Weekend Recap

I. Am. Tired.  As in mentally and physically exhausted.  We had a lot of fun this weekend and (I think) we squeezed in every possible fall activity over the past month, but I am so ready for a weekend without any major plans.  I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy all of the family outings and activities, but staying home has never sounded so appealing.

Saturday, I took S to school.  It went well, but I think S is a bit more stubborn than W was when he started.  He’s also a tad younger so I know that makes a difference.  Little man S could not understand why I wouldn’t let him spread glue everywhere or dump glitter all over the table.  Clearly I am the meanest mom EVER.  Related, who thinks 20 month olds with glue and glitter is a good idea?!?!  Anyway, when I wasn’t taking it away, S loved gluing and glittering pumpkins, playing at the sand table, playing in the sensory bin, and running around outside.

We picked up lunch on the way home from school, S napped, and then it was off to family photos.  Actually before that, W had a tantrum because I told him it was time to change clothes and he didn’t want to, I yelled at him more than I should have, and he sat in time out until it was time to leave.  So that was fun and I felt pretty awful.  Parenting is not for the faint of heart.  Not surprisingly, W acted a fool for photos and I’m pretty sure I’m leaning over with hair in my face as I tried to hold onto him in all of the photos that were taken.  Everyone else cooperated – even my 6 month old niece.  Sigh.  I hope the photographer’s photo shop skills are exceptional.  And I’m really happy we won’t be taking any more family photos for a long, long time.  W may never be in photos again.  Or maybe I’ll resort to drinking heavily prior to any photos…  I will say that the photographer was really kind and told us that he had a daughter who was the same way and just didn’t cooperate for photos.  A photographer’s child not cooperating for photos?!?  That made me feel better.

We went to Nani and Papa’s for a bit after photos.  We all had a yummy lunch and W was asked to be a ring bearer for his Uncle Matt’s wedding.  I’m not sure who’s more excited – him or me. :)  Sidenote: at church the following day, W said, “Grandma, grandma, I have something to tell you!!  I’m going to be a ring boy!!”  Super cute.  Anyway, the boys stayed for a while at Nani and Papa’s house and I had to head to the auction that my mom and I work at every year.  It was great to see familiar faces.  It was not so great to see the Cubs lose and I came home empty handed this year.  I was also completely worn out when it finally ended after 10pm.  I’m too old for these outings. :)

Sunday was our usual morning routine and then it was time for trick-or-treating!!  I love that our trick-or-treating is on a Sunday afternoon.  Day light and no rushing home from work!  Our friends joined us with their 3 girls.  W was all business and loved going from house to house.  S couldn’t have cared less and just wanted to walk to the park.  There was an unfortunate incident when W realized he was eating peanut butter crackers and not just plain crackers.  I’ll leave that to your imagination.  And S had a fit and cried the whole way home when I wouldn’t let him stay at the house playing Thriller with a lady dressed as Michael Jackson.  Who knew S was such a big MJ fan?!?  But all in all, we had lots of fun.  I’m hoping S will participate more next year and I’m thinking that our friends need to come over every year.  Also, some type of adult beverages need to be involved for the grownups… lol.  I’m fairly certain I ate my weight in Halloween candy.  Zero willpower.  Somehow I totally botched dinner, but it was still edible.  And even though I had given up hope, the Cubs won.

And now I’m ready for a vacation.  Happy Halloween!!

Friday Thoughts

A and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday.  9 years!!  I can’t believe it’s been 9 years.  And I can’t believe A has put up with me for so long.  He is the very best guy I know.

We have family photos tomorrow with A’s side of the family.  I’m hoping that a change of scenery and having the boys’ cousins there will make it less painful.  Lord help us!!

I feel like I’m stuck in a rut at work lately.  I absolutely believe in the company I work for, but I’ve been questioning my role.  I don’t think my boss and I are necessarily a good fit and we’ve butted heads a few times.  I also don’t feel like I’m being challenged or growing lately and perhaps that’s most concerning of all.  I’ve been with the company 4.5 years so maybe this is a “mid-life crisis” of sorts.  This is the longest time I’ve been at the same job.  Hopefully I can figure out what exactly I need or what needs to change in order to feel fulfilled and accomplished.

