"Happy birthday to Mama..."

This is all I needed for my birthday!  We had a busy evening already planned for my birthday this past Wednesday, September 21.  Kirk and I went to music class at MU and then I had to hurry home to the computer for my online class.  Jeremy got us some Chinese take out, and Kirk got me a lovely Pandora charm.  We will celebrate with dinner out and hopefully a HERD win tomorrow!  The best gift I've ever gotten is my precious baby boy (and his Daddy, of course!), and #33 is a lot easier to take when you've got a sweet face like his singing to you!

We love the zoo!

Jeremy and I decided to take a day off work on Friday, September 16 and head to the Columbus Zoo.  Kirk LOVES animals and talks about them constantly.  We thought he'd love to go to another zoo, and since we had already planned to head to Athens on Saturday for the MU v. OU game, we thought it would be a nice long trip for us.  Kirk loved the animals, and he even got brave enough to pet the goats and the sheep.  Kirk was very well behaved, and we laughed at how excited he was over some of the animals.  He really put on a show for everyone at the elephant and monkey exhibits!  The weather was cooler, all the kiddos there were his size, and we had a great day!

Kirk playing in an igloo at the play area

Kirk enjoying the "flaminkos"

Kirk climbed inside and went up and down the slide all by himself 

He was super excited about the "BoBo" (bonobos) monkeys!  He kept saying "Freeze, silly Bobos!" (from Diego)

Kirk STILL watching the bobos.  He really put on a show, and everyone around was asking us about him.  They kept asking Jeremy how old he was, and said how well he talked and how smart he was!

Kirk and Daddy in front of the reptile house

Kirk and Mommy

Kirk driving a tractor outside the zoo

When we left the zoo, we went to see our friends Martyn, Trista, Ady, and Rhys.  Kirk loved playing with their (girl) toys, and really liked Ady's sunglasses and their car!  He drove it all over the house!

Kirk riding Ady's scooter...he never really learned how to ride, but he thought he did!

Kirk riding on Martyn's shoulders....in the kitchen!

Saturday afternoon, we headed to OU to tailgate for the game.  Kirk played football with JD and Cooper.  He's getting a little better at taking direction! 

Kirk getting ready for a "pass" to Cooper

Kirk and Rhys playing corn hole

Kirk wearing JD's buffalo hat

It was a terrible game, but Kirk had fun.  He loves the marching band, and he's learning the "We are....MARSHALL" cheer.  He cheered for the HERD loudly, but it didn't seem to matter.  He had a good time, but we were some pretty upset fans leaving the stadium.  The ladies behind us had a good time listening to Kirk cheer, and kept telling us how adorable he was!  

We went to Bella's second birthday party on Sunday, September 18.  Kirk gave Bella a birthday hug!

Bella blowing out her #2 candle on her cupcake

Bella opening her new table and chair set from Auntie Kelly, Uncle Jeremy, and cousin Kirk!

We had a fun, busy weekend!  Kirk told us this afternoon that he wanted to "take a nap in my bed," so home we went to rest and settle down!  It was so fun to visit another zoo, watch Kirk get so excited to see and learn about animals, and visit friends.  Even though we had to watch the HERD lose, it is so fun to see Kirk learn about football each week.  I know his Daddy is so proud of how much he knows and how excited he is when he says "GO MARSHALL!"    We're headed to cheer on the Herd at home next week against VA Tech.  We are looking forward to seeing Adam, Kate, and baby Jax next weekend, along with another visit from the Hughes Family.  It is so great to get our kids together and watch them play.  I never thought I'd be watching all of our kiddos run around 15 years ago when we were all running around in college!  It's so awesome to have good friends and share each other's families.  We'll spend the week hoping and praying for the HERD.....

Tailgating Toddler

Kirk enjoyed his first MU tailgate and game of the season!  Daddy and Neuhaus tried to keep up with him and keep him interested in throwing and catching a football.  Kirk was interested for about 2 minutes....

Kirk kept Neuhaus entertained.  He enjoyed tailgate food, and no, that is not his beer.  Haha!

Kirk and Neuhaus played Kirk's version of corn hole, which involved tossing all of the bean bags directly into one hole.  Kirk jumped up and down after he threw them all in, and said, "I did it!  I did it!"

He threw them in and said "Red bean bag in the hole!  Blue bean bag in the hole!"  He then threw his football, toy dinosaurs, race cars, and Blue (Blue's Clues) into the hole as well.

