Signs of Halloween

1. A gigantic orange spider spinning a web in your backyard. This web was huge! It spanned two trees that are at least five feet apart if not more! With the evening sun backlighting it, the spider looked like it was glowing orange!

2. Kids are being forced to pose with pumpkins in the pumpkin patch for a "great fall picture" (my kids are especially subjected to this.)

3. A terrified infant is stuffed into a fake pumpkin.

(and here is Luke in the fake pumpkin three years ago)

These kids don't think the pumpkin pot is nearly as cute as I think it is.

4.  FLETCHER'S!!! I prefer to eat them at the state fair, but due to all our illnesses the past weeks, we didn't get to go. However, we lucked out because there was A FLETCHER'S BOOTH AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH!!!

Luke scarfed this one down and asked for another. Aww! I'm a sucker for a corny dog.



5. Babies in ridiculous costumes.

Don't ask about the fork. It was making him smile, okay??

This was Luke's costume when he was a baby and we (Luke & I) thought it would be fun to dress Will in it.

Will did not think it would be fun (remember the fork?)

I think the part he hated most was that his feet were trapped in it. He couldn't move like he normally does, so he was pretty much stuck wherever I put him.

Until he fell over--see that little patch of white flowers/weeds next to him up there??

See them now?? Fell over. Poor guy.

Gee, there is just something about pictures of kids showing raw emotion that I think is so cute! Bad mommy--taking a picture of the baby crying. That is -10 mommy points.  Don't worry, I snapped it quick and comforted him. He was over it in a snap (pun intended)! See??

And of course, how could I leave this out of my post??

Luke in the pea costume!

6.  Pumpkins, pumpkins, and pun'kins.

The tractor in this picture makes it look like we were really out on the pumpkin farm.

Will loved riding in the wagon.

A bad shot because his head is cut off but he was trying to lift the pumpkin and making this guttural, primal sound that made me laugh so hard I lost focus on the camera.

Why so many shots of Will and none of Luke? Well, Luke did his time and posed for a few obligatory shots before running off to play. Will, unfortunately, did not have that option.

Ill Will

I signed up for my frequent flier miles last night. "Where?" you ask. Cook's ER. I made my fourth trip there in the last 7 days. The first three were related to Luke's chin (initial injury, re-injury on day three in which he popped three of the seven sutures, and suture removal). Last night I had to take Will for dehydration after he caught rotovirus and spent the last 36 hours with vomiting/diarrhea. Fun, fun.

Putting the IV in was like wrestling an alligator. Will has a signature flight move. When he wants to get away, he starts the twist and roll. He will fling himself to the floor in desperation to get away. It took three male nurses/EMT's to hold him down for his IV. Poor baby! Then the sucker only lasted half an hour! I kept having to hide it under a blanket so that Will would leave it alone. Then, all of the sudden, he hooked his right toe under a strategic piece of tape and it was all over.

So, I started this post on Friday. Before I could finish it, all of us were suffering the stomach bug. Yech! We had to miss a wedding of a dear college friend of mine, and instead I spent all weekend disinfecting and doling out meds, saltines, pedialyte, and 7Up.

I think we are all over it now--finally. Will had it the worst, and the longest. He wins the award for the most times throwing up. Luke wins for sweetest sickie as he was super sweet all weekend even though he felt like poo. Gene and I are tied for most dramatic as I had moments where I couldn't even stand up because the nausea was so bad I would black out when upright, and he spent most of Saturday moaning and groaning between the bed and the couch.

We all took care of each other because our worst moments didn't coincide. I knew it was bad to have a sick kid, and worse to have two sick kids. I thought being sick with two sick kids would be worse than being sick with two well kids, but I decided it wasn't. When your kids are well, they expect you to play and be happy, and cook, and be awake. But with sick kids, they just want to lie on the floor/couch and stare at the TV and drink 7Up. And they nap a ton! As long as you are not sicker than them, I think it might be easier.

deja vu

Luke heard today was the first of fall, but he misheard it as first fall.

And so he did.

On the concrete garage floor.

And failed to catch himself with his arms, opted instead for his chin.

First thing this morning, as we headed to the car to go to school.

But we detoured and went to Cook Children's Hospital ER instead.

Left with 7 stitches, a popsicle, and a handful of stickers.

Okay--time for my favorite game! Then vs. Now!



Then



Now

We've had this injury before! Last year Luke fell on the edge of the bathtub and we ended up with five sutures then. What's with the red shirts? Guess they hide the blood stains well.

But just like last time, he was still able to smile afterwards!

Then

Now

Little Junebug on the Move!

Will is now well into his ninth month and has grown so much this summer. Since today is the first day of fall, I thought I'd review his summer progress.

