yep, we went pumpkin picking.

Every October for the past 4 years, we've gone to a pumpkin patch to celebrate my our favorite season. We got married in October, we both love the season and all that goes with it, and since the first year that Shepherd was alive (ahem, he was 5 weeks old on our first anniversary), we have gone as a family to pick out pumpkins.

Trax Farms is quickly becoming one of my favorite places around our area of Pittsburgh. They have a farmer's market in the summer, pumpkin patch in the fall, and cut-your-own Christmas trees in the winter. AND they have an awesome country store. And I shouldn't get started talking about their iced cookies, or I might drive out there and buy some, and that would be bad, seeing as how we bought 2 packs last weekend and already finished them.

The only slight downfall was that we had to buy tickets for the kiddie attractions at the fall festival, and ended up eating some of that money, since 3 year olds are super unpredictable:

hated it

loved it

But the most exciting thing for Shepherd was the Corn Bin. Yep, a "sandbox" full of corn kernels. If that's not thrilling, I don't know what is.

"Seriously Mom, never leaving this corn."

And the mounds of pumpkins that kids were climbing like mountains were a huge hit. We chose not to do the hayride to the real pumpkin patch this year because our kids were a little scared of the tractor last year, so we just picked from the big pumpkin mountains. 

OMGPUMPKINS!

"I want this one"

Do you know two cuter kids? If so, don't tell me.

Overall, it was a successful October Saturday, and we were all worn out afterward. I didn't get any pictures of the crazy goats in the petting zoo who jumped up on us, and I'm probably better for it. 

Have you gotten your pumpkin yet? I want to see pictures!

built in best friends.

This really should have been a "Wordless Wednesday" post, as I don't have a ton of time right now, but I really wanted to update.

We are having a lot fun spending time in the cool fall weather, even though both kids have sinus infections and Shepherd has an ear infection. Thanks to the miracle of amoxicillin, they are both on the mend. We're heading to the local pumpkin patch tomorrow to get our pumpkins [and get some of their amazing cookies for Mama].

Pictures to come next week. ;)

have you tried...?

I know toddlers are picky. I know Moms think they have all the answers, and friends want to help and relate. But dammit if I haven't felt like the Mom in this Saturday Night Live commercial spoof lately (do yourself a favor and take a minute to click & watch):




It can be so very frustrating when people who, I'm sure, mean well try to relate end up making a parent of a child with feeding issues just feel worse. It is a terrible feeling when your child refuses to eat for reasons you can't control. Not because she is being stubborn or testing boundaries, but because this is the way God made her, and this is how she has been since food was introduced. Food is and always has been a struggle, and it is a difficult enough battle to get through in the privacy of our own home. It is magnified x10 when we are in public, around kids her age, who are eating what she "should" be eating, and then...the questions come. As if I am withholding the healthy options from her on purpose...?

Just a friendly reminder that life isn't a competition, and that I am her mom and she is under the care of a pediatrician, a pediatric gastroenterologist, 2 occupational therapists, and a dietitian. Not to mention her parents who are doing our damnedest to see that she gets past her sensory issues and succeeds, eats & touches all the textures a typical kid her age does, and we can all get past this together.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading this frustrated stream of consciousness.

the only fruit she's ever eaten

just you & me

Next year, I swear, no one is getting a flu shot. I'm writing it down now so everybody can hold me to it. Shepherd got the flumist two days before his birthday party--biggest mistake ever. He was so tired and grouchy. Zoey got the shot this past Thursday, and woke up on Saturday with a runny nose and so exhausted that she ended up taking a five hour nap.

You heard me--five hours. On Sunday, when we planned on getting our pumpkins, she asked for a nap at 11, and I got a text from B at 4 saying she was still asleep. 

Since we couldn't do pumpkins, Shepherd asked to go to the park after lunch, so he and I had some "just you & me" time. We went to Starbucks--he LOVES running in and grabbing an apple juice and two by two cookie--and to his favorite, the yellow park.

this swing kinda sucks...

so happy!

looking at the trees through the telescope

master climber

We had silly conversation about the lives of the people in the pictures on the walls at Starbucks ("What's that? What's that man doing with the coffeebeans? What's he doing harvesting beans? Why does she put the coffee in a basket?") And ran and slid and ran some more at the park.

Lots of unsolicited "I love you Mommy"s and hugs were given on Sunday, and I wish, only sometimes, that I could freeze time.

our top 5 saturday laughs

I started this blog in a lame attempt to try to keep track of the ways that my kids make me laugh--at them--or at myself.

