Days at Home and My Big Helper

 Everyday I'm realizing more and more just how big my lil man is getting.  And with that I'm having to learn that he can do more.  I have started letting him put together his lunches and snacks.  Here he is washing the grapes...drying them and putting them on his and Sissy's plate.

 One thing I always try to make time for is sitting down and playing one on one with each kid.  Sissy was asleep at this time so Bubby and I put together the train tracks and pretended to be Thomas and Percy.

 Another change around our house is that we are trying to eat healthier.  Less poptarts and more whole foods.  Bubby helped me make some healthy cookies. 

 Smelling the vanilla.

 He would hold the measuring tool and I would fill it up.  Then he would pour it into our mixing bowl.

 Stirring it up.

 Smelling the cinnamon.  He seems to really like that smell.

 And stirring it up.

 Adding some rolled oats.

 He did a great job. 

 And stirring it up.

 Bubby went in search for a fork...

 So we could mash up the bananas.

 With a lil help he got it done.

 He had a lil trouble pouring the mashed bananas into the mixing bowl....

So we used some teamwork to get it done.

 Stirring it up.

 Adding some chopped nuts.  And after getting it all mixed together we had to wait 10 minutes to let it set.

 Bubby thought in the mean time we could play the duck game.  He's explaining it to me here.

 I then needed to make a phone call so he sat with his monkey in his rocking chair to watch a lil TV.

 Then he came back and cleaned up the counter top for me.

 But after that he decided he would rather build a bridge with his blocks than finish the cookies.

 I understood.  So I finished the cookies on my own.  Boy did they make the house smell good.

 I also made our afternoon snack.  It was strawberry cream sandwiches.  Don't be fooled by Bubby's face....

 He loved them.

 He ate his sandwich....

 At his lil table in the playroom while watching Paw Patrol. 

 When Sissy woke up we gave her one too.  She seemed to approve of the snack.

 Here is the finished cookies.  They definitely don't taste like a chocolate chip cookie.  They have more of a healthy taste to them....but we have gotten to where we really like them.

 Bubby did his lesson on ABC Mouse while Sissy finished her snack.

 That snack is a definite do-againer.  The face says it all.
Days at home are the absolute best because we get to do our own thing and enjoy the day at our own pace.  I absolutely love days like this.

Punkin Patch 2014

 A family favorite is always getting to go to the punkin patch each year.  Looking back over the years I couldn't believe how much the kids have grown.

This was last years picture of the kids at the punkin patch.  

Bubby looked so little....

And Sissy was just a wee baby.

Looking back to 2012 you see a 1 year old Bubby....

I still remember how much fun he had running through the corn maze.

And 2011 we had just a wee Bubby baby.  Just doesn't seem possible...especially with seeing how big my kids are now.

This year we went to Marlow's Punkin Patch and got to enjoy a lot of fun activities.

 Sissy has turned into a lil girl recently. 

 At first we walked around checking out the animals...

 Here is Sissy and her Nana walking toward the playground.

 Bubby found a tractor.

 A cute picture of the two of them enjoying the tractor.

 Peek-a-boo.

 Figuring out she can't stand up all the way inside the tractor.

 This girl loves anything she can climb on.

 Getting ready to take off on our hayride. 

 This boy was so excited.  He kept telling me, "You know I've never been on a hayride before."  The funny thing was this particular hayride...

 Actually had no hay.  It was made up of old school bus seats.

But was still pulled by a tractor.

 He had a blast.

 Sissy actually didn't enjoy it too much.  It was a very hot day and the drive was pretty slow so she got antsy quickly.  We tried to keep her occupied with food and water.  

 Pointing to how high the corn was.  He couldn't believe it was taller than him.

 Sissy and I enjoying the ride.... Actually I was just trying to keep her from running up and down the hayride.

 Along the ride we would see different things out in the trees like punkins, goblins, ghosts, and some Disney characters.

 She wasn't impressed.

 I then loaded the kids up in a lil wagon of our own to go find the perfect punkins.

 She wasn't wanting to sit...

 Or stay anywhere near the rest of us.  Lil stinker.

 Got some cute pictures of this guy picking out his punkin.  I still can't get over how big he looks.

 I'm pretty sure I had to bribe him with something to get him to sit and smile for me.

 You gotta do what you gotta do.

 He ended up choosing a small but perfect punkin.

 Nana looking for more punkins.  We like ones that are good to paint on.

 I had to stick Sissy back in the wagon to keep her with us.  She was enjoying the punkins too. 

 Although I think she would've rather been running around.

 Here's her "cheese" face.  Love it.  

 I was trying so hard to get this cutie to look at me and give me a natural smile but she was being ornery.

 Soooo close.

 Almost.

 This is sooo hard.

 She picked out a bigger but still perfect punkin.

 Sizing up the punkin selection.

 And then she took off.

 She thinks it is hilarious to run away from me.

I guess running in front of her laughing and snapping pictures probably doesn't teach her to not run from me.  But it's so cute.
Another day of great memories and I'm sure this is the first of many Fall adventures this year.  Only thing that would've made it better was if Mr. G could've been there.  The kids had fun but we definitely missed him.