Out With Out The Kids...

Out Without the Kids

We were invited to a party today at a friends not too far from our house.  We had my parents come over to watch the boys and furry boys so we could go out for a few hours.  My parents took my van and went to Steak N Shake for Dinner which was a blast for all of them.  It was the first time other then a wedding that we were out without the little ones in over a year.  It was truly nice to get away for just a little while and talk about something other then Cartoons and bugs... 

Big Trouble...

Lately 4yo has been pushing his limits with attitude and temper.  He has been imitating the baby basically which is expected at this age.  He is not sure about being the big kid or baby.  Well 8yo has taken it to a new level and today got grounded from TV and Video Games until "Further Notice" after throwing the biggest fit I have ever seen.  He was outside in his swim suit when he threw the biggest part of the fit which included kicking me between the legs.  I did not hit, smack or anything, I picked him up and dropped in the pool to cool off.  The water was COLD and my mouthy swimmer was not too happy, but in the end it worked and he cooled down.  Funny thing is that during the summer he asked me to toss him in all the time...  Go figure. 

Friday Night Football Weigh In.

Friday night we had to meet with the team and go to the official weigh in.  The league keeps really good track of the division weight limits.  If you weigh too much you get a Stripe or get moved up to the next level.  The level we are in the limit is 84 Pounds and 74 pounds for ball carrier.  My son is less then 55 pounds.  It is tough to have to have kids so young focus on the weight, but the league keeps it positive.  So being moved up is no big deal.

First Actual Football Game.

Today the Jr Warriors played the Timber Wolves and played hard, but lost 14-12... Those extra points are killer.  I was dissapointed they lost, but they played hard on the field which is more important at this age.  However when the boys were on the sidlines and switching between Offense and Defense they had their heads in the clouds.

The 5

1. Football Heat - Today was a rather hot day so the kids and adults at the field were really hot.  It also did not help that we were in Black.


2. WiFi Rocks- Nothing like typing my blog while watching the Histroy Channel resting in bed... 


3. Grand Puppy - With the parents watching the kids and the dogs I think my dad was in heaven with the puppy. 


4. NFL Football- The season starts this week... YESSSSS


5. Blow Out Weekend - Parties, Six Flags and Movies oh my...

25 things I thought I thought

25 things I thought I thought.

1. Summer Vacation - As a kid I thought it was too short, as a parent I think it is too long.


2. Old People - As a kid I thought 40 was really old, at 35 that does not seem too old.


3. McDonalds - As a kid I thought McDonalds was great, as an adult it is a great brib for the kids.


4. Money - As a kid I thought having $20.00 in my pocket was a lot of money, as an adult I still think having $20.00 in my pocket is a lot of money.


5. Candy - As a kid I always wanted candy, as a parent I hate candy


6. Beer - When I was in my 20's Miller lite was Beer, As a 30 Something Miller lite is the stuff the younger guys drink


7. Cars - As a teenager sports cars were cool, as a parent Minivans are cool


8. Snow - As a kid I loved it when it snowed, as an adult I curse the white slush of shovelling doom.


9. Video Games - As a kid the Atari 2600 was amazing... Now it still is cool, but not too impressive.


10. TV - As a kid we had less then 12 channels, as an adult I have hundreds of channels, but less then 12 that I watch.


11. School - As a kid I dreaded going to school, as a parent I dread the end of the school day


12. Seat Belts - As a kid I never wore seat belts and climbed over the seats while driving.  As an adult my kids have better saftey equipment then NASCAR.


13. Glass Bottles - As a kid we had soda in glass bottles that we returned to the store which we watched on a conveyer belt.  As an adult we have plastic bottles that we recycle. Which is greener...


14. Being Green - As a kid that was the color of the game piece we had, as an adult that means something different.


15. Computers - The old green monocolor screens playing Oregon Trail was really amazing.  Now I can watch movies, edit photos and play realistic game.


16. Lawn Darts - As a kid avoiding the incoming metal projectiles was a cool game... As an adult I don't know how I lived through that.  I guess I was good at avoiding them.


