Howdy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, readers!

My kiddos were both dressed up this year, and since this was our first year with two kids we went with a theme ...

Cowboy and cowgirl!

Baylor played the part of the sheriff ever so coolly.  And Mollie enjoyed rocking a bandanna for a bib.

We gave him the lowdown about Halloween a couple days ago, but we still had to coax him into his costume by telling him the vest and hat would keep him warm on this cold night. 

He got to head out for some trick or treating action once his cousins showed up.  He flat out refused to say, "Trick or treat!" when he would arrive at a particular door, but people were pretty understanding.  And he just about died from delight every time a dog came to the door as well!  Funny little guy.

After a stop off at Grandma and Grandpa's house, we headed home to see Mollie who had stayed back because it was so cool out.  We showed Baylor how to dump out his bucket to survey his loot.  Lots of M&M's! 

M&M's are his favorite, but truth be told he's never had any other candy - and probably still won't have any other candy for a while longer.  But M&M's are fun and small, and the little packages are perfect for a little guy like my bubba.  Knowing that he only got one package tonight, though, he still shared with everyone.

He even helped us all eat them!

Unfortunately, by the time he got to me, his fingers were wet and blue food coloring got everywhere!

Overall, I think this Halloween was a success!  Next year, I'm sure, will be even more fun as Mollie might get to venture out with us! 

I hope you had a frightfully good night! 

Sticker Stealer

Baylor has been all about stickers lately, but the other day he left a sheet of them on the floor ...

... and Mollie proceeded to pull them off by the fist-full!

Our Mornings

Most mornings, Amalia wakes up before her brother.  The other day was no exception; in fact, she got up so early that I wasn't done pumping milk for her cereal so she got to play on the floor while I finished up.  She is getting so mobile now ...

... really, really mobile!

Baylor finally woke up, so she and I went in to greet him for the day.  Lately, he's been asking me to sling his quilt over the crib rail so we can play peekaboo and look at the construction signs.

It's a good way to start the day.

Now that she's skilled at sitting up, Mollie gets to check out the action from the floor while enjoying a little snuggle time with random stuffed animals.

"Bump!  Detour!  Closed!"

Lately, Mollie has been traveling over to Baylor's closet to play with the doors.  The instant he hears her kicking them with her feet, he starts laughing and smiling.

Peekaboo, Muffin Man!

Then he hides under his blanket.  And sometimes he snuggles with Mr. Bear and Mr. Bear's brother, Mr. Bear.

He's big enough to climb out of his crib ... but he hasn't figured that out yet.  Knock on wood!

He also likes it when I hide under the quilt with him.

Such a happy boy!

Future Ralph Lauren Model?

Mollie has this adorable Ralph Lauren outfit that isn't going to fit her much longer, so I thought I'd snap a few pictures of her in it the other morning before breakfast while she was un-bibbed and dry of drool.  I got a few good ones I thought I'd share with you!

Enjoy the smiles!

Trains, Cups, and Giggles

They aren't necessarily playing together yet, but my kiddos are able to have fun near one another nonetheless.

Baylor enjoys his GeoTrax train set, and Mollie has been perfecting her technique of banging stacking cups together.

He's not much for smiling for the camera these days, but he is having fun ... I swear!

He does love fiddling with the cargo and putting it down the cargo chute. 

And Mollie is working really hard at becoming mobile ... she has perfected the awkward army crawl.

Baylor also loves deconstructing the track ... and then asks for help putting it back together.

Miss Mollie loves her Aunt Christine so much ... just look at that smile!

Reeeeaaaach!  So close, and yet so very far away. 

It is so much fun playing with the kiddos ... they are growing up so fast!

Pumpkin Pickin' ... Again

A few weeks ago, my mom took the kids and I to get pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch.  As you can see, Baylor was pretty excited for the event.

It was a lovely day, just starting to turn fall-ish out.  Mollie, of course, rocked it in her pumpkin-wear, looking scrumptious as usual.

This wasn't Baylor's first time at Under The Pines, but I doubt he recalled our trip there last year.  (Oh, and on a side note ... this post was originally called simply "Pumpkin Pickin'" until I realized that I had used the EXACT same title for last year's outing post.  Apparently I like what I like.  Also, I had no idea how much Baylor had changed in a year; you should totally breeze through some of October '09 for a real taste - it'll blow your mind!)

