"heroes in a half shell"

We've been hunkered down staying warm and dry from hurricane Sandy today.  It was the perfect night to carve a pumpkin! 

 

 

Bryce enjoyed helping long enough to snap a picture and then he was ready to play baseball while Jason finished, ha! 

 

We started too close to Emmy's bedtime so she wasn't interested!  I put her to bed while the boys did the carving.

 

Bryce wanted to do a Ninja Turtle this year.

 

Jason's masterpiece

 

Little Buzz Lightyear before bed!

 

 

sweet Emmy

A post all about Emmy!

 

 

I feel like Emmy gets neglected from the blog.  No other reason than the fact that she won't sit still or look at the camera!  Jason was off today so he and Bryce spent some much needed time together and that gave me more picture taking opportunities with Emmy. 

 

 

 

We visited with my Nanny today at my parent's house.  Emmy just loves to play kitchen when she's there.  She doesn't waste any time getting to it when I put her down on the floor.  You can see she wouldn't even let me finish getting her dressed before she was off!

 

 

Bryce and Jason got back in time for lunch so Bryce shared his dessert (a Klondike bar) with Emmy! 

 

2 months from today

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I definitely have not, but a sweet little boy in our house can't wait for Christmas this year! Everyday he asks if it's Christmas yet.  Today I told him ONLY two more months! Bryce has been making a mental list for a while, so this morning, with the Toys R Us catalog in hand, we made his Christmas list! Who knows what more he will add to it in the next two months! Bike and scooter have been a constant for months now and I guess he'll leave for college loving monster trucks!

 

This is just precious!

just some things

Bryce's class went on a "field trip" to the "pumpkin patch" on Tuesday.....aka, his class walked across the parking lot to the pumpkin sale, ha!  His class is too young for the real field trip they take to the pumpkin patch.  I thought it was great that they let them go to the one at the church and pick out their own pumpkin.  One of the moms happened to be there and sent us all this picture!  I can only imagine what the expression on his face means.  He looks mean or mad, but I'm hoping it's just that shy personality and not wanting to smile, who knows!

 

 

Bryce and I had some fun in the kitchen today.  We made these fun treats I found on Pinterest and they are delicious! 

 

 

Source: cakeinfo.blogspot.com via Grace on Pinterest

Today is the first day Emmy has slept more than an hour for her afternoon nap so I had a few extra seconds to blog!  I'd like to be able to use her short naps as an excuse for my absence, but seeing as though I only posted two new pictures today, I just didn't have anything to post about!

 

Bryce started up gymnastics again this morning.  He wanted to do that instead of soccer this season.  Of course when I reminded him of it yesterday, he wasn't excited and was upset he would have a different teacher.  He had a minor meltdown when we got there this morning, but he pulled himself together and had a great time!

 

I love everything about fall, the changing leaves, the pumpkins, the food, the family traditions, even the cooler temperatures.  However, the cooler temperatures have not found their way to Virginia yet.  The past few days have been in the 80's.  I have to admit, I really like it!  I know I will miss these days when it's 30 degrees out in December!

 

I hope to get my camera out and do a better job of documenting the day to day around here! 

 

Happy Wednesday!

"insta"updates

I just love this kid!  He is so cute, smart, and witty.  Jason was out of town for work one night this week so Bryce got to party in my room!  We snacked on popcorn and watched a cartoon before our sleepover.  Bryce had school pictures recently.  He smiles on command for us, but he wasn't impressed with the photographer's antics.  Luckily we got a good smile.....just precious if you ask me!  Doesn't everyone wear scuba gear in the kitchen? 

 

Bryce and Emmy stayed at my parent's house on Thursday while I subbed.  Emmy wasn't thrilled with the pack n' play so she didn't nap very well.  By dinner time she was exhausted.  I have seen other children fall asleep in random places, but never my own.  I thought it was hilarious that she fell asleep in her high chair.

 

We went to a local hot dog joint today for lunch.  I got a good deal through living social so we tried it out.  I got a frito chili dog with fried pickles.  It was the perfect game day lunch.  I just wish the Hokies could remember how to play football.

 

Happy Saturday.

wednesday

Bryce didn't have school today, but the other kids were having a visit from the fire department, and we were invited to join.  Bryce was scared to death and refused to stand in front of the fire truck with his class.  I did manage to get this shot of him with Chase and Aiden!

 

 

Sweet little Emmy girl.  I have to snap a picture so fast with my phone before she grabs it that I don't have time to wait for a smile.

 

Happy Wednesday!

trunk or treat

If you live in the Mechanicsville area and you're looking for some family fun on Halloween, we invite you to join us for our annual Trunk or Treat festivities.

 

 

If you don't live in the area, but you LOVE this precious invitation, visit my friend Beth's etsy shop, sunshineinkdigitals.

 

carter mountain

We took our annual trip to the apple orchard yesterday.  We have been going to Cater Mountain to pick apples for at least five years now.  I look forward to it every year.  I'm all about family traditions!

 

 

This orchard has become more and more popular each year.  No matter how we time it, we seem to go when the apples have all been picked.  There were very few apples low enough to the ground that Bryce could pick, but luckily we had Kelly's apple picker.

 

Bryce was able to pick a few and he enjoyed eating them right there on the spot!

 

While we love picking apples, we would be most devastated if we left without apple donuts!  We buy them warm and they are just delicious!

 

Emmy got her first taste.  I think she's ready to go back!

