How much longer, Mommy?

We drove to Steven's Point after school yesterday to participate in the Punt, Pass & Kick contest with Jer's work. Owen asked this pretty regularly for the entire 3 1/2 hour drive! 

Jer and the boys have been practicing for this contest for a few weeks now. Owen was anxious to get on the field and get in line as soon as we arrived. He was pretty serious about it. Walter was just excited to get a free football. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed playing around on the football field and track afterwards. Jer and Owen ended the night with a game of Battleship while Walter and I cuddled up in bed. (The boys sleep in the same bed when we are here and if they go to bed at the same time, well, they simply don't go to bed!)

Don't eat it, Mommy.

Ok, so this is a bit gross to the non-parent ear, but oh well...yesterday Walter gave me a booger to dispose of and then told me this. (Now be honest, that made you laugh!)

It was a beautiful fall family day today. We started the morning with a trip to the theater to see Toy Story in 3D. After, we went home and made some cut out Halloween cookies. We then got outside and went for a bike ride, followed by some playtime in the infamous triangle park. It was great to get outside after days of rain and snow. At the end of the day I raked our lovely yard, something we've done quite a few times already this year and never seems like work.

Now Jer and the boys are making dinner and its smelling like its nearly time for me to eat!

Like when you're 18...or 4 or 5.

In the bath tonight Owen told Walter that when he dives its 'quite impressive' and then that Walter could learn to dive once he's 'like 18... or 4 or 5.' I love hearing them talk to one another.

We've had a nice, nearly normal week. Things are coming together for the Gala, so I've been able to do a few normal things around here like play trains with Walter and make books with Owen more easily. We've still spent a fair amount of time at Sunny Hollow, but not nearly as much as in weeks past. Now I just need to take my camera out again!

I forgot to add a photo of my mom's birthday celebration last weekend. It was a treat to be able to celebrate with her. The boys are always eager to help blow out candles, play with balloons, and help open presents!

What is an anniversary again, Mommy?

Seven beautiful years ago, Jer and I were married at the chapel at Augsburg followed by a fabulous party at the Nicollet Island Pavilion. Every year we visit one or both sites. This morning we took the boys to breakfast downtown to Key's (where we ate breakfast with Joe Girardi and Andy Pettit of the Yankees) and then went over to the pavilion for a walk. Its such a fun day to celebrate and our life has certainly grown and changed since seven years ago! We're looking forward to a good 77 more years or so.

See, you need lots of layers in winter, Walter.

We woke up to a layer of white everywhere this morning and Owen was excited. After promptly getting dressed and getting out his snow boots and gloves, he asked for help finding his snow pants, hat and last year's coat. Walter soon followed suit and before long the boys were out playing in the snow while Jer & I watched and laughed from the comfort of our warm house. If only I was so excited to see the snow.

Earlier in the week my mom and I took the boys to the MN Zoo. It was a beautiful sunny warm day and we enjoyed walking around outside watching the animals and playing on the new playground. It was a real treat having my mom around all week. I got a lot done on the gala I'm chairing and got taken out to eat a whole lot. I'm not sure how I'll adjust back to reality next week, but I won't worry about that now.

You making polka dots, Grandma?

My mom was changing Walter's diaper today and when she was using wipes, Walter asked her this. 

After two straight days of rain and being stuck inside, we escaped today and went to the MOA. My mom took us mini-golfing, to the Rain Forest Cafe and then to Nick Universe for some rides. The boys loved it!

This weekend was the Fall Festival at Owen's school, we went to the Children's Theater to see "Bert & Ernie, Goodnight", and had the third annual Armstrong family talent show. It was a great family weekend.

No time to write...I have another Sunny Hollow meeting tomorrow. November 7th is constantly on my mind!

My big brother.

Walter is proud to have a big brother. He calls Owen his big brother all the time. On Friday when Owen & Jer were getting back from school, he ran into the kitchen to tell me "My big brother is home!"

Friday was an eventful day at our house. We had some of Owen's friends and their families over for dinner. As we were prepping for their arrival, I asked Jer to take Griffin out to the triangle park and throw him some balls in hopes of wearing off some of his energy. Well, a ball went into the street as a car was coming down and Griffin ended up getting hit by the car. Griffin's right shoulder got hit and he rolled away from the car, thankfully. Jer said it was the worst thing he's ever seen. He came limping over to Jer as a neighbor's dog got loose and attacked Grif. Jer and some neighbors got the dog off Griffin and Jer brought him home completely shook up. He was limping and obviously exhausted from it all. We watched him carefully through the night and on Saturday he was about 70% back. By Sunday you would never have known anything had ever happened to him. He is one tough dog. To date he has survived blastomycosis, an abusive first family, and now being hit by a car. I get frustrated by him and his havoc he often causes, but after an event like that, I realize just how special he is to us and why we fight to keep him.

My grandparents arrived here from Kauai on Saturday, just in time for the cool weather. We spent Sunday with my family and will be doing more of that in the coming weeks. I'm really looking forward to our annual talent show. Owen is quite excited about it, as he seems to win year after year. Walter might be ready to give him a run for his money this year, though.

The boys and Jer went with his family to a very artsy mini-golf course on Saturday. It sounds like it was pretty spectacular, as I'm still hearing about the different holes.

I'm pretty much living and breathing Great Gala right now. I actually need to get working on it now...

Aye, aye, captain.

