Halloween, haircuts, Niven's Apple Farm, and Frankie's Fun Park

 Fall for Greenville with Heather, Phil, Jake...and Kevin.  None of whom ended up in the pictures. 

Boo at the Zoo

Thanks to Lisa, Wyatt had a Thomas the Train costume. 

 The Family Festival where Kevin works.  Wyatt mostly wanted to ride the train.  Both kids decorated pumpkins and rode the . 

Yoda and the Frog at the neighborhood Halloween party.  The kids both loved getting candy.  They were not nearly as fond of the kids who came to our door in scary costumes or the yard decorations that moved.

 Zoe and Wyatt before haircuts

I know we said right after Wyatt's birthday, but there was a long delay until Kevin and I both had time off while the salon was open. 

Jellybeans near Woodruff Road did a great job.  I totally recommend Ashlea...the kids hair looks fabulous.

 During first haircuts

Zoe thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Wyatt was not so sure, but he sat completely still and didn't cry at all.

They are getting so big.

 Wyatt's after cut hairdo.  He aged like two years with a haircut.  He looks like such a big boy.  And yes, those are Zoe's purple boots.  Wyatt got them out of the shoe box and put them on all by himself.  He has four regular words right now.  "Ello" "Mom" "Dad....eeeeeeeee""Bup...els" (bubbles).

These last few are a little older.  Dan, Bella, and Chris sharing snack with us at Niven's Apple Farm.  We just ran into each other up there so it was a pleasant surprise.  Our family also joined Zoe's class on the field trip to Niven's this year.  The kids were especially fond of the hayride. 

 Skee-ball is the best ever because the kids can throw the balls forever on one charge.  The balls just roll back towards them because they didn't throw them hard enough to make it over the lip at the end. 

 Wyatt was really not so sure about the merry-go-round.

Crafting with Grandma at the beginning of October.



The kids are looking forward to spending a few hours with Nana tomorrow.  Zoe reminds everyone that after Thanksgiving, it is HER birthday.  I need to start party planning.  The princess wants a princess party with her friends...and Frank and Taylor's Mommy.  Apparently, she is coolest mommy. 

Wyatt's Super Hero Birthday Party

 Wyatt's Birthday Party was on Saturday.  We put together a fabulous party in less than two weeks thanks to Pinterest, Hobby Lobby, Party City, and lots of imagination. 

We had Loops of Power, Captain America Crunch, and Lex Luthor's Cookie Kryptonite.  There was also star shaped watermelon, bat shaped honey dew, and tattooed bananas.  There was also a doughnut cake. 

                      

Showing off our Mighty Muscles

I think this was one of the few moments that the birthday boy wore any of his costume.  He wouldn't be two if he didn't protest some part of the party.  And mommy thought a costume protest at a costume party was fitting.

Some kids were too cool for Super School, while others showed valiant effort.

 

Yes.

 Kevin dressed up as Superman, and his dad dressed up as Hop Along Cassidy.  Karen dressed as Wonder Woman.  And I dressed as Cat Woman.

 

The Obstacle Course

Mighty Muscles: 
lifting the Styrofoam dumbbell 5 times









Wonder Woman's Lasso Toss 
(no pics of this one...since the obstacle course was designed for outside, fitting it around our living areas required using every square foot.  The front hallway left room for the game, but not the photographer).

Gotham City's Tunnel Crawl

Again, both Kevin and his dad had to prove that they were young tough super heroes.







 Superman's Leap over a Building in a Single Bound

Wyatt's favorite part of the obstacle course was to Leap over a Building in a Single Bound.  Auntie Jenny helped him soar.  I think he got back in line about ten times.

Hulk's

Super

Smash






By far the most fun.  Just a word of advice, cover your wall with something.  The spray paint leaves black marks.  But if you forget, there is nothing a Mr Clean Magic Eraser cannot fix. 











We let them punch the boxes until they destroyed them.  Cheap and amazing activity.  Old empty shipping/diaper boxes, spray paint, yellow foam and double sided tape.  I think we might have a Hulk Smash day at our house just because.

