Just in Time

Last night, the kids and I realized we hadn't yet carved pumpkins and Halloween was mere hours away! So we rolled up our sleeves, gathered our carving tools, and literally dug right into them. This year, Hudson was really able to help, even though he deemed the process "DISGUSTING!"

Both he and Ava enjoyed playing in the pumpkin guts. And our porch was spookily perfect, just in time for a Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

On Saturday, my parents hosted their annual Halloween party at their home, and as usual it was an absolute blast. Even though Erik was MIA (see previous post), I managed to get myself and both kids ready to rock. Once again, Ava suited up as Miss Ariel, the Little Mermaid, my adorable girl.

And Hudson? Well, first his official Mickey Mouse costume was lost in the mail, then went out of stock. So we created an adorable back-up Mickey costume, which he decided at the last minute was not going to work for him. At that moment, he was wearing the above shirt that said "Cool Dude," so he decided he wanted to dress in that outfit as a "Cool Dude." Seriously, ain't he the coolest?

Here's a family shot from the party. I threw together a home-made pirate costume. Dad was one of the Blue's Brothers. Mom was a domesticated housecat (ha!). And my brother was a Cowboys fan. Too bad I didn't get any shots of everyone else at the party. We had a lot of amazing costumes! Did I mention how much I love my family?

Happy Halloween, everyone!

A Lifetime Journey

This weekend, Erik fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams—a pilgrimage to Notre Dame campus in South Bend—so I felt that accomplishment at least deserved its own post on my blog. He traveled with his dad and met some friends up there for a tour of the campus, a visit to the bookstore, a little tailgating, and of course a game. We missed him back home for our Halloween festivities, but if anyone knows Erik at all, they know this rated at the top of his wish list.

A few photos from the big trip:

Legendary Irish coach Ara Parseghian

Hour-long hail storm before the game

Notre Dame stadium, Knute Rockne entrance

The Grotto

Notre Dame Marching Band

Hudson-isms

From the mouth of my second babe. What will he say next?

“Don’t worry!”
My sweet boy always notices when someone is upset, and he’s the first one with a gentle touch and soft words. Bless him and his positive attitude.

“You’re five years old, Sissy!”
I’m fairly certain he picked this one up from me, but it has become his go-to comment when he catches Ava doing something she’s not supposed to be doing. Since he often suffers from younger-child-syndrome, I usually let him get away with it. Especially when it comes with a tiny pointed finger in his sister’s direction. Too cute!

“I don’t kill this!”
This one’s an interesting combination that requires an explanation. Awhile ago, Ava had been frequently stating “I don’t care!” about this and that, and we wanted to put a stop to that particular response. So Hudson, being the observant two-year-old that he is, decided he should probably say it too. Except right around the same time I got mad about something and used the word “kill” (as in, "these bills are going to KILL!"), which he immediately recognized was not a good word. Thus, he combined my and Ava’s poor choice of words to create his own unique swear phrase. Yes, I should definitely break him of this one, but it’s too, too funny! He says it with such vim and vigor, and usually hits something on the word “kill” for effect, especially when he's feeling irritated or particularly saucy.

“Na-na-na-na-boobies!”
Does this creative take on a traditional taunt even require justification? Oh, boys!

Boo at the Zoo!

Last year, we fell in love with Mesker Park's Boo at the Zoo, so this year we were more than ready for its opening night 2011! After a quick family photo shoot at Portrait Innovations (which didn't go as well as hoped...more about that later) and a fun family dinner at Steak 'n Shake, we were first in line at the zoo. Ava wore her favorite Little Mermaid costume, while Hudson made do with a Mickey shirt (you know, since his official Disney Mickey Mouse costume was lost in the mail...thanks, USPS!).

Early on, Hudson snagged a big chocolate sucker, and let me tell you that piece of candy saved our night! He was so thrilled to be eating "big boy candy" that he was an angel all evening and we had no problems with him. He either sat in his stroller and enjoyed the views, or beautifully participated in the provided activities. Score one for the Bub!

As for Ava, she was much braver this year, not as afraid of some of the wild costumes we observed. In fact, she even ventured alone through the haystack maze behind a terrifyingly familiar mask. Go, Ava B! Luckily, since we arrived early, we were able to fit in more of the cool interactives this year as well.

Like digging for spiders!

Visiting with the local wildlife!

Indeed, fun was had by all. Thanks again to Mesker Park Zoo for allowing us to experience Boo at the Zoo!

Autumn Wish

"The woods are full of fairies;
the sea is full of fish;
the trees are full of golden leaves;
let's make an autumn wish."
~Anonymous

Today, our family took a moment to walk in the fresh fall air, to gather crinkled and colorful leaves, to pause beneath the great blue sky and honor our world. Today, we laughed together, raced along the springy grass, and let the wind ruffle our hair. It was a good day, even when we grew tired and headed home for a much-needed nap.

Today, my autumn wish came true. Happy fall, y'all!

This is how we roll.....

on an

average

Friday

night.....

at the Smiths' house! Oh, how I love my little rough-housers! ;) Hope everyone has a rollicking weekend.

Cousins

Welcome, Cyrus Matthew, to the family!
We love you already. :)

Tonight

Tonight, I’m thankful for the way I’m raising my children. I may not make all the right decisions—I may make mistakes every day—but I’m doing it my way. With love. With guidance. With support.

Isn’t that what every mother needs herself? I think so.

Too often in this world, people point the finger, drop a negative word, or pass judgment. Why? Because it’s the easy way? Because it makes them feel better about their own choices? I wish I knew.

All I know is that a simple conversation with a friend made me realize how lucky I am. That I have a husband whose ideas align with mine, but who has an open mind. That I have strong female role models all around me who provide invaluable inspiration. That I’m willing to learn from others, always, but not to accept their negativity. In motherhood, there is no need for comparisons, only encouragement.

That is my wish for every mother. May she—no matter who she is—feel the warmth, the strength, the belief of a loving friend.

In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage. ~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

Love from those around you.
Luck as you make your own path.
Courage to shed yourself of those who stand in your way.

Amen to that.

A Lovely Surprise

Tonight, I was sitting at the computer trying to come up with something to blog. (It had been a week since my last post, so I felt like it was time.) Anyway, I had no distractions. The Bub was already asleep. In the living room, Erik was watching the Notre Dame game. Somewhere in the house Ava was playing quietly. Perfect!

Except, I couldn't think of one single thing to blog about. Nothing.

What had we done since last week? Anything interesting? Anything remotely appealing? I even checked my camera for those lovable random shots that can sometimes carry a post all by themselves. Nada.

Then, out of nowhere, came my little girl with a request: Come look what I did! Usually, this statement is followed by a mess of some sort, so I wasn't too keen on compliance. Plus, I had a blog post to write about nothing. So I thought about skipping.

Boy, am I glad I didn't. She led me into the bathroom (of all places!) and this is what I found:

She had meticulously organized our cabinet drawers!

Surprised and thrilled (as this is not her usual Saturday night routine), I squealed in pleasure, hugged my Ava B. tightly, and promptly grabbed my camera to capture this lovely surprise. She preened, clearly proud of herself, and explained that she'd even gotten Hudson's wipes and wiped down the mirror, counter, and drawers. I love that you can even see, in the picture below, that she refolded the hand towel just so. :)

Love my girl!

Thanks, Ava, for the lovely surprise and for providing me with an unexpected blog post! Sometimes the most meaningful moments can be found in the most unexpected places.