Happy Halloween!

The Weekend

Last weekend was weird. The good parts were really great, and the not good parts were really terrible. Friday night we took the boys to a "Trunk or Treat." It is a pretty popular thing here where a bunch of cars park somewhere and kids go trick or treating from car to car. A lot of churches and schools tend to host these. The one we went to was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of a nearby community. It was crazy how many people were there - but Mike loved it.  Ryan slept through the entire thing.

Saturday, Brad was on call and had to go to the hospital so I decided to take the boys to a nearby playground.  After about 40 minutes I decided to head home and started noticing that something just wasn't quite right with my vision.  As we were driving home I noticed I was experiencing classic signs of a migraine (which I used to get when I was younger and have started having sporadically since Ryan was born).  As soon as I got home I called Brad.  He assured me he was on his way home so I struggled through the 30 minutes until he arrived then went to bed while he took care of the boys.  Two hours later he told me that he had to go back to the hospital for a case.  I was still feeling pretty terrible but put on my big girl panties and dealt with the situation anyway.  He didn't get home until after 10pm that night.

On Sunday afternoon we took the boys to a pumpkin carving party hosted by one of Brad's co-workers.  It was a lot of fun.  Mike ran around like a crazy person.  Ryan looked at us like we were crazy people and Brad won the prize for the most time spent carving a pumpkin (not really, but if it existed he likely would have won).

On Sunday night we had (free) tickets to see Primus in 3-D. Brad was a pretty big fan of the band in high school so we decided to go. I have to admit it was by far the weirdest concert I have ever been to, but it also had the best people watching of really anywhere I have ever been. Weird music aside, it was fun to get out for a date night with some friends.



We made it home around 11:15 and headed to be (since Brad had to be up at 4:30).  Unfortunately, my dreams of sleep were interrupted by an adorable 8 month old who woke up at 2:30; 3:30; 4:30 and then refused to stop crying unless I was holding him AND nursing him.  He would be O.U.T out until I tried to set him down.  Then he would start screaming.  My night did not go so well and Monday morning was a little rough.  But there is our weekend in a nutshell.  

Monday Picture

Mommy Guilt

I found the perfect Halloween costumes for the boys (on Pinterest of course).  For Mike a scuba diver and for Ryan an octopus.  They are adorable.  Not too matchy matchy, but similar enough that one could say we had a theme.  I even bought some of the supplies to make the costumes before reality set in and I realized that even though I REALLY want to be "that" mom.  It isn't going to happen.  I work 40+ hours a week and have a husband who works twice that on a good week.  I work full time and am the main person in charge of keeping all of the balls in the air. I barely have time to sit down, I don't have time to make two Halloween costumes unless I want to give up something else that is more important to me (clean clothes, home cooked dinners, a [relatively] clean house, play time each evening).  As much as I wish I could have it all and do it all I am starting to realize that I can't.  Sometimes things aren't going to be as good as I want them to be, but at the end of the day if my kids are happy then it shouldn't matter - and happy they are!

Monday Picture

Seester

Photo by Mike

 I work for a public company in the financial reporting group.  Due to SEC reporting requirements quarter-ends are crazy busy for me.  Brad's schedule is crazy busy period so when we are both busy we have to figure out some way to both keep our jobs and make sure the boys are taken care of.  Enter family members.  For the past few years my mom has come out every July to help.  This time I asked Sarah to come help.  The challenge: Make sure two little boys are taken care of while mommy and daddy work crazy hours.  She accepted the challenge and passed with flying colors.  I'm not sure if it was a desire to spend time with her nephews or something else, but she only took them to daycare for part of one day during the week and played nanny the rest of the time.  She played, she cooked, she cleaned, she dealt with flu shots (sorry for that one), teething, missed naps, tantrums, snuggles and giggles. 

Thank you so much for all your help this week!  We already miss you.  Love Erin, Brad, Mike and Ryan

Winner

I love to take pictures.  I'm pretty sure I inherited the gene from my mom (who will take a picture of anything).  I personally don't think most of my pictures are anything that anyone else would ever find merit in.  I take them because I like to and it helps me remember things.

A month or so ago I happened to have my phone with me during bathtime. I noticed Ryan was looking at his reflection in the overflow thing.  I snapped a quick picture - edited it and posted it on instagram.  A few weeks later the Pioneer Woman hosted a photo contest where the only rule was that the picture had to be taken with a phone.  I submitted the bathtub picture and didn't think much of it.  A few days later I was one of the pictures selected (group 2).  A few weeks later I was selected as one of the finalists (see here) and today my picture was announced as "Winner #1."  OMG!?!?!?!  I won a photography contest!!!

Eckert's Farm - 2012 Edition

This is the third year in a row that we have visited "Eckerts Fun Farm" - I guess it is becoming somewhat of a tradition.  The place is great for families.  They shoot pumpkins out of a giant canon, have plenty of opportunities for pictures, offer apple picking, hay rides, a corn maze a petting zoo, pony rides, jumping pillows and much much more.  Each year we go is more fun than the last because Mike gets more and more excited.  This year was so much fun because we got to see the boys together and literally feel Mike's excitement.  He led us through the corn maze, picking the path at each fork in the road, we all jumped on the pillows and laughed, we took a trip down the giant slide, participated in the parakeet encounter, watched pumpkins being shot out of a canon and ended our outing with kettle corn and fresh apple cider.  Not a bad Sunday morning if you ask me.  For a reminder of our first and second trips to Eckert's click here and here.



Monday Picture

Monday Picture

Monday Picture

Warrior Dash 2012