A Morning At The Pumpkin Patch

I don't think there is anything cuter than little kids running through a huge pumpkin patch! This morning we met up with some of our good friends to enjoy some time at the local pumpkin patch! We had a great time walking through the field to pick our pumpkins (we bought 3 - one for each of us) --- we even got to cut them off of the vine. Cole wanted to pick up and carry every pumpkin we saw. It was so funny because he would grunt and laugh and then give up and move on to the next one. This year we also got to go on a hay ride which all of the kids loved! They loved seeing the tractor and Cole kept saying "yeah" as we were riding along. After picking our pumpkins, playing in the hay and riding around we enjoyed a nice picnic lunch and some rest. The kids spent most of our lunch time running around and playing. It is so sweet to watch them all together. I think there is a real connection with them already and it is so cool that we have all been friends since before Owen, the oldest, was born. The funniest part of the whole day was trying to get pictures of them together. We would get them all set and then one of them would run off or turn around...we finally gave up! I remember the days when we could prop them up anywhere and they would stay until we moved them...well, those days are long gone! We did have some fun taking pictures using the "cut outs" they had there. The kids did not understand that at all but they thought it was really funny to see their moms with piggy bodies! It was an absolutely wonderful way to spend our morning - I am already excited to go again next year!

Fun With Play-Doh and More

Cole has a couple of new favorite activities these days. The first is that he is in love with brushing his teeth! A week or so ago I bought him a stool to stand on and ever since that day he has loved it. I think we go in to the bathroom at least 5 times a day to brush his teeth. Now that he can stand on his stool and reach the sink he can brush his teeth himself which he is very, very proud of. He also loves to wash his hands but he needs a little help with that. Cole tries his best but his arms just aren't quite long enough to wash his hands alone just yet.

Cole has also developed a love for Play-Doh. We have had a lot of rain over the past few weeks and I have been searching for new, fun and cheap things to do. Play-Doh has been a HUGE hit. The other day we played with it for about 45 minutes which, in toddler time, is a lifetime! It is so cute watching Cole be creative even at this young age. He always wants me to make everything and then he plays with it. On this particular day we made lots of snakes ("nakes") and a cake and then he made the snakes eat the cake over and over. I was priceless watching him play and laugh over and over and over!

A Random Weekend Update

We had such a nice weekend...enjoying one of the last warm weekends until next year! Rhonald ended up rounding at the hospital in the mornings which gave Cole and I some time to relax at home. Once Cole woke up from his naps and Rhonald came home we had a lot of fun in the sun! Friday we went walking at Lake Fayetteville which was beautiful! Cole's favorite thing to do there was to chase the grasshoppers. He did that for about 30 minutes!!! While we were walking he kept telling us to "March!" - his new favorite past time. It was super fun. We ended the night with a big dinner at a Mexican restaurant which Cole loved as well. Saturday we hung out at Jim and Em's and watched the Razorback game. Well, the big boys did. The little boys and girls ended up outside enjoying the nice weather. Ben shared his sidewalk chalk with Cole and they played for a long time! Sunday we hung out at home in the backyard...kicking the ball, playing with Mason and playing in the dirt. We also let Cole enjoy his last Popsicle of the season. It was one of those weekends where we enjoyed each day by relaxing and spending time together...you can't ask for anything more than that!

Fun With Grammy and Pops

We had so much fun when my parents were here. They hate having their picture taken so there are very few pictures of them but we did make several good memories - just no pictures to share. Cole had fun helping my mom water every thing he could find outside. It has been raining for about 2 weeks (or so it seems) but they still watered and trimmed and enjoyed being together outside when they could. Pops was in charge of brushing Cole's teeth every night. Cole thought it was so funny and laughed the whole time...which made brushing much easier! Grammy knew how much Cole loves trains so she brought him his very own conductor hat that he wore the entire time they were here. He loves it! And he learned how to say "Pops" which melted my dad's heart.

Cole wasn't the only one who had fun with Grammy and Pops. My mom brought me her old bread maker and taught me how to make homemade bread. It is so yummy! She also taught me how to can homemade jam. That was a little trickier but not by much and it is also yummy! I started with strawberry and plan to move on to blueberry very soon!!! I never thought I would do either of these things but I really loved it. I am looking forward to next summer...I have a long list of things I would like my mom to teach me to can! I guess I may be a southern girl afterall! Actually Rhonald told me the other night that he finally considers me southern. When I asked him why he had a change of heart he said, "I heard you ask Cole twice during dinner if he would like more taters!" Hey - gotta love a southern girl!

Did That Really Just Happen?

This past weekend marked a HUGE first for us. We actually went away ... just the 2 of us! And we had a blast!!!! My parents came down to see us on Tuesday of last week and we had so much fun hanging out with them. On Friday I put Cole down for his nap and Rhonald and I jumped in the car and drove a few hours to Kansas City. I have been so nervous about this weekend for months but everything went well and we all had such a great time....and we were able to have some much needed time together. Not to say that we didn't miss our big boy - we did...like crazy but it was still fun and it was easier knowing he was well cared for and having fun too. We decided that we were going to do things that we would not be able to do with Cole and that is what we did. We slept in and then enjoyed an awesome breakfast in our room....we shopped and ate whenever we wanted to....we went to an art museum and went on a carriage ride...we listened to live music. And the best part...we enjoyed very long dinners at places that did not cater to kids!!!! I was proud of myself that I only checked on Cole in the morning and after I knew he was asleep ... but we did talk about him a lot! On the drive home we promised to do something again for our anniversary in March and I am already looking forward to it. I was so excited to see Cole and hug him and kiss him. We got home during his nap so we had to wait a few hours to see him. When he woke up Rhonald and I went in to his room to get him and he jumped up and down on the bed and said "mama, gaggy (that is what he calls Rhonald - not sure why), choo choo." Hey - at least our names were before "choo choo!"

"Bob Bob"

Cole watching Bob the Builder in his new pj's

My good friend, Marla, has a little boy a couple of years older than Cole. It is wonderful because she shares lots of fun things with us that Owen has outgrown. When we were at their house last week she brought out a bag of clothes and in it was a pair of Bob the Builder pj's. If you have been around Cole lately you will know that he loves Bob...or "Bob Bob" as he calls him. Cole was so excited that he put the pj's on right then and there (yes, at 11:00 am) and wore them all day and all night. He was so excited and kept saying "Bob Bob" all the way home. I think he was amazed that he could wear something with Bob on it. Oh, we are so thankful for the little things...especially our new Bob the Builder pj's!!!

Big Shoes To Fill

Cole loves doing anything and everything that Rhonald does. He runs to him as soon as Rhonald gets home from work and he hardly leaves his side until bedtime. One thing that he has started doing lately is wearing Rhonald's shoes around the house. He just laughs and laughs as he stomps around!