Fall Things

With the coming of Halloween bring all sorts of Fall festivals and fall-based fun. Fall is one of my favorite seasons, I'll admit. Unfortunately our weather here this season has been a bit bi-polar. Early this week I reluctantly turned on the heater after just having had the A/C on the week before and now we're back to running the A/C again. In spite of that, we're trying to get out and enjoy the seasons festivities.
Last night was the fall festival at Joshua's school.
The face painting was the highlight for sure!
Josh tried the cake walk but unfortunately didn't get to bring one home. It all worked out, though, since I just took a cake out of the oven anyway.
Then today we went to Hunt Club Farm. It was good fun for the four of us to get out and enjoy the warmer weather today.
This is Jeremiah up on a playset being a pirate.
For some reason it was next to impossible to get both boys with faces and eyes both pointed toward the camera, so yes, this is as good as it gets.
They had this huge stack of hay to play in. It was our favorite part I think. Good clean fun. Hard to break hay and hard to break yourself with it either. Every time you fall you're greeted with a nice soft pile of hay.
Josh was jumping and rolling down it. Jeremiah was a bit more hesitant. Finally got him to take the risk.
Not so easy to convince them to smile when they're sweaty and worn out from playing on a huge pile of hay either.
We were able to take a hay ride as well, which was pretty fun.
We even picked up a couple more pumpkins so we could all have our own.
With the weather (theoretically) gradually cooling off, all the leaves changing color and all this fun stuff to do how could anyone not love this season??

Joshua's Emotions

I figure it's probably alright for me to blog about this now since it will be completely off limits 10 or so years from now. Joshua is getting quite in touch with his emotions lately. Most importantly, he's come to realize that him feeling specific feelings can affect his parents. Maybe if Mommy sees that I'm really sad about a decision she's made she'll change her mind.
Tonight it came to a pretty hillarious pinnacle. I honestly don't even remember what it was that made him upset. Maybe I wouldn't play Candyland with him for the 4th day in a row. Not sure. What I do remember vividly was Joshua walking into the room looking pretty much like this:
I had watched a show or read an article at some point about kids and emotions and how girls seem to be much more naturally attuned to other people's emotions. They suggested talking with boys about it to try and give them a bit more of an advantage in this department. I found this little tool when we were at Disneyworld and every now and then the boys change it but usually it stays in it's place at "happy."
Joshua had gone into the kitchen and grabbed his tool hoping to more successfully communicate what he was feeling (as if the pink eyes and big lip weren't enough). It didn't exactly have the affect he was looking for. I cracked up laughing and grabbed the camera. Not my best mothering moment, I know. I think I made up for it later, though...
No, this wasn't a reward for his pouting earlier. I had to take this picture because a while later when I decided to give the boys a treat before bath and bed, Josh grabbed his magnet again to adjust it.

Oceana Air Show

This weekend was the Oceana Air Show here. Despite the unseasonal cold weather we had a good time. Riverine Squadron 1 was there with a couple boats (with big guns included). The boys had a good time seeing Daddy's work boats and I'm pretty sure Daddy had a good time showing them off.
Josh got the idea of the scope on his own. This worries me a little.
These are my guys and I love them so much. Can you blame me?
Josh driving...
Jeremiah shooting. Bad guys beware!!
Believe it or not, there was some other stuff there as well, though not nearly as interesting, in my opinion.
And thus begins the story of the lollipop. The gracious and giving USO had a booth there with lollipops. The boys were hungry and Phil was off getting coffee. Sounds like a good way to pacify them for the time being. It was a good idea to start with. They both really enjoyed them.
Jeremiah finished his first. Jeremiah milked his along till barely anything was left (in front of the Air Force Mustang).
Then somewhere around here he dropped it. He, of course, wanted to just wipe it off, but the idea of that just grossed me out. So we threw it away.
(This is Jeremiah saying "CHEEEEEEEEEESE!")
And thus ensue the pouting...
(with the Blue Angels in the background).
He did eventually start to get over it. Here the boys are in a very cool helicopter. Josh missed the magic of it, though.
We really did have a good time and brought a few free fun things home as well. Funny part of that is their favorite thing they brought home: a balloon. No helium. Not blown up or anything. Doesn't take much, I suppose.

What Did You Say??

Here's a new game: Guess what Jeremiah is saying.
Here are a few of my favorite mispronunciations of late. You get to guess what he's saying.
1. Pupcake
2. Cally Lan
3. Missy mousatool
4. Frubble
and for my personal favorite...
I wuv you...
There are so many more that I can only think of when he says them. Good luck on getting them right!

Apple Picking

It's that time of year again!
It took us about a month to finally find a place to pick apples that wouldn't require us to drive 3 hours away.
This was at Martin Vineyards at Knotts Island, NC. We picked mostly Granny Smith apples today but have plenty to make apple crisp and apple pie... and maybe even applesauce!
Each year we do this I realize just how much the boys have grown when I look back at the pictures. Here is the one from Last year. The year before that Jeremiah was barely even walking! How quickly things change.

Just Us Lately

We've had a bit of a rough time adjusting to the new school schedule. It's not school itself, it's the attitude adjustment it has brought about in both of the boys. I'm finally feeling like things are settling into place again! It is rough when it feels like you're starting from scratch again discipline wise. Definitely glad to be on this side of the adjustment period!
Now that the weather has calmed for Autumn, we're trying to get the boys outside more often. Time to bring out the bikes again... unfortunately Joshua's brain must have grown substantially since starting school... as his helmet no longer fits properly!
Jeremiah still prefers his scooter. I bit easier to control, I assume. I'm glad he has something to move around in even though it is pretty difficult keeping up with our newly quite speedy Joshua while still supervising Jeremiah on the scooter that never seems to go very far.
This is what I woke up to the other morning out our dinning room window. My morning glories (in the bottom of the shot) are always awake before I am. This is my favorite time of year!
Jeremiah is really starting to come into his own now that he gets alone time with Mommy everyday. He has his own Library storytime, preschool books and runs errands with me while Josh is at school. It's so nice to be able to have this time with him. Just a couple more years and he'll be starting the school adventure as well!

Wild Wheels

This weekend there was a car show nearby... so far be it for us to miss it! It was a combination of old classics and tuners, which made it pretty interesting. This is an old farm truck the boys both really liked.
Joshua read a bit of the sign and then decided to tell everyone else around about this "Amphicar" that can drive in the water. "See! It shows it in the picture right here!!"
Poor Jeremiah was stuck in the stroller, but Josh got to get in this one and even sport the owners sunglasses for the picture.
We've had some some beautiful weather lately, so hopefully we'll be able to get out a do a few more things and enjoy the autumn here.