Pick Of The Patch

A couple of weeks ago, we drove out to the pumpkin patch for a day of fall fun.  We've been to this patch a  couple of times before; it's a great place to turn the kids loose and let them run to their hearts' content.  Before we arrived, I announced the rules for the day:  pictures first.  (Because I've learned that if you don't take them first, they don't get taken.)

 



Can we just stop for a moment and notice that Sydney's hair is the EXACT shade as the pumpkins? 

 

 

 

Once we got a few pictures out of the way, it was time for some adventure.  We wandered over to the petting zoo.  This year, Sam was all about making friends with the animals.  Sydney was more than happy to be friends at a distance.  I'm going to have to remember to take a roll of quarters with us whenever we do something like this.  Neither of us had any change in our pockets, so we didn't feed the goats this time.  (Don't worry....they didn't go hungry.  Those were some of the fattest well-fed goats I've ever seen.)

Sam and Sydney learned how to play corn-hole.  Who needs rules?  It's much easier to hit the hole if you stand on the corn-hole board.

 

 

 

Sam remembered the slide.  He talked about it in the car on the way there, so there was no way we were getting away without taking a trip (or twelve) down it.

Sydney would only go down the big slide with someone else, but she did like crawling through the tubes.

They both loved the kid-sized corn maze.  I love anything that lets my kids run and burn some energy.

But the absolute STAR of the day was the zip-line.  I was surprised (and pleased) with how well Sam did on it.  It's so funny to me to see the difference in my kids:  I have one who is very sensitive and loving but thrives on adventure, while I have another one who is sassy and you wouldn't expect to be afraid of the devil himself but wants NOTHING to do with thrill-seeking.

 

 Sam has already asked when we're going back.  Next year, maybe we'll talk him into that hayride.

Go Cats!

A couple of weeks ago, we took our first-ever trip to Commonwealth Stadium as a family of four.  Sam has been to a few games, but until this year we didn't think Sydney was ready Commonwealth was ready for Sydney.  The kids were both really excited.  No....I promise they were.  Sam just didn't want to sit still for pictures.  (This seems to be a common theme lately.)

Sam never wears a hat when we go out.  He likes to wear them to play and dress up at home, but it's just not something he gravitates toward if we're just running errands.  But that day, he needed to look like Daddy.

 

 

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  the best thing about sporting events is by far the concessions.  The trick is to strategically space your snacks.  Get a hot dog on your way in, and just about the time you think everyone is done and you're going to have to leave, you offer to go get popcorn.  It will buy you about another quarter of football fun.

Right after we sat down, a kid selling cotton candy wandered past us on the bleachers.  A guy a few rows in front of us motioned for him to stop so he could buy some cotton candy.  Sam was taking it all in.  So the next time he walked up the steps, Sam started waving his hand, trying to get his attention.  The poor kid was so confused because Sam was waving at him saying, "Cotton candy!" while I was waving him away saying, "No thanks!" 

 

 

I'd call the game a success.  Sydney fell asleep right after halftime.  My cousin and her husband went with us, so she and I decided to head back to the car at the beginning of the 4th quarter while the guys stayed for the rest of the game.  Sam loved the fireworks, and luckily UK scored several times during that game, so they went off a few times.  After she went to sleep, Sydney slept through all of the commotion.  Seriously...air raid sirens and fireworks going off and Sydney just snored away.  I wish she would sleep so soundly at night.

Summer Recap

It suddenly occurred to me that I posted a grand total of about 10 times this summer.  I don't exactly like that, so how about one giant summer recap post?  This summer, we...

...went on lots of walks.  For some reason my kids are obsessed with storm drains.  Every time we walk past this one, we have to stop and yell into it:  "HELLOOOOO, helloooo, hellooo."

...baked some treats.  Sam has really started to like helping in the kitchen.  Whenever he asks, I try to find a job for him to do.  His favorite job is taste-testing.

...played in our toy kitchen.  While Sam likes to help cook in the big kitchen, Sydney will usually go whip up a little something in the toy kitchen.  She usually fixes some type of soup, which is strange, because I usually can't get her to eat more than a couple of bites of soup if I fix it.  Maybe she just prefers her own recipe.

...celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary.  Shawn and I don't go out alone very often.  We both think it's really important; we just don't make the effort to do it very often.  So we agreed that during our 15th year of marriage, we were going to make it more of a habit.

On a completely different note, can you believe I've been married for 14 years?!  What were my parents thinking letting me get married when I was 12 years old?

...made a couple of trips to the emergency room.  On July 4th, Sydney slipped and broke her leg.  We had been swimming, and when we came inside she slipped on our hardwood floor and fell.  She suffered a spiral fracture just above her ankle on her tibia.  It was almost identical to the injury that Sam had.  She refused to let me put her down in the emergency room, went absolutely bananas during the x-rays and then slept through the splinting process.  I had Shawn snap a quick picture because I was sure she wouldn't believe us when we tell her this story in a few years.

