The next Tony Romo?

As I mentioned, Thade is playing football this year. Thade hated football 2 years ago. He complained his pants are too tight, his helmet hurts, it's hot and that the other boys tackle him. (rather than what?) He carried that attitude the entire year and got stuck occasionally playing on the defensive line and keeping the bench warm the rest of the time. His energy level matched that of a slug and generally you would find him sitting alone on the bench during the games because it was just too hot and tiring to stand on the side lines with his team-mates.

In this picture, we yelled to him to get off the bench and go be with his team-mates. YES, that is my kid LYING DOWN on the sideline.

This year when sign ups came, I gently encouraged him to give it another try. (Ok, I told him if he didn't play sports, he'd be a geek in high school) I know, I'm a terrible mother but in all seriousness, the kids involved in sports typically have less time to get in trouble! And the last thing my pre-teen wants is to be a geek so I said what I knew would work on him and hoped for the best.

WOW, what a change this year. He is having a great time and apparently has a talent for throwing the ball. Thade will be QB at his first scrimmage on Saturday. He has also been playing some tight end and safety. I couldn't be prouder! I'm very excited about the game tomorrow and if we can juggle the babies and video camera simultaneously, I will post some video next week.

Disney Pictures

Here are some pictures from our Disney trip.



My favorite - as you see, Reed was very excited to meet Disney's stars, Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Picnic

Wow, has it really been 2 months since I last posted? I promise to post new pictures soon. We've been very busy the last couple of months and the kids are all growing up too fast! We recently returned from a week spent at Disney World (smack in the middle of tropical storm Fay), Susan, the new nanny has started, and Thade has started football. Reed can "show his muscles now" and Adalae rolls over!

Yesterday, I thought I would be brave and take all 3 kids to the park and have a picnic while Rustin was doing yard work. The 10 minute walk there was great. Adalae slept and Reed jabbered the whole way. However, within 10 minutes of arriving at the park, the grossness started. My packing list had consisted of:
sandwiches, grapes, teddy grahams, and applesauce
paper plates, cups and a jug of water
sippy cup, bottle
diapers
burp cloth
sunscreen
bottled water
phone

I should have also included a change of clothes for all 3 children.

First of all, Thade had to pee so I sent him over by a tree to take care of business. He comes back soaking wet and can't figure out why? Apparently, instead of taking care of business on the ground by the tree, he decided to pee on the tree from less than a foot away. Do men not look at the stream to make sure it doesn't run into their feet, etc? Or to make sure it's not hitting the tree and SPLASHING their shorts?

If there is a puddle of water, Reed can spot it from a mile away. As soon as he is out of his stroller, he makes a bee-line for a slide and while I'm helping Thade get cleaned up, Reed climbs to the bottom of the slide, and then proceeds to lie flat in the water and lap it up like a doggy. Now his shorts are so wet they don't stay up so we proceed to strip him to his diaper and pray that I don't get CPS called on me for letting my toddler play at the park in 100 degree weather without clothes. 5 minutes later, Reed has a poopy and guess what I didn't check/pack? The wipey case which was completely empty. By this point, we've been at the park less time than it took to walk there or I would have just given up and walked back home. So I do the best with what I have (which is only the dirty diaper) and we play some more while his clothes are hanging from the slide baking in the sun.

When I finally get the chance to check on Adalae, she is awake, happy, and covered in spit up.

By this time, I'm totally over the park so we wash up the best we can with our water jug, eat and head home for baths.

Maam, I need to frisk you

I'm sure you all want to know who got frisked?? Well, it was me. Just wait for it, wait for it.
I think I'll share how the last 24 hours has gone in the Gradke household.