Stitch Fix #12 arrives soon!  Excited to see what my stylist chose!!

Speaking of clothes, I wore this the other day.  Despite the photo, the poncho is a pretty olive green (I’m not sure why it looks so brown – bad lighting I guess).  This is super comfy and I love it, but I wasn’t feeling particularly confident.  I used to walk at lunch and due to various reasons, haven’t walked in 2 weeks.  I’ve gained a few pounds and I was feeling fat and blah.  But I walked into Starbucks that rainy, dreary day and the barista told me I looked exceptionally cute, which was hard to do on such a nasty day.  Then at dinner, an older man we regularly see told me that I always looked nice and reminded him of a news reporter.  Amazing how a few kind words can completely lift your spirits!!

I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about W’s obsession with his owl.  My mom’s cousin made if for him and he sleeps with Mommy Owl every night, brings her to school, etc.  Last night I overheard him saying, “I love you so much, Mommy Owl.  I’ll hold you all night.”.  Melt my heart.  So it was no surprise that he wanted to be an owl for Halloween.  What was surprising – owl costumes are impossible to find and the only ones available were for girls.  I looked on Pinterest and found a couple cute ideas and figured I could glue felt feathers onto a cape of some sort.  And then I had the bright idea of contacting a friend who just happens to be a creative genius in the sewing department.  Presenting W the Owl… how cute is he?!?  And check out my friend’s Etsy shop – Samantha’s Stylz.

The Boys Lately

I don’t think I’ve done an update on the boys lately and I love looking back at these so here goes:

S:  S is starting to talk more and more!  It’s so exciting to hear him repeat words and he really seems to have taken off in the past week.  He still sings songs frequently and the ABCs are his favorite.  He says W’s name!  He’s started counting (now I don’t think he understands the concept, but he’ll say 1, 2, 3..).  He said ‘strawberry’ very clearly and even pointed to the garbage can and said ‘empty’.  Other words include: tick tock (clock), car, up, tree, no, more, juice, black dog (the annoying Scottie dog across the street), and several others that I either can’t make out or can’t recall.  He loves to be outside and is going to be so upset come winter when we have to stay in.  He’s an awesome eater.  I love that he’ll devour things that W won’t even touch.  He is very independent in that he wants to do things on his own and gets upset if you try to help.  He’s started to take interest in puzzles and while he doesn’t always get the pieces to fit quite right, he can match up all the pictures.  He is very into books and we’ll look at several in a day.  He has thrown some pretty big tantrums lately and definitely has a temper when things don’t go his way.  He also gets very frustrated when he can’t communicate exactly what he wants. With that said, he’s a happy/easy going guy 99% of the time.  He’s still my cuddly boy and I absolutely adore this about him.  He’ll lay his head on my shoulder and just cuddle.  He loves stickers and asks for one every day.  He really looks up to his big brother and shares his interests.  If big brother is doing it, S wants to be involved too!

W:  W’s vocabulary is constantly expanding and he keeps us entertained with his stories.  He is the best helper and always wants to lend a hand – he’ll make pancake batter, spread cream cheese on his bagels, help take out garbage, ask to help with dinner, sweep, and put dishes in the sink.  Enjoying this while it lasts!  He’s still incredibly picky when it comes to food, but S has actually had a good influence on him.  He’s still obsessed with all things garbage and he’ll ask friends when their garbage day is and what company they use – “is it Advanced Disposal, Onyx…?”.  He’s very much an introvert and an observer.  He knows the days of the week in order.  He asks thoughtful questions and thinks through scenarios.  For instance, he asked, “is it also fall by Aunt Lori’s house or is it different there?”.  He makes us laugh every day with his expressions.  Recently his favorite songs came on the radio and he proclaimed, “It’s my lucky day!”.  He asked me if airports were big or small and after a lengthy explanation, he said, “Makes sense to me!”.  He also told me that mommy owl kept him up at night and then asked, “can you believe it?!?”.   He still amazes us with his memory and the events he can recount – visiting me in the hospital after S was born, the corn maze being Blackhawks themed last year, a car accident we came across over a month ago that involved a Honda?!? (I barely remember the accident, let alone the cars involved).  His favorite thing to do/play is create his “neighborhood”.  He’ll arrange houses, garbage cans, garages, build air conditioners, driveways, etc.  He’s also starting to do simple math.  For example, if mommy, daddy, and S have an apple, how many total apples are there?  I’ve always enjoyed his company, but as he gets older, I really enjoying talking to him and hearing his thoughts.

