Tricks and Treats

We had our annual Trunk or Treat at church Sunday night. Riley dressed up as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Walker as Superman, and Owen was just dying to be a dalmation! :) We all had a great time.






We finally carved a jack-o-lantern, last night. As you can tell, we couldn't agree on what kind of face to give him...so, he has one rectangular eye and one circle eye.

Happy Halloween!

I've Been Tagged!

Here are the rules--1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I love to fold clothes. I guess it's therapeutic or something, but I truly enjoy it. It relaxes me. However, I don't particularly enjoy putting clothes away. Weird, I know.


2. I cannot stand to hear people say, "Look it!", instead of "Look at him/her/it!". I also get squeamish when someone says,"Do you have it on your person?", instead of "Do you have it with you" or "Are you carrying it?" Ugghhh! Where did these phrases come from????


3. I graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. I taught Kindergarten for three years. I love working with children, but decided that staying home with our own children was better for our family. I love being a stay-at-home mom!


4. I have two fears: 1. Bridges collapsing and 2. Our house catching on fire. I am constantly devising a plan that will allow me to get myself and all 3 children out of the car if a bridge
collapses. I also have a fire safey plan and check our smoke detectors very regularly.


5. When I was in the third grade, I started playing fast-pitch softball. I fell in love with it and played until the summer before I went to college. I played first, short stop, third, left field, and I pitched.


6. The clothes in my closet are arranged according to color and type. I love the sense of order and makes me feel somewhat organized.


7. Since I am up in the middle of the night nursing Owen, I have gotten hooked on investigative crime shows. Two of my favorites right now are Forensic Files and Investigators. If I don't already have one recorded, I scan the channels until I find one. Usually MSNBC or Court TV has one playing.


8. My pinky finger on my right hand is much shorter than the one on my left hand. When I was in the first grade, I fell while running around the track at school. I fell on my side on top of my hand and broke the growth platelet in my finger. Needless to say, it did not continue to grow.

Now, I tag Anna Leigh, Amber, Kate, Kristy, Julie, Heather, Amy C., and Jen

Happy Fall!

Finally, it feels like fall. Yay!!...highs in the '60's and lows in the '40's. It has been kind of rainy and overcast the last few days, so I am definitely in the mood for soup. Here's what we will be having for dinner tonight:


White Chicken Chili

1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
3 c. chopped, cooked chicken
2 cloves, garlic, minced
3 (15 1/2 oz.) cans Great Northern beans
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
salsa
sour cream

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add beans, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and continue cooking 1 hour over low heat. Serve with shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and corn chips as toppings.


I have to share a story that Riley wrote at school a few days ago. I thought she did a great job! I love the part where she writes that "Mary got a surprise to herself...". Not bad for a first-grader...but I am biased.

Walker had his last soccer game last night. He had a lot of fun playing and we got a kick (no pun intended) out of watching this under 6 league. At one point last night, I heard Walker say to another boy, in the middle of the game, mind you, "I can run faster than you!", with a mean, eat dirt look on his face. Later, I saw the same boy push Walker, probably because Walker was talking smack. O.K. so maybe last night's game wasn't as much fun...but, overall it has been a great experience. Here are some pics from earlier games:

Here are some recent pics of Owen. After taking what seemed like hundreds of pictures, I finally caught him smiling. Such a sweet baby!

Lots of Halloween events going on around here: parties at school, church and one that will just be friends getting together for some frightful fun. We have yet to carve a jack-o-lantern this year...maybe tomorrow (When I was teaching Kindergarten, I carved one with my class, every year. A couple of times, we carved it too early and boy, did we have an awful smell to deal with. I have been trying to avoid that and wait until the week of, to carve one here.).

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! ;)

Pea Pods and Bumbos

It seems everytime I turn around, the baby equipment gurus are improving their products. When Riley was a baby, we had what I thought was the best stroller, baby swing, pack 'n play (the three even matched) and exersaucer new parents could ever want for their baby. Then when Walker came along, all the same products seemed to be a little more colorful, more appealing to baby, and easier to fold or carry. I found myself saying, "Hey, they didn't have that when my babies were little!" Now that we have Owen, the baby equipment gurus have definitely stepped it up and invented some wonderful products. I don't know how we lived without these:

1. Bumbo Seat

Many of you probably have this, but because it has been 4 years since our last baby, this one is all new to me. I love this product. Owen can sit in it and play or watch Baby Einstein. Amazingly, it provides just enough support for his upper body and he loves it. I like the way he fits snuggly in it and I don't have to worry about him sliding out of it. It is so light-weight that I can take it anywhere. I have even seen people with them in restaurants.



2. Pea Pod

I chunked the 'ole Pack 'n Play that none of my babies liked sleeping in (actually, I sold it in a consignment sale). Even though it had a net to elevate the mattress to seem more like a bassinet, Walker and Riley both hated it and didn't seem to sleep well when we traveled. I never really used it as a playpen, either. We were recently introduced to the Pea Pod by Kidco. It is basically an air mattress with a netting around it so baby doesn't scoot off. The best part, is that it folds up like a car shade and fits into its own bag. When we went to Chicago, we were able to fit it into a suitcase. Owen slept really well on it and I really like that it is so light-weight that you can move it around with one hand. It can be purchased at target.com for around $50.

