August 2014

Getting ready to walk in the parade and hand out bead for The Bond County Circuit Clerk

Well August 2014 isn't going to go down as the best month in 2014 but maybe not the worst either. It did seem like there were lots of ups and downs all month long, with work, little boys, sleep, weather, just everything.  Oh well I guess every month cant be May.  The heat definitely showed up this month and it felt like summer in St. Louis.  My Garden has been really producing all month long.  Especially tomatoes!  But also raspberries, tomatoes, jalapenos, peppers, did I say tomatoes?

watching the Fairview Heights Homecoming parade with Cannon's (our neighbor buddies)

Will and Beth:

Will and I did something we have been thinking about for a long time this month.  We made a will complete with powers of attorney.  Not all that exciting or fun but I think we both feel better knowing that IF something were to happen we have some plans made.  We got to get away on a date night into St. Louis one night.  And we both signed up to run the St. Louis Rock n Roll half marathon at the end of October.

August is always a busy month for Will at work.  At some point the city decided to plan every event they have for the whole year in August and then have the police do security for all of it.  So Will has been working parades, Art Fairs, Wing Fests, and even going to some training.  I had several people texting or emails me to see if Will had been affected by the Ferguson, MO events.  I guess my answer would be no and yes.  No his day to day work functions and duties were not affected (thankfully what happens in Missouri stays in Missouri) but honestly I think we were all in one way or another affected by what is going on there.  I know many nights I was checking the news before I went to bed and as soon as I got up in the morning to find out if it was a calm night or another night of looting and rioting.  My facebook feed was consumed with people voicing their opinions, everyone convinced that their opinion of what happened there was the right one.  Even now we still dont have the whole story of what happened there, will we every really?  Ok well I feel like anything else I want to say about that has to many personal opinions and emotions in it so I guess thats where I'll stop.  But for those of you who checked on us thank you and we always appreciate your prayers for Will's safety at work.

At then end of last month I was kinda considering trying cycling and wondering what was next for me after indoor soccer.  As I mentions above I signed up for the half marathon in October and am enjoying having a goal to work towards and train for.  I have not run a long run in St. Louis yet, and am looking forward to seeing sites in the city while running by them.  It has been very hot so I have had to get up early and go at 6 when Will is coming home from work.  Ideally before the boys wake up so Will can go to sleep when he gets home but Grant hasn't been making that easy. (more on that later, sigh) I have also been checking out books at the library about women's cycling and even took a 10 mile bike ride. I finally used the last of my bday money and bought a bike hitch for  the boys chariot stroller so I can now pull them in it on a bike.  We have enjoyed zipping over to the park in the evenings in it quite a bit this month.  Through reading and learning more about bikes and riding I have added a new goal to my bucket list.  To do a century ride.  (a 100 mile bike ride).  This is definitely a long term someday goal because I dont have the time (to train properly) or money (for a really good bike) right now but its fun to kinda think about and dream about for now.  Anybody wanna ride with me.....someday?!

Rex:

What's new with Rex?  We have been doing some movie nights on Friday nights lately especially when Will has to work on Friday.  Rex especially enjoys picking out the movies, watching them, and munching on popcorn.  Rex is definitely ready to start preschool back up.  His first day is Sept 3rd and he is very excited for it.  It will be MWF this year still from 10-1.  If you ever want to feel important, loved, or missed come to our house and then leave.  Rex has kinda become a professional good-byer.  Every night when Will goes to work he gets showered with multiple hugs, kisses, and farewells from Rex.  As Will is driving down the drive way Rex will still be hollering things to Will like, "Its just not the same here without you", "You are the bestest Daddy Ever", "I love you all the way to the moon and back", and "you are my sunshine" just to name a few.

both boys climbing out of Grants crib

rub a dub dub

I feel like I say this every month but I feel like the boys have really reached a new level of playing together this month.  They have been having lots more "adventures" together.  Where they go upstairs and get deep into a pretend story together.  Their favorite past time is playing "clone troopers" where they get all their various weapons and costumes on and then speak in mono tone voices (like a robot) and go a defeat the bad guys.  Sometimes it only last a few minutes, sometimes much much longer.  Rex kinda uses Grant as his minion and tells Grant where to go, what to do, and what to say.  So it usually goes well until Grant decides he is tired of taking orders and goes off and plays his own thing.  Then it can get real ugly real fast so we are working on that.

playing in the rain....they are saying CHEESE

The boys asked to move their seats next to each other so they could "make plans"

being silly on the slide

Grant:

A all to common "grumpy Grant" face

Grant wanting to eat one of our delicious peaches from Eckerts Orchard

little boy in a big bed

 Seriously all I want to say about the G-man is He's two....and he's TERRIBLE!  Dont let all the pictures where he looks cute and he is smiling real big fool you, he is absolutely terrible!  So remember last month when I was all like"ya so Grant never gets out of his crib, and we dont give him water anymore, and blah blah blah"  I take is all back.  All I know these days is that I know nothing.  Due to a series of unfortunate events Grant is now in a big boy bed.  Over all when I compare his transition to Rex's he is doing pretty well but that isn't saying much.  I just hate the crib to big boy bed transition.  sigh.  So he is in it and we give him water again so he stays in it.  sigh.  And there is baby gate in front of his door so that when he doesn't stay in bed he doesn't wonder the house in the middle of the night, turn on all the lights, pull a chair over to the counter, climb up on it and get more sippees out of the cabinet so he can get milk.  sigh.

In other new about Grant that doesn't involve as much sighing he had his best ever haircut this month.  He sat all by his self in the chair and didn't fuss once while the stylist cut his hair.  We were so proud of him! Rex and I gave him big high fives and told him how awesome he was.  And Grant is starting to go potty on the potty!  No we aren't potty training yet.  I kinda call this the recreational phase of using the potty.  When I change his diaper I will ask him if he wants to sit on the potty.  Which he usually does.  At first we were just sitting but then potty started coming out and he kinda got the hang of it.  As you know Grant is the most hydrated child on the planet so he can pretty much always go potty a little bit.  I dont really plan to potty train for real until 2015 but this is definitely some good practice until then.

balance bike

did I mention he is terrible?