"Thirteen Between"

Mommyapolis....

2011-12-14T11:33:00.002-06:00

No need to maintain 2 blogs... Check us out at www.mommyapolis.com

ONE

2011-11-07T17:11:00.002-06:00

six.

2011-10-22T10:42:00.001-05:00

Sanders 11 Months

2011-10-17T15:11:00.002-05:00

Sanders George; 9 months

2011-08-24T10:20:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe 9 months have gone by, but they have... Our little buddy is growing as fast as ever! He weighs about 18.5 pounds and is the 75% for height... He's a bundle of love and laughter and brings tremendous joy to our family! Most people who spend any amount of time with him are immediately in LOVE because he bats his long lashes at them and melts them with his precious grin... He really is a great baby, we are so blessed!

Timberwolf Lake; A Young Life Camp

2011-08-09T09:19:00.005-05:00

On our vacation one of our highlights was our trip to Timberwolf Lake, one of YL's many "resort like" properties... We had a blast watching the kids get sprayed down with the fire hose, zip line, and blob! We got to eat tacos, rice krispie treats and ice cream! What more could a young boy ask for... OH and no, they were not dressed the same, they both just took off their shirts and were left with only their undershirts showing! AND in true Shaeffer fashion, NO SHOES... Love that kid's style! If you click on the picture you can see the beautiful entrance a little better!

Rookie's

2011-06-19T21:02:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that the boys are just about to complete their rookie season, but it's true... Fortunately our friend Kyle (Exsted Photography) was able to capture a great picture of the boys as they waited for the fun to start! Our good friends Caedon and Tristan were also Rookies this year... Caedon played on a different team, but one of the greatest lessons is on sportsmanship so we didn't care! Thanks again Mr. Kyle for taking this pic!

3 on 3

2011-06-16T21:30:00.003-05:00

We had the fortunate opportunity to visit my BFF in Omaha this past week. We had a marvelous time and the boys came home exhausted... Shaeffer is convinced that those are his "brothers" even making the statement, "Where are the big brother's Mom" when he woke up and couldn't find them. Today as we were driving home from the park Sutton said, "Mom, I want to go back to Miss Lynn's house, I miss those guys..." It's just so sweet. When we were in college we used to plan out our lives... Of course we dreamed of living next door to each other and having cookouts all the time. I don't think we pictured 6 boys, but that is just a bonus! We don't live next door, in fact we live a couple states away, but this trip fulfilled a tiny bit of that dream.. Thank you Lynn, Kevin, C, J & M for letting us invade your space on such short notice!

Castaway 2011 & Sanders 6 month pics!

2011-05-30T08:49:00.005-05:00

Ben's YL assignment this year was at Castaway as Work Week director. The boys and I got to spend a shorter amount of time up there (because of my work schedule) but we had a blast! We played outside in the grass, played frisbee golf, played in the sand, went on a boat ride, played hockey in the gym and even played at the park! We enjoyed all of our meals in the Windjammer, got to hang out with our buddies the Exsted's and meet some new friends in the process! We can't wait for a longer assignment (hopefully next summer)!

Sanders also got his 6 month, unplanned, photo shoot done! I love having a photographer in the family, it makes photo shoots low stress!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T18:58:00.002-05:00

S.G.D-5 months

2011-04-17T21:06:00.003-05:00

Our little buddy is growing so fast! I had him to the doctor for an ear check last week and he weighed in at a whopping 15 pounds 10 ounces! Once again I'm attempting to make baby food (it seems to be so much easier this time around). So far he has had sweet potatoes, plums, bananas, and avocado. This week I plan to introduce peas and peaches! This little guy LOVES to eat, it's adorable! He's one happy little boy, can you tell????

He LOVES his brothers more than anything.... He is so happy when they are around! I think that this picture shows how special they think he is too!

Sanders George- 4 months

2011-03-15T20:27:00.004-05:00

Stats... 14 pounds 8 ounces-----25.3 inches----- He is the smallest of all our guys, but the most chatty, by far!

Join us....

2011-02-28T16:26:00.001-06:00

Valentine Lunch with the fam...

2011-02-18T18:44:00.002-06:00

Ben had to work on V-Day night so when the boys and I got home from school he had this for us...

Extra points because I was running a 103.7 fever and we would have had pb&j if it were left to me!

Valentine's Day Brunch

2011-02-15T15:37:00.005-06:00

We hosted a brunch for a few of our closest friends on Sunday... Here are some pics.....

We made Ben's favorite dessert, Chocolate Mousse Cake with a Valentine spin!

Sour candy centerpiece

Hot Chocolate Bar with toffee, mint, butterscotch, marshmallows (heart shaped, so cute) and whip cream ...