17. Squirt Guns - The red, green and blue plastic guns could soak someone a good two feet away after thirty minutes of pulling the trigger, that was cool.  The new super soakers can soak someone down the block in seconds. (What I could of done with those as a kid)


18. Action Figures - As a kid Star Wars were the cool action figures... As a parent my kids play with Star Wars action figures... (even my old ones)


19. Reading - As a kid and teen reading was boring, as an adult I wish I had more time to read.


20. Phones - As a kid we had a land line with big bulky phones that actually RANG! Having a long cord was crucial.  As an adult I have a cell phone and cordless house phones...


21. Parents - As a kid I thought parents just don't understand.  As a Parent I am sure I don't understand.


22. Music - As a kid and teen I listened to the popular rock, now it is considered "Classic Rock"


23. Tapes - As a kid I had cassette tapes with my favorite music.  Making a mix tape was cool.  Now I have an MP3 player and making playlists is cool.


24. Cameras - As a kid a Polaroid Instant Camera was so amazing... Now my cell phone takes better pictures and my Digital Camera is amazing.


25. Kids - As a kid and young adult I thought ever having kids was scary and crazy.  As a parent it is still scary and crazy, but would not change anything for the world.

Playdate, Flooded By Work and 4yo's shots.

Daily Picture: Baby and Me on Vacation...



Monday

Monday at lunchtime a friend of 4yo's came over so his mom could go to here OB appointment.  A few more weeks the friend will be a big brother.  The boys played great and even the baby was having a good time.  It made things a little complicated with the schedule and of course two 4yo boys can make a major mess in minutes.  The friend was over from 11:15- 3:00 and when it was over I was a bit wiped.  Little did I know the day had just begun... In the late afternoon I received a phone call from my office.  I needed to test a ton of functions with a deadline of Wednesday first thing...  It is rare I have a fast deadline, but when it happens I need to get stuff done.  When the wife arrived home on Monday I told what was up and she took 8yo to football with 4yo and baby so I could get some work done.  I spent the night working and realized rather quickly that I would be spending a ton of time on it on Tuesday as well.   The whole night was a bit of a mess and no dinner was on the table for the family.  They picked up McD's after football which the kids liked, but I could of and should have done without.

Tuesday

I thought I was doing really well with keeping 4yo in the dark about his pending Doctors appointment.  We did our normal morning routine and grabbed the stuff for the library.  I told him we had to do a few errands and go to the Library.   He is afraid of shots big time and I knew we had some coming.  We pulled into the parking lot of the Doctors office and I hear a voice from the back... "Hey this is not the Library" I responded with a yep you are right it is not the Library...  He said wait this is the Doctors Office!  At that moment he began crying and saying he did not want any shots.  I had never mentioned shots at anytime and even his big brother had no clue 4yo had a Dr appointment and shots.  So he spent the entire time hiding and telling every one he could he did not want shots I am sure hoping someone would tell him he did not need them.  The nurses did a great job and we shocked he was so upset.  Normally he walks in and talks every ones ear off.  Not today... Every other phrase was "I Don't Want Shots!"  Well when the time came he screamed bloody murder and was rather upset for about 5 minutes.  After that he was good and did not complain about it again.  The baby thought his screaming was funny and was kicking and giggling the whole time...

The rest of the day I spent working and working and working.  4yo was tired and wiped so he played by himself and watched a little TV while the baby was in my office going from one thing to another... Bouncer, Jumper, Saucer, Bouncer, Floor, Bouncer, Carrier...  The wife agreed to take the boys again to football so I packed a picnic for them so they could all eat earlier and 8yo could eat on the way home from Practice...  I was finally finished with work at 10:30PM and will be spending some additional time tonight making sure everything works right.  When I get rushed during testing I always have this fear I missed something.

Baby Slept Great!!!!

When I went to bed I was really tired and was out like a light.  The baby normally wakes sometime in the night to eat. 3:00-4:00 is a typical time.  Well at 5:15 this morning he woke and was up for the FIRST TIME!!!  I got up looked at the clock as the wife was waking... I told her it was 5:15 and he spent the entire night in his room!!!  YES!!!

The 5

1. The Great Bug Catcher - 4yo has been on a daily quest to catch a new bug.  So needless to say I have been on a quest many times to catch a bug.


2. Puppy Power- The puppy has just started to get his feet under him.  Yesterday while sprinting around the yard he passed "Frodo" multiple times and had no fear of him.  Little Old Frodo better watch out...


3. The Store - Had to make a trip to get food today.  Lately I have been easily irritated by my trips.  Today was no exception.  The baby Isle had Carts for Stocking blocking one end and clothes racks making the other end difficult to navigate. 


