Wordless Wednesday

Do you see it? There in the branches the little red bird...he visits often and sits in the tree next too our balcony amongst the fall leaves, it's become a habbit daily to check and see and wait for him to come...assuming it's a him as usually the men are the prettier ones in nature right? 

(I hope for Christmas my husband takes the never-ending hints I give and gets me a bigger zoom lens so I can get a better pic of this little friend)

Lobsters and Monkeys and Lions oh my

Growing up we didn't celebrate Halloween with costumes and trick or treating...it's really an American holiday. The candy, parades, costumes, scariness, orange and black decor, etc.

In 8th grade, the year we moved here, I got all excited to dress up and went out as an Aussie rugby player and went trick or treating. The years following it wasn't too cool to dress up so we typically watched a scary movie (not something I enjoy) and hung out.

College brought on a whole new level of costumes combined with the rest of debauchary that college brings...we'll leave that in the past!

Then I had kids, Halloween took on a whole new meaning! How much fun is it to play dress up? combine that with everyone else playing with you and receiving a reward of candy for doing so...no wonder kids dig this holiday!

Kaitlyn's first year she was a lobster, Daddy worked in a seafood restaurant so it seemed natural...this year we tried in on Blake too just for effect...
 

Kaitlyn, 3 months October 2007

Blake, 5 1/2 months October 2010

Kaitlyn's second year of Halloween she was a monkey...she was a monkey so it was a natural pick!



Kaitlyn 15 months, October 2008



Blake 5 1/2 months, October 2010



Yes my kids are slightly different in weight and height....Kait's on the less than 3% end and Blake is on the 98% end!

 This year Kaitlyn was a lion, she 'raaaaaaaaaaaared' and all! I was suprised she didn't want to be Dora or a Princess or something else of that popular nature and quite happy actually since we had this costume in the closet...

We attended Orange Fest at our Church on Sunday night and had a ball, they had preschool appropriate games and candy, a puppet show, bouncy houses, a fire truck to explore, food, vendors with arts and crafts, hay rides, train rides and pony rides! Oh and how can I forget face painting! We arrived around 4:30pm expecting to hang out for about hour and ended up staying until they shut it down at 7pm.

           

Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween...I'm off to see if there is anything good left at the bottom of Kaitlyn's candy bag :P

Menu Monday

Monday:
Lunch-Turkey and Cheese panini's, apple wedges
Dinner- Turkey Burgers and salad

Tuesday:
Lunch- Lunch out
Dinner- Pesto Mini Pizzas

Wednesday:
Lunch- Homemade pizza with peppers, spinach and tomato
Dinner- Breaded eggplant, cornbread

Thursday:
Lunch- Cream cheese english muffins, grapes
Dinner- Chicken casserole, green beans

Friday:
Lunch-Leftovers
Dinner-Crock pot lasagna, garlic bread, salad

Saturday:
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Terryaki chicken, spinach salad

Sunday:
Grandparents house

Internet Friends

5 years ago I broke up with my then boyfriend, now husband...moved out, got my own apartment and got bored at night. I googled, on the internet jacked from my neighbor, and looked for a way to fuel my never-ending love of baby names...I kid you not in middle school and high school I had a list of names I loved for future babies.

I found babyzone.com

(Almost) 4 years ago I became pregnant with my daughter and found a DDC (due date club -July 2007)  thought it was cool to chat with these ladies in the same place of life since my 'real life' friends were not. Little did I know I would become hooked, checking hourly, half hourly, sometimes every 5 minutes to see who was posting what and what was going on. It became a great outlet.

(Sometime around) 3 years ago I was emailed by a couple of the girls from the site looking for a buddy to lose all the baby weight with...the emails developed into more than just a weight loss discussion and check in and became a friendship.

2 months ago I met one of the friends from that email chain, we met in Chattanooga, TN a 4 hour drive for both of us and a well spent trip. We hung out at a hotel, visited the Discovery Museum, had dinner and ice cream and ventured through the Aquarium...it was for lack of a better word, AMAZING! We chatted like old friends, never a dull moment or an awkward feeling, it was as if I'd known this person my whole life. Our kids hit it off like two peas in a pod making it even more fun.

