Fun week...

Seems like we have been running nonstop all week, but thats ok. I'll work my way backwards with the photos. Tonight Darcy met us in Ames at a park and we ordered Great Plains Pizza and ate in the park. What a much better way to sit with kids, then waiting in their restaurant for 45 minutes for our pizza! AND it was perfect weather to be outdoors!!!

Mallory sitting in a swing for the first time

Course I was never pushing him high enough

Mason doesn't know a stranger, and tonight was no exception. He latched on to Sosia (pronounced So-Sha) who was the cutest little 3 year old. She is from Poland, hence the unusual name. Her mother said she only learned English after moving here a few months ago, and I would have never of guessed, as she was almost speaking better then Mason did at 3!!!

Earlier in the day, we went to see the Largest running Steam Engine that was in the area. That was quite the sight. Wish I would of had my video camera on to get the full effect, as the picture just doesn't do the sound/atmosphere justice. Here is a link to some more info on it while it was in the area Steam Locomotive

While at the farm this past weekend, Mason was playing with his little cars/tractors/Bob the Builder die cast toys. He really likes them organized...

Yep, Darcy turned the big 3-0 on Tuesday, but we had cake and ice cream while visiting her Sunday.
Mason had to put some 'cows' on the cake. He really wanted to cover the cake in them, but Granny told him that DD didn't want a cow cake!!!


Monarchs must be on the move, as there were hundreds of them flying around the farm

Between preschool a few days a week, a couple play groups, running errands, meeting up with family.. this week has been fast and furious...

I'll leave ya with a few 'Mason'isms......

"Did you give the girl a kiss?" : Tony

"No. I didn't want her to get heart eyes" : Mason

(I had to translate this for Tony as he didn't know what Mason was talking about... guess Mason has been watching a few too many cartoons!!!! )

We were reading a Tractor book from the library

"Is that what most seed drills look like? ":Lisa

"No, those pictures were taken in Europe" :Tony

"No, they came from the library" : Mason

ITS FALL!!!

I'm loving this time of year, and the weather has been wonderful! If I could have my 70-80 degree days and 60 degree nights year round, I'd be that much happier!! Nothing better then FALL. Our leaves turn quite a bit later in our yard, so no leaves falling in our yard just yet. However, they are falling all around us!!!

My MIL had a birthday a couple weeks ago, and I made her a bag.

I really need to get in the swing of things again, and start getting more things made. I've been working on a quilt top, and I've finished that, and now I just need to get the backing ready and send it off to be quilted. I was gonna do it myself, but decided since its so big (approx 80x90) and someone was doing a fundraiser for the IKE relief fund, I'd donate to a good cause AND get my quilt quilted!!!

Mason is doing pretty good in his new preschool class. Still has a hard time sitting still and not 'wrestling'. I know, he's a boy, and boys will be boys. BUT hopefully he will tame down a little and not be a thorn in the teachers side all year long!!!

Yesterday was my sisters 30th birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY DD) so last weekend we had some cake and ice cream at her house. I'll have to upload and post those pictures later. But here is one DD took of Mallory.. I'm assuming she is telling you she is 'SOOOOOOO BIG'... one of her new favorite things to do. Along with saying 'TTTTTTTTT' , which translated in English means Kitty. She adores the kitties!!! Not sure they love her, but one day they will I'm sure

Busy Busy

So the last few weeks we have been keeping busy. Mason has been going to preschool on Tues and Thrus ams, but will be changing to the 4 year old class that goes on Mon,Wed and Fri starting next week. I kind of wondered if he would be a little bored in the 3 year old class, since he is technically 4, but I figured I'd let the teacher make that call. She said he is a big helper and just kind of goes with the flow, but she can see how he might get really bored the more the year goes on. Starting next monday he will be going three days a week, which just means a little more running for Mallory and I. I have no doubt he will love it and will adjust just fine. Now that only leaves me 2 free days a week. Guess this is slowly breaking me in for when he is in kindergarden and goes every day and I can't just up and run when I want to, that has been really nice.

Will just share a few pictures from the last week or so.

Little Miss Elise and Mallory. Not quite sure why Mallory doesn't look very happy, but was the only photo of the both of them I got looking at the camera. Elise is the one we think Mallory favors, however, Mallory is starting to favor Aunt DD more and more every day.. haven't figured out if that is a good thing yet or not!! (Just kidding.. you know I Love Ya DD )

Elise really likes to 'clean' and Mallory is in her 'Stick'em up' pose

The imfamous race track from Uncle Troy that Mason has to play with every time we are at Granny B's... and he is even sharing with Elise (surprise surprise)

So we weren't busy last Wed and thought it might be a fun trip to go up to Spencer to see the

This is one fair I've never been too and have heard great things about, so we were off on the road trip for the day (see what I mean about being able to jump in the car and go somewhere on a whim). It was about a 2 1/2 hr drive to get there. And it wasn't a great time. A fair I will definitely go back to next year and make sure the rest of my family goes too. And they even had their version of my favorite Iowa State Fair food......

Aren't we thankful that technology has progressed to where it is today?!?!

They had a HUGE Dekalb booth



They had the whole farm of animal 'heads'...

He was really trying to get that to go down

So I really missed the good photo opp, as right before I took this photo, that goose with the bright scarf on, pecked Mason in the nose!!!

