The Boys' Weekend

While Mommy and Daddy were having kid-free fun in KS, the boys were having a great time with Nana and Pops at home.  They had lots of fun activities planned and got started right away.  Before it got too hot they headed to the playground (at Bowie!) to play.  Beau especially loves to play Whataburger at the little order window under the slide.  He makes everyone order Whataburger food, types on the fake computer, and even requests a pretend credit card swipe!  (Full disclosure:  He has lots of experience with credit card swipes, but only eats Whataburger every other Thursday.  He's just obsessed with it!)  Beau's order includes a "burger with cheese, plain and dry (so like his Daddy), French fries and lots of ketchup".  I'm wondering if his Whataburger job application in 15 years should reflect this early show of employee spirit?!?!

Swimming lessons with Ms. Kerin were fun in the afternoon, followed by dinner at Anamia's with Marte and Scooter.  Saturday morning brought a trip to the Children's Aquarium, and they boys were so excited!  They had never been to this one, and were excited to see the sea creatures.  (Linc's class is studying sea creatures, and he's fond of that phrase for any fish-type animal.)  The jelly fish were their favorite!  I've seen their impression of how the jellyfish go up and down, and it's pretty hilarious.    

There were lots of cool fish to check out, and they took their time examining each one.  They also watched sharks, an octopus, and some turtles.  Very interesting stuff! 

Another look at the fishies before hitting up the souvenir shop.  Linc selected a shark that he named Sharkey, and Beau picked a turtle that he named Sharkey the Turtle.  Whatever!  So much fun at the Aquarium.  Linc's teacher was thrilled that he could tell her about all of the sea creatures that he knew about from their studies.   

What weekend is complete without a fort?  The Kuhlman Boys Fort was a popular hangout then and now . . . I don't have the heart to take it down yet.   

After Lincoln's afternoon rest, he got busy with homework books.  His favorite pages were the mazes, and he was really serious.  

The days at the pool are quickly coming to an end for the summer, so they got ready for a swim in the afternoon.  Beau was insistent that he wear flip flops like Pop Pop.  Warning:  Beau walk EXTREMELY slow in flip flops.  It probably took him 10 minutes to walk down the sidewalk to the gate!  He sure looked cute though! 

Everyone had fun swimming.  Lincoln made a few new friends, and Beau spent some time flirting with Miss Francis.  Typical!!   We are going to miss the pool this fall and winter.  The boys really get to work on the skills from swimming lessons each week, and they have gotten so good this summer.

Sunday was filled with plenty of games, books, songs, and good times.  I hear brunch at The House Café was super good, and a Target run was necessary.  I was prepared for a few tears when we got home . . . because that meant Nana and Pops had to go home!  Luckily, they handled it well.  The boys were pretty chill for the rest of the evening.  After so many activities, they were quiet in their rooms reading books and playing with Legos for the evening.  I'm glad everyone had a great weekend.  Thanks to Nana and Pops for taking care of them so we could take a quick getaway.  I bet Nana and Pops had a quiet Sunday evening too . . . it can be pretty exhausting to take care of these two wild boys!   

Kansas City Weekend

The news reports say that we are now upon the end of summer . . . I'm not sure they are defining summer like I do.  I mean, 100 degrees doesn't exactly signal fall to me!  Anyway, we took a Mommy & Daddy weekend to mark the end of summer, and this year our quick trip was to Kansas City.  Kevin has been there a few times for work, it was an almost free flight/hotel/rental car thanks to points, and we could check out some new different stuff together.  We landed at the Kansas City airport on Friday morning and headed west to Lawrence to check out the KU campus.  Luckily the doors weren't locked at Allen Fieldhouse, and we got to check out the historic building.  It's amazing that they have been playing there since 1955, and their basketball program was first coached by the inventor of the sport, James Naismith. 

After touring the campus and a yummy lunch at Dempsey's, we headed back to KC for our stay.  We checked in to the amazing Hotel Intercontinental at Country Club Plaza for the weekend.  Love that the rooms all had balconies with an amazing view.  We were just a block away from tons of shops and restaurants, but more on that later.   

