$5 pony rides

We had a very busy weekend this weekend! I'll start from the beginning. Friday after work, I met Sydney at the Galleria and we did some shopping. Then we went to dinner over by her house in South City at a place called Three Monkeys. It was a pub atmosphere and we stayed for a while enjoying some good conversation. This is Sydney below. She will be pleased I posted this on here.

After dinner we went to the Famous Bar and had some drinks before leaving to go to another bar that I don't even remember the name of. We had a good time. I had planned to stay at Sydney's house that night and it was nice to sleep in in the morning and not have to get up right away. Sydney and I have been friends since freshman year of college - she is one of my closest and dearest friends. I truly treasure when we get to hang out like old times. It doesn't happen all that often anymore.

I got home around 11 on Saturday and ate lunch with Seth and the kids and then we went to the pumpkin patch - Rombach's in Chesterfield. This has become a family tradition so even though Abby and I went with her class (and she's going again this week for a field trip with her day care), we wanted to go to Rombach's and give Adam the chance to go. It was really fun, but expensive. We blew $40 in a little over an hour. $6 for a train ride. $15 for a wagon ride. $10 for pony rides. $4 for a haunted house. $5 lemonade. We didn't even have enough cash left for pumpkins or funnel cakes. We told Abby we would get pumpkins at the grocery store so they would last longer. Truthfully, they will be much cheaper there. Here are some pictures:

After the pumpkin patch, Abby had a soccer game. By far, this was the best she had played all season. She was really getting in there to get the ball and at one point had a breakaway where she ran all the way down the field with the ball and almost scored. It was great. I almost had tears in my eyes. After that, she might like soccer after all. She said it was fun to run when you're kicking the ball.

After soccer, we went to the Kambak house and went to dinner at Vista Grande with our good friends Kevin, Abby, Kaylei and Cooper. Adam and Cooper are not the best when they have to sit still and they were difficult. After a rushed dinner, we went back to their house and watched the Mizzou game and the Red Sox game. We left around 11 when Adam started crying inconsolably for no apparent reason. He has a runny nose and I think was having trouble breathing.

Sunday, Abby had Sunday School. Then the kids and I went to brunch with my mom and grandma at Yia Yia's in Chesterfield. (Seth got to go watch football with the guys.) Brunch was really nice. Good food. After that, me and the kids went to Jennifer's house so that Abby and Jennifer's daughter, Sarah, could play. This is what Adam did nearly the entire time we were there:
This is Jenna, Abby and Sarah reading. They had fun together. Abby cried when it was time to leave. Jennifer and I have been friends since first grade so it was nice to catch up with her, too.

And that was pretty much it. The kids and I came home around 5 and it was homework, dinner, showers and bed. This week, my mission is to prepare for my next 5K, which is next Saturday morning. Jennifer and her husband, Chuck, are running the 10K so at least I'll have some satisfaction knowing I will be waiting at the finish line for someone this time, even if it's only because they are running double the race I will be. My goal is to run under 34 minutes. I ran 35:17 last time so we'll see. I ran 3.1 in 33:44 last Wednesday on the treadmill. I was running on an incline so hopefully that was fairly representative of what next Saturday will be like. I hope!