Last weekend The Planning Center rented a suite at the River Bandits game for it's annual summer get together. The suite came complete with AIR CONDITIONING...which was rather important as it was the hottest day of the year, endless amounts of hamburgers, hot dogs, cotton candy, cookies, chips and dip, popcorn and a special one on one visit with Rascal the River Bandit's mascot. The Planning Center family has lots of little kids...in fact Maddox is the oldest and it trickles down from there, various ages with the youngest being 9 months. We all had a great time. The kids got to ride the giant ferris wheel and jump in the bouncy house..and um er...watch the game??.... I have to be honest I didn't even watch the game! The only downfall was the game started at 1:15...which was prime nap time. We exited about 3:45 with two very unhappy, hot, tired kids who were asleep in their car seats before we even left the parking lot ( note to self…..likely going to need a nap time break at Disney..!! )
Kennon getting a hug from Rascal...as Maddox looks on ( Maddox with her first official hair bun....she starts dance lessons on Wednesday so we thought we needed to start practicing)
The Planning Center kiddo gang...Graham ( the baby), Madison, Kennon, Maddox, Christopher, Mason..... we were only missing Lilly, Graham's big sister who is about the same age as Kennon…..and was home taking a nap…smart girl!
The much anticipated 'first day of school' came last Wednesday. Both kids were happy to get ready, take pictures and hop in the car. Unfortunately when we got there Maddox became a bit timid but with help from the teachers I was able to transition her to the routine of putting away her backpack/folder etc and start washing her hands. Kennon was happy to run into his classroom and barely waved goodbye to me!! Both kids came home happy and were ready to go back the next day. I will say, Maddox is still adjusting to the fact that she is going EVERYday. And then the Labor Holiday threw her off yesterday. I have a sneaky suspicion when she starts Kindergarten next year, all day, she'll be wiped out. Maddox requested braids for her first day and both were happy to finally wear those new shoes that have been sitting in their cubbies for a couple of weeks!!
I love this sad face...I think he was being silly.... significant contrast to the gigantic grin below. He looks astonishingly old with his collared shirt and backpack.
So cute…big sis showing little brother where to go.
We've made it a yearly tradition ( well two years in a row anyhow) to go out to the Orion Fall Festival the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. We always eat at the Lions Club Food Tent ( I don't know what they put on their hamburgers...but they are so darn good...I probably don't want to know right??) and then the kids enjoy the perfectly sized rides for a 3 and 4 year old. Lastly we meet two of my high school friends at the tractor filled parade. Always a fun time. This year the kids were 'old enough' to ride the little roller coaster. Last year Eric and I felt it was a tad too whiplashy..... but the kids LOVED it this year..which bodes well for Disney as we are slated to ride almost all of their roller coasters, with the exception of Space Mountain. The kids loved the dragon roller coaster that went really fast forwards and backwards. I only caught ONE little glimpse of fear on Maddox's face when they started to go backwards. But it was short lived because they both begged to use their last ticket on a second round of the coaster.
I love this one……look at Kennon's face…priceless….and Maddox looking down on his little brother…like 'whoa I better pick up my pace…on this stationary motorcycle!!'….Hah!! LoL. So cute.
Maddox laughing and having fun on her stationary cycle… Kennon digging deep and living the dream!!
Maddox -hands up- as she dives down the front side of the wheel.
Look at those happy faces :)
Eric packed both Maddox and Kennon up in Sienna yesterday and headed south to Keokuk for a little Labor Day celebration. I stayed home to get some house details done in a significantly more efficient way than I normally am able to ( the freezer is full of meals :) Eric's mom's house sold a few weeks ago and it closes next week. She had some rose bushes that were just beautiful every year and we got the opportunity to bring three of them up to our yard. Eric and his family dug up 3 for us, a red, a pink and a yellow. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep them going…never tried my hand at roses before. In addition to the rose digging the kids got to enjoy in the Keokuk Labor Day parade. Both Eric ( and I too) expected it to be much like the Orion parade, filled mostly with tractors and about 20 minutes long. But on the contrary..it was a fabulous parade, so Eric and the kids said. They came home with loads of candy, stuff animals, random little trinkets that I've honestly never seen given out at parades….like bozo noses…yes…you read that right..red bozo noses and little pretend plastic head sets!! Crazy. The kids love a good parade and this one had several bands too. Our niece Kelby, Bryan and Lori's daughter, is a drum majorette so they got to see her marching down the street leading the Keokuk high school band..way to go Kelby!!! You can see as the pictures go along they were also handing out lots of stickers…bumper stickers that is. But, I"m sure there's no telling a 3 and 4 year old to 'not stick' a huge sticker!! Note to self..need to check those shirts before they go in the washer. After the parade fun the kids and Eric headed out to Aunt Lora ( Eric's sister) and husband Jim's house in the country for some fishing in their pond…or well maybe lake…I'm not quite sure what the appropriate term is. The kids have really taken a likin' to fishing and this fishing trip proved to be just as fun as the last with Grandpa Jim. Two broken rods and several blue gill and bass later and both kids are hooked ( not literally)…but Kennon has been casting his fishing pole in the driveway and yard since they got back yesterday afternoon. We stuck a piece of hubba bubba on the hook so as to avoid injury. So far he's only caught the crab apple tree :) I can barely get him to come in from casting he is so addicted and actually getting really good at it. What a cool family day for the kids to have with Eric and the Keokuk clan.
ooooh….the beloved hubba bubba!! Perfect for a fishing hook protector..or for a 14 second chew…!
Kennon looks like he's being dive bombed by candy here!! Check out the sticker on Maddox's shirt…
The sticker collection is growing!!.. I managed to do a cool new hairdo in Maddox's hair yesterday. You can't see the back but it is like a side french braid and looked adorable. I did another one today. So fun to try cool new styles with new bows I got at the Orion Fall Festival.
Fishing from the dock with Uncle Jim ( left) and Uncle Bryan ( right)…. The kids even got to go fishing from the boat!!! So cool
Maddox isn't looking so interested in this picture…but Eric said the kids had a great time and didn't really get too bored fishing! I could probably find a similar picture of myself at that age, lying around in my photo archives.
A fun Labor Day weekend had by all!
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