Friday, 11/23/12 (back tracking)

Austin was up moaning and groaning all night...so we took him to an urgent care. They gave him a prescription for an antibiotic for his ear.

It was cooler today and about to rain, so we took the boys out to a playground while we had the chance.  Take a look at Hunter's face...he was freaking out.

Austin was NOT freaking out, as you can see...

Chris climbing the weird rock wall.

Who knew...Norwich has a music shop.  So Chris went to see what was in there.  They boys played on some electric drums and messed around with other stuff too.

Steve's birthday celebration...ice cream cake!

Austin was wishing he could blow out the candles.

Saying goodbye to Aunt Mary Rose and Kathy.

Austin did a great job helping Nonna make candy cane ornaments.

Last Day of November!!

How did that happen?  I feel like summer just ended and tomorrow is December 1st!  That is just crazy.

This morning the boys found Jack...he had toilet papered a plant and ended up getting wrapped up himself.  Austin was a little disturbed and kept saying, "that's not nice Mama."  Probably because I have been telling to leave the plants alone, because it's not nice to rip the leaves off.

Ella, Austin, and I went shopping at Kohl's, played with friends at a playground, had a picnic lunch, and finished up with some grocery shopping at BJ's.  They were pretty tired when we got home.  While I worked on finishing up our Christmas chain (which we'll start tomorrow) they rested for a bit.

Tasty Thursday

Today Hunter found Jack had draw funny faces on a framed picture of him and Austin with a wipe of marker.  He was hanging from the back of the frame with the marker was in his hand.  Hunter had a pig nose and glasses...Austin had devil horns...Jack really knows the boys.

Ella, Austin, and I went grocery shopping.  It's funny how we get a person on each aisle to stop and talk to us.  They draw so much attention.  Everyone thinks they are twins.  They love going for all the snacks along the way (fruit samples, deli meat, cookies)...they also go each time ready to get a free balloon, but due to the helium shortage the store has not had them for several months.

Once we got home we made delicious pumpkin muffins.  I made the mini ones and a few regular sized and added chocolate chips.  Here's the recipe...no sugar...there are three left.  

Pumpkin Spelt Muffins 

Yield: 12 muffins or lots of mini ones

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
2. Using a whisk or fork mix together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and drop in the eggs, honey, and melted butter. Mix together until well combined. Fold in the pumpkin puree. Do not overmix.
4. Pour the batter into the muffin pan so it’s evenly distributed. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes clean, about 18 – 20 minutes. Store at room temperature or freeze for a rainy day.

Ella and Austin had a great time helping me make them.  Then they watched a little Curious George on Netflix.  I looked over and they were sitting next to each other under the same blanket.  So cute!

Later this evening Austin was playing in Hunter's room and I noticed it was really quiet.  I called him and he came out of the room naked, covered in pen ink.  He had drawn all over himself.  

Never a dull moment and some day I'll have plenty of pictures to use against him!

ps...today I asked Hunter how school was...his response, "It was awesome!"  He has NEVER once said that.  I asked him why and he said...it was just so easy today and I got all my work done and it was all right.  He is always worried he is doing something wrong so he spends a lot of time erasing and fixing his "mistakes."

Excited for NEXT Wednesday

A week from today we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl.  I am 17 weeks today and feel great.  I really would not know I was pregnant if it wasn't for my stomach popping out and having an old lady bladder.  I cannot complain one bit.  Well, it would be nice to sleep for longer then two hours at a time, but whatever...

This morning we woke up to find Jake fishing goldfish out of our downstairs toilet. (you'll get to see it too once I get these pictures uploaded)  Hunter thought it was hysterical.

Austin woke up in a grouchy mood, but luckily we had another friend over today (Maggie) to play for a bit so he snapped out of it pretty quick.  (ironically, the elf fishing in the toilet didn't snap him out of his grouchy mood)

However, he had a few tantrums throughout the day.  If something doesn't go his way he screams and screams until he forgets about it.  

When it was time to get Hunter from school I asked him to put his pants on.  Which he did...but, then he decided he didn't want pants...just underwear with his batman t-shirt and rain boots.  And I said..."Fine."  Honestly...I could have cared less.  We were going through carpool and it saved me from hearing him scream about wearing pants. (evil things they are)  Plus...I didn't even put shoes on, I just drove in my slippers.  (I did at least take my wallet though...I guess getting a citation for not carrying my license worked)

Today he didn't want to wear his jacket when we went outside to play and I said he would be cold without it, but he took it off when we got outside.  He was mad I was wearing my jacket and spent about 15 minutes trying to get mine off.  So, we just went back inside and he screamed some more about other random things.