Both boys are my world!!

Weekend Recap

The weekend had its share of ups and downs.  For starters, the boys have both had their fair share of meltdowns lately and it’s incredibly frustrating.  I’m not sure what’s going on.  Until this weekend, S had not been sleeping well and had also been waking up early.  Although, we tried our best to keep him quiet, W is a light sleeper and would wake a bit early as well after hearing S.  So it’s quite possible that sleep has something to do with the amount of outbursts.  However, this weekend, both boys slept really well and still had temper tantrums.  Fortunately, almost all of them occur at home.  Unfortunately, I seem to get the brunt of them.  But I know it’s all relative.

Because I’m a glutton for punishment, we attempted to do family photos again on Saturday morning.  Despite preparing and even practicing our smiles, it was another disaster.  At least it wasn’t rainy.  W began with his meltdown, yelling that he didn’t like pictures and refusing to cooperate.  After enough bribing and finally a firm talking to from me, he was somewhat on board (not really, but he wasn’t having a fit at least).  As soon as W stopped his shenanigans, S starting crying and cried the entire time until we gave up.  And I have NO idea why.  I offered snacks, drinks, toys, etc.  Nothing could please him.  I give myself a lot of credit for not losing my mind.  A suggested that outdoor photos may be too much for them.  Not sure.  But I love doing family photos in the fall so that we can use the photo for Christmas cards – that’s the whole point.  I’m just so so annoyed and completely defeated.  Mainly because I feel like photos shouldn’t be THIS hard!!  All I’m asking is that you stand next to me and look in the direction of the camera…

After that, we picked up lunch and played at home for a bit.  I treated myself to some pumpkin caramel ice cream concoction because I deserved it after the photo disaster.  Then it was off to the farm.  We saw a few animals and there was a little play area that the boys loved.  And it was all free!!  We were there for a couple hours and I’m happy we ended the day on a positive note after a rough morning.

The night was topped off by our Cubs winning and making it to the World Series!!!!  A and I are so so excited!!  I’ve been a Cubs fan for as long as I remember.  In high school and possibly even junior high, I’d come home and watch games on the tv in my room.  It only got 4 channels, but WGN was one of them. :)

Sunday was our usual.  W mentioned going to the corn maze and we decided to make an impromptu trip.  It’s our tradition to go every year and this was literally our last chance.  We had fun, though S was a bit of a challenge.  He wanted to walk the maze, but wanted to go his own way and proceeded to fall on the rough terrain about 293 times.  After finding half of the number check points, A and I decided the boys had had enough and it was time to exit the maze.  S was not having it and started crying.  Then, A decided to take W down the giant slide.  The plan was for A and W to go first and then A and S would go.  Well S could NOT understand why big brother got to go first and had the biggest fit EVER.  And then he could NOT understand why he had to wait in line.  He eventually settled down after visiting the animals, but between carrying him through parts of the maze and trying to console him, I was drained.  We stopped on our way home for dinner and that was the weekend.

Weekend Recap

Yesterday was a long day – I met the boys at a park for lunch and had a dentist appointment after work (yuck) so I never got around to writing.  We did have a great weekend, though. 

After work on Friday, we took the boys to a local farm.  They had fun seeing the animals, going on a hay ride, and picking out pumpkins.  From there, it was off to one of our favorite pizza restaurants.

Saturday was S's first day of Scouts class.  A took him and as far as I know, he had a great time.  And then it was off to my cousin’s wedding.  She looked gorgeous and it was so much fun to see my extended family.  I absolutely love all of my cousins so I look forward to seeing them whenever there is a family event.  I also met my brother’s current girlfriend and she was super sweet.  All in all, it was such a fun night.  A’s teaching assistant watched the boys for us and we were so grateful.  They loved having her over – W asked about 25 times if it was time for Jane to come over and she gave us updates throughout the night, which I totally appreciated.  She even said they were angel boys!!  And a great night was topped off by a Cubs grand slam/win.

