Iowa Trip

Last weekend we did a trip to Iowa and saw many old, but good friends!  We started by going to Iowa City Thursday night.  We stayed with Mike and Sarah and the kids and adults had a great visit and time.  Friday we headed to the mall with Mike, Sarah, and all the kids.  The big kids ice skated ALL day and had a blast.  Mike and Mike skated with the big kids all day, while Sarah and I held down the sidelines chasing Maddie.  Friday night we hit the road and headed an hour east to Davenport.

We got all checked into our hotel and did lots of swimming.  All three kids had a blast in the pool.  Saturday we did more swimming and then headed to Nick's wedding.  The kids were exhausted from all the weekend festivities that all three of them fell asleep from the wedding reception to the hotel (it was only a ten min drive).

On Sunday we got up and hit the road for our last pit stop.  We stopped by Morton, IL to see Tim and Joy and their kids.  What a great trip we had…..seeing some great people that we don't get to see often enough!!!

they let us use the chairs to help teach the kids how to skate.
By the end of the day, nobody needed the chair!!

Peyton and Bella

FUN

Maddie worked on her hockey strategies in the penalty box while the kids skated

"Maddie Skate"

Gavin giving Jack a ride

Fun on the sidelines

Peyton and Bella played on this big piece of ice for a LOOONG time!
They had to be freeeeeezing!!!

ready to hit the pool

Courtesy of the Hillen's iPhone  

Photo booth fun and the wedding

Time to roll out

Mike took this 3-picture series.  He's quite proud of himself.  I'm sure he enjoyed the quiet car for a short bit.  Everyone had a LONG, FUN weekend!!!

Tori and Acea come to town...

We had some special guests from Nashville last weekend.  The kids played LOTS and LOTS.  We also went to the Eversmeyer get together, the Magic House, and ate a lot of food.  It was a fun weekend!!

Just before they were getting ready to hit the road

From our night at the Magic House.  Believe it or not, we've been
members of the Magic House for 6 years and live a mile down the road
and this is the only picture I have of the big STATIC BALL!

Friedman Fame

Friedman Fame comes in the form of:
1.  Peyton's debut in the St. Louis Post Dispatch
2.  Jack's picture hung on the school wall

Peyton thinks she is quite the celebrity having her pictures in the Post Dispatch.  A picture of Jack and some of his classmates in pre school has been hanging in the hallway of school all year, and I finally took a picture to document it.

This is where the Friedman Fame ends…….We will take what we can get.  Ha!

Maddie's new seat

Maddie got a new carseat the other day.  She had a blast playing in it in the house for a few days until we got it installed.  She'd wake up every morning asking for, "my new seat!"
She was VERY excited to have it!!!  Oh the things that make you happy when you are 18 months old!

got my new seat, binki, and my lovie….all set!

figuring out the buckle…she's pretty darn good at it too!

enough fun with the seat, now lets play in the box!

After school snacks and homework

Homework time can be quite frustrating at times…..especially now that Maddie can climb up on the chairs.  She pulls all their papers, tries to color or write on all their papers….it's just a very trying 30 minutes for us all!!!
She knows the routine tho….snacks and homework right after school.

sorry Maddie, but THREE bags of mini muffins isn't acceptable for your snack….good try!

getting bellied up for some homework time

Peyton works, Maddie eats

Jack's first cavity

Jack had a cavity a couple weeks ago when we went to the dentist.  If anyone deserves a cavity, it's not Jack.  He's the one that really takes teeth brushing seriously and does a good job.  However, he was the chosen one.  I was so scared for him the entire day before his appointment.  His appointment wasn't until 6:00 pm.  I was so nervous that I started calling all of my friends that have had children go thru this before.  Poor Jack didn't know what was going on.  He was excited…..he was going to the dentist. They both like going to the dentist, but he just didn't realize this was a "different" kind of dentist appointment.
When we got their I told Dr. Aaron that Mom was nervous but his patient wasn't nervous at all.  The only prepping Jack had was me telling him that he had a hole in his tooth that Dr. Aaron was going to fix.  I told him Dr. Aaron would pinch his cheek a little bit and that it would feel funny.  He was fine with it and not nervous at all.  I made Mike meet us at the dentist cause I didn't want to witness it.  All the worrying for NOTHING!!  Jack was a champ!!!!  In no time he was finished and we were headed to DQ for some ice-cream.
Shew….glad that is over and that nobody was traumatized!!

just getting started

such a good little patient

all done….with a lopsided mouth to prove it!

Peyton and Gabby go on an adventure…..

Peyton dressed her American Girl doll (Gabby), in warm clothes the other day and headed outside.  She took the doll jeep with her.  She told me that she made an "adventure list" for Gabby and they were headed on their first one.  When I looked outside, she had taken Gabby to the back yard (via the jeep), and had her on the sled.  I guess her first adventure was sleigh riding.

I didn't grab my camera quick enough for the sleigh riding.  All I got was the walk back up to the house in the jeep.

This moment was precious to me, simply because Peyton has never really taken a liking to baby dolls.  So this was cute!

the walk back up to the house

the empty sled after their adventure.  not much snow left on the ole sledding hill.
Peyton and Gabby almost waited too long!  

My little artist

As I said before, Peyton's artwork got chose to be on display at the "fancy mall"….aka Frontenac.  We went to see it on Saturday after Jack's game.  I've gotta say, it is a pretty good little picture.  No artistic abilities came from her mother!!!  Next time you are at my house, try looking for it.  I'm gonna frame it and hang it somewhere…….

very proud of her tree

checking out all the other art work

I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out of the "fancy mall" from the lack of fancy dressing from the Friedman group.  HA!

Peyton and Maddie

Peyton and Maddie entertain themselves at Jack's basketball games by taking pictures of themselves and being silly.  These are the photos I found after Jack's game.

Silly girls…..

100th day of school and Bring a special guest to lunch

Last Thursday was the 100th day of school and "bring a special guest to lunch day."  Peyton and Jack's special guest was their mom……nothing special, right?!?!  I think they need to have a retired grandparent…..I think the grandparents would agree too!

We also had another little girl, Savannah sit with us cause her parents couldn't make it.

Jack had a fun 100th day of school.  They were suppose to make capes with 100 "things" on it.  Jack chose red, white, and blue stars.  His cape looked like the "American Flag," he said.

Jack and Colin eating lunch with their capes still on

Peyton and Savannah 

A Lazy Sunday

Mike, Maddie, and I did not get out of bed on Sunday until 8:45!!!!!  YES, I said 8:45.  That hasn't happened in the 7 and a half years of being parents.  The big kids got up at 7:30, but they came downstairs and entertained themselves.  Maddie slept until 8:45…..ah-mazing!!!!

And I don't think she was even sure she wanted to get up then!  Mike brought her down, put her on the couch under a blanket with her cup and she didn't move.  She was having a lazy, lazy Sunday.  Fine.By.Me.

Jack thought the couch and blanket looked good too, he crawled in with her for a while!