Carving out time

Every October I am exhausted by the time Halloween rolls around. I have spent so much time apple picking, pumpkin picking, picture taking, baking, preparing Halloween costumes and mentally preparing for the Holiday months ahead that I don't usually have any energy left for jack-o-lantern carving.

I always picture it as this great family night activity....but I think the truth is that Nick really doesn't like doing it. Because every time I suggest doing it, he's too busy or it just doesn't happen.

But Aiden and Sophie were VERY excited about carving their pumpkins this year and I didn't think we were going to be able to skip it this year.

One day last week Nick said to me in the morning before leaving for work "I really want you to carve pumpkins with the kids today." which I took to mean "I have no intention of doing it as a family activity so it is up to you and you better do it!" ;)

So after putting Clip down for his nap, Aiden, Sophie and I set to work at carving pumpkins. Even though they desperately wanted to carve their pumpkins, Aiden wasn't very keen on the idea of actually drawing faces on their pumpkin (Aiden was worried that he might ruin his pumpkin!) so I had them draw pictures on paper of what they wanted their pumkin to look like and I carved them exactly how they drew them. When I was finished, they were THRILLED with the results and were SO PROUD of THEIR pumpkins!


This is Aiden's and it fits his personality: simple, symmetrical and happy



This is Sophie's and I made sure to duplicate her one circle eye and one oval eye. And the tooth sticking up.
Totally looks like a Sophie drawing at this stage.

The spider one was mine (for Clip.) Living in the country has helped me get over my fear of spiders and actually appreciate them.
Now I dont INVITE them into my house, .....but when I find them in my basement, I no longer kill them because they really do catch and eat all of the unwanted bugs that are flying/crawling around in here.

Plus my kids aren't scared of them at all, and I hope it stays that way. I've always hated my fear of bugs.
Thanks to living in the country, my kids think that bugs are not only neighbors, but also housemates. Clip picks up the millipedes we find in our basement and throws them in the toilet as commonly as he would pick up a toy to play with. He even gets excited about the
"boppies" (buggies) and likes to show them to me and I pretend to be interested.

So anyway, we carved pumpkins this year (even though I forgot to light them on Halloween night which makes me so mad!)
And I have a funny video coming up of Aiden scraping out his pumpkin (if I can get it to upload) that shows that even though Aiden is growing out of his SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) issues quite well, it's still a struggle at times to overcome things that would be just normal or fun or silly for other kids.

Happy Halloween 2009

from: Belle, Ironman, & a Monster from "Where the Wild Things Are"

Clip gnashed his terrible teeth and roared his terrible Roars....ate as much candy as he could get his hands on.....
and is still up in his bed ROARING (playing) at 10pm from the sugar high! ;)

After about an hour of trick or treating, Belle decided that her bag was full and she didn't want any more candy and told several people that when they tried to put more candy in her bag.

Ironman's costume was home-made by Daddy and Mommy and Aiden was just as proud of it as we were! :) (This is the first year he has wanted to wear a costume....last year he pouted and fussed until he could get it off....more of those SPD things that he seems to be growing out of....Praise God!)

(Aunty & Happy, that is your singing Sleeping Beauty Birthday card in Sophie's hand that she is so proud of...she hardly wants to put it down...definitely one of her favorite birthday gifts!!!) ;)

I wish I had gotten a video of Clip in motion. He was absolutely the cutest little blue monster-thing I have ever seen. I think the most wonderful part of his whole costume is that his little tail wagged back and forth when he walked. I found it on clearance last season and I am hoping I can stretch him into it again next year! You should have seen the way he would run up to each door and peer in the screen doors with his little monster face peering in eagerly! Then he would yell "eh -eet" which I think was supposed to be "Trick or Treat" Then he would add "tah-too" as he walked away.

