How 'bout Those Cheifs?

 It was the kids back to school night and Jakob calls me at 3:00 and tells me that i need to find a baby sitter for that evening. Finding a sitter last minute was intense, but he promised I would like it. It was the Chiefs first preseason game and one of his bosses had given him his season pass rickets for the evening. We were in the third row on the 50yd line and it was amazing! 

Back in high school I was a cheerleader and after high school I coached for a year and was on the Energy team squad and practiced with the cheer team for the Edmonton Eskimos (which is the professional football team in Edmonton where I grew up.) During this time I fell in LOVE with the game of football. And while cheer has completely fallen away, football has stuck with me hard! I look forward and count down the weeks until football season begins!

 And while yes it was only a pre-season game it felt so good to be down at Arrowhead and cheer on our Cheifs. We know a few of the players and coaches and it was fun to see them play and feel the energy of the stadium. We also got to see JJ Watt pretty up close and personal from the sidelines. 

 We made it on the big screen too. HAHA!

It was a fantastic evening and I am looking forward to going back even if it means hanging out in the nose bleeds. GO CHIEFS!!!

The Eve before the Night Before School

 Our last two days before school started we decided to make a fort in the kids room and let them sleep in it.  The kids were thrilled. Just savoring the last few minutes of summer. 

Daddy outdid himself on the construction. These are the moments. Please never grow up!

Dinosaurs Revealed

 There was a Dinosaur exhibit down town and we just had to take Duke. We found a good deal on tickets and we were off. duke was SO excited!

 There were some cool fossils.

 And there were interactive dinosaurs that moved and made noises!! 

 Brontosaurs, E's favorite.

 

 This dude was creepy!

 Holding a baby triceratops horn.

Triceratops, Mama and Duke's favorite! 

 I loved that they had Mama and baby dinos too. SO cute! 

 About to get eaten by the T-Rex!!

 It was a wonderful afternoon and duke just loved it! It feels so nice to celebrate the things our kids are interested in! 

Savoring Summer

 I feel this overwhelming amount of pressure to make things magical for my children. Childhood is so fleeting and I want them to look back and feel like they got the most out of theirs. I was feeling a little loss for time as summer came to a close so we headed out to find some magic. The intent was to go feed the ducks and play at the park, but there was construction going on at the lake and so most of the ducks were not there and the park was unavailable so we went for a bit of a stroll. Here are some pictures captured by E.

 Then we threw some bread in and some fish ate it. 

 On the way home we stopped at McDonalds and got massive icecream cones. I drove home AS FAST AS POSSIBLE so we could eat them on the grass. it was 97°F with humidity made it feel like 105°F so the cones were melting fast. 

 Bear was not a fan of getting his hands dirty. 

 This boy though, was in.to.it!!! 

 I may have to frame this picture.

 We then turned on the sprinkler and splashed while Sprout napped. Oh sweet summertime.

5 Years Old

Height: 43" (59th percentile)

Weight: 43 lbs (61st percentile)

Nicknames: Bear, Manny, Buddy.

• Duke is the funniest kid. He is subtle in his humor but it is infectious. He is always doing something to try and make someone laugh. 
• He is super into dinosaurs, cars and Lego's right now. He is a wonderful independent player and can entertain himself really well. 
• One of his favorite things to do is to play with E. Those two are best buds even though they try to fight it. they are always together and they play really well together for the most part.

• Duke's language is exploding and while he still has difficulty putting sentences together, he is doing such a wonderful job with his speech. Duke hasn't let his speech hold him back one little bit and I am so beyond proud of him for all that he has accomplished despite it being difficult at times. You're the bomb dude!
• Duke is still my best sleeper and will still some days take naps for me. Some days I will go check on his playing because he's been so quiet and he has put himself down for a nap. Boy likes his sleep!
• His favorite foods are noodles, yogurt, cereal, and chicken nuggets. He's becoming more fussy but he still will eat a decent variety of foods.

• If you ask Duke who his best friend is he'll almost always say E, but if you catch him on a day when his sister isn't his best friend he'll say Elliot or Cash. He is really into doing "boy things" and has started saying things like "Mama that's for girls." or "No girls allowed."
• This boy is hands down my most snuggly kid. He is always willing to give Mama some love and sometimes just runs up to give you a good squeeze or cuddle. He likes to hold my hand and make sure that I am happy. He's by far my most understanding of emotions as well. He feels emotions and he can see other feeling emotions and wants to try and fix it. He is just the sweetest and I sure lucked out having such a sweet boy.

• Duke has got all of the dance moves! Boy knows how to groove!
• He is an excellent student! He behaves really well for his teachers and bonds well with them as well. He follows classroom etiquette well and teachers are always complimenting me on his ability to follow directions. He really is such a joy.

• Duke is strong, lets himself be heard.
• One of his favorite games to play is Dilly, Dilly with Daddy, which essentially means rough housing and being wild. 
• Duke is still very particular about his clothes. He doesn't like dress shirts and a few other things. He likes to pick out his outfits but he despises shopping. It makes it a bit tricky when I feel like I'm constantly guessing. At the moment if it has a dinosaur on it I'm safe. 

• Duke will be starting Kindergarten this year!! He has completed two years of special ed preschool and he thrived there! Words cannot do my gratitude for that program justice! He did a three week summer school program and now he's excited for Kinder. He's going to do awesome!
• Kid is still the most independent child of my crew. He likes to problem solve, he'll often just grab a treat and start eating without making a big deal about it. He is resourceful and likes to just march to the beat of his own drum. HE has started asking permission for things such as shows, and snacks but it more than capable of getting things done solo which is so nice!

This boy has my heart. And while I do not have favorites Bear and I share a special bond, unique it is own way, and I love it. He stretches me but he is also always there with kind words or snuggles. He is more of a Mama's boy than Daddy's and that is just fine by me. I can't believe this kid is 5! Happy Birthday Bear! You are so loved!