They had a little bin full of free apples to eat while you shop, and Baylor was more than glad to partake. 

Mollie got to ride in the Ergo Baby on Oma ...

... which freed me up to show Baylor all the harvest fall has to offer.  From funky-looking squash and gourds ...

... to some truly beautiful pumpkins.  He, of course, wanted to take them all home with us.  And drip apple juice all over the place.

Then he spotted a hill, and his little two-year-old legs told him to run ... so he did.

It took a lot of coaxing, but I finally got him away from the tree and up to the pumpkins again.

We tried to get a picture of the kiddos together, but it wasn't to be.  Too much going on and too little stability out of Mollie. 

It was a gorgeous fall day.  I hope you enjoy yours!

Costco and a Cart for Two

Costco has these wonderful carts that can seat two children up in front.  If Meijer, our local grocery store, had these, my life would be MUCH easier.

Anyhow, yesterday was Mollie's first time getting to enjoy the view from the front seat; usually she is relegated to sitting in her infant car seat in the basket area of the cart.  Yesterday, she was up with big brother Baylor.  And it was grand.

Yes, he may have stolen that new packet of books from her.  But she didn't seem to care much; the world was at her fingertips up there in front.

Then a guy with a cart distracted them both ... it was adorable!

This cart and getting to spend time with both kids makes me want to do all our shopping at Costco.  Sadly, our fridge, freezer, and pantry just aren't big enough for that.  Oh well, such is life.

Have a wonderful day!

Fun at Oma's House

With life feeling a little out of control these days, I called on my parents and sister for some help this weekend.  They took both kids for almost a whole day while I got things done around the house.  Was it relaxing?  No, certainly not.  And I didn't get everything done, for sure.  But it was a start, and that's what I needed.

And while I was cleaning and tidying, the kids were off having fun!  Baylor always talks about baking with Oma and Aunt Christine, so they decided to whip up a batch of M&M cookies with his help.

He was "helpful" when cracking the eggs.

Bringing the cuteness on is helpful, right? 

Mollie just watched and ate.

The mess was finally cleaned up and smiles abounded.

Then Grandpa E demonstrated the proper egg cracking technique.

Baylor got to dump in the M&Ms!  Clearly he played a vital role in the cookies' creation.

And he kept a close watch on them as they baked.

Eagerly anticipating their completion.

Mollie took a bottle and sacked out in Grandpa E's arms.

And was so tired that she stayed asleep all the way upstairs and into the pack n' play.

I am so lucky to have such wonderful family nearby to help with my kiddos.  And they are lucky to have such loving people in their lives.  Thanks again, Mom, Dad, and Christine!  (Oh, and go green!)

The ADD Monster

Most of you probably don't know this, but I have attention deficit disorder (ADD).  I wasn't diagnosed until my freshman year of college, though it seems to have been present all my life.  My mom always wondered why it took me hours to finish my homework, but because I don't have the hyperactivity component that many people have and always did well in school it was just an annoying habit I seemed to have.  After I was diagnosed, I took Ritalin for a little while and learned ways to cope with the disorder as best I can.  But, as much as it drives me and those close to me crazy, I can't shake it; it's part of who I am.  It affects my everyday life in so many ways, ways I can't even describe to you.  Simple tasks become endless odysseys, trips to the store take an eternity, and time is lost in the blink of an eye.  Our house is a bit of a mess most days, and my to-do list is unending.  Why, you ask?  Here's what happens when I try to do a simple task ...

The scene: Both of the kids are down for a nap after lunch, and I'd like a drink of water before I get to cleaning up the downstairs.  After filling up my cup, I realize the Brita needs to be refilled.

The task: Refill the Brita.

• Go to the sink, see that the dishes from lunch are in the way of getting the pitcher under the faucet.  Put the Brita on the counter to do enough dishes to get it under the faucet.
• See that Mollie's bib needs to be washed.  Wash it before the oatmeal hardens, then take it into the laundry room to hang it on the drying rack.
• While in the laundry room, remember that I wanted to do the laundry while the kids were napping.  Hang up Mollie's bib then head upstairs to sort clothes.
• Start sorting the clothes in our bedroom.  Ahh, the towels haven't been washed in an eternity ... better do those first.
• Notice that the toilet paper is low; get that from under the sink.   Catch a glimpse of self in the mirror and realize eyebrows have gone Sasquatch ... pluck immediately.
• Grab all the towels and bathmats and chuck into a basket.
• Resume sorting all the clothes.  Bring most important load downstairs to be washed.
• Get the load in the washer.  Meanwhile, notice that the laundry room stinks to high heaven.  Promptly take out the trash in the diaper pail.
• Go to the fridge to grab a York Peppermint Patty for a snack and notice the Brita is missing. 
• Resume doing the dishes so the Brita can be filled.
• Refill the Brita.

