Jaden plays soccer

This is Jaden's first year to play a sport. He's 4!!

Here he is, putting on his shin guards. Both boys have FITS about their socks and their shoes! You'll see---Jaden ended up putting his shin guards over his socks.

It's just not worth the hassle to fight over silly shin guards.

Yes, I know you can't use your hands in soccer.

He was getting the ball out of the goal!

Steve had to be his coach, since Jaden has watched him be Tyler's coach several times!

Jaden and MaryKate waiting their turn to play again!

Aren't his shin guards so funny on the outside of his socks!!

At age 4---they play 3 on 3.

It's not real high paced! But, cute none the less!

And--the highlight of the morning was Jaden scoring a goal. The first goal for his team.

Needless to say...he was quite excited!

You forget that most 4 year olds have not played sports before.

Tyler had to show the little ones how to hold their hands out to "shake" after the game. Jaden asked me just today when we were looking at these pictures, "why they had to touch hands?"

Our Saturday mornings will be full of soccer with 2 boys playing.

Next year Paige will be doing something...probably dance, not soccer!
And, then that will be crazy--keeping up with 3 kids' schedules!

But, for now, Paige will just sit on the sidelines and cheer....

or play with her Barbies!

Tyler's soccer

This is Tyler's 2nd year to play soccer.

It's a little more entertaining this time.

Last year he played flag football. This year he choose soccer.

(even though I think his dad wanted him to choose football!)

There's a goaly for the first time--which makes it more "Real".

Does he look serious or what? !!

It looks like he missed the ball, but I am pretty sure he did it hit !

Cooling off with a Gatorade!

The Wranglers Game

My goal this year is to DO MORE with my kids. I (and Steve) could just let them play and I could work, work, work. I could work on Premier, I could clean, I could organize, I could re-arrange, I could, I could, I could. So, I am trying to DO more with the kids.

So---thanks to the Summer Reading Program... the kids got free tickets to the Wranglers game!

So, we went.

The game started at 7pm.

We could get there at 6:15 to meet some of the players and ask questions.

On the way to the game, Jaden had drawn a picture for the "baseball man".

So, after the questions, I let Jaden give it to him. Jaden was SO VERY PROUD.

And, then they got their picture taken with the "baseball men".

The starting pitcher for the Wranglers (not sure of his name) is holding Jaden's picture and the other player is the back-up pitcher. Jaden wanted to know what he was going to do with his picture. I assured him he would hang it up in his locker (after I explained what a locker was).

Paige with a mouth full of corn-dog.

OH---so the kids' tickets were free ($12 value, total). Steve and I's tickets were $8.

And, then $30 worth of FOOD!!

No wonder they give free tickets away---they still make a killing off of us!

I wanted to be a cheap mom and make the kids eat sandwiches before the game. But, then I decided they would have fun eating dinner at the game.

So, nachos, pretzel with cheese, Diet Coke for all to share, hamburger, corndogs, and hotdogs. Gross. And, $30.

And after all that....they still wanted more.

I talked them into ice-cream cones from McD on the way home ($1 each!!)

Yeah, the stands are not over-flowing at these games!

I even let the boys go down to the "good seats" for a bit because they weren't full either.

It was a fun night.

We got there at 6pm and left at 8:30, in the 3rd inning.

The kids had fun, but didn't care if we stayed til the end. We had church the next morning and we wanted to get them in bed!!

I'm glad we went and we'll go again sometime!

First Day of Pre-school

Last year the 2 little ones did Kids Day In at Westlink Church. 1 day a week.

This year they get to go to Pre-school. 2 days a week.

All ready for school.

That grin on her face is SO HER!!! Her back-pack is as big as her!

Isn't he so HANDSOME!! Usually he doesn't let me dress him "preppy" (for a lack of a better word). I told Jaden it was a rule you had to wear a collared shirt the first day of school. I didn't lie---it is MY rule! It worked and look how stinkin cute he is!!

He wanted to make sure I got a picture of his back-pack.

New Shoes!

Walking into school...

Everyone seems to be doing ok.!?

And, then Jaden decides he doesn't want to go to school.

He just sat down in the grass.

Paige was nearly to the building and I had to stop her!

I told Jaden I had a meeting to go to (which I did), so he had to go to school.

He quickly told me he could go home because dad was at home!

I did get him into the building.

Paige and Mrs. McCalla--her new teacher.

Hanging up her back-pack.

She is so excited that she sees her name on the coat rack.

Jaden hanging up his back-pack.

