Posts Tagged ‘Fall’

Back in the Groove

Wednesday, September 6th, 2017

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack and Tate have been in school for a month now. They are familiar with their teachers, feeling comfortable with their peers, and are studying hard for their exams. We have established our routine for the school year.

Jack is coping well with increases in homework and assessments this year. I’m doing my best not to hover over Jack’s homework responsibilities. He has plenty of experience doing schoolwork at this point. He knows where to check for his homework assignments and what do. Some days it’s hard for me, but I know he needs to learn those skills for the future.

Tate is adapting well to daily homework. This is his first year he has specific assignments, worksheets, website review, and of course, reading. I’m hoping his positive attitude continues throughout the school year. After school, sometimes he is exhausted and it affects his willingness to get his work done. However, he has more organizational skills this year. That alone makes me a happy mom.

We still have a whole school year ahead of us, but currently I think the boys are doing a great job, even while fighting the colds they keep passing back and forth. I’m looking forward to cooler days where we can get outside after school and play… after all the homework is complete, of course.

Alpaca!!!!!

Friday, October 21st, 2016

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Charlotte met an alpaca during our annual pumpkin patch trip.  I don’t know which thing she actually liked more– the actual animal or getting to say the word itself (over and over and over).  That was almost two weeks ago.

Despite that fact, she has remained one-hundred percent infatuated with the furry quadrupeds.  We found a YouTube video of them, and each morning and evening she insists on watching her alpacas.  We have also broken out the Llama Llama board book series, in hopes of assuaging her obsessive desires.

It is fun to watch her newfound obsession.  For our sanity, I hope it fades, but for now, we are all happy to indulge.

Hello, Fall!

Wednesday, October 12th, 2016

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Our family made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend. We are new to the area, so we had to find a new farm location. Several friends recommended a place that was an hour away. 
It was a little further than we wanted to drive, but we are glad we trusted the advice of our friends. 
 
Jack and Tate said it was the “best pumpkin patch ever.” It is nice that they’re old enough to participate in everything the patch offers. The corn maze was one of their favorites. They did a good job navigating through the paths and assuring me it was the right direction. Sure enough, they managed to find the exit. They also enjoyed the hayride, buggy ride, petting zoo, jumpy pillow, and apple cannon shooting. I loved watching them run around excitedly.
 
I’m looking forward to the rest of October. Our neighborhood hosts lots of social activities we’ve heard are a great time not only for the kids, but also the adults.  The chill in the air is finally crisp and allowing me to sort out comfortable sweatshirts in our fall wardrobe. Although I love summer time, I’m ready for fall and the all the fun it brings.
 

Everybody’s Doing It. . .

Friday, October 10th, 2014

From Friday Mom – Erin:
This past weekend, we took Rory to the pumpkin patch. We got there within the first hour the farm was open and had a fairly quiet hayride out to the patch, where he gleefully picked out his own Rory-sized pumpkin straight from the vine. I may have even captured a few good snapshots to capture the moment (though this week has been too crazy to allow me to download them to check).

Little did we realize that in the 20 minutes we spent out in the pumpkin patch, enjoying nature and the chill in the air of that perfect fall morning, the parking lots had filled to the brim and the market area would be swarming with people by the time we returned from the fields.  They came all decked out with Louis Vuitton purses and Gucci sunglasses and with multiple kids in tow wearing perfectly-matched halloween outfits.  There were families literally everywhere.  Sure, I had made certain my family looked presentable to take some pictures, but the culture shock was astounding.  Not to mention, it took us a solid 15 minutes to find a wheelbarrow to hold our pumpkins when we returned.  And even then, I had to follow some poor young dad out to his car to even find one that was available.

Part of the problem in living in such a heavily populated metropolitan area is that all of the “country” locations within a reasonable driving distance of downtown are bombarded come fall with families who decide– it’s fall, that means we must go pick apples/pumpkins and pet farm animals.  Sure, we are guilty of having the same idea, but as one who embarked on such adventures every year growing up, with far smaller crowds, I couldn’t help but wish that we’d taken Rory a little bit further off the beaten path to the types of orchards and nurseries that his dad and I frequented when we were growing up. I don’t know that my parents ever had to stalk fellow shoppers for a cart for our pumpkins. If they did, I apologize profusely for putting them through that gauntlet. And I am positive I wasn’t shoved by other children while trying to look at goats in the petting zoo.  Poor Rory looked at the little girl who brushed him aside in disbelief, as if to say, “excuse me, is there a reason you cannot wait your turn?”