When I found Melissa's new link-up at The Mommyhood Chronicles, i was pretty excited. it's a good way to keep me motivated to actually write things down. Now if I can only remember to DO it... damn that scatterbrain. ;)

5. Shepherd recently got a haircut. When I asked him he liked his hair cut, he looked in the mirror, grabbed his head and said, "MY HAIR ALL FALL OFF!!" Priceless.

4. Shepherd also informed me that at night, the sun goes to bed, and the moon wakes up, and we all go to bed, except Mommy & Daddy stay awake downstairs.

3. I'm trying to think of themes for Zoey's birthday party, and she is so not a girly-girl. She has been wearing Shepherd's hand-me-down jammies with basketballs, footballs, and baseballs on them, and just adores any type of sports ball. She also loves puppies & dinos. I'm thinking puppies might be more... "socially acceptable." ;)

2. Shepherd understands toy commercials now, to the point of pointing at them, saying, "Mommy! Like that! Want that _____!" It's the perfect timing--I hope he understands Santa. 

1. Poop. Zoey's new favorite phrase. "I poop."

ladies, are you bullying yourselves?

Earlier today, I wrote a pretty angry post, and I am so glad I didn't post it. I will probably go back and delete it later, but man--it felt good to get those feelings out.

I have been feeling pretty down on myself lately, and like most women, I am my own worst critic. The husband sent me out shopping after I brought Zoey home from her flu shot this evening, and even knowing I had money in my purse, I still couldn't find anything that struck my fancy. What is it about those mirrors & lighting that make my stomach stand out? It is the mirrors, right? RIGHT? (I did, however, find some jeans at White House Black Market. Those girls always put together the cutest stuff.)

Why, at a size 6, do I feel like the fat girl in the "group" (and that's putting it lightly). A size 6 is below average. I should feel pretty damn good after having 2 kids in 15 months. I keep asking myself: Am I huge? Is everyone else abnormally tiny? Are the sizes in my pants wrong?

That's why I'm asking all of you, right now, to make an effort with me to stop being so hard on ourselves. Ladies, let's stop the criticism. No more pointing out your flaws, even if you're trying reeeeeally hard to get a compliment from a friend. You know your thighs are non-existent, so why do you need to bully yourself to hear your friends say it? It is going to be a conscious effort on my part, and I assume many of us do this without even thinking about it.

"um... i have bad breath in the morning?"

Look in the mirror before you go to bed tonight (or when you wake up today). Smile. Big--not too big, that's scary. Repeat after me: "I am beautiful. How the hell else would I have these kids if someone didn't think I was hot? [ ;) Okay, maybe not everyone needs to repeat that] I am beautiful." Now let's hold those shoulders high and focus on the positive.

"Doggone it, people like you!"

just write. my first time.

now that i'm getting back into the swing of blogging, i am trying more link-ups. this one in particular, at the extraordinary ordinary was particularly appealing because there are no rules: just write. sounds good to me!

i have been struggling so much lately with balance--be a nice, loving mom, but have a strong presence of discipline. our kids already have more than we had when we were their age--hell, when we were teenagers--how do we keep them from becoming spoiled and entitled? saying "No" and following through is so difficult. it is so hard for me not to please anyone, especially my kids, and to make my 3 year old cry because i took away the iPad or put him in timeout for the fifth time in an hour is so hard on my heart.

it would be so much easier to let them have everything they wanted, say, "yes you can play with the iPad even though you hit your sister and screamed in public when i told you no--do whatever you want!" just to avoid a tantrum. the, "No," and the public screaming (that surely make me look terrible) are some of the hardest parts of parenting.

thank God we were at the pediatrician's office when all this went down, and the doctors and nurses assured me they were just witnessing typical 3 year old behavior, and were indeed very used to it.

nobody said raising well-balanced children was easy, and i'm pretty sure that's why i've thanked my parents (and apologized for my teenage years) on more than occasion.

they are so lovely

finally, some relaxation [sort of]

i'm joining an instagram linky party with a {little} dash of ash today. i have to be honest; i found this linky party through {av} @ long distance loving, and i take enough instagram pics as it is--so why not join up?!

our weekend started eventful and early on friday, with me having a seizure early in the morning. this leaves me pretty much down for the count the rest of the day and night, so B stayed home from work, i stayed in bed until i felt like having some ice cream that evening.

saturday was much more normal, and we forced our school spirit on our kids ;) for the purdue/notre dame game (shepherd not pictured) and also ate delicious german food. it was too cold to eat otherwise!

sunday is when everyone started getting sick, so my boys spent the day under the covers watching football, and that has run over into today. i'm sad to report that zoey woke up with a fever and throwing up, but she is recovering nicely. she'll unfortunately have to stay home from mom's day out (MDO) tomorrow... i need the time to get ready for our weekend away, but she needs to rest [and not infect other kids!], so she'll stay with me.

looking forward to linking up next week!