Trick or Treat!

Ian and his baby brother Dillon (just turned 1 year), came over to do some trick or treating with Jakob. The big boys totally scored on the candy and had a great time with their Daddies (who were drinking White Russians in coffee mugs as they went door to door - oh yeah - they claim that they ran into more parents in the neighborhood drinking beer and wine while trick or treating - it's like candy for adults right!). I figure as long as everyone came home in one piece and had a good time, it's all good!

The babies stayed home with the Moms, and helped hand out candy - with an occasional attempt at escaping out of the front door.

Ian and Jakob on the move

Trick or Treat!

Ian (Construction Worker) and Dillon (Baby Doctor in scrubs), Jakob (Buzz Lightyear) and Sarah (Wonder Woman). Note - my kids won't sit still for a picture!

Wonder Woman, making a quick escape!

Best Buds!

Projects

We carved our pumpkins last night, "We" usually means Mark, because I hate to clean out the pumpkin, it's mostly the smell, but also I'm not a fan of the goo! But, I sucked it up and cleaned and carved one this year, hoping it would help Jakob get over his goo issue also. As you may know, Jakob is very sensitive with things on his hands, doesn't like them to be dirty AT ALL. So, pumpkin carving is not really up his ally, but after we told him that if he touched a little bit of the pumpkin guts, he could help carve with the knife, he opened up a bit to it. He actually picked up a few pieces of the goo and then said "Oh, I didn't know the goo wouldn't hurt me," (Then he quickly wiped his fingers on his papertowel). I wonder if he just thought that it would hurt him or if that was an excuse for not doing it? Jakob helped Daddy carve an aiien (Jakob is totally into anything with space right now). I carved a regular Jack-o-lantern looking face - of course I didn't take pics of them!

Oh and Jakob is also into not wearing a shirt - apparently he likes to show off his guns? Really he just gets hot and takes it off.


We've been collecting leaves as they turn, and this is what we decided to make with them, a leaf curtain! We pressed the leaves in books for 2 weeks, then I ironed them between 2 pieces of wax paper, hoping this will make them last a bit longer. Now we can enjoy the fall color inside. The heating vent is right below them, so they constantly are turning around, and will dry out quicker I think - but Jakob said "It's like they are blowing in the wind."

We Voted Today!

Well, we sent our ballots in the mail today! I'll be so glad when this is all over, no more phone calls at dinner time (we got 6 last night)! I think you all know who we voted for - I'll try to keep my political views to a minimum here - but let's just say we didn't vote for the White guy and his crazy sidekick who can see Russia from her state!
Hope you all get out to vote!

For GG Willy

I had to post these pictures for my Grandma Willy aka Sarah's GG Willy. She knitted this super cute sweater for her and this is the first time she has worn it. You can't see the buttons on it, but they are daisies! So cute!

Halloween Preview

Jakob and Sarah went to their first Halloween party today at Jakob's classmate, Wren's house. They had pumpkin painting, pizza and a pinata. The kids were all super cute in their costumes!

Getting ready for the party - Jakob is Buzz Light Year and Sarah is Wonder Woman!


Wren getting ready for the first hit on the pinata (Wren had the cutest Snow White costume).
Ian, Jakob and Jake - patiently waiting for their turn to whack the pinata! (Ian and Jake had stripped off most of their costumes to get ready! Ian was a construction worker or a "worker guy" as Jakob said, Jake was Darth Vader).
Here is Kai, he is Wren's little brother who was just adopted from China  - this is his first pinata - he LOVED it! I mean look at his smile! He was loving all the candy too!

Oh, here is Ian's costume, a real tool belt and all!
Here is Sarah doing some Wonder Woman tricks as Buzz is running behind her like a wild animal, shooting others with a bubble blaster.
 Wonder Baby or Woman!

Can you guess what I had for dinner?

