Life Lately

Summer is wrapped up... we're full steam ahead into Fall... and I couldn't be happier!

I'm a true Oregonian. Give me about 3 weeks of hot weather and then I'm officially over it and looking forlornly at my boots and sweaters and dying for a chance to cozy up inside instead of sweat and slather uncooperative kids in sunscreen outside. 

#QuitSquirming

Here's what we've been up to lately!

 We love Kenzie's big backyard... and got to enjoy a last bit of summer over there. Mostly the kids run around and play together but at one point they all wandered over to the Mommas to see what we were doing (um, drinking wine and talking, so run along children) and decided to sit and stay awhile around the fire pit. Five little boys, all sitting still for a moment. A miracle, really...

#Wolfpack

 It's so funny to me, the random things the boys will find and suddenly be REALLY into for a bit. Take Austin's soccer socks for example. He's had these for over a year but suddenly they were re-discovered and the coolest things around. 

 Like so cool they had to be worn to school several times too... maybe the thigh-high stockings looks is coming back? If so, Austin is ahead of the trend! haha!

We've definitely gotten a lot of Wolfpack time in! Dinner didn't go over as well as the costume-play (seriously, can I survive on just 2 bites of food and have endless energy too??). At least Henry got a good meal in, since most of it ended up on the ground. 

 This kid. I was so naive back in the day when I thought Austin was such a hurricane and troublemaker. He is NOTHING compared to his little brother. This kid is so naughty and mischievous. He does so many things he shouldn't, gets disciplined a lot, doesn't listen and gets upset, or gets hurt doing the thing he shouldn't be doing. On this night he sneaked a gummy worm and ate it quickly as Neal was telling him "no" and then was mad he got in trouble about it. Minor issue for sure.. but a good snapshot of our life with him. This kid is trouble.

#ThanksForTheGrayHairOwen

 The moments in between the naughtiness and discipline.. are the ones that make it all worth it. When brothers say they are "best frwends" and put their arms around each other for pictures.... Sigh. They were all ready for Jammie day at school on this day. Everyone's favorite day! The kids love the novelty of it, I love the fact they are dressed as soon as they wake up!

#WithAChangeOfCleanUndiesOfCourse

 The rain and cooler weather has started... which means lazy weekends inside trying to occupy two active boys. Forts for the win!!!

 Here is a terrible picture of both me and Owen. Why? Well I'm like most other Moms... I scroll through my pictures and see the kids... the kids... one kid... the other kid... the kids and husband... the one kid and husband... the other kid and husband... and no pics of me and the kids. So I have to take selfies. Even bad ones. 

 My kids like cake. I think you can gather that from the above picture. NOM NOM NOM NOM. 

#BirthdayPartiesAreTheBest

 We tried our first family slumber party... and it was a half-success. Austin passed out and slept awesome, and well... Neal can sleep anywhere basically and falls asleep within seconds of laying down (#Lucky)... but Owen was too squirmy so I put him up in his bed, and I was super uncomfortable so I went up to bed too. Oh well, maybe next time! The concept was fun.

 We kept the big Living Room Bed out all weekend though.... I mean, a mountain of pillows and blankets on a rainy day? Heck to the yes. Owen got real comfy on Daddy and nailed the whole "lazy day" thing on the head!

 Owen is at the age where he has to do things himself and he gets really mad if you try to help him, or if he can't do what he's trying to do. It's a lose-lose situation, really. Putting on sunglasses has become the bane of his existence... but he finally (after many tears) figured it out! It's gonna be a long year with this one though....

#TantrumAfterTantrum

 Of all the movies we've watched, they've never really noticed the speakers.. until last weekend, when suddenly... WHOA. That's where the sound comes from?? 

#ItsMagic

And just for proof that they can sit quietly and play... and that not every minute of every day is running and jumping and action.... This picture makes my introvert heart happy. 

So that's our life lately! 

Summer Recap

You may have noticed I'm back blogging on this site now.... why? Well, let's just say "real" blogging was a time suck I wasn't prepared for. I loved writing and sharing my writing, but I couldn't keep up to the level I wanted to be at, and I got burned out very quickly with the "promote yourself" game that is involved with blogging. I just want to capture family memories, so back here on my little family blog I am. 

Anyways... lots to catch up on! We had a fun and busy summer, so get ready for a pic overload as I recap some of the highlights!

Austin went down to part-time daycare again and stayed home with Neal every Tuesday and Thursday. They went to a little kid golf course and Austin had a blast. There were also a lot of park trips, library trips, and ice cream treats involved. It's good to be Austin in the summertime, I tell ya. 

Summer started off rough for BoBo... he had a fast and furious tummy bug and we had quite the puke-gate going on for awhile. But.... I got to enjoy my baby being a baby during it, and sleeping on me again..... so.... I'll take some puke if that's what it takes!

We signed Austin up for a week-long Tiny Hawks soccer camp again this year. He had fun running around and picking up cones and sometimes kicking the ball. One LOL moment was when a kid stole the ball from him and he yelled out "hey kid!!!" Ha. 

Summer meant spending Sundays at the baseball field to watch Daddy play. Austin went to almost every game, Owen and I went to just a few. And yes I'm totally Mom of the Year for letting them play in the huge dirt pile right next to a dumpster. No big deal, right? 

