Gold Medalist

So it started with the Olympics. Mom and I had the stomach flu and so we spent three straight days laying on the couch watching the Olympics. And that's when I fell in love with gymnastics.

So much so that we went to see the U.S. Gold Medal team at the United Center, where they performed some amazing gymnastics for us, and our seats were almost in the front row.

It was only natural that I sign up for gymnastics classes. So I go twice a week near our new house and here are a couple of my moves.

And since Mae and Stacey were bringing me to gymnastics Miss Maria (our teacher) fell in love with Mae and now she is in my class, too, with a bunch of four and five year olds. Here's Mae doing her thing.

My father's daughter

Okay, so you know how there are those moments in your life when you say to yourself, "Am I seriously a product of that person?" I often think this when my Dad throws the TV remote across the room and breaks it after his favorite team loses; or when he just lays on the horn for 20 seconds or so at someone blocking the intersection.

Well, last night we were out bumming around - you know, the usual: the grocery store, Home Depot, that whole bit.  Anyway, I looked at what the two of us were wearing and we both had the same thing on.

It was about 40-degrees and we were rocking t-shirts with no coats on and in our favorite flip flops and I thought to myself, "Yep, that is DEFINITELY my dad."

Now if only Mom can hang on to that remote on Saturday afternoons.

Devil's Night

So it is Halloween and oh man, what a great day. So great that I decided I'm wearing my costume again tomorrow.

I went with a raccoon outfit and grandma sewed my tail to the back of my yoga pants (no, I don't do yoga, just the type of my pants).  And Mae was going to be a nun, which woulda been just amazing, but she went with a witch instead.

After school we headed out for trick or treating with our cousins...

And then we went to Nana's so we could visit buddy. His costume was incredible, he went as a black labrador retriever; I mean, does that look authentic or what?!

Got a great picture with Nana and Grandma before we headed back out for trick or treating by Nana's house.

And then when we got home I went to bed while Mae divided up her candy.

Dude, don't even think about messing with her Tootsie Pops.

Life in the Big City

What have I been up to? Welllllll...

Went to my first football game - this one was a Nebraska/Northwestern showdown up in Evanston. The game was awesome. Well, maybe that's an overstatement - the game was fine, the gigantic bag of popcorn accompanied by a large cup of fresh-squeezed lemonade was awesome. Dad and I had a blast.

Been hanging at Nana's and playing some ball with Papa in the backyard.

I have a best friend at school. We went on a field trip and spent the entire day joined at the hip. Her name is Nadia.

As always, spending loads of quality time (and loads of not-so-quality time) with Mabel Jane, often in my Polar Bear hat if the weather permits.

And went to Dad's work the other night to pick something up. He asked me if I wanted to take the elevator or walk up the 170 stairs to his office. Two roads diverged in the woods and I... took the stairs. Mission accomplished.

Pure Michigan, Part IV

So I think this is the fourth year we have gone to Michigan with our friends Colin and Steph.  Well, at least it's my fourth year because anything otherwise would be impossible at this point.

Went to an awesome apple orchard, though all the apple trees were dead due to the drought.

Well, wait, then Finley, how could it have been awesome?

Because the donut tree was not dead and there were PLENTY of donuts. Also did a little corn maize, which was going along smoothly until we lost Ana in the corn maize, literally (we did find her).

Also did this really fun bouncy maze thing, though the girl in the background does not appear to have enjoyed it as much as we did.

Grabbed some coffee...

And some pumpkins...

Then we hit up the Douglas Oktoberfest, which for some reason they associated Oktoberfest with milking cows. I don't get it, but whatever; cow milked, mission accomplished.

Now this is more like it. They had a stein contest. Apparently a German tradition (shout out to Grandpa Lammel, he probably knows about this), you have to hold a very heavy stein filled with beer out in front of you with your elbow locked straight. Last one standing with their elbow locked and their arm parallel to the ground wins.

It came down to a guy visiting from Ireland and the 2-time defending champ. He conceded because he couldn't stare at his beer any longer without drinking it so the 2-timer because a 3-peater. Well played on all fronts.

Weather was a bit crummy so we spent some time inside, but that just meant Halloween activities, paid for and put on by the MLHA Club (for those of you not in the know, that's the Moms Love Halloween Activities Club).

We got pumpkins colored, Ana made carmel apples and we made some ghoulish ghost decorations.

I actually made our family - so there is one of me, Mom, Dad and Mabel. (speaking of Mabel, you don't see a lot of her here because she took a monster nap during all of this).

Then Ana and I took a break from our Halloween festivities and read some books while Colin got on the phone to secure some Baltimore Orioles playoff tickets... always good to see some things never change.

Grandparents Day

So last Friday was Grandparents Day at my school and Nana and Papa came down for the festivities.

No, that guy on the steps with me is my Papa, not the old codger walking along the sidewalk in the blue blockers.

First, we went to church for a mass specially put on for our grandparents. Then we went back to the classroom for some activities.

Then we got out early and I took Nana and Papa to West Town Bakery, which is  my favorite breakfast place. We had some pancakes and what not and then I watched as they baked cakes... chocolate... ahhhhhh.

Fantastic Gymnastics

So Mae and I both started gymnastics. She goes once a week and I go twice a week, and when Mae came to mine they let her participate with my class and she rocked it.

Anyway, before my class we were set to go in our gymnastics gear and decided we should take some pictures, and then we decided we should get a little goofy in our pictures. Enjoy.

Well done, Mae.