One Good Halloween...

Cupcakes.

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A Costume Parade:

The Conductor.

His class.

No two-year-old, because I forgot.

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The only photo I took at the Corn Maze:

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A Halloween Carnival at church:

Two monkeys names Hayes. No kidding!

Games.

Buddies. "CHEESE!"

Food Trucks. And chips. 

(Hayes says chips backwards and it sounds like B****. We cannot help but laugh. He loves chips.)

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October 31st:

Pizza at Grammy and Bee's pre-trick-or-treat.

One conductor. 

One cotton candy.

One grumpy Curious George.

She is "THE SWEETEST."

Lots of kids. Lots of candy. Fun with Aunt Abby. 

(The two-year-old had screamed his way back to The Sienna (mini-van) by this time.)

One cool kid who was very proud of his costume and the general awesome-ness of the evening.

So tired but having fun!

The recovering two-year-old with the pro trick-or-treater. I saw them sitting together and ran Lillie over for a photo....the only one with all three of my kiddos.

Three is a lot. Halloween is fun. Good night!  

Costume Building And Why You Shouldn't Listen To Your Mother

Last week Bryan built Parker his POLAR EXPRESS costume. He did an awesome job and I am so thankful that I have a husband who is excited to do stuff like this for our children.

I tried sooooooo hard to get Parker to be something else other than The Polar Express. (Ya know, since he was a train last year and since The Polar Express is for CHRISTMAS and not Halloween.)

Here are our conversations:

Me: Parker, what do you want to be for Halloween?

Parker: How about......A MONSTER TRUCK?

Me: Okay! That sounds cool!

Parker: OR......I could be....THE POLAR EXPRESS!

Me: Well, but The Polar Express is for Christmas. How about you be something else?

Parker: Okay! How about....A FIRETRUCK?

Me: Yes! That's an awesome idea.

Parker: OR.....I could be....THE POLAR EXPRESS!

(Repeat with various methods of transportation about 23 more times.)

We gave in.

Also, THIS IS WHAT I DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.

100% Bryan's idea. This is the G-Rated version.

Hayes did nothing else but toot and laugh today. I mean it. I don't remember a single other thing that he did.

Good thing I have this little lady.

But back to THE POLAR EXPRESS (I always think of it in a yell because that's how Parker says it. He says it a lot, too.)

Parker wore his costume all weekend and got so many compliments. I will try and do another post on trick-or-treating for my two other children who were incredibly adorable BUT I must write this first: Parker was videoed while we were trick-or-treating and after we got home we were de-lighted to see him in the Halloween segment on the news. I laughed so hard. (Link right here.)We were so shocked and even more shocked to wake up today with the news station searching for the "mystery train conductor" on Facebook! Well, they found him thanks to a few of my friends and now they will be doing a story on Parker and his love for the Polar Express! I am totally not kidding, either. 

The local Polar Express that runs at Christmastime is letting him be a honorary conductor one night on the train, but SHHHHH! It's a surprise to Parker!

I still can't believe it. This is why you should never listen to your mother when she tells you, "Just be something else for Halloween."

(And I'm out of time....see how good I'm doing!?)

Not Quite Christmas

My children have a mother who is overly obsessed with Christmas. I've only cheated ONCE so far this year and listened to Christmas music before Halloween. It was on Saturday, when me and Parker ventured out to a Christmas specialty store to find some stocking and maybe some trains (we didn't have any luck, but ate some delicious truffles and cupcakes). 

Anyways--it's November 1st, WHICH MEANS I can listen to Christmas music guilt-free (although Bryan disagrees...bah humbug). 

Today I had the "my tunes" on while me and Lillie Mae got the boys from school. I commented to Parker that it was November 1st along with the statement above. He just kind of looked at me and moved on to more important things ("Mom, I want to go the train park after Sonic."), but later on after we got home he asked if we were allowed to watch a Christmas movie since it is almost Christmas time. As you would guess....I agreed! We watched Curious George Christmas and then I had an idea: we are starting a new tradition. 

Since I'm technically still a "Christmas crazy" until after Thanksgiving, I think we will start calling November 1st "Not Quite Christmas". 

Activities involved: 

1. Listen to unlimited amounts of Christmas music

2. Watch a Christmas movie with hot chocolate in our Polar Express mugs (and apparently popcorn because we just have to have it)

3. Make gift lists for Santa and family (This is mostly because I like to get all of the shopping done before December 1st....I am such a smart mother. ;)

4. Read a Christmas book before bed.

This is exactly what we did tonight. Guilt free. It was awesome!

