Bat Girl

 

So about two months ago we started talking about what the kids would dress up as for Halloween. I picked out a cute fireman costume for Jonah at a rummage sale over the summer and Leah was perfectly happy dressing up in her princess gear. That last quite awhile until I recieved a magazine with a boy with a bat hat on the cover. Leah thought it was cool and switched her tune. SHe over and over requested a bat costume instead! Well, I tapped the internet for some ideas and came up with a pretty easy one. We cut an umbrella in half and sewed it to a sweatshirt! I picked up the ears at Walgreens. The combination made for one VERY happy little girl.

Oh and she was the only kid at her school in a homemade costume and the only girl who was not dressed as a princess!

Grand Parents

The first weekend in October Paul had to be out of town for business meeting. Usually when that happens I pack the kids up and head to my parents to hangout. This time though, I found out that my mom was headed up to north west IOwa for teacher meetings. Since my Grandma & aunt, uncle & cousins live there we decided to go along for the ride. . . . . . and it was a LONG ride. (Kitty corner across IA! Keokuk to almost Sioux Falls, SD in one day!) The kids were troopers and I was VERY thankful for the DVD player in the car. Makes me wonder how my parents traveled long distances with four kids in the car.

Anyway, we were hoping to get a taste of the farm while in IOwa but the weather did give us much opportunity for that. Leah did get to see her cousin's bottle calves, market steers & bunnies and we made a fun trip to the Washington Pavillion in Sioux Falls, SD. It was great to see family and I think our visit really made Great-Grandma's day.

We broke up the trip home by spending a night in Pella. Grandma Helen & Grandpa Lee squeezed in a trip to the park and a walk in the prairie even though it was chilly!

More from YEsterday

 

 

 

 

CORN!!

I am dreadfully behind on getting photos up here and blogging about what we have been up too. YOu'd think with the down right dreary cold weather we've been having I'd have lots of time on the computer. NOPE! Too busy hauling JOnah off the counter tops and table tops.

Yesterday we made our first pumpkin farm visit of the season. It felt more like winter but we had fun anyway. The corn box was the kids favorite. We got a quite a few laughs when Leah's classmates & parents saw me sticking my hands in her pants to pull out corn! Her boots were full of corn too. I'm trying a new program for the photos so we'll see how this goes!

 

 

 

 

Conversations with Leah

We took a trip to NW Iowa last week to see my grandma. We had this conversation in the car.

"Mom, we are going to see great grandma right?"

"Yes Leah, we are going to see her at the nursing home"

"Where is grandpa? Does he live at the baby nursing home too?"

"No, he's in heaven"

"With God? How did he get there"

"WEll his body isn't there Leah but his soul is. It's hard to explain. When you die just part of you goes to heaven"

"I think that you hold an umbrella and fly up to the sky. Up above clouds to heaven to be with God. I think that would be really fun mom."

"Me too Leah"

"I was just thinking about that mom"

Cousins

Back on Labor Day, which now seems like ages ago, we ventured up to Iowa for a visit with Paul's parents and extended family that were in town for a memorial service for Paul's uncle. For almost a year now Leah has been talking about seeing her cousin Nickolas. He is really her second cousin but it's all the same to her. Even though he is a five year old boy, he is sweet and dear to Leah and she loves him for it. The two of them were pretty much side by side all weekend and Leah sobbed when he had to leave on Sunday afternoon. It's a good think Thanksgiving isn't too far away! I'm not sure I can take the "when do we get to see Nickolas??" questions much longer!!

Give me a Break

So Paul and I were super tired a few weeks ago and were trying to come up with some way to keep our kids under control with minimal work. This is what we came up with.



Yup, that's carseats in the living room. Yes, they are bucked in. NO, they aren't going anywhere. Yes, they sat like this for a good 15 minutes. Yes, I am considering purchasing another set of carseats to leave in the living room permanently!

So we don't really pin our kids down like this! Leah got a new car seat and JOnah's was in the house for cleaning. They are much more fun in the house than in the car!

Back to School

So it wasn't Leah's first day of school ever ,but it was her first day of school this fall. We went back and forth about sending her to two day a week preschool but when I found out that almost all of her playgroup friends were going somewhere and that there was lots of room left in the program at the YMCA, I signed her up!

It was quite a change from dropping her off last spring where she clung to us and cried when we left. This year she helps pack up her pricess lunch box & elmo backpack & gives me hugs and kisses at the door and says see you later! Sweet! Looks like she is goign to have a fun year full of crafts, games, songs, swimming, field trips, parties, etc!

Oh and it gives me a break!

Conversations with Leah

Paul: Leah, no cartoons tonight. We are going to watch the President on TV
Leah: What?
Paul: We are going to watch grown up TV, the Presidential Address.
Leah: I have dresses daddy. Some of them don't fit anymore. But the flowered one still fits and the pink one still fits!

Sting Razors

The new attraction at the STL Zoo this year is the stingrays. They have a big shallow pool filled with them. You can stick your hand in and pet them and even feed them! It's right at the height for kids Leah's size.