Wed
4:30pm - meet Rustin at daycare to pick up babies, change gross day care clothes and make bottle for Adalae
4:45pm - crawl in back seat while Rustin driving along highway to soothe Adalae
5pm - arrive at church as Thade has arrived home from camp. Find out teeth have not been brushed since Friday night.
6pm - leave church after awards ceremony and head to dinner
7:15 - arrive home, Rustin at store, both babies start to cry. Thade takes Adalae while I change Reed's diaper, change him into PJs and get him a drink
7:30 - start Thade's laundry and feed Adalae bottle
2 more hours of who knows what but I don't remember sitting down
9:30 - still doing Thade's laundry
10pm - pack Thade's bag for his 7am flight to GA
10:30 - sweet dreams, hallelujah

Thursday
5am - alarm, snooze
5:15 - get up, wake Thade, shower
5:45 - go get Thade to leave, Thade still in bed, yell at Thade which woke Reed up, Rustin feeding Adalae bottle so I get Reed settled
5:55 - leave house only to realize I don't even know which airline the flight is on, much less the terminal and gate. Call delta, no reservation for Thade. Call American, no reservation for Thade. Call Airtran as I've pulled into terminal E to figure this out. Yes! It's Airtran and hallelujah the gate is E 17.
6:10 - walk in to realize there are 12,000 people in ticket line
6:20 - resolve we will miss the flight and I will spend my Thursday morning trying to get Thade on another flight which I assume will be a piece of cake the day before a holiday right??
6:30 - Thank you Lord, someone is calling all passengers on our flight to come to the front of the ticket line.
6:45 - Beg to cut in the security line so Thade doesn't miss his flight.
6:48 - Get stopped at security because I'm beeping!! Spent 2 more minutes taking off all jewelery and half-way stripping. Suddenly I realize what it is.

Let's just say the dress I was wearing required an undergarment to keep my baby belly in check. As I realize this, I have to tell the security person in front of the 12,000 other passengers in the vicinity. The security person then asks me to "step aside ma'am" and proceeds to wave the metal wand slowly across my mid-section approximately 32 times as it beeps as loud as a garbage truck reversing. Just as I think I could not be more humiliated, and to ensure all 12,000 people know about my "undergarment", Thade asks in the loudest voice possible, "Mom what are you wearing under there??!!"
6:57 - Thade is last person to board plane.
7am - Plane leaves, off to work.
10am - call Ikea, dresser I've been waiting for is in stock and there are 7 of them! Get in car and drive straight there
10:35 - Apparently 6 other people are on their way to buy the same dresser. Arrive at Ikea and buy the very last dresser left (for Adalae's room)
12noon - work out then vomit (I didn't really vomit but I want to everytime I do this particular set with some people at work)
1pm - start hinting to office we should take off early today.
2pm - get email about cake celebration at 4pm. Count me out!

Happy Fourth of July!

The Zoo!

Today Reed and Adalae enjoyed their first trip to the zoo!

Adalae enjoys her lunch.

Reed called any animal that had 4 legs a dog. He just kept pointing and repeating "dog, dog, dog".

Reed also likes Adalae's bottles. He doesn't actually drink out of them, just runs around with it hanging from his mouth.

Our niece Haven came for a visit too last week.

Rustin will kill me for posting this but it's too funny not to share. Here is the outfit he chose to do yard work in last weekend. Thank God he was in our BACK yard. Nice headband. Oh, and don't forget your wristbands!

Ball!

Today at lunch Reed starting calling grapes "ball". Every time he wanted another grape he would say, "ball! ball!" It was funny until he started throwing them like he throws his balls.

Pictures!

Sweet baby girl




Back off girls. He's only 11!!



Just stopping by to smell the flowers with Uncle RyRy.

Reed has so many words now. He says ball, bath, uh oh, that, go, and a few more. He still doesn't say mommy or daddy but he does say Thade! It's more like Dade but we know what he means. It's very sweet and makes Thade feel special that he calls him by name now.

It's hard to believe Adalae is already 6 weeks old. And Reed is saying words and wants to be so independent! Oh, and don't get me started on Thade. He recently asked to start wearing deodorant!!! It goes by so fast.