Ringling Brothers

Stacy & Nick were able to get some discount tickets to the circus. So Thursday night we met them and my parents downtown. We decided to make the night even more exciting by taking trax. Emily loved it and it was really nice to not have to worry about parking.


Emily was enthralled with everything that was going on. I told her there would be elephants, tigers and girls with sparkly dresses. And she wasn't let down. They began by singing the national anthem while a woman in a very sparkly red, white & blue dress rode on an elephant and carried the flag. I think Emily would have been fine with just that.

Jackson & Emily seemed to enjoy it all but were very overstimulated and exhausted in the end (it went till 9:30pm). We took a few pics of the events - but with the lighting, it's hard to have anything turn out. So for those of you who didn't make it to the circus you can see it here via our blog.

Emily's excitement when she saw the tigers - "Daddy look!!!"

There are 7 motorcycles inside at one time

Animal Crackers

Wednesday we went to the zoo with Mama Newman, Jenny & Sara, and Stacy, Jackson & Lucy. The kids ran around and loved being with each other and the rest of us enjoyed the adult conversation. They had fun seeing the animals, but I think the 2 year olds were just happy to be with each other and happy to be outside. We spent 15 minutes around a dirt pile while the kids moved rocks around. And thank heavens grandma was there. Between three 2 year olds, a 6 month old, two pregnant women, and me and my snap happy camera, we had our hands full.

Waiting for Jackson

Looking at the Elephants

Is he real?

Our attempt at a group picture

I'll smile and say cheese, but I'm not giving you my cracker

The much anticipated Train ride



One final animal before we left

I don't feel that lately I've made good use of my zoo pass, but apparently Emily has still been learning about animals anyway. My mom and I got a very good laugh in when Emily kept correcting Jackson's bear growling and telling him that what he was doing was a lion, not a bear. She then proceeded to show the difference between the two and trying to make sure he understood.

Dear Meg,

This post is for you:

Today I changed sheets and made beds:
Cleaned all three bathrooms:

Fed & bathed Emily:

Made some bread:
Built castles, watched Jungle Book, played with puzzles, put all the puzzle pieces in Emily's "purse", played with puzzles outside, put them back in her purse, took them back upstairs and put them away: Gave Emily directions to the park, and then a meeting (cause that's where daddy was), and then the park, and then a meeting...
Washed and folded laundry:
I'm sure I ate somewhere in there and went to the bathroom too - but I don't think anyone wants to see pictures of that. Not that exciting of a day and not all that blog worthy - but here it is, a normal day in our home. So later this week when I post about the zoo or the circus or whatever may seem exciting, just remember what the rest of the week was like and know that I still haven't vacuumed. So the cracker crumbs that are under the table that have been there for the last 10 days? Still there. Oh, and our car hasn't been washed in a year either.

You Sleep With What?

We bought something once that came with a little stuffed kangaroo. About a month or so ago Emily took a liking to it and the kangaroo is now a part of her bedtime ensemble. I normally wouldn't put a kangaroo in the "cuddly comfort" category - but apparently it's just as good as her bear or blanket.
So a couple of weeks ago Jeff called and told me I'd better hurry Emily over to his work. When we showed up Emily got to see and pet a real baby kangaroo. Marley jumped all around the clinic and the patients loved it - and so did Emily. It's not often that you get to see a kangaroo as a therapy animal. And it's not often you get to pet a live version of one of your comfort animals.

As neat as it was though, I don't think we'll be trying to pet a bear anytime soon.

Leaves are Falling all Around

I love the fall. (Actually, I pretty much love any season as I'm always ready for the change in temperatures). I noticed the leaves are starting to change on the mountainside. I love looking at the colorful mountains - my favorite is the yellow aspens mixed with the deep pines. But I of course love the bright reds and oranges too. I also like this time of year because brides tend to do fall colors. I put together a bride's bouquet the other day and it reminded me again how much I love those colors together.
I also love the fall because of football. I love the crispness in the air and the memories of school. It's such a nostalgic time. I also hate the fall because of football. I don't like it because Jeff is an official and is gone reffing High School Varsity football games Friday nights and Little League all day Saturday. Last Friday night in an effort to not feel so lonely, I attended my alma mater with my parents and hung out with the Skyline Eagles. Emily of course loved every minute of it and didn't seem to mind the cold one bit. (Just like her daddy). She clapped along with us, groaned when there was a fumble and would yell out - "come on guys!" (I think she gets that one from me).
Matthew was dressed and out on the field and Emily kept asking where he was. Mama Newman would tell her, "He's right there, number 4 2. Next to the big guy." Emily would then turn around and tell Papa, "Matthew right there, number 4 2. Next to the big guy."

Playmates

We watched Jackson & Lucy the other night. I was wondering how we were going to keep two 2 year olds entertained while dinner was cooking and they solved the problem for me. They wanted to go out back and ended up spending an hour and a half out there. They had a blast swinging, finding new ways to go down a slide, and of course loved driving Emily's car around. Lucy even had a turn at the swing. Thank heavens we have our little back porch, it made for a lot easier night for me and a lot more fun for the kids.

A Day at the Fair

My younger brother Matthew’s Jazz Band was playing at the State Fair last week. So we made it somewhat of a family affair and all went to listen.


Emily spent most of the performance like this:

Although on the last number she got down and danced a little bit. After the band was done playing Emily and all her cousins just wanted to go see the animals. We made them sit for a picture with Matthew first – and as you can see, Jackson wasn’t very happy about it.
Emily was so excited to see the animals and completely terrified if we even got near them. She freaked out around the pigs,

would barely let Papa get close to the sheep,

and was very standoffish with the cows.

But Emily found her place once we got to the goat house. She was running up and down that place petting goats left and right. Maybe it was because they were smaller? Who knows. But she loved it. And from then on she was just fine looking at the chickens and bunnies.
And of course she was thrilled when Papa got her a ride on a pony.

2 Year Pictures

I was finally able to get Emily to hold off on hitting, cutting, scratching, bruising (and any other means of marking), her face for a couple of days so I could get her 2 year pictures. I took her to a park, told her she needed to listen and obey, smile, and if she was good than she could play on the playground. 15 minutes later she was sailing through the wind on a swing. I couldn't believe how well she cooperated. I guess there's something to be said for motivation. I'm pleased with the pictures - even with the band-aid covering her burned finger - and I can only hope that she'll be this cooperative in the future.