Batter Up

Nolan turned 4 this weekend and he invited Reese and Tucker to his Baseball Party. The big kids played the bat game, busted a baseball pinata, and other fun stuff... so cute. While they did that, Reese and Tucker were busy with their own baseball game. Here's how it played out...

Tucker gets the Tee all set up and ready for the first batter.

Dad shows Tucker the proper stance. Don't worry, Reese was able to get out of the way before Tucker hit a line drive.

Reese throws herself in front of the ball to make the stop. What a play by Tims.

Tucker stomps back to the dugout after being "tagged out" by a girl. That can be hard on a guy's ego.

Tucker winds up and gives Reese his best knuckle ball. She doesn't need no stinkin' Tee!

Unfortunately, Reese strikes out...

So, she takes her ball and goes home.

I guess she needed the Tee after all.

Happy Birthday Nolan! Thanks for inviting us to your party!

Grammy's Got Talent

Look at some of the fun clothes that Grammy made for Reese and Tucker. That's right, this isn't even all of them! She's so talented! Every time Reese wears one of her dresses, people comment on how adorable it is... and they just can't believe that Chris' mom made it! She's made some cute restaurant high chair covers for us too... we love them and use them all the time. Grammy really does "got talent."

Isn't she incredible?! The kids have outgrown most of their gifts from Grammy but she just agreed to help with Halloween costumes. I'm so excited. I totally need your help deciding on their costumes though. Here's what I'm thinking: Alice in Wonderland (Reese of course) and The Mad Hatter (Tucker), Dorothy and one of the Wizard of Oz characters (Chris says "no to ToTo... I'm sad b/c I think he'd make a pretty cute puppy dog), or Pebbles and Bamm Bamm. What do we all think? I think it would be hilarious to see Tucker as the Mad Hatter... in a crazy little suit with a top hat that I'll have to glue to his head. Send me your votes so Grammy can get started. So fun!

Poppy

Lewis Arthur Olson, or Poppy as we all called him, was Chris' grandpa. Chris had a special bond with his Poppy. When he was little he would sit and watch Poppy work in his wood shop for hours. Poppy is the one that taught Chris how to use tools and appreciate the craft of woodworking. Chris remembers hammering away for hours, wearing crazy earmuff so to not damage his little eardrums, and just being amazed as he watched Poppy's projects come together. As Chris got older, Poppy let him use his tools to build all kinds of fun stuff: skis to ski down the hill at their house, a soap box derby car, a dog house, and much more.

Chris still has several of the wooden toys that Poppy made him when he was a little boy... wooden cars and trucks, a tractor and a great rocking horse. I know Chris thinks of Poppy every time Tucker climbs up on the rocking horse and goes to town.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

To this day, Chris still loves to build things... he's made several pieces of furniture and wants to have a big shop to do lots more when we move out to the land. I hope this is something that he can share with Tucker... all the stories of Poppy and his tools, and his love for woodworking. Hopefully this will create a special bond between them... just as it did between Chris and his Poppy!

Down on the Farm

Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, Kansas... highly recommend it. Our annual Tims/Olson Family Reunion was held in Kansas this summer so we took all the kids to this FREE children's farm. Tucker loved it. Reese, on the other hand, was miserable. This was when she was going through her "I hate being outside" phase, so she was not happy. It also didn't help that she was almost eaten by a giant goat when we first got there. That pretty much ruined it for her.

Note to parents... ease your children into a place like this. Starting with the goats that jump over the fence to be fed, is a very bad idea.

Tucker loved it all though... feeding the goats, riding the tractors, using the water pump and then splashing in the water and petting all the animals. He didn't even mind me forcing him to take a picture behind the huge potted flower.

Aunt Jen was our photographer for the day and she captured lots of great shots... you can't even really tell how much Reese was hating me for this forced fun!

Human Potato Head

Reese and Tucker are crazy about Mr. Potato Head and his family. They aren't into actually putting them together... but they enjoy spreading the parts all over the living room. They also have an obsession with the arms. I'm pretty sure my potato head didn't have arms when I was a kid. He's evolved... now he has arms, feet, and a whole family. Crazy. Anyway, every time I turn around, one of my kids is carrying an appendage, or has one sticking out of their mouth. Not sure if I should be worried?!


Look what my little Human Potato Head was doing today...

