pumpkin patch 2009

Sunday, after both kids took BIG naps, I took the kids over to our favorite pumpkin patch while Nathan mowed the grass.  The guys that work there are super nice, and for $12.50, I came home with two smaller carving pumpkins, three tiny pumpkins, and a bag of apples.  I also came home with a blooper reel of photos.  Seth's posed smile right now makes him look like he's in pain, and Amelia just isn't fond of cameras.  Enjoy!

LR Homecoming 2009

Update to family history and new picture added!

In years past, I have probably used "LRC Homecoming 200-" for my titles; however, Lenoir-Rhyne is now a university, and I just can't quite get myself to say "LRU".  As I've mentioned before, we have a lot of alum on Nathan's side of the family.  Here is your official geneology lesson.  Nathan's PawPaw, Dorus Huss, went to LR (and so did his brother and sister).  Both Nathan's mom, Sarah, and her sister, Margaret, went to LR at the same time as one of their first cousins and met their husbands there.  Margaret and Tony's sons did not go to LR, but one of their wives (Suzanne) did.  Their daughter, Mary Margaret, did (her husband did not).  Now to the Mayses.  Marie, Nathan, and Elise all went to LR.  So did Eric and I.  And Elise met Chad during a semester in DC, so if it weren't for LR, they wouldn't have met.  The Jacksons have four grandchildren and the Mayses have six, so we may currently have one of the most bountiful family trees in recent LR history.  So Homecoming is really just a family reunion...bonus that we get to see old college friends as well!  And have I ever mentioned that the kids like playing with their cousins?

Will getting in some snuggle time with Brian:

We don't usually actually go to the game, but if we did, this trip to the bear would have been right before halftime.   The five oldest grandkids channeled their inner monkeys all day...if they weren't climbing the bear, they were trying to climb one of the trees nearest our tailgate.  But they were very good, considering naptime just didn't happen!

Earlier in the day, Amelia was afraid of the bear, but she was a tough cookie when she was playing with the big boys!

I'm fairly certain there are better pictures floating around on other cameras, I'll post/link others later if I find any!

Amelia, me, Tiff, and the chillest little guy you'll ever meet as we were closing up shop:

Dixie Classic Fair 2009

Nothing says early October like the Dixie Classic Fair coming into town.  Our weekends have been busy, so Nathan took Friday afternoon off and we headed to the fair after nap rest time.  (Amelia slept all of 20 minutes and then sang for the next hour.)  The kids were good, the weather was great, and the crowds weren't too bad at all.  We had a great time!

Last year's favorite ride was also this year's favorite ride (although the ferris wheel probably was a close second):

We went on not one, but two different carousels over the course of the afternoon.  Besides the little train, there's not much else Amelia can actually ride yet. 

The biggest hit was probably the petting zoo.  Amelia said to hello to every animal in the barn, and wanted to feed them herself (are you surprised?).  Seth also fed the animals, but he's an old pro at the fair now.

We got home just in time for baths and everyone went to bed early, we had another busy day ahead of us!

Take Flight Triathlon 2009

Nathan completed his second triathlon yesterday.  This one was in support of Garrett's Wings, and was located in Huntersville, NC.  He did great!  He started ninth, and passed four guys and tied with a fifth right at the end of the swim.  Each swimmer starts ten seconds after the person ahead of him/her, so obviously those guys weren't as fast as they said they were!

Next up, the bike ride...

...and then the run:

The race advertised bounce houses and pony rides for the kids, but they weren't there.  We had to entertain ourselves.  At least the music was pretty good:

Finish line!  (His actually time was 1:07:20)

And this is the race shirt:

Triathlon season is now over, and now it's running time.  We are running a 5k in two weeks. 

another home repair

Alternate title:  Yes, Grace.

Evidently I loved all the home improvements projects we did earlier this year so much that I decided to create just one more:

So last night I went into the attic to bring down the Halloween decorations.  I misstepped off the plywood and my foot slipped between it and the stud four inches away.  So now we have a 12-inch hole in our upstairs hallway.  Nathan has covered it with cardboard until the repairman can come fix it.  I am okay, but it looks like I'm going to have two baseball-sized bruises (darn platelets!).  Amelia was traumatized at first, and then spent the rest of the evening asking me if I was okay.  Seth kept asking me why I broke our house, and was more than willing to tattle on me to my parents this morning.  I have never seen so many emotions run across Nathan's face that fast, but I must admit, he was way nicer than I probably would have been if the roles had been reversed...I tend to freak out about unexpected expenses. 