Just ignore my crazy hair - it was actually misty and humid... in October!!

Sunday was our usual routine.  We ended up taking the boys to a local theme park, but only stayed for a short time.  Unfortunately S has not been sleeping well.  I’m not sure what’s going on, but A and I are both tired and S has had some uncharacteristic cranky moments.  He had a major meltdown at the theme park and we decided it was time to go.

Friday Thoughts

My iPhone updated and instead of swiping, I now push the home button and I CAN NOT get used to it.  It's driving me crazy.  Pretty sure Apple is just trying to confuse/annoy EVERYONE.

I finally hung up my full length mirror.  I like posting outfit pics so I can go back and look at posts for ideas on what to wear (or what not to wear as the case may be).  Loving this cozy cardigan and Stitch Fix top.

S had his 18 month check up this week - only 2 months late, but who's counting.   Because we were so late, I told the receptionist we'd just see whoever was available.  So we had an appointment with the nurse practitioner, which was totally fine by me until she implied that S was overweight.  Excuse me??  To say I was offended is an understatement.  She suggested skim milk and limited snacks.  S has always been a big guy, but he's proportionate - as in his height, weight, and head circumference are all in the same range.  He is my good eater and I am so incredibly thankful for that.  There is no way in hell I'm going to limit what he eats.  I'm still pissed.  He is also a bit behind in speech, just like his big brother was, but we're not overly concerned yet.  W went from single words here and there to sentences seemingly overnight.  The NP also suggested we write down what S says.  I told her I was sure he said words here and there, but didn't repeat them so I wasn't counting them.  She said it still counted even if he said a word once.  HUH??  That goes against everything I've ever heard.  On the bright side, W got his flu shot and was an absolute pro - no tears whatsoever.

A and I have a wedding to attend tomorrow.  The last wedding we were supposed to attend, A had a kidney stone and went to the ER the night prior, we were up all night, A didn't attend the wedding because he wasn't feeling well, and we tried to have my brother-in-law and sister-in-law watch W and he was an absolute mess - A had to pick him up a short time later.  The day was basically a disaster so I have a bit of anxiety about tomorrow.  Eek!

Happy Friday!!

Cubs - NLDS Champs!!

I don't have an actual post today, but we are so very excited that the Cubs won last night.  And also very tired.  But mainly excited.  Go Cubs go!!

Weekend Recap

We had such a fun weekend!!  It totally made up for the previous disastrous weekend.

Unfortunately S hasn’t been sleeping well so after a rough Friday night, I decided to run some errands and pick up breakfast on Saturday morning.  I took both boys with me so that A could do his therapy vest and they were the best company.  After breakfast, everyone was much happier.

A and I had our final archery class on Saturday and I was definitely rusty.  Our instructor moved the targets back further and what a difference!  The rest of the class had trouble too so at least I wasn’t the only one.  I’m sad it’s over.  We’re considering signing up for the next session, but need someone to watch the kiddos so it seems unlikely.  I’m glad A and I got to experience something new together – loved spending some quality time with him. :)

After archery, we decided to head to an apple orchard with Nani and Papa.  Believe it or not, I have never been apple picking.  It took us over an hour to get there, but it was the cutest place.  The boys loved picking apples and were so good the entire time we were there.  They also got to go on a couple rides, feed the sheep, and climb on different wooden trucks.  And W had his first porta-potty experience… haha.  They had a blast and we were there nearly 3 hours.  We grabbed dinner on our way home and both boys were sound asleep by the time we pulled into the driveway.  Such a fun experience and we’ll definitely return next year!

Sunday was our usual routine.  I wanted to go to a nearby farm or hit up the local amusement park since the weather was gorgeous once again, but I was so worn out from the day before.  When did I get so old?? ;)  I ended up making chili for dinner, which S really liked.  Love that that boy tries anything!!  And that was the weekend.  Sad to be back at work after having so much fun. 

I should also mention that we’ve been cheering on our beloved Cubs and I get so nervous during the games that I have to stand up and pace.  A finds it pretty funny.

And now for picture overload…