Mom's Got the Weekend Off

A little soccer in the park

Since we had a little extra time to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend, the Esker family decided to make a trip downtown to the Three Rivers Art Festival.  They had a giant stretch of tents devoted to the visual arts, multiple music stages and even some food tents... all for free.  It couldn't have taken us more than 10 minutes to get downtown and parking was only five dollars.  We definitely don't miss the Chicagoland traffic or expenses.

It was a little busy considering all that was going on... Saturday, the art festival, and the Pirates were also at home.  We were just on the other side of the bridge from Heinz field and PNC park.  Even though the Cardinals aren't in town, we may have to make a family trip to the ballpark at some point.

Heinz Field in the Background

Dad really wanted to see a band called Leagues who took the stage at 6:30.  So, we had a little bit of time to kill considering we parked around 4:30.  The stroller didn't last long since Brenden and Jackson just want to explore.  We decided to lay down a blanket and kick it on the lawn while we enjoyed some festival food.  Snowcone... yes please, cheese quesadilla... don't mind if I do, and it wouldn't be right if Mom did enjoy some delicious falafel.  Food is always a form of entertainment for the boys.  I fear for our grocery bill in a few years.

As always, Brenden and Jackson managed to attract the attention of almost every passerby.  We had a photographer who was working on a calendar for the city of Pittsburgh ask to take some shots of the boys.  Shortly after, Brenden and Jackson made a few friends a little closer to their age and had fun chasing them around.  Leagues played some real feel good music and provided the beats to even do a little dancing.  It felt really good to enjoy some quality family time outside of the apartment.

Jackson all tired out

Mommy stealing kisses

Church Brew Works

Sunday was Fathers Day.  Brenden and Jackson woke up early so we were able to put them down for their first nap and get to church by 10:00.  We went to St. Paul's Cathedral just down the street.  It's an absolutely beautiful church and even makes the Cathedral in Springfield look small.  After church, we skyped with Grandpa, Grandma and Aunt Julie to wish Grandpa a happy fathers day.  Shortly after we fed the boys a small snack, it was time for nap number two.  Dad chose to go to Church Brew Works for his fathers day meal.  We did a late lunch at a brewery in an old restored church.  They had great beer and even better woodfire pizza.  The boys had their meal gone before our pizza even came to the table.  They are machines when it comes to eating.  Mom and Dad split a bbq pizza topped with wild boar.  It was very tasty.  Towards the end of the meal, Brenden and Jackson must have got a little loopy from all the food.  We got some really funny pictures.

After lunch, Brenden and Jackson were showing signs of a food coma.  We made a stop at the grocery store on the way home and picked up a few things for the potluck that evening.  Upon our return, we did a quick skype with the whole Beaver family and put the boys down for number three.  You know it's bad when it's a three nap day.  While the boys napped, we fixed a dish and then it was off to party with the couch surfers.  Mom's fellow young artists invited us to a potluck at their host family's house.  It was a little rough chasing the boys around a house that hadn't been baby proofed but we managed.  We attempted to enjoy some food, drink and conversation while the boys ran around and made friends.  It was an exhausting day, but for all the right reasons:-)

Hello

Traveling with Two

What a weekend...  I'll start off by saying, thank God for our wonderful family!  We are now officially residents of Pittsburgh, PA, but it wasn't easy.  Nana, Pa and Aunt Kaleigh came up on Thursday and helped set the trip in motion.  Everyone was a little bummed that Brenden and Jackson are starting to grow out of the "sit on my lap and cuddle" stage, especially Nana and Kaleigh.  I know Pa is ready for the "go out and get dirty and maybe even get into a some trouble" stage.  Nonetheless, they were all happy to see the boys.  That night, we made some burgers on the grill and enjoyed our time together.

