Piper

- she has had so many accidents in her underwear over the last week! I've thrown so many pairs of underwear away b/c she has pooped in them that I had to buy more underwear and thanks to Amazon prime they will be here Wednesday! I partially blame us for this b/c we are terrible are thinking to take her and reminding her!
- when I picked her up from school today, her teacher Miss Abby was shocked that Piper had written her name all by herself! I told them that she did that last week and I thought that she was learning it in school and she said that they thought that we were teaching her! haha! She did say that Piper is the only one in the class that can write her name! Go Piper!
- she is so funny! I just can't express her little personality but she is very animated, has alot of facial expressions and hand movements when she talks, she says phrases that shouldn't come out of a 3 year old. She cracks us all up, all of the time!

Weekend

Friday Piper slept until 11 and Presley slept until 11:30...it's awesome, I'm not gonna lie. Steve got up at 10 to start his food to take to his family's Thanksgiving and I layed in bed and read for a while before I got up. We headed to Earlham about 1:00 and it didn't take long for the girls to go off with cousin Ava and start playing! They did a really good job at playing....except when the dog came out. They have a 5 month old red lab named Otis who just loves to jump, run and give kisses. Our kids hate it! This is where they stayed anytime that dog was out of his kennel. It sucks.

Overall they were really good, I ate way too much, we hung out and watched the Hawkeyes win their 12th game in a row! Another good family day and we were home by 9!

 We all slept in again and then got our the Christmas decorations! Presley was very excited to help! and I think that Piper was excited b/c Presley was!

Other than that, we did very little on Saturday! The only person to get dressed was Piper, none of us left the house, the girls fought and played and fought some more. Steve watched football in the basement, I read and got caught up on Keeping up with the Kardashians. It was a good, boring day! Once the girls were in bed about 10, we finally sat down to watch Trainwreck! Remember, we RARELY watch movies so this was like a date night (I got popcorn too!) I thought it was SO funny, Steve thought it was alright.

 

Sunday I got up with about 9 with Piper (watched a little more Polar Express) and I just started to feel like crap. I just had this feeling that I needed to throw up, but never did. I layed back down about 11 and slept off and on until 3! I never do this! I was supposed to take Presley to Disney on Ice at 5, but once I got up the headache started and my whole body was super achy. I just knew I couldn't go, we were both bummed. So Steve took her (which he didn't mind) and I stayed home with Miss Piper. She had popcorn for dinner (don't judge) and we watched Polar Express again! I was able to give her a shower and get her to sleep by 7:40! (which has to be a record for her!) and then I went to bed!

I woke up this morning feeling better, not 100%, but better. I made it to work about 20 minutes late, which is only 10 minutes later than normal! :)

Thanksgiving

My employer was nice enough to let us go home at 3 on Wednesday and Steve always has a half day on that day, so we picked up the girls early and just hung out at home. We let them stay up late watching The Polar Express (which little did I know that I would watch this at least 5 more times over the long weekend) and Piper actually WATCHED a majority of it!
And we decided that the pacifier was going away! That morning she had poked a hole in it (she was chewing on it most of the time) and it had spit in it and was just gross, so I had convinced her that we were going to throw it away (little did she know I put this on top of our dresser, just in case!) Since she was up late watching the movie she really didn't fight for her pacifier at all! woohoo! (and hasn't had it since! Easy peasy!

Thursday she was up at 7...WTF? I think this was b/c she didn't have her paci and b/c her alarm went off for our normal weekday schedule. We hung out and got ready for an evening at my parents house, we tried to get Piper to take a nap beforehand but she wasn't having it.
We headed to my mom's about 2 and hung out, the kids played as always, we talked and laughed and were ridiculous....let me catch you up with the crazy of my family........

