Halloween Activities with Friends

Friday, the 22 we went to a birthday party of twins in Andrew's class. They were nice enough to invite siblings as well. We enjoyed the huge bounce house, cowboy themed games, and great friends. Thanks Madpeidi's!

Drew came home from work early so we could meet with an interior decorator to get some decorating ideas for the house. Now that we have lived in it a year we are ready to make some improvements. Then we had a relaxing family evening.

After Andrew's soccer game on October 23, we met our old neighbors, The Fitzpatricks, at Rombach's pumpkin patch. It was so good to see them and to catch up. Of course the boys were thrilled to see Timmy and Ellie. Everyone had a great time.

THEN, that night we went to a Halloween Party at the Pacifico's. I brought dinner for the kids; mummies and scary teeth. Allison had delicious chili for the adults. We planned a few arts and crafts activities because the kids made it clear that they wanted it to feel like a party. It was a lot of fun.

And finally, Monday night was Dad's Night at the boys' school and the activity was pumpkin carving. Drew took the camera along and got some great shots!

Pumpkin Patch, A Special Guest, Sculpture Park (all in one weekend)

We had a very busy Friday (October 15). It started off with me waking up not being able to walk. I had played in a pick up field hockey game the night before and with about 5 minutes left I got nailed in the foot with ball that had been hit from a guy about 6 inches from me. It was really sore through the night but I thought once I woke up it would be fine....not so much. I was seriously concerned that I was going to be in cast for 8 weeks and so mad at myself! I hobbled around that morning trying to get the kids fed etc. I talked to my orthopedic and he told me that if I could bear some weight on my foot I could see how it went and no go in right away. I was happy about that so I did my best to get the kids out the door for our 9am flu shot appointment. You would think with it being early and not having to see a doctor we would have been in and out in 5 minutes, that didn't happen. We were in there forever but the boys did awesome. The nurse also told me that Molly could have her first round which didn't even cross my mind so I was happy about that. It saved me a trip for her.

From the pediatrician, we headed to Theis pumpkin patch for a little outing for Andrew's class. Thankfully I was able to start putting more and more weight on my foot and realized it must have just been a bad bruise. This was extremely helpful for a day at the pumpkin patch! The kids had a great time and it was a gorgeous day.

After the pumpkin patch we drove through McDonalds and headed to the Pacificos for naps. Unfortunately Molly was completely off schedule and wasn't able to nap and Matthew literally zoned out (didn't even close his eyes) for 5 minutes and he wasn't able to nap either! Oh well, at least we had friends to entertain us.

Late Friday night, Drew's sister Jenny came in town for a visit. She joined us for Andrew's soccer game and hung out with us for a relaxing Saturday. We had a fun day hanging out. Then we got some steaks and wine for dinner and enjoyed the beautiful night on our deck. She hung out with us all day Sunday too and didn't head back until after dinner on Sunday. The boys loved having a special guest and are still talking about it.

Then Monday, the boys were off school because of a teacher workshop and I had a dentist appointment around lunch time. Drew met me at the appointment and took the kids while I was at the dentist. Being super dad, he grabbed them lunch from Jimmy Johns and then took them to a sculpture park which they thought was so cool!

Molly 10 and 11 Months

Well I thought it would be no problem combining 10 and 11 months since I haven't exactly been on top of the blog. But I feel like Molly changed from a baby into a toddler between these 2 months.

Molly 10 months
At 10 months Molly started her signature move of twirling her hair (mullet) and sucking her thumb when she gets tired. It is so cute! Molly also had her first sleep over away from mom the day she turned 10 months. Drew and I stayed the night in a hotel and she spent the night with her brothers at grandma and poppa's. She still refused to take a bottle or cup so she waited until I arrived at 9:30 to have milk. Did she care? Nope, not one bit. (of course I was a nervous wreck, you'd think I'd learn but apparently it has to be spelled out Molly.is.a.laid.back.baby.) She started experimenting more with solids and enjoyed canned peaches and pears, cheerios, and of course puffs. She went through an adjustment period with her nap schedule because of the boys being in school. I pretty much gave up on rushing home to feed her and get her down for an hour before I had to go pick up the boys. I feel bad that she pretty much lost her morning nap before she turned one but once again, she doesn't:)

Molly 11 months

Molly has turned into quite the daredevil as you can see from the picture above. She is trying so hard to keep up with her brothers. These pictures are also special because this is the gift she gave her brothers when she was born and now she gets to enjoy it too! At 11 months Molly is starting to stand on her own for longer periods of time. She pulls up on EVERYTHING and is an official speed crawler. She has even taken a step here and there. Verbally she is chatty Kathy. She went form saying ma, mom, ma ma ma ma one week to only da, da, da the next week and then she started pointing and saying "this". Now she is using all kinds of inflections and trying all kinds of sounds. She holds the phone up to her ear, tries to comb her "hair" and loves to hug her stuffed animals. The variety of foods she eats has grown greatly. She LOVES pizza and goldfish and likes nutrigrain bars, turkey, any carbs, french toast, pancakes and is hit or miss with pasta. She continues to be so much fun, so go with the flow, and so loving. She is our little angel. And I cannot believe she is almost one! Wow, time flies.

