My Little Goblins

I did not get to Trick or Treat with Ty and Leah this year.  Julie and Curt took them to a former neighbor's house to go around in their new neighborhood.  I was sad - for a minute.  It was too cold for me after sitting out all morning at football games.  Julie sent me this picture, though.

Tyler - Grandparents Day

Today was Grandparents day at Ty and Leah's school.  We met Ty in the cafteria, went to his room, had a tour of the school, and ate cookies.  What a grand party!

                                                         

 

                                                         

                                                                     

A Football Weekend

Saturday I went to see Leah cheer, and Ty play football.  Ty only made it in for 1 play - but that one play was fabulous.  His team won!  Leah's team - well that was a different story - but she looked great!

On Sunday we had the kids over while Julie and Curt were at the footbal game.  Leah, Ty, and I worked on putting away the pool stuff - rafts, toys, chemical tests and other stuff.  Leah and I baked sugar cookies and made Oreo eyeballs (they don't have real eyeballs in them she told everyone).  We also made tailgate food for dinner - veggie tray (Leah said "I can touch veggies, I just won't eat them"), chicken fingers, skyline dip, meatballs, corn on the cob, and Crabbies.  Then we all watched the game - JR, Les, Joe, Ty, Leah and me,  It was a gerat afternoon with family.  After the Bengals beat the Steelers, we played outside.  Les drew this image of Leah doing the splits:

The Weekend

This weekend Ty and Leah were over on Saturday evening and Sunday.  Leah did some gardening for me - took a huge basket down to the garden and picked tomatos and cucumbers.  I had to take pictures of her outfit.  Saturday evening we had a campfire with the neighbors.  Sunday I took the kids to their first CCD class, and then shopping, and home to watch the Bengals and play outside.  A fun filled, and exhausting for me, weekend.

Ty mugs for the camera

Leah in the gardenTomatos!

Football Practice

Thursday night the Bengals played in town, so Julie and Curt went to the game and I took Ty (and Leah) to football practice.  Afterwards we had ice cream, a shower, an hour of TV, a toothbrushing, a prayer, and bedtime.  In that order.

Ty's Football Game

Ty's Baseball Game

Friday night we went to Ty's baseball game - the first tournament game. It was a close game but they won by 1 run with the bases loaded at the end of the last inning. Ty did his part by making an awesome through from the field, and hitting a triple!




Ty is practicing a technique Grandpa taught him.

Camping in the Back Yard

Ty, Leah, and I camped out in the back yard on Thursday night. It was a wonderful night! Leah told her Mom that she was "SO EXCITED to be camping with Grammie!"
Joe had all the work - setting up the tent and torches, blowing up the air mattress, getting the firewood for the campfire. He did stay out with us and enjoy the campfire, tossed ball with Ty, played with Leah. Then he went in and went to bed in our cozy bed (he had to work the next day).
I forgot how good Smores taste! OMG! And marshmallows cooked on a campfire - heaven.
We went to bed about 10:00 PM, snapped some pictures, told corny jokes, played Old Maid and Checkers. Then lanterns out and we were asleep. Early morning I woke up - the air in the mattress was gone and I needed to go to the restroom. I waited as long as I could - hoping when I unzipped the tent it would be light outside - no such luck. I trooped up to the house and discovered it was 4:30 AM.
Like a true camper, I went back out to the tent, zipped up the door, and snuggled up with Leah on the hard ground. I couldn't leave them out there alone!
I heard the neighbor leave for work at 5:00AM, and Joe and Les come home from the casino - but that was all. We all woke up again at 7:07AM and decided our camping was over - we went into the house. I couldn't convince anyone to go back to bed - so the next day began. Camping was a blast - and we hope to do it again soon!

Butterfly Show

Last Friday, while Julie and Curt were in Nashville, Tyler, Leah, and I made a trip to the butterfly show at the Krohn Conservatory. I told them I was keeping them out of school for a science trip to study butterflies. It was a fun time - at both the conservatory and the overlook that we visited later.
In the car on the way to lunch (Skyline) we listed the animals and insects we saw that day:
1. Dogs
2. Cats
3. Rat (really a mouse or a mole the Stormy captured outside)
4. Butterflies
5. Turtles
6. Ducks
7. Goose
8. Raccoon
At the overlook we brought some bread to feed the ducks. Ty was trying to hand feed a goose and it got a little excited and bit him (according to Ty).
Here are a few pictures from the day.

The Spring Flower Show at the Krohn Conservatory

One of my favorite places in the city is the Krohn conservatory. Yesterday Julie asked me to watch the Tyler and Leah while she got her hair cut - so we made a day of it instead. First - we went to the movies and saw Monsters vs. Aliens in 3d. The 3d was really cool. After that we went to the Krohn Conservatory for the first day of the Spring flower show (and the remarkable reptile exhibit). Then we went to the overlook at Eden Park to see the view of the city. Leah thought she could see Harrison (although the overlook is a view of the river and all points South - not West). I have tons of pictures.

Us -

The flowers:

(kumquats)

And now - the reptiles (how we got Tyler to have fun)

Ty and Leah wanted nothing to do with this python!

In Eden Park amongst the Daffodils....

At the overlook - a cloudy day ...

But there was fun to be had: