The One About Vala's Pumpkin Patch

We had another weekend away this weekend.  It seems like we have had a lot of those in the last few months.  Ernie, Gavin, and I went down to Lincoln Saturday, so Ernie and I could go to the Husker game.  Gavin stayed with Aunt Shayla and Mark, and went swimming and to Champions Fun Center.  He made a friend in the jungle gym, and had a fun time jumping into and hiding under the 2,000 balls in the ball pit. 

On Sunday, we all went to Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna.  There is something so wonderful about pumpkin patches:  the smells, the sight of pumpkins, apples, kettle corn, the cool weather.  I just love it.  We lucked out and had a gorgeous day.

Here are some pics from our day:

 First stop was the giant slingshot.  I think Ernie enjoyed this just as much as Gavin. 

Of course, the guys just had to take a shot with the giant cannon.  I can still smell the apple as it burst into a million pieces.

The corn maze was muddy, but we couldn't pass it up. 

Waiting for the pig races to start.  Gavin was chosen as a "pigleader" to cheer on the pigs.  He ran up to the front of the crowd, and then it suddenly hit him that he was in front of a lot of people.  He sprinted back to us with a scared look on his face.  So I got to go back up with him to be co-pigleaders. 

I only posted this picture because of the funny story that goes with it.  We gave Gavin some money so he could make a wish in the wishing well.  He made a quiet wish, and then asked for more money so he could make wishes for all of us.  I told him that he should wish for a new house for Mommy.  He thought about it for a little bit, and then turned to the wishing well.  He whispered, "I wish Mommy had a Big, Bad Wolf costume."  There goes my new house.  :) 

Feeding the goats

How tall is Gavin?

Mark and Gavin being goofy

Finally, this is what Asher looks like first thing in the morning.  Look at that hair!

The One About Nothing

It has just been too long of a week.  I am too tired to write anything.  Here are some pics from Grandpa and Grandma Whiting's house this afternoon, where the boys played with their cousin Thatcher. 

The 3 Whiting boys all together. 

Look at all of Grandma's help in the kitchen.  More like 1 helper and 2 troublemakers. 

The One About the Lazy Weekend

     I really just needed a lazy weekend.  Life has just been flying by since school started, and it is starting to catch up with me.  I have been going in early and staying late, just trying to make a dent in my ever-growing To Do list. I was so tired today that I even took a nap.  I am not a napper.  But today, I just couldn't function.  I am so glad Ernie was around a lot this weekend to help me out with the boys.
     I started the weekend running the Bread N Jam Festival 5k.  I really debated running or not, because I haven't run much since the half-marathon in May.  I haven't run the 5k distance since June.  I am a "bit" competetive, so I didn't want to even do it if I couldn't run the entire thing.  Suprisingly I did run it all, and at a really good pace.  I was proud of myself.  It felt so good!  I can't even really remember what else we did yesterday.  Went for a walk.  Cleaned the house.  I was tempted to stay up late and catch up on my backlog of TV shows on the DVR, but I was just too tired.
    Today, we mowed the lawn, went to the park for a long time, and just played outside.  Here are some pics from our day.  Thank goodness the boys are scheduled for haircuts tomorrow afternoon, because they are getting really shaggy.  You can't tell from the pictures, but Asher is just about ready to cross the line from shaggy into full-blown mullet. 

The huge yearly decision about what to be for Halloween.  We have already gone from mean dog to spider, and now to cowboy.  This is why I always wait until the last minute to buy his costume.  If we do stick with the cowboy costume, that will be really easy because we already have the hat and guns. 

"Puppy!" 

Ernie already has Gavin in training for baseball...not T-ball...baseball!  I love his facial expressions in these pictures.

And finally a close-up of my little man. 

The One About the State Fair

     We took Gavin to the state fair today.  I have never been to the state fair before.  In fact, I have only been to the Holt County Fair maybe a few times.  My family just wasn't a "fair" family.  We weren't involved in 4-H.  I don't care for farm animals.  I really didn't even know what "showing a cow" all involved until my cousin Matthew invited us over to watch him in Chambers this year.  Despite this, I will admit that I had fun today in Grand Island.  I didn't take my camera, so I will forewarn you that there are no pictures in this post. 
     The ride down was interesting.  Let's just say that Gavin attempted to stick an entire string cheese stick in his mouth and the result was not pretty.  20 minutes along the side of the road cleaning up, and we were finally back on route to Grand Island.  We got to Grand Island around noon, and decided to get something to eat at the fair rather than grabbing something before we got on the shuttle.  I told Ernie I wanted the full state fair experience.  Big mistake.  Not only did we spend way too much money, but I am still wanting to vomit thinking about the deep fat fried frenchee on my plate.  (Wow..2 paragraphs in and I have already made two references to throwing up...can you tell I have kids?)  I didn't even go near the funnel cake booths.  Just the site of those make me want to puke (3 times!). 
     The carnival taught me some things about myself and Gavin.  First, I have become a big chicken in my "old" age.  I didn't use to be afraid of heights or rides.  I remember climbing to the top of a silo at my friend Cindy's grandpa's farm.  I remember riding on rollercoasters at Worlds of Fun.  However, when Gavin wanted to go on the kiddie rollercoaster, I went into panic mode.  He wasn't yet tall enough to go alone, so someone had to go with him.  I wasn't going to make Ernie squeeze into those little cars and I didn't think it was appropriate to pay a random stranger to ride the rollercoaster with my child, so it was either break his heart and tell him "No" or suck it up and ride.  Being a mother means putting your children before yourself, so I climbed on into the car.  It was 5-minutes of torture.  I just don't trust rollercoasters.  Probably because it is very possible that the cars will come off the track and we will fall to our deaths.  Gavin loved it though.  When we would get close to the downhill portion, I would look over and see the huge smile on his face.  Luckily, he spotted the bumper cars on the way to the ferris wheel.  Bumper cars, I can handle.  The ferris wheel would have seriously given me a full-blown panic attack. 
     There were also many rides that Gavin was tall enough to ride alone.  That hurt me worse than the rollercoaster experience.  I guess I have been having a hard time lately, because I know that 4th birthday is just around the corner.  All Gavin's birthdays are hard on me, but this one just seems especially difficult to face.  4 years old means no more toddler.  4 years old is kid-age.  Gavin will be a kid.  I'm not ready, but I know there is nothing I can do to stop it.  I have told Gavin that he can't have anymore birthdays.  He has assured me that he will pretend to be 3 even after he turns 4.  :)  Just watching him today riding those carnival rides without a parent sitting beside him made me realize how fast he is changing and growing up.  He just jumped in the rides, pulled the bar toward him, and sat there waiting to go.  I stood by the side fighting back tears.  As I stood there, I thought about a quote I know...it's actually the quote that I put on the top of my blog when I started it. 

