Pumpkin Patch Part Deux

Since Mother Nature hadn't cooperated on our family pumpkin patch trip, and since I was bound and determined that we would go on a hayride this year, one beautiful Wednesday afternoon we tried again.

I took TJ, Jojo, and our friend Rowan to Gull Meadow Farms, a pumpkin patch/cider mill/fall activity place. Gull Meadow Farms and Rowan's house are both on the opposite side of town from where we live, and I was trying to maximize our time, so we picked Rowan up about 2 pm. The tricky part: the hayrides don't start until 4 pm on weekdays. I knew that going in, but I was counting on donuts, the pumpkin patch and lots of room to run around to hold everyone's attention until 4. Eh, not so much. 

 The donuts were a hit though!

 The boys soon grew tired of the pumpkin patch and started gazing longingly at the play area. I was determined we were only doing the hayride, as the play area was not cheap, but ultimately I had to give in, if for no other reason than my own sanity. It was so worth it--they had a blast! And really, I would have loved some of the activities too!

 Even Jojo wants to go in the play area.

We started out small, at the water pumps. 

Then the big boys discovered the bouncy pads. I couldn't get them off.

Jojo was not happy that he wasn't big enough for the bouncy pads.

The big boys also did a cornstalk slide (stacks of cornstalks created steps; the slide was a big tube), and we tried out the labyrinth. TJ ran ahead, Rowan lagged behind, and Jojo wanted to be carried. I spent half of the time in the labyrinth planning for how I could signal to some Good Samaritan to stop TJ if he left the maze while we were still deep inside. Happily, he got to the end and decided to run back to join us!

TJ also got a ride in the barrel train while Rowan bounced some more. At this point, Ed had joined us to go on the hay ride as well. 

Where are the hayride photos, you ask? 

Well, TJ had a meltdown, the line was really long, and we just decided to skip it. Maybe next year? 

We headed home, ate a quick dinner, and put on costumes to go to a trunk or treat. If you're not familiar with the concept, people with decorated trunks and lots of candy park in a parking lot (ours happened to be the parking lot of the church where TJ goes to preschool and was put on by the church), and kids walk through the parking lot in a (fairly organized) line, trick or treating. I was skeptical at first, but it was great, especially with little kids who don't want to walk far! We'll be going next year for sure!

 TJ's cowboy scarecrow (more on this later), with a cameo from Ed as Duff Man in the background.

 A side view of the Jojo-saurus, showing off his cute back spikes.

Rowan the mummy

TJ on a pedal bike!

Thomas has been gliding around on his Strider bike since his birthday last February, and we began thinking that he was ready to try a bike with pedals (and no training wheels). Ed's boss had a bike his son had outgrown that looked to be just about the right size, so Ed brought it home, cleaned it up, and we tried it out one beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Here was his first attempt:

Pretty cool, isn't it?! His balance was right on; it just seemed he'd forgotten how to steer! :)

Within 10 minutes, he was zooming about like a pro, even starting on his own. We are so proud of him! The only part he doesn't get yet is the brakes. He still stops by dragging his feet (time for new shoes, maybe?).

Of course, Jojo wanted in on the fun. He rode on:

Lightning

the tricycle

and TJ's bike.

Next spring we'll let him try the Strider, but for now he'll have to use Lightning and the tricycle!

A little more September and August

The drawback of being a bit behind on a chronological blog is that sometimes you forget things.

Like this fairly major event:

Thomas started preschool!

Ed and I got to attend as well the first day, and it was fun to see how excited he was! The preschool is at a church a couple miles from our house, and he goes two mornings a week. He continues to love it, literally bouncing in his car seat on the way there. He has come home with some neat art projects and new songs, and is learning to write his numbers and practice writing his name.

Is this the face of excitement or what?!?!

Also in September, Ed's Uncle Dennis and Aunt Donna came to visit while on a tour of Michigan. We took them to Eccentric, where Dennis tried out a flight of beer.

Aunt Donna made the boys personalized foam jack o lanterns. (Their names are carved into the mouths.) The pumpkins were a huge hit, but the little battery-operated votives that go inside were arguably an even bigger hit. The boys drag the votives (and sometimes the pumpkins) under blanket forts, and I frequently find a random votive light turned on and stashed under a bookshelf or in some other hiding place. Amazing battery power on those things!

And we had a cupcake redo for Jojo's birthday back in August. It wasn't all because I was dissatisfied with the turnout of the original cupcakes--I also wanted to invite the neighbors over, and this seemed like a great excuse! Spreading a little Jojo love...

 Jojo liked these cupcakes too!

 I decided to decorate a bit, and continued the fish theme from the cupcakes.

These were simpler, but so much cuter!

More couch rumpusing

I apologize if you're sick of couch rumpusing videos. Well, actually I don't--you always have the option not to watch! We are trying to limit the amount of couch rough housing that goes on, but this has been a common scene at our house all fall. This particular day was a very rainy Saturday and the boys had a lot of energy to burn off.

And this gives you an idea of the "love" Thomas shares with Jojo. The entire video was 1 minute long. I edited it down to just the Jojo hits. But as you can see, he never stops grinning!

