Sunday, October 23, 2011

Pumpkins Galore

Last weekend, we went to the pumpkin patch in our little town with Angie and her two kids Briggs, and Kinsley.
The weather was perfect- I love this time of year.
The fresh, crisp air with warm days, and cool nights.  I also love the colors, and the smells of fall.
(We went in the morning, so it was still a little cool and we needed our jackets.)

This sums up how Brody felt about arriving at the pumpkin patch. . .

We sat on a trailer which was hooked to the back of a tractor, and rode through the patch looking for the perfect pumpkin.  Brody thought every pumpkin was perfect, and each time we stopped he tried to pick up each pumpkin he came across.


He did a good job of carefully loading the pumpkins he had chosen (at least the small ones he could carry) onto the back of the trailer.  Naturally, Brody wanted to do everything the big kids were doing.


Kinsley was very protective of her pumpkins, and guarded them so Brody didn't snatch them.

The company was great. . .
I love how Kinsley is always so enthusiastic about having her picture taken.

Brody saw lots of things that were "point-worthy."  When I got home and looked through the pictures, I realized he is pointing at something in over half of them.

Brody and his mini mother.

Brody spotted some cows (he's been obsessed with them), and wanted to make us all aware they were there.  It was very important to him.  Can you tell?

The kids were able to feed goats, but there weren't too hungry.

I thought maybe Brody would get a little scared in the mini haunted house, but nope, he thought it was great.
There was also a corn maze, and a straw maze that we walked through when we first got there.  Brody clung to me like a monkey, and refused to get down and walk through it.  Soon after, he warmed up and was all over the place
So many pumpkins, so little time.


My FAVORITE pumpkin of them all is THIS ONE. . .
 After church today, we tried to get Brody to sit still for a picture, but he was more interested in sliding down the stairs.

He did stop momentarily to hug a pumpkin.




Thursday, October 20, 2011

Brave Boy

This morning Brody got his flu shot and was very brave, and didn't cry.  After he got the shot, his bottom lip poked out, and he wrapped his little arms around my neck and hugged me tight.  Then he whipped his head around to give the nurse one last look as if saying, "don't do that to me again."
Soon after, he was all smiles again.  I love him.

 Brody worships his daddy and copies everything Brent does.  The other day Brent muttered a naughty word under his breath that went something like, "oh sh*t." 
Guess who repeated it?
We better be more careful, we have a sponge soaking up everything we say, and do.
String cheese? I wonder what happened to the rule about keeping food in the kitchen? 
I do love the fact that these two are such great pals, and I hope it always stays like that.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Fishing for Styrofoam

Yesterday, my kid stuffed styrofoam up his nose.
Yep, styrofoam.
Then after he put it in his nose, he stuck his finger in and pushed it up further.
Since it was after closing time at the doctor's office, we waited to take him in today.  In the meantime, I kept hoping and watching for him to sneeze it out.  He sneezed alright, but no luck ejecting the styrofoam.
So off we went to the doctor to have it fished out.  I had the honors of holding him down (at least trying to), but it felt more like I was trying to contain a wild animal.  He wanted no part of it, and kicked, flailed his arms, shook his head back and forth, and screamed like a mashed cat.  Poor little thing.
Lets just say we didn't have much luck at the Dr.'s office- he couldn't see the lodged piece of styrofoam. It was either up too high, or came out on its own, or would come out by itself, (or maybe start stinking).
Made me feel awful that he was so terrified.  But at the end of the office visit, the doctor offered him candy (smarties) and the world was again OK in Brody's eyes. 
Then just as we got home, and walked in the door Brody sneezed.
I watched intently to see if anything would come flying out of his nose.
It didn't.
But he pulled a funny face, and reached in his mouth and "ta da". . .
pulled out the small piece of styrofoam, and handed it to me!

 Just in case you're wondering. No, I didn't stop and take his picture as he was stuffing the styrofoam up his nose.  This was taken a couple weeks ago.  Brody has taken up a hobby of nose picking as of late.
I just don't understand why kids like to do this.  Aren't they gross?

Yet ADORABLE!
 Brody has a basket full of bath toys, and he chooses to play with an empty bottle over any of the toys.  It never gets old to him.  He fills it up, and dumps it out over, and over, and over. . .  on himself, over the side of the tub (ugghhh!), and occasionally he drinks it!- nasty.
 I can't get enough of those chubby cheeks. . .
 And I'm jealous of his eyelashes.  I haven't figured out why they are (almost) always passed out to little boys.  Us girls would kill for those long, thick, curled lashes.


Brody is now 18-months-old, and I swear he changes daily.
He's starting to look like such a big boy.  The other day someone asked me if he was 3.
Three!? Are you kidding me?
To me, he'll always be my baby boy.
 He currently has 11 teeth.  (He's kind of a late bloomer as far as getting teeth, but with everything else he's right on track, or even ahead of the game).
Speaking of teeth, he has started grinding them (not in his sleep, but during the day).  I guess now that he has two opposing molars, it's seems fun to him?! It makes such an awful sound, it just about sends me through the roof.  There's not much you can do with teeth grinding until adulthood, so hopefully he'll get over this soon.
 He enjoys "helping" me with you name it: vacuuming, throwing trash away, putting laundry in the dryer, putting his shoes away, changing the sheets, dusting. (Any bets when he's actually old enough to really help, he won't want to?) He's my little buddy who's always right there, following me around the house.  He's also becoming very independent, and wants to do things himself, and his way. For now it's cute, but we'll see if I think that in a couple months.

