Their 1st Game

So this past weekend, we took the girls to their first Cardinals game. They were excited, but not nearly as excited as I was. I loved going to Busch Stadium as a kid, so I knew that they would love it too. The fact that we went with friends made it even more fun for them. It was HOT, but the kids didn't let that slow them down. At the US Cellular Family Pavilion they colored signs to hold up in the game. They played Red Light/Green Light with the Cheerleaders, they got on camera singing Happy Birthday to Fredbird. They were having a great time and the game hadn't even started.

 

We settled into our seats, Dad's and the big kids in the back row. Mom's and the younger kids in the front. The game started off with a bang...in the first inning one of the Atlanta Braves hit a homerun. Of course they thought the fireworks were cool. What kid wouldn't? Thankfully Matt Carpenter answered back with a homerun of his own to put the Cardinals on the board. In the third inning, Beltran belted one into right field too. Actually, it landed in the section right next to us. The kids were whooping and hollering and having a great time. We had brought lots of snacks into the ballpark. Leah and Kiersten were wonderful about sharing and gave all of their friends some of their cotton candy.

 

Right after the 7 inning stretch, Kiersten started to lose interest in the game. I was surprised that she lasted as long as she did. So I got the iPad out for her and she was content as could be. Oh and the Wave! Leah thought it was the best thing ever. When all was said and done Shelby Miller and the Cardinals got the "W" beating the Braves 6-2. Go Cardinals! Looking forward to doing it again next year.  

 

In the Lou

This weekend was a big first for two of the three Schultz Girls! We took Kiersten and Leah to their first Cardinals game, but first we toured some other parts of  "the Lou". We had high hopes of getting down there early, but we decided to drop off Hattie with Gigi in Mattoon...and of course that meant having lunch at Freddy's first. We thought we would try to do the 3:00 PM Riverboat ride, but then we hit some construction. So by the time we parked and started walking towards the Riverfront it was already 3:15...oh well. The girls didn't seem to mind. They were super excited to see the Arch. It is pretty cool, afterall. We took a few pictures in front and then of course we had to go touch it. I don't know if you can see the girls expressions but they are priceless.

After playing at the Arch for a bit, we decided to walk down to the waterfront. The girls wanted to touch the water, but there was so much debris in the water that wasn't going to happen. They enjoyed walking on the cobblestone street, though. We knew our friends, The Gray's were on the Riverboat so we went over to the dock to see them. After that there was a lot more photo ops and touching of the Arch. Leah and Mason were working on their Ninja moves...doing jump kicks into it. Silly Kids. Then we were off to the game!!!

Kindergarten

‘Twas the night before kindergarten and as they prepared,
kids were excited and a little bit scared.
They tossed and they turned about in their beds,
while visions of school supplies danced in their heads.
Erasers and crayons and pencils galore
were stuffed in their backpacks and set by the door.
Outfits were hung in closets with care,
knowing ...that kindergarten soon would be there.
In the morning it came – school starts today!
Would the teacher be nice? Would they still get to play?
Faces were washed, and teeth were brushed white;
Kids posed for pictures with eyes sparkling bright.
Parents packed snacks and kids hopped in cars
As if they were boarding a spaceship to Mars.
Some kids brought blankets or their favorite stuffed bear;
in hopes they could nap like they did in day care.
Their parents exclaimed: “You’re big kids – WOW!
Let us hold your bears and blankies for now.”
The parents were worried their children would cry
if they left them at school with just a good-bye.
So they told their darlings, “If you want, we can stay
and make sure that everything will be A-okay”
The teacher then greeted each one with a smile,
and invited the students to stay for a while.
The room was all filled with toys, books, and maps,
but where were the beds for midmorning naps?
They colored and painted and played Simon Says,
then tumbled and skipped and stood on their heads.
They sang silly songs from beginning to end.
Within just a minute, each kid had a friend.
The children were happy. They loved Miss Sunrise
It was she who was in for a giant surprise.
When what to her wondering eyes should appear
but sad moms and dads who were holding back tears!
Their noses – so sniffly! Their eyes – red and wet!
This was the saddest good-bye Miss Sunrise had seen yet!
She gathered the grown-ups on the magical rug,
then sent them away after one final hug.
The children all waved from the door of the school.
“Don’t cry, Mom and Dad; kindergarten is cool!”