This was the shortest example I could think of.  Seriously.  Almost all of my tasks end up being a giant circle; start one spot, get sidetracked, start tens of other tasks, end up at first task and complete it, then move to one of the other tasks I started along the way.  Repeat.  It's infuriating.

To cope, I try really hard to write down what I can (my thoughts are often fleeting), make sure things have their proper home and try to return them to their home as soon as possible after use (cuts down on the number of times I get sidetracked), and go as fast and as hard as I can for as long as I can so I get the most done (that's what she said). 

So why am I writing about this?  Well, in part to raise awareness for ADD; a lot of people have heard about it, but not a lot of people know exactly how it affects an adult.  I think most people think of it as a childhood disorder, but there are a lot of adults out there (Hi, Aunt Diane!) who struggle with it everyday.

I'm also writing about it to help explain why I've been so silent on the blog lately.  I want to write on it so badly; I think about it all the time.  But my circuitous way of life keeps me going from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. 

I'm working on it.  I am.  And please know that I haven't gone away; I will post more pictures and write more soon.  As soon as I can ... it keeps me sane, you know?

Have a wonderful night!

"Did You Make Your Bed Today?"

"Did you make your bed today?"

This was the very question my mother asked me the other day as I chatted with her on the phone about coming over to watch the kids for me while I raked leaves. 

"Huh?" I replied.  I hadn't heard that question from her since I was a teenager living at her house, so I was a bit puzzled. 

"Did you make your bed?  You know, in your efforts to become more mindful?  Didn't you read the article you posted on your blog?  I thought that's why you were inspired to rake leaves."

I had read it, but I didn't remember any part about making your bed or raking leaves. 

As it turns out, my mom was referring to another article written by the same writer that had been referenced in the article I read.  This one spoke of a mindful home, and I devoured it as I had the first.  In all its simplicity, it told how taking the time to enjoy and reflect in the act of taking care of one's home can lead to mindfulness, "to improve our lives with special contemplative consideration, a method for making saner choices and assuring better outcomes". 

I looked outside at the thick carpet of leaves spread over our lawn and decided it was going to take more time than I had anticipated, so I called my mother-in-law over for some early help.  While she stayed inside with the kids, I tried my best to immerse myself in the act of raking leaves.  At first the task itself seemed daunting; the leaves were wet and sticky with rain, and they covered almost our whole side-yard and a good majority of our driveway.  But as I worked I tried to keep a positive outlook on things and noticed that things weren't as bleak as they initially appeared.  Because the leaves were damp, they didn't fly about when the wind blew - and it did - and once I got them down to the compost pile at the opposite end of our property they easily slid out of the wheelbarrow like a giant leaf turd, no shaking or fancy shimmying necessary.  And the leaves themselves were gorgeous; a wonderful cacophony of color turned over with every pull of the rake. 

Yes, there were times during the raking that I lost my mindfulness, that I allowed the negative and whiny to creep in.  And as they crept in, the task got harder and more mistakes were made; leaves missed the wheelbarrow and made another pile for me to take care of, I hit one of the many potholes in our backyard and sent a wheelbarrow punch directly to my breadbasket, and my breathing became more labored.  As soon as I cleared my head and focused on the leaves and the act of just raking, the task became easier and more freeing.

It took me an hour and ten minutes to finish, but by the end I felt rejuvenated.  No, I had not captured all the leaves; the wind was blowing new leaves off the trees every moment that passed.  But the pile was gone and I was satisfied with my efforts.  And I was bolstered by my new try at mindfulness, ready to conquer the giant pile of clothes in our hamper and the dirty dishes in and around the sink.  Is it easy, this effort of being in the moment and enjoying a particular task?  Not at first, and not always for a person whose mind tends to go a mile a minute.  But I have found that it's worth the effort, making each moment count and reveling in the fact that I have these things in my life to do. 

And now, on to the day.  I hope yours is a great one!