Dog Days of Summer

Drew and Ollie's new Jackets.  Drew is no longer willing to pose for photos,
so this is the best I was able to get by waiting to surprise him from around the corner.

We started this weekend on a good note.  When we came home from school/work, there was a package on the porch from Nana Max.  The first thing Drew looks for is either a key or scissors when there is a package to open.  Mike is teaching him the basics of using the right tool for the job.  When Drew got home, he needed a pick-me-up, and nothing makes him happier than having a chance to use his scissors.  In the package were a couple warm jackets for Drew and Ollie.  They wanted to try them on at once.    Thank you, Nana Max.

Ollie

We started Saturday morning by meeting one of Drew's friend, Jacob, and Ollie's friend, Noah, at the park.  The kids, slid, swung, climbed, biked and chased each other around the park.  Later in the day we hung outside our house and played in the yard.  The house across the street is up for sale, and someone happened to be looking at it when we were out front.  I got a chance to chat with them and talk up the neighborhood a little.  They seemed like a nice couple, young, just starting their family.  We liked the people moving out, but this couple seemed like a suitable replacement.  It was their second time looking at the house, so who knows?  Even today, the houses in our neighborhood don't seem to stay on the market too long, but the house does seem to be priced for a steal.

It appears we are headed long into a drought-induced fall.  So, since the kids were already outside, and it's about time they start pulling their weight around here, Mike got the rakes out and put them to work raking pine straw from the yard.  Remind me the next time we buy a house to pick one that has no pine trees.  They are evil.  The boys then got a few wagon hay rides, a few jumps, and some gold fish out of the deal, so they didn't seem to mind too much...if fact, both are always very enthusiastic when it comes to opportunities to help Mom and Dad.  I hope that enthusiasm lasts when they are old enough to actually be of help.  Between the three of us, we made quick work of the yard and got it cleaned up in no time.

Working Hard

Or, hardly working?

Drew sleeping in his new light-up shoes

Saturday evening, we thought it was time to get out of the house again, and after a stop at Steak-n-Shake (without getting a shake because Drew didn't eat his steak) we headed to the mall to get some new shoes for Drew, and runoff a little energy before bed.  Lately, whenever we've mentioned to Drew how he needed new shoes, he would say, "light-up shoes."  I think someone in his class has got light-up shoes, and now everyone wants light-up shoes.  That's how fads go.  First one person gets something, then a few, pretty soon everyone has that something, but once everyone has something, its lame again (Mike's theory).  So Saturday, when it actually came time to buy him new shoes, he was beaming with joy that he just might get light-up shoes.  If anyone has ever thought that they might ever avoid buying something for their kids as gimmicky as light up shoes, they've never had a three-year old ask like it would be the end of the word if they didn't get their light-up shoes.  He loves them so much, he slept with his shoes on last night.

He got his McQueen and Mater multi-light-up shoes, it's like a fireworks show with every step.  He ran all over the mall with his new multi-light-up shoes.  Mike warned him on several occasions to watch were he was running, and not at his shoes.  Of course, he responded, "Why?"  This, of course, right before he would run into a wall.

Ollie got new shoes too.  Not light-up, just the regular dark kind.  Mike thinks they look sporty, but I think they look like orthopedic nurses shoes.  He did his best too to keep up, but it was late, so Ollie was more content lying limp in the stroller taking in all the sights and sounds and smells of the mall.  Ollie did get his second wind after he got half of Mike's DQ heath blizzard, and half of my milkshake in him.  Drew wouldn't share his M&M blizzard.  While I took Drew to find a potty, Mike and Ollie hung out outside the As-seen-on-TV store.  Ollie spent the entire time giggling and running back and forth across the hall running into people and leaving his fingerprints on the store window.

Drew did finally eat his dinner.  We packed it up to go, a threatend no dinner, no ice cream.  We've eaten ice cream in front of him before when he didn't eat his dinner...we're ruthless.

One quick ride on the quarter machines that rock, and an escalator ride up and then back down and we were off for home and bed.  It was a really fun weekend.