Aunt Sunny in town

Aunt Sunny was in town to help with the kids while I left town. Can I just tell you that I could totally get used to having family in town who love being with the kids. Sunny is just a natural with the kids and they love her. I love that she likes to get the kids out as much as I do. She was around while I was here and it was such a treat to run errands while the kids napped or to go to the gym without 3 kids in tow or to have adult conversations in the middle of the day. Well we were so sad for Sunny to leave that Brian tried to prolong her trip and I had the even better idea that she just come back again. Airfare is cheap right now, so she is coming back in 3 weeks. Yippee!!!!! It made saying goodbye easier for the kids and Aunt Sunny. Sunny will be here for Halloween and for my girls weekend away. Brian is sooo spoiled! Ok, so I am spoiled too.




Greenbluff
Picking apples - the Empires were low to the ground, so that is what we picked.



Anders and Myann fighting about carrying the box

Anders helping Aunt Sunny

The Sunflower

It is an epic tale really, of the sunflowers that took FOREVER to grow. In the beginning there were two and then one was maliciously chopped down by the evil brother. However, the normally evil sister did not care one bit. The awestruck mother did care tremendously because she nourished that sunflower for almost 4 months. She punished the evil brother by making him give the ownership of his remaining sunflower to his sister. The evil brother was devastated by this decision and conned his sister into sharing the ownership. However, all were happy and the evil brother was grounded from the wii for 2 weeks.

Note the stub on the ground from Myann's sunflower. Kind of looks like a green snake.

A Perfect Northeastern Weekend

I took these pictures, they are not postcards. This was our scenery every morning as we ran. AMAZING!

As a mom, I suppose my perfect weekend should include my children and I have many wonderful weekends with my kiddos, but last weekend was childless bliss. Actually it was childless, husbandless bliss. I had no one to worry about but myself, and since I am an incredibly passive and easy going person, I was not even a worry. I was flying by myself, a vacation in itself, across the country to Pittsfield, MA to spend the weekend with my mom's side of the family. Complete with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother. And of course, my mom and brother and sister-in-law. Yep, no children under 16 and the 16 year old was actually the largest person around. We ran in the picturesque countryside, ate delicious food, and just hung out. We watched my cousin's high school football team, looked through old family photos, and heard stories about my grandmother's family that I never knew. It was an easy and enjoyable weekend. I am blessed that I get to have these kind of weekends and spend time with some of the most amazing people on the planet. I have said this before, but seriously, how did I get so lucky to be related to the most wonderful people.

Oh yeah, and I read an entire book from start to finish and I picked up the manual to my new camera for the first time. Luxuries I do not have at home.
Pictures with Grandma Frances



Kylie and Justin (getting married next year and God help her, she asked Myann to be a flower girl)

Alex was surprised with a birthday cake and then gave an impromptu speech (he should have been a politician)

Playing with the settings on my camera - I love the picture. Hard to believe he is so sick, he looks perfect.

This is how the Boos clan rolls, we run and then we eat. We had an awesome breakfast at a little restaurant across the street from the jogging path.



This is not meant to be funny, but since I am from Texas where football is everything and high school ball is played on college size stadiums, this small town game where my brother and Uncle happen to be there and are asked to do the polls or whatever they are called it pretty amusing.


My cousin Guy is in the middle being an awesome Team captain and pumping up his team. Sadly he broke his wrist 2 weeks before our trip, so we did not get to watch him play and it is his senior year.


So gorgeous!

My Aunt Melinda and her grandfather (Part of the reason for the trip was to celebrate her 50th birthday. She looks amazing.)

My youngest cousins, who used to be the babies are all grown up.

Myann's First and 2nd to last soccer game

Myann insisted all summer she wanted to play soccer. Of course she also wanted to do dance and gymnastics and swimming. We did swimming for a few months and decided to try dance. Aunt Sunny insisted we put her in something "with a ball". I for the record totally agreed and was optimistic because as uncoordinated as Myann can be, she is pretty athletic. The first practice, did not go well. She would only participate if I was holding her hand. I told her I could not hold her hand during the game, but she insisted.
Game Day - she looks pretty cute and ready to go. But the moment coach asked her to play, she said no and hid behind me. This went on the whole game. One mom even tried to coax her on the field and Myann gave her the stink eye and said, "Don't talk to me." That was our cue to leave.





