Trick or Treat!

We went trick or treating with Wanda, Sam, and Anna this year and had so much fun!  With the exception of last year, I think I’ve trick or treated with them for seven or so years-how fun to add our little one to the mix! Jack only went to a few doors, some friends and my doctor, and he really just checked out the Halloween decorations.  I’m sure the whole ‘I say trick or treat, you give me candy’ concept will make a bit more sense next year!  He did, however, really enjoy driving the golf cart!He loved watching all the kids run from house to house and checking out the costumes and many pumpkins.  He got to stay up past his bed time and eat a few M&M’s-I think he had fun!  We hope you and all your little ones had a great time, too!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our little monkey!We had mostly outtakes trying to get a Halloween picture this year!  Between the self timer for the family picture, wanting to blow out the candle (that wasn’t yet lit) in the jack-o-lantern , and wanting to throw the teeny pumpkin, we had quite a challenge, but we did our best!

UT vs USC

What a great day for football!  Mark and I enjoyed a great Fall day outside tailgating while Jack did the same at home with Grandma and Grandpa.My cousin Kenzie, who goes to UT, came to town for the game, and as usual, we had fun with our great friends!  The game was fun too-way to go Gamecocks!    Thanks, mom and dad, for playing with our sweet boy and for all the fun pictures you sent us of your day!  We could tell he was having a great time!

Good thing he doesn’t have a license yet!

Boo at the Zoo

Another fun Fall treat, and another reason we’re so thankful to have the Zoo so close to home!  This was Jack’s second time at Boo at the Zoo, but this year was much different than last!  No strollers this year, just his own two feet-and his mommy’s every once in a while! We met up with Mary Mac and Kenzie, and we’re so glad we did!  I love to watch Jack recognize and play with his little friends!  Thanks for such a fun Halloween night, girls! They were both a bit hesitant about Trick or Treating at first, but before we left, they got the hang of it!  This is how it went-“Ok, buddy!  There’s another station!  Hold out your pumpkin and say Trick or Treat!!  Now say thank you!”  Nothing.  He’d reach for the goody with his hand instead and wouldn’t say a thing!  Except for once.  He did say Trick or Treat one time, and at least he got in some practice before Sunday!Since these babies are too little to eat candy, and Kenzie and I both decided that we didn’t need any!!, we were happy to see that they were getting crayons and Dracula teeth in their bags, too!As simple as it is, taking my own little one Trick or Treating is another mommy moment that I’ve really been looking forward to!  I so love watching Jack experience these things, and I’m so thankful that we’re able to show them to him!

Pumpkin Patch-take four

Yes, four!  Mark was with the guys for a bit on Saturday morning, so I took Jack to play at the Pumpkin Patch-again.  And yes, I put him in the same outfit-again.  I promise you don’t wear this all day, every day buddy!   I’ll have to say that the fun of running through the pumpkins is not lost on him-that’s why I can’t get any pictures!  He was running from one side of the patch to the other stopping only once in a while to knock on a ‘punkin’.  I’m pretty sure he’d be happy if we visited the pumpkins every day!Or the big tree!  He spotted the big tree at one end of the patch, and he was done with the pumpkins.  “I climb it, mommy!  I climb it!”He sure gave it his best shot!! And in the end, I got the pictures I wanted, too!  He sure didn’t do any posing with the pumpkins like he did last year, but I probably shouldn’t have expected that.  He was his 20-month-old self, and I wouldn’t change that for the world!  I love the Fall with my little (and big!) pumpkin!!

Before school

and a few shots later.  No, he didn’t hurt his wrist, he wanted his golf club back!

Halloween Fun-part two

After searching online, I found a few more crafts that I wanted to try, and I’m happy with the extra bit of Halloween they’ve added!

