Footprints Too

In early November, Joe was busy at work.  I think he was seeing more of his office than he was of us.  So, one Saturday afternoon, we stopped in for a visit.

This was our first visit to his new office.

First, we checked out the view.

While we were checking out the view, one of the kids stepped in a giant, but empty flower pot sitting on the floor by their feet.  While the pot was empty, it wasn't clean.  Once they stepped out of the pot, they managed to leave dirty foot prints all over the WHITE carpet.  Not tan, not cream.  WHITE.  White carpet?  Who has white carpet?  People who don't invite children to their office, that's who.

It's a pretty amazing view, but I didn't take much of it in when I was nose to the ground scrubbing the carpet in a mild panic.  Thankfully most of the footprints came up.  There's only a faint remembrance of our visit in the carpet.

Then we had lunch, toured the rest of the office, tried not to wreck anything else, made lots of not-for-the office noise, and then headed back home before we damaged anything else in the office/Trisha had a heart attack from trying to keep kids from damaging the office.

Here's the main entrance.

We didn't use this one, we snuck in the back, but we took these pictures on our way out.

Do you think I should ask Joe's boss if he'd like these pictures for advertising?

Joe's office is on the 37th floor.  That explains the amazing view.

It also explains why they have banks of elevators for specific floors.  

Joe gets on the elevators for floors 28-39.  This is something I've never seen, but considering I have six small children and am a little bit rebellious in nature, I can see this is a REALLY good idea.

  Can you imagine getting on the elevator to go to work and someone has pressed every floor button?  Floor one, floor 2, floor 3....floor 39 seventy-five minutes later.  Talk about a long commute.

You also have to have a special card that only works on your elevator bank.  Pretty smart.  That way no one with six kids, who is a little bit rebellious, goes floor hopping and causes trouble.  It's like they saw us coming...dirty footprints and all.

On our way out I was gently reprimanded by the security guard.  For terrorism purposes, you're not allowed to take pictures of elevator banks in the IDS building (really?  Do I really look like a terrorist?  I think I look more terrorized, but hey, rules are rules).  

I didn't tell the security guard it could have been worse.  

We could have left dirty footprints, too.

Drool Bucket

When our babies are small and drooly, we have a name for them:  drool bucket.  We're nice like that.

Xandra and Theia, having been exposed to our vernacular through many babies, thought they were very clever one afternoon when they announced, "Look, mommy, Saiah has a drool bucket."

Do you think he knew they were making fun of him?

Giddy Up

This one LOVES the rocking horse.

Of all the kids, I think she likes it most.

Giddy Up, horsey.

Giddy Up.

Expanding the Family

Expanding the family.

One

potatohead

at

a

time.

At Our House, Too

Little House on the Prairie.

An American classic.

Read and loved by children of all ages, everywhere.

At our house, too.

Wouldn't You Agree?

There's something about leaves,

 fallen from trees, piling up in a yard.

Something fun.

Something inviting

about the way they crunch,

and fly up in the air,

and sweep so easily

into big piles

made for jumping,

into on a warm fall morning.

There's something

completely

and totally irresistible.

Wouldn't you agree?

More Pictures

My mom's parents (Grandma and Grandpa Friess) had three children.  In birth order they are:  Mike, my uncle, who had two boys and a daughter;  Debi, my mom;  and Cindy, my aunt who had two boys.  

In early November, we got together with much of my mom's family for a short family reunion.  My Uncle Mike (mom's brother) and Aunt Connie hosted.  They also let this crew stay at their house:

This crew and their mama had fun and appreciated their kind hospitality.

Representing my mom's sister, Cindy's family, was cousin John.  Sean, her other boy and my Uncle John were unable to attend from Chicago.  My Aunt passed away in 2008 and we missed her kind, gentle presence and her contagious laugh. It was a noticeable difference.

My grandparents, who live in Florida, were unable to attend, but my grandma's sister, Sharon and her son, JT, his wife, Robin and their two kids came.  They're pictured below, although not at the reunion, but rather on a stop by my mom's house last summer when we were visiting.

I neglected to take any other pictures of the weekend, which is a real shame.  My cousin, Scott (Uncle Mike's son) and his family, my cousin Rochelle and hers, my brother, Josh and his crew and a few other friends were in attendance at the get together. 

The general consensus was that we ought to do it all again, with one change.  

More pictures.

Meet up

The first days of November brought a family reunion with Grandma DeShon's side of the family in Missouri.  On our way to the reunion, we had a chance to stop for lunch with Great Grandma DeShon, Grandpa DeShon, Great Aunt Mindy and my cousin Megan.

Great Grandma DeShon feeding and meeting Isaiah.

Great Grandma DeShon and Xandra, Theia, Aliyah.

Grandpa DeShon meets Isaiah.

Gramps and the whole crew.