We started off the 4th in our usual way, with the subdivision’s bike parade. Aiden and Brady elected to ride in the wagon while Logan chose his bike. Knowing how fast he can be, I decided to take my bike along as well to keep tabs on him and the other big kids.

I seriously did not buy red, white and blue shirts on purpose, but it worked out that way. Here is the crew pre-bike parade:

You would think I was the annoying paparazzi with the way these two (Aiden and Brady) were acting! They would cover their faces every time I tried to get a shot.

There we go…sort of :) We woke up early and decorated the wagon and Logan’s bike before heading over to the parade at 8:40. We assembled and got started by 9:00

Here is the front of the pack. Logan is on the right in red. For some reason, he thought it was a race. However, he was super tired that morning and got pretty frustrated because he couldn’t keep up with the (really) big kids in front. He pulled over, sort of threw his bike down, sat on the ground and told me “I failed”. It about broke my heart! He said he wanted to keep going, but he was “just so tired”…this as he wiped tears away from his eyes with the backs of his hands. I explained to him that we weren’t in a race and he wasn’t even allowed to pass the riders in the front (older kids who were setting the pace). He got back up and sped off without another word to me. Later, he told me he was just kidding about being tired. (shrug) Go figure. I was proud of him for getting back on his bike and for getting over his frustration, but it was a moment of mothering where I thought, “gosh…I hope I said the right things and made him feel even a little better…”

Meanwhile, Brian and the little boys didn’t even hardly enter the main bike parade course. We spun around the neighborhood and found them hanging out around turn #1. Jeff had Jackson (not his child) and Matthew (his 3rd) in one wagon while Brian had Brady and Aiden in ours. All the boys were having a good time trying to hold each other’s hands from wagon to wagon. too cute.

The day was blazing hot so we all hit the pool after – awesome!

That night, we killed time while waiting for our 8:45 departure for fire works. Here are the boys on the patio…first experience with smoke bombs. Aiden’s quote was the best: “they’re stinky…I love them!”

and here we are at the fireworks. We arrived around 9:00 and had some time to kill before the 9:30 show. Good thing we had lots of sparklers. Well…good thing for the kids, but not so much for daddy who had to light them all. Our kids elected PJs for the evening.

All I wanted was to get a good shot of the three boys together with sparklers. My camera was malfunctioning, the sparklers kept puttering out before I could snap a picture, or the three of them would wander out of frame. Sadly, here is the best one I got: blurry. booo hooo.

I think of all the kids, Logan (in the yellow chair) and Ella (in pink) enjoyed the display the most…or at least they were the most vocal about it. Both of them were oooohin and aaaaahing more than anyone I have EVER seen…complete with jump-ups out of their chairs and “oh my gosh – did you see THAT one?!” Ella declared, over and over, that it was the best fireworks display ever!! Aiden sat quietly and watched, Brady could hardly be contained after the first few went off. After some initial fireworks appreciation, he spent a good deal of his time wandering around asking everyone for more sparklers…or Pete for cookies (shrug)  

All in all, a great and funny day! Happy 4th of July!!!

Last Saturday, we drove down to the city again to watch daddy play soccer. Sadly, he had a mid-game injury that put him on the bench, but it was still great to watch him play. After the game, we crossed the street back to our car, put some stuff away, crossed the parking lot, climbed over a little hill and went to Foster Ave Beach!

The boys had a blast running and splashing, building tunnels back into the lake, eating lunch and getting ice cream from the beach vendor. Everyone had a nap on the way back home before we went to a neighborhood birthday party.

Logan and I started a big hole with various paths leading back into the water. Aiden joined the fun and Brady just kept running in and out of the water.

Happiness = kids and a beach

I packed a lunch and then we (the boys and daddy) had ice cream. Logan chose a rainbow snow cone, Aiden had an ice cream sandwich, Brady had sponge bob with gumball eyes.

Brady chose to have his ice cream while standing in the water (which was good because it was dripping everywhere). Look at him contemplating his next bite! “I’m gonna eat you sponge bob!”

Me and my three babies

Last week, Tuesday to be specific, we had some significant landscaping done at the 554. Earlier this spring, we consulted with a landscape designer who drew up a beautiful plan for us…that cost the same amount as say…my left arm. What we decided to do was to have the landscaping company dig all the beds that were in the plan. That, we figured, was the part we couldn’t do. We decided we could hunt for the right plants, follow the plan and put them in ourselves. A week later, I have to say that we made the right decision. The yard is coming together and it looks amazing.

