Kent worked on Sunday and we were going a little stir crazy after church so we ventured out for a 'hike' to Carriage Hill Metropark.  I thought the kids would get tired- and I could get some pictures!  Zeb kept calling it a hike- but it was more of a nature stroll.  And they kept complaining about their legs being 'sooooo tired'. 

Here they are 'battling villians'.

I don't feel like fall is quite as vibrant this year as last- but we found a few great patches of colors in the park! This was my favorite spot!!

We spent a lot of time tossing rocks in the stream.  Zeb and Ike could do it for HOURS.  Although they did keep asking me to 'skip rocks like dad does'.  I'm not quite as good as kent is when it comes to quite a bit.  They tend to miss him especially much on the weekends.  I do, too.

This whole residency thing has been just about exactly what I anticipated.  Some things are MUCH easier -than I expected- and some things are harder.  Kent's schedule hasn't been as bad as I'd imagined. I can't stand the weeks when he works 8 or 9 days with no break- but at least some of those days are early days and he's home around 4 or 5.  Since he works on a new rotation every 4 weeks- we don't have to deal with really rotten schedules for longer than that.  He usually alternates between easier and harder rotations so we get a reprieve every other month!  I've totally lucked out with Kent being home most Sundays and Holidays- although I'm sure that isn't lasting forever!

The rugrats are very resilient and just deal with his change of schedule.  Every morning when Ike wakes up he asks if kent's coming home to sleep or if he just left to work.  

And Zeb asks Kent if he's being 'nocturnal' or 'normal'. It's pretty funny.

On our walk -Zeb spotted this little guy. I can't figure out how he possibly found the thing! but I was pretty excited.  I haven't seen one in ages!!

The boys wouldn't hold it for some reason- but I brought it along with us for awhile.

It was a pretty nice Sunday distraction and the kiddos got out some of their energy.   But I'm looking forward to the next few weekends - Kent has a bunch of time off!

and this last picture is Zeb's favorite. I think he's going to be a naturalist :)  He found this mushroom and found great joy it digging it up!  and then he threw it into the road and watched cars run over it.

lucky duck zeb.

I think that Zeb had one of the best days of his life this past weekend.  Here's the proof.  He slept in the full ensemble you see pictured here.

 We stopped at a random yard sale on the way home from the gym on Friday and stumbled upon these beauties.  Little kiddo Nike Shox.  Zeb has wanted 'real adult running shoes' (that's what he really calls them) for AGES now.  Only I wasn't about to shell out 30 dollars for shoes he'd outgrow in less than a year.  We got this pair for ONE dollar.  And I think they are almost brand new!!  they are one size too big- but that just means he can wear them for more than a year :)

He honestly has not taken them off besides for church. Two nights now he has begged to sleep in them!  It's so funny to see him pose in them- and stare at them. He keeps running around the house as fast as possible and then asking if he's faster than the time before!  He's convinced that they make him '100 fast'.  And in case you were wondering- that means faster than Lightning McQueen.

Kent had Saturday off- so we tried to pack in as much fun as possible.  We went to a fall festival and Ike was obsessed with the basketball game.

 The rugrats both loved racing kent on the triple slide.

 and Zeb must have just been having a lucky weekend because at the festival he ended up winning this pumpkin sugar cookie.

 Although Ike was just as happy about the sucker he ended up with.

 Saturday night we did a little more post birthday celebrating- and went to a corn maze with a bunch of friends (thanks for the pics, Kera!!) . The maze was ridiculously big and we had so much fun.  We're missing  a few people in the this picture- but here's part of the group.

It was so fun to get out with friends and withOUT kids.  After the maze we went for bbq and had the most delicious fried dill pickles.  I don't even like fried foods- but fried pickles are one of my favorite foods!

 And then we went to the world famous 'Graeters Ice Cream' for dessert. I was totally stuffed- but Kent ordered Cotton Candy Ice cream. SICK.  I seriously asked him: "Who orders Cotton Candy ice cream?!"  Well, apparently the other Pediatrician there that night got it, too.  We decided it must be some pre-requisite for Pediatricians.  Here they are with their most childish grins and blue ice cream cones.

I think we are going to take our kiddos back to the corn maze sometime in the next few weeks!  We still haven't done a pumpkin patch this year- and this place had a hay ride, cow train, play area- and all sorts of other great stuff.  I guess some stuff is still fun with kiddos :)

One of my best ideas in awhile:

race tracks in the leaves!  With a photo finish in a big pile.

I think next week we are going to make a maze in the leaves.  Or at least a squiggly racetrack.   The kids were entertained for OVER an hour.  and that's pretty hard to do for a 2 and 4 year old :) plus- I got some raking done.

We also had some pretty intense 'leaf battles'.  Zeb calls everything a 'battle' right now.

happy b-day, ralph.

 Kent (I call him Ralph) deserves the 'best guy ever' award.   I'm not sure how he does it- but he always seems to make my life wonderful :)  Yesterday was his birthday- the BIG 30!!  and he worked. ALL stinking day.  And he was happier than ever.  As long as he doesn't work for fifteen hours on MY birthday- I'll be as happy as ever, too.
Sunday we opened presents and had great food and spent time together.  Zeb and Ike loved decorating and wrapping. And Kent loved his presents.  I think I'm a pretty darn good gift giver :)

Check out that tongue action.