Most of the time, living in an urban area means that we can expose Rory to lots of great cultural things, like museums, shows, and other enriching activities.  I know that he will continue to benefit from the rich offerings this area has to offer.  But on cool Sunday mornings like this past weekend, I have to admit I long for fewer people, shorter lines, and a much more down-home feel to something as all-american as pumpkin picking.  Maybe next time we’ll take him up to his grandparents’ house to experience the real thing. . .

Welcoming Fall

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
We live in the Deep South and we are ready for fall. It has been at least 90 degrees for as long as we can remember. It is hot, humid, and unpleasant. It is so hot that my kids can barely stand to play outside. I know when March comes along I’ll be happy to feel the warm sunshine again, but until then I’m ready for jeans and pullovers.

The start of fall has finally brought some cooler, dryer air here in Mississippi. We are taking advantage by playing outside all afternoon and evening. The sand box is getting some use, as well as the boys’ bikes, play set, and every ball we own.

I’m looking forward to fall activities. But our family schedule is getting busier, too. Soccer is in full swing as well as school projects and meetings. My husband is coaching Jack’s soccer team this year, which is a big time commitment for our schedule. I drive my two boys to soccer in a mini-van; I’m officially a “soccer mom.”

If we have time, I still want to go to our favorite pumpkin patch and hike the nearby trails. The boys want to go camping this year, too. I don’t know if we we’ll have time for everything, but I am happy that fall is here and we can enjoy the outdoors again.

 

 

Full Speed

Friday, September 19th, 2014

From Friday Mom – Erin:
The end of summer has brought the return of my more chaotic work schedule. Vacations have ended and my phone is ringing non-stop. That is a very good thing from an overall perspective for my law firm and the legal industry, generally. It is a bad thing, however, for achieving balance on the home front. Throw in a growing belly and the fatigue that comes with pregnancy, and things can be downright disheartening.

I’ve been fairly fortunate in that, since returning to work when Rory was just shy of five months old, my workload has not required me to put in quite the same ridiculous hours I was working prior to his birth. It meant that I got to see him nearly every evening and even got to spend most of my weekends at home (rather than the office). The only problem with that good fortune is that I got used to that flexibility and freedom.

Now, as my phone keeps ringing and the workload keeps piling up, I am consistently turning back to work for two to three hours a night after Rory goes to bed. Some days I am able to muster my focus without too much effort. Other days, my eyelids get saggy before I’m anywhere close to being done. If I’m lucky, I manage to work in a few additional chores, like cooking extra food for Rory’s lunches and dinners, or running a load of laundry.

So far, I’ve only had to make minimal sacrifices. Even if there are days where I have to stay 30-40 minutes later than I might like, I still do my darndest to make it home at least to tuck Rory into bed before getting right back to it. As this pregnancy progresses and work continues to pick up, I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to keep that up. Fingers crossed.

Fall Break

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
My children had their fall break last weekend through this Tuesday.  We originally planned to make a fun beach trip to relax and soak up the sun one last time this year.  Unfortunately, our plans got disrupted when tropical storm Karen was headed right where we wanted to go.  Although we were very annoyed with the circumstances, we decided to make the most of a fun weekend at home instead.

We wanted Jack and Tate to have a special weekend since they worked hard at school over the last nine weeks.  All of us deserved a break.  My husband and I thought of some fun ideas to do over the long weekend.  We let the boys decide what appealed to them most.

We started the weekend with a visit to our town’s fair.  We rode several different rides including a shaky kiddie roller coaster.  I had the privilege of riding with Tate, and I am pretty sure I was more scared than a three year old.  We also went to a petting zoo with some rather hungry animals.  Jack was willing to feed the animals with a little cup of food.  He quickly learned that goats, pigs, ducks and ponies would do anything they could to get food.  It was very funny to watch, and Jack thought it was hysterical how the animals were licking his hands.  Don’t worry, I immediately helped Jack scrub his hands three times.

