Indiana insanity

Erin already did a great job of posting about our trip to Bloomington this fall to visit Abbey and to see the IU/MSU game, but I wanted to post a few photos of the fun.  Our camera busted before the game even started (see below), but I stole a few of Erin's photos to fill in the gaps.

It was a beautiful (but chilly) day!

We were thrilled that Aunt Kim and Uncle Jerry got to come, too.  We don't get to see enough of them!

Charlotte was fascinated by the cheerleaders.  (Notice Peter completely missing all the festivities while he lounges on Pink Bubba in the red wagon.)

We had to prove we were just as fabulous as the cheerleaders.

Jerry, Kim, and I went on a field trip with Abbey to the tailgate field where the students congregate.  It had been raining for several days previous, so it was like partying in a big, boozy mud pit.  It was equally amusing and horrifying.  Fifteen years ago, I would have been thrilled to have been part of the scene, but this time I was just amused.  We refrained from taking photos while in the mud pit, but little did I know what shenanigans were going on back at the tailgate!

Yes, that is my husband dressed up like an extra from 300.  We ended up next to a tailgate of MSU superfans who came prepared for hand-to-hand combat with the Hoosiers if necessary.  They let Corey try on some gear and Corey got so excited that he dropped our camera several times onto the asphalt and snapped it in two.  Whoops.  Hilarious photo though.

Charlotte and Peter liked the pregame show, but I missed seeing their reactions since I was cleaning up after our wild tailgate.

Peter napped in the van for a few hours after we had to leave the game early due to cranky kids, but at least Charlotte and Sonia got some quality time on the grounds of our motel.  This is one of my new favorite photos!

Our new annual IU fall visit tradition has been a blast.  Let's hope Abbey doesn't figure out how uncool we all are (or stops being willing to humor us) and refuses to acknowledge us the next time we invade.  (Just kidding, Abbey -- we know you just LIVE for our shenanigan-filled visits!)

Preschool program

Charlotte's preschool had a little informal program a few days later involving Johnny Appleseed, bees, and apples.  It was fun for Corey since it was his first chance to see all of the other parents and their kids in action.  Charlotte's part was to explain that A is for Apple, but I couldn't get a good shot of her. Here she is, in the back next to her BFF, Shelby.

At the very end, all of the kids came out hiding behind cute little masks.  Then, the teacher read off a few facts about each child and announced who the kid was.  The kids answered their own questions about themselves, so the answers were sometimes hilarious.  One girl said she had six brothers and sisters (her mom confirmed she has in fact only two) and several kids volunteered that their family's favorite activity was to go to work.  Many parents were amused to hear that their families had various numbers of dogs in cats that did not exist.

Charlotte got her family and animal count correct, luckily.

Afterward, Charlotte's beloved teacher, Mrs. Mann, chased Corey down in the parking lot and gushed to him about what a big inspiration his mother, Barb (a former preschool teacher who taught Mrs. Mann's kids!) had been to her in becoming a teacher.  It was very sweet.  Charlotte flat out worships Mrs. Mann, and Peter will be starting school with her this fall.

Spartan time

We took the kids to an infamous tailgate run by some friends at the Michigan State game in late September, and a good time was had by all.  Peter refused to wear anything but Batman gear and a cape (no surprise there), but that proved to make him one of the most popular little dudes on campus.  Everywhere we went, someone was gushing over him.  Someday, this is all going to go to his head.  Unfortunately, our friends at the tailgate are all teachers so we can't post any photos of them.  Here's a couple of shots of the Stringers roaming around campus.

Since we have gotten rid of all our strollers (due to abject refusal to ride in them on the part of our little tyrants), we haul our kids everywhere in the good old Radio Flyer wagon.  Tough on the back, but much more palatable for our "big" kids.

Peter, of course, passed out at one point in the nice warm sun.

How can he sleep like that?  Especially while the incredibly loud marching band is playing just a few yards away?

Waiting inside a classroom building for the girls to take a potty break.

CUTEST PHOTO EVER!

We found this on the ground and just had to pose our little Charlie by it!

Best ice cream ever from the dairy store!  I love all of the Big-10 names they give to their different flavors.  I don't think I had the IU flavor, but we had to take a photo to show Abbey.