"D" is for...

...not as many nouns as you'd think, we went generic this week for show-and-tell with "dinosaur".  And Seth wore his new drum shirt:

D is also for..."do you see a clue?"  The local children's theater presented "Blues Clues Live" last night.  Both kids really enjoyed it.  And we both enjoyed watching the kids have fun.  It was interactive, so luckily we didn't have to try to keep them quiet.  Each child in the audience got their own notebook to put their clues in:

D is also for..."didn't know there would be fun stuff going on at the Y this morning when I went to run".  The were having a family fun day.  The kids played in several different bounce houses...

...we ate snowcones, and I let the kids go on their very first pony rides (pardon my appearance, it was post-work-out.  

another baby in the house

...for twenty-four hours, anyways.  Elise spent Tuesday night with us, and of course Brian came with her.  Look at what a happy three-month-old he is!  And he's been sleeping through the night for weeks, I'm so jealous!  (He looks like he's on Team Sara, right?  Unfortunately, he gave his Uncle Nathan the same gummy grins...)

The kids LOVED having company.  Amelia played little momma the whole time.  She was queen of the burb cloth and pacifier, even when unnecessary.  Brian was very tolerant of all the attention.  We're so excited that we'll be able to see them again in less than two weeks for Homecoming! 

"C" is just so last week...

Wow!  Seth already has four weeks of school under his belt!  He loves it.  When I pick him up, I don't think he takes a breath on the ride home; he's trying to tell me everything he did that day.  Monday he went to lunch bunch, and that was a big hit.  He also went to soccer practice and did not cry.  Friday Seth took in his cape for show-and-tell.  No scrap paper is safe around here...Seth uses anything he can find to draw pictures and practice his letters.  We are still lovin' the Y, and have discovered they have a monthly Parents' Night Out program.  We took advantage of it last Saturday and went out for pasta pre-race.  Nice!  Work is busy, but I like it that way.  Nathan took his first spill on his bike Friday morning, but thank goodness, he's okay (and back on the bike today!).  We're enjoying a quiet weekend at home, because October is a very busy month around here!

Oh-and Amelia has decided she wants to potty train.  Really?  My kids are 32 months apart, and I'm doing this again 10 months later?  Agh!

patriotic preschooler

Seth's class says the Pledge of Allegiance every morning.  Considering he still hasn't mastered the Moravian Table Blessing he learned last year (although he loves this year's version that ends with "ENJOY YOUR SNACK!"), I was very impressed with his version of the pledge. 

Nathan's first triathlon

As you know, we all got bicycles for our birthdays this year.  In July, Nathan got in touch with a high school friend who had started doing sprint triathlons.  Towards the end of the month, I found a pamphlet for one being held in our local park and brought it home for Nathan to see.  He registered before we went to Vegas, and started training as soon as he got home.  He has been dedicated, never taking an unscheduled day off.  He has given me palpitations, as this is not a cheap sport as you get started (but hey, now he's got everything he needs for next year!).  He has greatly improved his nutrition.  He has lost 10 lbs.  And he has never let it interrupt family life...he works out in the morning, before any of the rest of us are up!

So Sunday was the big day.  Nathan had to be at the park by 6:45, so he rode his bike over, while I loaded up the car with a morning's worth of snacks, toys, and clothes for whatever weather we would encounter.  We got to the park in time to hang out with Nathan before the race (He was #4 out of 560, because his swim time is so fast!).  We were able to cheer him on at every transition and the finish line.  The bike was the longest portion; we made a 30 minute trip to the playground to pass the time.  We played by the train for the 5k run.  I gave Seth the camera for the finish line.  I know he took pictures, but I have no idea where they went.  Next time I won't hand off the camera (and by next time, I mean 12 days from now when he does it again in Huntersville!).  Here are pictures:

Nathan's first race shirt since college:

His transition area:

Waiting for the race to start:

Getting ready for the 20k bike ride:

All done!

she's a lady

The little girl in Amelia has started to come out.  She is all about shoes and hairbows.  She loves her baby dolls.  This afternoon, she played with her CPK.  She rocked it in the cradle, blamed a stinky diaper on it, put shoes on it, changed the blankets in the cradle, comforted it, cleaned the "tatoes" out of its ears, gave it a check-up, as well as lots of love and affection.  Speaking of which, one of her favorite things to do right now is smother her dad with hugs and kisses.  The more he pretends to complain, the longer she wants to do it.  Even Seth is getting more love from his sister these days!

