We took the kids to Ridgefield this afternoon.  It was fun.  It was a beautiful fall afternoon.  Perfect for wandering through a corn maze and walking through a pumpkin patch in search of the pumpkin with the biggest stump/nose (Stewart's request.) 

 

This picture of him makes me think of this, "I carried a watermelon!?!?"  Baby from Dirty Dancing.

 

This is my latest vinyl wall quote installation.  I put it in our bedroom, right over my night stand.  

 

Bill's deuce burger.  He wanted two patties, so i doubled it up when I made them.  It has a layer of cheese and jalapenos in between.  He thought it was super yum.

 

This is us at Stewart's flag football game last weekend.  :)

 

Me and the little troublemaker having breakfast with a new friend.

 

Tuesday, I sat in my office and did this and other dumbass problems like this.  IMHO, balancing equations is a big crock of shit.  So is stoichiometry.

 

Parker in his gymnastics class.  He is so enthusiastic about it.  I enrolled him in a more advanced class that starts in Nov.  He just loves rolling and jumping around the floor.

 

I am considering quitting Facebook - so I can post more to my page.  I mean, I have my very own .com - that's kinda cool!  So anyway, here are some random pictures that you have probably not seen before.  It's like bonus content for the 3 people that frequent my blog and facebook!  Enjoy!

 

 

This is my wal art project.  Looks fancy doesn't it!  It's one of those vinyl quote kits and a frame.  The original quote read "All because two people fell in love . . ."  It didn't fit inside the frame.  So I took out "all" and put the " . . . " at the front.  Holly and I both agreed that we like it like this much better.  I painted the background to coordinate with the darker paint I used on our front rooms.  I think the painted background really makes it stand out.  This is a frame from Hobby Lobby (YEAH!  We got one of those out here!  I'm still excited!)  It came with no glass and no back.  It think it looks nice

 

 

This is Bill pretending to the Captain Morgan while modeling my first knitting project.  I told him to give me his best Mark Wahlburg and I got the Captain.  Silly boy.  But damn!  that scarf looks good.  :)

 

My little boys at the park on October 4th.  I guess they aren't so little anymore.  Shit - Stewart is a young man.  Is it obvious they are brothers!?

 

Who knew it would be so hard to get them to #1. sit still and #2 smile.  I think this is the third take.  Parker wanted to immediately slide down and then he refused to smile because I wouldn't let him slide down.

 

This hairball on a purple metallic stick represents my second knitting project.  It should be a scarf made out of this funky yarn called Fun fur.  It's hard to work with - have you ever tried to french braid a Shih Tzu's hair?  Well, neither have I, but I imagine this is what it would be like!  I hope it looks decent.  I really want a thin and super long scarf this winter.  I tend to be ridiculously picky, so I'm just gonna try to make it myself.  I hope it works out!  Wish me luck! (PS - does anyone have any pointers on how I can remember where I left off on the knitting and purling of rows?)

 

 

This is what it looked like on Wednesday when I was in Chem lab.  Maybe it looks like it could have been fun - if your idea of fun would be making molecular models using the molecular models kit!  Not really mine. 

 

First of all, please disregard the really stupid mistake that I made on #3.  Secondly - I got a 94! on my second, first Chem test.  Not sure if I got an A on anything the first go around.

The thing about my sweet little boys - they grow!  Stewart is not a little boy - more of a young man.  He is developing grown up likes and dislikes.  He asks amazing questions and he is so observant.

Parker isn't my baby anymore - he's a little boy.   He is a little technical prodigy.  I guess it is a benefit of being born in the era of iPhones, iPads, Xbox, etc.  He is also a little bit of a Xerox.  Everything that Stewart says is immediately repeated by Parker.  All day.  Every day.  I'm not sure what to do and how to stop it.

They have different little personalities and so much of myself and Bill is reflected in them.  It's hard to believe that Stewart is a second grader!  My little boy!

Parker loves his "BT" (blanket.)  It's a cheap blanket that I bought at Walmart when he was a newborn - it was raining and I needed something to cover his car seat so he didn't get wet.  I don't really like the blanket.  It's fleecy with a transportation theme.  It didn't match the theme of his crib set.  In my mind, this thick fleecy fabric is nothing compared to some of his uber soft velour blankets - but Parker loves it.  He really loves the "taggie."  He sits around twisting the tag around his finger.  He goes to sleep clutching the taggie in his sweaty little hand.  If he wakes up at night, he will turn the blanket around and around looking for the taggie.  It's kindeve endearing, that he can find comfort in something to small.

The blanket goes with him everywhere.  All the time.  When we went to Boston, of course he brought it.  We were almost through the trip when we had a small blanket tragedy.  We were at Great Wolf Lodge - the kids were tucked into their cute little bunk beds.  Stewart had already fallen asleep and Parker was rustling around.  Bill and I were watching TV when we heard Parker sniffing.  Bill asked him what was wrong and he got hysterical.  Crying, sobbing, wailing. 

"MY TAGGIE IS FALLING OFF!!!!"  

I got up and went to assess the damages.  He was genuinely upset and it broke my heart.  But it was easily fixable.  His taggie was fine - just the trim was coming off in one place.  It was less than 2 inches.  He kept putting his hand through it and pulling at it and crying and crying.  It was sad.  

I sat there and explained to him that I could easily fix it as soon as we got home.  I showed him that his taggie was fine and how I just needed to sew it up.  I promised I would fix it the next day and it seemed to calm him down a little bit. We tucked him back in bed and I thought for sure he would go to sleep.

A few minutes later, we heard him talking. It took me a minute to realize who he was talking to and what he was saying.

"Mommy said she can fix it tomorrow.  Tomorrow.  Mommy will fix you tomorrow.  It is going to be ok."

Ok so maybe I am too sensitive and I cry too much but I thought that was super sad.  I had to try really hard to not cry (mostly because I knew Bill would think I was silly.)  He was talking to his blanket and he just kept saying "tomorrow."   And then I remembered something!!!!!

Holly gave me a little tiny sewing kit - the kind for sewing on buttons.  But it came with needles and thread - everything I needed to perform emergency blanket surgery. And I had it in my purse!

It only took a few minutes for me to sew it back together.  He sat there, right next to me, watching my every stitch.  And when I was all finished - I held it up, showed him the hole was gone and his taggie was fine.  He was sooooooo happy!  He smiled and gave me the best hug.  I think this is one of my most favorite parenting moments.  Ever.

I am waiting.  Very patiently. 

Parker will be three on Wednesday and I'm not quite sure we will be able to say farewell to the terrible two's.  It might end up being a Torturous Three's kind of year. Everything is an agrument.  Everything is questioned.  Limits are pushed and I'm running low on patience.

We celebrated his birthday yesterday.  He knew it was his special day and he was so cute running around saying "Happy Birthday."  He loved his presents (my personal favorite is the Lego Duplo Camper he got from his Grammy and Papa.)  By the end of the day I was exhausted.  Who knew it would be so tiring making sure a little boy knew it was his special day - or maybe it was more tiring because he knew it was his special day and was pushing his limits.  Either way, he had a great birthday and he was very happy.

I am ready to say bye bye to the terrible twos.