pumpkin picking

We went pumpkin picking today at this little farm called Katie's.  The pumpkins are only $2 each and they are all really nice sized.  We went last year at the end of the season and got some odd shaped ones.  We made sure to get there early this year. 

It was a beautiful day for October in CNY- in the 70's.  The kids didn't even need jackets!  I actually forgot Jon didn't have coaching practice so we took off from my mom's and hurried over there before it got dark and cold.  I totally forgot how beautiful the sun is at that time of the day.  It made for some really awesome pictures.

 

What a fun afternoon with my 3 favorite people!

do you have cole?, do you have cole?

It's fall here!  I've been dying to do some fall things, but every weekend we have something going on, and we've been waiting for our friends Adam and Carolyn to come visit.  It turns out they can't make it this year for our annual fall weekend, so we took the kids today.  I called my parents and knew my mom would want to come.  I was surprised when we got there and my dad was getting ready too. 

We went to Abbott's Farm, which is literally about 2 miles away from us.  We used to drive all the way out to LaFayette to Beak and Skiff, but Abbott's is closer and better!  We could have easily spent the entire day there, but Cole was tired and needed his nap.  We were there for almost 3 hours though!

We started off with some apple cider, pressed right there.  I know we could have watched the process, but my sleepy guy was well, sleepy before we got to it.  Included in our price was some animal food, so we fed the goats and sheep.  We said hello to the chickens, turkeys and bunnies.  Cole loved to browse the animals, but refused to touch them or feed them.  Nicolette was a little more daring and actually fed them.  Crazy- I totally thought they'd be the opposite!



 After that we took the hayride out to the corn maze.  I have to tell you, I don't know if I was deprived as a child or what, but I was really looking forward to this.  Something about trying to find your way out of a giant maze sounds so fun, and let me tell you, if you had a good couple of hours, it would have been.  Except, I didn't have a couple of hours, instead I had a little boy who wanted to run in damp mud, and little girl who didn't quite get the concept.  We thought we we so good at the maze, making it to this bridge with a kid sitting there.  Little did we know that we had just found the start of the maze.  That should have been a sign.









So we tried it on our own for .2 seconds, then my mom opened the stapled paper of clues and a map.  That didn't even help us.  We were so over the maze so tried to backtrack our steps to make it back to the beginning.  From there, we left, and it felt so good.  Who  knew a corn maze could make you feel crazy.  I couldn't get out of there fast enough.







From the corn maze we went to the pumpking patch.  We didn't pick any pumpkins there though because there is a pumpkin patch that sells them for $1 each.  The kids had fun sitting on the pumpkins until the tractor came back to get us.






Next on the agenda was apple picking.  I spent most of this time trying to get my (almost) 2 year old to go pick apples.  He was just being defiant, not sure why.  Ummmm, not fun.  Once I got him to where the family was, he was fine, happy eating his apple.  Ugh.  Little boys.  He's not 3 yet, so why is he starting the "terrible 3's" already?  Yes, I know the saying is terrible twos, but three is much more challenging, in our experience. 









We picked empire and two other kinds.  I wasn't there long enough to know... haha!  We got plenty of apples to make pie, apple crisp and eat.  We'll need to get more apples to make apple butter and applesauce.  Doing all that picking made us hungry for some lunch.  The line was pretty long, so my mom and I took the kids to get their face painted.  We ended up with two blue nosed kitties.  So cute! 







After lunch was some bouncy house time. 


We wanted to do the giant slide, but there just wasn't enough time.  Next time! 







The last thing we did was buy two little pumpkins for the kids. 



They got to pick their own out.  I wondered what pumpkin qualities they were looking for.  The both picked out nice ones though.  After Nicolette picked her pumpkin out, she asked me to carry her.  Jon and my mom were ahead of me and my dad was behind me.  I assumed he had cole so I went inside with Nicolette, Jon and my mom.  A minute later, I saw my dad inside, but no Cole.  I asked him if he had Cole and he said no.  At first I didn't believe him- who had Cole if he didn't?  It clicked that he was serious and I darted outside to find him.  I scanned the area where we were and didn't see him.  Then I saw the little bridge and there he was, just looking around, playing.  I ran to him, acting all normal, like I didn't just lose my own kid.  Thank goodness.

I've never been in a panic quite like that before and I was surprised how I reacted.  I totally expected to freak out, but I was surprisingly calm, yet paniced, if that makes sense.  All sorts of things were going through my head though.  What if someone took him, what if he was hurt, what if he was scared...

We called it a day when Cole refused to come with us and threw his little pumpkin into the little pond.  He had quite the audience, including one of my students.  Classy, I know. 