So last Sunday during the Packer game I made up a 'rule' that during Thanksgiving no one could have their cell phones in the family room (b/c they are ALL so bad about being on their phones and it drive me bonkers!). Then Steve decided that every one should make up a rule!
Steve - You can only speak in questions at dinner (this was VERY difficult but really funny!)
Scott - If you break Steve's rule you have to take a shot (we realized shots was a little much and it was honestly too hard to determine who was doing it and who was breaking the rule with 15 people at the table)
Holly - All the men have to clean up (which they did)

Dad - everyone stay out of the kitchen (which is hard when you are trying to help, keeping the kids out was the mail goal I think!)
Mom - everyone had to play at least one game (we played Cards Against Humanity, which was really funny!)
Jerry - Anytime you ask someone to do something for you (pass the turkey, get me a beer), you then have to say Praise Jesus! (It was really funny when people remembered to say it!)

We had a great dinner and I will say that I didn't eat too much! Dealing with the kids and food and then Piper having to go potty (all the time!), by the time I was done everyone was cleaning up! We hung out some more and watched the Packer game (again, we don't want to talk about it!). And then somehow we came up with more odd conversations....like everyone should tell one thing they learned about themselves that day and one thing we can improve on (mine, to have more patience with my kids).....then it turned into everyone should say one thing that each person can improve on and we should take it as 'constructive criticism'...(Jerry's criticism for me...I needed to stop being so 'regal', somehow, completely jokingly (I think) I ended being between a bald eagle and Kate Middleton with my amount of regal-ness! HA! Yeah ok. I did not partake in most of this b/c it's just asking for people to get mad at others!
Overall it was a great day with family, so many laughs, so many inappropriate conversations that most people would be appalled that we were having with our parents in the room but so funny! We got home too late and the girls were exhausted, which just helps them sleep in more in the morning!

Thanksgiving photo dump #2

These 3 (and Boston, who refused to have his picture taken and is hiding behind Mary) play SO good together!

 Mad faces

 Funny faces?

 Happy, beautiful cousins!

 Piper is no longer afraid of Rocky and loves to pet him, she isn't sure about kisses from him though.

Thanksgiving photo dump #1

My girls

 Piper with Pa

 Piper loves her daddy!

 Piper loves Uncle Scott too

 And has a new found liking for Aunt Samantha!

 Boston and his mama

 Susie brought over this awesome gift for us! It was filled with all sorts of goodies for all of us!

 Posing with our new coffee mugs with Miss Andrea skydiving on them! Love it! (maybe my kids gets their model poses from Aunt Holly?)

Catch up

Saturday after the football game we headed home to clean and get ready for our babysitter. Piper obviously has been learning how to write her name and with no help from us (3rd times a charm!) she did it! We were shocked, we didn't really know that she was learning this! Good job Pipes!

Steve's old roommate had his 40th birthday that night, so we got one of the girls from Generation to watch the kids. Both our girls like her and it just so happened that her parents built a house almost behind ours, so she just walked on over!

Dinner was at Guru BBQ downtown, there were 10-12 of us including the owners of the restaurant who happen to be neighbors of the birthday boy! Guru has a smaller menu but it was SO good, I had the black and blue salad and I have been craving it ever since then! Then we headed over to the Highlife for a couple drinks. It was a good, fun night and we were home by 11:30 (b/c I'm old and I get tired!)

On a side note....our babysitter, handwashed the dishes that they used (and the ones we had left in the sink), she wiped down the table and counters and she organized our game cabinet. So we love her!)

 

Sunday we hung out in the morning, Steve went to the store, we did laundry and such. Then headed over to my parents house for the Packer game about 2. Finally we got a win!

Piper smiling? cheesing? I'm not really sure



We got Pipers preschool picture (sorry for the crappy quality). I was excited that there was one cute one! Adorable!

