Naked Dining

Naked dining.... sounds scary, intimidating, and downright weird? Well, the only naked dining we have at our house is done routinely by the little blond haired, blue eyed, soon to be three year old. He does NOT like to get his shirt dirty when he eats and since he refuses to wear a bib and always has it leaves him with the only choice that results in a clean shirt after eating. Seems he really only does this at dinner time and mostly at home although he has tried to disrobe at restaurants and other peoples homes. It really is cute. It almost always starts out the same way; he asks if dinner is going to be messy;I reply yes, it might be; then next thing I know his shirt is off and he's sitting at the table ready to eat. It used to just be with tacos or spaghetti but now he really can make every meal turn into a messy dining experience. Foods like applesauce turn into lotion and he is rubbing it all over his belly and chest, honey mustard turns into hair gel and he is running it through his spiky blond hair. Peanut butter and jelly don't stand a chance. So now naked dining leads to shower which then leads to a movie (15minutes), that leads to a book or two, that leads to prayers, that leads to a drink, that leads to me or daddy laying in bed with our phone timer set for 3 minutes, that leads to good night kiss, that leads to sleep. Thankfully the rest of us have learned that food goes into our mouth and that napkins and forks are useful during meals, otherwise the thought of all of us participating in naked dining makes me lose my appetite although that might be what I need to lose these last 10 pounds.......

Wordless Wednesday - Tubby Time with Two

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

Last Wednesday I was able to join Hayden at the library for story hour and Landon got to come along as well. For two weeks my work schedule changed and so I finally got to see what happens at the story hour. Hayden was excited to show me all about the weekly visit. Dianna and Kayla joined us as well. Hayden was very nervous that Kayla wasn't coming. Once she walked in he yells out "kaywa is here!" He ran over and hugged her and ushered her into the room to have a seat on the floor next to us. He showed her that I was there and that his little brudder came as well. Several books were read and the kids got jumbo leaf cut outs and swayed them back and forth onto the ground only for the wind to come along and whoosh the leaves up. We sang a few songs and then made a fall wreath with leaves and paper plates. Next we returned our books and after nearly 4 weeks Hayden was finally ready to return The house that Jack built. I had never heard this story before and it has quickly became a favorite of mine and secretly I was disappointed to return it. I tried to check out the old lady that swallowed the fly but it wasn't available. I'll try again tomorrow. The topic of story time was on autumn so I found the perfect book to bring home to continue the theme, Fletcher and the Falling leaves. Fletcher is a cute fox and is very concerned about the tree with the leaves that are brown and falling off. So in the spirit of fall and in preparation for Hayden's birthday, we raked leaves. Well not really we... Jeff raked, Hayden played and tried to help but actually undid and work that Jeff was trying to do and I took pictures and Landon protested. Here's a few I got before my battery died....

Autumn is Here

Well on the calender it says autumn has arrived but to step outside it certainly hasn't felt like it. It has been warm and dry. I love it! I am not ready for winter and cold dark days to arrive. I do love spring and fall and the 70 degree weather that those seasons are suppose to bring. I will take a warm autumn over an unseasonably cold one any year. I just wish that it doesn't go from being warm to frigid temperatures. Last weekend we not only enjoyed the great weather but we also enjoyed a great weekend filled with family time.

In years past we have gone to Huber's or the local farm, Gallreins, both of which have been fun but this year we decided to check out Deere Farm in Lanesville to avoid the large crowds that have become common at Huber's. It's about the same distance and so with Dede, Aunt Andrea, Uncle Kevin, Addison, Baby K, and Uncle Keith, Aunt Emily, Avery, and Grandpa Abrams we set out for a day of hayrides and pumpkin picking.

We arrived before the farm opened so we got a lite breakfast at a small, local diner if you can even call it that. We were the largest group they had ever served. It was a unique experience to say the least. We then arrived at the farm and the kids had fun playing in the corn wagon, hay maze, and hill slide. We went on a 30 minute hayride which actually lasted maybe 15 minutes than picked our pumpkins, snapped some pictures and headed out for a late lunch.

Grandpa was so kind to purchase all his great grandchildren pumpkins. Mimi would have loved the day had she been with us but at least we know she is their in spirit. It is sad that she never had the chance to see any of her great grandchildren before pancreatic cancer reared it's ugly self. She would have loved on all these babies and spoiled em rotten.
After loading up the crew we went to Rocky's on the River and had some Italian for lunch...... pizza, ziti, spaghetti, and calzones to name a few of what we ate.
It was a fun fall day and now we just have to decorate those pumpkins before the ghosts and globulins start ringing our doorbell next week. Happy Autumn and Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat at the Zoo

It has been several years since I last went to the world's largest Halloween party at the zoo. It was before I had children of my own and went with the nephews, Connnor and Carson. They had so much fun walking through the zoo at night filling up their bags with candy and such. Several years later here I am taking my two boys to the zoo. Landon obviously didn't know what was going on but cooperated and wore his chicken costume and was content to be pushed around in the stroller one Thursday night. Hayden was so excited to dress as his favorite duck, Donald and couldn't wait to fill up his bag with candy. He was just as excited to see his cousins. Around the zoo we walked stopping at the stations to get the candy, books, and silly bands. The animals were put away so it was mostly seeing all the decorations that had been put in place for the party, including the wicked witch on her bike stuck up in a tree. Addison stopped and posed for pictures with the characters including those from the the wizard of oz which was appropriate as she was dressed as the cutest Dorothy. Hayden wanted no part of the characters. Afterwards we went to Gattiland which was fun and Landon chowed down on lots of big boy food but boy can his cousin Avery really eat. I have never seen an infant eat so much and so fast. If that wasn't enough we then went to a street that is known for their Halloween decorations. About 15-20 houses were elaborately decorated and we took a stroll up and down the street. This was really neat as I had seen about this on the news in years past but had never seen it in person. Afterwards we headed home only to be stuck in construction traffic and sat for over an hour and didn't arrive home until 11:30 which is way past bedtime especially on a work night. Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