Fall Festivities

It's been a busy fall and I've really been slacking on the blog. Here is a recap from mid September until mid October. Hope I can keep your interest:)

September 18

So the day after my surprise dinner could have been the busiest day ever...not recommended after a late night out, if you know what I mean. So the day started with Andrew's team soccer pictures, from there I coached his game. This particular game about sent me over the edge. The coach on the other team was absolutely ridiculous. He yelled at Drew for putting the ball back into play (which the parents were told to do), told his team to play goalie (which is not allowed in 3 v 3) and this is the one that put me over the edge, HE CHEERED WHEN MY TEAM ACCIDENTLY SCORED ON THE WRONG GOAL! I was furious. I told him he had horrible sportsmanship and was tempted to take my team and walk off the field but I sucked it up and tried not to be a drama queen. Instead one of my players knocked one of his players down and all the parents from his team started yelling at me. Really? Yes, I teach 4 and 5 year olds to knock other players down. Wow, it was quite a game!

Drew left right after the game to go to charity golf tournament put on by Pete and Jill for Make a Wish. I took the kids to the Pacifico's, laid Matthew and Molly down and took Andrew and Blake to a birthday party. Then I went to pick up the little two and headed home, ready for bed!

Friday September 24

Since both boys are off on Fridays I have been trying to do fun activities with them while the weather is nice. So we headed to the zoo, with Miss Molly and the Pacificos of course. It was a beautiful day. They were doing quite a bit of construction but the kids didn't mind at all, considering there were excavators and diggers working. Molly was a trouper as usual. Of course naps were completely messed up but we had fun. Then that evening we headed to the Little School (the boys pre school) for Family night. They had a children's entertainer/musician named Bobbaloo to keep the children occupied while the adults were able to mingle. It was a fun night for everyone. My favorite memory from that night was Matthew. Everyone was standing up when Bobbaloo started. Then he had them sit down and did a few songs. Matthew was so intrigued that he did not hear a word he was saying and was the only one standing until I had to physically go over and sit him down. Then when it was time to stand up, Drew and I were in a different room and Matthew was the only one that wouldn't stand up. They asked for an adult to come help so he didn't get trampled so John Pacifico saved the day and went and rescued him.

Sunday, September 26

We planned on going to 8am mass as usual and then leaving from there to go apple picking. It had rained over night and was a little chilly and overcast but the rain had moved out...or so we thought. As we pulled up a heavy drizzle started and they weren't charging an entry fee because nothing was open except for the tractor ride to orchard. (So much for the groupons we bought, thinking we were being so good and saving money:)) Even though it was much colder than I expected and a little rainy, everyone seemed to have a great time. From apple picking we went back to the Pacificos to thaw out and take naps, then we headed to Sunday dinner. It was so fun to have all the cousins together. Pete and John's families were there and it was crazy but tons of fun.

Friday, October 1

For this Friday activity we were invited to Allison's uncle Tim's farm for the day. It was the perfect day, so beautiful outside. We started off by hanging out by his lake and the kids played on his fishing boat. Then we took his Gator around with the boys in the back and Molly on my lap. Mia stayed back with Nanna. We checked on the barn and then headed back when we saw Tim bring back a front end loader full of dirt. The boys dug in the dirt while Allison and I took turns pushing Molly and Mia in the stroller for morning naps. After lunch Tim took us for a ride in the front end loader. It was the perfect way to end the day at the farm. Everyone fell asleep on the way home and MATTHEW AND MOLLY TRANSFERRED!!! Now that's what I call a great day. Drew and John met back at our house with food to grill for a chill night at our house, well as chill as it can be with 6 kids:))

October 4,5,6

The boys had school pictures...I'll be sure to post when they come in!

Every Wednesday, Andrew can bring in a show and tell for the letter of the week. This particular week, for the letter D, he wanted to bring his dad. Drew was able to arrange his schedule so he could take the boys to school and then go to show and tell. I got a picture of them as they were leaving. It was extra special because Andrew was able to ride in his booster seat for the first time. (He's tall enough and weighs enough to do it all the time but he doesn't know any different so I've kept him in the regular car seat since he can buckle and unbuckle himself.)

October 9

After Andrew's soccer game I had the joy of spending the day shopping with my mom. This is something we have not done in a really long time. It was so nice and now my kids are ready for fall! I was a little late getting home to feed Molly and she didn't care one bit. She's a funny one!

October 10-11

After mass we headed out to my friend Nancy's farm. It was a beautiful day and everyone had so much fun. There was a pond for fishing, a chicken coupe, a Gator, a tractor with a hay ride, and lots of great food and friends. That evening I asked the boys their favorite part of the day. Andrew said, "meeting new people" and Matthew said, "the tractor ride". Then Andrew went on to ask everyone their favorite thing that Nancy told them. His answer, "she told me we can come back any time!" Drew's favorite party of the day, "Catching a fish!"

That evening we went to Lowes to look at cabinets for a project Drew decided to tackle in our laundry room. The clutter was beginning to drive both of us crazy and we decided cabinets would be a great addition. We found what we needed and had a great Sunday evening as a family.

Before

After

Monday, Drew had scheduled the day off of work and the boys had school so Molly and I had the treat of spending the morning with Drew all to ourselves. It was so nice. I got to go on a morning run (something I never get to do since Drew leaves for work at 5:45), then we dropped the boys off, went to Starbucks and then Hobby Lobby to look for some hooks for our laundry project. We ended up spending the entire morning at Hobby Lobby since Molly fell asleep in the Bjorn. We we able to really take our time and discuss our options...that NEVER happens! Then we took the boys to the park for a picnic lunch, came home and while the little ones napped, I ran to the grocery store while Drew began hanging the cabinets...I told Drew it would be fine with me if he took every Monday off. It was a great start to the week!

More updates coming soon!