4. Lucky they Look Like You - While at the store an older lady looked at the kids and said "You are lucky they look like you" Huh?  I just smiled, but what was she saying.  Does she think my wife is ugly? Does she think I might have issues with them not being mine?  What should they look like? Puppies?  Some people make the strangest comments.


5. Lunch with BIL - Today the two younger boys and I met my wife's younger brother (# 5 of 6)  We went to Culver's for lunch and it was fatty goodness

Weekends With Football

Daily Picture: Weekend Football Pictures.





Saturday Football Day...

Well this weekend marked the begining of Jr football games on Saturdays with a scrimmage vs a neighboring town and their Jr Spartans.  It was our Jr Warriors vs the Jr Spartans in an all day event that had most of the weight levels playing and the majority of teams at each level playing at Spartan Field.  The Jr Warriors Bantam Level which my son plays in fields 3 teams that all play many of same teams in the conferance. 

We needed to be there at 11:00 for a 12:00 kickoff which turned into a 1:00 kickoff.  When we arrived there was nowhere near enough parking so we ended up parking in the street in a subdivision at least a mile and a half from the field.  We both got a nice warm up walk in the wonderful 85 degree heat with humidity that could be cut with a knife.  After wandering around we found our team and the boys ended up having to wait nearly an exra hour to start the game.  The Jr Spartns on the main field (big kids) did a big intro at every game with the sound track from "The 300" playing and clips about Spartans.  I found that amusing since all the kids were under 13...  The game was a blast and the Jr Warriors won 18 - 7 in a great practice game that really helped both teams get the hang of a game situation. 

Sunday

Sunday morning we took the kids to Six flags again for a few hours.  The weather was beautiful and the crowds were low so they got to do what they wanted for a few hours.  We had to limit the time since we needed to get back for the puppy.  The rest of the day was spent doing yard and house stuff per our usual weekend warrior routine...

The 5

1. The Wire Season 4 - I have been watching the Wire which I borrow from the library and it is really entertaining.  Seaosn 4 was pretty good, but I was disappointed because a few of the stories were left to much in the air.


2. There Can be Only One - Well the remake of the cult classic "Highlander" seems to be gaining speed.  The rumor is Scottish Actor Kevin McKidd will be the next sword swinging immortal.


3. Puppy Potty - Well we had made great strides last week with no accidents in the house for days.  Well over the weekend he had a few issues with one time me scooping him up just as he started.  Hopefully today being back on schedule he can get back to having no issues.


4. Olympics Over - I barely saw any of the events due to timing and I was dissapointed the Mens water Polo could not pull off the win in the Gold Medal Game. 


5. Under the Weather - Late last week the wife was feeling a bit down, well she shared and yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks.  oda I am doing ok, but am VERY tired!!!

Speaking of puppy...

Worn out Dad needing to catch a second wind...

The last few weeks have been extra challenging and I am sure I have not been stellar.  Now that school has started and that evil word "Schedule" is starring me in the face I hope to get that second wind and regain focus on multiple levels.   With how the summer went and how insanely busy we were I lost track of a few goals I had before the summer began.  Now that the baby is a little older and easier to deal with, 8yo is on his school schedule and 4yo will soon be on a school schedule with preschool starting after the holiday weekend.  Now the big task for me... Get me on a schedule for Work, Exercise and of course better eating habits.  Taking walks is pretty easy now during the day since the baby is on a better schedule so that takes care of one major portion of the exercise.  My work schedule seems to be being pushed to later in the evenings and with the wife taking 8yo to one football practice a week that helps out tremedously. (Thanks Dear)  Right now work is a little slow, but by the winter I expect to be really busy again so a new schedule will have to be made.  As for the better eating habits my main goal is to lose 10% of my body weight by years end BEFORE I get my hernia repaired.  This is a goal that is actually attainable and once that goal is reached I will work to get to where I need to be.  One of the most important things for me to do however is to keep Blogging.  This is one of the ways I am able to vent and drop stress while doing something I enjoy.

The baby bouncing himself...



Today we need to make a trip to Costco because we are out of the DINO-NUGGETS!!!!  Both boys prefer the Dinosaur Shaped Chicken Nuggets brand only at Costco.  It works since I need to get a few other things and I will take this time to do a stock up on many of the household items.  Not going to be a fun bill when done I am sure.