Tuesday morning Piper had her first dentist appointment. She played in the waiting room, all excited and smiley and said "I want to go to the dentist again!".....then we actually went into our appointment! :)

She did pretty good, she talked to the nurse and was a little shy but when the dentist came in...she really wanted nothing to do with him. She cried but I was expecting it and it wasn't nearly as bad as Presley was at his age! She made it and it wasn't HORRIBLE. :)

Weekend fun

The snow came on Friday but that didn't stop my date night with my Presley. I picked her up from school and we did a little dinner and ice cream at Applebees (her choice) and then headed downtown to the Des Moines Social Club to see High School Musical Jr! She loves the movies and I was hoping that she would like this. I wasn't sure what to expect or what she would think of it. It's a small venue and it was all kids. They were ages 7-17, 44 kids from 30 different schools in the area! It was so good and just so fun to watch these kids sing and dance and just know they had been working so hard on it! During intermission Presley said "This is cool to see!' I was so happy she was enjoying it!

The drive home was slow going due to the weather and Steve was with Piper at the neighbors house, we were going to stop by but P fell asleep on the way home so we just went home and got cozy and watched a movie instead.

Piper, Carver and Collins eating colored snow at Sarah's on Friday night.

 

Saturday we all ended back at Sarah's house to watch the Iowa football game (we had to wake Presley up at 10:45 to get ready for the game at 11!). The kids play so good together and they are great hosts, b/c Sarah CANNOT sit still! :) Another great game for the Hawkeyes, so excited that Steve will be able to watch them in the Big 10 Championship game next weekend!

Carver and Piper with their matching Iowa shirts.



Conferences

While waiting for our turn at 1st grade conferences today, I took these pics.

This was done by Amelia about Presley.

Presley completed this about Amelia.

Presley is the 'Apple of the week' this week. So she gets to share about herself, be the line leader (I guess this is a very big deal in 1st grade!), have lunch with the teacher and a friend and read a book to the class (my kid?). I was glad she had this week so we could check it out while we were there! She took our family picture from Sam's wedding, a picture of the kids from Holly's wedding and her preschool class picture!

This is a little hard to read but two of the things she said were "A special place I would like to visit....Paris" (she knows nothing about the events in Paris, she just wants to see the Eiffel Tower) and she said "I wish......I could always be the apple of the week" HA!

Anyways....Ms. Mulholland said she is doing great! Her reading score was a 447 and they want them at 434 this time of year. She said she needs to focus on understanding what she is reading and slow down! We've been working on this alot with her at home. She loves reading and she can read really fast, but that doesn't do you any good if you aren't comprehending it. So this was NOT shocking to us at all! And she said she is starting to volunteer and participate a little more but is lacking self-confidence....which, hello, this is Presley! Our shy child who never wants to do anything the wrong way! So this was totally expected also. Overall, she is doing exactly what she should be with no issues!

Random

- I dropped Piper off at daycare this morning. The other two little boys who were getting dropped off at the same time cried and whined and wouldn't let go of their parents. Piper sat down, we got her breakfast ready, she gave me hugs and I left. I have been those parents....for years, I(we) were those parents. Piper cries maybe once a month and that is if we get out of our morning routine and I drop her off at a different time, but man, it is nice having a kid who just goes with the flow!

- The Learning Post....I hadn't been to this place in probably 20 years. It's amazing! There is SO much there that I wanted to buy, but they are more pricey than buying online! I got a couple things for the kids (and made a note to get some other things on Amazon instead!) and got Presley's teacher a gift card for there for Christmas.

- The Burger King in Grimes...the nicest people working there and so efficient! I love the original chicken sandwich with cheese...so good!

Dentist!

Presley had her 6 month dental check up....she is a pro now and Steve said she did perfect. The dentist said she has perfect teeth and if all kids had teeth like hers he would be out of a job! :) Let's hope that continues as she loses her baby teeth (she hasn't lost any and has no loose ones yet), maybe we can avoid braces with this one?! :)

Piper has her first appointment next week, I doubt it will go this smoothly but I never know with her!