Appetizer of heart shaped crackers with strawberry cream cheese, strawberries cut into hearts and a sprinkle of powdered sugar!

3 months

2011-02-08T20:10:00.002-06:00

Naples 2011

2011-01-31T07:50:00.003-06:00

Sanders George- 2 months

2011-01-10T08:28:00.002-06:00

2010-12-23T11:12:00.001-06:00

Blizzard 2010

2010-12-13T09:17:00.002-06:00

Shakopee's Official Total: 21.5 inches

3 on 3

2010-11-20T20:07:00.003-06:00

So many of our friends have 3 boys.. We have now joined the "my three son's" club... One of our favorite sets of three came to visit us in the hospital... We'll be ready for a little three on three soon guys!

Sanders George

2010-11-07T19:23:00.004-06:00

Sanders George
Born 11.5.10
7 pounds 13 ounces
19.5 inches long...

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:16:00.002-05:00

Sweet Brothers and BFF's....

2010-10-28T19:30:00.004-05:00

It doesn't show in this picture, but at Sutton's birthday party Shaeffer was so sweet. While we were singing he had his arm around Sutton the entire time... When it was time to blow out the candles he moved his hand to his shoulder and helped him to blow... So sweet. They really are BFF's... Love it!

When did we get a 5 year old?????

2010-10-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

Fire Station Open House....

2010-10-04T19:30:00.004-05:00

On Saturday we ventured out to the Fire Station Open House. This was CLEARLY a hit for the boys. Let me start by saying that they chose to wear their "fire gear" to the station without any prompting what so ever. We had a blast and learned a lot too! Thank you to all the fireman who work so hard to keep us safe!

L-E-T-S-G-O

2010-09-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-14T15:05:00.002-05:00

Sutton started his second year at Funshine Preschool at Grace Church today and Shaeffer started his first year. They both said they had a great time. Shaeffer had no problem being dropped off and when I picked him up he told me "I listened a little bit today Mommy, but not when I was rolling on the floor". Sutton was a little anxious to be dropped off, but did fine the rest of the day. He said "I was glad to see my friends".

I picked them up and we went out for a special "first day of school" lunch and then got some new books at the library. They are both sleeping now so I think school got the best of them!

Pebble Beach Photo Shoot

2010-08-12T16:38:00.007-05:00

How could we not have an impromptu photo shoot while visiting Pebble Beach in Carmel???? You can see "hole 10" in the background of some of these pics... I guess it goes to show that it doesn't matter what you are wearing (notice grubby clothes) but rather the location and subjects that take your breath away.... OH and having an amazing PHOTOG in your family doesn't hurt either...

CALI

2010-08-09T23:06:00.003-05:00

A bit of the bump...

2010-08-05T22:21:00.004-05:00

I'm not one of those "take a picture of my belly" sorts of girls so this is for those of you that KEEP ASKING... This is a pic of my friend Jen and I at our church barn dance... We were not the only ones dressed for the evening, we dressed our kids and Jen's hubby too, oh and the rest of our friends were also decked out... We were laughing the entire night about whether we were dressed as cowboys or farmers, what is the difference??? Any ways, you can see a bit of the bump in this pic and from me that's probably all you are going to get!

Blonde Buddies Hot Tubbin'

2010-07-14T14:52:00.002-05:00

Fun at the Lake, Minnesota Style!

2010-07-10T08:41:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T08:24:00.003-05:00

The Como Zoo

2010-06-30T15:02:00.003-05:00

This morning we ventured down to the Como Zoo with our little buddies Caedon and Norah... We had a great time looking at all the animals, watching the Sparky show, and goofing around with our BFF... Sutton, Shaeffer and Caedon are like three peas in a pod, it's really cute to watch... Norah was as easy as pie just hanging out in her stroller. It was a perfect Minnesota day at a perfect Minnesota park!

Baby #3

2010-06-23T13:22:00.002-05:00

The baby looks healthy and active! We didn't find out the gender, but Ben gave it his all in trying to figure it out...

We're gonna win Twins...

2010-06-09T19:24:00.005-05:00

Last night a friend called us last minute and offered us his 4 club level tickets for the Twins game.. We had an amazing time! I kid you not, I actually teared up at the amount of excitement the boys had for the stadium, TC Bear and Joe Mauer... Rumor has it we were on Fox last night too... Thanks Uncle Matt for the once in a life time experience!

Planting G's Garden

2010-05-27T09:52:00.003-05:00

Our ECFE Graduate...

2010-05-18T19:15:00.003-05:00

Little Shaeffer graduated from his 2's class today... We're so proud!