The 5

1. Stargate Atlantis Ending - After the 5th season the show will be ending leaving a blank spot in my SciFi Viewing.  Battlestar Galatica will be ending next year as well...  I guess a new Stargate show is in production "Stargate Universe"  We shall see...


2. Fringe - The new JJ Abrahms project on Fox looks pretty cool.  Might be able to fill that SciFi Void...


3. Baby Sitting Up More - Well the little one is begining to sit up better.  Will not be long before I have to reconfigure the stroller.  He is cute sitting in his high chair waiting to eat...


4. Puppy Toys - Well it won't be long before I have a baby and a puppy teething... We picked up a few new toys for "Gandalf" and he has just realized there is a whole basket of dog toys he can play with.  Now we just need him to stop running off with the baby shoes...


5. Schedule - For me this is a 4 letter word, for my wife this is glorious... Ahhhh!!!! I don't want to be scheduled... Ahhhh!!!! Whaaaa Waaaahhhh... :-)

Speaking of Puppy...

The Summer comes to an end...

Well this week marked the return to school for my 8yo.  Classes started again on Monday which is difficult to believe.  With school and football 8yo is going to be really busy for the next few months.  With school starting I was torn on being happy and sad.  I am happy 8yo is back in school because the boys we beginning to get on each others nerves.  I am sad because 8yo is the baby's favorite toy.  Even though there was a ton of fighting going on I still had that helper when I needed him to step up.  So now my oldest is the "Big" third grader... Where did the time go?  It seems like just yesterday I was putting him on the bus to kindergarten.

(8yo's First Day of Kindergarten)  Wow has he grown...



4yo starts preschool after the holiday weekend which will give me a few hours MWF with just one kid.  He really wants to go back and see his friends as well as have class.  He loves going to school.  His summer was a bit stressed since his older brother and baby brother dominated the time.  8yo with swimming every day and baby just being a baby.  Now that big brother is in school he is the little man of the house so he has taken to helping with his baby brother a little better.  Add the puppy to the mix and he really feels important now.

The 5

1. Laundry Monster Attacks - With our schedules being really crazy the laundry monster has been getting the best of me.  Today I will tackle that monster


2. No time- With football, Work, House Stuff, Kids, Dogs I feel like I have a ton more to do then I have time for.  Oh yeah that's right I do have too much to do.


3. Date Weekend -With the holiday weekend approaching the wife and I plan to get a little time out for a change.  Get some food and catch a movie without the little ones.  It has been a while since we have had the chance to do that.


4. Company of Heroes- RTS PC game that is loads of fun.  Just got it and it is a blast...


5. Football is Coming- The NFL season quickly approaches... Can't wait!!!

Who is Who?

Well after going through a bunch of pictures I decided to post a picture of each of the boys as Newborns...

So Who Is Who?



Many of the pictures I have as they get a little older they look so much alike.  I will be doing another who is who in the near future.

Happy 4th Birthday!!!

For years ago today our second son was born.

Day one... Clone number 2



Goofy Boy



2 Years Old



3rd Birthday Party!



Happy Birthday Today!



The Cake



Well this week has been a long one with the new puppy and getting everything set for the party today.  My second son just turned 4 today and I am still in shock.  He had 8 kids over plus a bunch of the family.  Of course everything in his little world revolves around CARS or BUGS... He got plenty of Hotwheels, bugs and some real cool marbels with real bugs inside.  We had tons of food, cake and ice cream to make a group of 4 year old boys go wild.

The 5 (Minus 1 )

1. Second Son - Being the second child is something both the wife and I can relate to.  Not long after he was born is when I began my trip as an At Home Dad.  We learned from many of our mistakes with the first and made plenty of new ones.  He's eating dirt... Thats fine he likes it...


2. Little Big Brother - Being number 2 of 3 puts him smack in the middle as both a Little Brother and a Big Brother...


3. Cars - Right now he is pushing 500 little cars be it hot wheels, matchbox or some other type.  That is a lot of cars to play with.  Funny thing is he remembers when and where he got most of them.


4. 4 -  He is 4 years old today!!!

PUPPPPPY!!!!

Well today we picked up pur little puppy "Gandalf"  He is already a trouble maker and has taken a liking to 4yo the most.

Video!

