Long Sleeves and Changing Leaves

I am not ready for winter. I don't want to dig out my long underwear. I'm not ready for boots and hats and mittens and big bulky coats to be strewn about my entryway. I don't want to freeze my bum off every time I fill up my car or go check the mail. I'm not ready for that. But I sure am enjoying the fall. I love the changing leaves. I love Indian summer days like today, when I can comfortably be outside in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. I love burning my pumpkin and cinnamon candles. I love the smell of cool fall evenings. And I love watching my boys enjoy the season - thanks to my friend Carol for the picture of the boys and their buddies.

Precious

It's hard to believe this is the same stubborn little boy who threw a fit because we wouldn't give him a piece of fudge. All we asked him to do was say please - one of the few words we know he is fully capable of saying. It took him a 1/2 hour to give in and say please to Corey. I believe this is the beginning of the battle of the wills at our house - and it may be quite the battle.

The Problem with 3 Kids

There are only 2 beaters.

A Trip to the Orchard

The boys and I met some of my college friends at the apple orchard on Friday night. It was fun catching up with them and letting the kids play together. For some reason, I am the one blessed with all boys, though two of the three friends we met each have one son to go with their daughters. My friend, Rachel, and her husband, Eric, recently added super-cute twin girls to their household, making three girls and one boy. I believe the benefit of this for their son, Jairus, is that he, like Corey will grow up very accustomed to girls. Getting married and living with just one girl was a breeze for Corey after growing up with 4 sisters!

The boys had a ball at the orchard. Lewis had an apple in his mouth almost the whole time. And Carter and Owen had fun climbing the trees.

This thing is called a jumping pillow and all the kids had fun on it.

Mud Mask

I heard somewhere that mud opens your pores. If these guys keep this up, they are going to have great complexions.

A Fitting Quote

"Elections belong to the people," President Abraham Lincoln said. "It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters."

As I have gotten older, I have become more interested in what is going on in my country and the powers that be. I've come to the conclusion that too many people don't care about what is going on until things start affecting them on a personal level, and by that time, it's often a very difficult uphill battle to set things straight. I really like this Lincoln quote that I read today.

Annual Dells Trip

We spent a few days in Wisconsin Dells at The Wilderness Resort. This was our 4th trip to the Dells, but our first trip to this resort. We all had a great time. Above is Corey and Carter in the gigantic wave pool at one of the indoor waterparks. Carter had fun diving into the waves as they came at him.

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Everybody chillin' out on the beach chairs.

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This waterpark had a slide called the Hurricane. I screamed every time I went down. Owen was bummed that he was too small to go down it, but he had fun in the lazy river, the "jungle gym" behind them and the hot tub that went outside.

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Lewis loves the water!! He is not afraid to dunk his face, and he had a great time playing in the little springs.

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We got our exercise. Between the two waterparks that were open (the biggest one was closed - bummer), the 3-story indoor dry playground and the arcade we did a lot of walking/running down lonnnngggg hallways, but the boys didn't seem to mind.

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A Man, A Canoe and a Single-Mom

I used to get freaked out when Corey left me for days at a time to go on "man trips" to various wildernessy areas where he enjoys peeing outside, not showering or shaving and, of course, boiling water over a stove that he made out of a Mountain Dew can and a Guinness beer can (I am not kidding - ask him to show it to you.) But I don't get freaked anymore, though I do still make sure all my doors are locked.

Though I am not scared, I still miss him. And so do the boys. Parenting is just plain easier with two people. And I really wanted to make cookie dough the other night, but how depressing is that to sit and eat cookie dough by yourself. And there is no one to wrestle with the boys before bed, and when I started talking to Lewis about daddy today, he stopped what he was doing at looked at the door like he should be coming in any second.

Plus, Corey misses so much fun being gone. Like he didn't get to witness Lewis climb onto the supper table and chuck Carter's full glass of apple juice right at Owen. And he is probably going to wonder how the little black stains got on the carpet - a word of advice - don't color your hair with a toddler in the vicinity. And he didn't get to wake up to Owen crying in the night that the leaves in his hair hurt - at least that is what it sounded like he kept saying over and over in his half asleep state. I gave him some medicine and let him sleep the rest of the night on the couch.

I hope Corey is enjoying his trip, but I am looking forward to his return!