1st Halloween...maybe next year!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday, prepping for an action packed night of Trick or Treaters, parties, and costumes. At our house only one of the boys is up to celebrating.

Matt has been running a fever for three days, and even though I am praying he is on the mend finally, their is just no way he will be heading to the neighborhood party, or out into this chilly fall night. Instead Matt's monkey costume will sit unused in the closet, and we will wait for next year to travel door to door. I guess he'll be fine with that, since its not like he can eat the candy yet anyways. I just always hate when my babies are ill. I also hate when their 1st holiday of this that or the other doesn't work out. But hey, that's life. Hopefully by next weekend- his 1st bday party, he'll be ready to celebrate.

As for Zach, he is so excited its Halloween! When he woke up this morning he asked if it was time to go to Jack's house. I had to explain to him that the "fun" doesn't start till later. Apparently he wasn't super clear on when he would be getting candy, because by 7:30 a.m. he was asking for some for breakfast! So funny that kid. (I don't know why I am speaking like Yoda)

So Zach and Wayne will go to the party on the block, and Matty and I will stay behind and snuggle. Then Wayne will come home, light his pumpkins, and pass out candy, all while cuddling Matt and getting him to bed. Zach and I plan to go trick or treating at my sister's with Jack and Emma? and Grandma I'm sure. I think kids should always have kids to trick or treat with, it just makes it such a better experience. Maybe that is why I've always wanted 3 kids, that way if one is ill, you still have a back-up partner. Ok, more than likely my desire for a someday third stems from the fact that I am the youngest of three, and that I just enjoy my kids more than anything in life.

I digress. I hope you all enjoy seeing your little ones dressed up and hyped up on candy. I know I can't wait to see Zach run around like a madman, and will look forward to next year, when his little brother will finally be able to celebrate and more importantly keep up!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Blurry Moments...

Have you tried lately to capture an 11 month old walking? While I have, and its not much fun. Sure you get cute pictures of your son waving at you and smirking with pride:

The problem is the moment is masked in a blur.

Analyze the pic above. What is Wayne doing? Zach looks like he is casting a spell on Matt, and Matt is so focused on getting to his destination that his tongue is actually sticking out in concentration. A funny pic, would be funnier if it wasn't so blurry.

Try as I might these were the best I could do:

Minimal blurring, but also bad angle. I keep wanting to take some new photos with my advanced sports setting, but unfortunately little man Matt is under the weather with a fever and hasn't felt much like moving, let alone mastering his new skill. Speaking of needing to master a skill. Perhaps it isn't the subjects but rather the photographer that needs focus. I tried to capture some pics of Zach and Matt playing with a new toy from Grandma, and I couldn't get a single photo without some blurring:

And it wasn't just my child subjects that caused this problem, just look at this shot where Z and Wayne were being a two headed monster. Even though monsters are supposed to be scary, I think this one is awful handsome. The only thing that was a little scary is how much these two look alike in this photo. I guess even I have to admit that maybe Z favors Wayne more than me:

So folks, I hope you have a great weekend with all of the little(and big) monsters in your life. The weekend is busy, we have Emma's christening, pumpkin carving, Halloween parties and trick or treating to squeeze in before Monday. Enjoy your weekend and have a Happy Halloween!

The King and some Parade Pics...

I have a sickness. Here I'll show you:

Yes. I am one of "those" people who torture their loyal friend by dressing them up for Halloween. In my defense I only do it on Halloween, and I can never bear to leave it on for more than an hour. So why do I do it? Well...just look at that picture. It's funny, and he looks so darn cute dressed up. Don't judge me...Lennie already is!


Since I think fair is fair, I am also dressing up this Halloween. Truly I didn't have a choice. Zach was very concerned with what Mommy and Daddy were being this Halloween. So far Daddy hasn't been able to settle on a costume, but I choose a costume that is not only child friendly, but versatile. Here we are as a family at the Halloween parade: In case you can't tell, I am Mrs. Potato Head. Not the most form flattering costume ever, but I think it is funny, and you can change the face out, to transform into Mr. Potato Head. Versatility is a plus, even if other adults tend to stare at you. I wonder what my new neighbors will think when I take the boys door to door, sporting my ensemble.

I guess there is something in my genetic code that makes it acceptable to don a costume as an adult. Just look at my parents:

Yes that is my Mom as a penguin and my Dad dressed as a cross between a rancher and Indiana Jones.

I can tell you that Zach and Jack had a great time being Spiderman together and that Zach thought Grandma's outfit was awesome:

Matt and Emma were content to just show off their 1st Halloween costumes, and be strolled through the parade. Smart kids.

Zach choose to walk most of the way, with his favorite penguin:

It was a lot of fun for the kids and us adults enjoyed the day too! Now hurry up Halloween, because I am already looking forward to taking down the decorations and planning for my Christmas lights!