We had tickets to the Kansas City Royals vs. Washington Nationals game on Friday evening, and it was a great game!   The ballpark is pretty cool and had great fans.  We loved our seats in the lower level and had a couple of close foul ball situations!  I quickly became a homer and cheered for the Royals along with the crowd . . . too bad they lost!

Well, too bad they lost until we discovered that the Nationals team was staying at our hotel - on our floor - and hanging out in the hotel bar - and right next to us - and my homer status was quickly dropped!  I'll be the first to admit that I only know two Nats players (Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg), but we were excited anyway!  Late night after the game, we spotted Jayson Werth (had to look up his pic on their website) with a couple of unknown teammates sitting on the patio just a few feet away from us.  Seriously, I had to ask for a pic . . . and was denied!  He kindly said he didn't take pictures with fans, and his unknown player friend said that "pictures can get you in trouble" so they couldn't do that.  I guess I can understand their point if they are married with kids and a picture of them posing with a girl at midnight gets posted, but their wives wouldn't know that my husband was the one ready with the camera!  We're innocent guys!  At least they weren't rude about it.  We later snapped a blurry picture of Harper being escorted in by security, two unknowns posted up next to us for a while, and I had to include a picture of our favorite security guard of the weekend.  He knew we were staying there and didn't give us a hard time (as they kicked out random fans who were lurking) . . . even though Werth and his buddies could disagree about our fan status!  Ally was so happy about our Bryce Harper citing, but we couldn't even get close.   

Of course we had some amazing food on our weekend adventure!  Arthur Bryant's BBQ was super good, and we were happy to try KC BBQ without our prejudices of Texas BBQ.  I got the burnt ends (recommended by everyone!) and Kev got brisket and pulled pork.  We weren't sad about anything at that restaurant, and we were so full when we left! 

We did a lot of shopping at Country Club Plaza, toured some fun areas of KC, and had a yummy dinner (like we needed more food) at Plaza III Steakhouse so Kevin could have a real Kansas City strip steak (but the potatoes were the real winner of the night)!  We hit up a fun toy store and bought the boys a few Dusty Crophopper toys (from the Planes movie).  We had a fun and relaxing weekend with just hanging out in a different place, and I'm so thankful that we are each other's best travel companion.  Lincoln and Beau had plenty of their own adventures and fun times in Dallas with Nana and Pop Pops . . . stay tuned for that post tomorrow!

Messy Face Beau!

Beau is all about enjoying food and getting messy is part of the process!  I can't help but smile (through my wince about crazy messy fingers and faces) while I watch him savor his occasional treats.  I left my Mommy card at home one afternoon and let the boys eat a slice of cookie cake topped with pink icing in the car!  They really took their time scooping the pink icing off the top and licking it off their fingers before devouring the cookie cake.  Lincoln is usually pretty neat, but Beau really gets in to the process!  Pink mouth, chin and fingers . . . but it was yummy!

After a nutritious and delicious dinner one night this week, Beau was ready for dessert!  Lincoln quickly ate his mini ice cream sandwich and headed for the playroom, but Beau wasn't finished after he coated his face and hands with the sandwich part.  He was sure that a Popsicle would be the best ending to his meal!  So chocolate sandwich was glued onto his face by the stickiness of the Popsicle . . . great! 

Occasionally I have to tell his teacher at school that he doesn't have a rash or skin problem on his face because it's just red Popsicle stain that didn't come off in the bath.  Maybe we need stronger soap!!  I don't even need to join in on the desserts because I get so much joy watching him love the treats  so much!  I can't tell you the last time I had an ice cream sandwich, Blue Bell vanilla cup (their latest obsession), banana split (another of their faves), or Popsicle, but I love to experience it through Beau and (way easier to clean up) Lincoln.  Happy sweet treats to someone who really knows how to enjoy them!