Sutton's First Field Trip

2010-04-24T08:48:00.004-05:00

Sutton went with his class to the Minnesota Zoo for his first ever field trip... He rode on the "yellow bus", had daddy as a chaperone, and had a great time! Here are a couple pics...

Sutton's Preschool Class with Miss Lane and Miss Bea

Sutton climbing up to the tree house...

Sutton and a couple of his "buddy's" from school....

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

Of course we dyed Easter Eggs... Then we left them out for the Easter Bunny and you will never guess what he did with them...

He hid them EVERYWHERE....

He also hid our Easter Baskets.... But we found them!

Shaeffer was once again a bit more competitive while hunting eggs, good thing we SHARE in our family! This year the bunny filled our eggs with M & M's and dried cherries... MMMMM

Aruba, Day 1

2010-03-06T12:01:00.003-06:00

Muffins with Dad...

2010-02-21T14:50:00.001-06:00

Ben and the boys made muffins for breakfast yesterday, it's so cute to watch them!

Minnesota Winter....

2010-02-17T09:00:00.003-06:00

We have been doing a lot of sledding this winter! There is so much snow we just have to embrace it... The looks on their faces tell it all! You have to click on the images to see the pictures better...

Our neighbor Julia joined us for an afternoon of sledding, so fun!

Daddy and his boys, WEEEEEEEEEE....
Go Sutton Go!
Shaeffer just loves it (well most of the time)

Ice Fishing With G....

2010-01-17T20:08:00.004-06:00

Sledding at Staring Lake...

2010-01-17T12:40:00.003-06:00

I figure I live in Minnesota, lets embrace it! We went sledding at Staring Lake in Eden Prairie on Saturday. I used to go sledding on this hill as a youngster myself, although as a parent it seemed about 100 times longer, more steep and very dangerous. I will say that in all of my sledding experience it was the fastest hill I've been on in a long time! The farther down the hill we got, the speedier our sled was going. We had to ride three to the sled (me, S & S) because it was just too dangerous for kids to go down alone. I actually didn't see any parents letting their kids venture this one alone. The only ones going "solo" were a few brave dads in the crowd!

Here is a picture of the hill... We honestly didn't "stop" until we were just about to that farthest tree line.

Here we are making the long hike back up the "mountain"

We ran into our friend Haddon and his family at the hill. We enjoyed playing together!

The first time we went back up the hill Shaeffer had to stop and take a break. The next 5 times I ended up hauling him up in the sled... My arms are feeling it!

We also had a little time to play in the park. It sure looked different with all this snow!

A Boy's Best Friend...

2010-01-11T11:18:00.001-06:00

Christmas PJ's...

2010-01-07T08:17:00.002-06:00

Christmas Blizzard '09

2009-12-24T10:01:00.001-06:00

Sutton's Christmas Program #1

2009-12-10T08:32:00.002-06:00

holidazzle parade '09

2009-12-07T12:40:00.002-06:00

No Shave November...

2009-11-21T13:08:00.003-06:00

I thought my husband was joking when he told me it was "No Shave November"... Then I googled it and quickly learned it is 'growing' in popularity and it even is linked to cancer awareness. So if for no other reason, he's doing it for a good cause!

Uncle Justin....AKA, JOCKO

2009-11-09T19:13:00.003-06:00

A visit to the new Twins Stadium...

Hanging out with Uncle J...

Happy Halloween...

2009-11-02T08:52:00.002-06:00

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T08:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Sutton!

2009-10-20T07:09:00.001-05:00

S's Birthday Party #2

2009-10-18T10:19:00.001-05:00

This is Ms. Kim our Kindermusik teacher... We hired her to come and play with the kids. It really was very cute!

S's 4th Birthday Party #1

2009-10-18T09:47:00.001-05:00

This is at the very end of Sutton's birthday party! More videos to come, it was the cutest "musical" party!

Birthday Cupcakes

2009-10-16T19:41:00.001-05:00

Laughing so hard...

The Bob's...

2009-10-08T17:32:00.002-05:00

OK so any of you who know my children know that they L-O-V-E "The Bob's"... We'll these are the infamous! It all began when Sutton was just about a year old and we were having our driveway plowed after a storm. They were using a "Bobcat" to plow the snow and the best Sutton could say was "Bob" so from then on any one with a plow, lawn mower, blower, trimmer, or Bob Cat is call "Bob". We've made pictures for The Bob's, we stalk The Bob's and now we finally took a picture with The Bob's. As you can see the boys are sporting their very own "Bob Vests" which they wear basically every time we are outside... too funny!

My New Website...

2009-10-04T15:01:00.004-05:00

I have had this idea for a long time now and am finally going to "just do it"... I started this website for all of the mom's out there to share ideas, support each other, and be the best Mommy's we can be... It's just in it's beginning stages, but I thought I'd share what I have so far...

