Happy Halloween

We just returned from sugar fest 2011....actually it was not too bad.  This is when I am glad my kids are still little.  We got to a few houses, but the meltdowns started not that long into our journey.  We still had plenty of fun and sugar!

Jack was content to ride in the wagon after the first house.....with a lollipop. 

Nature vs nuture....

So I posted this picture on Facebook this afternoon.  It was taken before Aly and Brianna left for the church halloween party.  They are old enough to decide what they want to wear for costumes so I pretty much left it up to them  This pretty much sums up their personalities PERFECTLY.

Each day I am amazed how differently our children are wired.  When we first started to talk about Halloween, we talked about costumes....Aly sat down and made a list of all the things she would need to put together the perfect fairy costume.  She spent A LONG time picking out accessories, jewels, hair ribbons, and such for this costume.  Tonight she asked for makeup before leaving so she would sparkle like a real fairy.

How did Brianna decide what she wanted to be?  She went to the dress up containers, picked out the iguana and said here it is...this is what I want to be.  There was no process or thinking involved she just did it and moved on. She really likes iguanas and loves going to Aruba and seeing them all around the pool so in reality it made sense. 

What I don't get though...how did they get to be SO different?  Minus the 6 hours a week of preschool and kindergarten, they are home with me all day long.  They play very well together but I spend a lot of time talking about it is okay to like different things.  Right now that is hard for Aly, she cannot grasp that Brianna would want Mader at her birthday instead of Rapunzel.  I just keep telling Aly, not all girls love princesses....but she is just not there and all her little friends at school love Cinderella and the works.  Meanwhile, Brianna is busy playing trucks and chasing the boys...she will be my little soccer player I think.

So onward I go...this parenting thing can be HARD...to navigate the different interests and I know it will only get harder as they get older. 

Getting Ready.

I realized this afternoon....I have 48 cupcakes to make, 3 dozen sugar cookies, snack bags, and a cheese and cracker platter all before Friday.

I better get moving right!  So tomorrow I recruited a couple of friends to get the job done....4 and 5 year old helpers...oye my kitchen is going to be ONE.BIG.MESS.

The best news is that I am back on the bike....with no pain so far it has been a great day!  Hopefully back running next week!

Halloween is COMING!

Weekend Fun

Another week of travel in the books....and I am glad that the travel season is almost over.  Ryan came home from Cambodia yesterday and there is possibly only one more trip this year.  In November, we are both going to Hong Kong!  Ryan has been several times and really enjoys it (like wants to move there ASAP enjoyment) so I am going to see what the hype is all about. 

While he will be over there for the better part of two weeks...and working long hours while there...we thought it would be a great opportunity for my mom to come with us.  Super excited that we will be returning to a place they used to live!

I think the best part of him coming home was I got to swim this afternoon instead of getting up in the wee hours...I went to the pool and he brought the kids a while later so we could swim for a while.  Aly is really motivated to swim the 25 yards so that she can go on waterslides...we got the rotary breathing down tonight now just a little more work on the endurance and we should be good.

On the training front, I seem to be making progress with my hip.  After 4 solid weeks of ART and PT...I am ready to move OUT of the pool.  The workouts have been good but I am anxious to get back on my bike and the road.  It will be a while before I get out running I think but even biking would be nice.

Last weekend we had some family pictures taken at a park....

Jack looks so big!

Hello Estrogen

Poor Jack...in a house full of women for the past week....

Resulted in a LOT of PINK and girl time...

While Ryan is in Cambodia, my mom came to stay for the week.  The girls had FUN FUN and Jack just went with the flow...he is good like that.  So my freezer is full of yummy meals and applesauce and she made some hats for the kids.

I think we are all sad that she is flying home tomorrow..the good news is that both my parents are back in two weeks and the we are leaving for Hong Kong! 

Fall Fun!

Upon our return to PA we hit the Fall Festival on Sunday am.  The weather has been awesome and the kids had a blast at the farm.

Since my mom is here for the week while Ryan is in Cambodia...we got a great start on winter freezer meals.  She made a huge pot of veggie chili and applesauce!  Yeah for great winter meals.

The wedding

This weekend we were in CT for the wedding of one of my college friends.  I can't remember the last time I was this nervous....maybe at Mooseman.

Seriously, your wedding day is an important one....and Kristine had asked both of our girls to be in the wedding.....two wild cards I tell you.  We headed up on Thursday and spent Friday getting all decked out for the day.  Aly was in LOVE with the spa, the nail polish, the glitter, you name it.  Brianna could care less.  When it came time for the rehersal...Brianna came through.  She danced down the aisle...Aly was hiding under the pew....she was NOT about being the center of attention.  Finally after letting her know we would have to return her dress which is also part of the Halloween costume she did make an appearance.