Saturday Night Movie and Sunday at the Pool

Our first family movie night happened on Saturday!  Lincoln has been to the movies with Mommy several times (and with Nana and Pops too), but Beau hasn't been invited yet to the real movie theatre.  Daddy scouted out the new Alamo Drafthouse movie theatre that opened in our neighborhood and decided it was time for us to all go together!  The boys were in a trance watching Planes, and they cheered so much for Dusty Crophopper.  It was a cute movie, and even Daddy enjoyed it.  It's one of those eat dinner while you watch places, and we ordered a mountain of food - chicken wrap for Mommy, pizza for Daddy, chicken strips and fries for the boys.  Beau noticed Daddy's pizza and wanted a few slices, and we had to get popcorn after dinner because you can't go to the movies without eating popcorn!  Beau's first movie experience was great, and he's such a big boy!  They are already asking to go back!

On Sunday afternoon, we went to the pool for a little late summer fun.  Lincoln had a little problem with his goggles leaking water, but he was a super swimmer anyway.  He always amazes me with his skills!  Daddy came to watch today and loved that Linc could swim across the pool with strong arms and kicks.  He definitely has the body for a fast swimmer, so we may need to get ready for the Olympics!

Beau was thrilled that Miss Abby was back at the lifeguard chair.  Miss Frances was ok when we went on Monday, but he always wants it to be Miss Abby.  (She was at band camp last week!)  He jumped and played and did some mandatory swims then he was happy to take a snack break.  He picked his favorite chair with his bag of goldfish and settled in.  Within a minute, he said to me, "There is a blue chair by Miss Abby, and I need to take my snack to sit by her.  You stay here, Mommy."  So Beau went to hang with his favorite lifeguard, and I didn't follow but took pictures and held back laughter and maybe a tear! (I guess I can't always be his best girl!)  Miss Abby is so sweet to Beau and chatted with him as he ate his snack. 

It wasn't long before he came back to collect all of the toys we brought to play with in the pool.  He scoured the baby pool and took each ring, boat, ball and squirt gun to show Miss Abby.  He was very serious about laying them out on her chair and telling her all about them.  Seriously, she's the sweetest to give so much attention to Beau. 

Beau got back in the water for a while, but he made sure to call out and wave to Miss Abby every few minutes.  One time he even said that she was his girlfriend!!  This summer of pool time is coming to a close, and we can only hope to see Miss Abby next year.  Or maybe I should get her number and have her babysit sometime . . . that would surely make Beau's day!

Sunny Days

In the normal heat of August, most of our outside time is spent at the pool.  The boys have loved splashing and playing in the pool, and we have also been working on the skills they learn at swimming lessons.  Lincoln has come so far since the days of screaming through the whole "Mommy & Me" lessons two years ago.  He can swim independently (without floaties or a puddle-jumper) so well.  I am so proud that he can confidently swim the length of the pool and all around by himself.  He also loves to jump in to splash me!  Beau loves to jump to me as well, but he's a little more concerned with flirting with Miss Abby or Miss Frances (the lifeguards).  Each time he swims back to the wall and climbs out, he runs to them for their approval/congratulations.  Such a ham!!  We took a snack break on the lounge chairs during our Monday afternoon swim, and they were having lots of fun!  I love hanging out at the pool with these little swimmers!

An unusual cool front made Thursday really pleasant to play outside, and the boys were home with Nana and Pop Pop all day.  They rode bikes and played on the swingset/clubhouse to take advantage of the super nice temperature.  So jealous that I was at work!  Lincoln especially loved playing in the bubbles! 

We are still wary of mosquitos and try to stay inside when the mosquitos are out in full.  One got in the house last weekend, and Beau woke up with 7 bites!  Luckily they didn't really bother him, and they are all fading quickly.  We are ready for cooler temps and fall, but we can manage the rest of the summer with the relief of the pool! 

Night at the Circus!!!

The circus is in town!!  We missed it last year, so we definitely had to check it out this year.  Lincoln was so excited and got busy telling Beau all about what we would see.  The theme was dragons this year, and we had to talk about that for a while.  Lincoln says that dragons shoot their stinky breath on people and they fall down, so we would need to be careful!  Funny!  We went to the original downtown El Fenix for dinner before the show and went across to the AAC to find our seats.  The nice usher lady took our family picture, and I was relieved that we were all looking at the camera and mostly smiling!  (By the way, she needs to work on her family picture-taking skills.  She only took one shot, and it was luck that we all looked.  It usually takes several to get a good one!)  I'm thinking we are a pretty cute little family, and we were pretty color-coordinated by accident!  