Yeah, MSU may have lost the game, but we won at tailgating.  Thank you, Scott and Leigh!

Slacking (and some cider mill cuteness)

We have been slacking with the blog.  I with I could come up with a good reason why, but it probably just boils down to laziness, a new iPad to play with, sewing, sewing, and more sewing.  Our camera was broken for a while, but it's all fixed now so I have no excuses going forward.  I'm going to play catch-up because this blog has become sort of a family photo album/diary and I would be very sad to leave anything out.

For instance, it would be a crime not to post these photos of the kids with two of their good buddies, Katie & Cara, at Yates Cider Mill.  They all had such a great time that afternoon (which was in late September -- yikes, I'm behind!).  Michiganders are rabid about their cider mills in the fall, and I'm starting to understand why.  Fun was had, cider and doughnuts were consumed, and we had a fun walk down the Clinton River Trail that runs by the mill.

Carving like a boss

I am not the first Stringer to use power tools on a pumpkin.  Corey took that honor a few years back when he used a jig saw on the face of his jack-o-lantern.  It looked horrific, as one might expect.

This year, I was determined to make a different type of pumpkin for myself since I knew the kids would each want a traditional one.  I have zero artistic ability when it comes to carving delicate designs or painting (especially on an uneven surface like a pumpkin!), so I needed something a little easier.

I had seen the idea to make a polka dotted pumpkin using a really big drill bit, but I was worried about the candle getting enough air to keep burning.  I wasn't satisfied with the size of any of the bits I found in Corey's toolbox, but then I found the huge thingy that bores out a hole about an inch and a half in diameter.  (It attaches to a drill but I don't think it's called a bit?)

Ready?

GO!

The end result was nothing short of awesome, but there were a few casualties along the way.  First and foremost was the floor.  I cleverly covered the table to protect it, but the pumpkin shavings went EVERYWHERE.  Second, poor Peter did NOT like the noise the drill made and he screamed in terror while Corey held him in the family room throughout most of the process.

I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it all lit up on the front porch.  Now what am I going to do to top that next year?

October preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch

I can't believe I failed to post these adorable photos of Charlotte's preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch.  The place we went is partly owned by the grandfather of one of the boys in her class (and partly owned by some friends of Barb & Larry!) so it was especially cool.  Even though the trip was virtually the same as the previous month's apple orchard excursion, we left this outing with some great pumpkins and very cute photos (courtesy of Barb, since our camera is busted).

Hooray for hay rides!  The woman in the orange shirt is Charlotte's beloved teacher, Mrs. Mann.

We picked out a little pumpkin to bring home to Peter.

Everything is more fun if there is a hay ride involved.

Can't go anywhere in the fall without people giving you cider and donuts!

One of the benefits of not being the photographer is that there can be pictures of me.

Playing catch-up with a special story time

[Our good camera is broken and I have been super lazy about posting anything lately using the camera as an excuse.  No more!  I have lots of fun stuff to post, and will just make do with the cruddy cell phone pictures.]

Luckily, this next report I have includes a photo sent to me by Charlotte's preschool.  Her NanaB was a special guest at school to read some spooky Halloween stories on behalf of the library.  Charlotte got to come up and help NanaB lead the class in a fingerplay about witches and ghosts, and Charlotte's sweet teacher snapped a photo to send to me.

Charlotte's class loved the story time and the next time Charlotte's friend, Shelby, was at the library she went on a hunt to find Charlotte's NanaB.  Barb didn't happen to be scheduled to work that day, so Shelby and her grandmother left a nice note for Barb on her desk.  Then, when Barb came to school to watch the class' Thanksgiving program, Shelby made a beeline to Barb and asked excitedly "did you get my note?!?!?"  It was very cute.

Scenes from Halloween

Cinderella informed me that princesses don't "smile big" for photos.  Someone should tell Kate Middleton that, I guess.

Batman was so in love with his costume that he is actually still wearing it on November 1st.  I dread the moment I have to rip it off of him.  Then again, it is made from some sort of polyester resembling tissue paper, so it might just literally rip right off of him at some point!

ENOUGH POSING FOR PICTURES!  IT'S TIME TO FIGHT CRIME AND COLLECT CANDY!!!

