With only a few days left until Halloween, we've really been getting into the spooky spirit over here. Can you ever have too many black cat accessories? (the answer is no).

The Halloween jammies have been in a heavy rotation, wax lips were a HUGE hit, and we've been going through our collection of Halloween books. We have quite a few, but Vivi's favorite book hands-down is "Room on the Broom." Do y'all have that one? If not, run out to Target or Walmart and scoop it up now before it's too late. It's the cutest little book about an unfortunately clumsy witch and her menagerie, and it's not the least bit scary. Plus the rhyming and the meter of the verses have a cadence similar to "The Night Before Christmas," so it's really easy and fun to read aloud. Viv specifically reaches for it every night and tries to say some of the words along with me. They made a little movie version of the book that's in the Kid's Section of Netflix, and both of the beasties love to watch it. It's a good one. 

We went to the pumpkin patch again this weekend. How many trips to the pumpkin patch are too many trips? There are NEVER too many trips! :) This time we were there picking out a pumpkin for us to carve on Halloween, and once again, they had the best time running through all the pumpkins. Or, in Viv's case, eating dirt. 

My kids' most favorite Halloween activity of them all? Undecorating the front porch. I can't tell you how many times Vivi has tossed all the pumpkins off the front porch or how many black crow feathers I keep finding in every nook and cranny of our yard. They think it is just the best thing in the world to run through the spider webs and play with the fake snakes. Which scares me a little to think that they might become fearless when it comes to real snakes. But ugh, I can't go there in my mind. 

This is going to be a busy week preparing for a Halloween party that I'm hosting. I am balls-deep in homemade caramel right now, and it is the biggest temptation/diet ruiner that there is! 
Have a great week, friends!

Friday Favorites

I can't believe we are 3/4 through October already. It's my favorite month, and it always goes by so fast. Alex was gone all this week, so I have been committed to keeping the kids really busy and out of the house as much as possible. We have spent a ton of time outside lately. Of course the weather had to warm back up in the low 80s for most of the week, but that's still better than the summer sauna that we normally have outside, so I'll take it. Bobby is now at the age where being in the stroller is a bore for him--which I'm fine with, because separating fighting siblings is a form of torture for me--and he likes to run around the loop in our neighborhood pushing his dump truck while we run after behind him. It's a fun time to check out everyone's Halloween decorations, some of which include dead babies. 

Still trying to figure out how to explain this.

I do enjoy being outside when the weather is nice, but it's a lot of work keeping up with toddlers. Especially when one of them eats dirt on the regular. 

Won't eat carrots but will eat the shit out of potting soil.

I decided to break up the monotony the other day and take the kids to play and eat lunch at Chick-fil-a. At 10am. I went up to the counter to order, and the lady said, "Well we don't serve lunch until 10:30," but she must have seen the look of wild desperation in my eyes, because she went ahead and sneaked us some kids nuggets meals early. She must have toddlers, too. So we ate lunch at 10am and they played in the play area for about two hours until I had to remove Vivi for trying to lick the floor. Good times.

Yesterday my parents dropped by to entertain us for a couple of hours before Alex returned home, and it was so nice to have some company. Especially when that company puts up dishes, folds laundry, and entertains my kids. Grandparents are the best!

I've learned to just stop asking questions.

Alex returned last night, and we were so glad to see him. We've got pumpkin patch plans for the weekend, and I'm actually glad that UGA doesn't have a game tomorrow because that means that I don't have to have an anxiety attack. 

I hope everyone has a great Fall weekend, and I'll leave you with a few faves:

* These Star Wars Christmas pajamas. Is it too early to shop for Christmas jammies? That was a rhetorical question, and the answer is no. 

* Is this not THE most fab hat you've ever seen?

* This list of 52 Thoughts While Watching Hocus Pocus as an adult made me laugh. Especially what the hell kind of name is Thackery?

* These flannel sheets. It'll be time to switch to flannel sheets soon (I hope), and aren't these llamas just the cutest for a little girl's room? 

* I know it's not even Halloween yet, but Christmas goodies are creeping up into stores, and I can't take it. Vivi already has this sweater and this dress waiting in her closet. Can't wait for her to wear the dress in our Christmas pics!

* This recipe for Asiago Bisque. Oh, man. 

* I'm forever a fan of the beautiful malachite in jewelry, and this necklace has me swooning. This one may go on the Christmas list!

* And baby girl duck boots. I can't take it. 

Dressing the Boy

I think boys get a bad rap sometimes. 

Every time I said I was pregnant with a boy, women would say, "Ohhhh, that's great!...They're just not fun to dress like little girls are." And don't act like you've never said that or thought that. 

It's a common misconception that boys are dirty and boring to dress. 

(Well, only one of those things isn't true. They are awfully dirty.) 

As soon as the first person said that to me, I decided that wasn't going to be the case for us. While no, they don't have as many options and layers as girls get, I was still going to have fun dressing my little boy.

