All things pumpkin...

 We are up to our elbows in pumpkins and patches and all things fall and it isn't even Halloween yet.  This may be one of my favorite times of year, aside from Christmas, summer, my birthday...ok, who am I kidding?  I like any occasion where I can eat, dress up, be with family and friends, drink coffee, drink wine, get presents, or have a reason to get a group together.  So pumpkins it is....
After about a week of rain, we both outfitted ourselves with new rain boots....there is something about being a boy and putting on some rain boots, finding water and mud and just exploring...

First was Aiden's school field trip to Taylor Farm..

This was right before he hopped 2 fences and bolted to the bounce house because he just couldn't wait any longer...

As usual...smallest in the group!

Every morning as we walk in these 2 little girls say "Hi Aiden"...STUD

Hay Ride out to see the wild horses

The Class

No Fear

Somehow this was the Perfect Pumpkin

This is what Aiden did the whole time...so different from last year when he was glued to my leg!

Next up was a weekend with my brother Tim, Sister in law Tammy and sweet Marissa....since football was rain out (with no rain??) we headed to the pumpkin patch...

Uncle Tim on baby duty!

Thrilled...

Really?  

Buddies for the weekend

HE. NEVER. STOPS.

Next on our fall agenda was a Pumpkin painting extravaganza at our sweet neighbors house.  The temps have really dropped so we had to bundle up!

Running...as usual

"sweet" little set up...lots of sugar for the kiddos

And a few treats for the adults

Adora-boo :-)

These two had a lovefest going on...holding hands the whole time.

A master at work...

T <3 L

I am thinking that this weekend will have to be filled with more fall fun...is there any other way!!!

A late weekend round up

This post is so last weekend but the good news is that in real life I am usually on time if not early so the blog world will just have to settle for late!

We had a really nice, busy, and eventful weekend.  It had been over a month since we last saw Nana and Pops so they drove up for a visit.  Nana and Pops are rock stars in Aiden's eyes and lucky for me they are incredibly helpful when they are here.  As my neighbor Jolene said, "everyone needs a Nana and Pops".  

Prior to their arrival I took Aiden to the toys store for a treat.  After a couple weeks of me noticing a little bit of attitude in my 4 year old, I revamped my parenting and boy if I haven't noticed such a wonderful difference! " A" had been doing so well with his manners and following directions for a few weeks so it was his choice...1 small toy...

Decisions, decisions...

Once N and P arrived we headed to dinner...I love going out to eat and they know I don't get to do it much with Leif being gone!

Saturday we went to the mall...N an P took the kiddos and I went off BY MYSELF to shop!  How sweet it is :-)

I didn't have to worry about the entire dressing room seeing me in my undies when Aiden decided to open the door or even worse no one was startled by Aiden peeking his head under the dressing room door with a friendly "hello"!  

We were also able to get a family pic...

We headed to our sweet neighbor Brayden's birthday party where all of our wonderful friends were...

I was able to take a nap, take a shower AND run on the treadmill uninterrupted!  It is truly the little things!

Of course I already wrote about Ladies night...

Sunday we went out to breakfast and then, despite the rain, we headed to White's Nursery for a little fun...

Easton loves the hay and the pumpkins...

They had a haunted house and Aiden insisted on going through not once but twice...my boy loves suspense and to be startled!

We decorated pumpkins...

Another family picture...

And I was also able to get some fall flowers to spruce up my porch...

Aiden loves his play time with Pops and is always so sad to see them go...

Thanks for a fun weekend and all of your help Nana and Pops!  

Orders...

After my poopy day, I received a nice phone call from the hubby with the best news!  One of my biggest complaints about Navy life is that I never get to "settle" anywhere...we are constantly moving!  When we bought our beautiful dream home here we hoped and hoped that we could do 2 consecutive tours in the same place but knew that nothing was a guarantee!!!  After hearing conflicting news about what was available in our timeline and for Leif's career path, it was confirmed today that we will be staying here for our next tour which is at least 2 years.  GREAT NEWS but even better news is that the ship we are slated for is NOT schedule to deploy during our tour.  GREAT NEWS but EVEN BETTER news is that with this slate Leif might...I stress MIGHT...get to come home from deployment a little early in order to report to a school to brush up on his Nuclear Engineering skills.  I will take a little early ANY DAY OF THE WEEK over a full deployment!!!

I am so excited for more time here...in this home, in this neighborhood, with these friends, and on this journey!  More family time, more mommy and daddy time, time to make lots and lots of memories together!!!  I am thrilled at the slightest possibility that my LOVE may get to come home earlier than expected...even if it is just a few weeks!  I miss him terribly!  For the first time in a while we had something to laugh about on the phone and something to celebrate...some GREAT news for our family!