One of the first highlighted shows was the stunt horse riders.  Those people did crazy tricks while the horses were flying around their ring so fast.  The boys clapped along with excitement.  Beau was pretty quiet for the first few events.  It was really a lot to take in for a 2 1/2 year old, but he got over his trepidation quickly. 

The Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus no longer features tightrope walkers . . . instead they have tightrope motorcyclists with girls dangling below!  We were very observant to notice that none of them had a harness on, and they even did a 360 flip in the air!!   

We watched so intensely, and the boys barely took their eyes of the action below.  Lincoln did stop watching a few times to ask when we took a break to get a toy and a snack.  We had a countdown to intermission,  and he couldn't understand what was taking so long! 

The tigers and lions got everyone's attention!  Beau spent the first part of this show with his hands over his eyes saying, "I don't like this, I don't like this" over and over.  We talked about how he loves his lion at home, and he decided to pry his hands from his face and watch.  One of the tigers was being a bit stubborn to the trainer and Beau shouted, "You need to mind that man, you Tiger, or you will be in trouble!"  That's the spirit!  When the tigers went back in the cage, Beau told me he liked just the lion.   

Finally it was time for intermission, and Lincoln was so happy to take a shopping break!  They picked out silly light up things then had to compare.  So far no one has stolen the other one's toy, but they were already checking each other's toy out with curiosity! 

I had promised that they could get popcorn for a snack, but those sneaky circus people had an amazingly tempting snack table set up in the concourse.  They were selling sno-cones(!) with rainbow colors (!!) in cups shaped like a tiger (!!!), and Lincoln and Beau were done with the popcorn idea and sold on these displays of shaved ice heaven!  So the circus only comes once a year (and we missed last year, right?), and we indulged in this bit of ridiculousness!  One intermission = $80.  No kidding, a sno-cone is $20!  They happily ate 1/8 of the most amazing sno-cone ever and were done.  Now the lion cups are sitting in the kitchen waiting to be drank from NEVER!!!  Wait . . . I think I'm instituting a rule that the cups should be used each day until we recoup the cost.  But they really enjoyed the excitement of ordering them and eating them for 5 minutes, and that's what being a kid is all about!!   

After intermission we saw the trapeze artists and several acrobat troupes.  The boys got excited again when the elephants came out.  There were six big elephants and a baby one.  They performed perfectly, and I weirded myself out a little over thinking the life of a circus elephant.  Anyway, we clapped a lot! 

Last but certainly not least, the theme of the entire show made a brief 45 second appearance in the form of a parade around the stage . . . the DRAGON!!!  The parents were completely underwhelmed, but the boys listed it as one of their most favorite things about the entire show!  Lincoln was happy that we sat in the club level so the stinky breath couldn't get to us.  I wonder if the performers of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey feel slighted that a mechanical dragon steals their thunder after all of their training and showmanship?   

We had a great time at the circus, and the boys have been talking about it nonstop.  It was a super fun family outing, and I love to watch new things through their young eyes.  Everything is amazing if you just let it be!  

Fun Friday and Sweet Saturday

Ahhhh . . . Friday at last!  Lincoln asked me on Thursday evening if we could go to the donut shop on Friday morning.  I think he has been there once before, and I'm not sure why he was thinking about it (other than the fact that he thinks about everything all of the time).  So Friday morning we went to the donut shop for breakfast, and the boys were so excited.  Beau hasn't ever been to a donut shop, nor does he even know what a donut is or tastes like because we don't eat them.  He was still excited though just because it was food!!  Lincoln picked a chocolate donut, and Beau picked a "hot dog".  It was really a little sausage kolache, but he was sure it was a hot dog.  We sat down to eat our treats and the lady behind the counter had given the boys a donut hole in each of their bags, and they were thrilled!  Linc loved his chocolate donut and still looked a little sleepy!

