Pumpkin Patch Pix

We headed to our second pumpkin patch of the season yesterday. This time we were accompanied by Uncle Kirk, Aunt Susan, Aunt Cathy, Sho and Kei. Most of these pictures were taken by Aunt Susan, but I took a couple of them too.

The boys on the hayride back from the pumpkin patch.

Waiting for the Great Pumpkin

Maybe this one

Ryan and his Aunt Susan

What a pumpkin!

He's a pumpkin too!

Ryan is outstanding in his field!

Kei is missing teeth. Guess that makes him a jack-o-lantern

All smiles

Aunt Susan and Uncle Kirk

The whole W. family.

My sweet 4 year old!

All the boys - almost all looking at the camera

Mommy and Ryan in hay barn

Kei goes for a ride

Ryan found another rock

Checking it all out

Ryan in the hay tunnel

So long!

Worst Dream Ever

I had the worst dream I have ever had in my entire life last night. I dreamt someone kidnapped Wesley. And it wasn't a random nabbing off the street. The guy in my dream was essentially stalking our family. We knew he was going to take Wesley. He told us he was going to take Wesley. It didn't matter what precautions we took, I knew in the way that you only know in dreams, that Wesley would eventually be taken.

In my dream we were living in some other house with a FANTASTIC front porch. We were having a party because a circus parade was going to go down our street. And the &%*@! managed to take Wesley right off the front porch in the middle of everything. It was horrific. And the one image I remember so clearly from the dream is Stinky Bear/Carr lying on the steps and we all know that Wesley would never leave Stinky Bear.

I woke up in an absolute panic. Duane calmed me down and I went into Wesley's room to crawl into bed with him for a little bit. He didn't stir, but it did my heart a world of good.

Guess who is checking out books on safety and stranger danger on Monday?

Day Off

I was off work today, so Grandma H. and I spent some quality time together - well, the boys were there too, but Grandma and I barely get to see each other, so it was a real treat. Ok, it was mostly a treat, like I said, the boys were with us.

We started off with a little shopping. Nothing major, but Wesley needed some jeans, some Halloween cups for the class party and a medium weight jacket. We found everything we wanted, but Ryan is IMPOSSIBLE to shop with. He screams if he's in the cart and if you take him out of the cart he runs all over the store, then Wesley gets worked up chasing him. I guess it wasn't too bad, but I was sure glad I wasn't shopping by myself.

Wesley didn't eat a very good breakfast, so we stopped for an early lunch at Johnny Rockets. I don't think Wesley has ever been better behaved at a restaurant. He colored very nicely while we waited for his food. Again, he didn't eat much, but I was really impressed with him. Oh! And he's starting to draw people that actually look like people, not just scribbles.




Ryan was something else at the restaurant. He colored, he drank part of chocolate malt, he ate french fries and ignored his cheese sandwhich and flirted with the couple in the next booth. Just a typical day for Ryan.









You didn't want any of this, did you?










Yes, I think this one will do nicely.







We spent the rest of the afternoon at COSI. Ryan crashed HARD on the way there and slept for the first half hour we were in the kids space. Once he woke up though he was ready to roll!

I loved every second Ryan was asleep on my lap. Wesley was always a snuggly baby, but Ryan usually isn't. This way I got to hold him and love on him and he couldn't complain. What was really funny was all the little kids coming up to look at the sleeping baby.





Wesley and Ryan actually played together with this toy for all of 3 minutes. It was probably a new record for them.

Wesley had a pretend party to prepare for and insisted that Grandma and I put on our party hats. Aren't we stylin'?

Ryan planted a kiss on the stuffed lion.








And he kissed the cheetah.








Good thing Dr. Wesley was nearby to give everyone their shots. That's a plastic syringe he's holding. You'll be happy to know I've now been vaccinated against all diseases known to man and some known only to a four year old with an over active imagination.





Of course, no trip to COSI with complete without pressing the buttons that make gross bodily noises. Wesley especially loved pressing the "fart button" with his tushie. How appropriate.