Saturday there was a children's consignment sale very close to our house.  Nathan said, "Take Amelia, she'll like it."  I'm pretty sure I would have come home empty-handed if I had been alone.  Amelia, however, found some great deals.  First she spotted Elmo slippers.  In her size.  (Seth has Cookie Monster.)  Then she spotted the boots...also in her size (Seth has some hand-me-downs that she tries to wear.)  Then she saw the gymboree shoes for $4, and who can walk away from that?  And finally, the ladybug pjs that happen to be in our favorite style.  Here she is showing off her selections:

too young for makeup

Ah, little monkey-see, monkey-do.  Monkey got mommy's mascara off the vanity this morning while mommy was tying big brother's shoes.  OMG.  Luckily it washed off easily with a wet paper towel, and I didn't have to drop off Seth at preschool with his sister looking like this:

If she needs a little pick me up, maybe I should paint her toenails for the first time...or maybe not.  That whole sitting still for the drying time is probably not an option...

how about them apples?

Last spring I figured out a way to immortalize Seth's school art, but I thought I'd share the first projects of the year:

We have had a really good week, despite all the rain.  Seth has enjoyed "B" week at school, and is bringing his binoculars in for show-and-tell today.  I have run at the Y three mornings this week, and Amelia LOVES going there.  I think maybe she thinks it's her school.  They're playing really well together, even if they're wild and crazy sometimes.  This started as an innocent snuggle in our bed:

I was able to work all my scheduled hours this week.  Nathan tapered his workouts.  All those with blond hair got a haircut.  And we're all looking forward to our busy weekend, rain or shine!

Back from Atlanta

I have been looking forward to this past weekend for a long time, and it went by fast, but was worth every minute on the road!  Saturday was Stephanie's baby shower.  When you've known someone as long as I have her, since March of 1983, it's so special to be able to spend yet another milestone with each other (and may I also mention we have not lived in the same state since 1988 and have never gone longer than 18 months without seeing each other?).

My parents picked me and the kids up Friday afternoon, and we check into the hotel around 8.  After a bath and a quick visit from Uncle Bryan, the kids were ready to go to bed, and we all got a great night's sleep.  Saturday morning Stephanie met us at the hotel.  The kids showed off their swimming skills, and then we took a quick lap around the closest mall.

Stephanie's mom and a local friend hosted the shower, so all I had to do was show up.  It was a quasi-secret, but when people starting all making plans to come into town the same weekend, Stephanie started to know something was up.  She did not, however, know her sister-in-law and niece had flown in from Richmond the night before, so that was a big surprise.  The guest list was perfect, considering Stephanie had no say in it.  The shower was at a tea house, and I left Amelia at the hotel with Pops so I didn't have to worry about anyone spilling/breaking anything.  (And she slept almost the entire time, so Pops got to spend the afternoon watching movies with Seth.)  Thanks, Dad!

The guest of honor:

I love seeing her with a belly!  Note to self, though:  my kids would be very bad to my self esteem if we ever had another (and if you've been around Amelia lately, you know the likelihood of that happening gets slimmer by the day).  Seth kept saying "She's really big" and "She has a big belly"  (Stephanie has a good 3-4 inches in height on me...), and Amelia kept lifting up her shirt to look at her belly button.  Sorry, Steph!

A little birdie told me that Stephanie had liked my diaper bag last year.  So I ordered her one, in pink and brown, and stuffed it with all the necessities, so when she gets home from the hospital, she will just need to add her wallet, keys, and cell phone and she'll be ready to go!  I didn't know Stephanie was on a pink and brown kick with the baby stuff, so bonus points for me!

That evening, Barb (my other mom when I was growing up), had everyone over to her condo for pizza.  The kids loved her pool, and Uncle Bryan was the in-water lifeguard so I didn't have to get soaked.  Amelia was probably too overstimulated, and I had a heck of a time getting her to stay asleep, but hey, it's a Mayse kid on vacation.  Did I really expect them to both sleep both nights?