So...those are my new favorite things right now! If you are a new mom or soon-to-be mom, these are must-haves for your sanity! :)

Weekend in Chicago

Last Friday, Tim, Owen and I left for Chicago. Our main reason for going was for Tim to run the Chicago Marathon. We went with two other couples and good friends, Mark & Mary Mike and Andy & Glisa. We had been talking/planning this trip since January, so I was so excited when it finally arrived.

Our flight left Birmingham at 6:30 am, which meant leaving our house at 4:30 am, and getting up at 3:15 am. That definitely made for a long day! Owen was awesome on the plane...nursed during take-off and slept during landing....I couldn't have asked for a happier baby. When we arrived in Chicago, we checked into our hotel in Oak Brook (suburb of Chicago, but very nice) and headed across the street to McDonald's for some breakfast. This wasn't just any McDonald's, either. It had a McCafe, which we had never heard of, but was very similar to Starbucks. It was the nicest, cleanest, brightest Mickey D's any of us had ever seen. We quickly learned the reason it was so nice was because McDonald's headquarters was across the parking lot. We went downtown to the Chicago Marathon Expo for the guys to register, buy some goodies, pick up free stuff, etc. Then for lunch we ate deep dish pizza at Uno Pizzaria...yum! We went back to the hotel and rested for a few hours before going to Cheesecake Factory for dinner...double yum!

On Saturday, Glisa, Mary Mike and I left the guys (including Owen) at the hotel to rest and hydrate (basically drink water or Gatorade all day long in preparation for the race). We shopped along Michigan Avenue (a.k.a. The Magnificent Mile), went to the American Girl Place, ate at Ralph Lauren Cafe, and went to the Navy Pier. After buying some souvenirs and doing some sightseeing, the guys picked us up around 4:30 pm. We ate dinner at the Weber Grill. We had a big day ahead of us, so we were all in our rooms by 8:30 pm.

Sunday was the big day. We left the hotel around 5:30 am and headed straight for Grant Park. This is where the marathon was starting and finishing. The guys checked in, went to the restroom, and then headed to the start line. Glisa, Mary Mike and I walked 5 or 6 blocks north of Michigan Avenue (with a pitstop at Starbucks) and waited between mile 12 and 13 to see the guys and have a dry shirt for them. On a side note: I had never been a spectator at a major marathon before. Tim ran in the Rocket City Marathon (in Huntsville) last year, and it had a mere 1,000 runners in it. I did not know what to expect really with the Chicago Marathon...45,000 runners and 2 million spectators! When we arrived at our spot on the curb, there was no one on that street. But by the time the first group of runners came by, we were having to fight for our spots and keep people from putting their grubby hands all over my stroller!

Tim had signed up to receive emails on his blackberry that would allow me to track where he was. I knew that at 9:21 am, I should receive an email saying he had reached mile 9. I waited and waited and waited. About 15 minutes later, I got an email saying he had reached mile 9 and was projected to finish at 4 hours 44 minutes. I was sick. You see, my dear sweet husband, had been training for this day since June. He had put his blood, sweat and tears (literally) into the training for this marathon. Every Saturday he ran for between 10 and 21 miles. On Mondays he ran for 5 or 6 miles, on Wednesdays he did track workouts, and on Thursdays he ran about 6 miles. This was a big deal. His goal was to finish in 4 hours and I knew that would not happen. When he finally ran by to swap shirts, he told me had almost vomitted 3 times, but he was feeling better. He ran on and we waited on Andy. When Andy came by, he informed us that the water stops were out of water. He was obviously very frustrated. What??!! Out of water??? It was 90 degrees and they were out of water??? I thought he was talking about 1 or 2 water stops. No, every water stop was out of water. We found out later that there is a water stop at every 2nd mile, and the second water stop he went to, was out.

