Take Note....

I know I am (a little) partial, but I think these boys are a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e!  How can you not?!

Judson and Crew spent the afternoon at our house today.  While here, Sullivan was teaching her baby cousins how to make funny faces....

See how intently they are taking note of all the inappropriate things she is doing?!  Also note that Quinn is totally pointing it out and telling them to watch!  The boys are either thinking, "who is this girl?!"  or "I'll have to remember this trick for when I get a bit bigger!"

Besides the teaching of funny faces, the girls had a blast playing with their cousins today.

Sullivan's silly antics must have rubbed off a Crew today, because he was quick to have the ladies smell his feet while chillin' in the stroller outside!

These boys are such a hoot and a lot of fun to spend the day with!

We are so glad they were able to spend the day with us! Hopefully they didn't pick up on too many bad habits while they were here!

Dudley Moore

It seems as though our life lately is paralleling the TV show Friends.  Getting the girls' haircuts this past weekend, I couldn't help but think of the episode of Friends where Monica needs a haircut. Phoebe had given both Chandler and Joey haircuts and as a result, Monica wanted one too.  Phoebe is reluctant because of how picky Monica can be, but eventually gives in.

Long story short, Monica tells Phoebe that she wants her hair to look like Demi Moore.  Phoebe doesn't catch the entire instruction and begins cutting.  After Phoebe cuts Monica's hair far to short, it is realized that Phoebe has gotten Demi Moore confused with Dudley Moore!  Needless to say, Monica's new haircut is strangely awkward and is not so cute.

Well, this past weekend we had a Dudley Moore moment at our house.  When getting Sullivan's hair cut, I was telling the hair stylist that I wanted something different for Sullivan's hair.  I wasn't sure what I wanted.  Just something different.  The lady sold me on a haircut similar to Quinn's - shorter in the back and then angles slightly toward the front of her face. 

I thought that would be cute and gave the OK to go ahead... let's just say, the hair stylist delivered on the "different", but not necessarily in the right kind of way!  

Oh dear Sullivan, I am so sorry that I subjected you to "one of those" kind of haircuts.  You don't seem to mind right now and you could really care less what you look like.  But I promise you one day you will look back on these pictures and say, "What kind of haircut was that?  Why did you do that to me?!"  I only know this conversation will come because your Auntie Meredith and I have had our fair share of those conversations with Grandma Jane (right, Mer!?).

It's only hair - it will grow.  That's what I keep telling myself, at least.

Poor Boys...

My girls adore their sweet cousins, Judson and Crew.  It doesn't matter how much time we spend with them, they can't get enough.  Smitten is an understatement.

So when we were able to spend the afternoon with them at the apple orchard this past weekend, they soaked up every minute they could.  Let's just say, Quinn and (especially) Sullivan don't know how "in your face" they are when they try to interact with the boys.

Really, how much closer can you get to Crew without literally sitting on top of him?!  Sorry, Crew!

At one point throughout our endeavor at the apple orchard, Quinn wanted to push the boys in their stroller.  I don't think she truly realized how heavy the stroller was or how difficult it would be to push them.  She gave it a valiant effort, but it resulted in a pretty rocky ride for the boys.  Sorry, boys!

At our house, if Quinn tries something, you better believe Sullivan will try it too.  Monkey see, monkey do! When Sullivan saw her sister pushing her cousins a light bulb went off.  She had to have a try at it too.

And if that didn't create enough of a rocky ride, the girls then had to have a turn together.  Sorry, guys!

After a great afternoon of fresh air, apple picking and family time, we would be remiss to not get a group picture of the cousins together.  After many attempts at the 'perfect' picture, I think Judson might have been getting a little heavy for Sullivan to manage.  Without realizing it, Sullivan didn't have the gentlest of holds on the poor guy.  Sorry, Judson!

We clearly realize that our time for pay back is coming and welcome it with open arms.  Some day those little guys will be not-so-little anymore and will be able to pay back all that "in your faceness!" Until then, all we can say is "sorry boys!"  It is only out of love and admiration that you get the up close and personal version of Quinn and Sullivan!

Fall, Fall, Fall....

Nothing screams Fall more than.... a trip to the apple orchard!  And we couldn't have been more fortunate to visit the apple orchard with our family this weekend.

Mer, Matt, Judson, Crew, and Grandma Jane joined us in our adventure to find the perfect apples.

The girls enjoyed picking the apples off the tree. 

Some of us couldn't help but sample the goods while we picked them... Yum, Yum!

But visiting an apple orchard doesn't just mean picking apples off a tree.  It is much more of an adventure than that.

While the girls took in the petting zoo, hay stack, pony rides and more, Crew and Judson enjoyed the fresh air.  They were content to just chill and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Grandma Jane and Sullivan visited the petting zoo, where Sullivan had this expression:

"Phew!"  she said.  "Them donkeys stink!"

After visiting the smelly donkeys, the girls took their turn at riding the ponies.  Quinn was jazzed to ride them, while Sullivan (despite her love of neigh neighs) was rather hesitant.  She conquered her fears, but really didn't enjoy herself.

Here is Quinn riding "Cowboy" and Sullivan riding "Tim."  

And wouldn't you know who was at the apple orchard?!  SANTA!  He is everywhere, let me tell you!  This time he was dressed in his regular 'duds' and was driving the tractor train.