Enter the wedding day...up at 6 for hair appointments.  It was going to be a LONG day.  The ceremony was at 10:30, so we did not put dresses on these girls until we were getting in the limo.  Brianna was my big concern.  Not getting down the aisle but what she was going to do during the ceremony.  I hid lollipops in my bouquet and off we went.    Everyone made it to the alter...Kristine lit a candle in honor of her mom and now I was on damage control with Brianna...no joke the girl CANNOT stand still.  

I located my college friends in the audience and made eye contact with Angel and Kelly so they knew they were on call.  Brianna headed immediately towards the lit candle...and almost set the church on fire.  I yanked her back and told her if she sat in the pew I would give her a lollipop.  She wanted to stand in front of the audience...so I gave her the lollipop in hopes of avoiding any near catastrophes...she stepped out and began to wave to everyone in the crowd..

I thought there is no way we are going to avoid making a scene....here I am in church praying furiously that Brianna would not make a scene...Angel looked at me...she got it...we tried to see if she would sit with her but she wanted the stage..

FINALLY the ceremony was over...and she could get moving again..

Onto the reception....  you see the candles behind Jackson...those lit the head table....when Brianna came down for her introduction..she blew them out...told me that she was practicing for her birthday.  

I lost count of the number of people that told me that my hands must be full or simply Good Luck.....

The best part was the photo booth....I think we came home with about 100 strips from that booth...Brianna ran around like crazy had a blast and wanted to stay.. we dropped Ryan at the Newark airport for his flight to Cambodia and she stayed awake the entire trip home to Philly.  Some random fun pics!

Helping Hands

We have not had a weekend at home together since August I think.  With Ryan's travel and our commitments we will not have another one until the end of October.  So this weekend we spent trying to catch up on all of the fall stuff that we needed to do at the house.

Jack totally loves any tool that makes noise...he loved helping Ryan power wash the deck.  On Sunday, we were able to get away for a quick anniversary dinner...even though we are a month late it was still fun to have a quiet dinner and talk about fall and spring travel plans...eekkkks we are going to be one BUSY family.

On Sunday morning...this was on our kitchen counter.

Ryan said the Fall Fairy dropped it off..this is my FAVORITE thing in the whole world..well really the pumpkins are. I am guessing it will not take long for this bag to disappear..good thing they are not around all year!

Things are going swimmingly.....

In spite of the fact that my second home has been the pool lately...we have not brought the kids in a couple of weeks.  Between traveling, working, and school we just have not gotten there.

Tonight though I had to teach one lesson, so Ryan worked out and then swam with the kids while I taught.  Then we all swam together for a while.  Good thing they keep the pool 86....Jack never really got cold.

Aly can swim about half the length on her own.  If I can swing a regular swim schedule with them I am hoping by Spring she will be able to swim 25 yds. 

Bri in true Brianna fashion could care less about the actual mechanics...the jumps and diving for things are her fortay...she is fine on her own for short periods of time.

The best part though is it made bedtime a breeze!

Fall Fun

Yeah all the pumpkins that we grew this summer are picked and on the front porch.  It was fun to have a little garden this summer and have the kids pick things.  I think next year we will expand it a little.

This afternoon Brianna and I worked on the apples while Jackson was napping and Aly was at school

I am really digging this alone time with her since we don't have a ton of that.  She lined up all the apples and then we sorted them and counted while we peeled and cored them.

She had them all lined up....in this little assembly line.

We made some applesauce and cinnimon apples..

Riding Along

We had a great weekend in NH.....it went by too fast!

I might be the only one in our family that does not have this grin when I ride my bike!

Jackson is the smartest of the bunch...the motorized John Deere is the way to go.

No seriously....you can take the boy out of the midwest but you cannot take the midwest out of the boy (Charlie you better watch your combines this summer)...but I am quite certain he is smitten with the tractor.  He SAT on that think ALL weekend long!   He did not want to share or really drive it, he can't steer yet so he just runs into the house or the cars. 

So we are back in PA....riding along...Ryan took out the drivers side mirror on our way home from NH (I was just really glad it was not MY fault)...other than that it was a fun quick trip to NH.  I am glad to have Ryan in the states for the next two weeks.  I am going to be able to catch up on some things which will be great.

I spent yesterday at the Dr. for about a million hours trying to figure out my leg issues.  I did NOT run on Sat as tempting as it was...I need to get this leg fixed pronto..hopefully some answers later this week.  In the meantime I am finding challenging swims to keep me busy...tomorrow is the 100x100 masterpiece..  I sent Jen an email about it and it is a go.  I recruited the only swimmer I know from the Y to keep me company for some of them. 

I also had to get back on the bike.....as much as it pains me to get on that thing prior to 2012....swimming is getting old everyday.  So I think next week I am going to try to ride 100 miles in a day.  I realize many people have done this, but given my lack of love for the bike this might just prove to be a challenge.  It will be interesting to see how many flats I get...given my flat to mileage ratio I might just have to carry tubes.  Maybe my new years resolution will be to love the bike...yep don't think so.

At least I am rested and when given the okay...I am planning on hitting the roads....given my love for the 100 maybe I will run 100 miles in November.