Wesley informed us the other night that he wanted to be a chef when he grew up. He practiced in the play kitchen. Ryan was more than willing to sample any imaginary culinary creations.

Ryan also showed terrible manners and climbed up onto the table in the middle of the pretend meal.









After COSI we looked at toy catalogs and talked about Christmas lists. I actually have some ideas for gifts floating around. Probably ought to act on that. Grandma read some books and did some puzzles with the boys too. It was a great day off!

Conquering the Great Divide

Ryan has reached new heights tonight. Literally!

Wesley was playing with a puzzle on the dining room table and I was in the living room. After a moment, I heard Wesley say, "Mom! Ryan is on the table!" I was pretty sure I had heard wrong, but when I turned and looked into the dining room, there was Ryan, sitting on the table proud as punch!

"How did he get up there!?" I asked Wesley.

" He climbed on Daddy's chair and then on to the table, " big brother matter-of-factly replied.

Well, I had to see that feat for myself. I pulled Ryan off the table. He didn't hesitate a moment before climbing onto one of the chair and then up onto the table. In fact, I wasn't real sure if I should be horrified or impressed. I pulled him off the table again and then pushed all the chair in. However, that wasn't enough to stop our little explorer. He pulled the chair out so he could do it again!!

The picture below isn't of him on the table (obviously), but it is from today before the climbing expedition commenced.

Visions of Drop Dead Fred

Are you familiar with the movie Drop Dead Fred? When I first saw it I despised the mother for taking Elizabeth's imaginary friend away. As a parent, I can almost understand.

Many of you know that Wesley has imaginary cat named Fluffy. I can deal with Fluffy. I can even deal with imaginary Fluffy's imaginary dog friend, Sammy. What I cannot deal with is Wesley's alter ego, "Cooper."

I can't stand Cooper! It drives me up a wall when Wesley meows and refuses to answer to any name other than Cooper. I hate it when he refers to "Cooper" in the third person. I am sick of "cat high fives" and Cooper's "sharp claws" and Cooper "digging in the dirt" (digging in the pile of blankets." I hate having to tell Wesley he needs to be a boy. I hate hearing the question, "Can I be a cat?" I hate waking Wesley up and telling him "good morning" only to have him respond with a meow. For a while whenever Wesley was being Cooper, he'd call Ryan "Perry" and say that Perry was Cooper's pet dog. We finally put a stop to that because we were a little concerned that Ryan wouldn't know his real name.

If there was away I could put an end to Cooper without breaking Wesley's heart (and possibly putting him in therapy for years to come) I would do it in a minute. Instead, I have to suffer through the Cooper phase. And I do know it's the phase. I figure we have 9 months to a year of Cooper being around. With any luck, Cooper will disappear by the time kindergarten starts. Until then, I guess I'll need to stock up on cat treats and get a bigger litter box.

Great Pumpkins!

I had some comp. time coming to me today, so I left work early and had lunch with Grandpa P. and the boys, then went to the pumpkin patch. And let me tell you, I am exhausted!!

We went to Cici's Pizza for lunch. Now Cici's has some definite advantages when dining with children. First of all, it's a pizza buffet, so you know that even a child as picky as Wesley will find something to eat. There's no wait for service and the you can eat as much or as little as you want. The downside, is that it's a buffet, which totally wore me out! Grandpa got Wesley a piece of pizza then went to get his food while I got Wesley a drink. Then I had to go back for utensils. Then I went to get my food and food for Ryan. By the time I sat down, Wesley was ready for a second piece of pizza, so I went to get that. I must have looked like a jack-in-the-box with all the up and down I was doing. The kids ate really well though. Wesley even had almost three whole pieces of pizza!

After lunch we drove to a pumpkin patch near by. Grandma and Grandpa P. have taken Wesley there every year, so we decided to continue the tradition. I don't think I've ever gone with them (I'm ususally working), but I think this year was a bit more chaotic than normal. Wesley pretty much just ran through the pumpkins. He'd pretend to pick out a pumpkin, then say, "No, let's keep looking," just so he could take off running again. When he finally did pick "the perfect pumpkin" it was small, and orange with large green areas. But if it makes him happy who am I to complain?

