs on the laptop while I was in surgery and recovery. So Bradley's George is kind of special to all of us.

FYI... because thus far I feel like I only blog about Bradley, Jaxson does not have any favorite stuffed animals yet. He does however have a blanket that he calls "baby" that goes pretty much everywhere with him and solves all of his problems.

So Bradley loaded George in the van today and carried him through the park, it was very cute. Below are some pictures of Curious George's Trip to Columbian Park.

The boys and George disguised as lemurs.

At first George has his own swing and Dan had to push Bradley and George until another little girl came over and George had to give up his swing. I didn't get to take pictures, but George also went down most of the slides, even the ones Bradley wouldn't go down. He also had to have half of the bench on the train, although Bradley thought the monkey needed a carseat or would that be a trainseat?

Both boys went in to pet the goats, Jaxson even tried to pet some goat doodoo too!

I was just another wonderful day in paradise!

The Final Home Run on Another Hot Summer Day

We were supposed to go on a family bike ride the other day, but it was 95 degrees, so Dan stopped on his way home from work and picked up a pool instead. Bradley settled for the compromise when Dan got home and helped set-up the pool.

So today it was in the 90s again and we spent most of the day playing in the pool. Then it was off to town for Bradley's last T-Ball game for the season. He was the crazy batter again who spun in circles when he was up at bat! The crowd laughed so he kept doing it!

Then at the end of the game Mrs.Pufahl (who he thought forever was named Mrs. Baseball) handed out the trophies. Bradley's name got call first and he was shocked and pondered for a while about why his name might have been called first. Bradley's Papa also came up to see his game and then we went to Pizza King afterwards. 

Tomorrow night, it is off to work with the pigs so he can start to prepare for open show and next week it will be a busy week with Vacation Bible School. I can't wait until Jaxson is older (I say older and not bigger because they are almost the same weight) and he can participate in things instead of just tag along.  

Hanging out by the pool.

He was supposed to be playing second base, notice the runner on second base behind him.

Mentally preparing for his crazy swing to entertain the crowd!

The final home run of the season.

Bradley and his trophy. He was ecstatic!

The team.

Sorry for so many pictures, there were just too many to choose from.

Father's Day Weekend

        We had a wonderful Father's Day weekend. On Saturday, I took the boys to get their hair cut, and then we had some important errands to run to do an all important Father's Day craft. Dan went to the Cubs and Red Sox Game with his brother and some friends.

      After our errands, it was off to "Aunt" Doug (this is what Bradley calls him) and Aunt Deb's house, because our cousins were here from New Hampshire and Bradley couldn't wait to play with Landon and Lilah.

         We had picked up some $1 "squirtters" while running our errands. As soon as we got to Doug and Deb's, Bradley promptly striped in the living room, put on his trunks on, and went to the pool. They played in the pool and got more than our money's worth out of the "squirtters," until it stormed and Aunt Deb danced because we were getting some much needed rain. Then it was to the basement to work on our Father's Day Craft and create grilling aprons for all the Dads. It was a lot of fun, Danny's (my cousin) girlfriend Brandie was there and she helped Landon, Lilah worked on Danny's Apron, and Bradley was a little overwhelmed with having to do two of them by himself. Everyone was spotted with paint at the end.
        On Father's Day, we headed back to Doug and Deb's house for some adventuring in the woods on the zipline. Dan and I both made the trip down it a few times, but Bradley was just not kicked on the whole idea. 

Bradley was working so intently on the first apron, but when we got ready to work on the second apron, he was tired of painting.

An attempt to take a family picture on the bridge by the zipline. Bradley hates pictures!

Busy, Busy, Big Changes

      Big changes have happened in our household over the last few months. Bradley recently finished his first of three years that he is going to spend in preschool. His teacher, Mrs. Diane, culminated the school year with a short "graduation" program. The kids sang, This Little Light of Mine, and another song to the congregation during our Sunday church service.

      Bradley is also finishing his first year of teeball, those games have been some great entertainment. He has not been able to hit the balls thrown by the adult pitcher, but has swung the bat and spun circles and smacked the plate during his swings. Last week he hit it  off the tee and just stood there to see how far it would go. He also likes to round home base and go on to first again. It is so stinkin' cute!

     I don't want to forget about Jaxson, he is talking more and is saying some words, like ball, book, shoe (he whispers this one), no no, more, momma, dad, and I am sure a lot more that we can't understand, because he is constantly babbling. He is also learning how to hold his own and pick fights with his brother. I am learning that we have a lot of frustrating years in our future. Hopefully, one day, they will be best friends.

     Probably one of the biggest changes in our household is that June 11, 2012 was my last day of work for a while. I am unemployed for the first time since I was 14 years old. I have had a job for almost 16 years! I wonder if I have paid enough social security to receive a few pennies of it someday, Ha! It was so weird on Monday to turn in my key and walk out the door, knowing that I did not have a classroom in that building anymore. My only obligations are my two handsome boys, my wonderful hardworking husband, and keeping up with this house.

       I am looking forward to the future and trying not to look back.

       Bradley's end of the year preschool program.

 First TeeBall Game

 Jaxson is wondering what happened to the water.

 Both boys love to be outside, they have put a lot of miles on the gator already this summer. Jaxson is getting really good at holding on tight.

My First Ever Blog Post of My LIfe

So here it is, I have been thinking about doing a blog for our family for a while now. Please be patient with me as I learn how to post and make my blog look asthetically pleasing. Let this blog be a way for our family that is spread out through the United States and the other parts of the world see what we are doing here in our small little midwest farming community.