Somebody likes spaghetti (mostly the meat sauce)! She also had, ravioli, spinach, broccoli, cheese and then some milk before bed - I'm telling you this girl is like a fish, she will eat until she explodes - sometimes literally!


Getting tired, but still managing to put her hand to her mouth!

Home Sick

Last night Jakob was up all night long coughing (dry cough), no fever, but some nasal drainage this am - (details for those in the medical field). I was on the phone with his Pediatrician at 11:30pm figuring out how not to take him to the ER - the steamy shower, honey tea and sitting out on the cold porch eventually worked - he slept from 12:30am - 4am, then started coughing. Anyhow he went to see Dr. Joel this morning and was all clear - lungs looked fine and he's of course been doing much better today. Dr. Joel checked me out too - my throat is not doing so well, but no strep - as of now. We tried to stay home, but got a little bit antsy, so we went to the coffee shop for tea and hot chocolate and a walk in the fog. We had chicken and stars soup (We - means Sarah and I also) - more honey, more steamy bathroom time, a 3 hour nap for Jakob (1 hour nap for Sarah, 20 minute nap for the Mama) and then dinner, another walk, steamy shower, honey and hopefully a good nights sleep! AAH, hopefully I don't get too sick either. Sarah is working on cutting her top teeth, so we'll see how tonight goes for her!
Someday I will sleep again! Oh and as for Mark, he is taking an appraising class which has him up at all hours of the night writing! So, nobody is sleeping around here - this morning Mark said "I feel like we have a newborn again."
Tough times, but luckily our kids are so darn cute, or we would have to return them!!
Anyhow, the title to this post "Home Sick" has 2 meanings, we were home sick today, but I'm also home sick for my Mom! Everyone needs there Mom to take care of them when they are sick, I feel like I did my job and now I need someone to take care of me! BOOHOO!!!

Here is Sarah, waking Jakob up from his 3 hour nap (we had to wake him as it was 4:30pm!) Oh and Jakob has been sleeping in our recliner to help with the snot drainage - thank goodness we have the recliner but too bad it's in our bedroom!




Oh and a random picture of Sarah, who got stuck in her carseat, while searching and finding tasty crumbs!

So Sweet

I went out with Jakob on Sunday night for a Mommy and Jakob date, to the local gelato shop (3 blocks away)! Where Jakob ordered "Spitachio" flavored gelato.
When we were walking back home I said to Jakob,
"Thanks for the date, I enjoyed it."
jakob: "What's a date?"
Me: "When two people who like each other go out together, when you are older you will take lots of girls on dates"
jakob:"Like Nana?"
Me: "Well, I'm sure Nana would like to go on a date with you, but I mean other girls too."
Jakob: "Oh" "Mommy what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Me:"Well, I am grown up, I'm a Mommy and a Nurse right?"
Jakob: "Yeah but I mean, don't you want to be a princess or a fairy or something...you would look real pretty in a dress with pink roses on it and wings too...I can buy that for you for Halloween."
Me: (Laughing and melting inside) "Oh you mean what do I want to be for Halloween...I don't know yet, but I do like fairies. What do fairies wear?"
Jakob: "They wear tight, long skirts and wings"
Me: "Oh, that sounds nice, (Where did he get the idea that they wear tight skirts) I'll think about it."

PSU Farmer's Market

We went to the PSU Farmer's Market today. It was colder than we expected, so we only stayed for about an hour, just got the things we really needed and headed out. We also managed to find some cool leaves to take home to preserve - still not sure what we will make with them, but we found some really pretty ones.




Jakob eating one of the carrots that we got, they are sooooo yummy!

We also picked up this little cutie - a ghost gourd!

Happy 9 month Birthday!

