It's October and Fall has arrived!
The weather has been typical for Arkansas - somedays are absolutely GORGEOUS and then others we start off in jackets just to strip down to tank tops later. Or even crazier, just the other day we started off in shorts & sunshine (80 degrees) just for it to turn freezing & rainy a couple hours later (51 degrees)!
After such a hot summer I think the leaves must have been barely hanging on - because boy are they falling off fast! Or maybe it's the just that
fall is going by so fast!
Only had my IPhone on me the other day - but what a beautiful sight as I pulled out of the driveway the other evening . . .
One of my favorite things about fall is of course -
Fall Decorations!!
Andrew thought I was crazy for attempting the task this year considering my condition and then the extra hassle of packing it all away once baby boy is here. I argued that though it may seem crazy to some, I completely enjoy it -- comparable to how we differ in opinion about getting up at 4am to sit in a deer stand. Point taken. :) So he helped me with the outside -- he & Hunter brought me home some beautiful mums & pumpkins and set up our family pumpkin patch --
such a sweetheart.
I smile every time I drive up to our house . . .
Ready for our littlest to be here at any time! Pumpkin family of 4!
Hunter loved having his baby brother's pumpkin beside his too
I did decide to scale back this year though. I usually have "fall" decor that stays out until it's time for the switch to Christmas, but I also have "Halloween" decor and "Thanksgiving" decor that I usually add to the mix. This year I felt the need to simplify, for obvious reasons, so I stuck mainly with the general fall decor and only added a couple pieces that will need to be switched out next month.
Entry Way:
Hunter "helped" me decorate the entire day and his excitement made it worth it even that much more. While he was unpacking a box he asked me, "Mommy - where's that big tree?" haha I had to think for a moment before I realized he was talking about the Christmas tree -- an entirely different holiday we get to decorate for too!! He was so cute about it all and actually told me again yesterday, "member when we got dem boxes out and every-fang? That was a fun time Mommy." :)
Dining Room:
Kitchen:
Of course there is precious seasonal artwork on the fridge
It may be alot but luckily I know I've got a sweet sweet mother that will come up to help me pack it all back up and unpack for the next holiday decorating day.
Living Room:
I still LOVE this fingerprint tree that Hunter & I made last fall.
Ready for some cozy nights & crackling fires
Halloween Craft Time
Hunter has started truly enjoying craft time . . . even though his attention span is very short lived and mommy usually has to "finish" what we started. ;)
Or the craft is possibly a little beyond the ability of a 3 year old . . .
This Haunted (lift-flap/shape) House quite possibly was one of those. We had fun anyways and Hunter loved the final product.
It seems like we've had something going on constantly this month but it's all been so much fun - another reason to LOVE FALL.
One day I watched Ava & Landon while Abby ran a couple errands. They of course were great and Hunter loved having a friend to play with but after a couple hours of managing two 3 year olds, while carrying around one baby brother on my hip and the other in my belly - I was pretty worn out. So when the older kiddos started squabbling a bit, I decided it was time for a cartoon. :) For the next 15 minutes until Abby arrived back, all three sat happily entertained while I took a minute to put my feet up. lol Everyone needs a little tv time now and then . . .
We also were invited to Noah's 3rd Birthday Party!
It was all about Natural's Baseball for this little guy - and mom & dad, Helga & Adam did a fabulous job pulling it all together.
They made sure we had the "popcorn, peanuts, & cracker jacks" . . . plus hot dogs, cotton candy, & lemonade!!
Their backyard is a perfect set up for friends, food, & fun. They had a great blow-up playplace, baseball diamond, & play set for the kids to enjoy.
Hunter had such a great time - and came away with an awesome sugar high ;)
Speaking of sugar, we've made some especially yummy treats this month.
I saw these on where else but Pinterest and knew we had to make them . . . if it involves peanut butter and chocolate - We're IN!
Plus it was actually really easy and Hunter could actually help out quiet a bit. Originally his job was to place the eyes, but after having the slight inability to keep little fingers out of the white chocolate (and then keep from licking them every time) his job switched to counting out 2 eyes for each ghost for mommy to place. ;)
We decided to spread some ghostly cheer & share them with my office
Hunter was so proud of them, that we also made a few baggies to hand out to Hunter's KDO teachers and to Mommy's nurse & doctor at that week's OB appointment.
Our next treat (and Pinterest find) was one of the most indulgent cookie/brownie/cupcake I've EVER had. Emily had made these for Andrew's birthday earlier in the summer and so when I was trying to think of something for my dad's birthday, these absolutely were the first to enter my mind.
First Layer: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Second Layer: Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
Third Layer: Brownie Mix
Such a big helper - He was excited to make Pa's birthday present, as well as get his hands a little dirty
The best part!
forget the spoons . . .
Is there anything better?
drum roll please . . .
And the Final Product (maybe not perfection) but ohhhhh so yummy
While trying to manage daily life, a 3 year old, & the last few weeks of pregnancy -- I've really been "choosing my battles." As in this pair of underwear, "the ones with the race cars & flags," has been worn by my child for 4 days in a row . . . and were even dug out of the laundry hamper after a shower. Sometimes I have to remind myself,
"Does it really really matter?"
Andrew has been helping out by enjoying some one-on-one time with Hunter (giving me a break to put my feet up for a few minutes). They're newest activity -- hiking. Hunter LOVES the adventure and we love the energy it burns!! haha
Pa even got a chance to in on the fun
Luckily Andrew got his deer just before Hudson arrived this year.
And the story that came along with it was quiet a tale. . .
-- Kids Day Out --
This month has seen it's ups and downs. A couple drop-offs were painfully difficult as he begged through snubbs & tears to stay "at home wif mommy." Last Monday was the worst. I kept encouraging him and telling him how much fun he was going to have, but he'd sweetly reply, "mommy - you can go to my cwass and have fun and I just stay here . . . " And although I truly believed he'd get happy fairly quickly, walking away from that classroom door as tears streamed down those puffy red eyes broke my heart.
So you can understand how excited I was to see his gleaming face, proudly showing off his "super star" necklace. He's been asking about how to get one of these for a couple weeks now, and we've discussed obeying, not fussing, staying on his nap mat, etc... so I was almost as happy as he was to see it around his little neck. :) His teacher told me that when she gave it to him he was sooo excited and said that he was going to hang it in his "bonus room" when he got home. hahaha As we were driving home and having our usualy after school talk, I asked him what he did to get to be the super star and he said, "I don't know . . . I guess I was pwetty good today." lol Well I guess so sweet boy.
It was also Fire Safety Day - and he was THRILLED to have had the chance to see a real firetruck & fireman up close. He told me all about it's water hose and tall ladder, and that he was supposed to call "1-1-1 for 'mergencies" . . . haha-Close! He wore his badge around & talked about it for the next couple of days.
I was really happy about this event because I'd already been thinking we needed to visit a station & have a fire drill at our house now that he's upstairs by himself . . . but still when I ask him about a fireman rescuing him and what might happen if we actually did have a fire, he tells me "no, it's ok -- you & daddy will do it." I love that he has that much faith in us (but it still scares me to think that he might hide from the fireman).
He's also had two days of KDO fall parties!
I wondered if his teachers knew his favorites, or was it a lucky guess?
They allow them to dress up and Hunter insisted on wearing his "bear" costume, aka baby WareWolf, from last year. Luckily it still fit. :)
He thought he was "pwetty scary."
But I thought he was pretty adorable . . .
Those brown eyes . . . ahhhh LOVE
He went so happily to KDO, that I've thought about asking if he could wear the costume every time he goes. :) Just can't get enough of this furry man.
Jesus said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:7-8