Kids activities. Sigh... that's a whole post in itself... what to do, how many to do, how to fit them in... we signed Austin up for a 4 week trial of Tae Kwon Do. He loved it, but for now we aren't continuing. During the school year, it's going to be hard to make the 5pm class time, and the price for a little 30-min class was a bit gag-worthy. At least it filled up some of the long summer afternoons!

I am loving the ages of the boys right now... it's no secret I'm not a huge fan of the baby-phases, I really enjoy toddlers and kids so much more. Their awesome imaginations are one reason. We are really into playing dress up lately, everything from Kings and Queens, to Superheros, to Doctors, Teachers, Police Officers... it was a Summer of Imagination. 

It's happened guys. The thing we've waiting 2 years for... Austin and Owen are legit besties!! Owen "gets" things better now and can play with Austin (as opposed to just destroying things or stepping on toys) and it's awesome. One night they played in Austin's room for an hour and Neal and I sat on the couch wondering what the hell to do with ourselves... because we weren't referring a wild rumpus. It was odd. But awesome. 

This summer wasn't nearly as hot as the Straight-Outta-Hades summer we had last year... but we managed to get in some pool time! My Mom bought the boys this slide/pool thing and they spent days splashing. Too bad that thing had a weight limit. 

Hashtag this is my life. 'Nuff said right?? Owen went through a licking phase that was kind of hilarious because who doesn't like saying "Owen! Don't lick your brother!" fifty times in a row?

Neal has this whole parenting thing down, doesn't he? Cooling off in the pool, adult beverage in hand, splashing the kids occasionally. He is my hero. 

Want S'more S'mores??? LOL. This was Owen's first S'more experience and he was pretty thrilled. Austin knew to just get down to business with his!!! (Owen is saying "S'more!!" in case you are wondering about the gaping mouth. 

Sometimes summer sucks.....because I'm slaving away in my cube on a spreadsheet and I get texts like this from Neal and Austin at home. Le sigh.

Sometimes, the saddest thing ever is a 75-degree day and realizing that it's just a bit too cold to go swimming. The struggle guys... the struggle. 

I wish I knew how to make sure Austin's confidence lasts his whole life. When I asked him if he really wanted to go to the grocery store in his Batman costume his answer was "yes! I want everyone to see I'm Batman!!" You do you, Austin... and never change. 

What do you do when you visit the ER? Take a pic, of course! My Aunt fell and broke her ankle and thankfully Neal was home to go and get her and take her to the ER. We arrived later (after a trip to Salem to pick up my Grandma from my Mom who drove her up from Springfield) and the boys wanted to take a picture at "da hospital"

"Hey Austin, see if you can build a tower around yourself!!!" that was a great way to occupy him for 20 mins!

This summer was the last summer with my hernia. Thanks to my two pregnancies for stretching out my abs and ripping a hole and making my intestines protrude through. That was fun. Now that I've taken the plunge and surgery is done and I'm healing... now I have no excuse to NOT work out and get my tummy less poochy. Shoot. Maybe I should have thought that through more...

We went to the zoo several times this summer and one of our trips was a total bust on the animal-front. We saw NOTHING. No animals were out and about for some reason, so the boys decided to be entertained by rock formations. Whew. 

We said goodbye to summer at my parent's house over Labor Day. The boys had adventures on the sidewalk, picked me flowers that were crawling with bugs (ewwwww) and had a grand ol' time, like usual. 

So that was summer! No moving this year, no house hunting...we actually got to have some fun!

Once Upon A Time... There Was A Creepy Forest

At the beginning of summer we made a "Summer Fun" list... just some things we wanted to do and wanted to make sure we fit in around Neal's baseball games and such.

Going to Enchanted Forest was on our list... and I have to admit, I was one of the big supporters of making sure we went, because I really wanted to go!

Austin stayed home with Neal all summer long on Tuesdays and Thursdays again, so I took a Thursday off from work and off we went!

Poor Owen didn't get to go... we figured he was a bit too young and we were right. Almost all the rides and activities there are for slightly older kids, and most have a height requirement. Owen would have just spent the day being mad he couldn't be doing what brother was doing.

So Owen went to daycare like normal and we got to Enchanted Forest right when they opened.

There is definitely a creepy factor to the place... the figurines and animatronics and structures are all a bit worn, run down and skanky looking... which kind of adds to the fun, in my opinion.

I may or may not have jumped though, when I went around a dark corner and came face to face with a lifesize freaky looking witch inside the Witch's Cave though...

I love how fearless Austin is though. Nothing phases him. None of the dark caves or houses or witches... nothing. He just tells me "it's just make believe, Mom!"

There was the Crooked House, which was fun...

And we could have spent all day on the Old Lady In the Shoe's slide....

But there were bigger fish to fry, like the Log Ride!!!

We went down this ride 5 times I think. Maybe more. Austin could not get enough of it! Since he had to go with an adult, we took turns. This picture cracks me up because of his face. He's going "oh my geez!" right as we went down the long water chute!

For our last time we went down all together!

They let you bring your own food, which is nice... so we found a table in a little cottage (cute!) and had our sandwiches. Followed by ice cream for Austin and Daddy, of course!

We had a really fun day and we will be back next year with Owen, since he will then be tall enough to go on most of the rides.

Thanks for the creeptastic time, Enchanted Forest!