Headed to Hollywood

Do you think they have a future as a stuntman and stuntwoman?




They probably need to work on making those falls look just slightly more natural, though.

Grandma is always good for a cookie

And Sam informed me, "We're having a cookie. And we're being careful." (In response to the look I must have given him when I asked what they were doing eating on the steps.)

Too cool

And then it was back to real life....

Here's Sam when he realized all of his company was gone and he was going to have to be satisfied with just Sadie and me for a while....
...not even pizza could cheer him up.

Fun with Landon and Brynn

The next weekend more friends from Muscatine came to visit. The weather was not the greatest, so we spent a good chunk of time inside.

Watching TV
We did get in a little bit of swinging between raindrops.
And, of course, shared our love for small spaces with out friends. I couldn't quite believe all 4 of them managed to fit in this cupboard, but they had a great time!

Fun with Caleb and Hannah

The last week of July our friends Caleb and Hannah from our playgroup in Muscatine came for a visit.

The kids had a blast playing - dividing their time between the "tree house" of couch cushions and the backyard.

Here are Caleb and Hannah (because I couldn't get all four of them to peek out at the same time without someone getting trampled).
The four kids outside of the "tree house" - the trampling danger was less out in the open. (And yes, Sam's mohawk is now gone and his hair is really short. Let's just say that when I went to cut off the mohawk I kind of neglected to notice that there wasn't a guard on the clippers....oops.)
The boys enjoying the sprinkler.
The girls enjoying....I'm not exactly sure what...watering the wagon?
The pirates on their ship.
Good friends!

Wipeout! (The play-at-home version)

One night what I was not home, Sam and Joe discovered the show Wipeout! It's what I would call an adult version of the show Double Dare that used to be on when I was younger - an "obstacle course" that has some quite outrageous stunts and lots of mud and water to fall into.

Ever since then, Sam has been into creating his own obstacle courses in the backyard for himself, his friends, and even his mother. And since Carl and Alissa were in town, there was someone to take pictures of Mama doing the course too - lovely.

Sam heading through the picnic table. (Not so bad for a 3-year-old....)
The kids walking the balance beam. Notice the floaties on Sadie's arm. I guess she thought she was is danger of falling in. Into what I am not sure.....
The 32-year-old going through the picnic table....not as simple as it was for the little guy.
But I could do the balance beam - with only one shoe on, no less!
And I also did alright riding the Barbie Big Wheel to the finish.