Now we can get back to good old Thanksgiving.

A series of photos I never put on Instagram.

Lillie Mae this morning. (She is a mini Parker by the way.)

Hayes took a walk on a "tightrope" this afternoon. Took him 15 minutes. My patience has increased exponentially since having children.

We had family movie night tonight with my favorite popcorn bowls, Whirly Pop popcorn, and hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows. We watched Beauty and the Beast. Lillie's choice. Parker does not like this movie, but it wasn't his night to pick. (Lillie's choice night is basically Mom and Dad's choice night, BTW.)

More of Hayes on our never-ending walk. He is terribly good at being two-years-old.

Arms full of sweetness. Also got some new Fabletics tights in the mail today that I LOVE. 

Lillie yesterday after church. Obviously unhappy but still very cute! My mom got her this little dress and had it monogrammed. I was trying to get a picture of the monogrammed part and had zero luck.

Haysie being the sweetest big brother with those pouty lips.

Last week right before she puked all over that outfit.

This is my life at 2:00am these days. HEY MOM, I KNOW I SLEPT ALL DAY BUT LET'S PARTY RIGHT NOW! SO AWAKE!

I was looking at her precious profile and needed to document it. I mean....perfection (this is during prime party time).

She told me she was a Tech fan. I told her that was fine as long as I could dress her up as a cheerleader. My mom found the smocked dress...I MEAN. 

Parker's super strange smile but proof that he is very, very good at the Etch A Sketch. He can draw trains like no one's business. Good-NESS this child is smart and cute.

"CHEESE." 

This is on Hayes's 2nd birthday week before last. :) Sam's club donut holes are delicious, by the way.

Parker is officially an asthmatic. Poor bud. We are inhaler-ed up and it cost us a whole 

month of college savings. Have I mentioned we live at the doctor's office these days?

My children love bubble baths at their Grammy's house. And I think I am grossed out every time they drink "booty juice". No one needs to see that, Hayes. 

Things we are doing this week:

1. Making Halloween costumes

2. Finishing MOPS craft

3. Kecia' birthday dinner

4. Carving pumpkins

5. MOPS craft meeting

6. Corn Maize

7. Moonlight Masquerade at church

8. Making mummy cookies and Halloween cupcakes for our "Boo Bags", for our friends at school, and just for us to eat. ;)

That doesn't look like a lot to a normal person but to a Mom it looks like a really good nap once it's all over. I'm so thankful I get to do this, though!

Saturday Portrait: October 2016

Saturdays in the fall are the best. Today we lounged around, watched football, burned candles that smelled like cinnamon and pumpkin, and did a really good job at messing up the house. I interested Parker for a brief bit with Halloween decor....but lost out quickly to "train crashes" (This is what he calls anything he watches on YouTube. It is rarely ever actual "train crashes"...which are, in fact, TOY train crashes. We aren't bad parents or anything! Usually.)

Anyways, I like how his sweet little room came out. Thank you, Target for your usual awesomeness. And all for only $7. 

 I've been wanting to start a family game night on Saturdays. Parker is old enough now that he understands board games so we chose Candyland Junior for our first game and tonight as our first game night. It was good, it was fun, and Hayes is not yet ready for board games. :) We were at the doctors office (for the SIXTH time in the last 3 weeks) and Parker reminded me that the torn sterile paper on the exam table was a result of "all the Crazy from The Haysie". Yes, Parker you hit the nail on the head.

Hayes likes tiny hats and watching football. Parker likes hats but not football.

Bryan: "Parker, what sport do you want to play?"

Parker: "Trains!"

Me: "But Parker, that isn't a sport. What do you want to play when you grow up?"

Parker: "Trains!"

**If you know Parker, then you know that this is not surprising at all.**

We can't bring ourselves to tell him that he needs to start liking a sport quick because that's pretty much how we plan for him to pay for college. 

(I'm kind of kidding.)

Lillie Mae is busy stealing the hearts of the three men in our home. She's pretty good at it. Bryan, hold on to your hat! (and remaining hair!) I think your daughter will give you a run for your money.

I have so much more to say about sister....I love her. But I'm trying this new thing of limiting my blog writing to 30 minutes SO THAT I ACTUALLY PUBLISH A BLOG POST. Adios!