Sarah is 9 months old today, if you can believe it!
She had her 9 month check on Monday and weighed 21.8 pounds! She loves her some food! The girl CAN eat, I'm sure she eats more than Jakob - it's nuts!
Sarah took 2 steps last week, hasn't done it since. But, she is getting better and better at standing by herself for longer periods of time. She has started using some baby sign language, she does the sign for "milk", and sometimes "all done" (which is the same as when she waves "bye bye"), and today started copying me for "please" - which at this point is, patting her chest. She also understands what "Shake your booty" means and will do it when music is playing - Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Sarah, found the keys - an exciting find for her!

Sarah, and Mommy communicating by patting our chests! Very primitive, but it gets the job done, I at least knew that Sarah was asking for "Milk, please"

When Sarah doesn't get milk right away, she finds a way to get it - be it tackling, bullying or stripping Mommy for it!

Clapping together.

Fall...and a bit more

We went on a nice evening walk, in the dusk and then darkness tonight on the lookout for pine cones and red leaves (to hopefully make something?) and to give Jakob something to do with his flashlight ( side note - we almost ran into a skunk in someones bushes, thank God Mark has good eyes!). It has been so nice here, cooling down but so nice in the sun and so calm and cool in the evenings. I love fall, I love the smell of the air, the feeling of the sun on my face when it's cool outside and of course all the fall color! Of course we don't have any pics this year of the fall color - the trees are just starting to turn.
I also love putting on the warmer clothes like our fleece coats, hats and rain boots! ( I think I like this so much, because growing up is SoCal we didn't ever need to do this, nor does anyone wear or let alone know what fleece is in SoCal?!)
Jakob riding his bike w/his new rain boots - can't see them clearly, but they have guitars on them - super cute - he picked them out.

Sarah in her new hat and fleece coat.


These pictures have nothing to do with Fall, just am too lazy to start another posting, so I will post them here - some recent pics for the Grandparents to see.
Sarah, standing at the front door, she loves to look outside and bang on the window! She is wearing her new little outfit that I got at the Children's Resale shop for free, because I had a credit from Jakob's clothes - love that! The pants are brand new and the top I swear was never worn! Loving the resale shop, good for the budget and good for the environment!

Sarah having a great time eating sweet potatoes, turkey and crackers - she is refusing to be fed, so I gave up and gave her the spoon, she was so surprised, she had no idea what to do with it! Notice she is also missing a sock - I can't keep socks on her for anything!

Sarah, this is her "Give me more food" or "I'm sooooo done here" face!

Jakob in the middle of talking while he was eating - what's new!

Pumpkin Patch

On Sunday we went to Lakeview Farms Pumpkin Patch in Hillsboro. We have been to this pumpkin patch 3 years in a row, it's great, you get to ride a train out to the pumpkin patch and a boat back in. Plus there are hay mazes, wheel barrows to push, farm animals to look at and lots and lots of pumpkins to choose from. The Brink family joined us and the boys had a good time, running in the mud. It was raining, bummer, but we wanted to get there for an early pick of the pumpkins! We braved the weather and mud and had a good time. Sarah rode in the big backpack for the first time, she did pretty well. Somehow, because the Dad's had the babies on their backs, Julie and I got to wheel all the pumpkins thru the patch (we took home 7) - of course Mark announced "If only I had a bull whip!" Yeah, I guess that's true love?

Jakob and Ian on the train

So many pumpkins to choose from, Jakob was running around saying "Look at this one Mommy, it's perfect, but it's dirty, but that's ok, can we get this one..." He basically repeated this over and over until the wheelbarrow was full.

The men and the babies, supervising I guess!

This is the pumpkin Mark chose for me, because he knows that I like to get the little reject pumpkins, well the ones that aren't perfect and that would otherwise be left at the pumpkin patch by themselves! So, he picked this little beauty!

Sarah watching from above!

The pumpkin next to Jakob's foot is one that we came home with, his first pick.

Ian hauling a pumpkin in for Sarah, Jakob picked this one for her, but didn't want to pick it up because it was muddy! Yeah, he has some issues with stuff on his hands, but he's resourceful in getting some help!