After seeing him, the girls HAD to take a ride!

Before leaving the beautiful weather and the great adventure, we had to steal a picture with the four cousins.

We had a blast spending the day with family and visiting the apple orchard.  We can't wait for next year when those boys might not be as content to sit in their stroller and go along for the ride!

A Slight Resemblance

Who remembers the episode of Friends where Rachel is a bridesmaid in her ex-fiance (Barry) and best friend's (Mindy) wedding?!  She has to wear a hideously, ridiculous pink bridesmaid dress that looks a little bit like Little Bo Peep.

In that episode, Rachel is a little bit sheepish about being at the wedding in the first place because everyone at the wedding knows that she was a 'run away bride' at her wedding to Barry. She is worried that she is going to make a fool of herself in front of everyone.  Before she goes down the aisle, she uses the restroom where she comes out looking like this:

Apparently, she tucked her dress into her underwear and didn't realize it.  She goes down the aisle looking like this, where she lives her biggest fear and embarrasses herself beyond belief. 

Fast forward many, many years later.... to September 20, 2012.  Watching Sullivan doing gymnastics tonight, I spot something unusual.

Although it is hard to tell in this photo, Sullivan has managed to tuck her skirt into itself and was showing off far more than she needed to.  The glorious thing is, Sullivan didn't notice and didn't care.  

Even after I pointed it out to her after her lesson was done, she took it up a notch and decided to wear her skirt like this:

I wonder at what point modesty sinks in and a person becomes somewhat shy about things like this?!  Quinn finally hit that point this year which means we have a good, solid three years 'til Sullivan might be as embarrassed as Rachel felt at that wedding!  Then again, maybe not.  

A New Hobby...

Ryan has a new (or should I say revisited) hobby - he has joined an adult coed soccer team.

He started last week, and because we weren't sure if other family members go to watch the games, we stayed away until we got the 411 on who goes and who doesn't go.  You know, you never want to be "that person" who shows up with the whole family in tow and then find out that it is not a "family thing."  

After finding out that lots of people watch, we went to root him on this past Sunday.  It was a lot of fun to see him enjoy a sport he played (many) moons ago!  Let's just say that I've been with him for nearly 15 years (yikes!) and he hasn't stepped on a soccer field since I've known him.  

Ryan, in the middle of the picture, with the grey shorts.

We had two very enthusiastic girls wanting to see their daddy play soccer.  So we loaded up the car and headed to the game.

The enthusiasm lasted about 7, maybe 8 minutes.  Then the barrage of demands and gripes came down... "I am hungry." "This is boring." "Can we go home?"  "It is hot out here."  "I want some water."  "When is this going to be over?"  ... you get the picture.  This is certainly not an exclusive list of gripes or complaints - just a short sampling for your enjoyment!

The following picture is a "Smile-Santa-is-watching-you-picture."  Meaning, I am at my wits end and maybe, just maybe, the guilt of Santa watching might change your behaviors.  Sad, I know.  Those conversations typically aren't occurring in September.  At most, they are reserved for November, but that's how much they were at each other.  It was just one of those days.  Luckily the weather was perfect and I was able to block out my children's behavior and enjoy the event.

It was a great afternoon watching a bunch of adults play soccer.  What are the chances that I can talk my children into going again?!  Slim to none is my guess - although that won't stop me from trying!

Cutie Q...

Doesn't Quinny look adorable?

Quinn doesn't need glasses to see or read - nothing has changed there. 

She simply was goofing around while we were shopping this weekend 

and wanted to try these on. 

They make me chuckle.

Santa Badges

It's no secret how much my children love to color and do crafts.  So it was no surprise to find them at the coffee table this past weekend coloring with each other.  Many hours have been clocked at that table and more marker, colored pencil and crayon stains than you can imagine are also there.  

The girls started coloring police-style badges Saturday morning.  I am not sure where they got that idea, other than they are somewhat obsessed with police officers lately.  How or why they (Quinn) cut out the badges, I don't know.

With Quinn, all things are done with precision and patience.  Sullivan, quite the opposite.  While Quinn made rainbows on her police badge, Sullivan scribbled a quick picture on hers and moved on to the next one.

What would one do with so many police badges?!  Well, hang them throughout the entire house, of course!  While Sullivan was hanging them, I tried to explain to her, that despite how cute these badges were, they weren't going to be able to stay up on the walls forever.  And almost instantly afterward, she proclaimed, "Uhhhh,they have to stay up.  How else is Santa going to be able to find them pictures we make him?"  Did I hear that right, I thought.  She didn't really just say they were for Santa. And if she did, where did that come from?

Upon more investigation, it was determined that the police badges were in fact, for Santa Claus, Jolly Old Saint Nicolas, Mr. Claus himself.  Sullivan said that Santa would not be able to find her or the pictures if they didn't stay on the wall until he came.

And really who can argue with a three year old's thinking like that?  

After scribbling on several badges, Sullivan moved to making portraits of the ones she loves.  Here are Judson, Crew, Auntie, Uncle and Grandma Jane.

Nana, Papa, Uncle Eric, Gigi, and Duff.

We now have a variety of badges all over our house and I don't have the heart to take them down.  Do you think I can let them last until Christmas?  We'll see.  Who knows, maybe Santa will make a swing through South Dakota this fall to take a peek at the girls and see how they are doing.  Or perhaps he may send one of his elves.