He really like Shawn's helmet!  

He tried holding hands with Cam Kellar.  He followed him for about a minute before giving up!

Kirk wanted all the footballs....at once!

Kirk and Mama had matching kelly green shirts!  Go HERD!

Kirk loved cheering on the HERD!  He got so excited when everyone else did, and alerted us each time the "marching band" played.  He danced and clapped, and even took a little nap during the second quarter.  He definitely loves football, and even though he says he loves Marco, he doesn't want him to "bother him."  He had a great time playing with the kids at the tailgate and cheering at the game.  We are raising a HERD fan for sure!

Kirk has definitely been in his element this week at day care.  They are learning about dinosaurs this week, and Kirk is amazing everyone with his dinosaur knowledge.  He is really interested in dinosaurs, and he has been for a while, and Jeremy and I have learned a lot with him.  His teacher said that today he built a structure out of wooden blocks, all by himself, and called it a "dino house" and put the plastic dinosaurs inside!  I am so proud of his imaginative play, he is several stages beyond many of my preschoolers!  All of the parents that I see and talk to when I pick Kirk up tell me how much their child adores Kirk and how smart and vocal Kirk is.  His teacher said to him yesterday, "Kirk, tell Mommy what I think you are..." and Kirk said, " A stud muffin."  Haha!  Kirk is having a blast in music class at MU as well.  He loves Miss Joni and her instruments, and he told me when we were coming home tonight, "Mama, I like to rub the tone block."  Haha!  I had to laugh out loud.!  He is such a funny little guy, and we are so proud of how smart he is!

We are headed to the Columbus Zoo and the OU v. MU game this weekend!  

I'll post pictures and commentary soon!

Enjoy the cooler weather this weekend!  Fall is on its way.....my favorite time of year!

Birthdays, christening, and a new goldfish....the life and times of a 2 year old!

We went to Riley's birthday party on Saturday, September 3 at Pump Up the Fun.  Kirk LOVED the little roller coaster.  He rode it at least 20 times!

Happy birthday to Riley!

We went to Jax's christening on Sunday, September 4, in Pineville, WV.  Kirk was happy to see Adam, Kate, and Jax AND get his birthday present, a new "al-gi-gator!"

We are so glad we got to share the day with Adam, Kate, Jax, and their families.  We wish we could see them more often!

Kirk immediately wanted to "hold him."  He was very gentle and sweet and even kissed him on the head.  He held on tightly to me and kept saying "My mommy."  In the picture he is holding my face, and saying "See baby Jax, Kirk's mommy?"  I think he was subtly trying to tell Jax he was only visiting in my lap!

Kirk decided on a Walmart trip on Tuesday that he had to "take a goldfish home."  We look at the fish each time we go to Walmart, but he's never insisted on taking a fish home before.  He told me and every shopper in a 50 foot radius that he was going to "Catch a goldfish and take it home."  He bugged the poor lady working at the fish tank to death, and he told us that the goldfish was going to "Eat shaky food (fish food in a container) and drink water."  I have no idea where he comes up with this stuff.  I caved.  He rode home with the fish in the bag in his lap, and he carried it around until Jeremy got the tank together.  I'm amazed it lived to even get in the tank!  He reported on him for at least a half hour, saying "Mama, the goldfish is swimming!  ........He's STILL swimming!"  and he kept saying, "Oh, he's so cute!"  He is posing with him in this picture.  He said, "I will cheese (smile) with my goldfish!"

He said, "Look Mama, THERE HE IS!"

We celebrated Jeremy's birthday at Chili Willis on Thursday, September 8.  Kirk loved the ice cream taco, and he ate all the cherries on top.  He wanted to eat from his spoon and Gramma's!

This is Kirk's "Happy birthday to Daddy" face.  I think he was trying to smile with a mouth full of ice cream!

Kirk struggled to get out of the picture, but I got one anyway!

We played at Riverfront Park for a few minutes after dinner.  Kirk climbed, went up and down slides, scared a few innocent ducks, and "raced" Jeremy in the grass.  He managed to get his clothes filthy and scraped up his elbow pretty good.  The lovely life of boys, huh?

Happy birthday to a great daddy and husband!  I think the best gift Jeremy could get is a HERD win on Saturday.  The Walkers are ready to go out and support the HERD!  Go green!  Go white!