As we were driving home from gymnastics tonight, Walter said this. I have no idea where he heard this, but it sure was cute coming out of his sweet mouth. 

Owen had a blast at gymnastics tonight. He showed Jer & me that he could do a headstand against a wall this weekend and then proceed to push himself up into a handstand. I tried and couldn't even feel a hair move off the ground. When I ask him his favorite part of gymnastics, he always says rings and says he loves to go upside down on them. 

Walter has a pal at gymnastics with whom he always swap toys and chases around while his brother is in the gym. Tonight they were in the little lockers playing peek-a-boo and giggling like mad. So cute.

We had a nice weekend together with a minor hiccup along the way. We played in our yard quite a bit, including a water balloon fight and an outdoor bath. We also celebrated a week of very little whining and sass with a bowling excursion. Unfortunately I got a virus and wasn't feeling so hot Saturday night...well actually I was feeling too hot! :) All is well now, I just don't know where the weekend went as I slept through a good majority of it. Either way, it sure does remind you to be thankful for good health.

Where is it you, Mommy?

This is what I hear every once in a while around the house when Walter gets caught up in some toys or I run to get something in the basement or upstairs. Every time he says it, he makes me smile. He is so darn cute.

I had a meeting for the gala I am planning for Sunny Hollow today and I am so happy it is done. I'm a procrastinator by nature, so was up the past few nights preparing for it. It has been a fun and stressful addition in my life, and I am really looking forward to seeing it actualize. It should be a great event and I plan on making them lots of money. (If I haven't asked you yet...do you want to donate anything! :))

We've been having picnics in the garden at school daily. Its a great way to get to know other moms and avoid hearing 'I'm hungry' about a million times on the ride home. Today we also made a pit stop at the Longfellow Gardens to see the beautiful gardens and see and hear the beautiful hummingbirds. There were about 20 of them zipping around us. I never knew they made noises, but they do and sound kind of like crickets.

Tonight we have playgroup so I feel like I'm on easy street! Thank God for friends with kids!

Do you want to make a chart for Walter?

(Why?) Because he's whining a lot lately and it really hurts my ears.

This is what Owen asked and told me this afternoon. We had to have a discussion with Owen about being sassy and using kind words today and we came up with a reward system for using kind, big boy words. A few minutes later, Walter started crying about something, so Owen asked this! In time, it will work for Walter, too.

Owen had a big dream come true yesterday, he participated in his first run. He was so excited to run and particularly drink his Gatorade before and after. It was part of a new festival in our neighborhood, the Monarch Festival, which celebrates the monarch's journey from MN to Mexico. Lake Nokomis has a nice butterfly garden and we saw quite a few flying free after Owen flew to the finish line. There was also information on planting your own butterfly garden, something we intend to do this fall, so it was great to get some good reading, too.

We have been enjoying our lovely verdant back yard daily. I have realized I don't have to wash my floors as frequently, however, I do seem to be doing more laundry, as the boys tend to get soaked in the sprinkler roughly once a day! I'll gladly take this swap! We finally finished painted the fence today and now its just another reason to go stare at our beautiful yard! 

Jer took the boys bowling this afternoon. He started a bowling league at work last week, so now Owen is crazy about bowling! The last time we went bowling was a total nightmare as Walter didn't want to wait his turn and let everyone know about it. Jer said it was much better this time around. Owen got a 95 and Walter got a 55.

First you say 'hut, hut' then after I run some, say 'turn'.

Owen requested a game of football this evening. He and Jer had a few sessions in the triangle park by our house this weekend and he seems to have learned a few plays. He was not too impressed with my skills and was continually showing me how to do it correctly, but in the end there were lots of giggles and proud smiles. This was one set of instructions I received.

Today was Owen's first day of school. I was really not ready for summer to be over, however after today, it feels right. Its nice to be concerned of bedtime again, to resume a schedule and get into a routine again. He seems to have had a good day. He didn't tell me much, but after a few guessing games I figured out some of the work he did and he was excited to expand on each guess.

We had a packed weekend. On Saturday, we went to John's 5th birthday party. The boys had a blast playing at a water park, eating cake and playing with toys. 

On Sunday, we drove up to International Falls. Our dear friend Josh's brother, Mike, past away and we went up to partake in the funeral. It was a beautiful ceremony, right on Lake Kabetogama, which was a special place for Mike. 

After, we went to visit my Grandma, Uncle and cousins. Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead, so we weren't able to take any photos of the fun.

On Monday, Al and Joanne took the boys out to the Arboretum where they enjoyed getting lost in a maze! The boys really enjoyed themselves, while Jer and I got some work done in our yard.

That doesn't even scare me.

We spent the day at the Great Minnesota Get Together today, eating, riding, walking, exploring and having fun together. Owen wanted to do everything he saw, including the Haunted Mansion. As he looked at it with all the eery music, smoke and zombies dancing around it, he said this. We watched the people exiting for a bit and saw a boy a few years older than O come out bawling and said no to Owen. We didn't say no too much today, but that was one firm one!

We talked about our highlights on the ride home. Food highlights for Jer and me were corn dogs, for the boys it was cotton candy. Event highlights for everyone were the giant slide (Walter and me), breaking plates for prizes in the Midway (Jer), and the harnessed trampoline jump (Owen). It was so much fun, however, our stomachs and pocket book are pleased this is a once a year event!