Happy Halloween!

Cannon Posing

Having our neighbor as a photographer is fantastic. She recently took Halloween pictures that I cannot wait to see and share. And then yesterday she sent me these. I love them!

Training Wheels Are Off

We took Hudson's training wheels off yesterday. Finally. And this is him today:


I feel bad that we didnt spend too much time with him and the bike before this past year. I feel like Cannon is almost ready for his training wheels to come off but that is just because we spend a lot of time on bikes now. It doesn't matter now - because he is riding his bike! And he was so happy! Now we have to work on turning because he is turning without slowing down right now.

Pumpkin Time

I love pumpkin patches. The kids have fun, get tired and the patches these days are so crazy and over the top - jump houses, trains, rides, slides, horses, games, prizes, and pumpkins. The boys went to TWO pumpkin patches this weekend!



On Sunday we went to Irvine Park Railroad. The best place ever! We got there early to take pictures (in costumes) with our neighbor and then stayed and let the boys play before the crowds.

Hudson driving:





Train:






Peacocks!



Bounce House.


Haunted House.





We went to Pa's Pumpkin Patch for Cha Cha's Birthday. The kids had so much fun!






Hudson going down the giant slide:


Cannon is not scared to go down the giant slide:


Prizes.


Train.



Strong boy.



Bumper boats!


Bounce house:


Yum!

Starbucks

The boys both rode their bikes all the way to Starbucks this weekend! I ran beside them so that I could make sure they stopped at streets and help them on little hills or driveways.



They made it!


And made it back home!

The Valley's

Jen and Ryan's wedding last weekend in a walnut grove was absolutely beautiful. We all had so much fun and were so happy to celebrate such a special occasion!


JR + I


The girls.


Di and I.


The fun table!


The cell phone pic.

Cursed with Bad Sleep

Our family must be cursed with bad sleep. I am not sure what we did to get this curse, but it seems to be true. We are dealing with it as best we can - I mean, what choice do we have. Neither JR or myself were great sleepers to begin with. I am a light sleeper and JR is an early riser. We got two kids that do not sleep well. Never have. Hudson nearly drove me crazy when he was a baby because he never slept. I was truly concerned about brain development and growth because he slept so little. Hudson hasn't napped since he was 18 months old. He is still, and always has been, more likely to wake up at night than not. Cannon slept a little better than Hudson but woke up so early the first 8 months of his life that I also almost went crazy (413am - and by the time he went back to sleep, Hudson was up). Cannon is an early riser and a light sleeper. And sleeping in for us? Forget about it. If it is 6am and a kid hasn't woken me up more than a half dozen times at night, that is sleeping in around here.

If the kids happen to sleep, the dogs wake us up with barking at something. If the dogs and kids don't wake us, then we have our crazy washer and dryer which randomly beep (at night when we are asleep). So every night I now remember to unplug our possessed dryer. If our dogs, kids and dryer don't wake us up, we have the smoke alarms which like to get us at night now too. JR changed the batteries about a month ago, but that didn't stop one of them from going off this weekend, right after I fell asleep, waking myself and the boys.... on a night when JR was gone at the River.

Of course.

The story of my life. We are cursed with bad sleep. It is really just too bad that sleep is something your body needs. I would gladly give it up if I could and read or catch up on laundry at night. My sleep requirements have reduced over the years, and I hardly require any at all anymore. If I sleep 4-5 hours in a row, I am usually good. I still can't get used to the up-every-hour thing and that is still really difficult when it happens, but for the most part, I don't need much!

I am not asking to sleep in until 9 like some people with kids I know (soccer team fams -- I cannot even begin to imagine. And likewise, they cannot begin to imagine what we go through). I don't need my kids to nap. I don't need anywhere near 8-10 hours. But I would like to sleep 4-5 hours straight at night (heck, I will take SOME nights at this point) without a kid, dog, dryer, alarm, husband going to work early, or neighbor waking me up.

Fingers crossed the Bad Sleep Curse ends at some point.

Four-and-a-Half

Hudson is so excited to be four and a half now. He feels (and looks) so much older. I cannot believe his next milestone is 5! Hudson, I am so proud of you. I love watching you in everything you do, whether it is playing soccer, talking to your friends, or playing nicely with your brother. You are such a sweet boy (most of the time!) and I am so so lucky to be your mommy.