Worst Skee Ball Players Ever

I dare you to watch this video and not have at least one giggle escape you. Oliver and Mia Kenkel went on a play date to Power Play in KC this past Sunday. They had a ball...no pun intended, but couldn't quite get the hang of skee ball. They did, however, master their blue raspberry slushies quite expertly!

Here comes Bullet! (and other tales from Stillwater)

On November 9, 2013, Oliver experienced a truly magical event. One I hope he will get to repeat over and over and over...Nope, not Disney World. An Oklahoma State home football game! Whoop! We road-tripped down to Cowboy Country, along with the rest of the Lawrence crew - Clothiers, Griffiths and Gudgells, to watch OSU destroy KU. Oliver had a blast wreaking havoc touring around campus. We took nostalgia pics at the Phi Kappa Tau house (where all the dads lived during college and where all the moms met the dads during college. Note, no kids were made at the PKT house during college. ;)) The Coles Family's pre-game activities then commenced: We sprinted strolled through Theta pond and Library Lawn; careened moseyed by the student union; crashed caught a pep rally at the Alumni Center - complete with band, Pistol Pete and cheerleaders; got our cheese-fries on at Eskimo Joe's - outside tent only, to be specific; got our picture taken with Bullet the horse - actually, only 1 person got their picture taken, b/c he refused to let his parents join in; and then made our way to Boone Pickens Stadium, where Oliver thoroughly enjoyed watching Bullet race out onto the field after after Poke touchdown - of which there were alot! He passed out dozed off on Matt near the end of the first half, so we gave up on the game, made a quick stop at heaven Coney Island on our way out of town, and were back home and asleep by 10pm. A great introduction to OSU game day if ever there was one!
Now, to figure out a way to make it to a basketball game this season....

  Phi Kappa Tau Alums and Futures. I'm not sure if it's technically allowed to take photos with the fraternity crest and share them with the outside world. I still don't know where Matt's fraternity nickname comes from. Hush hush and all.

 Not to be left out.

I would love to tell you that the PKT's have really classed up the joint and made great improvements to the house since our time there. But, alas, not so much. Those alumni should really step up, don't you think? :)

Library Lawn. As beautiful as ever.

Three little stinkers.

Meeting Bullet. Solo. Alone. Individually. Sans parents.

GO POKES!

A Very Curious Halloween!

Well, hello there November. When did you creep up on us?

Another Halloween has come and gone. You may remember last year's debacle....(Screaming Zebra) where Oliver was just too overwhelmed by everything to function normally (read: breakdown city). This year went much more smoothly. He decided to be Curious George in early October and never looked back. We packed in quite a few festivities leading up to the big night: We went to Boo At The Zoo in Kansas City with our friends the Roberts family a couple weekends ago, where Oliver made a beeline for...who else - the monkeys. We had Stepping Stones Halloween Carnival this past Sunday. I picked Oliver up from school early yesterday and we trick-or-treated around my office building, and then last night was THE night to end all nights - especially when you're 3.5 years old and your best buds are with you and there's an endless supply of candy being thrown around.

This year, same as last year, we headed over to the Griffith family's house for pre-haunt pizza and photos, then it was off in the wagons, down their street, which is seriously Halloween Central, where Oliver, Charlie and Noah pretty much maintained a slow sprint from house to house. The girls of the group, as usual, took their lady-like time and reminded us all to stop and smell the chocolate. Then, it was off to Mike and Tara Zerr's ( (Tara almost Zerr - T-minus 2 weeks to wedding) for their annual Halloween party. Holy chaos, Batman! Our George was having so much fun, we had to drag him kicking and screaming from their house - where he sobbed the entire way home blubbering "I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave. I don't want to...Hey Mom, can I have a piece of candy?"

Halloween as a parent is, of course, way more stressful than pre-kid, but I think we are slowly but surely getting the hang of it. Next year we may even, gasp! decorate our house! Here's to many more Happy Halloweens in Lawrence, USA.

At the zoo - in his natural element

Fun with Nory Roberts

Almost go time!

Game faces on? 

Why look! It's the Man In The Yellow Hat. Here to claim his monkey!

Griffith neighbors set up a dance floor in their driveway, prompting Oliver/George to show his moves.

Obligatory family pic!

Um, this is what happens when you attempt a group boy pic.

And, this is what happens when you take a group girl pic. Sigh.

Memories!