Pumpkin time

This is about how I've been feeling lately.  Just exhausted, drained (or draining, as the case may be), a bit googly-eyed, and hoping that all three of the boys will be able to make it through one night without one of them waking from a bad dream that involves being eaten by some animal - wild or domestic - sometime soon.  It's been a while since that's happened.

Then I remembered that trick-or-treating is tomorrow night, and that I haven't carved our pumpkins yet.  The thought of doing that tonight made me feel, well...

I mean, don't get me wrong.  I love carving a pumpkin.  I love thinking about a design and carrying it out.  I love putting the candle in and watching it glow in a darkened room and then outside at night. I don't even mind gutting a pumpkin, because then I can roast the yummy seeds and munch on them over the next day or two. Anyone who knows me can attest to this.

But it's the combination of multiple pumpkins and multiple little ones that I don't like.  Because we all know what happens when we sit down with three little kids to carve pumpkins.  They start out excited and interested, and then you give them a spoon and ask them to start scraping out the insides and soon they're throwing pumpkin guts everywhere and then they're off and playing with something else (and covering it with pumpkin guts) because that got boring really fast.  And while they love to tell you what face to make on theirs and to watch it glow once it's done, we all know who's doing all the work.  We are.

And I'm pooped.

So riddle me this:  

Who has two thumbs, speaks limited French, and totally cheated on the pumpkins this year?

This moi!

A few years ago, I'd have thought this was sacrilege.  

Who doesn't take the time to actually carve their pumpkins? 

What'd that take, like two minutes?
Come on, where is the challenge in that?  Where's the skill?

This year, I'd like to find the person - probably a mom - who invented these
and give her a big hug.

Octsnowber

Fun times today in an unexpected October snowfall.

Home grown

This year, we tried our hand at growing a few new fruits and vegetables in a sunny bed beside the house. There was a strawberry patch and a raspberry bush here when we moved in, which yielded us oodles of berries at the beginning of summer, but we also tried a few cherry tomatoes (we got three total and they are still green), a watermelon, and an eggplant.

The eggplant is still growing nicely, but yesterday, we were able to harvest our watermelon after weeks and weeks of waiting patiently for it to be ready.

The boys were so proud and excited to cut it open and eat it. It was delicious, but more importantly, the experience gave us the chance to teach them what we hope will be a lifelong skill:

seed spitting!

Sandbox season

The weather has been beautiful here this week - a big difference from the last post which, I see, was a whole month ago. Sorry about that. It's been a little crazy.

Anyway, we've had the windows open, taken lots of walks, and opened the sandbox for the first time this year.




The boys were so thrilled to get outside and run around! How adorable are they in their baseball caps and spring jackets?

(I can't believe these cuties are my kids. Somebody pinch me.)



We're looking forward to more warmer weather!

Snowmageddon

You may have heard that here in the Mid-Atlantic portion of the U.S., we've recently had a few blizzards.

Thomas has decided that hunkering down and hibernating is the right thing to do.

I found a recipe for snow cream, which could not be easier to make, and it's become our new snow day treat - along with hot chocolate, of course

We had about 3 feet on our deck. I love the way it looks as it stacks up against the sliding glass doors.

Jack and PJ had colds for days, but on Friday, were able to suit up and go outside with Patrick for a little while. It's actually too deep for them to really play in. Here's PJ running up and down the sidewalk.

The boys loved the idea of stopping to pose for a picture. Can't you just see the glee on their faces?


Jack attempted to climb up the banks, but I was afraid that if he made one wrong move, it would swallow him whole.

Apparently, we're due for another 6-12 inches this week. If only we had some decent places to ski here in central Pennsylvania!

Why we love Aunt Devon

My boys love their Aunt Devon.

She always runs around with them, plays silly games, and gets them laughing.

Saturday afternoon, we enjoyed the gorgeous weather in the backyard.

Raise your hand if you love shorts with long sleeved t-shirts.

(Not on myself, of course - my legs have taken on an elephantine quality that comes from being perpetually pregnant for the last four years or so - but on my boys, love it!)

Devon carried PJ around on her shoulders and at one point, jokingly asked, "Where's PJ?" He responded by peeking around and saying "Here he is!"

I adore this photo.


Devon's not afraid to get all kinds of silly.

"Jack, how far do you think I can push this monster truck?"

"I don't know, Aunt Devon."

"Well, let's see!"



And there it goes, both boys in hysterics about how fast it went down the hill.

Well, maybe not PJ. He has a hard time showing his emotions, but he's laughing on the inside, I assure you.



Aunt Devon will be moving to California soon, and while we're excited for her new adventure, we're going to miss the heck out of her.

We love you, Aunt Devon!

Dutch Wonderland

Let's not talk about the fact that it's been almost exactly one month since I posted last, shall we?

Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

At the beginning of August, Patrick took a much-needed week off from work and we had a little family "staycation." It was just what the doctor ordered, since his work schedule had been terribly hectic and we were both feeling exhausted.

One of our day trips included a local amusement park just for young children called Dutch Wonderland. We had so much fun watching the boys experience this place for the first time.

The first ride we went on was a little boat ride that guided itself around a pond. Jack and I rode together and he "drove."

This was my view the entire time, and I have to say, it made me a little misty.

Still does, actually. But hey, I'm pregnant.

Patrick and PJ had fun together.

Patrick and Jack went on a tilt-a-whirl type ride with turtles, and as they waited in line Jack explained his concerns. Patrick assured him that it would be fine.

They chose their turtle car and got settled.

Thumbs up before the ride started to let me know that everything was okay...

...and then this picture while the ride is moving that I snapped too late because I have a crappy camera, but which shows Jack, white as a sheet, looking like he's about to die.

I couldn't help it. I cracked up.

PJ saw nothing funny about it and thought it was a little annoying that he had to wait while Daddy and Jack got to do fun rides.

Then we went to see a little Thomas show they had there. Both boys died and went to heaven.

Not literally.

There was clapping and singing and PJ was riveted...

...until the people behind us opened up a take-out container of some sort and started munching on french fries. Then he was focused on the food.

After the show, the boys got to pose with Thomas for a photo. Out of the four shots I took, this is the one in which they are most looking in the same direction.

Jack and I went on the merry-go-round. I thought he was having a great time until I saw this picture and realized he was pretty scared on this ride as well.

I crack up when I see this one too. You'd think we were going around at breakneck speed from the look on his face.

Jack took Patrick for a ride on the antique cars, which made Patrick a little emotional remembering that his dad had taken him on the same ride when he was young.

Again with the misty.

A nice spiral slide was just Jack's speed and he went on this one about four times.

And then, there were the monster trucks - the first ride that PJ got to go on too and was he ever in love.

Jack was thrilled because:

(a) they got the front car and it was like he was the leader pulling all the other trucks around.
(b) the car was red.
(c) there was no line when the ride was over so the lady operating it let them go around again.

Jack still talks about the three magnificent points of this ride.

Patrick got to go with them, and I think it's safe to say that were this a Norman Rockwell painting, it could be called "Proud Papa."

This photo makes me a little nauseous because I'm sure that before I know it, this will be 16-year-old PJ behind the wheel of an actual car and oh my gosh, can we please not talk about this either?

Mmmmkay.


Then, there was this tiny airplane/spaceship ride that both boys got to ride together in seats that were back-to-back. Although it's not much, this picture represents the most fun part of the entire trip for Patrick and me because PJ's face as this thing was going around was just PA-RICELESS!

Unfortunately:

(a) out of three tries, I could not time the photos to capture their plane, until this one.
(b) immediately upon snapping this photo, my camera battery died.

The end.

There are oodles more pictures to post from this summer, but I'm not going to make any promises about when they'll get here. I'll do it as soon as I can.

Thanks so much for checking in!