Another November week

So last week is the beginning of the holiday season for me! This is when I really start focusing on Christmas shopping. I had to work late Tuesday night but the neighbors invited us to El Mariachi with then so we all met there. Started off great when Piper had to poop (and she tried twice in the potty and wouldn't go) and I had the diapers in my car. So I got to the restaurant, put on her diaper, climbed back in the car and waited for her to do her business in the back seat.

Finally she completed her business and I laid her down in the back and shit, literally SHIT, came pouring out of back of her diaper. Awesome. Thankfully it just got on the car and her shirt. Of course, I had no extra shirt for her so I called Steve to come back out to the car to get her sweatshirt from his truck. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. I got her cleaned up and 'dressed' and we went about our lovely dinner! Thanks Deans for inviting us!

 

Then Wednesday was Veterns Day, I try to use this day to start my Christmas shopping. However, since being slow at work I've done alot online and it's just cheaper and easier! Piper and I took our time getting ready and then I dropped her off at daycare about 9. I actually got to the mall before they opened! WHAT?

I just don't know what to buy the girls. Presley is pretty easy, she likes anything girly. Dolls, Barbies, books, anything that sparkles but the last thing we need is more of this crap around our house! Piper on the otherhand, I have no clue. She isn't interested in much so I just feel that I'm buying them 'stuff', no real 'big' gift like Steve thinks we should buy them. But you know what, they are little they don't know how much things cost and Presley is just going to count them to make sure that her and Piper got the exact same amount of gifts anyway! HAHA!

 

Friday night we got ready for our day in Iowa City! We packed the girls bags and dropped them off at my parents at 9:30 Saturday morning and headed east with my brother in law Matt and nephew Gavin (Gavin's first Hawkeye game!).

We headed to our friends tailgate and spent the day chatting, eating, drinking and catching up. Some of these friends we haven't seen in years so it was nice to have some time to talk without kids pulling us in different directions. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere was awesome with the record-breaking outdoor wrestling at Kinnick during the day and then everyone getting pumped up for the big football game!

 

We got our tickets from Todd again and they are just awesome seats. Just a different experience from the 9th row! and now they are 10-0! It was a great game!

We hung out for big after the game and waited for the traffic to die down and then walked to our car. We left about 11:30 and got home about 1:30. We were exhausted! Thank you Matt for driving!

 

Sunday we got up and headed to mom's for the Packer game, which I don't even want to talk about. Other than the game it was a good day! The kids played good together, we ate too much, I finally got to see my dad's pictures from Italy and we were all in bed by 9! :)

Get to know me:

1. Who would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island? Well, if we are talking people that I actually know (and not like Ryan Gosling or Shemar Moore) then I would pick Steve. He is super handy, funny and he can cook!
2. If you could do anything you wanted right now, what would it be? Sleep, not having anything to do at work is dreadful. I would normally say that I want to read, but since work is slow I've been doing alot of that already (shhhh, don't tell my boss)! Though if I wanted to be productive I would clean up our basement and organize our crap in hopes that we'll get rid of it (Goodwill? garage sale? donate to anyone!)....Or I would do more Christmas shopping, which I'm hoping to get done tomorrow!
3. If money was no object, what would you do all day? Travel with the family, take photography classes and I might actually work out!
4. Where do you most want to travel, but have never been? I don't have a specific destination in mind but any place tropical will do! Cabo, Bora Bora, Aruba, Bahamas
5. What is your favorite memory? I would say family vacations! Growing up we drove to Texas and Colorado and I just hope that we can have these experiences with the girls going forward. We go to Okoboji with Steve's family every summer and we all love it. Every other summer we have my family reunion too, last year it was in Colorado and next year it is in Portland! I love that we get to do this and my kids get to experience it too!
6. Who is your favorite author? No idea, I don't narrow my selections to certain people, if you have a good story, I'll read it!
7. What is your favorite book? I'm not sure I could choose. I read alot of nonsense, murder mysteries, teen romance, trashy smut but I love them all! When I read Gone Girl and Still Missing, those were two books that I told people they HAD to go read so I must have thought they were good enough to recommend!
8. What was your favorite activity in gym class? Power walking to the donut shop or line-dancing. Obviously, I'm a big fan of actual  physical sports!
9. What has been your biggest challenge? Being a mother! I just never feel that I'm doing enough or that I'm doing it wrong. I know there is no 'right' way to parent and I just hope that we are raising happy, healthy, smart children. Also finding a good combination of family, social and couple time. I think we do a good job of this, but it is challenging b/c it doesn't seem there is enough time for everyone.
10. What is your biggest success up until now? I would say having a relatively 'normal' stable life. Wonderful husband, a college education and a good job, 2 freaking adorable funny daughters, nice house, no credit card debt. I just feel right now, in this moment, we are in a good spot in life. Sometimes you don't know how long that will continue, so we'll enjoy it.
11. What does your perfect day look like? Sleeping in, a nice brunch on a patio while reading a book. It's the perfect day so there are no chores or errands that need to be done so I would have time to watch a movie (gasp!) while eating whatever I want. I would read some more, maybe take a nap. I guess on this day I'm alone, does that make me a bad mom? HA!
12. University or life experience, which do you feel best prepares you for life? Tough question, I wouldn't give up my college life for anything....but I can't say that it prepared me more for life than just getting a job and living would've done. Does that make sense?
13. What is the one thing that should be taught in school that isn’t already? Something about credit and finances and savings. Seeing peoples credit reports and trying to buy a house is a joke when they are maxed out on credit cards, have NO savings and overdraft fees and have shown NO financial responsibility...but no worries, we'll usually approve your loan anyway.
14. If you were to create a piece of art, what would the subject be? Art? I don't do art. Even the wine and canvas classes that I see so many friends doing is just not me.
15. What one thing would you change if you had to do it over? I would have the Packers win the past two games! (Damn you Broncos and Panthers!) :)
16. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? This question is causing me to think too much and I can't decide. Do I go back to a time I haven't experienced? Do I go back and experience one of my best years again? Do I enjoy my children being babies again?
17. What does your life say about you? Hopefully lots of fun, laughs, love and success.
18. How would your friends describe you? Probably as a sarcastic bitch! Hopefully funny and nice and somewhat smart too, but I think this would be a good question to ask my friends to see what it is they really think of me!

Would you rather......