The little capes ( Batman and Superman in this pic) were made by my mom.  I don't know when she sleeps, but she made one for every party guest (and a few extra).  They were adorable and ensured that every guest had a costume.




Vaporize a Villian

So it wasn't supposed to rain.  That is what the weather man said...until like 48 hours before the party when cold and rainy was the new official forecast.  Since I already had the silly string and was looking forward to this activity, we just made it part of the obstacle course. 

According to the boys, I am the coolest mom ever because they got to shoot silly string in my house.  It was a lot of fun. 

This is Heather...right after she missed the balloon and the doors hitting my wall instead.  I laughed pretty hard.  And Phil cleaned up all of the silly string, so I guess I will let his wife off the hook.

Kevin and Jen ran the Green Arrow Tattoo parlor for the kids when they finished the obstacle course. 

Spiderman, the Avengers, and Batman.

Jen decided on a Thor tattoo. 

Zoe doesn't want to get her tattoo wet during bath time.  Thankfully I have leftovers to replace the super awesome tattoo when it does wash off.


Wyatt got Spiderman.  He looks at his arm a lot....I think trying to remember where he got the tattoo. 




As the party ended, the kids all got their capes (from my mom) and a party bag.  Everyone got a Little People DC Super Friend, a Spiderman fruit snack, an Avengers fruit snack, a Bat mask (from the first picture), and play doh.  In an effort to not leave anyone out, Uncle Joshie will have a Super Hero gift bag shipped at some point before his birthday.  We also saved a bag for the other set of cousins who will be visiting Greenville this week. 



A few last pictures. 

Spiderman was all about the yogurt.




 The Bilibo was a hit.  All of the kids love it. Kaleb and Zoe loved to spin around.   

 Zoe's Wonder Woman costume lasted the whole party.  It needs some major repair work before Halloween though. 

Kevin, Wyatt and I are ready to go for Halloween.  Our Super Hero Family will be out and about again in a few weeks.


Wyatt is obsessed with all of his new trains.  He carries Toby around with him everywhere. 

Excitement is a two-year old with new toys.  



 Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us and those who called to wish Wyatt a Happy Birthday.   He just learned to sign "thank you" so although you can't see that over the phone, we are going to try and record it. 

And thanks to my mom...because without her this post would be just a boring paragraph with no pictures.

Wyatt turns two

To Wyatt,

A reflection on the last two years

2010:  You are a crazy little guy.  The doctors thought you were coming long before you actually arrived.  I may never really get over the fact that there were contractions on the monitor for weeks before you were born.  Every time I went to the doctor, they warned me that we might need to get ready.  Of course just like your sister, you had to be evicted.  37 and 1/2 weeks.  I spent the day at the hospital with Julie while Daddy was at work.  We all tried our best to get labor kicked into full gear, but you protested.  You didn't really want to get the party started til Daddy got there.  You also didn't want to be born on the 23rd...you held out for morning.  The stubbornness must be genetic since it has been present since before birth.  No pitocin or epidural for Mommy (see, you come by your stubbornness honestly).  Somehow we managed to get through the process with just what I learned in Hypnobabies, Daddy, and Julie (Oh, and Dr. Twedt...who so kindly broke my water and arrived from the room next door in time to catch you).  You were so big.  7lbs, 1oz.  The only thing I remember is looking at your dad and telling him I didn't like the name we had picked.  I didn't think it fit.  So we all three went to sleep.  In the morning, you got your new name.

2011:  You walked.  On your birthday.  At your party.  Everyone thought we had been keeping it a secret.  Nope.  You just waited til you had an audience.  And that smile.  The "I did it" grin.  It looks similar to your "I have a plan" grin.  They both make me laugh. 

