HAPPY FALL

I'm very excited about Fall.  The weather is getting cooler and the trees are beautiful.  I don't think we will have a very long Fall before it is bitter cold and everything is covered in snow.  But we will enjoy it while we can.  

May the force be with you

Trying on our Halloween costumes.  Too cute!

Roasted Marsh Mellows

We are still doing swim school, however; next week is the end of the session and I think I will give Nathan's teachers a break and not enroll him in the next session.  This session he got an older lady and she isn't very patient when he pretends to eat the stick with the floats on each end. Of course when I asked what he was doing he look at me like I was an idiot because those aren't floats they are roasted marsh mellows (of course).  Driving  home he often asks me what the teacher means when she says, "No candy for that boy!"  I can't help but shake my head and wonder what the school years will be like.  Eric is a little worried that there are voices in his head!

Are you listening?

So lately Nathan has had a really hard time listening.  It isn't him being naughty, his imagination has just gotten the better of him.  He is never here in reality.  Two days ago at lunch his feet began talking to each other.  One was Yoda and the other was Ariel (little mermaid).  They were having quite the conversation at one point Ariel told Yoda to, "Get down from there!"  Anyway, this extreme imagination has been causing problems at preschool and swim school.  Once again the teachers tell me he is having trouble listening.   I am harnessing all my teacher knowledge and we are working on this at home.  I can't really ask him to stop using his imagination, but I will only ask him to do something once before a time-out.  I thought 3 year olds were suppose to be concrete thinkers... I blame Little Bear.  

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch to waste some time.  It really is a lot of fun to watch Nathan play.  This year he was the perfect size for all the activities.  

Big boy tub

Zachary had his first bath in the bathtub.  He really seems to like the water.  He is only 6 weeks and has so much head control that he just sits in there with very little support from me.  I think Nathan was almost 12 weeks old before I could bathe him in the same bathtub.  I am constantly learning all the differences between a premature baby and a "take home" baby.  Zachary weighed 12 lbs yesterday when I held him on the scale.  I will have to check and see when Nathan hit 12 lbs.  I added a picture of Nathan's first bath in the bathtub at 3 months.  

So little time

So I'm a project junky and for the last 5 months I've been way too uncomfortable to do most of the ones on my list.  Now since Zach was born my need to finish and start projects is back in full force.  The problem is a rarely finish all the final details and my brain is constantly coming up with new ones to start.  I'm not complaining because the projects are all so much fun.  Here's a few on my list... switch playroom and tv room (just came up with this one today), stain/paint the sofa table, finish butterfly paintings for Paige, finish the tv cabinet, make a valance for Nathan's window, frame giant art prints, make a fabric headboard, put mulch in flower beds, put weed mat in other flower beds, start hot air balloon painting for Jolyn.  I will just stop there!

a morning with Holly

We went to the zoo this morning with the Pates.   Nathan and Holly haven't seen each other for weeks.  They spent the first 20 minutes walking hand in hand talking.  They didn't even look at the animals.  They were just happy to see each other.  It was a very pleasant morning.

BIG FAT FUN

Last Friday night Eric and I got to go out and be adults.  We went to a birthday party in Mulvane.  Apparently Mulvane only has 1 bar and it is the hot spot.  We had a great time.  The band was soo fun.  It was nice to go out and play.

Baby Whisperer, Anyone?

Can anyone tell me why my baby must grunt loudly every morning starting at 5:00?  The grunting is really cute during the day, but when I'm trying to sleep it is really annoying.  

I probably shouldn't but...

So ladies I have about 20 lbs to lose to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I going to start working out pretty seriously this week, but I'm a little hesitant about the diet.  When I started restricting calories after Nathan my milk production quickly started to diminish.  Anyway, there is this website that is sort of fun to play with, but can certainly become an obsession.  So knowing what I know about a few of my girl friends and their slightly obsessive body image issues, I probably shouldn't post this website, but I am anyway.  Visit at your own risk.  www.caloriesperhour.com 

Jamma, Jamma, Jamma, PJ

I have the best Mommy friends.  We have the most fun on Thursday afternoons.  Thursday afternoon is our standing play group.  We take turns hosting and the kids get to play and play and the mommies get to visit.  We watch the kids play and laugh and laugh.  We all step in to solve problems between our kids.  We all truly love each other and each other's kids.  It is a really lovely group.  Today we hosted and the kids wore their pajamas and we ate s'mores.  The kids were great and every single child complained about having to leave at the end.  I wish I had some pictures.

Letting Go!

Today, after preschool and play group, I loaded up my boys and an entire Jeep worth of Nathan's stuff and drove 90 miles to meet my parents.  About a month before Zachary was born Nathan expressed a  desire to spend the weekend at his grandparents (without his parents).  We started to refer to this as Nathan's Big Boy trip.  A few days ago, after struggling with Nathan all day, I decided to call the grandparents and make the Big Boy trip happen.  Nathan has been super excited and so have I.  Theoretically, Zach and I could stay in bed all day tomorrow.  

Funny thing is, as we are driving to the DQ (halfway to Tulsa) this evening my heart starts to race.  I start thinking about all the little things that Nathan likes to have at bedtime and worrying about how little sleep he actually gets at his grandparent's house.  I start to worry about him getting bored, sick, or sad.  I worry about him waking in the middle of the night wanting his mommy and me not being there to hold him.  I worry about how his grandparents will discipline him if he is naughty.  I worry that he feels like he has been shipped off so mommy and daddy can spend extra time with Zach.  

After we met my parents, transferred almost too much stuff to fit in my mom's car, and kissed goodbye,  I found 4 reasons to call my mom before I got back home.  I fought the urge to write a little letter explaining the details of Nathan's current behavior and day to day activities.   Even sitting here typing this blog I keep thinking of things I should have told my mom, but at some point I have to let go.  I have to be grateful that Nathan has grandparents who are close enough and willing to spend time with him.  I have to realize that this is an opportunity for Nate to enjoy lots of individual attention.  And most of all I need to enjoy a little break as Mommy.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

 So this is me, letting go, and looking forward to a little extra freedom for the next 3 days.  I'm sure Nathan will be the first and last thing on my mind every day that he is gone.