An Eventful Weekend

Finding time to update the ol' blog has been quite a challenge lately!  My list of priorities these days is all out of whack.  In a word: pumping.  I hate it so much, but I try to do it as often as I can.  Plus, we're sort of a little bit trying to potty train Sylvia.  So...I'm busy.

Anyway, I wanted to post some pictures of our awesome weekend.  It started on Friday when I took The Girls (I love calling them "The Girls!"  I have TWO girls!  Eek!!) to see some of my old friends from long, long ago.  Long story short, I grew up with the children of two families: The Glenns and The Gautrauds. Both families have umpteen children, and now we're all grown up and having children of our own, so when we get together, this happens:

26 children on a couch!  10 moms and 3 Grandmas watching it happen.

Words cannot describe how much fun we had.  Sylvia ran around with these kids until she was soaking wet from sitting in a puddle and sticky as can be from the yellow popsicle Mrs. Pammie gave her.  Bliss.  I got to talk to my old friends about new topics - disciplining toddlers, nursing newborns, funny things kids say and do.  Double bliss. 

On Saturday, we spent a lovely day at home and then went to the Fairgrounds for the high school's staff picnic!  We weren't sure what to expect, but the other two toddlers from day care were there with their families, so we ended up having a surprisingly good time!

Sunday was a big day - The Girls' first Red's game!  Laura and Pete graciously asked us to join them for the Reds v. Cubs game (they are die-hard Cubs fans, and we, of course, are not - so that's always fun)!  We've debated taking Sylvia all summer, but always decided against it because it would mean she'd be up way too late at night or she'd be missing a nap in the afternoon.  We had no problem taking her, though, because we knew Ellie would be there to keep her occupied, and we knew we could leave early if we had to.

We parked in KY and walked across the bridge.  I wish I had a picture of Sylvia looking at the Duck boat (which she rode a few weeks ago with Grammy and won't stop talking about) and the "piano boats," which is what she calls any paddle or steam boat, for some reason.  We met Pete at the front gate and made our way to the Fan Accommodation booth where we parked our stroller and ordered our "First Red's Game" certificates for The Girls!  The Great American Ballpark is SO family friendly!  We found our seats and ate our packed lunch, played with Ellie, and glanced at the field every once in a while.  Every time the Reds got a strike out, fire would shoot up from the steamboat towers in center field, and Sylvia thought that was the Greatest Thing To Ever Watch Ever!  If you ask her what happens at a baseball game, she says, "Fire!"  If you ask her who plays baseball, she shouts "Joey Votto!"  If you ask her if she saw Joey Votto at the game, she'll say, "Joey Votto have boo-boo.  Joey Votto fall down."  So. Stinking. Cute.

We didn't take our good camera, but we did get a few shots with our phones.  I wish I had thought to pull out my phone when Ellie was hugging Sylvia over...and over...and over...it was adorable!!  All of the girls did a fabulous job and we stayed until the top of the eighth inning!  Who needs naps?!* 

Waiting at the front gate.

Me and The Girls!  I love how they both fit on my lap.

Margot didn't pay one bit of attention to the game.  Sheesh!

Go Reds!

*Skipping nap time always sounds like no big deal, and from 2-4 in the afternoon, when she's normally napping, Sylvia is delightful.  It's not until about 6:00 at night that we pay the full consequences for skipping a nap.  Holy COW that child turns into something else entirely.  Girl went to bed at 7:00 Sunday night, and I felt like I had just won a rodeo.