Want to Hear a Story?

"Weego weego weego weego decol goal dego dego dego dada dada dada."  Translation... Brenden and Jackson sure can tell a story.  They must have taken notes from Great Grandpa Esker and Great Grandma Beavers.  I wish I could interpret this new innovative language for you, but for now we will continue to nod our head like we understand every little detail.  The boys have been known to carry on a quite lengthy conversation following a good afternoon nap.  They seem to understand each other.  I can't help but wonder of they're planning the great crib escape.

The story of the summer of 2013 will be one for the Esker family history books.  We officially survived 7 weeks in a studio apartment in a different city and we had a blast.  Our trip ended with a visit from Nana and Pa.  I know I say this all of the time, but Brenden and Jackson are so fortunate to have such awesome grandparents!  We were sure to scratch all of those last minute items off the bucket list... Heinz chapel... check, PNC park... check, chicken and waffles... check.  There was even a vintage car race that took place in Schenley park on our last weekend.  Pa helped me pack every square inch of the suv and we did our best to fill theirs as well.  One of Mom's voice teachers sent us home with a bunk bed and a crate full of toys... as if we needed more.  Pittsburgh was very kind to the Eskers, but we wouldn't have been able to do it without all of the great people who helped us along the way!

Brenden and Jackson did awesome on the way back to Elmhurst.  We only stopped once!  It was good to be home but not for long.  We spent two days in Elmhurst and decided to make the drive down state for a little rest and relaxation.  I guess we just love to be in the car... haha.  This trip seemed easy compared to the long drive we just made.  We started at Nana and Pa's.  We could hear the pool calling our name the entire way down I 57.  We visited with some old friends and saw a whole mess of Beavers.  Brenden and Jackson enjoyed the water and even chewed on a few sticks... I guess thats the part Beaver in em.

During our time at Nana and Pa's house we also discovered a new favorite food... corn on the cob!  Words cannot describe the joy this vegetable brings to Brenden and Jackson.

Then, it was off to Grandma and Grandpa Esker's house.  All of the aunts and uncles made a special trip home just to see Brenden and Jackson.  They couldn't believe how much they had changed.  It was really cool to see them interact with the family.  Since a number of us were out of town for the fourth of July croquet tourney this year, Grandma and Grandpa decided to host the first official annual Esker croquet tournament.  Aunt Michelle pulled off the upset if you couldn't tell from this perfectly timed photo of the winning shot (side note: Michelle will be very angry that I used the word "upset" when describing her victory).

Its crazy to see how much the family continues to grow.  We had to push two tables together on the deck just to fit everyone for dinner.  We were still able to fit everyone in two rounds of the tournament, but something tells me this won't be much longer.  Brenden and Jackson both have a sweet stroke that could contend in years to come.

Since our return to Elmhurst, we've done our best to take advantage of the beautiful weather.  We made a trip up to Cary, IL for a cookout with the Flachs.  They have a daughter thats only a month older than Brenden and Jackson.  The boys had fun sharing their new language with someone more their size.  Plus, she had all kinds of toys that they hadn't seen before.  It also didn't hurt that Papa Flach fixed corn on the cob.

This week, we made a trip over to the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier.  It was a little crazy since the tall ships were docked but we managed to navigate the city in style.  The train, boat, and taxi provided plenty of entertainment for Brenden and Jackson.  It was a fun trip, but the boys were exhausting.  It felt good to put them to bed that night.

Today is the dreaded final day of summer vacation for Dad.  Tomorrow starts a new chapter of our story.  I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to all of our family and friends that made this summer possible!  Much love!

Brenden and Jackson having a little fun before bed

The Mid Summer Classics

Pittsburgh continues to entertain the whole family!  Trips to the library, parks, and pool parties never get old when there are a couple of 14 month olds with you.  Mom and Dad even got a little relief this week thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Esker and a few supportive opera friends.  We went out to celebrate 6 years of marriage with a nice dinner on our anniversary and Dad was able to watch Brenden and Jackson's amazing Mom perform as Giulietta in "Tale of Hoffmann!"