My friend Jayme posted this poem for me on facebook last night. It brought me to tears, of course. But I really owe her a big thank you because I think it helped me keep my cool today and not shed any tears when I dropped off my baby, my sweet Leah for her first day of KINDERGARTEN!

I knew she was in good hands. I knew she was going to be just fine, and she was. We have visited the school so frequently that there were lots of familiar faces. She already loves her teacher Mrs. Richter. And to make the day even better she has two friends in class from preschool. Everything is off to a great start. She went to bed the night before and could hardly stop talking about how excited she was. This morning she jumped out of bed and got to work on her chores right away. She loved posing with her new bag and the chalkboard I decorated. She even laughed when I gave her the one that said "Don't cry, mom." I'm so proud of my girl. And looking forward to all the fun things that this year will bring.

Baby Jackson

Yay! We have a new baby in the family and it's not mine! Matt and Cynthia welcomed Jackson Edward to the family roughly 3 weeks early today. His original due date was September 1st. They scheduled her C-section for August 27th. While they scheduled the C-section they were also actively researching and trying to decide if they wanted to attempt a VBAC after TWO C-sections. Once she was admitted and in active labor, they talked to the doctor and decided to go for it. And I'm so glad she did. She wasn't admitted until almost 7:30 Friday night and Jackson was born at 1:26 AM after a very quick and smooth delivery. Mom and baby are doing great and Macy and Colby are super excited to have their baby brother. We all love him already, and can't wait to snuggle him a lots more!

Jackson Edward Myerscough
August 10, 2013
1:26 AM
5 lbs 15 oz
19.5 inches

Snow White

We love the Little Theater on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois...and most summers we get season tickets to their childrens series. Well, this summer things were just too busy! In June they put on Pinocchio, but it was while we were in Minnesota. In July they did Dora's Pirate Adventure, but we really weren't interested and in August they did Snow White. So we've been to a lot of shows there, but this one was definitely one of our favorites. They did such a fantastic job! It had comedy, it had music...even Hattie was standing in her seat dancing!

The Witch Wicked (The Evil Queens sister) was a man dressed as a woman, and he stole the show! A friend of the family, Abby Held filled the role of the dwarf "Picker" so we had to get our picture with them. Leah even got autographs on her program. I wish they could do the Children's shows year long. The girls always have such a good time. Thanks for taking us, Gigi!

Day at the Zoo!

Mitch arrived back home from his trip to Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The girls and I had to go and pick him up at the St. Louis airport. So we figured since we were in St. Louis we should take the girls to the Zoo. We did the same thing last year after picking Mitch up from a work trip. This time, however, the weather was gorgeous! Last year it was mid May and already almost 100 degrees. On Tuesday the temps were in the high 70's, and it had rained that morning so the zoo was empty! We had our run of the place and the girls were in heaven!

Even Hattie got excited about some of the animals. She thought the penguin house was great. She could sit up close to the tank and watch them swim by. Kiersten loved the baby elephants. She especially liked pointing out where they went to the bathroom. And Leah was so excited by the chimpanzees and gorillas. I love that we have such an amazing zoo so close by. I know the girls love it, and we will definitely be back!

The First Tee

The First Day

The Last Day

Leah with Carmeron, we met her family at dance.

This summer Leah was able to start golf...Junior Golf, with the Decatur Park District. They take part in a national program called The First Tee. Fortunately, my friend Tisha signed her son Mason up for the program as well. It worked out great. On Tuesday's Tisha would drive the kids and I would stay home with the rest of them, and on Thursdays I would drive the kids and Tisha would stay home and watch the rest of them. Usually, we ended up inviting other mom friends over and had some fun lunch playdates over the course of the summer.

The kids were always excited to go. When we would arrive at the course they would go straight to the putting green to practice. Then the "coach" would call them in, and go over different rules and/or etiquette. After that they would break up into groups and work on different shots and skills. I think the putting and chipping was Leah's favorite. She got close with some of the young lady coaches. They would give her rides in the golf cart and would take her to the club house to get drinks. She thought it was pretty great. I'm sad that it's over...It was a great summer activity for the kids. I'm excited for her to do it again next year and can't wait to sign up Bug, too!