I've wondered how much of the rest of this story that I want to share, and I think I'll just say this:  There are some people in this world that have really difficult jobs.  They are charged with protecting children from the people who should protect them the most...their parents.  I'm so glad that those people exist, and I cannot begin to imagine the stress that they operate under on a daily basis.  The system is not perfect, to be sure, but I am thankful that it is in place.  Because such evil exists in our world, we have to cast a wide net and then weed out the accidental injuries from the deliberate injuries.  If Shawn and I have to answer a few uncomfortable questions in order to ensure that even one child is safe, we are willing to do that.  That being said, we truly hope we don't see the inside of an emergency room for a very long time.

...had a few picnics.

...didn't let our injuries slow us down.

As a matter of fact, she quickly learned how to use it to her advantage.  "Mommy, push me!" became a pretty common request demand.

...started preschool.  From the very first moment that we mentioned going to school to Sam, he was excited about it.  I was worried that when it actually became reality, the idea would lose some of it's sparkle.  I'm happy to report that he has loved every second of it.  Which is a good thing, because if he had shed even one tear on the first day, I might have just marched him right back out of there and back home.  (I might've shed a tear or two after I dropped him off.)  But he has really blossomed in school:  after only a month, we can already tell a big improvement in his speech, his listening skills, and his handwriting.  His brain is a little sponge, and I'm so grateful for the wonderful people who are helping to fill it up.

...ate lots (and lots) of popsicles in our playhouse.

...learned to drive.  Sam's friend Carson took Sydney for a drive in the little Jeep.  The reason this is significant is because Sydney would NEVER let Sam drive her around, but as soon as she saw Carson driving, she insisted on riding with him.  Shawn and I joked that she went on her first date at 2 years old.

These two always have such a good time together.  I can't wait to see what kind of mischief they get into when they're older.

After Carson safely drove her around, she decided that maybe riding with her brother wasn't so horrible after all.

...attended a Mommy and Me music class.  Now that Sam is in school, Sydney and I have been looking for a few special things to do together.  We've tried story time at the library, but she basically listens to the story for about 5 minutes then wanders off to play with the train table and I end up sitting and listening to the story by myself.  So one week a friend recommended this music class at our church.  Because of some scheduling problems, we've only attended one time, but we'll definitely go back.  Sydney was so excited about "singing with Mommy" until we got there and other people began showing up.  The nerve!  She sat in my lap and refused to participate in any of the class activities.  UNTIL...they got the giant parachute out.  I've never seen a kid alive that could resist playing under a parachute.

...missed Sam while he was in school.  The first day that we took Sam to school, Sydney looked around in the back seat and declared, "We forgot Sam!"  She's always excited when it's time to go pick him up.

Dear Sam,

Tomorrow is the day.  Your first day of preschool.  I'm really not sure how this happened, since I'm pretty sure I just gave birth to you yesterday. 

You are SO excited.  We went and toured your classroom and met your teacher a few nights ago.  While we were there, Ms. Brittany had planned a little activity for you and your classmates.  You were supposed to color a little paper person to look like you to identify your spot at the table.  Maggie, the little girl sitting next to you, meticulously colored her paper person's clothes in coordinating shades of pink and purple.  You, on the other hand, reached into the crayon box without looking, grabbed the first crayon your fingers landed on, scribbled across your person's shirt 3 times and declared, "I'm done."  Boys vs girls....

I've thought and thought about what I most want you to remember as you start this new chapter of your life.  I want you to love learning.  I want you to always treat others with the same kindness that I see you exhibiting now.  And I want you to remember that God loves you, just like he loves all of the other children in your class.  And because God loves them (even if they're mean to you), you need to love them too.  It's a hard lesson.  I went to school for a long time, and I've been out of school for a long time, and I STILL struggle with it. 

But I know you can do it, Sam.  You are a big boy for your age, and I've always said it's because you needed a big body for your big heart.  Let yourself love, baby.  It's hard, and sometimes it hurts, but it's ALWAYS the right thing to do.  You have it inside you.  I see it every day when you come hug me for no reason.  When you share with your sister even when she doesn't reciprocate.  When you gently pet the dog.  When you insist that daddy lie in bed and listen to the Eagles at night.  Your ability to love is one of your greatest assets. 

I'm so proud of you.  I can't wait to hear all about your first day...and all of the others after that. 