 

The worm photo op.  We have a few of these from years past.

 

Emmy wouldn't cooperate so much for the picture so I didn't zoom in much.  I left the view of the mountains in the background.

 

The weather was perfect and we had a great time!

yesterday

We went to a Halloween themed event at a local mall yesterday.  Bryce enjoyed a little trick-or-treating in his Tiger costume. 

 

 

Emmy girl wasn't tortured into wearing her Halloween costume yet!

 

She was however tortured into wearing shoes, ha!  She looks thrilled.

 

thank you

When our mail finally came at 7:30 tonight I was surprised to find a package from Zulily from an anonymous sender. Thank you to whoever sent Emmy these adorable outfits! I do a lot of window shopping and very little purchasing so it's fun to get some new things to add to Emmy's wardrobe. I have a suspicion as to who may have sent these, but until I can make some phone calls tomorrow, please accept my THANK YOU!!!

 

pumpkin patch

We took our first family trip to the pumpkin patch today.  Bryce went to an actual pumpkin patch with Kelly last year, but before today, we had gotten our pumpkins from Home Depot or Walmart.  Now that Bryce is older, we decided it was time to do the traditional pumpkin pickin'.  We went to the same place Jason and I picked pumpkins as kids, the Ashland Berry Farm.

 

 

Once we got out to the field, Bryce was certain that every pumpkin he saw was the one he wanted.  We insisted that he keep looking for his while we scoped out some larger ones for the front porch.  He finally found one that he just couldn't turn down.  He had a great time plucking it from the vine!

 

He tried hard to hold the pumpkin up for the picture, but it was just too heavy!

 

So proud of that pumpkin!

 

Our sweet little pumpkins.

 

Other than finding the perfect pumpkin, Bryce was so excited about the hayride.  Once he started talking about hayrides this year, we knew it was time to actually go to the pumpkin patch rather than the store!

 

Another great family fun day!  Next week we're headed to the apple orchard.

 

 

8 months

Emmy girl is 8 months old today!

 

 

It is impossible to take a good picture of her because she is always on the move!  

 

What are you up to this month?

• You started crawling last month and haven't slowed down.
• It's a full time job keeping you out of Macy's food bowl.
• You pull up on everything.
• You love to pull up on Bryce's bed and you will stand there until I put you on the bed.  You and Bryce could play in his bed all day!
• You are still the happiest baby.   You love your Mama and Dada, but you LOVE your brother.
• You have started eating a few real foods like grapes, bagel, and bananas.
• You wear a size 2 diaper and 6-9/9month clothes.

  

• We think we have heard you say Dada and Mama once.
• I've been trying to teach you to sign "more", clap, and wave, but you aren't interested.
• You are still on the same routine as last month.  You get up between 7-7:30, take a morning nap at 9, an afternoon nap at 1, and go to bed around 7:30.  You sleep through the night!
• You nurse in the morning when you wake up, you have a 4oz bottle around 10, a 4oz bottle at 1, a 6oz bottle at 4, and then you nurse at bedtime.
• You eat three meals a day.  Usually a fruit for breakfast, puffs for lunch, and a veggie for dinner.  I wish I could get you to eat oatmeal or rice cereal, but you just don't like it.  I'm hoping to add some real food into your diet so you don't have to have puffs as a meal anymore!

 

 

I feel like I need to write things down during the month because I sit down to do your monthly post and my mind goes blank. 

 

Bryce at 8 months

 

Bryce seemed to have a lot more hair at 8 months!  Neither of them had/have teeth at 8 months.  Bryce could clap and sign "more", while Emmy seems to be more mobile at 8 months than Bryce was.  Both of your eye color was/is still a mystery at 8 months.  It's so interesting to see their similarities and differences at each age.  

 

the state fair

We had a fun family afternoon at the state fair today.  I've never been a big fan of the fair, but after having kids, it has grown on me.  Bryce has been looking forward to today for a week.  He was so excited because Jason, Emmy, and myself were picking him up from school and going to the fair.  I just love making fun memories like this for Bryce.

 

 

Bryce gets braver every year.  He enjoyed petting and feeding the animals.  He also wanted to sit on every tractor he saw.  The first year we went I couldn't for the life of me convince him to sit on a big tractor tire.  From the pictures below, you can tell the fear is gone!

 

His smile cracks me up.  His mouth looks like the dummies that ventriloquist use.  Sweet boy!

 

Emmy would have looked really small in the wheel.

 

Bryce is lucky to have a fun daddy to play with him.  The corn looked fun, but I was certain my black shorts  would be covered in dust if I got in there......boring Mama!

 

Emmy was there.  She did great and had fun too!

 

You can't go to the fair without eating "fair" food.  Jason has looked for the donut burger for the past two years, but never found it.  He did his research this year and his dream came true!  Who wouldn't want a bacon cheeseburger with donuts as the bun?!?  We had a funnel cake too!

 

We love the ferris wheel.

 

Taking in the sights.

 

Emmy had no idea she rode the ferris wheel.  She had fallen asleep in her stroller as we got to it. 

 

She made the transition back into the stroller very well.

 

Other than the ferris wheel, we don't typically ride rides.  We let Bryce choose one because he kept asking about a roller coaster.  He had fun.

 

This picture isn't as funny as it was in person, but Bryce had a balloon clipped on a fly swatter and was carrying it around.  He looked silly!

 

We had a wonderful time and the kids were great!