Yesterday we hung out again, this time picking a pumpkin patch in the middle of Alabama again about a 3.5 hour drive for each of us...we had a ball! We must have, I took 187 pictures...don't worry I won't bore you with the lot just a few of the fun :) oh and I tried Fried Pie, not as wonderful as it should have been according to my fabulous Southern Friend, the filling was good though...will have to try it again somewhere different this time!

talking to the geese...we laughed and laughed at them honking at the goose!

 

Posing, love this kid too much sometimes.                                         Climbing up the inflatable slide...I think they would have stayed on this all day if we'd let them!

Face painting!! She was all set on a butterfly until she saw the ballons...she LOVES ballons!


Three gorgeous kids, not one looking at the camera...


Loving the hay!


Fried peach pie...it was...different...

My husband constanly calls these ladies I've met online my 'internet' friends and thinks its a big joke...what he

doesn't get is these ladies ...while I have only met 5 of them in person, each time was a wonderful experience and we ALL chatted like grand ole friends who've know each other forever...are my dear friends, the ones who keep me sane, who 'get' me, who support me, who know me inside and out. That the friendships I've developed over the internet have been a saving grace to me.

Since the joining of babyzone to the further connection on facebook to the phone calls and texts to the face to face meetings I have bonded with these ladies, they are my real life friends.


Thank you internet for bringing me friends all over the states and the world into my living room daily, into my life!

Pleasing and Parenting

Something I struggle with now that I have a three year old, a strong-willed, stubborn, mini-me three year old!
Loving to please people and knowing when to be parent...

I think I get this face at least four times a day lately, tonight I even got the terrible 'I hate you' which when I asked her to repeat what she said, she said 'nothing'...

I love my daughter to pieces but my goodness she gives me a run for my money these days...you know the count to 10 before you say something type of conversation...yep she pushes me there.

She is ridiculously strong willed and VERY indpendent...some might even say she's me!

Sigh

I hate fighting, I really do, especially with my daughter who's 3...have I mentioned that...she's 3

Latest complaint is I never let her do anything, she tells me this at least 10 times a day while stomping off...'Mum you never let me do anything'

She's THREE!

I fear an insane asylum when she's a teenager, either that or jail for throttling her (only kidding).

Sigh

She is a good kid, really she is...compared to some 3 year olds I'd say she's pretty fantastic most of the time. When she's not telling me I'm the worst mummy in the world she gets awful cute and will say Mum I love you, to which I always say love you too...to which she then says love you three! Melts my heart <3

So when she asks for a ballon at Publix its hard to say no and watch the big crocodile tears fall from her face and hear but Mum I behave now...yes Kait but you didn't behave for the last 25mins...but I behave now Mum...makes me want to cry...makes me want to please...but I have to remember it's time to parent.

This stuff ain't easy...pleasing and parenting...

Wordless Wednesday...

Friday the hubby came home for a quick visit between contracts and we ran errands, had lunch and visited the pumpkin patch...when we got home we sat in the driveway and chatted watching the sun slowly sink in the sky and the kids play, well the big kid and dog play and the little kid sit, giggle and take in this crazy world...we caught a few moments on camera <3



Monday Menu

Monday:
Lunch- Baked Mac N Cheese
Dinner-Homemade Pizza with spinach and tomato

Tuesday:
Lunch- Brunch at MOPS
Dinner- Reverse Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Wednesday:
Lunch- Grilled Turkey and Cheese, side of applesauce
Dinner- Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Thursday:
Lunch- Chicken Ceasar Salad
Dinner- Scrambled eggs, beef bacon and toast

Friday:
Lunch- Turkey and Cheese roll-ups, orange slices
Dinner- Chicken Enchilladas

Saturday:
Lunch- Chick Fil A
Dinner-Meat Loaf Pie

Sunday:
Lunch- Leftovers
Dinner- We'll be at church for Orange Fest!