Mallory loves to make her Piggy Face.. as did Mason at this age

One of my favorite outfits I found at a consignment store while visiting my sister in Chicago. I love this outfit.. its still a little big, but I still love it!!!

Haven't figured out why it is so hard to get BOTH of them in a photo AND have them both looking at the camera?!?!?!

A couple weekends ago, Mason's friend Ryan had a birthday party at an Indoor playground type place, and both kids had a ball!!!

So last friday we went to the zoo.. and it RAINED!! It was only really misting here and there the whole trip down there, but once we got to Des Moines and got out of the car, it picked up just enough to make you more then just a little wet. Mason still had a good time

Aiden, Ryan, Mason

Mason's first Day of Preschool

Thursday was the first day of preschool for Mason. He only goes 2 1/2 hrs twice a week. He was excited to go and never really had any questions or concerns for me. We walked in the door to his room, he sat down and got the things out of his bag and put them where he had been told to at our conference earlier in the week, and went to the toys to play!!! When I picked him up, he thought I had forgot him as there was a misunderstanding as to where we were to pick up the kids. So the first thing he said to me was 'Where were you mommy? Why didn't you get me? Where were you mommy?' and then the teacher said, 'I told you she wouldn't forget you'. Thankfully he wasn't in tears and was waiting patiently for me.

Thought you might enjoy a picture of Mason two years ago in August..... when he was 2.....

And now the 'BIG' boy going to preschool... WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?!?!?!?!

Iowa State Fair

So, if you have never been to the Iowa State Fair, I believe it is a MUST in your lifetime!! I think we have the BEST state fair around.. I've been to the MO,KS, and TX state fairs.. and IOWA still ranks #1 in my opinion. This year we went three different times.. I could have went every day I think, but that would have gotten a little costly on the pocketbook!!! So the first day we were there BRIGHT AND EARLY to get in free AND be one of many to set a record for the most people eating a corn dog at the same time in the same place!! We were approx. the 2200 persons to walk in... they only had 8400 corndogs.. and they had 10,000+ people in the grandstands with an estimated 5000 more trying to get in outside the gates!! Guess it paid to get up early and be there by 6:30am (the actual event didn't take place til 9am)

The 'LITTLE' Bull




Here is the Big Boar.

Can you believe the big pumpkin AND the big boar were about the same weight!!!!

How cute is this.. a kid and a lamb sleeping together in their feed bowl!! I could have taken all the baby animals home.. and I think Mason would have love to also

Mason finally crashed about 6pm.. slept for about 30 minutes and was good to go see the rest of the fair!!!

Us girls did a sterling silver ring making class. It was a good time.. can you tell the age of the different hands?!?! *S*

The fair is known for their Butter Cow. This year since it was the Olympics and Shawn Johnson is from Iowa, she made a butter Shawn Johnson too!! Pretty amazing!!

The big slide was a hit with Mason. I think he went down it 5 different times with whoever he could coax to take him. He informed me that 'Next year I'm gonna go down the slide myself'

For all you Central Iowa Natives.. here is the Floppy mobile!!! MAN that show was AWESOME!!! And Betty Lou and the Magic window!!



Little hands on the Farm is always a hit with the kids, and Mason is no exception here. They are given a hat and an apron and a basket to go thru the 'farm'. Well, the green hat they are given is a Pi%^?#er hat (thats a bad word in our house *S*) and Mason is forbidden from wearing that, so he wears his Dekalb hat instead!!! (I must say, the Dekalb hat is much cutier then the other one)


They act like they are on a farm and plant the seed... harvest the crop, pick some apples, get some corn, feed the corn to the cow to milk, turn in their beans for fuel for the tractor, and then turn in their produce at the end for some 'money' to buy something at the store. A very clever way to teach kids the process of growing things.

And here is the 'prize' he chose.. not the cookie, not the juice, not the candy... but the....

Wish I could take credit for him liking apples so much, but I can't!! Not quite sure where he got that from, as I don't eat them enough, but I always have them in the house for his 'apple a day'!!!

Course we had a little bit of food.....corn dogs, super nachos, jr donuts, soda pop, cheese curds, pizza, tenderloin,elephant ear, funnel cake,jr donuts, gyro, grater taters, soda pop, jr donuts, nitro ice cream, taffy, taco salad, jr donuts, fudge, jr donuts.... ok, so we didn't eat all that in one day, and I myself didn't eat ALL THAT by myself!! We like to think of it as a smorgasbord.. we have a bite of this and a bite of that.. and we get to try it all and not spend $50 a meal!!! EXCEPT for the jr donuts... I think I ate my weight in those.. and even brought home quite a few to freeze to enjoy thru the winter to tide me over til August 8, 2009!!!! They are by far my FAVORITE food at the fair!!

Fair 2008 was a great time!!! In the 10 days, it is estimated that 1,109,150 people attended!! It was a record breaking year! The weather was perfect almost everyday, with temps in the high 70s, low 80s. Normal for this time of year is high 80s and HIGH humidity, and we had neither of those!! Mallory also got to go to her 1st fair and did very well!!! Course, we didn't brave the weekend crowds with our stroller, but did manage to take the kids a couple days. Until next year.....