Check it out at: www.mommyapolis.com

I am still going to have this blog for my family happenings, my new site is more for mommy ideas...

Fall Art...

2009-10-03T13:44:00.003-05:00

This week the weather has quickly changed from sunny, dry and 70's to chilly, wet, and 50's. We have been spending a bit more time inside because of the rain so we've had the chance to get some "new" things out. This week we talked a lot about the seasons and the leaves and we culminated our discussions by making some funky fall trees. I used one of my favorite mediums, "Do a Dot Art" for this one! I drew the trees and the limbs and the boys painted the leaves. I think they did a pretty good job. As you can see they even made some of the leaves "falling" off of the tree! I can tell the difference in personality and age just by glancing at these paintings. Sutton took his time, had an organization and rationale to his painting. Shaeffer was also fairly organized and decisive about his leaves until he saw Sutton putting some on the ground. Then Shaeffer got really excited and made lots of falling leaves! If you click on the picture you will see what I mean :) I think they both did a great job! Next up, something with pumpkins....

Special Time with Shaeffer...

2009-09-27T15:30:00.002-05:00

Now that Sutton is in school, Shaeffer and I get to have some special one on one time together. We miss Sutton DEARLY, but are enjoying our special time together too... We are taking a music class and ECFE not to mention running lots of errands! It's been fun so far!

September is still summer!

2009-09-24T08:14:00.006-05:00

In Minnesota we tend to think that "fall" starts at the beginning of September when school starts. Every year I am reminded that summer still goes on into September, this year especially so... Here are some pictures of our Summer in September! We have been getting in as much lake time as possible at G's house... We also had the opportunity to go to "G's" parade and see not only G marching, but fireman Gary! What a hit!

Sutton's First Day of Preschool...

2009-09-15T19:50:00.004-05:00

Today was a very big day in our house. As those close to us know, Sutton started preschool today! We've been talking about and anticipating the arrival of today for many weeks. I don't think a day has gone by that he has not worn his backpack around telling people, I'm going to school soon... Yesterday we had the opportunity to go into school and meet Sutton's teachers, tour the school, and get some information. This was a great chance for Sutton to become familiar with his classroom and teachers. I think it made today so much easier. He walked right to his room and found the toys in a matter of seconds. The only tears were those from Shaeffer. He started bawling the SECOND Sutton walked into his room and didn't stop until we were well on our way in the car. I, of course, wanted to attribute this to Shaeffer being sad because he missed Sutton, but it was probably more about the fact that he didn't get to play with the cool classroom toys! As for me, I held it together. I got a little teary when I didn't get to linger, but it was for the best! I probably would have sobbed if I had stayed much longer. It was actually much harder for me to pick him up because I knew I wasn't going to get much time with him before he had to go to daycare for the afternoon. Shaeffer and I went to our 2 year old class at ECFE and had a wonderful time. It was very special for me to get some one on one time with my youngest since that rarely happens! Here are some pics from the day!

This is what Fall is all about....

2009-09-12T12:20:00.003-05:00

Bedtime Snacks....

2009-08-13T11:03:00.002-05:00

At about 7:00pm every night this week the boys have been eating strawberry ice cream on the front steps. We all sit out there as a family, Wrigley too, and watch the boys scarf down their bedtime snack... We then either climb trees, walk to the pond to see the Egrets or ride bikes. It is a great summertime tradition!

Soccer Camp

2009-08-07T12:26:00.006-05:00

This week Sutton took his first ever "sports" lessons, SOCCER CAMP... It was a pretty funny sight each day. Sutton wasn't really wanting to participate and it took him a few days to even agree to play. He preferred to stand to the side and watch, taking it all in. We were a little frustrated after the first day when he didn't play at all, but then we got home and he played every game, sang all the songs, and new all the rules. We then realized he might be a little shy, but he's still learning. As the week progressed on he participated more and more... If you ask him if he likes soccer he says "Yeah" with a small bit of enthusiasm. We'll see how future years go! Shaeffer seemed to LOVE soccer, but he is a year too young to participate! Next year!

I can see this pose for years to come...

Towards the goal buddy...

Shaeffer was playing on the sidelines....

It's so much easier if you just pick it up and give it a toss at the goal...

Hey ladies, what's up???

This one cracks me up every time....

He did learn a lot about being part of a team and good sportsmanship... It was all in all a great experience!

The past few weeks...

2009-07-28T19:59:00.005-05:00

It seems like this summer is just flying by. I'm not sure where the time is going, but we have been keeping very busy... Here are a couple of pictures from our recent outings!