A Week In Review

Well last week we were on vacation from Saturday to Saturday, but that actually translates to Friday to Sunday with packing and unpacking.  We spend time at a cabin each year at the Whispering Pines Lodge in St. Germain WI, on beautiful Pickerel Lake.  (www.whisperingpinelodge.com)

Friday

Trying to get ready this was a very busy day.  My father came over during the day to watch the kids so I could cut the grass.  With the timing it was important for me to get this done sooner rather then later.  The week had been hot and dry so it did not need much work.  I have my sprinklers set a little low so the grass is green, but not growing super fast.  That evening some friends sopped by including one from out of town I have not seen since there was snow on the ground and the house sitter.  We chatted and played with the Wii for a little while and they all got hooked on it...  It's like crack!  It was a late night since my frineds were over and I HAD to watch the season finale of Doctor Who!  Glad I did since the wife did and she would have to spend a week not talking about it.

Saturday

The 333 Miles Drive up North was uneventful and a true test for the baby.  We rearranged the van so the big boys were way in the back and Mom sat next to the baby in the middle row.  This allowed her to tend to his needs rather easily and he liked the added company especially since he face the back of the van.  It took us over 6 hours to get there which included 3 stops including the "I HAVE TO GO!" from soon to be 4 year old.  We arrived in the late afternoon, unpacked the van and then I was off to go shopping at the local Super Value.  By nightfall we were all tired and bed looked great.  Unfortunately for us the baby was not happy with the new surroundings and was up a lot!

Sunday through Friday we had a blast doing all sorts of things including a Flea Market, Childrens Museum, Indian Village and of course Lake Activities such as swimming, paddleboating and kayaking.

The St Germain Flea Market

Last year the wife went there with my mom when my parents were up for a few days.  Well this year we all went and spent a good portion of the day looking around.  The kids picked up some toys, the wife some towels me a cheap pair of sun glasses that were too cheap and got really scratched.  We also picked up a dog tag for "Gandalf" and a wood carved sign with the family name on it for our fron porch.

North Woods Childrens Museum  in Eagle River WI.

We decided this year to look around and see what is going on in the different towns.  The Northwoods Children Muesum was our Tuesday adventure and the boys, even the baby had a blast.  There were trains, flowing rivers, musical areas and of course an ambulence with working lights!

Emergency!



Ojibwe Indian Village

While out in the North Woods we visited a recreation of an Ojibwe Indian Village on the Lac Du Flambeau Reservation.  8yo had an amazing time on the tour given by a Lokota Indian, but 4yo lost interest really quickly.  There were different buildings and areas set up to show how they lived in the different seasons.  (Picture: The Boys in a Summer hut)



Bike Trials

We took turns with 8yo on the bike trails since 4yo won't pedal and baby is too little for the trailer.  There is an extensive trail network that is absolutely beautiful!



Lake Life

We spent much of the time enjoying the beach and lake.  The wildlife there was stunning and I think my highlight was seeing an adult Bald Eagle grab a fish and eat it on shore maybe 10 yards from me while I was Kayaking.  The wife was sad she missed that and had little luck seeing the Eagles close, until we took a boat ride with the Lodge owners.

Young Bald Eagle



The Drive Home

333 miles back with a couple stops including a special trip to the Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point.  I test rode a recumbent trike and and figured out which size and model I need and want.  The Terra Trike Cruiser XL from Wiz Wheels.  Once we made it home everyone was just happy to be back...

The 5

1. New Hobby - Well while I was at the cabin I Kayaked just about every day and am now hooked.  I just need to get myself my own Kayak for here and there...


2. Cathy's - Ice Cream Palor in St Germain is now a favorite stop of the older boys.  It might be a favorite of the baby's as well since he took a lick of ice cream and was like WOW!!!!


3. Stars - I can see the stars here, but it is nothing like what we saw up north. With no lights to wash out the stars the night sky was amazing!


4. Laptop Movies - Having my laptop with was great for the boys to watch some movies.  It kept them occupied


5. Driving Alone - At one point on the way home I was all alone while the entire family slept in the van a good hour plus.  It was both good and bad...

On Vacation

Well the family is on vacation in Northern wisconsin and having a blast.  We decided to have dinner at a place with Wi-Fi so we could check our email and see whats going on in the world...

A really good friend is house and dog sitting...

Will be back home on Saturday...