Fast Growing

There is nothing like lifelong friends.  Jenny and I have been friends for almost 30 years.  Each year they come back to STL for Thanksgiving and we get together with the kids.  And amazingly, every year, the kids just pick up where they left off like they see each other all the time.  I love watching everyone grow year to year.  And I love spending time with Jenny catching up.  I wish they lived closer.

Science Experiment: Mini-volcanos

Lots of great things about Pinterest- for me one of the best things is that I can keep all of my PAT ideas organized.  Ben, Max, and Maura are always on board for trying out the experiments, crafts, etc... This one is super easy- baking soda, food coloring and vinegar- all three are now on my grocery list because we went through a lot of all three.

2011 World Series: GO CARDS!!!

Molly decked out as the rally squirrel.  The Cardinals came back this season and ended up being the Wild Card and winning the 2011 World Series.  We spent two weeks staying up late and watching the Playoff and World Series games.  It went to game 7- I watched it over at my parent's house with mom, dad and James.  Ben had an overnight camping weekend so he listened to the game around the campfire with friends- cool memory for him.  I have to thank my mom for raising me to make these sorts of family memories.  We will all remember being part of the 2011 World Series!

Waiting for the metro link to head down to the rally.

The metro link was crazy packed.  Charlie and I went in one car with the boys and were smashed like sardines.  MaeMae and Maura went in the car ahead of us.  It was a beautiful day so all of STL decided to go down to the parade and rally.

We were able to get  six seats but they were paired off in different locations in the stadium.  Ben and I were in Homer's Landing which was fun because we had never sat in that spot before.  It was also near where the players drove into the stadium so Ben got to see the players up close as they rode in.  And I'm pretty sure Albert Pujols made eye contact and waved right at him.

Fuzzy but there is the eye contact and wave to Ben :)

We love Yadi!  On Max and my to do list:  get his Yadi ball signed by Yadi!  We were shown where the Cardinals now park- maybe we will go early before a game next year and try to get that signature :)

Charlie ended up taking Max and Maura back to the car before the fireworks started because they were pretty much done with the whole experience.  Apparently, the Metrolink was crazy crowded even then.  They managed to get on and back to our car parked at Wash U.  We planned to ride the Metrolink back but the line was crazy.  It went from down the Metrolink  platform, up the stairs and down the sidewalk.  We decided to walk toward Union Station and they picked us up there without and hassles of traffic.

Trying to get a normal picture of MaeMae and Ben without one of they acting goofy- Ben here with crazy eyes!

It is so fun that Ben is at an age where he can go to things like this and handle the long walks, etc... that go with it.  And his love of baseball is pretty fun too!

GO CARDS!

Halloween 2011

                                        The princess, greaser and inventor  with Kimmy.

This is possibly our last Halloween having all the Sprich and Lottes kids together.  The older kids are getting to the age where they want to go out with other friends.  It will be sad to see that tradition come to an end but we have lots of great pictures through the years.

One of the girls in the neighborhood had this Barbie box as part of her costume- amazing!  The dad was letting the girls take turns posing in the box to have their picture taken.

Checking out Uncle James' new apps on his phone, always a favorite pass time.

The great candy trade.  We had a great turkey and sage chili made by James and mom's traditional delicious chili too.

Halloween wouldn't  be complete without a visit with MaMa.  Everyone gets a package of her infamous toffee cookies.  And tears can quickly be shed if people start stealing cookies from the kids!

Attic Work

Ben helped Charlie do some electrical work in the attic.  I love seeing Ben at an age where he is interested and able to learn and work on things like this.  They have to wear respirators up in the attic because of the insulation.  I think it was hot and tiring but he learned a lot- good bonding time.

Summer Job

1st paycheck!


Consulting with MaeMae about how to keep these weeds from coming back.



Ben got his first job this Summer at Chautauqua. He was in charge of watering the flowers and pulling weeds on the Roque Court. By the end of the Summer he was just watering because the Roque Court is sadly becoming a lost cause. No one utilizing it partly because no one can find the proper equipment to play with. Mae Mae worked with Ben at the beginning of the Summer to get it in shape- it was looking pretty good but the Roundup couldn't keep the weeds away. Ben saved all of his money through the Summer to buy an Itouch.

Soccer Season Begins

Easter

We had Easter brunch at our house. I made bistro french toast, potato casserole and my parents brought the ham and fruit salad. That is one of those meals you can just keep eating and eating.
James sat back and enjoyed watching the egg hunt. We decided to do the hunt outside since it had rained for like 40 straight days which meant a muddy mess.


My dad brought all of the change he has collected over the year to give to the kids. I don't think my dad realized how much money was really there. Each one ended up with almost $30 in change! They all put their change in their piggy bank. James and I told the story about how we broke into our piggy bank as kids and ate pizza and other junk for a week until it was gone. We (ok, maybe just I) felt horribly guilty for a long time afterward. I think James thought it was a fabulous way to spend our savings :)



Later that afternoon we went to the Lottes Easter for another hunt. The kids hung out in the basement and watched School of Rock- love that movie! Max is now dying to take keyboard lessons, not piano, but keyboard. We will make that happen this Fall.

We used a new dye this year for our Easter eggs and they turned out bright and beautiful!

Spring Break 2011: Pere Marquette

Over Spring break we spent a night at Pere Marquette with Kate, Amy, Tara and Ryan. It was only 24 hours but we packed a lot of fun into our time together. We first went to lunch at the Finn Inn and then checked into our cabin. We took a hike which was more challenging for Maura than I expected. We then went swimming, had dinner, and went back to the cabin for bed. The next day we drove to the overlooks to see different views of the river. We then went to the Alton Lock and Dam to finish off our history lesson of the Great Rivers.




Nature Museum at Pere Marquette

Walking sticks make all hikes better.



Dominoes and checkers before dinner

Great Hall at Pere Marquette Lodge- "Four Rivers Fabric Art"

Cocktails before dinner





Ben was the official graffiti reader, thankfully everything was pretty tame.

Checking out the Mississippi from Principia



The Mistake House at Principia was created to show different construction techniques such as brick, concrete, stone and creating a thatch roof.

The Principia Chapel built in 1935