Would you rather…

1. Watch, Star Wars, or Star Trek? Both? Neither? I guess I like the original Star Wars but preferred Star Trek: The New Generation (Hello, Wesley Crusher!) over the original Star Trek.
2. Read on a Kindle or paperback book? Oh I love my Kindle! LOVE, LOVE it! I used to read but then life happened and was I really going to go to a book store to buy books?! Who does that? But once I got my Kindle 4-5 years ago, I'm in love. I think Steve might be jealous.
3. Go to a play or musical? Musicals, I can't wait until the girls are old enough to enjoy them with me!
4. Go to the theater or a movie? Probably a movie...but we never go to movies either. I don't know the last movie that Steve and I saw together!
5. Hike or bike? I guess I'll say hike, since we don't really bike. I want to bike when the girls are older but I love a good hike/walk every now and then.
6. Wear jeans or chinos? Jeans (and who uses the word Chinos?!)
7. Have a Margarita or Pina Colada? If we are talking all day drinking...Pina Colada b/c they aren't as sugary. But give me a patio and some free time at El Mariachi and I'll have margs!
8. Drink a glass of Guinness or Fat Tire? If I have to choose, Fat Tire.
9. Crash with friends or stay in a hotel? Doesn't really matter, I feel bad crashing with friends, but it does save money. But you don't want your friends to feel they have to feed or entertain you, so it's a toss up!
10. Visit Europe or Mexico? Mexico! Fun, close and cheap. Beaches, sun and drinks by a pool!
11. Vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why? Probably Hawaii, similar to the above answer. However, I've heard nothing but awesome things about Alaskan cruises!
12. Go skiing or snowshoeing? Skiing, I think I would get alot further going downhill than I would trying to walk with those things on my feet, just seems like it would be exhausting!
13. Travel by plane, train, or automobile? I don't mind driving. My family grew up driving to Texas and Colorado.....however with a husband who can't sit still and kids who like to fight, we'll stick with flying and just getting to places as quickly as possible for now!
14. Enjoy a houseboat or speed boat? Houseboat....I think it would be more useful. In general I think it is better to know people with boats than it is to have one yourself!
15. Go climbing or zip lining? Zip lining, since I did this in Vegas and with my sisters recently and loved it.....and it's on my life list to do in some place tropical
16. Go to a comedy club or dance club? Dance club if I'm with my girlfriends having fun! The last time I was at a comedy club, it was just awkward b/c they weren't that funny!
17. Have a night out or evening in? If it's nice out and we can find a patio somewhere, then I want a night out. If it's cold or rainy/snowy, I don't want to leave and can cuddle up on the couch!
18. Watch TV or read a book? Read, read, read...unless there is something I REALLY want to watch, then I'll read during the commercials.
19. Go canoeing or waterskiing? Canoeing....I'm not athletic enough to waterski, but I've never tried either.
20. Camp in an RV or stay in a tent? RV if for more than one night. I'll tent camp and rough it out, but not for an extended amount of time.
21. Use Facebook or Twitter? Facebook.....I don't tweet, twit, twat...whatever it is.
22. Choose a free trip or money? Depends on where the trip is and how much money we are talking! :) Probably the free trip though!
23. Win the lottery or find your perfect job? Lottery for sure! Does that make me lazy or money hungry? Oh well.
24. Swim in a pool or the ocean? Salt water and waves crashing on the beach or temperature controlled, lovely water all year round. Could I get a pool with the sound of the waves crashing? I love the ocean but could do without the salt water.
25. Travel by sailboat or cruise ship? Cruise ship, sailboat seems like a lot of work and I think I would get sea sick! And I'm pretty sure cruise ships would get me to my destination faster.
26. Watch sports or play sports? Watch for sure...I will play some sports, but I don't like to be super competitive.
27. Play dodgeball or kickball? Kickball, dodgeball is just mean!

Weekend Update

Friday : I was able to have a girls night with my friend Sarah! We just hung out at her house and talked. It was nice to catch up.
Steve rented Home and him and the girls had a movie night (Piper sat for about 15 minutes while they ate popcorn, then she was not interested)

Saturday : I ran to Target by myself to get our weekend shopping done with. Steve got the patio furniture out and started making food, so we could enjoy one more weekend by the firepit watching football outside! I think he loves uses Iowa games as an excuse to entertain on the weekend! Piper layed down for quiet time about the time the game started (yes, we planned it that way) and she ended up falling asleep!
We really didn't have any plans for the game or night, but somehow we ended up with some neighbors and our nephew over at our house until 10:30! It was good to watch the Hawkeyes win again and have the kids go and play.

Sunday : We were all moving SO slow. I slept like crap and didn't help that I might have had some beers (or 3 or 5 or...who is really counting?) that night. The girls must have been exhausted too. We really needed to leave our house by 11 to run some errands and get to my parents to watch the Packer game at noon. I rolled out of bed at 10, Presley at 10:30 and we HAD TO WAKE UP PIPER AT 10:45?! WTF? Needless to say we didn't get all our errands done. Oh well.

We won't talk about the Packer game b/c it still stresses me out, but otherwise we had a good, relaxing time watching the game. The kids played good like always and we were still home by 4:15 to get our household ready for another week!

Rooms

So last weekend we moved the kids beds around and got them new bedding. I will say with rooms that are already painted in bright colors it is hard to find bedding that 'matches'. We knew we couldn't get purple for Piper's room, so finding something with purple and the green to match the decorations in her room was a challenge but we found something that works! (yes, we could've painted, but that was out of the question for us!) Piper has been better about going to bed, she doesn't get out as much and so far has actually taken naps in it!

We would've just used Presley's old bedding for her new bed b/c we do love it, but this bed is smaller so it didn't work. She feels SO grown up with this bed and has been going to sleep most nights by herself after we read (normally we lay with her until she is asleep).

So they should be good for many more years to come (fingers crossed)! If anyone needs a toddler bed, we have one that was only used for 6 months! Free to a good home!

My hair

So I've been told I have hair like these girls....hmmm....I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not.

The blond from Little Big Town




Sarah Jessica Parker


Though I love her hair in this picture, I am completely aware that mine never looks this good!

Weekend Update

Friday was Trick or Treat night! Woohoo! Both girls were very excited, both willing to dress up and allow me to do their make-up (you never know with these two!). I was a little slow at work so I left about 1, ran to Target, got home and did a quick pick up and tried to nap (I was dragging!). I picked up the girls about 4:45, they ate dinner and got ready to go to a neighbors house for a party!

Cutest black cats EVER!

We got to Sarah and Kyles about 5:45 to get the kids ready and 'posed' for a picture, this was about the best we could do, given the number of kids.....and in this picture, we have a run away cat and dog!

The mom's took the kids trick or treating and the dads stayed back, handed out candy and prepared food! :) Carver, Piper, Harry Potter and Tinkerbell (whose name was Piper too!)

After every house Piper would say 'let's do that again!' but then she was the first kid to quit. She said she was tired and wanted to go back. So I took her back to Steve and then went out for more with Presely, Boston and Samantha. Surprisingly we were only out an hour but we got back and ate, drank talked and then the kids bobbed for apples!

Collins and Harry Potter

Even Boston got one! Presley was SO close to trying but with us all watching she refused (like mother, like daughter).

We laughed that we had found Steve's twin....Zac. Too bad he is a Bears fan.

The kids were up until 11 and Saturday morning Homemakers called at 9:00 and woke us up. We had bought Presley a new bed and dresser and gave Piper hers, so we quickly got up, cleared the kids and rooms to get ready for them. I guess this is what we needed to get us up and moving! We got the rooms moved, set up, clothes moved into dressers and got ready for the day! Of course, we realized that neither kid had bedding for their bed so we made a quick stop at the JCPenney Home Store and Kohls to see if they had anything....nada. And this trip once again, confirmed why we don't take Piper shopping. She just thinks it's fun to run away from us, it's a game to her.

 

Piper had a birthday party at Outdoor Adventures, so the 3 of us girls went to that and Steve ran to Bed, Bath and Beyond and found bedding for both girls! We got home about the time the Iowa game started, so Piper had some quiet time (and actually slept for about an hour!) and we watched the game and hung out.

After the game we packed up and headed to Polk City to see our friends Lisa and Jared (and their sons Colton and Jett). We haven't seen them in way too long and they really don't live that far, but life is busy so we were happy that we could find a time to hang out, eat, talk and have the kids play!

 

Again we were out until 11 but the kids slept in until 9:30 (or 10:30 without the time change)! We had no plans for this Sunday and the weather was in the 70's! We spent ALOT of time out by the shed watching football and the girls played really good. Piper wanted quiet time again and again she actually fell asleep! So she napped, Presley played with Anika next door, I read by book outside and Steve watched football....perfect November afternoon!

Picture courtesy of Presley!

Steve made shrimp tacos for dinner and our family friends, Susie and Jeff stopped by to drop off some shoes she wanted to give me, we hung out and talked for a bit. It was a very nice Sunday night! and now back to the grind and getting home when it's dark! :)