Summer started out like this. . .

Sitting up on his own if he was propped up the right way. Also, sporting the baby faux-hawk look.

His sitting skills improved quickly. Here he is supported by the boppy, but sitting up much more straight.



And, finally, all on his own.

He is moving around so quickly. He is superbaby--he can crawl faster than a speeding bullet. He loves outlets and things plugged into them. We have a bunch of those nightlights that come on automatically when it gets dark and they are his favorite. Because he gravitates towards them, I have nicknamed him Junebug. The second you look away from him he is making a break for one of those little lights. It has turned into a big game because when he goes after one, you go after him, and he turns around, smiles and crawls faster to get to it before he is swept away--which always makes him laugh and want to go after it again.

He is eating great. We are moving on to real food lately and he loves green beans, carrots, and--get this--peas! Remember the ugly peas faces from this post? He chows them down now! He has six teeth--the better to chew with, my dear.

He is also drinking well from a cup. However, "well" is relative. If you ever saw how Luke drank as a baby then you know how Will is drinking. That means that about half of what comes out of the cup goes down the front of the shirt--I just have drooly kiddos. Luke's drooling improved tremendously once the tonsils came out. Hope we are not heading down THAT road again. Ominous signs are presenting themselves lately--drooling, snoring, and we are currently healing up from our fourth ear infection.

Look at that beautiful hair!! No more faux-hawk around here anymore!

I just love the big eyes in this picture!

Willy still loves his bath time but has graduated to the big bathtub now because his splashes got too big to be contained in the bitty bathtub. He was flooding the kitchen floor with each bath. His second favorite game (behind get-the-nightlight game) is catch-the-wet-baby game. After his bath he will NOT sit still for three seconds to get baby lotion, diaper, and pj's on. We end up corralling him in his room with the door shut. I usually try to corner him and just attack it from all angles. I am really good at diapering a standing infant backwards. This is the Bathtub Bandit calling for help on his imaginary telephone after being imprisoned in his room after bath.

 He has been pulling up on things all summer to cruise along furniture, walls, toys, etc. He now is taking up to four or five steps at a time.  He is a good climber and will just climb over anything in his way instead of going around. This defeats my strategic furniture placement as a way to contain him. Being so mobile does get you into quite the predicaments.

Stuck under the kitchen table.

Just before tumbling out of this end table in the living room.

Plowing through the mess of toys that is our living room.

Will loves playing with his big brother. In moments of sharing, Luke likes playing with Will too.

Luke teaching Will how to drum.

This picture is fuzzy, but they were having fun tickling each other. (The roughhousing has already begun.)

And finally, just wanted to share some more of my favorite pictures.

Just a cute little guy exploring the house.

Bathtub Bandit looking pretty darn sweet and innocent.

And here we are now! He looks so grown up in this shot! Something about this kiddo--most kids look like babies when they sleep, but to me, Will looks older when he sleeps. I don't know if it is because his features are so similar to Luke's and they stand out when he is asleep or if he is just an old soul deep down. Luke still looks like a baby when he sleeps.

Speaking of sleeping--he is sleeping great at night. Has been for a while now. He is still not fond of naps and rarely do they last much past an hour. Because he is so active, I decided to put him in preschool this fall with Luke. He was sick the first week, but has been twice now and done pretty well.

First Day of School

Today starts Luke's third year at preschool.

His first year, leaving the house went well, Luke was cooperative an happy.

The next year, Luke was neither cooperative, nor happy. I couldn't even get him to stand for a picture.

So, I was expecting the worst this year. To avoid not getting a "first day of school" picture, I actually took a back up picture on "meet the teacher" day last week, just in case our morning was rough.

Funny shot, but he is jumping for joy at the prospect of going to meet his new teachers.

Luke is also very into picking out his clothes and he loves button shirts and shoes--putting them on, taking them off--over and over and over. He got to pick out his outfit for "meet the teacher" day and for the first day of school.

Will went with us to "meet the teacher" day, so he got to be in a shot too.

Cutest boys ever, right?

Anyway, lucky mommy's morning went off without a hitch! I would have chosen different shoes (possibly the new ones we bought for school and he has been D-Y-I-N-G to wear), but, seriously, who cares? I was not picking any battles this morning! He looks awesome AND was cooperative with the picture taking I subjected him too.

Happily went to school with only the slightest hesitation at the door. Yeah!!

I, however, am at home with a sicky baby. Will has been running a fever about 24 hours that the drugs just aren't kicking. Going to the doctor after we pick up Luke from school this afternoon.

just for giggles. . .

Having some fun with Will.

seriously, whose day isn't better after watching baby giggles?

Move over David Beckham

There is a cuter soccer player in town now!