Family Birthday Dinner

I'm a week behind in blogging here. This is Sophie and Nick's combined Family Birthday dinner last Friday night.
I also had a couples Birthday dinner for Nick on Monday night with the Fixes and Colemans and Colemans, but didn't get any pictures of that fine meal. Too bad. Marinaded steaks, baked potatoes and an awesome salad thanks to Carrie C. and birthday beverages to boot! It was a fine meal!

Just like our family birthday dinner,....except I only made potroast, green beans, and homemade applesauce for this meal.
Oh and there was Sophie's requested chocolate circle cake with pink icing. I kissed her and told her a hundred times how thankful I was she was so easy to please this year....(with getting back into town from St. Louis, trying to host a little girls birthday party and two adult birthday dinners was just overwhelming to me.)

Nick's birthday treat was icecream and homemade caramel sauce (recipe courtesy of the Fixes)


Thank you O'Neills, Nan, Mom & Dad for coming up to celebrate with us!

Sophie's 4th Birthday

This was the first half of Sophie's 4th Birthday celebrations.
She got to open presents very quickly in the morning, during the 15 minutes we have between waking up and Aiden leaving for school. (Yes, we typically wake up 20 minutes before Aiden SHOULD be leaving for school. Suffice to say, he is usually not exactly, 100% on time.) But what it comes down to is this - I value sleep more than being on time for Kindergarten, and I can't really put them to bed much earlier than 7pm!

So anyway, she had a rushed mini-party in the morning which just involved opening the few dress up things we got her. (Yes, we actually bought her a birthday present!) -- (we didn't for Clip, since he doesn't know whats going on yet and doesn't really need anything.)


Then, after Aiden returned home from school (and while Clip was napping) one of Sophie's friends came over to play. We made bracelets out of sculpey beads that we crafted OURSELVES and then had cupcakes.
A very chill afternoon - and not quite worthy of being called a "party"..... (we did invite another little girl, but she didn't make it.)
But having a friend over and eating cupcakes and icecream at 2pm felt special to Sophie and so it was all it needed to be - a special day for Sophie!!! :)

Are you noting a theme here? Dress-ups are Sophie's latest passion. She received mostly dress up items - as pictured above and below.

I also took her out in the morning to spend her $5 of birthday money. She wanted a bubble-gum piggy bank SO BADLY and by jove, we found one.
For $4.
Which broke that same day.
But she purchased it with her own birthday money ON her birthday and ate 25 pieces of bubble gum in one day.
And in the Hathway home, THAT only happens on one's birthday!!! :)


Family came up for a birthday dinner, too. More on that in the next post.....

Weekend away

Two weekends ago, my wonderful, supportive, servant-hearted husband let me fly to St. Louis for a weekend (BY MYSELF!) (I actually was sad I couldn't bring one of my kids with me because they ALL would have LOVED to go...but since none of them fly for free anymore, we decided against it.)

Since we moved from St. L in the Spring of 2007, Anna and I have somehow been able to see each other in October of all three years!
It is a real treat to have the time to catch up with her and just be together, talking and sharing and learning about each other and the lives we live 1000 miles away.


But it is also a great chance to get to know her dear children better. (and see Ben, too)
I was there in St. L when Ella was born, but I had to travel back last October to meet Drew as a two month old newborn. This October, I got to see Ella growing up into a little lady, speaking very well, with tons of personality

...and I got to know Drew's charming little personality (at 14 months) as well!!!
What great kids! I'm so glad I got to spend a weekend getting to know them!

On Sunday, Anna dropped me off at Central Presbyterian Church (where Nick and I used to attend and where my aunt/uncle still attend) and I got to spend the day hearing Dr. Doriani and Dr. Jerram Barrs (such wonderful, rich teaching) and spend the day with my Aunt/Uncle at their house (known better in our household as Auntie and Happy)


Because I am a loser, I got no pictures of Auntie and Happy, but I had a wonderful day at their house visiting with them and even going to their c-group with them. Saw lots of old friends from Central, and kinda felt weird the whole weekend - like I was warped into another lifetime where I used to live - but now don't! :)

As to the adventures of Nick and the kids at home...well, they hardly stopped long enough to miss me. They were so busy going to football games, hosting game nights, sleepovers, pancake breakfasts, leadership meetings, dinners, etc....I think they blinked and I was home again!