The first and most simple-the bats!  I found them here, and I love that she made 100 of them!  I only made ten, but Jack doesn’t mind.I love the old fashion look of mason jars, so when I came across this tutorial, I really wanted to try it.  The etching cream was very easy to work with-I’m already trying to think of other ways to use it!Then there were the Halloween goodies for Kendall and Eva and a few of Jack’s other little friends.  I found these cute bags, with a printable pattern, and thought they’d be perfect for our cute niece and goddaughter.We gave Kendall hers last weekend when she came to visit-check her out! And thanks to Amy, we made ghosts for a few little friends.  Jack loved making his at Emory and Watson’s party and now fondly calls it ‘my ghost’. I hope Jack enjoys our Halloween flare and that some of these ideas from super crafty mommies have inspired you like they did me.  Now to start searching for Thanksgiving ideas! 

He’s drivin’ it!

Whenever we see something that goes-a car, truck, bus, you get it-Jack tells us what it is and then says either “He drivin’ it.” or “I drive it.” and does his hands up and down like he’s turning the wheel. Well this new trick is coming in handy with his little car. He’s figuring out that he can steer! And he’s so excited about it!! But no matter what he’s doing, if he hears an airplane or a train, he stops, makes this face, whispers “airpane/train!” and tries to find it! I just love that he finds such joy in the little things, and that he teaches me to do the same!

32 Weeks

We’re 32 weeks along now, and baby boy continues to grow!  I feel him roll around and stretch much more than I remember with Jack.  I felt kicks and elbows with Jack, but this baby boy seems to be a little squirmy worm!  I love it!  I go to the doctor every two weeks now, and all continues to check out just as it should.  We’re so thankful!

Emory and Watson’s Halloween Party

Emory and Watson invited Jack to their Halloween party today, and we were so excited to go!  I didn’t take nearly the pictures I would have liked-our little boy found Watson’s football almost as soon as we got there, so I wanted to make sure he didn’t break anything of Amy’s!As you would expect, everything was super festive and it looked great!  She had a table full of Halloween snacks and drinks, there was face painting, and two different crafts the kids could make. Jack listened to Mrs. Amy as she explained how to make the ghost craft and then showed me his finished product.  I love it!  Hannah and Sally did a great job, too! Little Miss Alice in Wonderland has on the pumpkin necklace she just made, and she got her face and hand painted!And of course the kids pulled out the toys, too! Watson and Jack talked about how they could cut an apple with a fork, and it looks like they came up with a plan! Emory and Watson had a table of goodies for their guests, so we grabbed a Halloween treat before we left.  Jack’s favorite right now-the green Dracula teeth.  If Mark or I put them in, he thinks it’s hilarious!Thanks for having us to your Halloween party!  We had so much fun!!

Country Adventures

After nap time, we got back in the car and headed to Country Adventures in Blythewood with a group of friends.  It was such a neat farm and very hands on for all the kids!  We’re already looking forward to our next trip!  We really enjoyed our time with James, Maddox, Stuart, and sweet Anne Eliz, Sawyer and Mary Prater,Sarah Grace, Ramsey (I missed a picture of Henry), and Coleman!After the kids played with and peaked at the animals and farm equipment, we took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch where all the kids got to pick out a small pumpkin. Jack picked a little pumpkin but did NOT want me to take his picture!  It was the perfect Fall setting, so I was really hoping for a good picture, but I’m quickly learning that if Jack doesn’t want a picture, we won’t get a picture-oh well!  (By the way, we’ve been to the Pumpkin Patch three times now!  They’re going to think he doesn’t have any other clothes!)I got some cute ones of the Renders, though! We got back on board and took a longer hayride around the farm and by a beautiful lake, and then they dropped us off to eat.  They grilled hotdogs for us and then we roasted marshmallows! Jack enjoyed his first bag of chips and his first marshmallow!I think the Render boys enjoyed the marshmallows, too! He watched the older kids take their turns at the camp fire, and then he roasted a few, too!  But they were just for fun.  They ended up with pine straw and dirt on them!They all ran around a bit more and then said their goodbye’s to the animals.  Look at the cute matching boys!!We had super fun time with all the kids-and the mommies!, and look forward to making this another fun Fall tradition!  Thanks for including us, Elizabeth!