Beau was happy with his hot dog and donut hole, until he decided he wanted a chocolate one like Lincoln!  Good thing his Mommy anticipated that and had another bag with a chocolate donut in it!  This may have been our first visit to the donut shop, but I've had plenty of visits to other places with these two and know that in the end, Beau always wants what Lincoln has in addition to what he picked.  Good thing he has a healthy appetite!  He sang us a few songs while we ate.

After getting all sugared up, we went to get haircuts.  It has been so long (I say that every time and always wait like 2 months in between haircuts), and their hair was getting a little unkempt!  Of course we went to Ms Olivia, and they had fun.  She always compliments them on how well-behaved they are.  I'm sure the Cars movie they were watching helped, but they actually do sit really still and don't freak out about the clippers.  Because they hadn't had enough sugar for the morning, they needed a sucker before leaving Cool Cuts!   

The rest of our Friday was spent at the car wash (a total favorite!), an exercise video with Mommy (they are hilarious jumping around and doing pushups/crunches/etc), swimming lessons, dinner with Nana, Pops, Marte and Scooter, and a fun evening party at the Brosnahans with the Robisons, the Smiths, and the Devinneys.  We had such a fun Friday!  Luckily, everyone slept in a little on Saturday morning.  The boys were happy to cuddle on the couch and watch a few Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cartoons in their pjs.  Sweet smiles! 

We did a bit of shopping and stopped for an ice cream cone in the afternoon.  Lincoln made his best baseball face while waiting on Mommy to pitch.  I guess this is the look of concentration while preparing to hit a home run! 

Dinner was super yummy at the Katy Trail Outpost - best burgers ever!!  We watched the Rangers beat Houston and did lots of cheering.  Everyone needed to get a good night's sleep because Sunday would be a super fun day.  The circus was in town at the AAC, and the boys couldn't wait to go!  Circus pics are up next!

Flashback to Our Wedding

I happened upon our wedding album this afternoon, and I was overcome with emotions at each picture.  What a wonderful day that deserves a little blog attention.  It's not our anniversary or anything, but reliving this day really made me smile.  After dating since 1998, our wedding day in 2005 seemed like forever in the making.  I know we both had our jitters on that day . . . thankfully only because we wanted all of our plans to go smoothly.  We were both so ready to pledge to spend the rest of our lives together.  The ceremony was short and sweet and super special. 

We were whisked away immediately to do the obligatory photography shots, and I don't think we've kissed that much in one day EVER! 

Our families were so amazing while planning our wedding.  Everyone was so supportive and ready to help us make the day perfect.  I love my sweet family so much!  We didn't get all of the aunts and relatives in the picture, but so many people were there to share in our special day.  

The Kuhlman family picture included so many cousins, aunts and uncles.  We were so thankful that they all came to Arkansas from so many different states to celebrate with us.  This wedding was definitely a team effort between the Freemans and Kuhlmans, and we had so much fun working together and then enjoying the day! 

We caught a quick quiet moment before heading off to the reception.  The church was so beautiful, and we were really at peace when the ceremony and pictures were over.   

The reception was fun and easy going, I think.  Being introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Kuhlman was a moment I'll never forget.  Cutting the cake, having our first dance, and toasting to our life together was magical as it was spent with our families and friends cheering us on.  Oh, the hours spent debating the food were some of the most important!  Luckily, Kevin (and the guests) were happy with our selections!  It was great to be among everyone who supported us as a couple.   

We rode off into the sunset (toward the State Capital) in the carriage, and we both couldn't have imagined a more perfect day.  We had made the most perfect union of us and our families that is so strong still today.   

And I get to be married to this guy . . . not too shabby, right?  We have the most amazing boys EVER, and we are best friends each day.  Sure, best friends get on each others nerves and can irk one like no other, but we have learned so much about how to maintain a successful marriage and support each other so much since 2005.   I'm so thankful that we found each other in September of 1998, and I'm so proud of how much we have grown together since then.  Here's to many more days spent as best friends!