Apple Picking 2009

Last Friday night, Nick and I found ourselves with a free evening, so we decided to make it a Family night at Larriland Farm

Apple picking

Apple - Eating

And most importantly Holiday card picture-taking!!!

We had a GRAND time eating our fill of apples

.......and chucking the leftover ones at Daddy!

Have you ever seen so much sparkle in a toddler's eye?!

He is just ELATED with this new-found purpose for apples!

The Out-takes

...which, as it turns out, happen to be my absolute favorites!

I mean...it just doesn't get any better than this, does it?! :)

If these were my children's names.....

Sophie would be TART
Clip would be STAY-MAN!!!! (As in, could you PLEASE stop moving for FIVE precious seconds?!?!?)

and Aiden would be ALL-PURPOSE.

How did my favorite apples' sign know how to describe my children so perfectly?!?!

sweetest faces

Apparently, if you want your children to smile at you with their best, most genuine and sweet smiles, all you have to do is peek at them from under a wooden sawhorse.

I guess I'll have to bring them back next year and try for their Christmas card that way.

A year goes by TOO QUICKLY!!!!

Pumpkins

Can you find MY two little orange-headed pumpkins?

After being tortured by Mom for yet another round of pictures, they finally got to carry their prize pumpkins back to the car

Although it doesn't look TOO torturous, does it?!

p.s. I just thought I would include here that my very dainty, clean, feminine rough & tough daughter Sophie found the muddiest pumpkin in the patch and decided that the best way to clean it off was to first scrape it with her hands so as to collect as much soil as possible under her fingernails....and then wipe the muddy pumpkin onto her blouse and dress to clean it more thoroughly.

I know...its my fault for dressing her in nice clothes in the first place. But it was worth it. I got our annual Fall family kids portrait.

certainly not a magazine cover pic...but....

They may be a bit straggly looking...but I sure was proud of this picture!
It may be as close to a good Christmas picture as I can get because they actually felt like cooperating.
Certainly not the coordinated outfits I was hoping for...but those planned, coordinated pictures never turn out the way I want.
This spur-of-the-moment shot has PERFECT smiles and perfect composition!!!
(....If only Sophie's hair was combed out of her face and they were wearing cute clothes.....oh...and if Clip HAD clothes on!) :)


Aiden had just completed a unit on colors in Kindergarten, so they got a break from wearing uniforms and were asked to wear outfits with as many colors as possible on RAINBOW DAY!

Sophie joined suit.

Caged

I love this baby to bits. But He. Is. Trouble.


Therefore I have now installed the cage-bed. (Babies R Us calls it the "extra wide swing gate," but we affectionately and admiringly refer to it as the cage.) We are very thankful for the cage!


For many weeks now, I have been fighting to keep a two year old in bed.
A very independent, adventurous, and playful two year old who does NOT like to stay in bed between the hours of 6:45am and 8:45pm. (For that matter, he does not even sit still between those hours.)
That is 14 hours, folks, and THAT is not how the Hathaways roll. (Or at least not if you want me to remain sane!)

I have won.
And I am happy.

....Until he figures out how to crash through it.
(I would not put it past him.)

Gotta love him, though!
That is just one big lump of sugar and sweetness right there!!!

Ah-mos

When Aiden was pottytraining, he had Bob the builder underwear and we often referred to them as his "Bobs." (As in "Ok, Aiden go find your bobs" or "Pull up your bobs and wash your hands."
I can remember Auntie and me getting a good laugh out of Aiden calling them his Bobs....still makes me chuckle.

