OOOH yeeeah...and THAT time of year!

Last night we had our first ever (this year) tornado warning! Of course it was a few hours away from us BUT we did get an alarm regardless! I was up until 2 AM editing pictures when the alarm went off.

It was northeast of us and moving further northeast so we really didn't have anything to worry about BUT I wanted to be prepared just in case. So I loaded food and supplies into a bag to grab and run if the conditions worsened on our end.

Luckily they did not! So we will continue to use our storm shelter as a glorified chalkboard!

On a lighter note, along with the storms came the FALL WEATHER!!! Yes indeed... It is now cool weather and we are LOVING every minute of it.

Fall here means CHILI! ahhhh homemade chili with rice and cheese... or fritos and cheese... whatever you please. (hahahasnorthahaha)...


mmmm donchya want some???

It's THAT time of year...

Where pumpkin patches are screaming our names and (not so) cool breezes blow gently through the (non color changing) leaves.

We have been wanting to take Bear to a pumpkin patch since we got him at 7 days old. BUT we figured he would get nothing out of it the first two falls. But this third one... NOW this is a beauty. I LOVE a two year old in explore mode...





We have been cooped up at home due to his sad sickness he got last weekend. So this weekend with the sickness on the way out we decided it was INDEED time to get out of the house and go see some pumpkins, ride some ponies and sit in a hay filled wagon pulled by a John Deer. As well as run through a maze and eat some good ol' fashioned hot dog and sun chips.



The place we went is truthfully a Christmas tree farm but they oblige the fall festivities with a pumpkin patch for the fall lover in all of us! Bear was having ever too much fun running around between the baby Christmas trees. I was glad for him to be able to RUN off all this "sick-at-home" energy. And I was happy to run (walk rather) off all this "sick-of-home" energy!



It was indeed a great time to be had and we HAD it! My mother and sister met up with us and we got to spend some time with one another.



As you can tell Bear had way too much fun.




No Really!





Okay... so the hay ride had him a bit zoned. I cannot say I blame him we stopped twice to hear the history of the farm. WHICH is typically intriguing BUT not when there are mostly toddlers on the hay ride. NOT so much fun for them to sit still for 5 min in a cart full of hay listening to an elderly man talk about the history of the only dairy farm in so many Cities... NO really I WAS paying attention. I just forgot when the tractor started up again.


but all in all we had a wonderful time... (this picture is thanks to J. After much lighting enhancement and softening I finally got it light enough you could see us :).

What are you doing??

Do you ever feel like you have so much going on that one part or another gets neglected?

Well that is my life right now. I have been in serious de clutter mode of my house AND finishing projects that I have been needing to finish.

On my list still sits...

Painting the...
kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, hallway, art room, formal living ... I THINK that's it. OH and maybe the laundry room!!! Yes everyone needs a FUN place to enjoy doing laundry!!!

Sewing...
crib sheets, baby blankets, baby legs, unique outfit designs, and clothes

Rearranging...
Taking Moe's crib down seeing we have not heard from his father since the day we got to see them at the park. I don't think he will be coming to stay any time soon. Then we will put some of Bear's things that have been in the formal living room in his room.

General cleaning...
OH EVERYTHING can always be cleaned!

Scrapbooks...
I started Bear's a while back it has 2 pages done!! Yeah that's about it. I finished one for Moe baby and sent it on with his mother but got it back so I could duplicate it and add to it for both parents. AND now there is Miley Bird's... have not even gotten that far yet. I feel so far behind but don't really know how to organize and schedule my time.

Here is how my day plays out.

7A wake up... pray and read

Shower (unless I put it off for nap time later)

8A get the kiddos up and feed/change Miley. Turn on worship music pray with kids "family prayer time"

8:30 make breakfast ... singing, dancing, laughing...

9A Miley nap, We eat Breakfast

9:30 Get Started with Bear on his "lesson" for the day. i.e a coloring page and a craft with letters/numbers/shapes/colors... whatever we are working on for that day.

10A If he is done with his "lesson" I set him up with play dough while I clean up breakfast and grab a few minutes to check my morning emails (this is my main way of communication for all caseworkers and childhood intervention workers for Miley Bird).

10:30 If we are going anywhere this is the time we leave the house. If not then we will play with cars or dance or build forts or play ball or blocks... or something that will stimulate him and have interaction.

11A Miley Bird eats again. Work with her on sitting and eye contact. Bear goes for alone time in his room

11:30 Miley goes in her exersaucer to play so I can start on lunch sometimes Bear can watch a video in this time.

12 Eat lunch

12:30 (45 ish) Bear takes a nap and I work with Miley Bird on her motor skills; Textures, color, sight and sound stimulation.

1:30 she goes down for a nap and then I clean from the morning, check on more emails.

2P... this is where I have got to figure out what to do to better schedule my time seeing I only have til 3. What do you do in an hour when everything you HAVE to do would take DAYS!!!

3P Miley eats again and Bear usually gets up. Bear plays with his train or trucks or blocks while I feed Miley. Play with the kids.

4P start on dinner prep... put on some worship music and we dance and sing and laugh while I cook and Bear is in the living room (open area we can interact with one another)... Sometimes he will help cook depending on the ease of the meal.

5P eat dinner.

6P feed Miley, play a game with Bear & clean up from the day... dinner/toys etc.

7P baths, brush teeth, read books and by 8 in bed.

Check emails/blogs/facebook (that is if there is not laundry still needing to be folded and put away)

9P Miley last bottle and bed.

so from 9 on is "my time" I have been getting to bed LATE b.c of the many projects that I have going on that I cannot finish during the day.

But then J gets home around 10 depending on what "shift" he worked so he requires my attention also.

So during this day I also deal with pets feeding, grooming, playing door man letting them in and out. I sweep a floor and mop when I see an available moment. I try and straighten bathrooms and clean showers/tubs and sinks everyday... some days that goes undone depending on the... ahem... time of month and my energy level.

I also do the laundry on Saturdays but for some reason it carries on throughout the week. So laundry is going on also. As well as potty training with Bear. On Tuesdays Miley has a visit with parents from 3-4 so I leave at 2:30 and get home at about 4:30... just in time to throw something together for dinner.

I know there are some out there with more children and you are doing this all day as well... this is where you come in.. DO you ever get anything else done and how does your day look?

gotta go... time for a bottle!