He is sad, but doing ok.

Then, I tell him it's time to go and MELT-DOWN!!

I pick him up, he grabs on as tight as he can and starts crying.

This, of course, just breaks my heart.

I almost did take him home to dad.

Then, Levi Harden came---just in time. (Levi is our friend from church.) So, we take our picture with Levi and seem to be doing better.

Levi then goes into class and Jaden does not.

Then, MaryKate comes. OH good...another friend we know.

He won't even take his picture with her.

She goes into class. But, not Jaden.

I talk to him some more and then tell him I will take him into class but the teacher says I have to leave right away. So, I took him to the carpet, sat him next to MaryKate and he was FINE!!

OH MY.....

Now--last year at Kids Day In, he cried for MONTHS....EVERY TIME I dropped him off. So, I pray this does not happen this year.

Paige had no troubles. She just walked right in and started playing.

Dad picked the kids up from school and Jaden said he did have fun.

So, we'll see what Tuesday brings!!!

First Grade

Monday was the first day of school--the first day of 1st Grade!! My baby will be gone ALL DAY!!

It was a rainy messy first day of school!

Rainy/foggy days make for yucky pictures too.

The bus picks Tyler up at 8:26am and drops him off at 4:24pm. What a LONG day!!

Hallie and Tyler--after they got off the bus--on their way into their new class! YES--this year they are in the same class.

Becky and I followed the bus to school so we could take pictures of the kids. There were a few other parents like us. Video camera in one hand, digital camera in the other!

Mrs. Adkin's and Tyler on the First day of School!!

And, sitting at his BIG BOY desk. Last year they sat at tables. This year a real desk! When we went the week before to meet his teacher and see his classroom, Tyler opened the desk and saw books. He sat at his desk and asked if he could "do some work." We hope he always wants to "do work!" We'll see in a few years!

The other new thing this year is eating lunch at school. Day 1 was hamburgers. He ate at school--a hamburger and a rice crispy treat! Day 2 was soft tacos and he ate that. Day 3 he took his lunch and he said he liked that too.

He is already asking me to come to school and eat with him. He would have had me come today, if he had his way. I have held him off until Friday. (I thought he should get to know the routine and figure out the lunch room before I came.) But, there is no way around it---I am going to lunch on Friday! And, Tyler is counting down!! Now the big dilemna---do we eat the school's Pepperoni Pizza or do I bring Happy meals??!!!

I am just glad I am loved enough that he WANTS me to come to lunch with him. I am happy to go!!

More pictures

When it's time to take the kids' pictures together---- my biggest challenge...what to have them wear. The problem is...EVERYTHING in Paige's closet is PINK and does not "go" with anything the boys have. So, this year we opted for K-state. We had K-state pictures made of the boys when Jaden was 2 weeks old, but Paige has never had K-state pictures! So, it was time!!

This is our favorite!!

This was a challenge to get this stance---hence why they are slanted a bit. It's the best we could get!!

We ordered 3 different poses and we are going to hang them in the basement in the kids' toy area! I think it will be super cute, next to the K-State bar Steve has!!

New Pictures

Summer Birthdays for Jaden and Paige and Back to School..... means time to go to JCP for pictures!!! I used to go at least every 6 months to get pictures taken, but now that the kids are getting older, they don't change as much in 6 months to warrant pictures taken so often. So, I am thinking we might do August pictures every year and they can be BACK TO SCHOOL pictures for the kids. Then, in the Fall, I like to get family pictures taken for Christmas cards. So, what to do....

So, here are our latest pictures!!

This is his ornery look--so him!

This is his sincere smile! So, real!!

So cute!

She told him to hold his collar up---just not Jaden :)

Happy Little Guy!!

Here's a funny about Paige. On the way to get our pictures taken, I noticed we had not done Paige's fingernails or toenails. OH MY!!! Steve of course didn't think it was a big deal. I of course did. So, I made him drop me off at the JCP salon so I could buy a $10 bottle of pink nail polish (NO----I have never bought a $10 bottle of nail polish before) and then I painted her nails and toes while we waited for our pictures!! You can't tell as much in these pictures, but the ones I bought, you can see her fingers a lot!! I was glad I bought the nail polish!!

Tyler says Paige looks Sassy here. Wonder where he's heard that?

This is Steve's favorite picture!

This is my favorite!

SO--there's our kids in August of 2009!! In the Fall, I think Oct., we are having Meg Duerkson take our pictures outside for our Christmas cards!!