Beau is Artist of the Week!

Beau was chosen as Artist of the Week in his class!  He was so proud to show me his painting and tell me all about the colors he used.  When he finished his painting, Ms Jessica asked him what he made.  He told her, "I made a bootiful picture!"  It is a beautiful picture, indeed.  (To be fair, when she relayed this conversation to me, Beau corrected her that he didn't say picture . . . he said painting.  So into the details, that smarty pants!)  I love Beau's artwork, and it will be on display for the entire week in his classroom.  He gets to do so many fun things at school, and I love to hear what activities he did, stories they read, songs he sang, and definitely what he had to eat!  His teachers are great about sending me updates on my iPhone throughout the day, and I love that they share details and pictures so I know what they are up to!    

Best Brothers!

I can't imagine any two brothers being any closer than Lincoln and Beau are.  They spend their school time in separate classrooms of course, but they are completely together every moment other than school.  Lincoln is such a good big brother and always (well, almost always) likes that Beau is by his side.  Beau is so happy to be involved with everything that Lincoln is doing, and he loves his big brother so much (again, almost always)!  On Saturday morning, we went to the neighborhood farmers market to score some fun fruits.  The boys had a farmers market come to school one day this week, and they love the idea of new produce!  Lincoln was so interested in what the Pruitt stand had to offer.  He selected his old favorite (blueberries) and a new item (blackberries), and Beau couldn't help but pick his most favorite fruit ever (strawberries).  Mommy also got a bag of plums to sweeten our basket.  It was pretty hot this morning, but they were happy with their purchases.  

We had a yummy lunch then sampled our treats.  Beau wasn't happy with his blackberry sample and was happy with his strawberries.  He is not a picky eater at all, but blackberries have an unusual texture.  We'll give it a try again tomorrow . . . maybe in a smoothie because he loves those!!!  Lincoln was so excited about the berries and happily ate his treats.  I couldn't believe that semi-picky Lincoln was loving the blackberries!  The boys were happy to take a rest break to listen to a Franklin story from Sarah's recent visit.  Tape players still rock!!  Being still lasted barely until the end of the story, and they were back at it again!!! 

We had computer time in the afternoon to work on letter for Beau and spelling words for Lincoln.  They were taking this really seriously.  Beau was ready to be done a few times but noticed that Linc was still engrossed, so he continued with his alphabet game until Lincoln was ready to be done too.   

When the delivery man dropped off a package at the front door, everyone was so excited!!!  They both shouted that it must be a package from Auntie!  They are so spoiled that she sends them packages each week with cute shirts or pjs and snacks.  (The most important part to Beau is the snacks!)  It was a work package for Daddy, so they took the box to Daddy's office and tore into it.  We were cooking dinner and wondered why it was so quiet . . . because they were tearing up the styrofoam all over the place!!!!!  What a mess these two can get into!  Lincoln was loving it, but Beau kept turning the empty box over and asking where were the snacks! 

They are both learning that Mommy's electronics are super cool, and Mommy is learning that they aren't so good at sharing one electronic device.  Beau was happy listening to children's stories on my Nook, and Lincoln was busy playing Candy Crush on my iPhone.  How can a 2 year old and a 4 year old know how to navigate between different stories and games on these devices?  It's crazy how tech-savvy they already are, and they only get to play with these things on the weekends.  Even though they were on different devices, they had to be near each other! 

Of course we ended the night with a brother bath.  They love to play together in the tub, and it gets pretty splashy!  We spend these last quiet moments of the day practicing our Bible verses or learning a new Bible story.  The latest verse is about brothers (Proverbs 17:17) and the latest story is about Daniel and the Lions Den.  Both fabulous lessons to keep in mind.   

While they don't get along every moment, I love that they only know life together.  I pray that they will continue their strong bond for the rest of their lives.  A wise lady (Margaret, I'm talking about you!!) told me that the best thing I can do for them is to teach them that they are brothers first and foremost, and they always have to be there for each other.  They have taught me a thing or two along the way, and I'm so proud of my two little guys.