Sutton is taking swimming lessons at Lifetime. He's LOVING the fact that he swims underwater now and is really turning into a fish. After lessons we usually stay and swim at the outdoor pool. The boys love getting snacks and chillin' on the chairs during "safety breaks"

We met our former daycare provider and her daughter at Cleary Lake Park in Prior Lake one morning. The kids had a wonderful time playing in the park, water and having a picnic! THANKS Skylar for a fun playdate!

Last weekend we met our friends Kyle, Jen, Caedon and Norah at the Scott County Fair. The boys moo'd at the cows, oinked at the pigs, danced like chickens and ate a hearty lunch... Their favorite thing by far, however, was MACHINERY HILL... They are all boy! Loving the tractors, 4 wheelers, and snowmobiles! We are going to have to give in and get them a John Deere Gator this fall, it's just too cute!

"While You Were Out"

2009-07-13T15:23:00.004-05:00

Ben returned last night from an 8 day stint at Frontier Ranch in Colorado... The boys and I kept ourselves VERY BUSY while he was gone... We spent a few days at the lake with Grandpa, went to Granny's and enjoyed her sprinkler, went to the pool with our friends Haddon, Brady, James and Cleo, took a patriotic art class, had a visit from baby Liam, and tried out our new roller skates... We played with everything from caterpillars & butterflies to dirt and sand! Although we missed Ben tremendously, we had a marvelous 8 days at home too... Here are some pics from our week....

G's Caterpillar

Our New Skates! LOVE THEM...

Granny's Sprinkler

Calhoun Park and the Flag we made at Art Class...

Let Freedom Ring...

2009-07-05T07:00:00.004-05:00

Happy 4th of July! Yesterday we met our good friends, The Exsted's, at the Edina Parade. This is our second year going to the parade and we really hope to make it a tradition. It is such great way to remember what the 4th of July is all about... Although we do love a great BBQ, the parade gives us a great chance to talk with the boys about our amazing country... Here are a few pictures of our little patriots....

Honoring the troops...

Let Freedom Ring...

This was the funniest part of the day. Sutton HONEST TO GOODNESS said and I quote, "Excuse me Police Guys, can I peeze take your picture?" As you can see, the officers had no problem posing for our budding photographer. HILARIOUS...

One of our BFF's...

2009-07-03T16:23:00.003-05:00

Today we went to Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis with our friends Kyle, Jen, Caedon, and baby Norah... We played at the park, tossed rocks into the lake, walked on the bike path, and even rolled down the hill. The three boys are ALWAYS like three peas in a pod. They get along so well and really have a blast together. It is such a treat spending time with them! Here is a picture to show how much we love our friend Caedon (a.k.a Caedon Caillou, affectionately named that by Sutton since we know another Caedon).

GOTTA LOVE THE BLONDIES...

Thank you Mr. Kyle for taking this cute picture of us together!

Art Class

2009-07-02T09:03:00.010-05:00

This summer the boys are taking a couple art classes at a kids studio. It is so stinking cute... These pictures are from our "Father's Day" class. We took this class with our good friend Tucker! Sutton and Shaeffer worked together to make a picture of Daddy and of G. Tomorrow we are taking a "4th of July" class so we'll see what kind of art we get from that...

Here we are just getting started with our portraits...

First we painted Daddy's skin....

Then we painted his mouth and shirt...

We added the final touches to the tie, which neither G nor Daddy wear, but polka-dots are fun!

Waiting with Tucker to "share" our finished products... They call this "TADA TIME"

TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA...TADA.....

Can you tell which one is G and which one is Daddy?

Upper Room Block Party....

2009-06-29T07:58:00.005-05:00

Sunday night our church hosted a neighborhood block party both for those of us who go to the UR, and for the people who live in the neighborhood where our church is located. I worked the "snow cone" booth and had a fantastic time meeting new people and giving funny names to the unique snow cones people ordered.

Sutton and Shaeffer enjoyed a snow cone...

They had a wonderful time going through the maze...

And the slide was a big hit, although they were FILTHY when they were finished....

Here we are waiting to dunk "Miss Betty" in the dunk tank... When we first arrived, Sutton saw his teacher "Miss Betty" up in the tank. He had never seen anything like this before and was asking all sorts of questions (how did she get in there, can I swim with her, etc..). He also would NOT leave the dunk tank area AT ALL. We tried to bribe him away with sweets, games, slides, friends, BUT NOTHING worked. We stood there for about 10 minutes just watching.

FINALLY we got them to "try" to dunk Miss Betty. Fortunately for Miss Betty, S & S didn't hit the target this time... She did offer to let them push the button and dunk her, but Sutton did not want to do that... He gave her a high five and we were finally on our way!

DZ Reunion Pics....