Costumes with winter coats over them are never quite as cool, but the kids dealt with it fine.  Corey reports that they were very good at saying "trick or treat" and usually remembered to say thank you.  Once Peter heard that he wasn't allowed to eat candy until he got back home, he decided it was time to return to the Bat Cave.  He lasted a good half an hour in 42-degree drizzle, though.

Charlotte lasted nearly an hour!  Here she is, posing bravely by a giant spider with red eyes.  She wasn't such a fan of some of the spooky graveyard scenes, though.

After the kids returned, their loot haul revealed that other houses were giving out full-size candy bars and other treats that FAR eclipsed the single Dum-Dum suckers (don't judge -- I didn't want to buy candy that I would be tempted to devour!) we were doling out.  Whoops.  We started handing out a few suckers at a time and started running low.  Charlotte donated the vast majority of her candy to the cause, since she really doesn't like a whole lot of it.  Whose child is she, anyway?  I held back all the full-size candy bars and we grabbed the rest of Peter's candy (he only likes suckers and M&Ms!) to give away as well.  We ended the night with just a handful left.  Perfect!

Happy Halloween from a little princess and her crime-fighting friend!

Sweet Sixteen Dance Party

To celebrate all of the birthdays that happen in Corey's family in the month of September (Corey, NanaB, GrandDad, Granny Great, and Ellie -- plus Uncle Doug, who couldn't make it), NanaB threw an oldies dance party.  I made Charlotte and Maisie a couple of felt poodle skirts for the occasion.

Maisie accessorized with a traffic cone party hat.

Quinn and Peter formed the local youth biker gang.

Ellie and Grandpa Great looked straight out of "Grease"!

Charlotte lent Granny Great a poodle skirt out of the dress-up box!

DJ Don was pumping the party tunes, and the kids hit the dance floor like pros.  No, I have no idea who taught Quinn his moves.

Time for the girls to dance!

It got a little chilly, so we headed inside to continue the party.

Happy birthday to all of the September Birthday Crew (and friends)!

A little piece of Tennessee came to visit

We miss all sorts of things about Tennessee, but one of the biggest ones is the Chabots.  Not that I mean they're big, but they were (and are!) such wonderful friends that it's seriously painful to even think about living so far away from them right now.  So, when they found themselves up in Michigan in September for a family wedding, we made sure to work in a quick reunion between all the nuptial activities.  It was like we had never been apart.  Thank goodness they have family up here and should have excuses for being up here from time to time.  Now we need to figure out how to arrange a Stringer visit to Tennessee so we can see them (and the Marshalls, Scotts, Herbs, etc. etc. etc.!).

We were having too much fun to take many photos, but I got a few quick shots of Drew and the goofball kids at lunch.

WE MISS YOU, DREW, KYM, LUKE, ODIE, AND GABE!!!!

The family pages

I am totally stuck on the next blog post, because it requires sifting through a bunch of adorable pictures and making Sophie's Choice-like decisions.  Hence, I am completely abandoning the chronological narrative and just posting something current.  More on those past events later.

Anyway, Charlotte had to bring in to preschool a double-sided paper with captioned photos of her family and pets taped to it.  It's going into a three-hole-punched page protector to be inserted into a binder full of all of the pages done by her whole class.  It was due, well, about five weeks ago or so.  I had a hard time deciding which pictures to use and honestly just kept forgetting about it.  I'm sure Charlotte's teacher has already labeled us as a problem family, because we were also shockingly late in getting her health appraisal form submitted.  We HAVE, amazingly enough, turned in her homework (yes, she has weekly homework!) on time and always return on time the class books that the teacher sends home with each kid every week.  I actually remembered to bring the class snack on our appointed day, but only because Charlotte reminded me.  I swear, I have more to remember to do for this class than I had to do for all of my law school courses combined.

Here are the family picture pages we finally came up with, after Corey had the brilliant idea to use the Comic Life program.  They turned out pretty cute and looked very nice after I had them printed out a two 8x10s and taped them to a piece of cardboard.  I can't wait to finally turn them in to her teacher!  (And sorry to all her aunts and uncles -- you didn't make the cut this time because we ran out of room.  It looks like Charlotte has a herd of orphans for cousins, but c'est la vie.)