Saturday Outing

Grandma Sue & Mommy took the kids on a double outing yesterday. First, we went to the Johnston Firehouse Open House and then went to Howell's Farm pumpkin patch. At the firehouse the kids went through stations to learn & experience fire safety. They learned about smoke detectors and what to do if they went off, how to stop, drop & roll, how to use a fire extinguisher, how to dial 911 and how to use a fire hose and spray out a fire. They also got to watch jaws of life. Finally, they got to play inside the squad ambulance and the huge ladder truck. Schmoo met a special fireman who let him try on some of his real equipment. That was pretty special. They both got fire helmets and badges and certificates of completion. I was very pleased that Schmoo knew as much as he did about fire safety. Then, we went to the pumpkin patch since Schmoo & Grandma had such a good time. Boo & Mommy really wanted to see it too. Boo & Schmoo played in the corn and rode tractors & little push cars. Then, they climbed up and walked along a fallen tree trunk and swung on a tire swing shaped like a horse. We all went on the hayrack ride to the pumpkin patch & saw Francesca's house from the book/movie Bridges of Madison County. We didn't get pumpkins from the patch, but Boo & Schmoo & Mommy walked through the tall corn maze on a treasure hunt. We found all the icons and punched their card shapes so they each got to pick a treasure from the treasure chest. We took the hayrack back to the barn & picked out some pumpkins, gourds and corn & fed the goats. We were so pooped that the kids fell asleep on the way home. What a fun day and the weather was just perfect!!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Miss Julie took Schmoo's class on another super awesome field trip. This time they went to the pumpkin patch (Howell's Farm). They fed animals, played in a shelled corn sand box, took a hayrack ride out to the pumpkin patch and got to cut a pumpkin right off the vine. Grandma Sue went along. They had a super time! But then...Schmoo went down the big slide and came down so fast that he went airborne and landed face first in the dirt. He bloodied his nose pretty bad and it was feared broken at first. He got lots of lovin' from all the mom's and teachers. Grandma Sue went ahead and took him home after the field trip. Grandma Sue knew just what to do. She pulled out one of her old nursing books to a page with noses and let Schmoo look. She scanned the page with her finger and stopped and said, "What to do if you slide down a slide and fall on your nose." Schmoo got excited and agreed that was what happened. Grandma read further and said the book said he would need to eat chocolate. Schmoo said he could do that! He told Grandma he really liked her nurse book!

Lipstick

I'm a bit behind on my blogging as you can see...it's been awhile since my last. Awhile back we took Boo to Build-A-Bear to create her own special friend. A dear family friend had given us a gift certificate as a welcome to Boo. So, we went and she chose an elephant. It is really cute and she named it Lipstick. Schmoo helped kiss the heart before inserting it & the recorder says, "Mommy & Daddy love you."
Here are pics of her adventure.

P-A-R-K

We love the park! I've been so thankful for the beautiful weather we've had so the kids have been able to play outside. I know the fresh air and exercise are so good for them. I sure wish I had all that energy! I did go down the slide - it is a cool park!

No Likey Time Out

Boo DOES NOT LIKEY TIME OUT!!!. She can throw an absolute temper tantrum and is very strong. She stiffens so you can't sit her down or will go limp so you can't stand her up. If you hold her, she will struggle and work up a sweat trying to get down. All the while screaming at top volume - it's an eardrum buster. I do have to say that this is getting better the more we work with her and she learns her boundaries and how far she can push the envelope. The other night Schmoo earned some corner time. Boo decided she'd have time out with him and went to sit with him. She was very curious about Schmoo's time out. Thinking this would be a good example for Boo, I made a special point of telling her that this is a good time out and to look at how Schmoo was sitting quietly in the corner. Schmoo, wanting to get involved, asked, "Mommy, do you know what a bad time out is?" I said no and his face broke into a big smile and pointed at Boo! That was so funny he immediately got his get-out-of-time-out card and got to pass GO!

New Arrival

We have a new arrival! My cousin, Becky, had a little boy on Monday (9/22). He was actually due on 9/13 (our Grandpa's birthday) but she had to be induced. He missed being born on his mommy's birthday (9/18), but came on our cousin Bethany's birthday instead! We seem to be doubling up on dates in our family - Bethany's son, was born on my birthday! My brother's wedding anniversary is 9/18 and Becky & Josh share Aunt Kathi & Uncle Bob's wedding anniversary (Becky's parents). My cousin Brandi is due in February - that's another hot spot...it really won't matter if she's early, on time or late - she's got a good chance of hitting a special date too! It's really amazing how our families overlap on the calendar - Matt & my family have a lot of the same dates as well or in very close proximity. That's fun!
Schmoo and Boo loved going to see Tommy on Tuesday evening and getting to hold him. He certainly is a cutie patootie! I can't wait to hold him again myself - just love those babies!

6 Weird Things About Me

Okay, I've read the 6 weird things about Patty and decided to take a stab at it myself. So here goes...

1. I don't like drinking after someone - especially with straws, bottles, etc., without wiping it really good. I've gotten better about this since I've gotten older and had kids. For some reason it grosses me out - thinking about someone else's saliva around my mouth. But - I still like kissing! Go figure.
2. I set the alarm about a half hour before I really have to get up so I can hit snooze several times and trick myself into thinking I'm getting more sleep!
3. Since my school days I am obsessed with writing as neatly as I can. I've been known to recopy papers and notes (sometimes several times) until they look very neat and organized. Of course, this is much better since the computer!
4. while I really wouldn't go so far as road rage...I think that anyone who drives slower than me is a moron and anyone who drives faster is a maniac.
5. Scary toilets. Trust me - there are some and I would rather wet my pants than use them. No way. No how. That's all I'll say on that subject.
6. I talk in my sleep (I've been told)and have been known to carry on full conversations and change my voice when I'm talking as someone else.

I'll tag anyone else who would like to take a stab at it.