Sunday morning we loaded up and went over to Bryan's.  Seth had never seen it before, and now he knows his Uncle Bryan's house too.  The ride back home was uneventful, thank goodness for portable DVD players.  I even finished some continuing ed!  Our weekends this fall stay busy, stay tuned to hear about our next adventure!

Any Guesses?

Besides having a penchant for sitting in the middle of the kitchen table, Amelia hasn't been quite as reckless lately.  Until yesterday.  She and Seth were playing in her room, and I found him in her crib.  I found her...on top of the changing table holding a tube of A&D cream.  I put her down, she did it again.  I grabbed her and the camera, and got it on film:



I then showed her how I was putting the cream in the bathroom closet, so the temptation was gone.  She didn't climb it again.  Now my question is, any guesses how long it is until she climbs out of the crib?  Seth never climbed the changing table.  He used it as a bookshelf until we moved it to Amelia's room!  She's wild!

"A" week at preschool

This week Seth's class has been studying the letter A.  One day they had animal crackers and applesauce for snack.  Tomorrow they have their first show-and-tell, and it has to be something that starts with the letter A.  (Seth has picked an alien from Monsters vs Aliens.)  And they have learned a new song.  Seth sings it for hours on end:

First soccer practice

Seth's first soccer practice was Tuesday (it had been rained out the week before).  He has been so excited, he's been practicing in the basement and in the backyard, but when he got to practice, he was a little intimidated.  As you can see, there is a BIG size difference between a young four and an old five. 

He did a very good job following directions during individual drills...

...but he would get very frustrated when the big boys were faster/better, especially during the scrimmage.  Overdone tears and screams of "I'M TOO TIRED" (classic overwhelmed Seth) followed. 

We told him he could sit out whenever he wanted to, but the tears needed to be saved for injuries.  He spent the last part of practice watching the scrimmage with his dad.

By the next morning he was convinced he had enough "power" to practice again, and we're on a countdown to next week.  We'll have to see how it goes.  We just want him to have fun and get some exercise, we don't want him to hate it!

little white house

We found a cardboard playhouse at Costco for the kids the other day.  Their imaginations are running wild, decorating with crayons and stickers:

and playing peekaboo through the many windows:

Watching them decorate, I had a flashback to Swift, MN in the 80's...

This was the playhouse behind my grandparents' house.  We had a lot of fun in that old house.  I think this picture is from the summer we painted it.  I know you are sooooo disappointed that I don't have a picture of us in action, because we were rockin' some horrible outfits (and hairdos!) that year!

Will is 2!

Yesterday we headed to Newton to celebrate Will's second birthday.  He was in such a good mood, he knew it was his day.  Here are a few pictures from the Backyardigans-themed party:

the bad thing about good sitters...

...is that they inevitably have to move on.  We have had several sitters "outgrow" us over the years.  We are always sad to see them go, but we want them to succeed in life as well.  One took a management position at her "real job" about the time Amelia was born.  Another moved away for college last year (hey, Kim!), and we love to see her when she's home on break.  We love our current sitter, and I dread the day she has to start student teaching.  Miss Liz, one of other old sitters, invited us over today to see her first home.  The kids had a great time seeing her again and playing with her new yellow lab puppy.  What a nice way to start the holiday weekend!

can we make it six months?

Today Amelia had her 18 month check-up.  The doctor was a little mad that her nurse did Amelia's measurements "the big kid way", so they weren't 100% accurate, but Amelia weighed in at 22.2 lbs and was 31.5 inches tall (not long).  She gave her an A++ for her vocabulary and cognition.  Amelia was very chatty this morning and willing to show off.  She got her last two baby shots and then we were out the door, with no repeat appointment needed until she's two.  But with Seth going to school five days a week, plus church, playdates, and the YMCA nursery, are we really going to make it six months without a visit?  I hope so!

First day of pre-K

After a disappointing Monday (my gym closed permanently without any warning and Seth's first soccer practice was rained out), our Tuesday has been fantastic.  Today is Seth's first day of pre-K, and he was more than ready to go this morning.  (Look at last year's post if you'd like to see how much he has grown.)

Away he went, without a backwards glance.  We went to Cracker Barrel with my gym buddies (thanks a lot Peak, we should have been in step class...), ran a couple quick errands, and then had to pick Seth up (they only go for two hours this week).  Amelia missed him all morning; I guess she doesn't remember him being in school last year.  Seth had a lot of fun and is already ready to go back tomorrow!