Love,
Mommy
Romans 12:2

Great Wolf Lodge

A few weeks ago, we took a little mini-vacation to Great Wolf Lodge.  I love mini-vacations and stay-cations.  Don't get me wrong---I LOVE the beach.  It's my happy place.  But it's exhausting to go to the beach, is it not?  There's the obsessing over where to stay...then the obsessing over packing...then the obsessing over child-proofing your new home for the week...then the obsessing over how in the world do you get your kids to sleep in a location that is totally unfamiliar to them....then the exhausting pile of laundry to tackle when you get home.  (Maybe I'm the only crazy person who obsesses over these things.)  I always wish for a few extra days off from work just to recover from the vacation. 

 

But MINI-vacations...that's different.  I still obsess a little over where to stay, but you don't have to pack as much, they're usually a little closer to home, and you still get a few days to just veg out relax in your pj's at home before you have to get back to the real world.

 

We LOVED Great Wolf Lodge.  This was our first time visiting, and I really can't say enough nice things about it.  Everything is kid-friendly...I thought Sam's head might explode from excitement.  This knight was in the hallway on our way to our room, and every. single. time. we passed it, Sam had to stop and tell it hi. 

 

Our first night there, Sam spotted this arcade with a kid-sized bowling alley, and he was mesmerized.  So the next night we decided to bowl a few frames.  Pandemonium ensued (I was really glad we didn't launch one of the bowling balls at the neighboring lanes), but the kids had fun. 

 

 

They had games that you could actually play, but the kids were happy sitting in this little bus and pressing buttons on the machines.  (No coins necessary.)

 

But the absolute best part about our stay was the waterpark.  Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures from that part because I didn't think to buy a waterproof camera before we went.  And once you're inside the water area, there really isn't an area that is completely water-safe.  I snapped just a few shots then put the camera in our locker. 

 

 

Sydney was not a fan of the slides.  At.  All.  But she loved this little splash pad with the shooting geysers, and she really liked the wave pool too.  So that's where she and I hung out while the boys went thrill-seeking.

 

Sam, on the other hand, LOVED the slides.  He was a little bit offended that there were two slides he couldn't ride because he didn't meet the height requirement.  He has asked us every single day since we got home if we can go on the waterslides again.  Every.  Day. 

 

I think the star of the show was this giant tree house they had.  It was full of water sprayers, dumping buckets, water spouts the kids could turn on an off...lots of fun.

 

 

We had one little scary moment while we were there.  Sydney and I were in the wave pool, and Shawn came over and told me he couldn't find Sam.   They had gone down a slide that ended in the lazy river.  They had gotten separated in the river, and apparently Sam had gotten out without Shawn.  I immediately went into crisis mode.  I went to the top of the highest waterslide so I could get an eagle-eye view of the park and sent Shawn to find a lifeguard.  I tried to remain calm and reminded myself that Sam had a lifejacket on, but I started playing all of these scenarios in my head of someone packing him off and me never seeing him again.  Thankfully, about 5 minutes later (honestly maybe less) I spotted Shawn and he flashed me the "ok" sign.  The lifeguard simply got on his walkie-talkie and radioed out that we were looking for a 4 year old in a blue puddle-jumper lifejacket with navy shorts on.  Just a minute later someone radioed back that he was on the treehouse.

 

When I caught up to Sam, I asked him if he was afraid.  He looked at me like I had lost my mind and said, "No, I was just playin'."  He didn't know anything was wrong.  He had simply finished one fun thing and had gone on to the next.

 

I was so impressed with the lifeguard staff.  They were well-organized and very focused on their job.  Even before we lost Sam, I had noticed what a good job they were doing.  Instead of sitting on chairs, they were constantly moving and scanning the water areas, and they did a great job of keeping the area safe without being overbearing.  The times I did see them correct anything, they did it without making the child feel scolded.

 

 

Sydney couldn't hang as long as Sam.  Swimming is fun, but MAN is it exhausting.

 

Summertime

We've been doing a lot (and I mean A. LOT.) of swimming.  Sam discovered goggles this summer, and now it is impossible to go near the water without them.  He's been practicing without his lifejacket a bit, and he's doing great.  It's hard to find that balance between teaching him to respect the water without instilling fear.

 

 

Sydney got ahold of The Bear. Honestly, she doesn't play with dolls or stuffed animals that much yet. But she grabs Sam's sacred Pooh every chance she gets.  As you can probably imagine, he really doesn't appreciate it very much.

 

 

I came up with a $2 pool noodle storage. A laundry basket from Dollar Tree and a couple of zip ties. I just cut out the bottom of the basket. Very Pinterest-worthy, if I do say so myself. 

 

 

Sam went to Bible School. This was supposed to be a relay race where they used water gums to spray shaving cream off of some balloons. Watching the teacher try to explain the concept of a relay race to a bunch of 4 year olds was highly entertaining.  It was basically a free-for-all.  But it involved water, so Sam loved it.