Friday, we woke up and got straight to work... right after we enjoyed Mom's best ever homemade cinnamon rolls.  Pa helped with the luggage rack and even mowed the lawn and washed up the car.  Best! Father-in-law! Ever!  Nana and Kaleigh gladly looked after the boys while mom and dad got everything ready to go.  It took some serious prioritizing to pack a small SUV with the essentials necessary to put up a family of four for 7 weeks.  Two babies... check, two pack-and-plays... check, two high chairs... check, one double stroller... check, one microwave... check, clothes, bedding, towels, pots, pans, dishes... check, 7 cases of beer... just kidding.  That night, we all TRIED to get a good nights rest in anticipation of the big move.

Saturday started off nice and easy.  Everything was packed from the night before.  With the help of a few Beavers, we tied up some loose ends and pulled out of the drive around 9:00 am... Just in time for Brenden and Jackson's first nap.  We made our first pit stop around 12:30 and another around 1:30.  The second time we stopped, the GPS took us on a joyride in search of a park.  (Recalculating)  We finally found one with a playground so Brenden and Jackson could have a chance to stretch their legs and run off some energy.  The last leg of our trip got a little long, but we finally rolled into Pittsburgh around 6:00, which was actually 7:00 because of the time change.  I am so proud of these two boys for their patients on the long car ride!

We had a friend of our landlord let us into the place.  This is where our evening took a turn for the worse.  Not a thing in the apartment had been cleaned.  We were afraid to even set Brenden and Jackson on the floor... and we still had an entire SUV to unload.  At this point we decided that cleaning supplies were more important than unloading so we packed back up and headed to the store.  A cart of cleaning supplies and a couple tv dinners later, we made it back and managed to clean up and get the boys in their pack and plays by 10:00.  Now it was time to unload.  It seemed so much easier packing up than unloading.  We must have had some help in Elmhurst or something ;-) After a dinner a la microwave and about 20 minutes of screaming babies, we finally laid down a little after midnight.

Now that we have had a chance to get everything organized and Mom has made a few trips to rehearsal.  We are starting to settle in.  The boys love to explore the new pad and seem to have made the adjustment well.  Our apartment is actually a little bigger than I imagined.  The main room is about 15 by 15 including the kitchen.  The pleasant surprise was a hallway that is just large enough to fit enough to fit two pack and plays.  It has now been transformed into Brenden and Jackson's bedroom.  We look forward to visitors, but in the meantime have managed to find ways to entertain ourselves!

Picnic in the Park

Double Fisting

Sooo BIG

The streets of Pittsburgh are safe tonight with this capped crusader on watch

Baby in a Box

The Smell of Summer (and dirty diapers) Is In the Air

The school year has finally come to an end and I have to admit, I might be just as exhausted as I was before the schedule change.  These two boys are hard to keep up with.  Now that Brenden and Jackson have free reign of nearly the entire house, there is so much more trouble to get into.  We have experienced lamps pulled over, brothers closed in doors,  hands in the toilet, seconds eaten straight from the seat of the high chair, and an attempted banjo smash (Pete Townshend would look like a sissy next to these boys).

Brenden and Jackson have significantly changed their diet.  They definitely keep the cows busy.  We are not quite on the level of milk consumption of the olden days at Grandma and Grandpa Esker's house, but we're getting there.  Multiple gallons occupy valuable refrigerator space that is used to house the food it takes to feed a family of four.  With a quick glance at the boys' rock hard bellies, it's not hard to see where it all goes.  The new diet has produced one other policy in the Esker household that is never broken... All dirty diapers go directly to the garage.

We recently have spent some quality time with the Videckis Family.  They really know how to entertain, but we are even more greatful for one of the most amazing babysitters of all time.  The boys' faces just light up as we walk up the stairs.  It's very refreshing to see the same look on Eva's face.  Everyone in the family is always ready to help out.  Luke and AJ have the boys playing some intense games of deck hockey/croquet and Phil has sparked their interest in the piano.  They have to stretch out their whole body to reach the keys.

We have managed to find some time to enjoy the nice new weather.  Trips to the playground have been frequent.  It's fun to watch the boys take everything in as they walk on to a playground full of energetic kids that are twice their size.  They like the swings, but love to just walk and explore even more.  We recently took a trip over to Evanston and hung out at the lake while Mom had a voice lesson.

