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.

Stacey's Special Day

Last week was somebody's birthday and that somebody was none other than Miss Stace - our best friend, our best buddy, our best everything. So when she arrived that morning we already had our party hats on and gave her a birthday crown for her present and sang the birthday tune. Happy Birthday, Stacey!

Still the Big Sis

I know, I know, I've talked ad nauseum about Mabel one-upping me, from the potty to the walking earlier than I did, etc. etc.

But I'd like to show you something.

This is Mabel doing her own hair on Saturday morning...

And this is me doing my own hair, 'nuff said.

Pizza Party!!!!

So last Friday we had a pizza party with Isaiah and Eli. We spent the afternoon preparing. First we got the table ready...

I know, in that last photo Mae looks like she's gonna wreck somebody up, it was because we didn't have a sign (she's big on signs, apparently). So we made a sign for the door and she felt good enough to make silly faces for the camera.

Then there was a knock at the door. First we thought it was going to be Isaiah and Eli, but it was in fact Jay Cutler's dad and his friends, Mr & Mrs. Snedley, who were on their way to Soldier Field but saw the Pizza Party sign and decided to see what it was all about.

I offered them a glass of milk but Mae flashed them her "get the hell out of here I have a pizza party about to take place with my cousins" face and they left abruptly, but only after Jay Cutler's dad threw an interception.

A short while later Isaiah and Eli showed up, we had our pizza party and all was right with the world.