Between last Tuesday and last Friday, however, we had some muddy mud pits in our back yard. We didn’t have the landscapers do the mulching so there was only top soil down…and some significant rain to boot. It was driving me a little insane. The mess was outside, on me, on the kids and in the house. Brian the ever “calmer downer” told me to just let it go. “They’re kids…and there is mud out there…let them play in it and keep your camera close by”. Friday morning, we had some good friends over to play. Karen and her kiddos left for naps around 1, but Lisa and her two boys hung around into the late afternoon. Good thing she’s easy going too…cause we had some messsssy kids!

Here are Adam, Logan and Mackenzie being “mud monsters”. Notice how the girl applied her mud nice and evenly…more like at a spa. The boys sort of rubbed it all over themselves and in their hair. This is the “good” picture…it got a LOT worse. At one point Adam was basically wearing a mud helmet.

The pool was originally designated as the “clean kids” zone where the water table was designated as the “wash yourself area”…the pool ended up as a mud pit. The playset also came under attack at one point. The kids were throwing mud balls at it.

Compared to later, this looks like super clean.

I’m not kidding…near the end, Logan had almost an entirely black face. But it was a one-time experience and, according to Logan, “such a super fun day mommy!”

So here are some of the landscaping pictures:

32 plants that Brian and I dug up before the work began. Most of these found homes in the new plan, but they all had to be moved so we figured we would take them out so that the beds would be formed correctly. You can’t tell here, but most of these are sitting in the large plastic baby pool.

The left side of the porch before the work was done after we had removed all the plants (hostas mostly)

Standing in front of the right side before the work (if you look closely, you can barely see the white outline in the ground where the new beds were dug)

This is the pile of sod that left the house. It filled up a huge dump truck. Our friend Joel called it the “VW beetle-sized pile of sod in front of your hosue”

A dump truck in my driveway…one of two that were there that day. We took over the whole street basically. 

This is the left side of the house. Here, there was previously a very straight and narrow bed with bushes…all of which were replanted (by me) up in the front section)

This is the left side of the house (lovely shadow of me again). There was nothing here before except the tiny section in the back where you see the grasses and the tree.

This is across the back of the yard. This part made me a total wreck…look how much of the lawn is gone! It’s so much better now that I fully understand the plan. We have a good deal of it started already after this past weekend. I also mowed for the first time this afternoon and WOW – it’s a breeze and takes 1/2 the time!!

Another freak-out…I didn’t realized from the plan that the bed would touch the play set. It’s OK though…they can still swing and literally NO one ever went back there anyway.

Here is the new right side (when you’re standing on the porch, stepping out of the house) of the porch and one of 2 new trees we had put in that day.

A view across the lawn: you can see the bed straight ahead on the edge of the property plus the new “left” side of the porch and the other tree. That particular tree is called a lilac standard. It’s a lilac bush grafted on to a tree trunk! We have two existing lilac bushes on either side of the back of the house and that will mirror them. It’s gonna get huge too (the top…not the bottom).

A view from the porch looking right. This area, as well as the front walk-way off the porch are supposed to have new paver path extensions to the existing patio in the same stone we already have. We think, however, that we are going to do stepping stones. The landscaper did stones off of the left side (I didn’t take pictures) and Brian did one off the front. We’re working on this area next.

Last Saturday was our 3rd annual trip to Prairie Fest with a group of our neighbors. For those of you not-in-the-know, Pfest is always held around father’s day and is usually at the tail end of the week (like Thursday, Friday, Sat, Sunday). The neighborhood crew always meets up Saturday in the late afternoon. We mark off an area by making a giant circle with our chairs/strollers etc…aka: “the circle of fun”

This year Brian had to leave the festivities early due to another obligation so I was left alone with the boys. Brady has been on a royal reign of terror lately (he’s 2…and doing 2-year-old boy stuff like hitting and pushing and biting to get what he wants…sadly it usually works). Thankfully the older boys were ANGELS, but I was still the first to pack it in and head home…around maybe 8:45, 9:00…can’t remember exactly, but way past bedtime! Thank God, as always, for my wonderful friends who helped me by manning the older boys any time I needed to step away for the restroom etc.

Tradition dictates that we mark our spot, then wander off for games and food. Here is the kid crew before ride departure.

Bray and bestie Jackson

Brady was actually tall enough to ride most of the rides this year. He was thrilled!!

Logan and Sarah

Look at that – Brady even has proper “I’m a daredevil on a ride” form.

Aiden and Mackenzie on the motorcycle ride. This ride had the awesome (mind-numbing) feature of buzzing horns on each cycle which the kids could hold down, and hold down, and hold down, and join in with the other 7 buzzing cars. I felt a little insane listening to it for 5 minutes, I can’t imagine how the guy running the ride feels at the end of his work day!  