Why is little kid handwriting so cute?!

 For his actual birthday- we went and visited Kent at work.  I wanted to take him something fun and a little out of the ordinary (although he does love just plain old cupcakes) so I attempted cake pops from scratch.  My success was moderate.  We'd had a cake pop demo at a church activity and it didn't seem too difficult to attempt so I made my way to hobby lobby and- voila.  At first Kent didn't believe that I'd actually made them myself!  I'm obviously not too crafty :)

 After passing out treats to the other residents- we went downstairs for a bit to play at the playground.  There are definitely some great advantages to kent working at a children's hospital!  there are tons of cool toy rooms- and little kid activity centers all over the hospital, too!!  
 and it just happened to be almost 85 degrees this day. gross.  give me my fall.  luckily it didn't last too long and we are back to the happy 60s and 70s.

After playing- we went and decorated his car and left him some more presents.  I should have taken some pictures.  The rugrats were so excited to be filling his car with balloons! He ended up getting home by eight so we got to do a little more celebrating with take-out chinese and more singing from the kiddos.

Love you, Ralph.  The next thirty years are going to be even better than the last! mostly because you'll get to spend all of them with me :)

autumn in the park

As much as I love Fall- it kinda stresses me out.  Maybe I'm the only person in the world with this problem- but it kind of makes me crazy.  Every day when I wake up and drive around I get all worried that all of the leaves are changing too fast.  I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and everything will be brown- or fallen to the ground.    I'm afraid we haven't taken enough pictures or spent enough time jumping in the leaves!  What if somehow I've missed driving down the best roads and missed the best foliage?!  I just have to keep telling myself- it will be back next year.  and honestly- I'm a pretty big fan of this next season so I'm not sure what all the worry is about.

Today- in order to try and remove some of the anxiety- we went out and enjoyed the perfect weather and great colors. And I took plenty of pictures :)

Four houses down from ours there is a short little pathway that leads to a giant piece of neighborhood green space!  We really should be taking bigger advantage of it- but our yard is big and fabulous so we don't.

There's even a playground at the end of the field that you can see if you squint hard enough!

The playground equipment reminds me a little of rickety russian playgrounds- but the boys loved it!

Kent went flying off the horse right after I took this picture!

We spent today doing a pre celebration of Kent's birthday since he works ALL day tomorrow for the real deal.  We opened up presents and just had a fabulous family day.

Zebby was pretty good to actually look at me for pictures. I think he realizes that if he just looks at me a few times- I'll leave him alone and let him play :)

Ike -on the other hand- is a little spazzoid when the camera comes out.  Such a little turkey.

Kent told him to look at me here- and he gave me the most ridiculous side smirk.

He continues to make me crazy with his two year old antics.  Today we drove to church with him COMPLETELY naked. Honestly. No clothes. Not even undies.  He had a freakout just as we were trying to get him dressed and full on refused.  Kent and I- together- could not physically restrain him long enough to even put on his underwear.  It was RIDiculous. We finally just took him to the car naked.  Kent said he hopes this kid never has to get an IV :)  He calmed down on the drive and I got him dressed in the parking lot while Kent and Zeb went into church.  Church, surprisingly, was pretty problem free. He just didn't want to get dressed at the moment we wanted him to.

weekend

Conference weekend was nice and calm at our place.  But, for whatever reason- the weekend always makes me especially homesick.  Even more so than holidays!

Saturday wasn't too bad! we ran some errands in the morning and made it home in time for the noon session.  And then enjoyed the two sessions as a family.  The rugrats did a really really good job this year. For the most part I got to enjoy every talk. We had a few activities for them- but mostly they were content to just sit and listen while playing with cars and trains.  The more I tried to force an activity or game- the worse it got- so we quickly changed gears and had a pleasant watching experience.

Sunday the boys did just as good- but Kent was working and I felt like we were trapped in our house for twelve hours with no relief!!  and it may not look like it- but our house was FREEZING that morning.  It had gotten down to 35 that night and we aren't turning on the heat yet- so we just bundled up.  The kids stayed in footie pjs until 3:00. And actually we got to go over to a friends house for the four o'clock session and watch with them- so the day wasn't THAT bad.

Ike is so funny right now. Everything is so exciting to him. He turned around in this picture to tell me: "I love this one!!"- in reference to Henry B. Eyring.

And here's Zeb trying to be grumpy. Even when he's angry, if you tell him you can see his smile- he can't help but start smiling and laughing!  It's a pretty nice tool to have when he's grumpy.

On Monday- for family home evening- the rugrats got haircuts. They needed them SO badly.  And thanks to some bribery- it was our best haircutting experience yet.  Kent is a pro at giving them the buzz- so he did the honors.  Here's the result!

I love the age of four.  Zeb gets better and better every day.

 age 2- I don't love so much.  Ike did one of his library freakouts at a bookstore this past weekend and I am so glad that Kent was around to remove him. Maybe it's just books that incite this kiddo?!  When he finally calmed down enough to talk- we asked him what was wrong- what exactly he wanted so badly. He replied: "I just want to be angry!".  He reminds me of me.  Kent laughed and just looked at me when he said it.  I think I've said that same thing on more than one occasion.

 He's a lot like me in his excitement as well. He gets excited about pretty mundane everyday things. Here he is showing his excitement about his trains.