Take some time to rake the leaves...

...We've got a lot of them around here.

I realize I have been somewhat absent from this blog lately. Days have been moving at warp speed, it seems. Maybe it's because it's getting darker earlier or maybe it's because our calendar has so many scribbles on it... but my camera has remained on the shelf more often lately, and I recently found myself somewhat forgetting to appreciate all the simple reasons that I love this time of year. Brandon had to have a babysitter three Saturday nights in a row. Our kids have each gone through rounds of antibiotics. Jaden has had two birthday parties in the past two weeks, was diagnosed with allergies requiring daily medicine, our car needs unexpected repairs, and Cody and I have had multiple wedding invites, a work trip... and losing football teams. A couple of days ago, exhausted and cranky, I had to give myself a mental pep talk. I had been doing so much and trying to be so many places that I was forgetting to allow myself time to slow down. I wasn't lighting my Pumpkin Spice candles at night. I wasn't making an effort at the grocery store to put together good dinner plans. I hadn't opened my Nook to read in two weeks. I wasn't playing in the leaves with my kids.

I threw myself a little pitty-party in the comforts of my own home, and I feel better now. I spent two weeks crossing the days off the calendar before realizing that October is already half-way over. And I am in no way ready to close the door on my favorite time of year. So I'm "starting over." Still with a full calendar, but a better attitude to go along with it. This week... I read a whole chapter in my Nook. I spent time making way too much Pumpkin Pie dip that we will never finish... and in doing so, realized that it's okay to make the store-bought peanut butter cookies that we will devour in two days. I bought Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer. There's no reason that the joys of Christmas should be contained within just one month. I raked leaves with my kids.

...and I didn't take very many pictures. I gave myself a break. We all need one from time to time. :)

Sun-shiny days ahead -- perfect for Homecoming weekend and a trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

Now I lay me down to sleep...

I returned home from a whirlwind work trip and a very busy week in general to my sweet boys who welcomed me with open arms and sleepy eyes late Tuesday night. Since returning home, I've been trying to play catch-up on the little things. It's amazing that you can feel so behind after being gone for just three days. Catching up on things like bills... mail sorting... gift shopping... school paperwork and letters home... laundry... dusting... and a complete basement re-organization process after we decided to throw away our incredibly large and obnoxiously heavy corner entertainment center. We have church family pictures tomorrow... a wedding tomorrow night... and Jaden has received his third birthday party invite in three weeks. I have learned much about myself in this past week. Scratch that -- I already knew this about myself, but it has been reinforced. I thrive on structure, routine and being able to check things off my "to-do" list. And while I love this time of year and the hustle and bustle that comes with it... I feel much better when I'm able to direct our activities from home -- rather than through notes to Cody on the fridge and frequent text reminders to him from four hours away. I enjoyed my time away. I absolutely love the company I work for. But I'm happy to be home. And what I missed most of all in my three nights of not being able to put my boys to bed... was our incredibly sweet bedtime routine.

"Now I lay me down to sleep..."

It goes a little something like this...

...story time. A book about Fall or Halloween or one of Jaden's favorites... The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

...brush our teeth... grab our blankies... plug in our nightlight...

..."lay with me, Mommy."

...hands folded together... "Now I lay me down to sleep..."

..."lay with me for one more minute, Mommy..."

..."sing our song, Mommy" ..."I have decided to follow Jesus..."

...two little hands stroking my cheek and giving me eskimo kisses... "tell me a secret, Mommy" ...as he pulls my head close to his ear...

...(mommy whispers -- "i love you, i love you, i love you") ...he giggles while my whispers tickle his ear...



...happy weekend. New pictures to come. :)

Dear Jaden and Brandon...

To my boys:

Be good for your Daddy while I am gone.

I'm off for an adventure of my own for three whole days. Mommy has been planning a corporate team building event since April, and the big ordeal is finally here. It's hard to believe that I haven't been away from you for more than one night since June of 2011! I will miss you, but I'm a little excited... and I know you will be fine.

While I'm gone, please remember to...

...practice going potty on the big-boy potty. (Brandon). Don't forget to tell Daddy and Karen when you have to go!

...play nicely and share your toys..

 

...do your preschool homework for Monday (Jaden)... don't forget to tell Daddy that he needs to take a pumpkin for you to Miss Kelly's class on Tuesday... and be sure to practice your letters once or twice...

 

 

...don't forget to take your allergy medicine and remind Daddy to take his, too...

...remember to put your pajamas in your hampers every morning and help Daddy pick up your toys before bed every night...

...when I call to talk to you on the phone, please talk back.

...have fun. I will miss you bunches. See you in a few days.

I love you!

Chipmunks

We have some chipmunk friends that like to hang out under our bird feeders. They are becoming like members of our family, and our boys - Brandon especially - love to look for them every time we pull into our driveway. They even had a little stake out the other night with Daddy. It's so cute watching Brandon try to stay very quiet.

Our Weekend...

We are so busy right now that this blog is kind of taking a backseat. But in an effort to remain current, here is our weekend... in pictures and bullet points:

*a Friday night out on the town - shopping for shoes for Jaden. After about 10 different attempts and 10 different stores, we finally found him a pair of shoes that fit. When all else fails, Super Target does not.

*a stop at Barnes and Noble... or as Brandon refers to it... "The choo-choo bookstore." Our kids love going here to play with the train, and I love it, too. Because while they are playing happily, I get to lose myself in children's books and holiday displays. (Their Christmas books are hitting the shelves already!)

*leaving the bookstore with birthday presents for Tate and an adorable Fall book for us.

*building skyscrapers out of Lego's. Brandon did this almost entirely by himself and still won't let me take it down.

*the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame banquet. My dad is the Master of Ceremonies every year, and this year we got to watch Coach Farley get inducted. Need to get motivated? Go listen to Coach Farley give a speech.

*finding my old Dedric Ward football jersey circa 1996. Pairing it with some black leggings and forcing my kids to take pictures with me before kickoff. The results... (look closely enough and you will see that Brandon is wearing my shoes)...

 

 

*practicing our frisbee tosses...

*dropping Brandon off at Aunt Cassi's house to play with cousin Ella while we spent a night in the Dome. Jaden got to go up and sit in the pressbox booth where Daddy and Papa sit during the games... the same booth that my dad has called his own for the last THIRTY-FIVE years. That's a lot of football games.

*a perfect church teaching Sunday morning and our favorite Roasted Garlic Potato soup for lunch. We love this stuff. And we doubled the recipe for more leftovers.

*setting out a couple pieces of Halloween decor. I usually just stick to Fall and Thanksgiving decorating, but thought my kids would enjoy some fun Halloween stuff this year. Sure enough... they got a kick out of the pumpkin that changes colors... and I got a kick out of the $2.00 price tag.

*some play time in our playroom. I tried giving it a good cleaning and spent some time organizing... only to have it destroyed again within 10 minutes.

my little architect in the making...

*a birthday party for one of Jaden's buddies at the movie theater. While he watched Finding Nemo in 3-D, Brandon and I walked through the mall. He flirted with the cute girl at Bath & Body Works, and then we returned home for a three-hour nap. Much needed.

*a Sunday evening trip to the park and a walk home at sunset. One of the nice things about it getting darker earlier is getting to play outside when the sky looks like this...

Wishing time would slow down a little bit. I can't believe it's October already! This week we're tackling flu shots, pull-ups and potty training. Wish us luck!