2009-06-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

Hey DZ ladies... This is just a quick note to tell you how to access the photos Ben took at the reunion.

1. http://www.bendodds.com

2. Once you are in the site, you will need to click "client" at the bottom of the page

3. You will be asked to submit a password... The password is "dzreunion"

4. You can watch the slideshow as many times as you want :)...

EZ-DZ's...

2009-06-14T15:47:00.005-05:00

Well we just returned from our long awaited trip to AMES, IOWA for the ISU-DZ reunion. Ben was the "hired" "Joe Photo" for the weekend and has not downloaded or processed any pics yet, but I did take a few "casual" pics from our time in Ames. The above pic I stole from Ms. Michelle Moseman... It's a pic of our "class"... The pics below are from Friday and Saturday night after the "formal" portion of the reunion was over and we were feeling more casual!

Lynn & Kevin... My BFF's! We met them out on Friday night....

This is the after party on Saturday... We changed into our comfy clothes (it is AMES!)

Ben had no problem making friends!

and we know Ben loves to dance!

Pushed or Not....

2009-06-08T08:20:00.002-05:00

That is the mystery surrounding Sutton's fall yesterday.... Did he receive a "love tap" from his little brother or did he just trip over his growing feet???? Either way, Ben was home alone when this happened and he did a great job cleaning and comforting Sutton's wounds....

Sad Sunday...

2009-06-07T14:41:00.006-05:00

So my boys are having a rough day today... Ben is exhausted after a long wedding shoot yesterday, Shaeffer is exhausted because I let him stay up late last night (8:00), and poor little Sutton took a HORRIBLE fall this afternoon while running outside. His poor little nose and forehead are all scratched up!

I have a surprise for them, however....

HOMEMADE CHERRY PIE BAKING IN THE OVEN..... MMMMM!

Wrigley's Lovie....

2009-06-05T07:27:00.001-05:00

Wrigley has a special Lovie... She brings it everywhere, offers it to guests when they arrive, and even uses it as a pillow...

Strawberries....

2009-05-30T18:34:00.003-05:00

Our first "crop" of the season...

Memorial Day Week...

2009-05-26T20:02:00.003-05:00

This is Ms. Laura, Sutton's ECFE teacher!
This is the last time they will play parachute together as a class... We made such good friends in ECFE...
Ms. Laura reading us a story during snack time!

We had a pretty busy week here at the Dodds house! Sutton had his last day at ECFE school... Next year he'll be a big "preschooler" and is headed to Funshine Preschool. Both boys also learned how to ride a "big boy bike" that has training wheels on it. The funny thing about this is that Shaeffer has been riding a tricycle for months... Loves it. Sutton on the other hand prefers to scoot the trike along vs. actually riding it. We could not get him to pedal to save our lives... We quickly found out it wasn't just our 3 year old, but the other two on our street, as well. Well all three of the 3 year olds got bikes with training wheels at garage sales and NONE of them could ride them... Guess who could? SHAEFFER. Our little 2 year old out rode those big kids by a mile... I'm pretty sure this motivated the three, 3 year olds to get themselves into gear because Sutton is now riding like a champ! Needless to say we are also learning the art of sharing since that bike is so popular!

I am thinking that this summer is going to be so great for riding, swimming, hiking, and just hanging around. Our boys are at such great ages!

My Front Porch Lookin' In....

2009-05-22T19:58:00.004-05:00

I see what beautiful is about....
When I'm looking in,
Not when I'm looking out...

Teacher Gifts....

2009-05-21T19:57:00.003-05:00

Sutton and Shaeffer take a little ECFE class on Thursday mornings. We've been going every Thursday for the entire year, and they love it! Today was our last day of class and I wanted to do a little something for their teachers. The thing is, they both have 4 teachers and that can get a little spendy... I decided to make a little something for them instead.

I made the 3 lead teachers each a mini loaf of Lemon Yogurt Bread and tied it to a .99c cutting board. I also made each of them a magnet with the first initial of their name on it...

I made the assistant teachers each a personalized magnet and for the sibling care assistants I made mini magnets...

The best part of all of this was of course the boys. They helped pick out the "monkey ribbon" we used to tie the bread to the cutting boards . When it was time to pass out the gifts they were so cute. They took the magnets and said "C" whose name starts with "C"... and then would go give it to that person... SO FUN!

All of this reminds me that I only have something like 12 days of school left! I love my class so much this year that I know it will be a sad last day, but I also LOVE summer, so a happy ending to it all!

MO PIZZA PEEZE...

2009-05-09T14:45:00.003-05:00

Shaeffer's all time favorite food is PIZZA... He likes to save some for later too... Notice his ears even have pizza on them!

