Here is a blog to keep family and friends up to date on our various comings and goings. Check back weekly for updates, and feel free to leave comments!

Thursday, September 03, 2015

First Day of School

This school year will bring many firsts for us.  Olivia graduated from our beloved elementary school and is now in a gifted middle school program.  The kids will not be in the same school again until Olivia is a high school senior and Ethan is a freshman.  Middle school brings many new things - a new school schedule, new rules to learn, changing classrooms, new activities to join (Olivia is looking into scholastic bowl, IMSA, and maybe yearbook), numerous school dances, and more.  But, most excitingly, middle school means that you get a locker!  And decorating lockers has become a big thing for girls - wallpaper, shelves, rugs, lighted chandeliers, magnets, mirrors, organizers, etc.  Here is Olivia at the school's open house after decorating her locker and searching for her classrooms.


Olivia ready for a great year in 6th grade!  Another new thing for us - uniforms.  All Springfield middle schools require a uniform - tan, navy, or black shorts/pants/skirts, and either a green or white polo shirt or an official Franklin t-shirt.  And a belt.  Always a belt.  If no belt, you get an automatic detention!  Olivia is keeping a spare belt in her backpack just in case!


Ethan is also starting a big year of 3rd grade.  His school is divided into sections - K-2 and 3-5.  He is now in the "big kid circle" and is feeling very excited about that!


Summertime

Once again, summer flew by so quickly.  It seems when it begins that you have so much time to do all that you have planned, and then it is over and only half of your plans were accomplished (I really wanted to spend a day in Hannibal this year, but I guess that will have to wait).  In addition to all of the pictures below, the kids also participated in numerous camps, went to Knights Action Park, spent many afternoons swimming, and much more.  Here is a long post giving you a glimpse into other ways we stayed busy.  

Fourth of July brings a lot of fun for our family at the Illini Fourth of July party.  This year Olivia participated in the team inner tube race with 3 friends.  She had a great time and they placed second.



Ethan and his good friend Andrew after the Simon Says game.  


Waiting for the fireworks to begin.  It is so much fun to watch the dynamics between the various age groups. The adults all sit on the hill with their drinks, laughing and talking.  The teens stand talking in large groups at the base of the hill.  And the younger kids run around like crazy (never mind that they had been swimming for 6 hours!) playing tag or rolling down the hill, or searching for stray golf balls, etc.


We went to Chicago for a quick weekend getaway in late July.  We went to the Shedd Aquarium, a Taylor Swift concert, and the Museum of Science and Industry and ate at the Original Pancake House (YUM).


The main reason for the trip - the Taylor Swift concert in Soldier Field.  I will admit that it was a very entertaining concert, with multiple outfit changes and a fun audience "gift" of bracelets that had wifi to make them glow in unison with the music.


Ethan's excitement for the concert - Vance Joy was one of her three opening acts (the others were Sean Mendez and Haim - both very good).  "Riptide" is Ethan's favorite song at the moment.


Olivia's favorite picture that I took of Taylor Swift.  This was right after her unexpected duet with Andy Grammar to "Honey I'm Good".  


The kids in the Museum of Science and Industry while waiting to enter the robotics exhibit.  


More summertime fun with friends - they were preparing for an original skit on bullying.  


We went to the Springfield Muni to see Seussical.


We went to many Cardinals baseball games.  Here Ethan was lucky enough to get Fredbird to sign his hat.


Ethan and Olivia completing the Busch Stadium Run the Bases.



Family picture on the field.


The Missouri Botanical Gardens hosted a Japanese Lantern Festival that we attended.  I took so many pictures there, but narrowed it down to just a few.  It was so big that it took about an hour to walk through.



This picture perfectly captures my kids - Olivia posing nice and calm with Ethan in the background running through the water while fully dressed.  


We finally made a stop at the "pink elephant ice cream shop" in Livingston.  We drive by it every time we go to St. Louis and have always meant to stop.  Their ice cream was surprisingly good, and the menu was much larger than expected.


Ethan with Daisy (grandma's dog).  This was after a long day of swimming in grandma's pool.


Olivia with her cat Enid.  They have been together since Olivia was 15 months and Enid was 6 months.  We do not know if Enid thinks she is Olivia's mother or if Olivia acts as Enid's mother.  They still sleep together almost every night.


Olivia still in love with her phone.


We went to the Springfield Drive In to see two terrible movies (Fantastic Four and Minions), but we still had fun.  


Ethan enjoying a classic summer meal - pork steak and corn on the cob.


One of the more exciting events of the summer - meeting their newest cousin Michael.


For our last hurrah of summer, we spent a day in St. Louis.  First stop was at the Crown Candy Kitchen to try their BLTs and milkshakes.  I won't rave about either of those, but it was still fun.



Our second St. Louis stop was at the City Museum.  We had never been to their rooftop activities - a bus tipped over the edge of the building, giant slide, ferris wheel, and water fun.  Here Ethan braved his fear of heights to climb this structure - the picture does not show how far off of the ground it is.


Ethan and Joe in this climbing structure.


Kate and Olivia on the ferris wheel - so much fun and a great view of the city.


Inside the City Museum it is next to impossible to get pictures.  For those of you who have been before, you understand this issue.  For those of you who have not been before, it is a maze of tunnels, caves, random holes to explore, elevated tubes to crawl through, and so much more.  





Our third stop in our St. Louis day was to the top of the Arch.  Due to the current construction to the Arch museum, we bought our tickets in the old courthouse, another first for us.  We had no idea how pretty it was inside the courthouse or that there was a museum.  Worth a quick look!



Ethan ended his summer by being thrown a ball from Carlos Martinez.


Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Illinois State Fair

By the time the Illinois State Fair rolls around, we are all ready for some fried food on a stick, lemonade shake ups, and the butter cow.  Plus the kids are itching to put their mega passes to use on the various rides. We went to the Fair two times this year (so you will see some clothing changes), and that seems to be the right amount of time to spend at the Fair for us.

First is the traditional picture with Abe.


We enjoyed walking through the large petting zoo tent.


New this year to the Fair were these inflatable globes for the kids to climb into and run around.  It was a heat index over 100*, and the kids emerged drenched in sweat, but they both claim that it was well worth it.


We always take time to milk the cow.  I'm sure that farm kids laugh about paying $1 each to do this!


Ethan was finally tall enough to drive his own bumper car this year, so both kids spent their time racing after each other and then crashing.


Olivia was brave enough to ride the Hang Glider this year, and it became her favorite ride that she rode numerous times.  Ethan took a pass.


Vose's corn dogs.  I do not know why there are any other corn dog stands at the Fair, since these are hands down the best.  The perpetual long line confirms it.


Olivia and Ethan (far left) on the big slide - they love it!  Joe and I take a pass on it since one of the bumps really jars your back (yes, I sound old saying that).


On our first visit to the Fair we took the kids to see Fall Out Boy - a surprisingly excellent concert.


The kids always enjoy Conservation World - archery, homemade root beer, rock wall, and numerous kid friendly tents.


Ethan even paid to get a kiss at the APL kissing booth - such a cute idea!


Olivia and Ethan with the butter cow.


Ethan, Olivia, and Grandpa on the rides.  Grandpa loves to ride all of the fast rides with them, and will even go on the crazier rides without them!  


The love of the crane game must be genetic.


We ended the Fair with a very chilly ride on the Sky Tram.  The first day we attended the Fair was a heat index over 100*.  The second day we attended was a high of about 72*, and by the time we got on the Sky Tram it was in the 50s.  Until next year...