Rainy Day

Rainy days give me an excuse to be lazy... or at least they used to, before the kids. Even though I can't really curl up on the couch with a good book on a rainy day like I used to, I still enjoy them. The babies, on the other hand, don't seem to share my appreciation. They were sad today... sad that they couldn't go out and play. They kept going to the back door and just staring outside waiting for the rain to stop. Unfortunately, it never did and they were stuck inside all day.






Rain Rain, go away!

Don't Try This At Home

Grandmas and Grandpas are for spoiling. If I've learned nothing else during the past 14 months, I've learned that. With grandparenting comes the right to spoil... at least I think so and I'm sure most grandparents would agree. They have the right to give you ice cream and candy, let you stay up late, and do all the things that they wouldn't let their own kids do.

Reese and Tucker have been blessed with two sets of grandparents that enjoy spoiling them. And Chris and I enjoy watching them enjoy it. When the kids get stay up until 1:00am, have a snow cone before dinner, syrup on their pancakes, or get to run around on the kitchen table, I just smile, shake my head, and then thank God that my kids have four grandparents that love them and are around to spoil!

I wouldn't try this at home though!

Fun with Grandma & Grandpa

Reese and Tucker love going to Grandma and Grandpa's house. There's so much to do... see the cows, swim, swing, go for 4-wheeler and wagon rides, jump on the trampoline, walk down to the garden,.. the list goes on and on. It's way more fun at their house than it is at ours! They came home completely wiped out this weekend after playing with Gma and Gpa...

Going for a wagon ride...

Got our snack, got our drink, we're ready to go...

Tucker practicing on Gpa's Hog for when he gets bigger...

Reese getting ready for her turn with Grandpa...

I LOVE this picture! So cute... the four of them going for a walk...

Grandpa and Tucker going for a ride...

Before we know it, Tucker will be riding around on this thing by himself.

We love you Grandma and Grandpa! Thanks for a fun weekend!

Our New Favorite Thing

Tucker has always loved to play outside. He's all boy... he plays in the dirt, eats the dirt, gets the dirt all over him. Reese, on the other hand, is a girlie girl. I was really starting to think we were going to have an "inside girl"... until recently. She used to hate to be outside... it was too hot, or too sunny, or it made her too sweaty. I don't know what happened to my girl, but she totally loves playing outside now. Yesterday she threw a fit (I'm talkin' throw yourself on the ground, kick your legs, cry for 20 minutes) fit because Chris went outside and she didn't get to go with him. It was muddy from all the rain so we didn't want to go out and play. Tucker is so laid back... he's like "whatever... play inside, play outside... doesn't really matter as long as I get to play." So... this is our new favorite thing... just playing outside in the back yard. They love it and cry every time their mean ol' mom makes them come inside.

Firrrrrst Down Bearcats!

During the fall semester, my Friday nights are spent at football games. Surprisingly, I don't really mind it. I've decided that working at a High School is keeping me young. Friday night lights totally remind me of my high school days. Plus, the Bearcats almost always win... so that makes it more enjoyable. Besides the occasional interruption to deal with teenagers causing a ruckus, I pretty much just get to sit and watch the game. Can't complain too much... it pays the bills.

This year, my parents have offered to keep the kids overnight on Fridays so Chris can come with me. How sad is it that our weekly date night is to a high school football game? Whatever, it's fun to be together, and Grandma & Grandpa are starting a little Friday night tradition with Reese and Tucker.

I did want to take them to at least one Bearcat football game this season though, so they went with us last night to watch the Bearcats stomp Grapevine. I had NO idea how it was going to go... sitting in the stands for 3 hours with 2 toddlers. Yikes. It actually went much better than I thought it would. They did eat for 3 hours straight... but hey, whatever works. Right?! Andrea and Justin brought the boys too and Campbell sat there so nicely in his daddy's lap, while my kids ran around in the stands throwing Cheerios everywhere. So unfair!

We left after half-time but still didn't get home until almost 11. Why you ask? Reese has turned into little Ms. Independent and refuses to be held. She insisted on walking the entire 2 miles to the car. She was so happy and proud and her little legs were working so hard... but it still took 45 minutes to get to the parking lot. I think everything is going to take us a lot longer now that they are both walking and want to do it on their own. Here are a few pics from our fun night at Bearcat Stadium...