A weekend of firsts........

We had an action packed "last fling" weekend....Headed to Chi-town for some visiting and to attend the "last fling" carnival - something I probably haven't been to since my senior year in high school! Then off to Grandma's to get one last beach day in.... We had a great time - and the kids experienced a few FIRSTS.......

Say bye bye to Brady's mullet - he went in for his FIRST haircut - he was a bit wiggly but managed to get through it....... I mean as long as he had a wagon to sit in, a movie to watch, a truck to chew on, and his sister coaching him through every snip - what's he going to want next time a full marching band??????

The finished product - looking mighty dapper and albeit 10 years old all of a sudden!
Brady got to hang with his boy Gavin and was testing the waters so to speak by putting his face in the water for the FIRST time
Brooke was in awe of her bud Sydney and her goggles that "make her" swim under water......She was immediately impressed and decided to do her FIRST underwater swim......

She even attempted it in Lake Michigan to show off for Grandma!!

A random FIRST for Mom and Rachel was jumping off the high dive - ummm I will spare you the pictures....but seriously at 34 could it be that we have never gone off a high dive before?

The highlight for Brooke came when she got to go on her FIRST carnival ride! Can we say here we come Cedar Point!! This chick was in her element...... Her mouth seriously didn't shut the entire time on the rides - just sheer excitement and laughter as her veteran carnival expert Sydney showed her the ropes!

Some frog hopper (a.k.a The demon drop) not real sure why some carnival ride operator was bopping them with some creepy stuffed frog????

The dragon Wagon was the crowd favorite.......That is Brooke and Syd in the front car with their hands in the air waving like they just don't care!!!

Another FIRST and hopefully NOT LAST - Brady bugs took four steps for Coco and Pampy! Of course mom and dad were outside chatting it up and missed his longest bought on two feet.......Hopefully Pampy inspired him to get upright and moving!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Enjoy, Summer is all BUTT over.....

Sad but true - hope everyone enjoys their long Labor Day weekend!!

What can he doooooooo???

Brady boo is on the go....Still not walking but getting absolutely everywhere he wants to go just fine without the actual steps...... I am going to attempt to attach video and we will see what happens.
The first one is just funny - he can't seem to figure out everytime he stands up that the horn goes off.....No clue that his belly is hitting it everytime....gotta love him!

The second one is just Brady being a monkey boy - we spend a good portion of our day sitting on the stairs and watching him go up and down and up and down - you get the drill - so he has found the step stool and is infactuated and it it is scootched up to the counter - ummm yeah he climbs up right onto like he has just conquered everest!

hmmmm the second one didn't upload and those took a really long time - so that is all for now....Hopefully I can figure out the details soon

Like Bill Cosby says.......

kids say and do the darndest things!
Here a are a few that had me rolling lately.......

1. While Brooke was casting her fishing pole off the back deck.....
Dad: "Wow Brooke that is good - how did you do that?"
Brooke: "Dad I have been casting since I was a little kid!"

2. Getting Brooke all excited because we were heading over to her friends to swim...
Brooke: "That's great - but you and daddy just want to eat and chat with Kahle and Stacy" (the parents of the friend) - haha very perceptive!

3. Brooke: Mom I can't wait to be a mommy - I want to have a baby.
Mom: (going into immediate education mode!) Brooke you will be a great mom, BUT remember.......(she cuts me off)
Brooke: I know not until I am 30 or 100.

4. Brooke: (with gusto and excitement) "Mom I took a really long nap today"
Mom: That's great!
Brooke: That means I won't be crabby for a LONG time and I can stay up SUPER late.....
Mom: (thinking to herself) - yeah great in theory - but no go girl!

Now I don't have many quotes to share with you in regards to Brady....probably won't until he is 10 - somehow he has found someone to speak for him :)

But not to let Brady's perception go unnoticed! Brady has superhuman power - he can sense if there is a piece of fruit within a mile radius! This kid if he even glances at it or smells it - the rest of the food goes flying - doesn't really matter where..... you name it - the floor, the walls, the sliding glass door - Folks we have found our picky (and MESSY) eater!!!

He also loves Airplanes & Boats - will point and do the oh oh ah......Such a little dude.

His other favorite to point and smile at is every picture of Brooke in the house.........I feel like sometimes he is trying to say her name.......come on Brady give your mom a break - at least shout out a ma- ma.....here and there!

Who needs Beijing when you have Kentwood?

Brooke participated in the Tiny Tot Olympics this weekend. It was a stiff competition but she did her town and family proud! Here are some shots of some of the events!

A Serious lap around the tricycle track -not sure how she really finished this one seeing as her feet don't even touch the petals! :)

Maybe all those Griffins games are paying off - she shoots she scores!!
Brooke on the rings on the some random gymnastics bus??
Her Boulder roots really shined here!
The new heavy weight champion of the world!!!
Serious concentration as she rounds the finish to the obstacle course....
I think they called a technical for her hanging on the rim too long!
Duh duh da da duh dum dum ......
The Awards ceremony....

America's Pasttime!