MAY DAY 2009

2009-05-09T14:40:00.003-05:00

May Day was certainly very exciting around our house. We left a little something on the doorstep of our favorite 3 year old neighbor, Julia... We ran as fast as we could after ringing her doorbell and LUCKILY she didn't catch us! A few hours later our doorbell rang and we had some yummy treats on our doorstep... We didn't catch the perpetrator, but we heard her giggles as we opened the door... SO FUN!!!

The Prairie View Carnival

2009-04-21T20:24:00.004-05:00

The elementary school I work at holds an annual carnival. This is the first year that I have brought the boys and it was a blast!

This is Shaeffer enjoying a carnival size hotdog, bun and all...

T.C. ,The Minnesota Twins Bear, was by far the hit of the day... the boys got to sit on his lap, take a pic,and even got his autograph on the T.C. baseball card. Sutton has carried that baseball card around with him EVERYWHERE (including church, the gym, daycare, and Target)... He keeps asking me if T.C. can come to our house some time and when I tell him "oh bud, T.C. is so busy..." he responds with "Maybe someday Mommy..." I hope he outgrows this hope because I'm not sure you can "rent" T.C.

Shaeffer LOVED the bouncy thing, Sutton wasn't so sure... Shaeffer would have jumped all day, Sutton was done after 2 minutes... GO FIGURE!

Miss Lauren, our favorite babysitter, came to play with the boys at the carnival. We met her on the playground and the boys had SO SO SO much fun!...

Brush Fire in Shakopee

2009-04-16T07:41:00.006-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I received a call from Ben at school... He said he wanted me to know that there was a brush fire right by our daycare, but that I shouldn't worry about the boys because he had it "all under control". Our daycare had not been evacuated at that time and if they were he would be picking the boys up... The fire was literally right next to the neighborhood in which our boys spend their afternoons and I know that our provider was a little nervous herself... Sutton keeps talking about the "moving clouds" and how the firefighters had to spray the "moving clouds" and how they make him "choke" (which is actually a cough)... He even woke up this morning saying he was scared of the moving clouds... Needless to say, the firefighters got the fire under control and although 100 + acres of forest preserve were burned, there were no injuries and no damage to homes... This fire was about a mile from our house and happened to be right over Ben's lunch break, so he was able to get some great pictures before he was evacuated and the land he was standing on burned... This photo was already published on one of our local paper's websites and may even be printed...

photo by Ben Dodds

Celebrating Easter

2009-04-12T20:04:00.008-05:00

This Easter we extended our holiday over two weekends... Here is the story of how we celebrated both the true meaning of Easter and the "fun" side too...

Last weekend we went to the small town of New Prague for the annual all city Easter Egg Hunt...

Here is a picture of everyone waiting for the starting whistle...

Here we are patiently waiting for the go ahead... We were standing right in front of the "Toddler Zone" where young children were supposed to have the opportunity to get eggs... Unfortunately there was not a lot of parent supervision so the big kids gobbled up the eggs in the toddler zone about 1 second after the whistle blew... S & S got 2 eggs each :( I'm pretty sure I was more upset about this than they were...

After the egg hunt the boys got to hold a bunny... Shaeffer's bunny was a little too wiggly so he ended up just sitting next to it...

This morning the boys woke up in full anticipation of the arrival of the Easter Bunny. He wasn't here when they awoke, but he left this note instructing the boys to go outside and find some eggs and baskets he had hidden for them... Fortunately he was shedding so we were able to follow the fur from his tail down the sidewalk to the hidden eggs...

Shaeffer was very interested in finding the eggs... He had an intense strategy.

It was called "THE NO LOOK DROP" strategy... I think you'll pick up on it if you look at the next three pictures in sequence...

Sutton is much more of a thinker so his strategy was at a much different pace. He studied each egg with contemplation...

In the end the boys found tons of Easter Eggs filled with "Annie's Chocolate Bunny Crackers" as well as two Easter baskets filled with non edible treats (tennis rackets, tennis balls, books, sunglasses and puzzles...)

After the egg and basket hunt we came inside and made Easter Cross sun catchers for our teachers at church... Sutton calls the cross "The Steeple" (because the cross is at the top of the steeple at church) and if you ask him what the steeple means he says "The steeple reminds me of Jesus"... That is what he told his teachers when he gave them their gifts, so cute!

We spent the rest of the morning enjoying food and conversation with Granny and our very close friends Tammy, Brian, Haddon and Brady... The boys were so funny at that table talking in their own special language about all sorts of silly things.... We took short naps and headed off to church where we celebrated the true meaning of Easter. We hope you had a marvelous day and feel as fresh and as loved as we do... REJOICE! Happy Easter....

BASEBALL OPENER....

