Super Poppa......

Super Poppa with his partners in crime......

Well he can surely claims the title this week after he prevailed with both kids for 4 days straight! (not that we ever doubted he could!!)He did great despite a jam packed week that included :

School
Daycare
Elementary parties
Circus
Soccer
Bus stops
play dates
baths
Bedtimes
and just the general crazies......
So Kudos Poppa.....Thanks for doing all of the above so we could enjoy doing all the below.......


Chris and I were able to check the mom and dad at at the door and enjoy 4 glorious days in Marco Island, Florida! We did have to attend for Chris "work" but this is what we got to enjoy!!

Our gorgeous resort.....

This included dinners at ....well whatever time we felt like it..... and wake up calls again....whatever time we felt like it......Seriously talk about an early Christmas!!

It also included staying cool poolside....it was 90 and HUMID....but oh well beats 50 and rainy back home!

We hosted Chris' work show (well I helped set up and then conveniently found an outlet mall to not get in his way :) )

We even took a trip to Miami and busted in on the Ritz Carlton pool.....ummm yep room 312....Munson.... Sure Mr. Munson let me get your towels and chair ready for you.......haha!

But truly a few days to converse, eat & Sleep and I was ready to get home to my babies!!!

This was one morning I didn't mind not waking up on my own!!

So THANKS poppa....we owe you!! (I mean more than a miniature palm tree and a Chipotle burrito!!) We appreciate all you do and since you handled everything so seamlessly how about doing it again.....oh say in another 5 weeks????

First of many......

I think this is the first of many moments that I can so clearly see her expression in her face and it goes a little something like this ......."Mom....... I'm gonna kill you!" The picture cracks me up as she is trying to play along, but truly just wants this not to be documented....haha. So as you can see we were playing beauty shop and unfortunately she has inherited my "heavy" hair that doesn't like to hold a curl. Now I know many of you in the 80's will fondly disagree with that statement, which just proves how toxic those perms were! She wouldn't dare let me take the picture once they came out....maybe next time!

Signature Move...

Well Michael Jordan had his tongue wagging, Maria Sharapova has her grunting....our little Brooklyn has some teeth grinding and some lip biting as her signature move....Check her out in every soccer pix this weekend.....looks like she is going in for the kill....go get em!

Just Play

Isn't that what a kid is all about? Play.....no work.....no worries.....no responsibilities..... Just eat....sleep ....poop....and PLAY! It's so fun to watch their imaginations at work and be so care free or be so serious about "getting the bad guys" like it is the most important task of the day....I wish there were days where I could throw on my cape and mask and ride my batmobile to work and hope no one would care that I was fighting corporate culture in my underoos, but unfortunately they do care or at least our HR "dress policy" would care - so live it up my babies your only a kid once! Here's some pix of the kiddos living the dream......

Brady our little monkey boy - if there is something to climb he is all over it!

Our other lil' monkey decided to use the banister as her own personal balance beam.

Enjoying the great fall weather out at the park!

Peek - a - boo

Superman trying to keep up with wunner wuman......

He hasn't mastered the "flying" yet - in his defense I am sure Superman started with training wheels too!
Do you see a theme here.....#1we do alot of saving evil role playing around here lately...#2 Brady pretty much wears pajamas every day......

Off to the hall o' justice......

"oh yeah we got the bad guys.......oh yeah......." most superheros celebrate a victory with the running man.

Fighting crime is a lot of hard work out in the heat......

Cool down Batman ya done good.

Just another day......

So Brooke started Kindergarten yesterday and it was no big shakes. I think I have Y5's to thank for that. She was used to the routine, familiar faces, used to the bus schedule. She walked in there like she owed the place - made a B-line for her old classroom, nuzzled with her old teacher for five minutes than looked at me and said, come on mom my class is about to start! So I left feeling no remorse, no worry, no anxiety. This chick has it down. Now ask me in 2-3 years when my boyfriend who isn't as outgoing walks up to the big building and I can guarantee you there will be a different story being told! Here is some pix of the not so "big" day! Were proud of ya Brookie!

The little lady all spruced up for her first big day!

Mom and "her Baby!"

Not sure why she looks 10 feet tall in this picture, but at any rate this is the annual photo op stop

Neighbor friend that is in her class and super excited to be buds this year!

As I read this sign to her, she seriously thought it was specifically addressed to her!

One last Hail Mary.....

So the weather gods gave us 6 gorgeous days in a row and we packed it in! Trying to soak in as much Vitamin D as we possibly could seeing as how this summer's weather was more gloomy than most. So we ended up sun stroked and water logged and tried to pack in the summer time activities on our last weekend before school starts! We did the pool, Chris and I got to go to a U of M game, the kids hit an orchard with P&P and some out of town Aunts, we went to Grandma's beach, we biked, we walked and then we crashed on Monday and prepared for School! Here are some pix of the last of the summer activities!

Lately this is the kids favorite new game - they make a fake map and go on "an adventure" here they are "camping for the night" what better spot than the foot of the stairs! I love to see their imaginations working together!

One gorgeous Sunset in Grand Haven!

Brady braving the 40+ degree water -as you can tell Mom & Dad are nowhere to be found!

Brooke in a sand hole that they worked on for hours.....

Seriously what is with all the "TEN" poses this summer??

Could eat him!

Heavy concentration on sand piles!

Kids thought it was hilarious to squirt mom and dad incessantly with said 40+ degree water!

"Come on Dad - It's not that cold!"

Brady getting some major Grandma time in "lets hide" game.....

Brooke's GH friend!

The fisherman were out of hand on the pier they were pulling up Salmon 3 foot long right and left! It was fun to watch (at least for Brooke) Brady was a bit appalled at the size and asked to see smaller fish......Poppa you might have to work on his fisherman skills!

Imagination Station - always a favorite stop in the Haven...

My first Michigan Football experience......not going to lie had a bit of anxiety of exiting a place that houses 110,000 people......

Unfortunately we had to stay true and root against the home team since they were playing the beloved Broncos!

We even got to meet up with some old friends that we found out were going the day before - ahhh the power of Facebook! Ann Arbor is quite a scene to be had and I have vowed my kids will never lay a foot onto Hoover street prior to a football game - the parties were insane and made Chris and I feel ancient - and Chris was even told that by some incoherent passerby when they tried to make coversations about current Bronco baseball players and when Chris told him he hasn't been there since 1995 the only response of said boy was "WHOOOOH" (as if he read about the year 1995 in his History book or something!) still makes me chuckle!