2012:  Today is your birthday.  You signed "car", and you said "eat".  You also said "mama".  It isn't the first time, but it still melts my heart.  I can't wait to hear you say it again.  Your face lights up when I come home from school.  I know I can count on you to hear the key in the door and come running with a hug.  You are a super cuddle bug, but only 5 seconds at a time.  Two years ago, you were cuddled in my arms while I told you a story...tonight, you were cuddled in my lap while we read bedtime stories.  Some days feel long, but being little won't last forever.  So, we will focus on the smiles, the giggles, and the laughs...the cuddles, and the snuggles; the best is yet to come, my little super hero...the best is yet to come.

Love, Mommy



To those looking to Coke bottle pictures, we switched to Coke Zero...so I have to go to the store to get a bottle of the original.  I am hoping to get that picture done this weekend.

Schedule changes and 1 month til Wyatt is 2

The bad news is....everything changes.

The good news is...everything changes.

Some days it seems like all I do is modify the calendar.  I am just thankful that dry erase boards and iPhones make that process relatively painless.  This week somehow everything was all at once.  Physics 2 had already started, but we added Cell & Molecular Biology and Organic Chemistry 1. I have been trying all summer to move from a Friday lab to a Wednesday lab with the hope that it would alleviate some of our child care need.  It finally happened.  My professor e-mailed me that there were 2 openings.  I managed to get a spot.  Yesterday Kevin had shift bid, and he got the 2:45-11:15 Friday to Tuesday schedule starting in October.

So what does this mean?  The kids will be at preschool once a week from now until the end of November.  A huge savings over the three days a week we thought we needed.  As an added benefit the kids get to spend more time with me and Kevin.   The downside is that Kevin and I have almost no free time.  Our iPhone calendars now have six separate colored calendars to keep everything organized.  I just keep reminding myself that there is only 14 weeks of this madness. 

Zoe loves preschool.  She cries when I drop her off, but it is all she talks about during the week.  We have a really difficult time with separation because I have to walk by her room when I take Wyatt to and from Speech Therapy.  Wyatt doesn't care that I drop him off twice and pick him up twice.  I spotted him holding hands with a girl this week.  He loves all of the new toys.  The school asked if we were comfortable starting him into the 2s room.  His birthday is too late for the cut-off but they had space.  They have a much more structured day than the Toddler room.  Wyatt seems to appreciate the art time, stories, dancing, and center-based play.

 Wyatt is 23 months today.  He is getting so big.  I will get a better picture tomorrow.  He was super tired in this one. 

 I cleaned the garage.  I had to show proof of my work because it will soon be cluttered again.  I am hoping we can park both cars in the garage this fall and winter.

 The kids love stickers.  And Josh gave them rolls and rolls of stickers they were throwing away at work last year (when he lived here).  We are still working our way through those and the many other stickers that are contributed to the sticker bin.  (Jenny: see the anniversary stickers from your work on the top....The kids think they are awesome. )

 We made green smoothies.  Wyatt was not that fond, but Zoe and I enjoyed them.

 This bear was at Costco, and I couldn't help but take a picture with one.  I saw a woman pushing one in a cart (the bear took up the entire cart).  I don't really know the purpose a 53" bear.  It was good for a laugh though.  They also had Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer in the same size.  I was able to restrain myself and not bring the bear home.  I thought it would have been hilarious to put it in Kevin's chair to scare him at midnight when he got home. 


Wyatt is progressing in Speech.  He is babbling more.  He makes my day when he says "ma".  He has used a handful of words, but still cannot repeat them when asked.  Sign language is proving to be helpful for communication.  It gives him a method for demonstrating his needs and wants.  Zoe picks up new vocabulary the fastest.  Wyatt seems to study everything and then suddenly show us his new word at random.  That proves to make things difficult since they aren't always identifiable.  There are also a lot of words that look very similar or that he confuses.  I try to practice while the kids are around so that we can reinforce the communication process for Wyatt...this means I have to study new words each week.

Tentatively, Wyatt's birthday party is scheduled for September 29th in the morning.  

 I can tell you already, I am going to be tired all semester.  And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I only blog during breaks (although, currently I am blogging while eating dinner...so maybe I can manage that).