We also broke out the bike trailer and hit the trails.  The rain has made for a couple messy rides, but the boys don't seem to be bothered at all.  We packed lunch for a ride and happened to come upon the pet and bike parade.  I think Brenden and Jackson drew more attention than the parade.  They literally stopped traffic and almost caused an accident from all the moms turning their heads as they drove by.

Yesterday, we went to the Brookfield Zoo.  Brenden and Jackson were so much more aware of their surroundings than the last time we went.  I can't believe it's been almost a year since our first trip there.

The Esker family is only a few short days away from packing up the suv and heading east for 7 weeks.  The boys are all driving out to support Mom as she takes the stage in a lead roll for Opera Theater Pittsburgh.  We will be staying in a studio apartment in downtown Pittsburgh.  Thats right... 7 weeks... studio apartment... downtown Pittsburgh.  Please keep us in your prayers as we partake in this great adventure.  I'm sure the boys will look a little different when we return... the same can be said for mom and dad.  Much love!

It was In The Cards

5/4/13

Team Esker decided to get brave this weekend and head up to Milwaukee for the Cardinals game.  We got an early start because Mom wanted to stop off for a voice lesson on the way.  It was nice to be able to take a break, stretch the legs and spend some time at the park down the street.  We even got to Miller Park early enough to do a little tailgating before the game.  

Brenden and Jackson both did really well!  The boys looked so funny walking around the stadium, taking in all the sights and sounds of the ballpark.  They were so cute we even got complements from Brewers fans.  The game brought plenty of action on the field as well… multiple lead changes, home runs, and a suicide squeeze.  In the end, the Cardinals pulled off a close one for Brenden and Jackson’s first win.  That’s a winner!

The Only Time We Ever Mention ONE

4/28/13

It has become harder and harder to keep up with the blog, due to the fact that we now have two walkers… And I’m not talking about the zombies that walk around and eat brains, although they do have quite the appetite.  You know it’s bad when you go out for breakfast and a complete stranger at the table next to us says “Do they always eat that much?” Meanwhile, Brenden is stuffing his face with two hands full of pancake.  Haha!

Mom and Dad are pretty proud to have two babies walking by 11 months.  We definitely get noticed at the park when the next tallest kid is twice their size.  They look hilarious motoring around the playground with their new shoes.  They almost look like they have peg legs.

Since I last checked in, the boys turned the page on their first year!  What a milestone!  I know people say it all the time, but it has gone by so fast. We definitely talked of this day during the end of mom’s pregnancy and our time in the special care nursery.  “They’ll be one before we know it.”  It’s finally here!

The birthday party was a great success.  As always, Mom had to bite off more than she needed to and made all of the party favors… bow ties, hats, signs, cakes, and books.  We drove down on Friday night and managed to get home without taking a boat.  Elmhurst got 7 inches of rain on Wednesday and Thursday.  It was so bad that Dad couldn’t even get to work on Thursday. 

We woke up on Saturday morning and got down to business.  The boys’ nap schedule timed out perfectly so that they got up right after all the guests arrived.  Then, it was straight to the kitchen for cake.  They didn’t do so well at first, but I guess that was to be expected with everyone huddled around the table and a strange mound of sugar on their food tray.  They did much better once they had some real food and opened all the gifts. 

Dad had to play Tetris in the back of the SUV to get all the gifts packed in.  They now have enough toys to entertain for days, maybe months.  Brenden and Jackson got a guitar and a ukulele from Mom and Dad.  We have heard some killer tunes this week.  I also got the swings from grandma and grandpa put up in the tree in the yard.  I foresee some serious swing time being put in over the next month.  One of their favorite toys has to be the tunnel from Nana and Pa.

Brenden and Jackson are so fortunate to have such loving family.  Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles are all such a big part of their lives.  Thank you to all who made the day such an awesome one!  We are so blessed to have two healthy boys celebrate one year!  We pray for many more to come.

We may have a soccer star...

... and a basketball player.