Update: Aunt Sunny took her the following weekend to practice, of which she would only play with Sunny, and then during the game, she did step foot on the field, but then would not play. Week 3 and she begged me not to go to the game. We asked her again on week 4 and she still said she would not play. So, Myann is done with soccer for this year.

Anders is 2!

Not sure how my baby is 2! Does that mean I can not call him my baby any more? There are not words to describe the joy he brings to my/our life. To say Anders ups your self esteem is an understatement. He loves with his whole being and when you are the recipient you get what it feels like to be loved completely. He truly has a gift. Even Shane and Myann long for his hugs and kisses. They are a gift. Luckily, I am the momma and I get them more often than most. I savor them, because I know the day will come soon when he will not be so willing and he will even be reluctant, so today I enjoy them.

Don't get me wrong, he is 2 now and with 2 have come the tantrums and No's and even more recently, thanks to Myann, "You're stupid." But he is usually pretty quick to follow it up with the, "I'm sorry." Sometimes he even touches your face and says, "Are you crying?" in the most compassionate voice you can imagine. He is definitely a gentle giant and boy to the core. He is so different in Shane in his interests. Loves his dinosaurs, cars, and all things with wheels. Seeing a garbage truck makes his day. He is the master of automotive sound effects, from cars to trains to airplanes. He loves to wrestle and is prone to tackling unprepared persons and dogs, but he will just as quickly hug you or grab your face and kiss you. He loves his buddy Bree and asks for her all the time, but he also loves the big kids in the neighborhood and is itching to roam the streets with them. He talks about his papas often, but I think he generalizes papas as all older men. He loves older gentlemen and makes the day of many an old guy at the grocery store by saying loudly, "Hi Papa and PAPA!!!".

Today we spent part of your birthday at the park playing while Myann had dance and you showed me what a big boy you had become. You are pretty self sufficient on the playground now and a borderline daredevil.

Mommy and Daddy love, but then again, so does everyone you meet.

Anders First Dentist Appointment

I know, kind of mean to take him to the dentist the day before his birthday. For being the most mellow child, he is certainly timid about one on one with adults of authority. Hair cut - terrible, Doctor- terrible, Dentist - terrible. Actually for the hygenist, he was terrible and did not let her do a thing. He did the lips and teeth clench and she was not getting in his mouth without the jaws of life. When the dentist came to take a peak, Anders opened wide and even let him paint on the fluoride.

Mutton Bustin'

Sporting their tattoos


We might have a natural sheep rider in our family. Seriously, Shane placed last year at the fair and we did not even know what Mutton Bustin was until I saw my child riding a sheep out of a gate. This year we knew what to expect, but did not actually think he would do as well again. Well, out of about 20 riders, Shane placed 2nd!!! He really wanted 1st and has asked to go back and try again, because he really wants the belt buckle that you get if you win the whole fair. We were thrilled with 2nd. Especially, since right out of the gate his sheep hooked left and ran straight into the fence instead of running straight. The judges agreed it was not a fair run and put him right back on another sheep to do it again. He had hurt his elbow and looked up at me with teary eyes but grabbed on to the new sheep and took off again. He rode the new sheep all the way across the ring, half on the underside of the sheep but he was still holding on. We were very proud of our tough kid.
Looking tough

Still looking tough, well Shane looks tough. Myann just looks cute.


Anders and Tina watching

Shane getting loaded on to his sheep



First run, you can see the sheep cutting left

Shane standing, but I could tell he was upset.


Take 2



Holding on top from underneath


Winners Podium



Then there is Myann - another tough trooper. She told us she wanted to do Mutton Bustin too. Last year she was too young and I was not comfortable with her doing something I had never seen before. This year I agreed but honestly thought she would back down last minute. I told Brian to sign her up and pay the fee because it needed to be her decision and not ours. Well, boy did she surprise us. That girl did not bat and eye. Even after watching one kid after another topple off the sheep, she got right on and held on for dear life. She rocked it and made it half way across the pen. She did a full flip off the sheep and did not shed a single tear. She had a ton of dirt in her hair but came out smiling.

Getting ready and holding on to some wool in the pen

Falling off but still holding on




Our kids are amazing, so proud that they are always willing to try something new.

We also enjoyed the fair activities: rides, food, pulley jump, and exhibits. Last night with Tina too.





Myann looked pretty scared, but kept asking to go higher.


Poor Anders, this was the only thing he was able to do all night.