After seeing Andy, Glisa, Mary Mike and I headed back towards the finish line. By this time, it was really hot. Here I was pushing Owen in the stroller 6 blocks, in the blazing heat and my husband is running a little over 26 miles in the same heat. What were we doing? Tim had gotten us tickets for priority seating at the finish line. I knew Owen was getting hungry and I was ready to sit down and watch the runners cross the finish line. Ohhhh no! Everyone in this little section of bleachers WAS STANDING!!! Glisa, Mary Mike and I fought our way through the crowd, with Owen in tow. We finally found a seat, stood for a little while, I nursed Owen in the middle of the craziness, and watched for the guys. We had already missed Mark at mile 12, so Mary Mike really wanted to see him finish. Thank goodness I brought an umbrella along...it provided just enough shade for Owen, but I was still worried about him getting dehydrated. About that time, the announcer said that they had turned the race into a fun run. They didn't say this at the time, but we later learned that a 35 year old, father of 3, from Michigan collapsed and died, around mile 20. Andy called Glisa (by borrowing a random person's cell phone) and said they had rerouted him at mile 16. He was made to cross the finish line but didn't officially "finish". Tim finished the race, but was told by police to start walking at mile 16. He probably just missed being rerouted. Mark finished the race in 4 hours 45 minutes. After finally seeing Tim finish, in 5 hours 14 minutes, Owen and I headed to Buckingham Fountain where runners could reunite with family/friends. I was expecting an orderly line, maybe 20-25 people in the C-D group (by last name). No, mass chaos! I finally had to stop and park the stroller and hold up the sign I had made for Tim that said "Go Tim!" and just hope he would look up. Several people were doing this in hopes of finding their runner. He found us, but was severely dehydrated. Looking back, we should have realized something was wrong when his shirt was completely dry. Because we had to meet the rest of our group, he was not able to stretch or sip a cold drink. I found out later that he did get sick 4 more times. Today, he is finally feeling like himself, but we both feel like he was indeed dehydrated and probably suffering from heat exhaustion, as well.

Here are some things that we witnessed during the record breaking heat of the Chicago Marathon:

• Before the race: 50-60 ambulances in case of emergencies; After the race: none
• Sirens being heard all day, all throughout the city.
• Chicago Fire Department helicopter flying overhead shouting from bullhorn, "Race over. Start walking!"
• Policemen forcing people to walk, saying, "Runner down!Runner down!" (referring to the man that collapsed) and "The hospitals can't take anymore people!" (312 people were taken to area hospitals, and thousands were cared for at aid tents at the park).
• Andy saw people going into convenience stores to buy their own water.
• Many residents brought out their garden hoses and allowed runners to get drinks or to be sprayed.
• One restaurant owner filled a large white garbage can with water. He filled large styrofoam cups and handed them out to the runners (and they didn't care what he had used the garbage can for!)
• On two separate occasions, Andy saw people pick up cups of water that were half empty and drink the contents...without thinking twice about it.
• Many spectators purchasing water and handing it out.
• Spectators allowing runners to get the ice out of their coolers.
• When water was found, runners practically fighting over it. Tim likened it to animals devouring their prey.
• Tables being folded up at water stops because there was no more water.

Here are some funny/interesting things that we witnessed along the marathon route:

• 2 women runners wearing tutus
• a runner running barefoot
• a runner running and juggling at the same time
• Spiderman and Superman running the marathon
• a bride with a veil attached to her cap...We couldn't figure out if she had gotten married during the marathon or was about to get married.
• one runner proposing to another
• a man coming out of the port-o-potty, holding his cap up that had obviously fallen in, and carrying it off like he was going to wear it.

Race organizers are still declaring that they never ran out of water (yeah, right). They obviously were not prepared enough for the heat and going from 35,000 runners in last year's race to 45,000 runners in this year's, was too big of a jump. However, they did do the right thing by cancelling the race, before many more people died. Who knew the temperatures would reach such an unseasonably high level. You can read more about this crazy, near catastrophic day at the Chicago Tribune website.

Here are some reasons why I will take Riley and Walker back to Chicago:

• Lincoln Park Zoo (and it's free!)


• 532 parks


• public beach on the shore of Lake Michigan


• Navy Pier...has ferris wheel and other amusement park rides, and a children's museum


• Chicago Cubs game


• American Girl Place...Riley is infatuated with American Girls (Molly in particular); Here they can watch a play with the characters, eat lunch in the cafe, and have their hair (and their doll's) done the same way.


• Field Museum (all things science related)
  
• Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium


• Planetarium

We absolutely loved Chicago. It's like the best of Los Angeles and New York put together and very family friendly...

And so ends the saga that was our weekend in Chicago...

Ahoy thar mateys!

We celebrated Walker's 4th birthday on Saturday with 8 of his closest friends. He wanted a pirate theme, so it only made sense that we have the party at a close friend's lake house on Lake Tuscaloosa. I had a blast planning the party...I tea-stained the invitations, which were written in pirate lingo and burned the edges; I made a treasure map table cloth from a sheet (also tea stained with burned edges); and I made a pirate ship cake and pirate cupcakes; When each child arrived they were given a nametag with their pirate name, bandana and belt, a tattoo, and an eyepatch. Some of the kids had a mustache and beard drawn on their face. It was so cute. Then they decorated the handle of a sword that I cut out of cardboard. After everyone was ready, we started the treasure hunt. Tim was in charge of this part. There were seven different clues that took the kids all over the property...one clue even suggested they get on the boat. Sailing Master Andy (a good friend) drove the boat full of little pirates (and a few parents) across the lake to Treasure Island. They looked for treasure on the island and returned with another clue. I incorporated two games in with the hunt : Musical Islands (played like musical chairs but with large rocks) and Walk the Plank. After the treasure hunt we had cake and ice cream and Captain Walker D. Plank opened up all of his presents. It turned out to be a really great party with no major misshaps, the weather was fantastic, and the kids all seemed to have a great time. Happy Birthday, Walker!