Pumpkins, Toys and a Walking Baby Boy...

This weekend was hectic, they all seem to be lately. Not only did we get our pumpkins, attend a wedding, celebrate the birthdays of my 7 year old nephew Jason and my mother in law Alice, but Wayne also found time to get a new toy, and Matt decided to put 4 or five steps together. It was an exciting weekend for everyone.

We don't ever do anything easy around these parts. My hubby loves to price shop everything, including pumpkins. We went to three places before we finally got the "deal" he was looking for. I should mention that Wayne is a tad obsessed with pumpkin carving at Halloween. Last year he spent 12 hours carving the pumpkins and by the look of it, he's in for a long haul this year as well. See what I mean?

After that we headed to Jason's party where Zach had a blast crawling around this thing for 30 minutes, while I spent that time having slight panic attacks watching the older kids racing through the tunnels, and dealing with the feeling of terror that occurred every time I lost sight of him in the tunnels for more than 3 seconds. It was a great time for the kids, and Jason looked like he was having a blast. I think he really enjoyed grabbing tickets in the ticket blaster:

And while Zach was busy scurrying around in these tubes,
Matt was busy eating all the pizza he could stuff in his mouth, and gearing up for his 1st walking performance.
(I would love to show you picture of that, but unfortunately my camera's battery was dead, and I haven't gotten the 1st pics of him walking yet...they're coming soon I promise.)

After Jay's party, Wayne got the chance to play with his new toy:

And although I think Wayne's mower is overkill for this 1/2 acre yard:

I can't deny how happy it made him:

I'd love to share pics from our dinner with Grandma Alice, but like I said the camera was dead(I think she voodoo tricked the camera because she hates pictures. I was able to capture some footage on the camcorder, but I am not tech savvy enough to upload it yet)

It was a wonderful weekend, busy but fun. I'd love to say this one was going to be more laid back, but with my niece and nephew's baptisms and Halloween, I know I would be lying.

11 months...

Eleven months ago I brought home this little baby:and it seems like only yesterday. And yet, tonight I tucked in this little boy:

I thought the 1st eleven months of Zach's life flew by, until I had Matt. Then I realized those months were slow in comparison to Matt's 1st eleven! Matt is such a joy! Don't get me wrong he is head strong like his momma, and does his own thing like his daddy, but he is adventurous and brave. He is rarely rattled and often times is content to just be in the mix. He loves to be loved, and really gets a kick out of his brother's costumes and constant motion. I love when I find Matt standing and playing at the train table, or see him rolling balls all around the kitchen floor and laughing at himself. His favorite things these days are getting his brother's sippy cups, and standing at the stairs. He is fascinated by climbing, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if there is a daredevil streak in this boy.

Matt is a great eater, sleeps pretty well(damn those top teeth for taking 4 months to come through) and giggles and laughs often. He is a master crawler, loves to pull up on everything, and is on the verge of putting steps together and walking. Verbally Matt doesn't really say much. He can say "hiiiii" and he will sing with you. He loves to wave and he sometimes says Mama or Dada, but usually is just rambling. I was amazed to find that he can point out some objects in books, like a dog, or the moon. I have a feeling in the next 11 months, Matt will be talking up a storm. I am sure he will want to try to tell his brother what to do one of these days.

Matthew, we love you so much, and I couldn't be happier that you are in our lives. I can't wait to celebrate your 1st year in a few weeks, and I can't wait to see hopefully many many more of them unfold.

My children make me laugh...

I am sure all parents think their children are the most clever little beings they know. I guess its the fact that we've seen them through all their stages. We've marveled at their first smile, giggle, roll over. We've fixated on their attempts at mobility, applauded their first efforts of communication, be it a clap, a wave of the hand, or a word. Kids are a lot of work, but they are also captivating in how entertaining they are.

At nearly 11 months, Matt's personality is shining through. Generally, he is an easy-going kid, smiling at anyone who talks to him, but he also can get cranky fast, be a bit lazy(he still hates to hold his own bottle) and he absolutely loves to be held. That last one would be a lot easier if he didn't weigh 28 lbs! Matt loves to get into things he shouldn't-the dog's water bowl, the bathroom to climb on the toilet, the stairs ect. He loves to explore on his own, but loves attention. He does not understand "NO" even though sometimes I think he does and just ignores me anyways. He does get this devilish grin on his face when I tell him "NO", he smiles/laughs and then proceeds to do whatever it was he intended on doing in the first place. I think he will give me many gray hairs, especially in his teen years. Matt has one of the most infectious laughs, I can be so agitated at him, and he'll smile at me, giggle and my heart will melt. My Matt is a beautiful little being who is going to keep me on my toes. One of the funniest thing Matt does is make this face at people. I call it the "Popeye" face. It is a cross between a smile and a sneer. He usually uses it when people talk to him and he isn't quite sure what to make of them. We were able to capture it the other day at the Halloween parade(more to come on that in a different post) while Matt sported Papa's hat:

Whatever face he makes this kid is just funny to watch. He can be completely "chill" one minute:

And unstoppable the next:

Matt is on the verge of toddler hood, and I am sure that this next year is going to bring me many more laughs.