The boys ran up to Mommy while she was doing a little singing at the  cabaret.  The 3 of them stole the show!

Although Mom's rehearsal schedule has been pretty crazy as of late, we have still managed to enjoy quality family time.   Last week, we took a trip to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to get a library card.  Brenden and Jackson spent most of the time pulling books off the shelf so we didn't leave empty handed.  We also tried out family story time one evening.  We were able to get Brenden and Jackson to sit through about one song and one story, but again, the boys spent most of the time pulling books off the shelf.  It was nice to get them some interaction with kids their age.

The Carnegie Museum has a really cool playground right in front, but it didn't take long to grow bored. Most of the time, we are totally content if we find a good stick to play with or some wood chips to sample.

The Fourth of July was a really cool experience.  All of the young artist were invited over to a home on the hill that overlooked the city and festivities for the day.  The house was literally right above one of the observation decks.  The pool provided most of our entertainment for the evening, but Brenden and Jackson also enjoyed weaving their way through all of the people at the party.  Towards the end of the night, Dad took it to the streets for a little stroller ride in an attempt to shut down some sleepy eyes.  The attempt fell short so the remainder of the night ended up a bit restless.  The balcony provided an awesome view for the fireworks.  Jackson was even pointing at them, which made the restless night completely worth it.

The weekend brought some familier faces to Pittsburgh!  Grandma and Grandpa Esker couldn't have come at a better time with the busy rehearsal week.  We were sure to enjoy all of the same amenities, but it made it that much more enjoyable to see Brenden and Jackson interact with their Grandma and Grandpa.  It was an extra warm welcome since we hadn't seen them in a month.  The boys must have remember their grandparents because we played and played and played without a single meltdown.  It also helped that Grandma had made a trip to the toy store and arrived with a bag full of goodies... NEW TOYS!  Grandma and Grandpa's hotel had an indoor pool in which Brenden and Jackson floated every square inch.  They even dipped their feet in the hot tub for a bit.

We capped off the weekend with pizza and drinks at Church Brew Works for Dad's birthday.  Brenden and Jackson might have eaten just as much as each adult.  They sure were in a good mood on our walk to the car.  The night ended with some surprise cupcakes that grandma picked up at the bakery.

The next day we spent some time at the park and picked up some lunchmeat and cheese from the local deli.  There was no need for bread because Grandma had brought some of her infamous sourdough!  We were definitely sad to see them go and look forward to seeing Nana and Pa in a few weeks!  Brenden and Jackson have the best Grandparents ever!

Solo Cups and Shakers

Just when Dad thought we may be getting in a bit of a rut, Pittsburgh picked us up and provided another fun filled week.  It was a little warmer  this week so the boys and I explored every square inch of the tiny apartment.  Its a good thing we all have such big imaginations.  First, we took a trip back to the spray park.  Brenden was a little more reluctant this time, but Jackson was the exact opposite.  He was right up there with the big kids, face first in the sprinklers.

We also had a few rainy days this week.  In fact, Dad got caught in a downpour on his morning run with Brenden and Jackson.  The radar looked clear when we left, but these storms just seem to pop up this time of year.  As a result, we enjoyed plenty of quality time in our humble abowed.  When regular old baby toys failed to do the job, we let our imaginations run wild.  While the average person may look at an empty paper towel roll and think, "What's the big deal," Brenden and Jackson pretend its a sword or a telescope or just use it to make awesome cow noises.  The same goes for red solo cups, water bottles, cereal boxes, and milk jugs.  We have been known to even pretend that a bookshelf is a jungle gym.

Red solo cup... I fill you up... with my pacifier

Lets have a party

Shake it

Showin off

Friday, Dad went out for a jog with the boys and noticed tents going up outside next to Pitt's campus.  After doing a little research, he found out there was a children's festival going on later that day.   That afternoon, the boys all headed up to Schenley Plaza for a little fun in the sun.  We spent most of our time at the music tent.  They had a spread of ukuleles and the boys made noisemakers.  We spent the rest of our time watching the fire dancers and doing a little dancing of our own to the anti-bully band.  It was a really fun afternoon!

Food over fire dancers any day of the week

We're with the band