Bix, Corn Fest, and Block Party 2013

Getting her race bib on for the Jr Bix

Giving a good luck hug before the big sprint

So lets see....where to start.  Maddox and Kennon took part in the Jr. Bix a couple of weekends ago.  It is a 70 yard run for the little guys that is all separated out by age. In previous years Maddox has been timid with all the noise, screaming parents, and commotion. I was thinking with another year under her belt maybe she'd break out and WIN the thing....well not really....but I was hoping that she'd at least not clamor on to Eric's leg, but no such luck. She is my little timid gal especially when it is noisy. Eric said she started off fine running solo but then got scared and had to be carried down the way to the finish. KTK on the other hand I could barely keep up with. I had his hands but he was pulling me like a horse on a cart. He loved it and didn't seem afraid at all. They both had a grand time and enjoyed in the post race yummies...hot dogs and chips. We skipped the Whitey's Popsicles as the weather was unusually cool. Saturday morning Eric ran the race in a blazing 49 minutes..a PR for him!! Way to go Dad.  Then we all jumped into the car just in time for naps to head down to Washington for the First Annual Corn Fest Reunion.  Grandma Jean and Grandpa Jim put on a great fest complete with local sweet corn and yummy Missouri tomatoes.  It was nice to see everyone including the Knowles family and Kathy, Kelly, and Emily who made the trek from Colorado!! We had a nice time and are looking forward to next years shindig already.  

Kennon wasn't quite as keen as being up on my shoulders. He quickly realized if he was 'UP' then he couldn't be 'DOWN' on the ground running around. Lets just say it was a long 18 minute wait standing in line before we got to say READY SET GO to Kennon.

My first Jr. Bix medal 

Kennon was actually way more interested in these rocks than he was his medal.

Post race goodies

Giving second cousin Emily from Colorado a BIG goodbye hug.  Maddox was enamored with Emily!

Despite the cool weather the kiddos enjoyed ridding all of Grandma Jim and Grandma Jean's TOYS!

Maddox, cousin Carter, Grandpa Jim, and Kennon

Maddox, Grandma Jean, cousin Carter, Grandpa Jim and KTK

Let's see what's new with the kiddos.  We progressed Kennon to a toddler bed over the weekend, which means he is able to get in.out of his bed independently!!  I think he is doing rather well although will admit he has been getting up a bit early as a result of his new independence. He is happy to get out of his room after nap when he wakes up after his normal 2 to 3 hour stretch but so far in the morning he wakes up a bit earlier requiring some rocking to get him back to sleep, if that works.....  We transitioned him to this bed in preparation for his potty training boot camp weekend which is slated on our calendar in a couple of weeks.  We wanted him to be able to get out of the bed to go potty in the middle of the night as needed.  Speaking of POTTY he has sort of jumped our gun on that.  He has in the last 4 to 5 days been very interested in the potty and even managed to poop and pee in there a couple of times in the last several days!! Way to go KTK.  ( that reminds me I need to get some MMs around here....some chocolate crazed Mom emptied the bowl just when we needed 'em last week.....oops ) He is still primarily missing the signal for when he has to go as his diaper is still soiled to some degree but I think with a little positive reinforcement he will get it when we do the 'goodbye diapers' weekend. I picked up some Disney character undies this weekend and have some Thomas ones on order from Kohls. So we'll see how it goes. I can't wait for him to be out of diapers however do drastically understand the fact that he is rather young for a boy. We'll see how it goes.  Maddox has been on a bit of a naughty streak....well I guess we could say both kids have.  I am getting a bit stressed that we have one of 'those' kids.....but I think with a little positive reinforcement we will be OK.  She is very quick to talk back and say "NO" to us when she doesn't want to do something.  She has also started saying naughty words.... STUPID, IDIOT, STUPIDHEAD  ( these are considered naughty when you are 3) just to mention a few.  She is learning most of these at Kindercare but oddly enough there are a few of these not so nice words in Disney movies.....  c'mon Walt...did ya have to??  So we are struggling with that as well as a lot of pushing the limits I'd say. Lots of hitting each other, stealing toys, getting in each other's space ( wait did I write that last week??)  Kennon is definitely in the terrible 2's and wants to do everything on his own and throws a rather large fit if he doesn't get his way.   So some days are frustrating but others very rewarding. Last week after I had made a pretty spectacular dinner Maddox reached over and gave me a big hug and said 'Mom this is so good you are a great mom!'  So, just that little statement makes all the frustrating moments a lot easier to handle.  I need to remember to use positive reinforcement with them both but it is hard to get out of the trap of just always getting angry when they do something wrong.  We are always open to other parents, friends, grandparents disciplining our kids....so don't be afraid...... have at 'em!!  I think I'm hearing little footsteps upstairs as I write this...or rather large JUMPING foot steps.  It seems to be coming from KTKs room. I was thinking we'd been getting lucky with him transitioning to the big boy bed with little play time.  If I had to guess I'd say he's probably jumping off his bed onto the floor repeatedly....little stinker. 

HyVee has a rather large Iowa Hawkeye section. While Maddox was a church school last Wednesday we took a fun solo trip to the store and tried this on for size.  Kennon loves the Hawks.

A post bath shot.

Last night our neighborhood had its annual block party!!  This year it was a potluck style where we were all assigned to bring a specific type of dish. There were lots of yummy things although I have to say we didn't get to enjoy too many of them. Maddox and Kennon are just at the age where we still s have to sort of keep an eye on them and when there is a jumpy house, a Kona ice truck, tons of ridding toys, and like 30 little kids running around it takes a keen eye and ear to keep track of your kids. We shut down a street in the neighborhood so there is no traffic but still plenty of 'trouble' for the kiddos to get into. They both actually behaved rather well and had a BLAST. I don't know how many times I"d think....'now where did Kennon go?'....and I'd look up and he'd be in the Jump House and the same for Maddox. They loved that thing.  Luckily there are a ton of toddler aged kids in our neighborhood so not too many big kids to bounce 'em too high in the House. Both Eric and I did get to catch up with a few neighbors and chat with some of the ladies up the way that I don't see much off....Judge road is completely filled in now...all the lots are built on and other than all but one house they are all sold and have families in them. Century Heights is a rockin' subdivision. We are so lucky to have chosen this neighborhood. 

Kennon in the jump house

Maddox and her Kona Ice. The truck was equipped with a self serve syrup side.  YEP...that's right. The man inside the truck just handed out the cups of plain shaved ice. Then on the side of the truck there were all these spickets with different type of syrup that you got to pick and put on yourself.  How cool is that....

The little guy sitting on the ground in the background is Breckon. We do a lot with his family and his big brother Parker and big sis Maddie.