State Fair of Texas 2012

On the first weekend of October we headed to DFW for the weekend.  Robert had a meeting on Sunday afternoon for the Honor Flight he was taking with Bob, so we decided it was the perfect time to make our annual trip to the fair.  A cold front came through, and we had to buy Claire a new coat the night before.  It was perfect fair weather.  Unfortunately when we got there I realized I had left the memory card for my DSLR at home, but I'm glad we both at least had our iPhone cameras to get some photos.

One of our first stops was the Little Helpers farm.  They both had so much fun with it this year - one of the highlights for the kids.


Planting seeds






Next we visited the petting zoo - it was a little too crowded to get any good pictures, but we all liked seeing the baby animals.

Claire and Will loved the auto show - they finally got to explore some vehicles without car seats!






Fletcher's corn dogs - a State Fair tradition!




A Dole Whip to top it off


Obligatory photo with Big Tex - we were so sad to hear of his demise a couple weeks later but are looking forward to seeing the new version next year.


We rarely ride any rides during our visits, but we told Claire she could choose one ride, and she picked the Texas Skyway.  It's a little expensive, so we opted to have the kids and me take a one way ride while Robert met us at the other end.  She made a good choice - it was so fun, and we all loved seeing the fair from the air.








Will loved testing out the hammocks


We all had a blast, and it was a quiet drive around Dallas and back to Arlington as both kids took unheard of two hour naps in the car.  See you next year, new Big Tex!

Visit to the pumpkin patch

My MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group organized an outing at Love Creek Orchards in Medina this past Monday, and the kids and I all agreed that it was well worth the hour and 20 minute drive out there.  We stayed for 3 hours and had so much fun!

The first activity they tried was a ride in the barrel cars.  I was a little unsure how Will would do, but as you can see from the photos, they both loved it.

Next we visited the ponies.  Claire usually back away from animals, but she was excited to get a chance to brush the pony.  Will just got all up in his face and kept telling me "Mommy!  I see the horse!  I touch the horse!  Neigh!"

The hay maze was a big hit - I lost count of how many times they ran through it.

Failed attempt to get a posed photo of the two of them - they were much more interested in checking out the corn husks and throwing hay.

There was an announcement that the music show was about to begin, and since it was time for a snack, we headed over and found a hay bale to sit on.  Will was really into the music - we probably would've stayed through the whole show if Claire hadn't been ready to move on.

At the petting zoo, Will fell in love with the baby goats.  They tended to move around to whoever had cups of food, so each time they moved to another part of the pen, Will would stand on the hay bales and yell "Baby goats!  Come back!  Come back over here baby goats!"  So cute.

We also visited the ducks, the geese, the turkeys, and the donkey (or maybe it was a burro - I'm not sure).

On the hayride around the orchard, I got someone to take a picture of the 3 of us.  I'm determined to start getting more pictures with the kids in front of the camera, even if I'm the only one looking at it!

After a lunch break, the kids painted pumpkins, got one last treat, and made a few more dashes through the hay maze.  They would've liked to have stayed longer, but it was already past naptime, and I knew meltdowns were imminent.  We loved our visit, and I hope Robert can go with us next time!

First sleepover

My parents recently got a bed for Claire and Will so that they could stay over sometimes, and Claire got to try it out for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  She was SO excited.  Robert and I are currently taking a parenting class at our church on Sunday evenings, so we dropped the kids off at Mom & Dad's, and they played and had their baths while we were in class.  We went back over to make sure Claire was doing okay, tell her good night, and pick up Will.  When we were driving away, Will starting saying "Claire? Claire? Claire!!!" in an increasingly insistent voice.  We realized that he thought we had accidentally left her, and it took a few minutes, but we were able to convince him that we intended for her to say at Nana & Granddaddy's.

Mom & Dad reported that it took her a little longer than usual to fall asleep, so Mom ended up sleeping on the trundle, which made Claire happy.  She slept great, and when I picked her up the next morning, she asked if she could stay there again that night.  So, it was definitely a success.  :)  We are planning for her to have another sleepover soon.







The next morning, Will enjoyed some alone time and felt like big stuff sitting in Claire's chair, something she doesn't usually let him get away with.

The Big Boy Bed

Robert and I had been discussing moving Will to a toddler bed for a few weeks, and in mid-September, we took the plunge.  I was a little nervous - he was only 22 months old, but he had come close to crawling out of his crib several times, giving us a few scares.  Dad and Robert bolted down the furniture, and we converted the crib to a toddler bed.  Turns out my fears were unfounded - he did great!  The first night, our kid who had been regularly waking up at 5:20 stayed in bed until 7.  We had a few difficult days with naps, and I felt like one of his distractions was a loose crib slat that he liked to kick.  We got him a true toddler bed a few days later, and he loved it.  He quickly got back on his normal nap schedule, and overall is still sleeping later than he had been - woo hoo!  This weekend was our first to travel since he was out of the crib, and he did so good on his air mattress.  The crib was donated to our church's garage sale, and we're putting the pack & play back into the storage closet.  Big steps for our not quite 2 year old!

