Grandma Wendy's 40th and G & G's 11th!

Grandma and Grandpa Kuhl came to visit us on September 1st, which was their 11th wedding anniversary!  We hadn't seen them much all summer so we were glad they came to spend their anniversary with us.  It was also Grandma Wendy's 40th birthday on August 21st!  So Madison helped me make a cake for Grandma.  Any time there is cake, Madison is close by!!!  

Madison also loves to sing Happy Birthday!!

It's all business when it's time to blow out the candles!

And of course you have to lick the icing off the candles after!

We laid pretty low all weekend.  It was the first time it had rained in months so we all just sat around the kitchen table, talked and watched it rain on Saturday.  It was kinda weird to see it rain since it hadn't in such a long time.  After the rain, we headed out to eat pizza at a new place in town, but the wait was over an hour long.  We headed across the road to Bigelo's Bistro to try their pizza.  It was pretty good I must say!  It all worked out.  We woke up to nice weather on Sunday so we took advantage and played outside all morning.  Madison and Grant also had fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa in the basement.  I guess I only took pictures of the birthday cake celebration, but it was a great weekend!  Thanks for spending your anniversary with us Grandpa and Grandma Kuhl!!       

Madison starts preschool.

August 28th was Madison's first day of preschool at St. Boniface in Edwardsville.  She was looking so forward to it all summer.  Preschool started a couple of weeks after regular school started, so every time she saw a school bus, or saw the neighbor kids walking down the street with their book bags, she always asked if she got to go to school today.  In preparation for the big day, we ordered a new cupcake book bag that Madison picked out, and I embroidered her name on it.  Madison also picked out her own outfit for the first day the night before.  The morning of the first day was a bit rushed even though we had her outfit picked out.  School starts at 8 a.m. and that is pretty early for this household to get up and get around.  We are not use to a schedule!  Of course Madison wanted he hair braided, so that took some time.  And of course I had to get pictures taken of her from the first day, but we made it on time.  I think Madison was the strongest one out of Mark and I when dropping her off.  She was so excited and just ran right in!  No big deal for this girl!  Madison found her cubby for her book bag and went to sit on the rug with the rest of the kids.  I looked at Mark and said, "I guess that's it."  We waved bye and off went a teary eyed Mom to the car.  I thought I did pretty well, only shed a couple of tears once I got to the car.  There were a couple of kids that were clinging to their parents leg crying not to go in.  I looked at a Mark and said, "If that was Madison, I don't think I could have left her."  And that's probably what I would have done!!  But Madison did great!!!    

My cutie pie!

Daddy walking her into school.

Madison and I made a countdown chart to preschool on her board.  She wrote everything besides "countdown".  She marked off a number everyday, well, when we remembered!

I have been so pleased with the preschool we picked for Madison.  She comes home everyday excited with something new to tell and show me.  Last week she had show and tell.  She took in soy beans and pictures of her riding in the combine with Grandpa Keller.   She also took snack that day, so she thought she was pretty big stuff!  Ms. Nicole said all the kids were very interested in the soy beans, and they didn't mind the cookies either!  

Madison's first date.....

Mark treated Madison to lunch and a show on August 25th.  The big date was to go see Lion King at The Fox Theater in St. Louis.  Madison had seen commercials on TV and asked to go.  I have always heard really good things about the show and started looking into it.  Needless to say, the tickets were a little steep.  I decided it would be fun for Madison to go with just her Daddy.  A little  one on one time for the two.  Mark took her to a burger joint called, " Dooley's" for lunch.  Madison loves cheese burgers and orders it every time we go out to eat, perfect.  Mark said they take an ice cream scoop of whatever cheese you want and put it on top of the burger.  Kinda glad I missed out on this one!  But they both loved it.  Mark said Madison eat most of her burger, she must have been hungry!  After the burgers, it was time for Lion King.

Pictures before leaving for the date.  One excited little girl!  She kept asking who Grant was going to stay with.  It took her a little while to figure out it was just her and Dad.

Daddy took some pictures at the show.

Mark said Madison sang all the songs really loud, and that she got lots of compliments from the people sitting around them!  I can only imagine!  The other day I asked her to do something, I can't even remember now.  But she said, "Alright, I'll try it. Hakuna Matata."  She makes me smile everyday!  ("Hakuna Matata", is a song from the Lion King, and means "no worries".)

Daddy and Maddie even stopped for ice cream after the show.  

Man, I want to go on a date with Daddy!!  Your one lucky girl Madison!!!

Splash Pad Fun!!!

The kids and I found a free splash pad close to our home in Hartford, IL.  It's only about 15 minutes away, and did I mention FREE!  The kids and I went probably about five times through out the end of the summer.  I wish I would have found it sooner.  The kids loved it.  Mark even went with us the very last chance we had to go before the weather cooled off, and even he had to try it out with the kids! 

I finally remembered to bring my camera the third time we went.

Madison and Grant loved it!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Madison always thinks she is helping out her little brother.

This boy loves the water!

And he loves it when the water splashes him in the face!

On this day we packed a picnic lunch.  Only one thing ruined our picnic.  POO!  As I was setting up our picnic, I kept smelling poop.  I figured I had set up our blanket next to a dog pile.  I kept looking around and checking every ones shoes.  No poop.  We kept on with the picnic even though there was an unpleasant smell.  I thought it was weird Grant would not sit to eat.  Of course the kids didn't eat much and wanted to play on the play ground equipment.  I followed Grant and finally figured out the smell was coming from him!!  By this time it was seeping out of his swim diaper and trunks.  It was literally every where!!  I  hurried and changed Grant on the blanket.  By this time Madison and I were so grossed out, I pitched all our food, folded everything up in the blanket and we left.  As if that is not gross enough, I turned around after picking everything up, and Grant had his mouth on the trash can in the park!  I was so ready to go, and find a sink to wash my hands.  What a day!  It was happened in 20 minutes!  I literally washed Grant's trunks 3 times in bleach to get the smell out and that didn't even work.  I finally sat them in the sun and that took care of the smell!  It was horrible!

We had to redeem ourselves from the day before, so we decided to try it again.  This time I invited Jenna, Nolan, Aunt Sarah and Michael.  That way I had backup if there was a dirty diaper episode!

Jenna thought to bring toys and it ended up being a great idea!

Cousin Michael didn't quite know what to think about all this water.

Thanks to the city of Hartford for some great summer fun!!