A few words from Teague

This is a daily one - "Let me pick first cause I'm the littlest in this family!!!"
Cracks me up every time he says that:)

After a trip to Cabela's (with Dad) - "I wish our house was Cabela's!!!" Um you and Daddy.

Another "rules" boy - (this one is typically yelled) "Follow the rules!!!" Or - "Mom said so!!!" Again, these are yelled multiple times during the day.

And, in classic nearly 3 fashion - "NO, No, NO!!!" To pretty much everything, yes, even good things. He just has to say it. Thank goodness I now know this is a phase. Just took me 2 times through to learn it:)

Down on Didier Farms

 

Taatjes' 1st field trip! He was super excited to get to the pumpkin farm with his class! Even better was that his friend Ethan got to come with us:) Oh yeah, and he had to drag his little brother along:) Teague loved it as well. Hay ride, petting zoo, doughnuts, maze, and pick your own pumpkin. All coming together to bring huge smiles, giggles of joy, and sugar filled bellies! That's a field trip win.

(In sad news - Trey is missing his Pumpkin Farm field trip this day because he has come down with the flu. He was bawling his eyes out this morning when I had to break the news to him:( I hate this part of parenting, the breaking his heart part. But unfortunately I know all too well this is only the beginning of a few more broken heart moments!)

Gymnastics Show

 

So this year I asked Taatjes; "what is something new you would like to learn?". He picked Gymnastics! Well great we can do that and I think you will love it. Needless to say Taatjes did love his gymnastics class. Taatjes really loves anything that is rough and tumble. He did really well but Justin and I noticed something with him. He is wild and just too crazy for gymnastics. He did listen and do everything he was taught. But we feared he was going to break his neck doing all of it. He just runs full on, jumping of the mats, grabbing the high bars, doing front flips right off of them, and not landing gracefully. I don't think his teachers quite new what to say to him. He did it, but oh my was that "wild"! He is our "Wild Card" for sure:)
We are thinking he is more of a hockey/football/rugby kind of kid! It's all full speed ahead and if I think I can do it I am certainly going to try. You never know what the "wild card" might do!
These are pictures from his gymnastics show for the parents.

The Big House

 

Thanks Papa Doc! Yea the boys got to head back to Michigan for their annual UofM game with Papa Doc. It was Teague's 1st game and Papa Doc bought him his first Michigan hat, he was thrilled! The boys pretty much sang the Micihgan fight song the entire game. Really haven't stopped yet:) The best thing is that Michigan won, thank goodness!

 

With the victory came a spacial visit to Blimpy's! On Guys' list of Diners, Drive-in,s and Dives helping Justin add a check mark to his list:)

Fall Hike in Wisconsin

We got to hike with our friends and all 6 of our children ages 6,5,4,3,2,1). They did awesome! 3 miles! It was a beautiful hike. Fall colors beginning, lake in the middle, and a brisk chill in the air. Actually it was so cold the kids wore their winter coats and I think my PBn'J sandwich was partially frozen when I ate it.
Good times, great memories, great find Joe and Tina!

A Rare Picture of Us!

Thanks to Tina and Joe for taking it:)
During our Fall hike in WI.

I'm 6 and I'm looking for a say in this family...

Yesterday we were playing a family football game; it is fall after all. It started of great. Cooperation on all sides, agreement with the game plans, and only two-hand touch for play stoppage. Alright our pre-game talk is working!
Until - (painting the image here) Trey running after the man with the ball. Teague, the man with the ball, who is half the size of Trey and trying to score a touch down. Trey meeting the man with the ball, Teague, and completely leveling him to the ground so he will not score a touch down! Shock and horror on the parents faces. Teague now screaming and Trey a little unsure of why his team is not cheering at his great football tackling skills.
Well when it comes to Trey both Justin and I know it is a matter of time before he simply can not handle losing or running the plays he believes to be best. Also, he is the oldest, biggest, and most coordinated at this point in our family in regards to his brothers. We do realize that this is a hard place for him to be in when you combine all those things. (Special thanks to Wolgie who can offer us great insight on how "hard" it really is to be the oldest child, since Justin and I are not!) We do give him time to be 6 and play full out. We just want him to understand that this time is not when he is playing with his brothers.
So, we have to tell him to go inside and sit in his room because he did not follow the rules, he has hurt his brother, etc.
He goes inside crying and very upset.
He serves the punishment (time out and can not finish the game)
So we go in, we have a talk, and everything seems all right.
A few moments later.
Trey whips some paper out of his pockets. "Hey mom want to see what I made?" Me, "Yes, please show me". Trey; "I made 2 signs!" Unfolding his paper he reveals 2 "signs" he has made out of paper. These "signs" contain 2 messages.
Sign 1 - No One Can Put Me In Time Out!
Sign 2 - No One Can Stop Me From Playing Football!

(Again, good try, but that is not how it works in our family:))
This stuff is hilarious. It is all a part of growing up. Hey he is 6 and he is looking for a bit of a say in his family. We just need to keep working on that together to shape a nice respectful voice:)