Strawberry Picking

This is an oldie back from June that I had written but was waiting to get the photos from a friend before I posted. Sadly the weekly play dates have come to an end because my dear friend Erin has found herself back in the workforce after 4 years as an at home mommy. I am happy for her and her family as this is what is best for them right now but am sad as there is no replacement for the friendship and weekly dates we had come to know and love.....

For the past 3 months my college friend, Erin, and her two boys have been spending one day a week with me and my two boys. This has been something I look forward to every week. Hayden loves his pal Aidan and is glad to have another guy friend to hang out with since all his cousins (his age) are girls. Don't get me wrong he loves his Kayla, Addison and Audrey but hey every guy needs a little guy time. This particular week we went to a local farm and picked strawberries. Besides it being oppressively hot and humid it was a fun first for Hayden, myself and Landon although he didn't actually pick any.

First Family Vacation with a Family of Four

Lot's of new things for our family vacation this year

1. Landon was outside of my body this year as opposed to him traveling in the comfort of my uterus last year and let me tell you he required a lot more luggage this year on vacation....pack n play, bumbo chair, toys, clothes, bathing supplies, formula, bottles, baby food, blankie, paci's, swimming trunks, baby pool, sunscreen.... you get the idea. He LOVED crawling all over the sand.


2. We vacationed on the East coast instead of the panhandle.... Florida panhandle has soft white sandy beaches and turquoise water but the Atlantic has wide flat beaches great for kids to play on and long walks, an ocean that is shallow that is ideal for little ones. The panhandle is much more beautiful but the Atlantic is better suited for a family with little ones.


3. First vacation since 2006 that I haven't been pregnant or nursing so I was able to experience a Mango Mai-Tai for the first time and it was delish.


4. We had a new experience staying in a resort with two huge indoor water parks which was great for little ones. It meant less sunscreen, heated water and the convenience of taking an elevator down 8 floors and having a lazy river, water slides, kiddie pool, hot tubs, and silly submarine all for our enjoyment.


5. First time I stayed at a condo that all the rooms are decorated the same and have floral decor. For those of you that know me really well you know I am kind of a vacation snob. Meaning I want my room to have granite counter tops, nice decor that doesn't consist of blue or yellow floral beachy decor. This year I weighed the options, nice adult resort with upgraded amenities, granite counters, neutral color palette, vast ocean front view vs floral decor, yellow walls, more kid friendly resort with an angled ocean view. Obviously I chose the later and it really was nice. The decor was better than I thought, I was less disturbed by the yellow walls than I thought I would be as there where some beige accents, granite counter tops and tile floors, modern and clean amenities. The place was had so many positives that we will be going back for many more years to come mostly due to the large floor plan, kid friendly activities, and the water park.


6. No rain.... can't remember the last time I have been at the beach without rain. Not just your normal afternoon shower but there wasn't a tropical depression, stalled front, tropical storm or hurricane which we have experienced before.

We (Us plus Jeff's parents) traveled the week of September 11th the the Dunes Village Resort in Myrtle beach. The kids traveled well. We broke up the drive down into two days. After working a full day we drove to Ashville and spent the night. We got in about 1 am and stopped at a holiday inn. The rate was ridiculous so we drove down the street to a Ramada and got the room for $59 plus we all got free breakfast at IHOP with our stay. The room was clean... that's about all I can say about it but who needs more when you are staying for 6 hours. (This was another first. I have not traveled without hotel reservations and knowing where I would be spending the night.) On Saturday we took our time driving and got checked in around 5. Ate dinner at the resort restaurant with two tired kids and then went grocery shopping. The rest of the week we went to the indoor water park every morning which Hayden LOVED, went back to the room for lunch and kids naps, then headed to the beach for the late afternoon and early evening. Paul and Deanna did a lot of sight seeing, Jeff did some golf, I had a few hours of alone beach time. Jeff and I were even able to go out to dinner and take a stroll on the beach one night. We also went to the adult water park at the resort with Deanna one night and Deanna and I went to a Cirque performance which was mediocre at best. The resort also had mini golf that we played, shuffle board, ping pong, giant chess set, and kids program with activities such as magic show, face painting, arts and crafts and balloon animals. The following Saturday we headed home around 10:30 after eating at Hot Stacks local pancake house. The boys did even better on the ride home minus Hayden peeing in his car seat and us having to pull off the side of the road immediately and I mean immediately every time he said he had to potty. The boy downed a 8 oz glass of chocolate milk with breakfast and pottied twice before we left. So 45 minutes later when he said he needed to pee we told him to hold it and we headed to the nearest gas station but not 1 minute later we hear him say ugh ooh. Never good. So after changing him and cleaning the car seat we made it home in little under 12 hours.

Water Park