Here's an example of Wesley the Wild Runner in the pumpkin patch.



I tried and tried to get some decent pictures of Wesley, but he was moving so much, it proved pretty difficult. Here's what I ended up with:

Of course, Ryan was pretty active too - just not in the way I thought he'd be. At first he was pretty interested in the pumpkins. He kept pointing at them and saying something that sounded an awful lot like "That one!" Check out this video if you don't believe me.

But then Ryan found the one thing in the pumpkin patch that held his interest above all other things. A rock. Yes folks, a rock. He carried it around the whole time we were there. He called it a ball and threw it (over and over and over), he even brought it home with him. This video will give you a good feel of our pumpkin patch trip.

Pretty much chaos. Which explains why all the pictures I have of Ryan look like action shots.

Believe it or not, we did leave the pumpkin patch with two pumpkins. And the kids fell asleep on the way home (big surprise)

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of My Charming Kids, it's another "Not Me Monday!"


There's no way I spent a work morning without kids missing them terribly instead of loving every second of only having to get myself ready and out the door on time. Not me.

I know I didn't tear up when Wesley taught Duane and I the prayer he says at preschool. That would have been ridiculous!

I certainly didn't refuse to let Wesley have yogurt for breakfast no matter how many times or how politely he asked, just because it was picture day and I didn't want him dribbling yogurt down his shirt. I mean come on, would I really deny my child nutrition just to try to ensure a stain free picture?

It couldn't have been me that allowed Ryan to have a whole apple - despite the fact that he only has six teeth! I'd never do that. And if it was me, I certainly wasn't tickled that he started saying "apple" in between bites.

I know I didn't open my lunch bag at work only to discover that while I had packed a soda, some crackers and a cookie, I totally neglected to pack the container of stew I was planning on eating. Nope, never happened.

Speaking of things that never happened, there's no way Wesley came home from preschool with the knee ripped out of his jeans - TWO DAYS IN A ROW!!!

There is no way I put my thumb through a brand new pair of black tights while I was getting ready for church. That would have been too frustrating.

Weekend Roundup

I've worked all weekend, so it's pretty much been a whole lot of nothing around here.

Friday went much better at preschool. Wesley remembered to keep his spit and his tongue in his mouth. Bonus! Kirk came over in the afternoon to check on me though. No fooling my big brother about how upset I was on Thursday.

Um...yeah, that's pretty much it. Daddy hung out with the boys. Ryan said "Uh-oh!" A LOT because that is what he does. It's his new favorite word. Um....yeah that was our weekend. Mega exciting, huh?

Oh, well there was that celebrity that stopped by. May I introduce, Mr. Tom Cruise from Risky Business!

He even helped Duane clean out the freezer! He ate the premium ice cream, though.

My Child is a Brat

We had our first phone call from Wesley's preschool today. Apparently our little "angel" is spitting on the other kids in the class. That is, when he isn't busy licking his hands and wiping them on the table or his classmates. Or when he's not busy being nasty to them, or moaning on the floor.

Yep, sounds like my kid is the one the teachers pray will be absent.

I can't tell you how embarrassed I am. To be honest, I am sitting here crying right now. It's just that I had NO idea he was such a brat at school. I know he's a little spoiled, but a full on brat? I just didn't picture it.

Now, Mrs. P. did say that he has made a lot of progress since school started. But she also made it sound like he has a long way to go.

I made him write a note saying he was sorry he spit at people. He promised he wasn't going to do it anymore. I guess we just focus on changing one behavior at a time, right?

Well, if the whole class comes down with the flu or bubonic plague I guess we know who to blame.

New Baby Trick

We're in double trouble now. Not only is Ryan a climber, but in the last couple of days he has learned he can push a chair over to the couch and use it to climb up. Why do I have a horrible feeling I'm going to find him sitting on the kitchen counter soon?

Look Ma! No hands!

But He's Just a Little Boy!