While the big kids went to ride a really “big boy” ride, I took Brady for his solo train tour. He LOVED it!!

Each time he would round the corner where he could see me again, he would hunt for my face in the crowd, wave and smile SO BIG.

Here is the really big boy ride…the falling something or other. Aiden didn’t go…Brady was too little…Logan….

LUUUVED it!!!!

Kids love to pet animals. All I could think was “don’t step in poo…don’t step in poo…now wash your hands when you’re done!”

Is this not the coolest thing ever?! I would love to try this sometime!

Back at the circle! Each family (read: mom) brought a little something for the kids. We took turns handing them out in waves to keep everyone occupied. We started with cold pizza brought by us (Brian’s genius idea), moved to pretzels and juice boxes followed by twizzlers, freeze pops and finally…glow in the dark bracelets (brought by me). It was about this time…when we returned from rides, that Brian had to leave.

someone stole my camera (Brady)

The killer B’s: We gave this trio of terror that nickname last summer. The three of them seem to come up with some pretty interesting (and sometimes naughty) ideas. I think we originally had AJ as “the brains”, Aiden as “the beauty” and Ryan as “the brawn”. We were DYING laughing because the killer B’s took their bracelets and, of their own free will, put themselves in handcuffs. We can only hope this is the last time we’ll see a shot like this…well…hopefully never one that doesn’t include glowing jewelry.

Yesterday, we planned to spend our morning/early afternoon in downtown Chicago. Daddy was playing soccer on his company team and I thought it would be fun if we all tagged along (which it was…and which is why we’ll be doing it again next weekend and any other free Saturdays we have).

As Brian and I were madly getting ready upstairs, the boys were playing downstairs. When we came down to load up the car, we were greeted with this lovely little view:

that is the sliding glass door leading out to the back yard.

Facts: That is one straight line! There was one pair of scissors on the countertop in the kitchen, but they have a safety on them…which was still in place. Upon search of the area, no other cutting device was located.

Two of the three witnesses found at the scene of the crime claim that the perpetrator was Brady, although their accounts of the incident vary. Reported methods of destruction included pulling and/or spinning inside the curtain until it broke. There was no mention of cutting. The third witness refused a coherent comment.

I did notice at breakfast this morning that it’s actually quite an interesting effect. The sun is always shining right on the table during that time so we keep the curtains drawn so as to avoid blinding ourselves. The curtain adjustment did let in a nice amount of light without damaging our vision... (mantra: glass half full…glass half full…I wanted new curtains anyway…I wanted new curtains anyway)

So…the older boys have been pretty good lately about not coming into bed with mommy and daddy. Until recently, Brady wasn’t even waking, let alone crawling out of his crib to come sleep with us. Last night, however, we had a pretty intense thunder storm in the early morning hours. I think Logan arrived around 3. Aiden followed suit around 3:45. I figured it was all good…they need the love like that sometimes, especially during scary “funder” (this is what Logan used to call it and I would laugh saying “how can it be scary when it apparently starts with the word fun?” he didn’t think I was “thunny” <—anyone get that joke??)

Annnyway, Brian was out of town and I had the whole king-sized bed to share (although, really…they’re like puppies…I swear they sleep as close to me as possible…and boy do they give off some heat!) Round about 4:15, I hear a sort of cry/yell from the hallway (I sat up, took inventory of my now crammed bed and realized it was Brady). I went out to help him back into his bed…but now before he saw where his brothers were sleeping! You could see the mini wheels spinning as he said, “I wun baby doggie in mommy bed!” Which means: come with me to my crib, get my stuffed dog and then bring us both back to THAT little sleeping party!

Honestly, it was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I settled him on what is normally Brian’s side and arranged the covers over all of them. I swear I almost grabbed my phone on the night stand to take a picture of three little heads on three big pillows. AH! So cute! I climbed onto what was left of the bed and tried to encourage Brady to sleep. He, however, was tickled to be in-between me and Logan. He turned towards big brother and was literally petting his face. Logan woke up, smiled and said, “ahh…Bray!” Then they threw their arms over each other and I thought we were good-to-go. But…Brady wanted to talk. He kept trying to get Logan to play with him. Logan was cracking me up. He kept patting Brady’s head saying, “Ok Brady…can you please be quiet now?” Finally, after Brady started pointing at things in the room saying, “what’s dat Ogan?,” I removed him and rocked him back to sleep in his own room. This maneuver actually took 2 attempts and mommy finally settled back in for more sleep around 5. So…super cute, but super tired mommy today. Good thing daddy arrived home this afternoon in time for me to take a killer nap!!!