Well Clip has Elmo underwear and I've noticed that we often call them his "Elmos" (which he pronounces Ah-mos) It's just easier than saying "Elmo Underwear" and you HAVE to include the Elmo part because that's basically the only reason he's excited to put them on!
He gets very excited about his "Elmos" and when he's putting them on, he will say "No et!" (No wet, meaning "No, I won't get them wet.") or "Keen, Aye" (Clip speak for 'I will keep them Clean & Dry').
We rehearse this every time he puts them on, and he assures me that he will always use the "poppy" (Potty) so he can keep his Ahmos Keen and Aye.

Another important Clip-speak I should mention is that he calls himself "Bop" because he can't say Clip.
Because we often call him Clipper, he calls himself "Bopper."
I absolutely LOVE It!


Wearing underwear is a big step for the Bopper as he has mostly worn his Birthday suit for the majority of the summer!
(Everytime I put underwear or a diaper on him, he tends to forget and use it, but if he is naked, he can usually go accident free, so I have been letting him run naked to train.)
Now that cooler weather is upon us, I'm trying to transition him to underwear and pants. We're making progress. Not there yet, but someday.
We've had several days this past week that were accident-free. But that doesn't mean much. Tomorrow I'll be at work and he'll probably go in his diaper all day.
(Yes, training has taken longer than expected, but it always does.)
I was spoiled with Aiden who trained at this age in 48 hours of juice and treats. He hasn't had an accident since.
Sophie took about 48 MONTHS to potty train and NO AMOUNT of treats would convince her to go in the potty unless she wanted to ;) (Yes, I know that 48 months is older than her current age; Yes, she still has accidents....because she doesn't want to stop playing for even 5 seconds to go use the potty, so she holds it until she bursts)

And Clip seems to be somewhere in between?! We'll see. :)

Farewell to Susanna

Susanna (Rachel's younger sister) is moving to London to study for a year, so we had a farewell dinner for her to tell her how much we will miss her.


Here we are: Brockmans (Rachel's folks), Fixes, Rabenhorsts(my folks) and Hathaways: 14 in all including Rachel's little one in utero....all gathering to hug Susanna and tell her to come home soon!


(waiting for dinner!)

What I will miss

I've already moaned and groaned about how I hate and dread the cold, lifeless season of Winter. But I now have some pictures to show exactly what I miss so much during the FIVE MONTHS OF WINTER!!! :)
My #1 reason to hate winter is the Cold!
#2 is the lack of color. Below are pictures of my (now overgrown) garden full of BRIGHT COLOR that I have been delighting in since May! I will be SO SAD when the frost comes (soon) and kills most of them off!
(By the way, that sign posted in the door is a "No No!" sign that Sophie wrote up to try to keep Clip outside and out of her stuff. I suppose she is hoping that I will lock him outside and that he will come up to the door and read "no-no" and walk away. I refrained from telling her that her plan will not work for several reasons: One being that it is not okay to make your baby brother live outside just so that he won't mess up your stuff, the second being that he cannot read, and the third being that even if he COULD read, he would not heed any such plea!) ;)


The garden actually looks worse now than it did because now everything is overgrown and crowded (I had NO IDEA how well that fertilizer I bought would work!!!)
There in the middle is one of my beloved Crape Myrtles


These flowering plants began as one tiny sprig with one or two flowers on it.
They only grew 900% bigger than their orginal size!!! (That is why they are hanging over the sidewalk...I never imagined they would grow that well!) Same goes for the pink/purple ones in the background!



These Mums I planted and enjoyed last Autumn and this spring they started poking up again and growing like weeds. So I had to resource my trusty gardening companion (the internet) to learn how to pinch them back until July/August so that they would grow full and short instead of lanky and thin. I'm glad I made the effort! It's so nice to have something growing right now that I didn't have to buy or plant!! (Especially when working is keeping me SO BUSY right now!)

And because there is truly nothing more boring than this Gardening post,

HERE is a picture of someone who is never even remotely boring:

(Even if I wish he would sometimes slow down a few speeds and at least TRY to be boring!) :)