Lately I have been wondering if we shelter Wesley too much. This isn't the first time I have wondered this, but what really brought it home was when he and I were sitting on the couch watching Babe last week. I figured since it was rated G that I had nothing to worry about. Wrong! I totally forgot that there's a scene where wild dogs attack the sheep. The movie shows one of the dogs gnawing on the leg of a sheep, then a moment later it cuts to a shot of the sheep lying on the ground, bleeding from the leg and neck. Poor little Babe starts crying "Ma!" because that's what he named that sheep.

Wesley turned to me at this point in the movie and asked why the pig was crying. I couldn't bring myself to say that the pig was crying because the sheep had died. Instead, I just said he was crying because Ma was hurt.

"Oh! Because the dog hurt her leg!" Wesley replied.

But it got me thinking. Even if I had told Wesley that the sheep had died, I don't think he would have understood. He has no concept of death. When my uncle died, we did not take the boys to the funeral. We didn't take them to the funeral of Duane's grandmother either. None of our pets have died. He has no reason to have the idea of death in his mind.

But we haven't just sheltered Wesley from the idea of death, we don't let him watch anything that isn't on Nick Jr. or Playhouse Disney. I know a lot of kids his age know most of the Disney movies backwards and forwards, but we've only let him watch a few and we're sure to watch with him. No Lion King, or Bambi or anything like that yet. I don't even want to take him to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs because it's PG and I don't think he could handle it.

The last time we were at the pediatrician, Dr. M asked if we had done the "stranger danger" talk with Wesley yet. We haven't. I know we need to, especially since Wesley is definitely the kid who would help someone "look for a lost puppy." When we went to the fair we were more concerned about him getting lost, so we talked about what to do in that situation. We don't let him go outside to play without an adult, so the stranger danger thing just hasn't come up. To be honest, I'm not even sure how to approach it. Wesley is such a sensitive kid. I don't want to scare him more than is necessary.

And if we haven't talked about stranger danger, you know we haven't talked about right touch/wrong touch. At least not with any purpose. When Dr. M has to check the bits and pieces we tell him that it's OK because that's his doctor and that no one else is allowed to touch him there, but that's been the extent of it.

In my mind Wesley is still such a little boy. Much too little for all that stuff. Yet I know that he'll be starting kindergarten next year and we're going to have to prepare him for the "real world" outside of the house and preschool. But I'll be honest, I don't want to!

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of My Charming Kids, it's another "Not Me Monday!"

I did not get so frustrated with Ryan that I said, "If you had been born first, you would SO be an only child!" Nope, not me.

I certainly didn't have myself convinced one night that Wesley was coming down with pink eye, but by the next morning decided that he had just been rubbing his eye. And if I did, I certainly didn't send him to preschool the next morning!

I know I didn't allow Wesley to eat a bag of M&M's for lunch just because it was my birthday and his first time seeing a movie in a theater (COSI).

There's no way I said, "Anything he eats from under there will only strengthen his immune system," when Ryan crawled under the table at a restaurant.

I couldn't have forgotten to pack pajamas for Ryan's overnight with his grandparents. Not me!

Happy Birthday to Me

I have had a WONDERFUL birthday weekend!! Yesterday we went on a hayride and campfire with Grandpa and Grandma P. and their car club friends. It was so much fun!

We drove about 45 minutes to a farm in the next county. It was kind of an interesting ride up there. Ryan (who really needed a nap) did not sleep a wink. Wesley got mad at me for something and refused to speak at all for about 10 minutes - I didn't have the heart to tell him how nice that 10 minutes of silence was!

The farm was really neat. Of course, the first thing I did was check out the market (caramel apples and pumpkin whoopie pies!) and purchase a lollipop for a Wesley bribe. He got the lollipop after waiting patiently in line for the restroom before heading out on the wagons. Well, he kind of finished it on the wagon - at least until he dropped it in the hay!

We rode in the wagons through the fields and into the woods until we reached our picnic sight. Let me tell you, I have never seen a group of people set up a picnic so quickly! Talk about efficient, we were eating within 10 minutes of arriving. Good thing too since Ryan and Wesley were both really hungry! They each put away more than one hot dog cooked over the fire (as did Mommy) and several toasted marshmallows (although I KNOW I out ate them on s'mores!)