2009-04-05T13:42:00.003-05:00

The Twins Home Opener is tomorrow, but the baseball season officially started today! We are clearly ready at the DODDS house...

Baseball=Spring=Happiness

STILL DREAMING

2009-04-01T07:54:00.003-05:00

of a John Deere Gator.... I am looking for one for the summer, we think it would be so fun to have at the lake... We would love to find one used, but might have to settle for a new one, if you see one, let us know!

Baby Lillian

2009-03-20T08:23:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we went to visit our new little cousin (my first niece) Lillian Claire... Ben posted more pics on his blog (Ben's Blog) if interested in seeing more, I just thought these two were so cute! She is such a doll!

Welcome Lillian Claire...

2009-03-09T21:29:00.003-05:00

Sutton and Shaeffer have a new baby Cousin. Lillian Claire Farro was born today at 4:50pm. She weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 21 inches long... We got to see her tonight via video chat and she is absolutely AMAZING. Sutton was a little concerned that she was sleeping and kept asking when she would wake up, but other than that he loved her. We are hoping to go see them this weekend... YIPPIE...

Our New Favorite...

2009-03-07T13:37:00.005-06:00

This week was a very busy one for us. The boys started going to daycare again and I had parent teacher conferences. It made for a lot of time away from the boys, which was probably harder for me than for them. They LOVE their new daycare and we feel very blessed to have found it so quickly and easily... A tradition for me during Parent Teacher Conferences is that I always buy the boys a book (or several) from the "Scholastic Book Fair" held in our school library. This year, the boys got three books... They love them all, but this one is by far their favorite. They sing along with me and giggle every time we read it. The pictures are ADORABLE, colorful and so animated. The S brothers highly recommend "All God's Critters". We know you will love it!

Preschool Already??? (well 2009-2010)

2009-02-22T21:57:00.007-06:00

Do you remember preschool? I remember that I went to "Nursery School". Small Wonders Nursery School to be exact. A place where fishing for the catch of the day while dressed in your favorite ball gown would earn you a very deserving taste of ants on a log... Who could forget such an experience??? Today, a mere 30 years later, it is called preschool... I am guessing that "ants on a log" are no longer served because of peanut allergies... The catch of the day is probably much more academic, and the ball gowns are probably not the teacher's old prom dress, but rather a princess costume from Target... My how times have changed! One thing remains the same... We send our children to preschool with the hopes of acclimating them to the school environment. We hope that they have the opportunity to play a little, socialize a little and even learn a little... The Kindergarten teacher in me has realized that there is a lot more pressure on preschools around the nation. The teacher in me dreams that these children come to us with some basic skills and knowledge... The parent in me dreams that my child will get to go fishing using a paperclip to catch cardboard fish... Hopefully the preschool I've chosen will give me a wonderful mixture of all these dreams! Sutton (and soon enough Shaeffer too) will be attending Funshine Preschool at Grace Church. I spent a lot of time and energy researching and visiting where I wanted my boys to go to preschool (probably too much time) and landed very comfortably on Funshine. I'm excited to watch my little boy grow, OH and to give him ants on a log the second he gets home from preschool!

Wrigley...

2009-02-20T07:51:00.003-06:00

This is Wrigley... Wrigley is the most amazing dog I've ever met. She is so gentle, friendly, happy, and even a bit funny... She lets the boys crawl all over her and doesn't even make a face. She loves people, paper, balls, and her special stuffed toy! She barks when people come to the door, not out of protection of our family, but rather because she is very excited that you have come to see HER... She sheds, which is a pain, and loves to be out in the freezing cold, which is also a pain, but she provides the most unconditional love that we should all take lessons from... She is probably the only "girl" I will ever have in this house with me and that is important when you are surrounded by boys! Wrigley is a wonderful dog and we're so glad she's ours!

The BEST photographer ever....

2009-02-09T18:38:00.004-06:00

I realize that this is my husband, but I really think he is very talented... Click on the link to see his brand new website... OR you can go to http://www.bendodds.com

Tell your friends!

Boys Dancing to Beyonce...

2009-02-09T07:19:00.002-06:00

More pics from Mexico...

2009-02-02T19:31:00.009-06:00

Daddy and the boys at the pool and beach

Senor Frogs...

eating bananas on the beach...

Ice cream cones and balloon animals... What more could a boy ask for?

Mommy and the boys at the beach...

Sleepy boys...

Mexico '09

2009-01-26T18:01:00.004-06:00

"Where we going Mommy?"

"We are going back home to Minnesota Shaeffer.."

"NO MOMMY, GO MEXICO MOMMY GO MEXICO"

Christmas Break '08

2009-01-04T16:37:00.004-06:00

It has gone much too fast...