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.
~William D. Tammeus

     As Gavin rode the rides, he would smile and wave at Ernie and me every time he went by.  We always waved back.  Each and every time.  I looked around, and saw many parents doing the exact same thing.  It was just one of those moments in life when you stop running on auto-pilot and actually look around to really observe the world and what is happening around you.  Then you stop and say, "This is what life is all about." 
    Okay, now time for some complaining.  At the carnival, there was a dunk tank.  On the board was this annoying man with a microphone, yelling at people to come throw the balls to dunk him.  I know that he was trying to lure people to his game.  However, this man was downright abusive.  We were standing nearby and I heard him yell at this overweight kid in a football jersey.  "Hey, Number 52.  Is that your number or your waist size?"  Then the man yells. "Member of the chubby club, are we?"  I was just furious.  Then he starts to pick on this little Hispanic kid.  He yells, "Hey Paco.  Paco, Paco, Paco!!"  He also made fun of another boy's large ears, saying that he better be careful or he will fly away in the wind.  I was seriously this close to paying the ridiculously high price for the balls to just dunk this guy.  I mean, there is a big difference between joking with someone and just being plain mean. 
    I think we will make the state fair an annual trip, but I am really glad that it is only once a year because I don't think we can afford it.  We spent a lot of money in a short period of time.  I mean, come on...$6 for a lemonade.  One of the carnival workers told me that this one airplane ride makes $22,000/day.  CRAZY!  I think Ernie and I are going to quit our jobs and join the carnival.  Then I won't have to wash my hair for weeks on end, as I noticed many of the carnival workers had not.  :) 
   
  
  

The One About Saturday in the Park

Ernie and I took the boys to the Neligh park today.  Gavin has been begging to go there for a long time.  Here is our afternoon in pictures (I am having so much fun playing with my new camera). 

Of course, we had to break for a little snack. 

I have to share this last picture.  I just thought it was fun.

The One About the Child Development

     Asher attempted to eat his mashed potatoes with a spoon tonight.  I think he did pretty well for his first time. 

  
     In other news, the words "dump truck" came out of his mouth tonight.  He says a new word every day it seems.  Quite the change from Gavin's constant "NNNTTT" sound he made at this age.  He would point at everything and say, "NNNTTT!"  I didn't think he would ever talk.  Not that I compare my children in a competitive way, but I know Gavin had much higher receptive language and more understanding at this age than Asher does.  He could identify like 10 body parts, pictures in books, and things around the house.  He is more of an introspective/intellectual kid even now.  Asher, on the other hand, is way more verbal.  Expressive language is his area of strength.  He explores things more than Gavin did at this age.  He doesn't just observe, but interacts with his environment more, and the people in it.  He is just now getting to the point where he will sit and look at books with me.  Before now, he would just flip through the pages roughly and then shove it in his mouth. At 1-year old and even earlier, Gavin would sit and point at pictures in books forever. In their baby books, I write up developmental summaries every few months.  It is interesting now to go back and read what Gavin was doing at this age.  It is so funny how your kids can be so different from each other.  I once read an article that talked about this.  No two children can ever be raised in the same environment, except twins I suppose.  Gavin was an only child for 2 1/2 years, whereas Asher has always had that big brother around. Something is always different, no matter how constant your parenting style remains. I know I don't get as much quality time with Asher as I did with Gavin, and that really bothers me.  I guess as a parent that I can only do the best I can, and try to push that guilt down.  Guilt is such a constant feeling as a parent.  I don't think I would ever feel like I was doing enough or spending enough time with my children. 
    I'll end this post with some funny bathtub pics of Asher and a cute pic of Gavin playing Mr. Potato Head with Daddy. 

The One About My New Camera

I finally took the step and upgraded from my simple point and shoot camera to a SLR camera.  I went with the Nikon D5000, after talking to several of my friends who have SLR cameras.  I have been playing with it, and just have to share a couple of awesome pictures that I have taken with it.  I can't wait to use it more.