Sounds bad, but he had some happy moment today to...I'm sure of it.  I do remember him laughing...just can't remember why.  

ps...

Earlier in the day I was emailing a friend and had to sign off quickly...I stated something like, "Gotta run, Austin is eating my chapstick."  After reading my email she replied with a story she had heard...so here it is for you all to read.  Thanks for the laugh April.  If we had a cat, I could TOTALLY see Austin doing such a thing:

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently 
died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit 
on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all 
day long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years 
old, 3 years old and 1 year old.

The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept 
asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I 
showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could 
use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the 
drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and 
try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My 
two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to 
nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. 
Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a 
wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am 
looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the 
corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my 
chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right 
into my eyes and said 'chapped.' Now if you have a cat, you know that 
he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, 
Jack didn't seem to mind.

And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was 
the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us 
that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little 
creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been 
using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

Better Tuesday...

Today was much better then yesterday.  Hunter raced downstairs at 6:30 this morning to see where Jack, our elf, was...but, he had not moved far.  I had fallen asleep early last night because I had a horrible headache and woke up at 2:30am remembering that I had to move him.  

So he did a small hop from our bookshelf to a horse on the mantle.

Hunter came downstairs and said, "Where's Jack?  Oh there he is.  Well Jack, you didn't move very far."  Then he spent part of the morning talking to him and ran into the living room to say goodbye before he left.

Thanks to pinterest, I found a bunch of cute places for Jack to show up each morning.

Today I was able to finally get unpacked, finish the laundry, pick up the house, etc...

Austin was in a much better mood and had fun dressing up as batman.  He kept checking himself out in the mirror.

Moaning Monday

That's pretty much what Austin did ALL day...more like screaming instead of moaning.

I had my 16 week appointment which went well...the babies heart rate was 160 beats per minute and he/she was kicking back as the doctor was trying to find his/her heartbeat.  I have an appointment on Dec. 5th to find out the gender.  So we'll know soon!

A friend had Ella and Austin over while I helped in Hunter's classroom.  When I went to pick them up Austin was in a bad mood.  We got home around noon and he threw a fit because I took him out of the car.  He refused to eat his lunch...and cried for two hours before he passed out.

He woke up just as I was about to wake him to get Hunter from school.  He started crying and cried all the way to school and part of the way back.  (notice he doesn't have pants on...he refused to wear them)

I'm not sure if he is just not feeling well or just being extraordinarily bad.

Tonight I read the Elf on the Shelf book to the boys and he was trying to attack the elf, even after I said you are not supposed to touch him.  We told him the elf was going to tell Santa he was being naughty and he replied with, "I not naughty!"

Hunter named our elf Jack.

Home Sweet Home

We made it home at reasonable time today...we left Fredericksburg, VA around 9am after a huge breakfast, made one stop, and we were home a little after noon.

The boys were happy to be home and the dogs were super excited to see us.

We had a busy afternoon getting some things unpacked and put away, going for a run, ran a few errands, etc...

I totally forgot to eat lunch and realized around 4:30 that I never fed the boys their lunch either.  Woops!

Good thing our neighbors had us over for a nice chili dinner!

Here's the only picture I took today...Austin all bundled up with pants that were too small and his Sperrys.  :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Another beautiful day in upstate NY...just one of the many things we have to be thankful for...

The boys had fun playing at a playground near Nonna's house this morning before our HUGE Thanksgiving feast at Aunt Mary Rose's.  

After dinner while some dishes were being washed a pipe under the sink burst.  So, that caused quite a mess and a delay in dessert.

Austin was a little fussy because he was up pretty early and was tired.  

However, it's 9pm now and he's still up.

Papa John carving the turkey.

Hunter waiting to eat...

Keeping Austin busy with a game on the phone...

Hunter and his Great Aunt Mary Rose

Our Thanksgiving dinner crew minus Chris...

Our Thanksgiving dinner crew minus Steve...

Austin playing with potatoes...his head looks huge in this photo...

My plate...top to favorites...roasted red peppers and Italian dressing.

Pumpkin, apple, and cream pie...

Hunter had one of each and wanted more.

Watching a sponge bob movie...Jill loves this movie and watches it over and over.  Oh wait, that would be the boys...not Jill.

Some tug of war with Lily.

Last Thanksgiving as a family of four.