After the fair, the boys requested to go out to dinner.  I’m always hesitant to go out to dinner with Tate because he is very fidgety.  I’m usually up running around the restaurant and or cleaning up spills.  Well, to my surprise, Tate behaved very well.  This was the first dinner out in over six years where I didn’t feel stressed or ready to leave ten minutes after arriving.  I guess this means our little guy is growing up…very bittersweet, but what a wonderful feeling to finally enjoy a peaceful family dinner outing.  Lets hope the next one goes just as well.

The rest of the weekend we did our best to relax and play outside as much as possible since the weather is finally fall-like here.  Jack and Tate invented a new backyard ball game, helped Daddy wash his car, rode their bikes, and hiked almost five miles at the park.  All in all, it was a great weekend.  Although we weren’t able to take our mini-vacation, we made our own “home” vacation that turned out to be a very enjoyable one.

October Fun

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Fall has arrived in Mississippi.  Our front porch is decorated with mums, pumpkins and a homemade wreath.  Inside, our house is full of scary ghosts, bats, spiders, witches and other various Halloween characters made by both Jack and Tate.  We are definitely in the fall spirit.

Our October calendar is full of fun activities.  A few of those include: a field trip to the pumpkin patch to dissect a pumpkin, family mini-vacation during the boys’ school fall break, school Halloween parties, Daddy’s birthday, the town fair, trick or treating, carving pumpkins, and eating caramel apples, mommy’s favorite.  The boys decided they want to be Star Wars characters for Halloween.  They dress up daily in their costumes and wonder how much candy it will take to fill up their treat bags.  I’m glad to know where their priorities are.

I look forward to this time of year.   There always seems to be something fun going on.  I also love the cooler air that has finally arrived. Hopefully it will stick around longer than a few days.  No matter the temperature, the fun we share as a family at town fairs or jumping in a pile of crunchy leaves is priceless.  Each year, the boys have more fun than the last and their smiles make it all worthwhile.

 

 

Fall Is Here

Friday, September 20th, 2013

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Cooler weather arrived this week, and our family welcomed it with open arms like an old friend returning home for a much-anticipated visit. We spent a cool, breezy morning swinging at a local playground last Saturday… realizing that we need to do a better job of grabbing an extra layer (and a pair of socks!) before rushing out the door with Rory. My husband and I watched a little league game from the distance while Rory ran his hands through the grass wearing an enviable grin of fascination at the texture of its green strands.

Sitting on the perimeter of the neighboring ball-field and listening to the steady din of cackling children on the neighboring playground to our left harmonize with the thwap-pong-thwap-pong of a father-daughter tennis game going on over our right shoulders, I found myself making mental lists of the various fall activities I look forward to sharing with Rory during his first fall: visiting the orchard to pick apples, crawl over pumpkins, and perhaps watch the firing of the local pumpkin cannon; tailgating at Ohio Stadium with Rory’s Pappy; decorating the house for Halloween, and dressing Rory up for his daycare’s costume parade; going for hikes surrounded by burnt orange foliage; and spending late Sunday afternoons drinking apple cider on the back deck and smelling fires burning in neighbors’ fireplaces.

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons; yet, this year I am even more excited at its arrival than in years past. That excitement is due in large part to the fact that Rory is at the age right now where he is starting to truly react to and interact with the world around him. As a result, I am thrilled to get to expose him to so many of my favorite things about this time of year. I cannot wait to see it all again through his young eyes.

Fall

Friday, October 19th, 2012

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
Even though the days are getting shorter and colder, I love the fall.

The leaves are falling fast and furious. Last weekend, Andrew decided he wanted to try to rake the leaves. Hubby had gotten him a little rake and Andrew tried to “rake” – but mostly he just hit the leaves and the ground. But he really loved when Hubby scraped together a massive pile of leaves and Andrew would run and take flying leaps into them…

He was really excited to shop for this year’s Halloween costume. First he wanted to be Captain America again. Then he wanted to be other various super heroes. But, once Hubby let him start watching Star Wars, he HAD TO BE Luke Skywalker.

We went apple picking the other weekend, which was so much fun. Andrew helped peel and core all the apples to make apple pie. And there are still pumpkins to pick and hay rides to go on.

Normally I’d throw something in here about baseball – but with the Yankees having gone down in flames to Detroit in game 4 – there’s nothing worth talking about on that front… Or hockey. *Maybe* we’ll get a season in there, but it’s not looking good. Andrew misses watching his Devils play.