The little things

In addition to all of our big outings this fall, we've also been trying to give attention to the little things that make fall fun. I was at Michael's the other day (can you say, "Fish out of water?") looking for fall leaves to add to the dining room centerpiece I created out of a Target candle holder and a bunch of gourds. I found no fall leaves, but I did find a kit for making a gingerbread Haunted House. And an Olivia book about Halloween.

I brought these things home last Tuesday and they were still in a bag on the kitchen table when Evan and I got home from the bus. I had intended to contemplate whether I wanted to hide it until I was ready to break it out, but I waited too long and it was the first thing Evan saw when he walked into the house. As if he spotted it through the bag.

So, for the next couple of days, it was all I heard about. We ended up putting it together on Thursday night before bedtime, but we couldn't decorate it because we read that the frosting holding the pieces together has to set for at least an hour before you start decorating. So we decorated it on Friday afternoon after school.

I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself. I had to do most of the icing, because My Mercy that icing bag is hard to squeeze. I may have carpal tunnel now. But the kids decided where to put all the candy and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

This week, Pressley turned her attention to begging to carve the pumpkin. Having been the proud owners of some Jack-o-lanterns with some caved in mouths in past years, we were trying to put them off as long as possible. But, Tuesday night we finally caved (no pun intended). While Corin was doing the icky part, the kids and I looked on the Internet and they picked out a face they liked and then we made a template. I know it is not fancy, but they are super proud of the way it turned out. (See below.)

Well, we're off to go pick Evan up from karate and go trick-or-treating at Corin's office, so I will likely continue my streak of posting every day for a bit longer before I drop off the face of the blog-osphere again. I'll need to tell you how that goes, and about the costume I "made" for Evan's storybook costume at school today, and of course, about the actual trick-or-treating....

Whew. I'm going to need a vacation in November.

Another weekend, another pumpkin farm (with a little "errand" on the way)...

This past weekend we had plans to visit Washington Farms in Watkinsville, Georgia with our friends, the Citrons. We had two overlapping soccer games to attend in the morning and then the plan was to grab a quick bite and show up at the pediatrician's office in time for the 1:00 p.m. flu shot clinic and then off to meet the Citrons.

Due to the inborn drama tendencies of our youngest child, we had decided that we would not tell the children about the flu shots too early on. I had said that we were going to grab lunch and then run an errand and then head up to Washington Farms.

Once we finished lunch and were a few miles from the pediatrician's office, Pressley wanted to know what kind of errand we would be running. Corin and I exchanged the "It's Time" look and he 'fessed up. You would not believe the drama that ensued. Pressley immediately started sobbing uncontrollably about how she didn't want a shot. She promised that she would never get sick and could she please just not have to have one? I was a little worried she may hyperventilate, so I told her that there was a possibility that the doctor could give her the medicine in a spray in her nose and if she would just stop crying I would ask the doctor about it as soon as we got there.

Thanks goodness that stopped the sobbing temporarily and we were able to make it from the car to the office and through the line without drawing any stares. She was very whimpery in the waiting room, but still no staring from the other families. (Oh, and I did ask about the Flu Mist. They were out.)

However, the minute the nurse called our kids' names, she started hollering again. To make a long story a tiny bit shorter, I'll just skip to the part where the nurse had to nod at Corin and tell him to put Pressley on the table and hold her down so she could give her the shot in her leg. Another nurse appeared in the doorway just in time and came in to assist with the holding down of the writhing child. (How on earth she knew that her assistance was required, I'll never know...) Nurse #1 pulled down P's tights and gave her the shot while she sat up as much as she could under the weight of All The Arms and bellowed, "GUYS! Seriously!! Don't do it!! I don't want a SHOTTTTT! No...gasp...No...gasp...NOOOOOOO!!"

Meanwhile I had stepped out into the hallway. Honestly, I was torn between crying and laughing. The child was simultaneously breaking my heart with the earnestness of her pleas and crackin' me up with the phrasing of them.

On the way out, she was still furious and indignant and determined to scare the *@%^ out of every child in the waiting room. Another family who had been waiting for the elevator when we got out into the hallway stepped aside and let us have the elevator and "selflessly" agreed to wait for the next one rather than riding with us. All I could do was shoot apologetic looks at everyone whose mouth was agape at the sight.

I know I tend to exaggerate for the sake of a good story, but I'll have you know, there is NO exaggeration contained herein. All true and accurate. Ask Corin.