He's a little stinker, and every time I turn around he's doing something like this. . .
 I believe he thinks it's "fun" to get in trouble.  Or at least he likes getting a reaction out of me.  It's become a game to him, and he knows when he's in trouble.  He gets my attention when he's doing something naughty, and then wags his finger back and forth as if saying "no, no."
If he has something in his possession that he knows is a "NO NO," he'll get my attention first, and then he'll run just as fast as those little toddler legs will go.
He's for sure testing the limits, and boundaries.  We're trying to teach him, but it's hard to get mad at those blue eyes, and that captivating/ mischievous smile.
Brody occasionally flashes a FAKE smile for me where he puts on a big cheesy, toothy grin, and scrunches up his face, and eyes.
Makes me giggle. I wish I had a picture.
 Here are some other things Brody's doing at 18 months:
He'll still eat about anything-not a picky eater, but especially likes fruit.  Brody's a bottomless pit, and will eat any time something is offered to him. He likes to use a spoon or fork now, and insists on drinking out of a "big boy" cup. He usually refuses his sippy cup at meal times.  This boy is growing up too fast for me.
After he's done eating, I normally mop up the floor around his high chair on my hands and knees.  Without fail, he'll come up behind me and pat me on the back, and hug me.  (It's as if he's saying "good job mom", or "sorry mom.")
Still loves a (satin)blanky, and binky.  Won't go to sleep without them.
Good at giving "high 5's."
Carries on "conversations" with us.  We have NO idea what he's saying, but he'll do the usual conversation banter back and forth with us for a good 5 minutes by responding when we talk to him, and then pausing, waiting for us to respond back.  It's amazing to me what kids pick up on socially at such an early age.
When he starts talking, and really using words I bet he'll be a chatter box- he "talks" a lot now.

When you ask him what a cow, or any other animal says his answer is always the same.
"Boooo."
So occasionally we ask him what a ghost says so he can get one right!
 This boy makes me happy, and I never want to forget the way he is at each stage. 
Love every ounce of him.
 I get the feeling he's going to give him us a run for our money,
but we wouldn't change a thing about him.


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Girls Night (Freak) Out

Last night, Amanda, Angie, and I went for a girls night out to THE HAUNTED MANSIONS OF ALBION.
This is an old, abandoned, dilapidated college campus that was established back in 1893 which has now been purchased and converted into "your worst nightmare." Ha ha :)
The owners converted 4 of the buildings on campus into haunted mansions.
(A few of the other buildings are being renovated for retreats).
They did an amazing job- it was really well done, and pretty darn believable.
Supposedly, in 2007 an investigation of this place  was conducted to research paranormal activity.
I don't buy all of that garbage, but I do admit that the thought of this while we were there, authenticated the mood.

On the way there in the car we reasoned that since we were grown women. . . it'll be no big thing.   
We've got this.
It'll be fun, and entertaining! Not a big deal.
In actuality, we got a little scared, and a few times we screamed like little girls.
Well, . . . really we screamed until we were HOARSE.
And Angie admitted that she peed herself "just a little."  Hysterical!!
(ignore the date on the picture, it was actually Oct. 1st)

There's just something about the feeling of being in a dark, ominous, daunting place
when someone with their face falling off, carrying a chain saw, or a hatchet comes running up behind you out of nowhere,and it's so dark, and loud, and confusing that you're not even sure where to run because everywhere you turn there's another freak right there in your face.
In all the confusion, I grabbed some woman's boobs on accident.  I have no idea who she was, just someone with our group.
Yeah, it was a little scary-
The tour took us down in the dark, dingy, musty basements, crawling through tunnels, upstairs in the creeky attics, through the old locker rooms, and showers. . . 
all the while not knowing WHO, or WHAT would be around the corner, or chasing you next, or what kind of twisted scene we would see.

When we walked into this old auditorium some creep scared the day lights out of us.
Afterward, Amanda thought she'd be funny and walked up to him and clapped really loudly in his face.
She (and the rest of our group) thought it was pretty funny.
But then his "buddy" (some ghoulish looking thing) got Amanda back, and she screamed louder, and longer than I've ever seen her,
and her instincts kicked in, and she was hitting, and punching the dude at the same time! (Fight or Flight?!)
(I wonder if the employees are trained to be hit, kicked or punched- I'm sure it's happened more than once).

In this room, this yucky looking lady got in our face with her flesh-eating baby.  Yummy.
This baby was nibbling, and tearing flesh off her hand, then lashing out towards us.
Who thinks of these sick, and twisted ideas?



In one of the rooms we walked into, we were all huddled together, not sure which way we were even supposed to go, and anticipating the next scare when I heard someone comment that it smelled like car exhaust.  I had noticed it too.
We soon found out what the smell was. . . chain saw exhaust!
Someone came out of no where with a chain saw chasing us relentlessly.
We finally got outside, and let our guard down a little bit, thinking we were done
 but it just kept on going-- through a straw tunnel, with more creeps after us.
We were there for about 2 hours, and only went through 3 of the 4 buildings.
Afterward, at midnight we went to Perkins for pie/brownie supremes/cheesy fries to take a few moments to recover.
The husbands were nice enough to stay home, and take care of the kiddos-- really I think they were just too wussy to go with us.
We had a great time, but I think next time Angie will vote for a movie night or something like that.
She was the most terrified of the 3 of us.

This place is a must-do if you're up for a Halloween thrill this season!
Definitely worth your money, and you'll never experience anything like it.
(photos courtesy of haunted mansions of albion)