Boo!

Well...haven't blogged for a while because we've all been sick! Fevers, runny noses, coughs, sore throats. Yuck! The only one who didn't get it was Brad. He says he's a "machine" and that a virus would never mess with him. (See what I put up with???) I guess that is for the better...because we all know how men are when they are sick! Anyway, I got to hang out with this for two weeks:

This was Jackson's ingenious way of not having to blow his nose all the time. Just stuff that kleenex up there and it absorbs for you! (This tactic was all well and good until he woke up one night crying...certain that he had stuffed his kleenex clear up to his brain and would have to go to the doctor to have it removed.)

Anyway, aside from being sick, we've been doing the typical fall stuff...pumpkin patch and all. To make a long story short...the boys got to "look" at pumpkins (I mean...why spend $20 on a pumpkin patch pumpkin when you can get a perfectly acceptable pumpkin at "the Wal-Mart" for 4 bucks???), they rode a pumpkin train, and got to enjoy other games.

And check out those scary Halloween costumes! Ha! For the big day, Jackson went as Tony Stewart (which I personally find very frightening that my child wanted to go as a NASCAR driver...thanks, Brad.) And next to Tony is our little chicken. Aren't they cute??

Our neighbor asked Jackson if he was a race car driver...his response? No! It's just a costume! Goof. So yes...we survived yet another Halloween (my least favorite holiday...bah humbug! There's just something about spending $50 on candy, sitting on the porch for 2 hours freezing my ass off...and handing out candy to people I don't know. Fun!!)

The best thing about Halloween...it's over!! Let's bring on Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Which...btw, I officially started wrapping Christmas gifts and listening to Christmas music!!) Now all we have to do is polish off the 30 pounds of candy the boys got and life will be back to normal.

Hope you all had a great October! I'll post some more pumpkin patch pics in a few days. (Promises, promises....)

A weekend in Madison

Well, Brad had his annual "Mancation" this past weekend. You know...when he and his college buddies hang out, smoke cigars, drink beer, and play poker. Seeing as the event was hosted at our house...the little boys and I got the heck outta dodge.

We headed down to Madison, Indiana with my folks...and had a great time! On the way there, Jackson wanted to know where Madison lived...so we had to explain that Madison is a town...not a girl. That boy never stops surprising me with the things that come out of his mouth.

Anyway! All the cute little shops that I remembered as a child are not there anymore. But we had fun eating on the water...and feeding catfish that were as big as my children. (No, really.) I also got to play around with my camera a little (imagine that). You can check out more pics by clicking here. Ok...so some of the pictures were taken at a park around here...but the ones by the river and the fountain were in Madison.

Enjoy! I'm off to take a nap. We all have colds and I am exhausted! I really don't know if I am more tired from the cold itself...or from watching the boys run around in circles because they are all hopped up on decongestant. Either way...it's naptime!

Flickr anyone???

Just a quick note to let everyone know I am on Flickr. I know...welcome to the times! I thought this would be a good place to post some pictures I take...when I don't feel like filling my blog up with them. (Not like I have anything else to talk about!)

So...head on over to Flickr and check out my pics. Some you've seen. Some you haven't. I'll try to update them as they flow in...although my kids are getting tired of modeling for me, so I may need new victims...er...uh...subjects. Anyone want to volunteer?? Price varies with experience. So...your current rate is...free!

Friends

I was reading a friend's blog the other day and she had a picture of her girls' most treasured "friends"...a.k.a. their "lovies." Call them lovies, blankies, animals...whatever. She had written an entire post about how important these things are to her kids.

It got me thinking about our house. In our house, we have Boppo, Froggy, and Monkey. Froggy and Monkey belong to Jackson. We have no back-ups for these guys, so it is very important to know where they are at all times. Jackson is to the point where his guys mostly stay in his bed for sleeping purposes...but if we ever leave the house for an overnight visit, then these guys are a must. And if we ever forgot them at someone's house, they would be one of the few reasons we would turn the car around. Sawyer, on the other hand, has Boppo. Boppo is a hippo...and that is how Sawyer said "hippo" when he first started talking....boppo. The name just stuck. Fortunately, by the time Sawyer was born I was smart enough to figure out I needed a backup for the dearly loved blankie he would sleep with. (I actually tried to get a backup Froggy when Jackson was little...but I waited too long and he rejected it. Now we have one original Froggy and two brand new reject Froggies.) Anyway, I wised up with Sawyer and did the ol' switcharoo with Boppo at an early age...you know...so I could wash him. It worked! (But please don't tell Sawyer because he doesn't know there is more than one.)

It is funny how kids "bond" with certain toys. And it's nice to know that they can find comfort in these little things when they need it.

I don't even want to think about the days when they are too big for their "friends." It'll never happen.

Turning the camera around...

Yesterday when Jackson was in school, I played around and took pictures of Sawyer. I started thinking....I'm not in any pictures because I'm always taking the pictures! These poor kids are gonna' look back on their lives and wonder where their mommy was when they were younger.

So....I decided to turn the camera around and get myself in some shots.

I think it may be time to hire a professional...but hey...it's proof that I exist!

Photography.

My latest obsession. Brad probably wishes it weren't, because it sure is an expensive hobby! But I have such a great time trying to capture the boys in action...it's addicting. Hopefully, one of these days, I'll have the time and money to take a class and actually learn how to do it right. But until then, I'm just playing around and discovering things on my own.

I've decided that every now and then I am going to share some of my favorite photos with you. (Aren't you lucky??) Maybe one of these days I'll even be good!

I love this picture of Sawyer...his pouty little pink lips, his warm pink cheeks, and of course...those eyes! This one too...I could eat him up!
I like the grandiose feeling of this one. (How's that for a word?) It makes my boys look small against the big trees...and they are small...and I love that. (Because they're growing like crazy.) Anyway, the blog doesn't do this teeny picture much justice...but picture it as an 8 x 10 or bigger.I'll keep you updated with more faves as I find time to take them. (May be a while!)

Time flies...

Man, have we been busy! School started for the boys last week...and it's been downhill ever since. Jackson is enjoying his second year of preschool and Sawyer is...well...going to Mother's Day Out. Brad had to take the boys to their first day of school because I had an appointment for myself. I was so worried about Brad getting the boys fed, dressed, take pictures, and find their classrooms, but he assured me it was no big deal. Sure enough...the first day of school was a success. The second day of school...not so much. Poor Sawyer is a full-fledged mama's boy. This made for a bit of a dramatic drop off last week. He cried the moment I dropped him off and was still crying when I left the building several minutes later. Ugh. That's gotta stop or I'll have to go to therapy!

More big news...Jackson is five! How did my first born get to be five?? I still remember the day that he was born just like it was yesterday. I wish they could be small forever. Anyway, Jackson had a blast celebrating his birthday. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa (and crew) a few days before the big day...and celebrated with Mimi and Poppy (and crew) the day before his birthday. It was quite the extended event.And no birthday is complete without a pinata, right?

Of all the candy that was in the pinata, Sawyer got one orange sucker. Period. Why? Because his favorite color is orange. He was so proud!

Jackson did a little better.

We ended the day with a homemade "Cars" birthday cake...courtesy of yours truly.

And of course...a birthday wish! (I make the kids say them out loud...a new little tradition.) Jackson's wish??

"I wish I could be the highest jumper, so I could reach the clouds!"
Happy birthday, buddy!