She continued to cry and stomp her feet and holler out in indignance long after we left the doctor's office. She threw her sucker to the floor. Refused ice cream. But, finally, the offer of a petit four from Rhodes Bakery with a pumpkin on top calmed her. It. Was. Awful... (The drama. Not the petit four. I didn't taste the petit four, but I know from past experience that there is nothing awful about those.)

We did finally make it to Washington Farms and had a delightful time, as usual. And, as usual, we stayed too late and had tired, cranky children waiting in line at a crowded restaurant, but it was all in the name of fun.

Slide, cow train, and John Deere "tractors"

Petting zoo and pig races

Corn crib, jumping "pillow", and visit with the racing pigs

Corn maze

We're having a busy fall, yall!

I may have said this before, but October has become one of our busiest months of the year. Why? Because it is just so gorgeous here in October and there are so many fun fall activities that we just don't want to leave any out. Add two kids playing soccer....and you've got a recipe for a dizzying kind of exhaustion before Halloween. But I wouldn't trade it.

The weekend after the camping, we took off as soon as soccer games were over on Saturday and headed to Amicalola Falls. It has long been one of our fall traditions to go hiking at Amicalola and then head to Burt's Pumpkin Farm to do a little pumpkin shopping.

This year, the weather could not have been better. There was a hint of fall in the air (just a tiny hint) and a beautiful blue sky. The older the kids get, the more they enjoy this part of the trip. They LOVE climbing on all the rocks on the trail and they are just super troopers about all the steps. (You may note that one of the photos has them posing in front of the sign that tells just how many steps they climbed to the top of the falls.)

We also enjoyed stopping by Burt's for our pumpkins. The kids helped pick out the pumpkins, and since they have been asking non-stop this year about when we are going to decorate for Halloween, we also let them pick out some decor for the yard to add to the stuff I bought at The Target last week for inside the house.

I always thought decorating for Halloween was just putting your Jack-o-Lantern on the front porch, but these kids have the expectation that Halloween decorating should rival Christmas decorating. Perhaps because so many of our neighbors go all out. So, I'm trying to compile enough decorations to make the little people around here happy.

There were four in the bed and the little one said...

I'm crowded. Roll over!

So....we went camping last weekend. The significance of this announcement: It was not only Pressley's first camping trip, but mine as well. Corin decided it was best to break this new ground near home until he could see how his girls were going to do with all the dirt and the sleeping in a tent and the no showers and the trek to the bathroom. So we did this camping at Stone Mountain. Turns out, we both did great. Pressley even embraced the going-potty-in-the-woods-thing. Me... not so much. I preferred to put my shoes on and make the 100 yard trek (maybe not even that far) to the fairly clean facility nearby.

Corin was sure all along that I would have fun. I was not so sure, but my goodness, anyone witnessing their children having such a great time would have to be a fool not to enjoy themselves. The kids thoroughly enjoyed riding the Skylift to the top of the mountain (maybe next time we'll hike it), feeding ducks and geese and fish, climbing in and out (and in and out and in and out) of the tent, roasting marshmallows, and peeing on trees.

I enjoyed the family time and the fact that when we realized that our campfire was just not going to start itself, that we were only 5 minutes away from a convenience store that sold lighter fluid and the Sunday paper.

My parents graciously let us borrow their king-sized airbed. So, it wasn’t even that uncomfortable. Well, for the kids and me, anyway. The three of us slept on the airbed while Corin slept on a mat beside us and made comments about how I was living like a queen “up there” until we fell asleep. I was quick to point out that if he ever wanted to take the whole family camping again, it was in his best interest to make sure I stayed as comfortable as possible. It is not that I’m a princess or anything, but I do like my modern amenities. A lot.

The next morning we got up and my sweet husband made eggs and sausage for breakfast. We had a fantastic view of the lake and the mountain from our picnic table. We filled up and then went to check out the old covered bridge and the grist mill.

And when we decided it was time to come home, it was only a twenty minute drive to a hot shower. Not that I went straight to the shower before fixing lunch for my hungry kids or anything. Oh, wait. Yes I did. In my defense, I knew they'd had a big breakfast and nobody was gonna starve while mommy got the dirt off.

Truth be told, I'm still dizzy and maybe a little nauseous

Let me tell you about the kind of living on the edge we are doing around here.