First night with no crib front

First night in the toddler bed - ready to try it out!

Claire getting in on the action

At naptime last week - sleeping so peacefully

The Fall Routine

Wow - I am so behind!  Today I tried to get caught up by starting to organize photos, and I have over 100 that I want to share.  We have been busy with our new fall routine and enjoying the last days of summer.  The kids still go to school on Tues/Thurs, and while they are away I go to pilates at the Y (reformer on Tuesdays and mat on Thursdays), shower, clean a little, run errands, work on my Bible study, do laundry, appointments, finally get people out to fix the floor in the hall, etc.).  Claire has started speech therapy on Mondays and is really enjoying it.  On Wednesday mornings we go to Bible study, and we go to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meetings every other Friday.  This is my first year in MOPS, and I am loving it!  The kids have fun in their classes, too, so it's been a great thing for all of us.

A few recent pictures...Will stayed with my parents on Monday while Claire was at speech.  C and I picked him up, and the 3 of us went to my parents' neighborhood park for a picnic lunch and to enjoy some cooler weather.  There was definitely more playing than eating - we had to have Lunch #2 when we got home.

By the way - Will LOVES this t-rex shirt.  When he sees it, he'll exclaim "Dinosaur shirt!  That a 'T'! ROAR!" and will roar many times throughout the day with his hands up high like claws.  So funny!

What the DVR is Watching - Fall 12

It's that time of year again - the Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Review issue is out which means that the new TV season is upon us!  Here is my annual list of what I'll set up the DVR to record - what I actually end up viewing remains to be seen.

Sunday
The Amazing Race (CBS) - 9/30 -- pad for football delay
Revenge (ABC) - 9/30

Monday
How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 9/24
Revolution (NBC) - 9/17

Tuesday
Parenthood (NBC) - already started
The Mindy Project (FOX) - 9/25

Flipping Out (Bravo) - already started
Wednesday
Survivor: Philippines (CBS) - 9/19
Modern Family (ABC) - 9/26

Nashville (ABC) - 10/10

Thursday
Project Runway (Lifetime) - already started

Person of Interest (CBS) - 9/27

30 Rock (NBC) - 10/4Parks & Recreation (NBC) - 9/20
The Office (NBC) - 9/20
Grey's Anatomy (ABC) - 9/27

Friday
Shark Tank (ABC) - 9/14

Saturday

Catch up on DVR'd shows

"Hello Kitty Park"

Claire asked a couple of months ago if we would take her to "Hello Kitty Park", or Kiddie Park, as it is otherwise known.  We'd been trying to think of a good reward for her to entice her to stop picking her fingernails (she would peel them down to the quick!), and so we told her that if she would let all of her nails grow so that the white showed, we would take her to Kiddie Park.

She worked really hard to leave them alone, and all of her nails look great, so last week while Ma & Bob were here for a visit, we finally went to KP.  Carol and Grace were able to join us.  The younger kids took awhile to warm up to the rides, but Claire had a blast.  It was a well deserved reward!

The cars




Boats


Carousel




High flyers




While Claire rode the Ferris wheel, Will wanted another ride on the cars.  He was really excited to get the little car that looked like a train engine and kept saying "Choo choo!  All aboard!" as it went around.


The little wagons were a favorite - I think they most enjoyed getting to sit next to each other. (This picture also demonstrates how they look to be the same height when they're sitting down, which is why I can't take them to the grocery store without at least 2 people asking me if they are twins!)


The spaceship ride goes pretty high and pretty fast - I got a little nervous for her when it started, but she belly giggled the whole time.


The best picture I could get of the toddlers together


Ride #2 on the school bus.  It was bumpy - Will is saying "Whoooa!"

Ma & Bob's visit

Robert's grandparents drove down from Arlington last week to spend the weekend with us.  They arrived on Friday and joined us for a visit to Kiddie Park Saturday morning.  That evening we grilled and Carol & Grace & my parents were all able to join us.  Saturday was church and lunch out, and that afternoon Claire and I tried a new recipe - Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread from Southern Living.  It was a hit with all of us, and we enjoyed it for dessert, breakfast, and snacks!  Claire enjoyed posing for a photo with our results - and reviewing the photos taken my Ma.





We all had a great visit and look forward to seeing them again soon!