The Pumpkin Patch 2012: The Picture in My Head vs. Reality

One Sunday in October, we decided to take a family trip to the pumpkin patch, conveniently located just 3 miles from our house. I took the "good" camera, envisioning some great shots of the kids and their pumpkins, and maybe even a few family shots, as we frolicked in the idyllic pastures (dirt area loaded with pumpkins), leisurely selected pumpkins and some cool gourds, and enjoyed the gorgeous fall temperatures. We even took our wagon, and I hoped that a hay ride might be an option.

The Reality:
The weather had fluctuated all afternoon between completely blue sky and 20-minute sky blackening thunderstorms. When we left home, it was gorgeous. Any guesses where this story is going?

During our 3-mile drive, the horizon got darker. And darker. By the time we got out of the truck, the wind was gusting. The pumpkin patch (home of Gene the Pumpkin Man!) had wagons, so we left ours in the truck. Thomas only wanted to pull the wagon, not ride in it, and Josiah either wanted to stand in the wagon or not be in it. We let the boys wander amongst the pumpkins, and I shot photo after photo like some crazy paparazzi mom. Thomas picked out pumpkins that he liked for him and for Jojo. Then it started to drizzle. We thought we'd wait it out in the gourd shed. Then it started to pour, but since it was windy, the rain was falling sideways. Ed took Jojo and made a run for the truck. Thomas and I went to pay for the pumpkins, and then I picked him around the waist and took off running, pulling the wagon with our two pumpkins behind me. By the time we ran the 50 yards to the truck, Thomas and I were both soaked. No gourds, no family pictures, definitely no hay ride. But I did get some pretty cute pics of the boys, and we got our pumpkins! We'll try again next year...

Best Dinner Ever and Random Pictures

It's official. If my kids could eat nothing but graham crackers (breakfast and snacks) and spaghetti and meatballs (lunch and dinner), they'd be thrilled. 

And also, Jojo might end up consistently mastering the silverware concept before TJ does. And that's not comparing them at similar ages; I'm talking real-time here. These days, Jojo often refuses to eat unless a) the food is presented with silverware, and b) he gets to feed himself. That includes stabbing the food, not just directing a pre-loaded utensil into his mouth. 

And TJ, bless his heart, still prefers to pick up his meat and dip it into a 3-condiment concoction: mustard (a new favorite), ketchup, and white ketchup (ranch dressing). These are not mixed together; they're lined up separately, and he drags his meat and fingers through all three with each bite. We may wait a little longer to teach Jojo the beauty of condiments, because with TJ, it appears to have gotten out of control and we have no one to blame but ourselves. 

Back to the spaghetti and meatballs:

Those are some happy boys! 

And to be fair, TJ is not always anti-silverware. He was very interested in the twirling concept with the spaghetti.

Other photos:

 Helping Daddy clean the boat. TJ is Ed's big helper in any task.

Taking turns hiding in the plastic bin was a game one day.

 Which I'm pretty sure led directly to the situation shown above. TJ and I were playing hide and seek (pretty much a daily occurrence). I was in the same room counting when he (none-too-stealthily) emptied the train set out of the plastic bin and then hid under it. If the noise wasn't a giveaway, the translucent bin walls were, unfortunately.
Another hide and seek story: Thomas has realized that Jojo can be an accomplice when I hide. After TJ finishes counting, he turns to Jojo and asks, "Jojo, where's momma?" and Jojo faithfully leads him to me.

 Ending with some extreme cuteness. :) Happy Friday!

Trip Over the Top

After we visited baby James, Ed and I left the boys with Grammy and Buppa and drove home through the Upper Peninsula. The timing was perfect--the foliage colors were absolutely gorgeous! We thoroughly enjoyed a few days of sleeping in, eating meals without negotiations and threats, and having grown-up conversation. And even better, we were thrilled to see the boys when the week was over!

 Ed dipped his feet into both Lake Superior (above) and Lake Huron (below). Just Lake Ontario to go and he'll have been in all five Great Lakes!

 Who knew these gorgeous cliffs and beaches were along the shores of Lake Superior?

 Scenic road after road of beautiful fall colors

 This was the sign at a scenic overlook. Likely less part of the scenic overlook and more of a warning.

Our campsite one night, along the shores of the Tahquamenon River.

 Postcard perfect, on a 4-mile hike along the Tahquamenon River. We hiked from the lower falls to the upper falls, conveniently located next to a brewery and restaurant!

 Ed had some camera fun with the lower falls.

 The upper falls.

In front of the upper falls.

From there, we headed to Mackinac Island and took the ferry. We asked about how the huge rooster tail affected ferry speed and were disappointed to learn it was only a gimmick--it had no bearing on boat speed at all! (But it did make it easy for us to remember which of the three ferry lines we were on!)

 Our B&B on Mackinac

 Ed had fun interacting with statues on this trip. The Godfather gives him directions, and he read a story to two young children.

 No trip to Mackinac is complete without a tandem bike ride around the island! (And fudge, of course, but that practically goes without saying.)

We stopped at my aunt and uncle's house in Traverse City on the way home for dinner, and then had a productive two days doing home improvement projects before Mom and Dad brought the boys back.
(Including painting the inside of our front, back and patio doors--goodbye, coral, hello, neutral tan!