Pressley decided she was not going to take a nap today, so after laying quietly with her for 20 minutes, after no sleep came, I told Corin it would be a napless day and we could do something fun. Evan initially wanted to go to Sky Hike at Stone Mountain, but it was already 3:05, and the internet told me that Sky Hike closed at 5pm today. The internet also told me, though, that Six Flags was open until 10pm, and that if we bought 2011 Season Tickets today, we'd get admission for the rest of this month, all next year, and a parking pass to boot. So, at 3:10, we decided to go to Six Flags.

I know. That's apparently how we roll these days.

We had a blast. Corin and I were inappropriately dressed, because after suffering in the heat at soccer games yesterday, we had Indian Summer on the brain and wore shorts and short sleeves and flip flops. Pressley had already come home from church and put on her new jeans. (Yes, you read that right. For the first time in nearly 2 years, Pressley wore a pair of not-only-pants-but-jeans! I took her to the mall yesterday while the boys played golf and she picked them out herself! OK. I digress....) And Evan had on the long pants he wore to church. Both had put on sneakers when we thought we were going to sky hike, so they were dressed appropriately at least. And I took jackets for them (and me), so no one froze.

But it was chilly! I mean... I know it is October, but this is Atlanta after all.

If I had worn jeans, it would have been absolutely perfect weather to go to Six Flags. The only times I've been there previously, I had melted into a puddle by the time we left, so this was a pleasant change - even inappropriately dressed.

Did I really just spend that many words telling you what we wore? Seriously. You might rather I go back to my bloggers block.

We discovered a couple of new things (aside from how to dress appropriately for October evenings):

1) Pressley is a bit of a thrill-seeker. She did not shy away from one single ride. Her face glowed with excitement and she screamed and clapped her hands with glee on every roller coaster. (Evan was equally thrilled with the adrenaline, but I knew that from summer before last when he and I went to Six Flags with the cousins.)

2) Corin and I are not young. Maybe you knew that. And, I've been seeing signs pointing that direction for a long time, but my old friend The Wheelie made a point of driving the fact home with a vengeance today.

The Wheelie used to be one of my favorite rides, so when the kids saw it and wanted to ride it, I agreed without hesitation. Corin had no intention of riding, but when the lady told me that I could only take one of the kids in my cage, he was pressed into reluctant service. He was a trooper about it, but both of us came off of there a smidge green around the gills.

We proceeded to go from there to my all time favorite ride: The Great American Scream Machine. But, wait.... Has the Scream Machine always been so rough that it makes it feel as if all of your vertebrae are pounding into one another as if no disks are present in between? Because I don't remember that part. Losing your tummy going down the hills, I remember. Crushing pain in my neck vertebrae, I do not recall.

All in all, it was a really fun way to spend a day with the family. But next time, Corin and I will be sticking to the Dahlonega Mine Train and the Wily Coyote Canyon Blaster. With the preschool set.

Here are Corin and Lil' P on the bumper cars:

Evan on the bumper cars:

My three favorite people chillin' (literally) on the sky buckets after dinner:

The kids showing off their souvenirs and happy faces leaving the park:

Honestly, there is no amount of dizziness and nausea I wouldn't endure to put the kind of smiles on those faces that we saw today. Totally worth it!

Oh, the preciousness

There is a disclaimer for the beginning of this post: If you read it, you must never hint to Evan that you know anything about it. I mean really.... you wouldn't want to ruin my relationship with him forever, would you? And if you do hint to him that you know about what I'm about to tell you, I will deny that I told.

Promise? Okay. Here goes.

Corin called me yesterday morning very concerned about Evan. You see, Evan had told him on the way to school yesterday morning that some girls at school had been making fun of him the day before. Corin said E wouldn't tell him what they were saying, but that one little girl was writing on his chair and the other little girl was reading what she wrote and laughing. Corin told me that he seemed pretty upset about it and I might want to see if I could talk to him about it.

Evan actually brought it up later. He told me that A__ had been writing something on the back of his chair in class and that M__ was reading it and laughing. When I asked what A__ had written, he told me (in a most disgusted tone) that she had written she loved him and M__ was laughing about it.

I tried to explain that the girls certainly were not making fun of him and that he should be flattered that A__ likes him. From the look he gave me, he clearly doesn't see it that way and loudly complained, "But, I didn't LIKE it when she said that!"

I gave him a big hug and promised him that someday he would like it when a girl says she likes him. But for now, he doesn't have to like it, but he should certainly not get upset about it since they were most definitely not making fun of him.

Bless his heart. It's not easy being the smartest, cutest, sweetest boy in the first grade. Okay, maybe I'm biased, but at least I know that A__ agrees with me.