T-Ball Time & Nolan is ONE!

Finley and his clothes, shoes and socks.  The kid thinks he has awesome taste.  He likes to wear basketball shorts the most, but is willing to wear plaid shorts if I insist on special occasion.  Auntie gave Finley a pair of Batman shoes for his birthday, they might've replaced the light-up Lightning McQueen shoes.  I can only hope.  It's really the lesser of two evils. 

Finley had his four-year check-up.  I wish I could say he checked out perfectly.  He did, for the most part.  He was 3 feet 3 inches tall (15%) and weighed 37 lbs (65%).  Finley's appointment ended with three immunizations, we had the option to wait until he's five, but Dr. Myhre likes to give them at four, now Finley's done with immunizations until he is 11.  Check out the bandaids and sad face.

His hearing is awesome - I knew that already, the kid misses nothing.

But his right eye bombed the vision screening and we were referred to the Eye Care Clinic at Mayo for a follow-up.  My hopes were up he'd just gotten bored with the screener at Dr. Myhre's office.  Nope.  Finley is significantly farsighted in his right eye.  He'll be getting glasses.  I'm sad for him.  It seems he can't catch a break - helmet, speech, now glasses.  In the big picture, these are nothing, but I'm still majorly bummed to say the least (I cried at the appointment - twice).  But, next week we'll go pick out adorable glasses.  He was such a trooper during the eye exams, he was scared, but I was proud of him.

The biggest event in our household...Finley started t-ball!!  He'd been waiting for a llloooonnnggg time!  He knew it started after he turned 4, the day was finally here!  He waited patiently for them to call his name (he's in the yellow-green shirt on the right)....

....his turn.

Finley's friend Carter is playing too!

Easily the cutest spectator!

The league plays Tuesdays & Thursdays for one month.  At four, it's an introductory session - meaning they'll practice more than they'll play games.  I think that's great, but Finley was a little bummed, he was ready for a game the first night.  They practiced running the bases...

...throwing (he's the lone solider in front of everyone)...

...and of course took plenty of water breaks.

Hadley has a weird red splotch at the nape of her neck.  We're not sure if it's a heat rash or some kind of birthmark we never noticed.  Finley saw me checking for it, now he checks too...

...she doesn't mind.

Every time I update our photo albums, I vow to keep up...and never do.  I ordered 1,054 prints.  Ugh.  I've started to organize them (Shutterfly prints them in random order - hate that).  What a job!  I again, vow to keep up.  And I again, know that I won't.

More heat in WI, one of the hottest summers on record.  We brought out the baby pool and sprinkler to cool off.

Hadley was in the yard when our irrigation system started (I didn't realize it was turned on), she retreated to the doorway at lightning speed!

Finley is getting better about having water in his face...

...See Mom!

Hadley took a FB break while getting the courage to venture out again...

 ...finally she decided to check it out...

...but didn't get too close :)

T-ball night #2...someone was EXCITED and really wanted Grandma to come watch, so of course she did.  The kids stick in a group with a coach and attend three stations.  Finley started off with running bases.  He's first in line wearing the Superman t-shirt.

He looks so little out there!

Water break!

Finley's favorite was batting.  They didn't do it Tuesday, so I was relieved and he was ecstatic that they batted on Thursday.  He was SO stinkin' happy walking up to the tee...big smile for his cheering section.  They batted into a fence, so we had perfect seats.

Cutest spectator, eating her first sucker.

Tips from his coach.  I'm pretty sure Patrick's ego blew-up when the coach could tell Finley had been practicing at home.

He hit a home-run!  See the ball above his head?  It actually came over the fence and Patrick caught it.

I've started training for my marathon.  The time it takes is kind of a pain - well, with kids it is.  Patrick was gone Friday night, and to get my long run in on Saturday (my first 18-miler, furthest I've ever run), the kids were shipped to Grandpa & Grandma's for the night.  None of them seemed to mind.  Finley was grocery shopping at 9 p.m. in his jammies and got to sleep downstairs with Grandpa...lucky.

The littlest little turned one!  Happy Birthday Nolan!  Auntie & Uncle Ryan threw a FUN backyard party.

Rory (about 7.5 weeks younger) showed Hadley what this walking thing is all about!  They were cute checking each other out.

More fun!

 The Birthday Boy!

Nolan likes cake...

...Nolan LOVES cake!

MORE playing, I thought the kids would eventually pass out!

Sunday morning Heidi & I ran in "The Color Run" in Minneapolis.  It was easily the craziest run I've ever done.  Here we are before, nice and clean.

Our cheering section!

The Color Run is all about color!  Along the course were "color stations", volunteers were lined up and doused you with a powdery color substance (similar to chalk dust).

I was excited to see my kids :)

Afterwards we were a sweaty colorful mess!

We saved our own powder for the kids to try out - they loved it!

It was Heidi's first 5K - she did awesome!  Congratulations!

 Running is exhausting.