 

 

Since they didn't have a class for Sydney's age group, she hung out with Daddy while Sam and I went to church. Usually when we divide kids, Sam goes with Shawn and Sydney stays with me. But I think Shawn enjoyed a little bonding time with his girl. 

 

 

But the coolest thing our Bible school this time was the last night.  We had a man come and give a presentation about different types of animals.  He brought a few animals with him, and he talked about how God made each of them unique, just like he made all of us unique.  It was a wonderful presentation, and he even let the kids pet his boa constrictor after the presentation.  I asked Sam if he wanted to pet the snake, and he didn't even hesitate.  Such a brave guy.

 

 

We've been playing outside a lot.  Sydney loves to drawn with the sidewalk chalk...

 

 

...and Sam does too.

 

 

These feet...  I mean, are they not ADORABLE?!

 

 

Sam has been learning to ride a bike.  He's doing really well; I think all of that swimming he's been doing has been helping to make his legs stronger, too.  He has to stop every so often and honk his horn...just for good measure.  He's turning into such a little boy.

Dear Sydney,

You turned two a few days ago.  I'm a little behind in writing this letter because, well...life happens.  I don't want to go into it right now because this letter is about you, but the days immediately following your birthday were...eventful. 

You are so much fun right now.  I kinda feel like that's a generic thing I say in all of my letters, but it's always true.  You and your brother are just fun.  We delight in you.  You, baby girl, have a light in you that refuses to be hidden.  I hope you always let it shine. 

Your appetite is still healthy.  You will eat most things, and no meal is complete without some ketchup to "dip-dip."  A few months ago, Daddy and I started fixing you yogurt smoothies with milk to trick you into drinking milk.  You went for it for a while, but before long you were onto our sneaky games.  And now you refuse to drink the yogurt smoothies too.  Sometimes you will sneak off with Brother's chocolate milk, but after a couple of sips you realize your mistake and you will throw it down, vehemently proclaiming, "I 'on't yike it, milk."  You still eat yogurt, but you really prefer to eat it with chips so you can dip them in it.  We've settled for giving you calcium gummies, and you love them so I'm okay with it. 

You love playing "outsideporch."  I'm not sure how, but somehow going outside turned into "outsideporch" and you get most offended if we let Molly out and don't let you accompany her.  You love to beat a path down the sidewalk.  Every now and then you'll turn and look at me, shake your finger at me, and in a sing-song voice say, "Ah-ah-aaaaahhh."  Almost like you KNOW I'm going to tell you that you've gone too far. 

I think you're turning into a blankie girl.  I have to admit, I've been a little bit sad that you haven't really needed a lovie or anything.  You never really attached yourself to a particular stuffed animal (although you do love to torment your brother by running off with his Pooh).  But lately, you've started wanting one of your baby blankets when you're tired or upset.  It's this thin, gauzy material, and there is a hole in it where I think Molly chewed on it.  You are very particular in how it covers you.  It has to be completely flat with no wrinkles.  But as soon as you wake up in the morning, blankie is the first thing to sail out of the crib. 

You are all about Mickey Mouse right now.  I mean, you are obsessed.  I love watching you dance the hot dog dance.  You have got some serious moves.  In fact, you love to sing and dance in general.  At night, we sit in your room and rock, and if you're having a hard time getting sleepy, we'll sing for a while.  You will usually tell me which song to sing:  "Go song" for the song from Frozen, "Dog" for the Hot Dog song, "B-B-B" for the ABC's.  If I guess wrong or if you just decide halfway through that you don't like it, you'll grab my face, put your nose on mine and say, "No!"  But if I do it to your liking, you reward me with a big smile and you sing with me. 

We have another nighttime routine where we have to call role and tell everyone night-night.  While we rock you'll ask, "Where'd Daddy go?" and I'll say, "Daddy went night-night.  Night-night, Daddy."  Then we repeat the whole process with Brother, Momo, Elmo, Mickey, Kitty, and anyone else who comes to mind. 

You have really enjoyed the pool this summer.  You're getting more and more brave.  You love to stand on the steps and yell, "Fee, two, b'astoff!" and jump into my arms.  You also love to ride the noodle-horses and race with Daddy and Brother.  But I think your most favorite thing to do is to just play in the little plastic baby pool with Momo. 

My Sydney-girl, I love how you'll reach up and pat my face when we're rocking.  I love how you watch your brother with your eyes that miss NOTHING and you try to mimic everything he does.  I love hearing you count your toys, "Eight, H, Two!"  I love how you will dig through my purse to find my hand lotion and you insist on putting some on.  But most of all, I love that you are my little girl.  I'm looking forward to all of the pedicures, shoe-shopping expeditions and girl-food lunches we'll have together.  And if none of that is your thing, that will be fine.  We'll go rock-climbing or do whatever it is that you do.  I can't wait to see who you become.

I love you forever,
Mommy