Apple pie baking to come.  And chili.  I'm looking forward to the smells that will fill my house tomorrow!

friday, and girls night

So, I just got home from girls night out.  I love hanging out with my friends.  These girls are the best.  They love to do more than my boring supposed bffs.  These girls are fun, and they want to do stuff.  They like to have a good time, and it's not like pulling teeth.  I miss these girls when we don't hang out for awhile.  I really do. 

So, we went to dinner at Kitty Hownes and then we went to the comedy club.  Each of us has a designated month and we have to plan the event for that month.  This not only forces us to get together monthly, but we get the opportunity to do different things.  It was Meghan's month and it was so much fun!  I forgot how much fun comedy clubs are, seeing as I haven't been in well over 5 years.

What I love about my friends is that yes, we all wanted to hang out, but it was 10pm and we were ready to go home and get in comfy clothes.  I love that that we can be ourselves, and no on feels like we need to stay out till 2am, just because.  I love that our next month get-together is a sleepover.  An almost 30 year old sleepover (for most of us at least).  We'll pretend we don't have kids (some of us) or husbands (most of us) for just one night, and we'll get in our sweats, and make dinner and snack and talk, and tickle each others arms (!), just like we did 11 or 12 years ago when we didn't have a care in the world.  And, it will be amazing.  I will miss my kids, but it will be okay.  Their daddy will spend quality time with them!

Speaking of which, I came home tonight and was feeling a little sentimental.  I had a.lot of fun, but I also missed my babies.  They were well taken care of by their amazing daddy, whom I happen to be in love with, but I missed giving them goodnight kisses, and reading books, and I even missed brushing teeth, just a tiny little bit.  I went in each of their rooms and saw their sleeping bodies, and I cried.  I cried because I don't always stop to remember how very blessed I am.  I bitch a lot about working, and wanting a bigger house, and even how much crap I do all day long, but what I saw when I walked in and saw them sleeping peacefully was graditude, and love, and this amazing feeling of happiness.  I felt like nothing else mattered, because I was the luckiest person in the world.  I have these 2 amazing beings, who make my life complete, who make me the happiest person in the world, despite all the crap I hate.  I have two babies, who really, truthfully, aren't babies anymore, that need me.  I play this important role as a mommy and unlike my day job, I never ever, in a million years want to disappoint them or let them down.  I want to be a good example for them and show them how to love and act.  I want them to be as proud of me as I am of them.

Tomorrow we have a long to do list, with lots of fun.  We will do some celebrating, because we love to, and we'll have lots of fun.  We'll stay in our jammies for as long as we can, and we'll cuddle and play, and make breakfast.  We'll treat tomorrow as if it was our last, because we will not take life for granted.

today...

7:30am  Nicolette woke us up when she came into our room

7:35am  Nicolette asked to watch Rocket (aka Little Einsteins).  We said no.

7:40am  Nicolette asked to watch Rocket, again- the monster one.  We gave in and decided we were up for the day.

8:50am m Go get Cole so he can join in on the family fun.

8:55am  Nicolette and Cole were holding hands.  It lasted long enough for a picture.  Then Nicolette was too cool for that.  Cole got upset and kept saying, "hand, hand".  We need a king sized bed.  Soon.  We already have the frame.

8:15am  Go downstairs for breakfast.  Give Cole a banana and then yogurt.  Nicolette throws a huge fit because she wants a fork- to eat her yogurt and does not ask nicely.  Jon and I eat apple pie.  Not too healthy, but so fall-ish and so good.  We both make coffee, but I only drink 2 sips because the milk is bad.

8:30am  Fit is over.  Nicolette eats the eggs Jon made her.  She wanted them on toast with butter, and at it all. 

8:45am The kids actually play nicely.  Nicolette helps me pick out Scholatic books that she wants.  Jon falls asleep- as always.

9:25am  Decide it's time to get ready so we can go to Old Navy for $4 leggings.

10:40am  Finally leave for the mall.  Jon leavess for golf.  All day and night golf.  ON has like 5 pairs of leggings for toddlers.  We buy puffy vests instead.

11:20am  Got to Wegmans.  I forgot to put makup on so I decide to walk around with my sunglasses on.  I hate when people do that.  I'm such a hypocrite.    Nicolette throws fit #2 at Wegmans.  This is becoming a recurrent event.  I get pizza logs.  I know they aren't good for you, but they are SO good.

12:05pm  Lunch at home.  Macaroni and cheese with organic pasta.  It looks gross.

1:00pm  Naptime for Cole.  Nicolette watched Harry and the Hendersons.  My mom bought it for her.  I have no idea why she likes it.  I play on the computer, do laundry, clean up, cuddle with my baby girl, check FB, return emails, talk to my mom.

