Dress-up and Last Weekend

We like to play dress-up a lot lately. Jonas has a favorite costume he calls "Spiderman," although it is really a Power Rangers outfit! To my knowledge, he has never seen a Spiderman cartoon OR a Power Rangers cartoon, so I'm not sure how he decided what to call it. He also apparently knows what the "real" Spiderman looks like, because we have recently purchased some Spiderman socks and stickers after he spotted them at Target. So, Ben and I are now debating...do we allow the charade to continue and let him wear the Power Rangers costume for Halloween, even though he is going to tell people he is Spiderman? Or do we spare the kid (and ourselves) some explaining, and just get him a "real" Spiderman costume to wear?? Hmmm...the decisions of a parent!

Miles prefers to dress-up as...ummm...a pirate doctor??

Dr. Jonas

Last Friday and Saturday Ben did a crazy road race that went from Winona, MN, to Minneapolis. It was with a team of former Luther Wrestlers. (Wrestlers as distance runners, you ask? I wonder about this, also...) Anyway, they ran in shifts. Ben did about 13 miles over 3 separate shifts. One of his runs was at about 3 in the morning!

So, of course, he slept for about 16 hours straight Saturday evening until Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, the kids and I hung out with PaPa and JuJu and cousins Noelle and Joshua.

The bespectacled grandpa reads to Jonas and Noelle...

Team Barclay.

Jenn did the 3-mile Breast Cancer Walk. We went to cheer her on at one of the cheering stations! I am so amazed at her ability to do all the necessary fundraising and training, as well as work, be a mom, etc! Go Jenn!

Jonas spends some quality time with Uncle Nic. Note the toy gun that JuJu has at her house that Ben used to play with when he was a boy. Oh, how times have changed. I have agreed to allow Jonas to play with it ONLY inside PaPa and JuJu's house. Do not go outside, do not go in the car, do not pass go, and definitely do not come to my house! :)

Summer '09

Here are some fun times from our summer so far (I refuse to believe it's over yet!)

Aunt Katie shows Izzie how to roast a marshmallow and Grandma and Grandpa's.

Jonas and Abbie are already pros.

We wait (patiently, I'm sure) for Ben to finish his triathlon in Chisago City.

Jonas also did his first triathlon that weekend. Here, he shows off his number. Although he looks excited here, the mood was ruined when he was re-directed on the bike course. He leaped off his bike and burst into tears when he was blocked from riding out into the street like the older kids. He refused to get back onto his bike, and walked the rest of the course with Ben. During the run portion of the race, he even shouted at the cheering crowds, "I'm NOT running!"

We braved our First Annual Family Camping Trip. Ok, so it was only 24 hours! But, we wanted to start slowly. Everyone did really well, and Jonas keeps asking when we can go again!

The campground is just off of a beautiful paved bike trail, which provided the perfect entertainment for the boys.

Roasting marshmallows...mmmmmm!

Miles "experiments" after observing Dixie drinking from her water dish!

Mmmmmmm....push-ups!

And this picture pretty much sums up how we've been spending most of our summer! Bike riding, bike riding, and more bike riding! And 18 month old Miles refuses to be left out!