Tis the season - peanuts, popcorn, & Crackerjacks!! We have been enjoying plenty of ballgames this summer - and lets be honest on why we keep going back - we found out they serve these "fried brownie bites" - that's right.... like a brownie isn't a treat enough - lets throw some deep fried batter around it and a bucket of icing to dip them in....... I tell you what they are something! But seriously the kids love running around the ballpark and taking in the festivities!
Except Brooke is still TERRIFIED of the mascots......This stuffed human fear is not ending any time soon :) Here are some pix of the kids at the game.....

Brooke and Grandpa enjoying the game.
















I feel like he is thinking - Wow..I think my dad is going to take me to a lot of these














Brady: Seriously can't I have a minute alone to mow on my cracker jacks? why is there a big stuffed creature standing over me everytime I turn around?? Where is my sister....oh there she is snuggled in daddy's arms while the stuffed humans are present!!




The kids were ablet o run the bases - that is Lexi Drew rounding second as Brooke is heading to second and slow poke mom and Brady just trying to get to first base and thinking seriously we have three more bases to go??????

Once a upon a three year old's world........

So lately everything has been "Mom I am not Brooke" "I am the princess" "we are not going to Meijer's we are going to the ball" Okay so who am I? .... and usually it is "Mom you are the Queen (no complaints from me:) ) Dad is the King and Brady is the prince" This is great she is definitely into full on magic kingdom mode and I hope her land of make believe continues because in Mom's warped head this is all I can think of.........

Seriously another costume change??? Is this why we do 80 loads of laundry a week? That better not be dry clean only!! :)

Riding in on her white knight ........While mom prays she doesn't touch anything in order to avoid pink eye" haha.......






















In order to finally capture one of the many eligible princes........ I just pray these princes can get a word in edgewise :)















But really all in all - worries aside...... as any parent would wish - I just wish she live "happily ever after!"

Poppa has her "Hooked"

Okay Poppa this one if for you - she won't eat a tomato - but she went fishing and played with worms and LOVED it...... Hopefully you can let the tomato go as you revel in this vicotry....Thanks again for teaching her the ropes - she was so happy she caught her fish with her Poppa! She also thought you were very manly with your princess fishing rod! :)




Her first Catch!

Whose Kid Are You???

So Brady had his first B-day party last weekend and if he didn't look like his father's clone - I would have thought we got the wrong baby at the hospital! Brady apparently doesn't like Sweets.....of course we had the inaugural unveiling of the Birthday cake and as the paparazzi were waiting on bated breath they were sorely disappointed..... Not so much.......and I would say that it could have been the 50 cameras staring him down that spoiled his appetite, but we tried several times while just in the company of mom and dad..... cake, ice cream ......NADA! these pictures look like we we were seriously trying to get him to eat Brussels sprouts.....

ohhhh the agony!!!!

But give this kid some bread, crackers, carrots & fruit and then you finally get that "I have buried my face into my food" picture we were all hoping for at the party.......

So now the question remains who is this lil boy who has been living with us for a year and doesn't enjoy the sweet sensation of sugar?????

Happy First Birthday Butterball!

Happy Birthday to Brady Boo!! Wow I can't believe it's been a year - in a blink of an eye! You have changed so much in just twelve months, I can't wait to experience all of your changes over the next year! You have been the greatest baby and we have had a blast watching you grow into this little boy! If I could guarantee all my babies could be as easy and laid back as you I might just morph into Angelina Jolie, but for now you are a great piece to our family puzzle and couldn't imagine life without you! Happy Birthday Handsome!





Happy Birthday Stinky!

Stars & Stripes .....and up until Midnight!!

The Fourth of July festivites seemed like a week long event with it falling in the middle of the week - but all fun stuff...... The kids enjoyed the fireworks, even Brady was a rock star staying up for them after his mom woke him from a sound sleep where we strategically had him fall asleep in the car that was parked next to our camp chairs (I wanted to open the window and make sure he was getting enough fresh air - DOH!!!) oh well in hind sight I am glad he woke up and got to enjoy it with everybody else. He just watched in awe and clapped after each one! Brooke also enjoyed the local parade and carnival and some neighborhood special fireworks! Hope everyone had a great holiday! Can someone please tell me how it became the middle of July already???? Here are some pix of the kids enjoying the holiday!

Munson kiddos - Fourth of July 2007

What could be better its 10:30 and I am mowing on a Dora ice cream bar?

Brady and Simone waiting patiently for the fireworks to begin!

Kids getting loopy!!

To remind the adults really just how cool fireworks are!

Brady enjoying his first fireworks EVER!

Guess what everyone - I like them!! Oh yeah and this bag o' corn ain't shabby either!!

Immediate running outside after bath time as Brooke reminds us "MOM we almost forgot to do the sparklers!!!"

Dad and Brady enjoying the firetrucks at the parade!

Brooke, Addison & Bryce taking in the parade desperatly waiting for the candy to be thrown.

Brooke and Addison in some random strawberry carnival ride that only Chris would volunteer to go on - the spinning did not look fun!