3:35pm  We get Cole up, have some chocolate milk and go upstairs to organize.  I am in an organizing mood.  I love these moods because I can be a packrat sometimes,  Find lots of clothes that no longer fit.  My kids are finally growing.  And, I love shopping.  A LOT.  We got so much done.

5:30pm  Decide what to do for dinner.  Nicolette wants pb and j, but not j.  She doesn't like my homemade jelly.  So, I gave them pb and fluff for the first time.  They inhaled it! 

6:00pm We played with all the toys for a good hour, nicely together, I might add.  Makes my heart happy to see that. 

7:00pm  We went outside and picked some veggies in the garden.  We planted it late this year so we're in prime time season here.  The kids watched me for awhile and then ran in the backyard.  We got a ton of tomatoes, bell peppers- red and green, sweet cherry peppers, eggplant and cucumbers.  Oh, and hot peppers.  YUM!!  I love having a garden.  It's so much healthier for you, and easier and cheaper too!

7:35pm  We went back inside, took baths and got ready for bed.  We made the bath water turn pink today.  Sometimes I wonder if I should give the kids separate baths, but it's much easier to do it together, and plus, we typically do showers.

8:05pm  Jammies are on, teeth are brushed and little buggas are on their way to bed.  Cole is first, and then Nicolette.  We've been playing games befpre bed lately.  Tonight it was Candyland.  She beats me every time, and I don't even cheat.  We read Toy Story and she is off to sleep.

8:45pm  Jon is home from his golf tournament.  We had a good day, but missed him.  We eat apple pie for dinner.  Well, he ate dinner at his golf thing, I guess I ate pie for dinner.  I played on the computer while he watched the Michigan game, in fast mode.  He went all day without knowing the score and was very happy about that!  I checked the score and knew they won!

10:30pm  I went up to bed.  I was exhausted!

never forget

Nice years later and I still get all choked up.  It breaks my heart, for every single being that was touched by this terrible tragedy, and for our whole country.  Never forget.

why does it have to be so hard?

Today was a rough day. I haven't had one of these in awhile. And let me tell you, it's not fun. I hate it and can't wait until those days are over.


I try not to talk about it- for multiple reasons- but I had to go back to work today. It was a day I've been dreading since summer began. I pretended it wasn't coming up, that somehow if I ignored it, it wouldn't come (yeah, that didn't work). I'm completely in denial. Yeah, not sure how to get to the next step of grief. What is it anyways? Get mad? And, besides being in denial, I also am aware enough to realize how blessed I really am, which makes me feel like crap for feeling what I do.

I hate leaving my kids with someone else while I go to work and deal with someone elses kids. The logic doesn't make sense. All I want in life is to be at home with them. My time is dwindling. After this year, I have one year home with nicolette and a few more than that with cole. I would kick butt if I was at home.   I just know I would.

Okay, no more details.  I don't even want to think about it anymore.  Coping mechanisms.





andrea

over the RAINBOW!

Yesterday was nicolettte's third birthday party. It was a rainbow theme, with candy (by request). I was sad that so many people couldn't make it, but it is a holiday weekend. It was a small party, but still really nice. She was so excited for blowing out her candles!

I, of course, was scrambling around till well past two, when the party started. I am a bad judge of time and going to Wegmans, with a little girl who threw a huge tantrum, took a little longer than expected. We pulled it off, and I had lots of helpers!


candy buffet









Little miss three!  It's so hard to get a decent picture of her lately.



Mike and Nicole


Lucy and Nicole


Alaina






rainbow cupcakes








Wiped out from a long, fun day!

today i loved...

...seeing nicolette so excited to have her birthday party.

...the beautiful colors of the rainbow that decorated my house for nicolette's birthday party.

...the conversation I had with nicolette-
nicolette: I want to be Jessie for Halloween, Mommy.
me: Really? Do you have any money? The costume costs forty dollars.
nicolette: (real quick) I have six dollars.
me: Where did you get six dollars?
nicolette: Daddy gave it to me.
me: How come?
nicolette: He's a nice boy. (agreed)

...the sleepy face cole has when he first wakes up. He usually needs some time to lay in his crib before I get him, but it was party time so he woke up and came downstairs to a crazy houseful of people. The poor kid was so confused.

...how my brother had a headache and just went upstairs to lay down. It makes me so happy that people feel relaxed enough here to do that. Other friends felt comfortable too!

...how all our hardwork paid off the night before. I loved how Lucy stayed over through our falling rainbow cake, rainbow cupcakes at 11:30pm and meatballs at 12:30am.

...the little pigtails of our friend's daughter, Alaina. She just satrted walking and was so cute!

...getting a postcard in the mail from nicolette's preschool teachers, welcoming her! How is she going to preschool already??

...the adorable clothes that nicolette got for her birthday. I love to dress her. I wish I had more money to spend.

I can't wait till tomorrow to see what's in store.