Today is Rapunzel's Birthday

Zoe is excited about birthdays.  Everyone's birthday.  She knows that Daddy already had his birthday.  And Mommy's birthday is over too.  So she started this morning off with "Is it Wyatt's birthday today?"  She was very excited.  I told her no.  Her face fell a little.  Then, with the brilliance of a three year old stated "Today is Rapunzel's birthday."  For whatever reason she first made this announcement to Kevin who simply asked her what Rapunzel wanted to do for her birthday.

Side note:  Zoe's favorite princess is Rapunzel.  She loves the movie Tangled.  And she won't get her hair cut because she doesn't want it to turn brown.

Zoe responded that Rapunzel would like to go to the mall and play at the play area.  So, we did.  Funny thing:  Belk was having a back-to-school festival.  And there was face painting, balloon animals, a clown, and a fashion show.  Zoe was in awe.  Rapunzel had a pretty cool birthday party.

After the mall, we managed to squeeze in a play date at the park.  Wyatt crashed his ride on toy again.  He really likes to go fast.  Zoe is super fast on her tricycle.  She isn't very sure about her big bike, but she did try it again for about 10 minutes.  Finally Chris and I decided we were done being outside and took the kids to McDonalds where they played for over an hour.  Zoe told me tonight that Rapunzel had a good birthday.  


(This is Zoe's face paint after playing at the park and going to McDonalds.  She is really upset she can't show her princess crown to Nana tomorrow, but she thinks Nana can paint her face again.  We shall see what Nana thinks about that).



I like not having a plan most days.  Or at least being flexible with the plans I have.  Today, the only naps were in the car on the way home from the mall.  We didn't really get anything done around the house (although somehow all of the toys got dumped on the floor).  But that is ok.  Some days aren't about what I get done or don't get done.  Some days are about celebrating a fictional character's birthday because your child declared it.  Zoe didn't ask for much...and the face painting and balloon were a bonus.  But I look and think about what Zoe didn't ask for.  She didn't ask for a new toy, new clothes or a new pair of shoes.  She didn't ask for cupcakes or candy.

She asked to go play with Mommy, Daddy, and Wyatt. 

 Zoe is an ultimate princess.  Kind, loving, giving, and caring.  I know each day she grows up a little more.  I want to celebrate each day.  Take it in and enjoy the little things.  I am thankful that Kevin had the forethought to ask what Rapunzel wanted for her birthday instead of telling Zoe "that's great" or "no" or informing her that she needed to get back to the table to finish breakfast. 

Kevin is Zoe's hero, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In other news:
We made colored rice for our sensory boxes.  Zoe loved to shake up the bag of rice.  I think they turned out quite nicely.

We have three colors so far.  I think we will make a few more, since we still have 20lbs of rice on the counter.

 Zoe and Wyatt painting with dot paints.  They also used about 100 stickers.  I am still finding the stickers everywhere around the house.

They love the huge rolls of stickers Uncle Josh gave to them when he moved out last year.  I don't think we will even use them all.  It is hard to believe Josh has been gone so long....we all still refer to the guest room as "Uncle Joshie's Room". 

A little time to play dress up.  The Bumblebee is snug on Zoe, but it is one of her favorites.  Wyatt discovered Thomas the Train in the bottom of the box.  Our neighbor, Lisa, generously passed the costume to Wyatt since her kids had outgrown it.  He doesn't look happy...mostly because I wanted him to turn around for the picture.


We took a quick detour after running errands to see a VW car show last weekend.  Some of the cars were awesome.  It was nice to have another unplanned adventure.  No pictures though.  Sometimes it is lunch time and nap time for little kids, so side adventures get less time than we want.


I actually love not being on Facebook.  The only thing I really miss is that one of my friends is due with her first baby any day now, and I know I will miss the pictures of the new one until I log back on.  Although, maybe I will send her a text and bring her a meal when she has the baby.  Somehow I think that might be better than just posting "congrats" on her Facebook wall.