Go, Go, Goers!

Should I be worried that Garrett was super excited to see how the brains were going to get out of the pumpkins last night? Thank goodness for Ava...I turned my back for 2 seconds and he picked up a knife and was trying to poke a hole in one of the pumpkins. Luckily, his big sis stopped him and took it away! I feel like the entire year is a lead up to this time. G's birthday kicks off the holiday chaos for us...his birthday is TODAY (Happy 4th Birthday to my most favorite little boy...you are so loved!), Halloween is Tuesday, and in a few short weeks, we will be eating turkeys and giving thanks. And then shortly after that, we'll be kissing under the mistletoe and leaving cookies and eggnog out for the fat man in a red suit. And THEN we'll be bidding adieu to this really weird year and welcoming a new one. We can then take a break for a bit, until we head to Florida in February for a visit with Grandma Deb and Grandpa Whitey. There is so much to do in such a short amount o...

Yes, Minnesota is a bit chilly in the winter, but the other seasons are beautiful. And to be honest, the winter also has its own special beauty. It's only when it gets to be 30 below, or the snow makes it impossible to drive, that I get a bit grumbly about it. But, I know those days are short-lived, and more beautiful days will follow. This time of year is amazing...the colors, the warmth, the anticipation of the holidays...it's a very special time. With the wonderful temps and abundant sunshine we had this week, I was able to enjoy the weather several times over my lunch hour throughout the week. There's a park by work that I had never really walked through, but this week, I went there several times to explore. There are great paved paths, plentiful benches for enjoying the scenery, hidden overlooks, and itty, bitty snakes! They were so much fun to watch. They were sunning themselves on the path, and when they felt it was time to go, they would take off in this fascinati...

Yet another busy week that has flown by in no time. Last Monday, Ava made a comment that she wished it was Saturday...I told her that we all agree with that statement... On Monday, G's daycare went on a field trip to a local apple orchard. We've been so busy this fall that we weren't able to squeeze in a trip to get apples OR pumpkins. Good thing he brought home plenty of apples to share with all of us! In addition, they learned all about pumpkins and the letter "P" this week. Guess who was finally able to join G at daycare this week? G's favorite stuffed animal, Puppy! We've been waiting for the letter "P" to be the letter of the week so he could hang out with G at daycare! Ava's doing really well in school, but this week, she brought home some math homework that even Scott and I couldn't figure out. There was one problem that we worked on for a while, and was never able to come up with a solution, so we sent her back to school with ...

We're still struggling with potty training G. He is so good with #1 (until he gets lazy) but #2 is a serious challenge. On Monday, he went to bed with a hard, extended belly...something we hadn't seen since we took him to the hospital a few years ago, and he ultimately had his appendix removed. I knew that wasn't the issue this time! His belly was nice and squishy in the morning, so I think he had some serious gas lurking inside. Poor kid. The next night, I forced him to stay on the potty before bed, and we were all able to do the Potty Dance when he was done. The size of things that come out of those little bodies is astounding. And, I also made the decision that he is getting a fiber supplement each morning. The pediatrician had recommended it for Ava, and it's working miracles for her. So, he's getting a smaller portion...and I'll be discussing more with his dr in a few weeks (for his 4-year checkup. FOUR!!! How did that happen??) This was a super busy we...

This week, G was studying the letter "O" at daycare. This means that we had to really brainstorm ideas for toys that begin with the letter O (they bring toys each week to share with the class.) I came up with a toy orange, but...that wasn't good enough. We don't have a toy owl, or orangutan, or ocelot. Or ox, for that matter. Thank goodness Scott said, "What about Olaf?" (You know...the snowman from the movie "Frozen".) Ava wasn't really happy with this suggestion because G doesn't have an Olaf toy, but...she does! It's the tiniest little Olaf you could imagine; it was rescued from inside a chocolate egg. I finally told her that if G lost her Olaf, I'd buy her a bigger one to replace it. Needless to say...the Olaf made it home safely on Thursday night! Ava and I have been collecting acorns to use in fall craft projects. I found a method of preserving them, so we can use them year after year. Hers are in great shape, but I picked...