I found out last week that the sting rays will be leaving for the winter and realized that we hadn't been to see them yet, so I packed the kids up on Saturday and off we went. My friend Jen and I totally built up the experience for Leah and somehow in her little mind, stingrays became "sting razors!" Sounds like a scary shaving experience doesn't it!! Leah did stick her hand in the water but never did actually "pet" a sting razor. She got freaked out when the very first one splashed us.

The rest of our day at the zoo was great. Jonah finally is at the age where he was interested in the animals! Fun times.

mmm ice cream cake

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE ice cream cake??? It's one of the perks of having a summer birthday! (Although I've been know to purchase it in the winter too!) Being out of town prior to Jonah's birthday and having no time to bake was the perfect excuse to get one last weekend for his celebration! I think he loves it almost as much as his momma!

ONE!

Jonah is one! A year ago last Friday I spent the day twiddling my thumbs waiting for the pitocin to kick in. I spent 3 hours feeling the pain and about 3 minutes pushing him out! I then spent 30 minutes waiting to hold my cold, congested baby boy. What a year it's been. The sleepless nights are sort of coming to a close. We survived the first few months of projectile puking, the burn, and other aches and pains. Our mellow mushroom has blossomed into our crazy monkey full of personality and attitude. Love you baby boy!

And we're off . . . .

No photos for this post. I'm blogging from gate C18 at the Saint Louis airport. Paul & I are headed to Puerto Rico for 4 nights. The kids are hanging out with Grandma Helen & Grandpa Lee for the week. I think we'll all have fun!

Monkey Boy

Have I mentioned that we call Jonah "monkey boy". He is a climber. Refuses to sit in shopping cart. Tries to scale the bookshelves in the YMCA childcare room. Hangs from the crib rail. Climbs backward up the slides at the playground. Regular little monkey.

This is how he arrived on the back of the couch.

mmm Fritz's

"What would you two like?"
"Brown ice cream"
"chocolate?"
"yeah I want chocolate" "yeah me too" (said while jumping around in circles!)
"with sprinkles?"
"yeah sprinkles" "yeah sprinkles" (also said with jumping around with excitement!)
"okay two chocolates with sprinkles"


So Carter and Leah totally got to order for themselves tonight. I'm not sure I paraphrased their conversation with the girl at the window correctly because their order was complete and they were off running before Jen and I even walked up to the counter! Good thing we had the money to pay for their treats!


Mmm Fritz's sure tasted good tonight. Oh and it's custard not ice cream. Frozen custard seems to be the thing in Saint Louis.

And Jonah was happy about the free baby cone!

STL City Garden

So have I mentioned that I really like living close to a big city? More than I ever thought I would!! I wish I had the time and energy to explore more of the cool neighborhoods, nooks & crannies of STL but I guess that will come with time. Today we had a blast at the newest park downtown , City Garden. I guess it's not really a new park, but a newly renovated space. Regardless, it was a great time for the kids on a hot day! Makes you want to come cool off here doesn't it??

Baby's First Trip to Hooters

Yes, it does seem a bit "wrong" to make note of this but boy did it really crack me up! We have always been fans of the chicken wings at Hooters and stopped there for lunch on a visit downtown today. We figure Jonah will think this photo is really cool when he's 18 or so.

Lonely Blog

Yes this blog has been neglected a bit lately. The kids and I were up in Iowa at my parents for a week while Paul was in Dallas, TX for work. We got our fill of the Iowa countryside, picking raspberries, fun times with the aunties, campfires, good times!

The kids with Grandma Helen & the garden

And Paul joined us at the end of the week to celebrate the 4th!

ETA: notice that last pic of us. It's the night of the 4th and we are NOT at the fireworks. Why not you ask??? Well because Leah is terrified!! She has developed a fear of all sorts of loud noises including: fireworks, thunder, & loud flushing toilets. So since Jonah was asleep & Grandpa started a great fire we skipped out!

The Price of Beauty

So all girls know that a made up face, great hair, etc, don't come with out a little time working on them. And fabulous curls take a LOT of work when you have the long, straight, smooth hair that Leah and I have. She has been asking for weeks to try out my hot rollers since she spied them in the closet a while back. This Saturday I pulled them out since Jonah was taking a nap and she had a birthday party to look cute for!

All was well until I told her they were hot. She freaked out!! Somehow I talked her into letting me put them in anyway. Guess I should be glad she wasn't impressed since I don't have time for hot rollers everyday!



Anyway, this is the finished product which she was quite thrilled with!

Conversations With Leah

Leah is at the age where she says some stuff that really cracks us up. Paul and I keep commenting that we really need to write this stuff down. So here are some good ones.

Leah says "Dad, what is that your drinking"
Paul says "Scotch, Leah"
Leah says "Like hopscotch daddy!?"



Paul says "Leah, who's my princess??"
Leah says "I am daddy, and Jonah is mommy's princess"