Fall Fun

I returned home last Friday night and was SO happy to see my boys... all of them!! I usually do okay on business trips but this one was hard on me. Nevertheless, it was good to be home and we had a busy weekend planned.

On Saturday morning we took the boys to the pumkin patch/fall festival. We've taken Joey every year and it's always a lot of fun. They have a ton of different activities... pony rides, train rides, face painting, cookie decorating & games (with prizes). Joey had fun playing the games but especially loved the pony ride. Sam enjoyed the pumpkin patch but we had to keep reminding him that they are not balls and should not be thrown. :)

Here's Sam getting ready to go...

Joey getting a bat painted on his face...

Joey picked out a ghost for Sam...

Our 2 cutie-pies!

They had a bunch of games set up so Joey wanted to play them all... he did really well with the basketball and thought the prizes were great (it doesn't take much to impress a 3 year old).

Sam in search of the perfect pumpkin... to pick up and throw.

Joey got to ride on "Buttercup"... he was SO excited!

We went to Grace's birthday party at Thunder Road on Saturday afternoon and Joey and Josh had fun on the go carts...

Sam had fun on the horse but was not happy when we ran out of quarters...

Mommy Guilt

Last weekend Joey came down with a nasty virus. On Saturday afternoon he said his throat hurt and he was really tired. By Saturday night, he had a temp of 105! On Sunday, all he wanted to do is lay on the couch... poor little guy. I took him to the walk-in because I thought for sure it was strep but his culture came back negative so it's probably just a virus that needs to run its course. Luckily he seems to be on the mend so we're hoping, by some miracle, Sam does not get whatever Joey had.

Now comes the part about the "mommy guilt"... I had a business trip scheduled for this week so when I told Joey I had to leave on an airplane to go to work on Monday, he got really sad and said "but if you're in California, I won't have a mommy to take care of me"... then "but mommy, I am going to be so sad when you are gone because I just love you so much"... can you see where the "mommy guilt" is coming from? How does a parent NOT feel guilty after hearing that? Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who is an even more amazing father... so while I still feel guilty about having to be away from my boys, I know they are in good hands with their daddy!

Is summer really gone?

Where did the summer go? I love fall but it never lasts long enough!

Joey is loving preschool. He is exhausted at the end of each day but still eager to tell us what he learned. Last week they learned to cut a straight line with scissors and about the letter F and number 0. They are also working on some basic Spanish words. He had his first homework assignment called "All About Me." He decorated a bag and we added a couple of family photos as well as a picture from when we were in Guatemala. We also included a small football to illustrate his favorite sport and some play grapes for his favorite food. Last but not least, we included a small stuffed puppy to represent his buddy Bruizer. He also drew a family portrait which included Daddy, Mommy, Joey and "Squish"...

Sam also had a big week at "school." He is transitioning to a new room with a new teacher. They have the 1 year olds in one room that is divided in half so they have the "younger 1's" and the "older 1's" so he is transitioning to the "older 1's". I think he really loves going to daycare. They do so much with the kids that I would never think to do... or maybe I should say... wouldn't have the patience to do with an 18 month old. He very rarely cries when we drop him off and while he's happy to see us at the end of the day... he still would prefer to play for"just a few more minutes". It's a great feeling to be able to drop our kids off and know they are in good hands!

Here is Sam with his Packer's jersey although I wouldn't call him a "true" fan yet since he decided playing outside would be more fun than sitting inside watching the first Packer's game of the season... go figure!

My Jojo!

Transporting the sand from the sandbox to the patio...

This kid has no fear... going down the slide feet first is for babies!

What?!

1st Day of Preschool!!

Today was Joey's 1st day of preschool and he was SO excited about it!! It's nice because the preschool and daycare are in one building, so he knows most, if not all, of the other kids in his class and is also familiar with his new teacher (who is wonderful, by the way). As soon as we got to school today, he pointed to his old room (the 3 year old room) and said "Mommy, I can't go back there because I am a big boy now"... that almost brought me to tears. :( I'm excited for this big milestone but also a little sad to see my little JoJo growing up so fast!

We let Joey pick out his backpack and after much deliberation, he decided on one with Spiderman, Ironman and some other Superhero on it. I think the backpack was one of the things he was most excited about. He had to put the backpack on his back before we got out of the car and then strutted into daycare like he owned the place. Then tonight, Sam was eyeing the backpack and Joey said "Baby Sam, this backpack is only for big boys and you are a baby"... I guess it was his way of saying... don't touch my new backpack!

Sam's Baptism

This weekend we went back to Minot to have Sam baptized at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. We decided to have the ceremony after church so after an hour long mass, Sam was not too thrilled with the idea of sitting for another 30 minutes (especially when the steps going up to the altar looked like so much fun). Deacon Steve performed the ceremony and did a great job. I imagine he probably has not baptized too many 17 month old babies but he was very patient and understanding. Baby E. (my nephew & godson) was also baptized at the same time. It was a very special day!

Joey congratulating Sam on his big day...

Sam wasn't too sure about this strange man putting oil on his chest...

He did great with the water...

Josh and I have known Deacon Steve for over 10 years. He & his wife did our marriage preparation class and his wife did the music for our wedding...

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Here are some other photos from the weekend. We took the kids to the zoo on Sunday but otherwise just hung out at grandma and grandpa's house. As always, the kids had a great time!

Joey the Lion

Sam's first ride on the carousel... he LOVED it!

The older grandkids piling on Grandpa's lap...