After every one's tummy's were full, Wesley turned into Cooper the Cat and went around trying to get people to pet him. Hey, at least he got over being shy.

The ride back from the campfire was fun too. It was totally dark and Wesley lay down in the hay to look at the stars. Ryan entertained with his stupid baby trick of putting a lit flashlight in his mouth so his cheeks light up. Gotta love a good baby trick.

Today I took Wesley to a movie at COSI, took a long nap and went out to dinner with Kirk and Sus, Grandpa and Grandpa P., and Aaron. The boys weren't on their best behavior, but they weren't on their worst either. And who really cares, when dinner is followed by a cake Duane baked for me and the boys are sleeping over with their grandparents! Ahhhh....happy birthday to me!

Family of Three

The W. family is a family of three instead of four tonight. Wesley has been begging for an overnight with Grandma and Grandpa H., so he's sleeping there tonight - leaving Duane and I with Ryan.

I love my boys dearly, but having only one kid with us is almost like being childless again! It's so easy! We went out to dinner and only had to worry about keeping one child entertained. Ryan did so well at the restaurant. He flirted with the waitress. He ate spinach artichoke dip and chips. He did so well that we even ordered dessert! After dinner we went to two stores - again, it's SO much easier with one child.

Right now, Ryan is watching a show, Duane is working on my birthday cake and I'm playing on the computer. There's no fighting, or whining, or "Cooper" running around. It's just a peaceful evening. Now in all fairness, I know I'd feel the same way if it were Ryan staying with the grandparents and Wesley with us. Either way, I plan on enjoying this!

Happy October

There's a chill in the air and a spring in my step! Why? It's October! My favorite month of the year, by far. I know it's kind of geeky to have favorite month, but October is just that wonderful to me. Wait. I can tell you aren't buying this. Allow me to try and convince you with my List of October Wonderfulness.

Heather's List of October Wonderfulness (in no particular order - except for number 1)

1) October in Ohio tends to be one of the best months of the year, weather-wise. It's not too hot, or too cold. It rains, but not all that much. The sun usually shines. The average October high where I live is 66 and low is 43. We get about 2.5 inches of rain. PERFECT!! I had to list weather number 1 because so many of my favorite October things revolve around it.

2) I am girly girl most of the time. I love floral dresses. I love skirts. However, the truth is that I could LIVE in jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt/sweatshirt/sweater. October lends itself very well to wearing my favorite kind of clothes.

3) To me, nothing says "football season" like October. There's a bite to the air and the crowds/bands/cheers just sound sharper. The hits sound louder. I know plently of people out west and down south would disagree with me, but 80 degrees is NOT football weather!

4) Hockey season starts!

5) I love Fall food! What is Fall food? Well, to me it's ANYTHING pumpkin (I'm a total pumpkin addict.) It's piping hot soup/stew/chili with a side of good bread. It's pork (I don't know why, but it is). It's hot cider - with or without a little Southern Comfort added. It's caramel apples, or plain apples or apple pie or apple cake. It's candy corn! More specifically, it's Brach's original candy corn.

6) October is when the leaves actually start changing and falling, but the branches aren't completely bare and depressing. I often find myself looking at the beauty of nature and saying a little thank you to God.

7) October means the start of craft show season. I love craft shows and even though I don't usually buy much, I like to go to as many as possible.

8) Pumpkin picking! We go to a place that has pumpkin donuts, a hay ride, a barn filled with hay and slides for the kids to play in and a sunflower maze. It's a wonderful afternoon!

9) October means Halloween. In my book, Halloween is the perfect holiday. There's no big meal to prepare (although I do like to cook a special fun themed meal on Beggar's Night). There are no gifts to buy. No cards to send (unless you want to - they are totally optional on Halloween). Parents don't need to stay up to leave presents under the tree or hide eggs. All you are expected to do is dress up as someone or something you are not and eat a lot of candy. What's not to love here!?

10) October 4th happens to be the best day of the year - at least, it has been that way for the past 35 years.