Boys may not get to accessorize as much as their sisters, but that doesn't mean that they have to be boring! In the Summer, Bob usually wears a uniform consisting of frat boy shorts and man-tanks. Seriously, there's nothing funnier than a guy in a tank top, and I like my children to be a main source of my amusement. In the Fall, we go for a look that combines hipster/country boy/old man all into one. We love skinnies and cords for pants, soft baseball tees, cardigans, flannel, camo, Toms, sherpa, and old school light-up Pumas. Here are a few pieces I have rounded up that I'm currently loving for Bobcat.

bear hat // camo vest // baseball tee // pumas // aviator jacket // skinny jeans // camo cap // cardigan // flannel shirt // tiny toms

My favorite part of dressing Bob is getting to pick bad-ass shirts out for him. I think that's the real fun in having a boy. There are so many cute ones out there to choose from, with Etsy being the source of many. I always layer clothes for my kids and myself, even in the winter. We start with short sleeve t-shirts, then add a cardigan, and then a jacket, if necessary. There's just about anything on Etsy to fit your little dude's personality, but here are some that fit my wild little man to a tee. 

wolf // rock // dog // wild

camper // dylan // jedi // savage

t-mex // little lebowski // marley // vw van

grammar // the dude // stormtroopers // hangry

And I definitely can't leave out baby boys. Is there anything sweeter? I have several friends who are either currently pregnant with little dudes or have just delivered. It gives me the slightest bit of baby fever, but then I remember that they turn into toddlers. So, no thanks, I'm good.

bear hat // buffalo plaid shirt // onesie // denim moccs // moose beanie // cable knit romper // aviator beanie // flannel romper // hoodie // sweatpants // laceup moccs

Never mind that all of this will get covered in dirt or puke. Or both. 
Happy Thursday! XO

weekending

Last weekend was full. It was full of food, full of activities, and full of family fun. 

Friday was a pretty low-key day around here, when Vivi decided that she would now like to climb on top of everything. Lately I have found her on the dining table, on the counter, and she can climb up on our bed, too. But Friday I found her atop my piano. Bobby was the one who ratted her out to me. He came up and grabbed my hand urgently, saying "Mama, Bibi! Bibi NO! Bibi get down!" It was hard to not chuckle at the sight of her up there, and I did snap a picture so that my husband would believe me. I don't know what I'm going to do with that little wild gal. 

After naps, I decided to focus the rest of the day on things that would be fun just for them. No errands, no riding here and there, no cleaning the house. I wanted to do something that the kids would really enjoy with no catch. We went to the playground for a little while, and then we went to get fro-yo afterward. 

And I'll tell you what- not the first bit of misbehavior out of either one. Though this could be because we were eating fro-yo, and I'm pretty sure that it's scientifically impossible to be in a bad mood when you're eating fro-yo. Either way, I was impressed with such good behavior that we decided to venture out and eat Thai food for dinner. And, shockingly, things went pretty well there, too. Maybe we're turning a corner. Fingers crossed. 

Saturday was a beautiful day with weather perfect for jeans and a light jacket. We decided to get out and enjoy the weather, since our game was a late game, so we took the kids to the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival (which is possibly even more awesome than it sounds). It's your typical Southern fall festival--bands, beer, booths, sketchy carnies, sketchy carny rides that beg the question "exactly how old are these?" The highlight for me, of course, is the food. This is the place you want to go if you want something fried. Doesn't matter what. They'll bread it and fry it. Bonus points if it comes on a stick. We had fried green tomatoes and buffalo chicken and waffles, which were otherworldly-good. 

Double-fisting fried green tomatoes like a lady. 

The beasties had a blast on the scary-old kiddie rides, but I think that they had the best time at the petting zoo area. Vivi was obsessed with the little pigs, and she stalked the chickens and the goat. Bobby enjoyed feeding the animals and was slightly more restrained, but he really got excited about the horses. He asked to ride on them; I agreed, assuming that they would put him on the mini-pony. But they let him choose, and he chose the largest horse they had. So he sat on that horse and rode like a boss, and then was very proud of himself afterward. 

 

The Mullet Fest turned out to be a great time. I mean, where else can you kiss micro-pigs, eat fried red velvet cake, and see obscene tattoos on a 65 year old lady's breast? You're never gonna get that kind of Grade A people watching anywhere else in the world. 

We made it back home just in time for the UGA/Mizzou game, and that was one of the most boring ball games I've watched in a while. It was a battle of field goals--not one touchdown was made during the entire game! I don't think I've ever seen that happen before. So it was a little disappointing from an entertainment standpoint, but, as a true Dawg fan, I can't complain too much since it's a win. 

Alex left around 4am Sunday morning to go to Tucson for a few days, so I'm flying solo right now. Yesterday we hung around and watched Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest. That's a great little time filler kid's movie on Netflix that they love; it's so cute that I found myself watching along, because it's really hard for me to resist anything Fall-related. After naps, we made a Target run, where I discovered that Target has solved all of my shopping woes. These carts. 