What a poopy day!

After telling a few people about my day, I was told that I needed to write a blog about it.  Here is a warning...if you have a weak stomach, don't like bathroom talk, or lack a sense of humor...go ahead and move on :-)  This is not the story for you!  I have to document this because let's be real...THIS is the real stuff that you don't see on "reality TV" rather it is more like something you see on a comedy...a very dark comedy!

Today was a poopy day.  No joking...dirty, nasty, uncontrollable poopy day! Not for me but for my incredibly sneaky, incredibly smart, and now incredibly cleared out 4 year old.  Let's just say that after telling Aiden for years that he can only have the recommended dose on the vitamin label, I think he now knows why!  While I was nursing Easton, Aiden managed to climb onto the counter, get into the cabinets and open the CHILD LOCK on his Mickey Mouse Vitamins...recommended dose is 2...He ate about 10.  I really need to work on nursing and walking because sitting is not an option in this household.  No worries, I called poison control and they said he would be fine but let me tell you, all was not OK in our world today!

Aiden waddles into my room..."Mommy, I pooped my pants"  WHAT??????  I will spare you most of the details.  Let's just say mudpie...GAG!  Clean him up....15 minutes later "MOMMY (he screams from the other room) something just happened in my underwear"  Something??????  Oh it was something..."What is going on Aiden?"..."Those vitamins made my tummy grumble"...OH CRAP (literally) the vitamins...the fiber enhanced vitamins to be exact.  I lost count at underroos number 5...that is until I didn't put unders on him...we were upstairs putting away laundry and A says "I have to go and can't walk"  I grabbed him and ran as fast as I could...as soon as I hit the bathroom it was on like donkey kong...projectile, spraying, awful, smelly nastiness....it was like something you would see on a prank show...it was everywhere and Aiden was terrified.  "I am so so so so sorry Mommy"...all I could do was laugh...in the words of my sister "just laugh so that you don't cry".  Our next explosion was on the porch in front of our lawn guy complete with loud stomach gurgling, choo choo train gas, a few questionable glances from our landscaper, and BOOM..."Mommy, my pants are wet"..."yes, this is my life...proceed with lawn service please".  That poor poor poor man!  Our neighbors were also privy to the noises my childs bowels made...Not only did he scream down the stairs to me "Mommy I exploded again" but he also released a few surprising sounds effects to which my neighbor Brian said"Woah, are you ok?" "Yep" Aiden says "nothing came out that time" (now that's what I call perspective and positive thinking).

It was just one of those days where you just have to think to yourself...did that just happen?  And that?  And that too?  YEP...it did!  PHEW...what a crappy day!!!


Just to provide myself with a little perspective...today is Pregnancy and Infant loss awareness day.  There was a time when I had literally lost hope and would have killed to be up to my elbows in everything parenthood (just not diarrhea)...so I will take a tough day "on the job  rather than the alternative...ANY DAY!!!

Deployment date night!

 This weekend all the lovely ladies of "The Pepper" (our hood) got together for a ladies night which Tara organized and referred to as "deployment date night".  Our neighborhood has several military families including myself and 1 other wife whose hubs are currently deployed and  our sweet neighbors make sure we get a little grown up time!

Since I always have my boys with me, I rarely get the opportunity to "dress up" and by dress up I mean wear heels :-)!  There was a time in my life where it was odd to see me in flats but as agile as I may be, I don't want to fall while holding a child so I literally had to dust off my heels for this night out!

I emailed this picture to hubs on the ship...hopefully it put a little pep in his day!

We began our night at Tara's house where she had the cutest Halloween cups and festive drinks for all of us...

"Break out the Boo's"...too cute Tara!

Before we left we had to get another picture of the group...THIS should be the next Southern Living cover...

Load up the cars and off we go...

We headed downtown to a sweet wine bar...Press 626

We immediately began ordering wine, cheese plates, scallops, risotto...there was so much goodness being passed around the table...

Another thing being passed around the table was great conversation and support!  Imagine a group of 10 women, different ages, different backgrounds, different interests yet we can be a constant source of friendship and laughs for one another.  There is no drama, no backstabbing...just good fun, good food and FANTASTIC friendship! 

We don't get to pick our neighbors but we do get to decide which relationships to nurture...I know that where we are, with these ladies, is where the good Lord wanted us to be!  Raising our babies in an enriching and supportive environment!

 Thanks ladies for another wonderful night!  I am blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends reminding me everyday just how good I have it here in The Pepper!  

Lastly, as we ended our night my past resurfaced...you can take the girl away from the cheer but you can NEVER take the cheer away from the girl!