block party

In our neighorhood, it is definitely Fall and definitely October, when it's time for our annual block party. It's a lot of fun, and even though I am generally good with remembering names and faces, this is one event that I have difficulty, because I don't really get to talk long. I am too busy chasing after a toddler! Everyone gathers around the house of the people hosting the party and sets up camp by bringing lawn chairs, bikes, strollers, you name it!

Depending on your address, you bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert, and then everyone has the option to throw in money for either a hotdog (for the kids) or pulled pork sandwiches (for the adults). I just went for the side dishes (Anna too), Erik got a little bit of everything, and Kieran? Ummm...that would be no to the hotdog (He's never had one in his life! He's never even tried it, amongst many other foods, but says that he will spit it out.), but yes to the nutritionally sound Tootsie Roll pop.

Even though we were busy chasing after Anna, the nice part was that Kieran was on auto pilot. He was in absolute heaven playing with the big boys. 

Here's Kieran playing with his idol, and our next door neighbor. Notice that he has his helmet on again (remember when he recently raked the leaves?). You'd think that he had an "issue" because you'll see him playing with it on all the time! Haha! I think it was actually easier for him because he was riding his bike in between. I didn't really have a problem with it, made my life easier, so I didn't have to put it on and take it off a bizillion times!

Playing catch with just Kieran went to monkey in the middle (though our neighbor was really nice and made sure that he took turns throwing the ball to Kieran and this other neighborhood boy)... 

which then morphed into an entire group of kids (I'm pretty sure Kieran was the youngest), playing touch football. Yes, that's Anna, trying to get into the action. I thought it was a great sign that she's going to play sports! Yay!
As soon as the words "doughnut eating contest" were said, it took Kieran a fraction of a second to bolt from the flag football game and yell, "DOUGH-NUTS!" Off he went, as quick as lightning. What I wouldn't give if he bolted for green beans!

Waiting for the contest to begin.

"Kieran, honey," I tell him. "You can't use your hands!" He didn't know this at first, and after that tried so desperately to catch the doughnut with just his mouth.

But, frustration, or temptation, or satiation, or all of the above, finally set in. After all, dinner had only been a tootsie roll pop, it was time for the second course!

I'm not sure what he was thinking here, other than my best guess would be, "How the heck to you get this doughnut off this string? I want my doughnut!"

He finally figured it out and just took the doughnut off the string. During this whole event, Anna was screaming and upset because she wanted to participate too. Erik had gone back to the house for a bathroom break, so all of the pictures of Kieran during the contest were taken with Anna in a football hold on my left, camera on the right. This girl will do ANYTHING for food! Her left hand is holding on to the string, her right hand ready to go in for the kill for what little left there is of Kieran's doughnut.

Unfortunately, it was a "no go". Kieran ate all the doughnut. If you look carefully, you can see that Anna is trying to score the doughnuts that have fallen onto the grass.

She would've eaten it too, but she got lucky that there was a half of an unmarred doughnut in the box, that she gladly polished off!

We had a nice time as a family, with our neighbors, and all the neighborhood kids. You don't hear of block parties too much these days. It's nice that there is still some tradition left in today's world. And, it gives Anna something to dream about...that she'll be able to eat a whole doughnut in the contest next year :).

pumpkin patch

video clip of me and kieran on the super slide!

This past weekend, we took a family trip to Moore's Pumpkin Patch. We had never heard of it before, until we saw it on the drive home  from the airport! 

I'm sure Kieran would have been fine holding on by himself, but I just don't trust a merry-go-round without straps!

Next, we went in the jumpy, which Anna usually loves, but she ended up bouncing maybe a few minutes. At Weezie's, she can jump on the trampoline, bounce on her bottom, and almost stand up on her feet again! Instead, Anna liked going down the slide, aka the ramp to the bouncy entrance :)

Kieran, on the other hand, lasted the whole 10 minutes, and the only way to get him out short of us climbing in and yanking him out, was to pretend we were walking away and leaving. That is ONE QUICK WAY to get a little boy out of a bouncy, let me tell ya!

Meanwhile, Anna had fun driving in the car,

and riding a bull.

She thinks she's so big, that she was planning on busting through this gate to take a ride on the bees!

So we distracted the both of them and took them on a wagon ride to pick out our pumpkins.