This cart is literally the only way that I can keep my kids apart so they can't physically annoy one another. If they're apart, then they're fine. Regular carts don't work; toddler car carts don't work; even my stroller won't currently work, because they kick across at each other and fight like animals. And it's almost just not worth it for me to go shopping anywhere with them if those are my options. Until I discovered this cart. I put one in the shopping basket up front and the other one in the very back. There's no way to touch. And you know what? The Target trip with swimmingly. It was fine. There was no fussing. No kicking. No tears. No fighting. No screaming. Bobby didn't even holler "Help me!!" I may never shop anywhere else but Target until the other stores can get on Target's level and get these carts. 

Aside from these random weekend excursions, we also got our fill of the festive weather and took many strolls in the great outdoors. We are looking forward to a smooth-sailing week and enjoying the crisp, Fall weather before it disappears and goes right back to 85 degrees. 

Happy Monday!

Have a great week!

Friday Faves

This week has been half-fun/half-challenging. 

Bobby is in this phase of toddlerhood where it's really difficult to find an activity or a place to hang out where it isn't more effort than it's worth to coexist with him. Hanging around the house has been frustrating lately, because he incessantly whines or floods the downstairs bathroom sink or pulls all of the frozen food out of the freezer or pummels his sister or Oh-Dear-God unlocks the front door all by himself and walks right outside. But, alright, that's fair--nobody likes to stay in the house all the time. Taking him outside would be the logical choice, right? 

So we go outside (often), and then he wallows in mud or sneaks out the broken fence or runs across the street to the neighbors or Oh-Dear-God goes missing altogether. And it's not like I'm not watching him. I'm right there. He's just a flipping Houdini. Well, that, and I have another little person to keep my eyes on, too, and I only have one damn set of eyes. So, alright, outside is more effort than it's worth. I'll run errands with him and get him out in public. HA. 

Going to the grocery store is a full-warfare affair. There he steals his sister's cookies or shrieks or Oh-Dear-God screams "HELP ME" at the passersby while I quietly whisper "Sorry" and want to curl up inside myself and die a little bit. So that's not fun. Alright, well I'll take him to some sort of fun activity out in public, like the pumpkin patch or the zoo. 

So we do things like that, and there he unrolls all the pumpkins off their perches while Vivi runs into traffic and loses shoes and he throws pumpkins and then he Oh-Dear-God runs away from me and won't follow my command to "come here," so I have mentally debate whether it's better to spank him in public and risk getting carted off to jail by a PC parent or go and physically pick him up kicking and screaming. 

This age is a fun one.

He's not just terrible all the time or anything; he can be sweet and downright adorable about half of the time. And I know this is a phase that wild boys go through and surely it will pass soon. My question is what do I DO with him that is enjoyable for both of us--with a wild little tot sis to boot?

Because this only lasts about 4 minutes. 

One fun thing we did this week was make homemade Halloween bark with some of our friends. It's a good older toddler/little kid activity, and they had so much fun tossing all the toppings in. Vivi, meanwhile, did quality control testing with the Oreos.

Here are a few fun faves this week:

* I have NO babies on the way, but I have several friends who do. IF I were pregnant and needing a diaper bag, I would be all over this camo one. It's trendy enough that it kind of just looks like a regular tote bag, and it's not a bank-breaker.

* Isn't this little buffalo plaid drop waist dress adorable for a little gal? I can see it with little ribbed tights and brown suede boots for a fall family picture. May have to do that..

* Last year Old Navy had these awesome thin quilted vests that gave a good look because they weren't ridiculous and puffy. As soon as I decided I wanted one, of course they were sold out everywhere. Well they're back, and I'm gonna be needing one in this army green ASAP!

* This post made me LOL, because I am a master at angry-cleaning. Actually, I was unaware that there was any other way to clean.

* We have hit a wall with potty training Bobby. Things were going great for a while, until lollipop bribes finally became passe and lost their luster. Now I think we are gonna have to go with a different approach. He's not the kind of kid who will really care about a reward chart, so I think we may try impressing him with some really cool big boy undies. These Darth Vader undies may be just the ticket. At least they would work for me..

* Speaking of Star Wars, who wants to pay $4,000 for a super cool toddler bed? Yeah, me neither, but let's look at it and dream, shall we. Is this not the most bad-ass thing you've ever seen?

* I know I posted about some adorable snake skin flats last week, but now I've seen them in gold, and I think I like those even better. 

* Baby Gap has been really toying with my heartstrings lately, because they have this adorable little gender neutral Red-Riding Hood set for a little bebe (although I imagine it might be better on a baby girl?). Even if you don't go with the suit, please, please somebody get that little riding cap to put on their newborn. I can't take it. 

* And I think it's just about time to make our annual homemade pretzels while watching Hocus Pocus! That may have to happen this weekend! 

Happy Weekend-ing!