Speaking of laughs...Zach is one of the most comical kids I know. Listening to him throughout the day as he plays independently or creates games for us to play together is so entertaining. He does voices, deep ones, high squeaky ones, all sorts and it is funny. Why just last night, Zach was helping me make french fries for dinner, when he said, "Mom look at my moustache" I looked up to see him holding a french fry to his lip:

As I'm taking this shot, he was talking in his deep man voice, saying "Do you like my moustache?" I mean he is a riot.

He is also now big into the superheroes. As much as I wanted to keep him a baby, he's become a boy. He will say "I am the Hulk!" and roar at you, and then say "I'm going to fight the bad guys" And even though this phase is funny, sometimes I worry that Zach is getting a little too physical. Some days Z finds his superhero self in time out because he's punch someone (Mom or Dad or Lennie usually) or tackled his little brother. In some way this phase is interesting because as lovable as Zach is, he does have a whiny streak, so when he is his superhero self, he often times acts invincible:

(This also is his Halloween costume- I found one without a full mask) Yes, he does ask to wear it almost every day, No I do not always let him, but sometimes I just feel a little safer having Spiderman around. Plus, as Spiderman, Zach "pisses" at the bad guys. When he says that I can't help but chuckle. You know, the webs sound like "pst" so in Zach's world when he is pretend web slinging, he's and I quote, "pissing". So funny.

The truth is that the more Zach talks the more humorous he becomes. He is a gentle soul for the most part, well mannered,charming, outgoing, and a total ham. As he gets older though, he is totally showing his all boy humor. The other day as I was taking a picture of his new hair cut, he let out a "farty marty". Instead of feeling embarrassed or saying excuse me, he laughed:

Of course he did, he is after all a 2 almost 3 year old boy, who finds farts and superheroes fascinating. Funny stuff for him... and me.

Rainbows...

Yesterday morning I caught a glimpse of the sunrise from my downstairs window. I hurried outside to capture the beauty of the skies:

When I turned around to head back towards home, I didn't expect to see this:

It was a beautiful rainbow that arched the entire sky. I love rainbows. I think it comes from the fact that once when I was studying the Bible I cried reading the explanation for rainbows given in Genesis. I am by no means a person who rattles off scripture by heart, but the explanation was basically that God sent a rainbow to Noah following the flood. It went on to say that rainbows are God's promise to man that he will never again flood the entire Earth. Something about that struck a chord, and ever since I always smile at rainbows. Needless to say it was a wonderful surprise waking up to see not only the gorgeous sunrise, but the striking rainbow as well. It also made me chuckle because at the end of that rainbow(at least from my vantage point) was my very own pot of "gold":
Even though the rest of the day was dreary and rainy...you know that old adage "Red sky at morning sailor's take warning, red sky at night sailor's delight" I had to smile thinking of nature and all the beauty it brings, especially in Autumn.

My kind of fall weekend...

As a teacher I usually have Columbus day weekend circled on my calendar ten times. Somehow this year I wasn't even aware that there was a 3 day weekend headed my way, probably because most days just roll into the next.

The weather was warm and beautiful, with temperatures rising into the 70's here. It was the sort of weekend that begged for an outing. We choose to head to a pumkin farm with the boys and my BF Jenn and her family. We had a lot of fun looking at huge pumpkins, crafts, and animals.

Zach had the most fun riding the kiddie rides. (Mom and Dad were able to get in on the fun too!):

But on of Z's favorite parts of the day was riding on the ponies. Zach was able to ride "Cocoa" again...he was so excited!:

As for the "babies" (I use that term loosely with Matt) they found ways to enjoy the day. Averie enjoyed being pushed around, and find time to take a nap.

Matt on the other hand, took in the sights, enjoyed snacks, and was excited that his brother won him a prize.

Even the adults got in on the action. Dan really enjoyed visiting with all the animals, especially the camel. Wayne went on a super slide with Z, and claims he will never go again, while the 2 year old raced to try to get back on.

Jenn and I entertained ourselves by showing off our witchy side

And then we posed(some of us did) for some group/family shots:

All in all it was a beautiful day, and the fun continued yesterday at an impromptu pizza gathering at my sis' house. It was great to see my fam and watch Jack and Zach reunite. With Jack in school, Z is missing his cousin something fierce, so it was nice to see the boys enjoying their cousin time. Both the boys really enjoyed putting on their costumes and being two sides to the same superhero.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as we did.