If you've seen pictures of me when I was about Kieran's age, then you know that this "look" was my "look". From first glance, you'd think he was extremely unhappy to be there, but if you look closely, there's a slight twinkle in the eye, just a teeny tiny, ever so slight, upturn in his lips. It's because he's giving the stubborn look, and right after this was taken, he smiled! This look was my look. We may not look alike, but we definitely have parts of our personality that are identical!

Found the perfect pumpkin for his school project!

Trying to eat the crackers through the bag.

Aren't my boys so cute?

Headed to the top of the super slide!

And away we go!

Happy to take home her pumpkin!

We picked out some colorful gourds too!

Bye, pumpkin patch! We'll see you next year!

We had fun riding your rides, sliding down slides, and picking out pumpkins to mark a festive October and November!

wordless wednesday

My husband is so darn cute! This is what came in the mail today:

Yes, my 3 1/2 year old son is an official member of the USGA!

a quick visit from grandma

Kieran and Anna were especially happy to see Grandma (Papa is on a golf trip with Erik in Oregon). It's been a while, so it was a special treat that Grandma drove all the way from Bakersfield, to spend one night and then go back home the next day!

Playing in the backyard at the water table with little plastic bugs:

Giving each bug a name and following along with the story line:

Being carried by Grandma:

Laughing because she knows she's funny:

"Boys like shooting", Kieran says. "Mommy doesn't like shooting", I reply. "Just pretend shooting", Kieran explains.

Kieran with his "shoot":

Giving Grandma love:

Happy to go down the slide:

I was lazy at the zoo today (that and my camera card is full), so all I got was this one picture of the kids eating the Teddy Grahams that Grandma bought, because I forgot to bring their lunch-oops!

We had a great time, though it was far too short of a weekend! Kieran and Anna are blessed to have grandparents who would drive 4 1/2 hours one way, to spend such a short amount of time with them and then drive another 4 1/2 hours back. It was a quick visit, but worth every minute of love.

lucky

How is it that God gave Erik and I such beautiful children? And I don't mean this in a self-absorbed way. Truly, I have been blessed beyond words. I spent an hour on Sunday evening at dusk teaching Kieran how to fly his Buzz Lightyear and Woody kite from Nonna and Nonno, while Anna trailed (more like ran away) behind. It was peaceful, calm, and in Kieran's words, "there's no one here!". I didn't mind though, because for a moment, it was just me and my babies, and nothing else seemed to matter. You won't see a picture of the kite, as it was impossible to take a picture, while flying a kite, while chasing after a 17 month old "crazy" baby. Picture a kite flailing to the ground with little wind to help it sail, a little boy trying desperately to keep his kite airborne, and a pint sized, red headed, complete sentence speaking baby, turning to see if we're following her:

and laughing while running away:

It was a bit windy in the morning, which would have made for better kite flying, but we had portrait studio pictures scheduled for Kieran's 3rd birthday (yes, I know, he turned 3 in March and we are now at the 3 1/2 year marker-better late than never)! I promised Kieran that we would fly his kite, and when I promise, I ALWAYS follow through. Promises should not be made, if they won't be had-that's the way I look at it anyway. We managed to lift Buzz into the air on a few occasions, and it brought back memories of flying kites in Sonoma with my family. Buzz and Woody in all their plastic glory made me want to go home, go online and purchase a quality kite, like the ones that we had growing up. Mom, do we still have those? At its highest peak (with all of the string let out), a few passers by shouted out, "my goodness, how lucky you are!" I thought to myself, my children or me? As lucky as I am, I would hope that my children feel the same.  Another woman strolled past and said, "I'm not sure who's having more fun, them or you?" I replied, "It could be me!" We gave our Toy Story friends a few more whirls, before the wind decided to rest, and Kieran and Anna decided to explore in the sunlight left from a Fall October's day. A little boy can never pass up a good tree:

It reminds me of The Giving Tree:

"And the boy loved the tree very much. And the tree was happy."

"And they would play hide-and-go-seek":

"And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade".

"I don't need very much now," said the boy, "just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired." "Well, said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, "well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest." And so the boy did. And the tree was happy.

My wish for my children is that they will never lose the sense of joy and wonder that flying a kite on a brisk evening will bring. My hope for my children is that they will always see a tree and admire it for its age and beauty while figuring out what game to play next. My promise to my children is that I will take care of myself, so that I may take care of them to the best of my ability. As I put Kieran to bed this evening, he turned to me and in his gentle manner, wrapped his arms around me and said, "Mommy, you have me." Have my children, I do. And for this Lord, I am lucky.