October is almost OVER

I wait all year for October.  All year.  Truly.  I know, I know... that's slightly bizarre.  But good things always happen in October.  It's one of the things that I can count on.  Death, taxes and that amazing things happen in October.

This month has been full of happiness and pumpkin patches.  We have eaten pumpkin cupcakes at least three times. Plus, pumpkin cookies.  And maybe even some pumpkin fudge.  Yeah... I should have been running behind the hayride just to burn off all of these pumpkin related calories, but I don't think that's allowed. 

I have so many amazing recipes that I need to share.  Pinterest is a labyrinth of recipes and I have had more explode all over my oven that behave appropriately.  Therefore, I feel the need to share my successes.  I will start tomorrow with my Butterfinger Cookie Bake-off.  Two recipes.  One winner. 

I know.  You can barely stand the suspense, can you?

Try to contain yourself.  And go out and buy some Butterfinger candy bars.  You will thank me later.

Hello? Santa?

Brad and I have some very different ideas when it comes to parenting. We try to look at this in a positive way. For example, this week when Maddux snagged a pink marker from my scrapbooking stuff and colored in his new (formerly) khaki corduroys, Brad and I had different reactions. My initial reaction was to hang him upside down from the ceiling and never, ever buy him new clothing. Ever. Never ever. Brad's reaction was to laugh and explain to Maddux that markers are for paper, not clothing. However, if Breuklyn and Maddux are teasing each other for the millionth time in 5 minutes and both are screaming at the top of their lungs, it is Brad who is about to lose his mind. He will be plotting how we can auction them off on Ebay, so then it is my turn to go into Breuklyn's room and explain to her, calmly, that if they can't play nicely together that we are going to have a yard sale with all of their toys. We do whatever it takes to keep our blood pressure within relatively normal limits. It's a process.

Yesterday Brad came up with an absolutely ingenious parenting strategy that worked wonders with our children. He said that if they didn't stop running around the house like maniacs that he would call Santa Claus and tell him that he shouldn't come to our house. The kids stopped running... for about 10 minutes. When the kids came racing back into the living room, Brad jumped up and grabbed the phone. As the kids froze mid-sprint, my eyes widened in anticipation as to where this was going to go. He dialed about 15 numbers (I guess the North Pole is long distance, right?) and the conversation went like this,

Brad: Hello?? Mrs. Claus? Hi! How are you?

-listens and nods his head-

B: How is Santa? Has he been feeling well? Yes, I am sure that you are very busy this time of year.

-he continues talking to himself-

B: No, that's ok! If he is busy, then I won't bother him. I was just hoping to speak to him for a moment.

-did I mention that my children are whispering, "please daddy!! don't tell him that we were being mean... we'll be good... we promise!!!!" in the background?-

B: Well, if he gets a chance, he can call me back. You have caller ID, right? Yes? Great, then you have my number.

The kids are thrilled that Brad didn't rat them out to Santa and I swear that they behaved themselves for the rest of the evening. Every 15 minutes they would swing through the living room to check and see if Santa had called back, but they were quiet and extremely polite. Brad was very proud of himself. I don't know what we will do when Christmas is over, do you think the Easter Bunny has this much pull?

It's true... I can count

Breuklyn: (talking to Brad) There are only 2 more days until I have school again!!

Brad: (thinking he is funny) Are you sure? I don't think so. I think there are 45 more days.

Breuklyn: NO! There are only two more days. Mommy said so!

Brad: Maybe mommy is wrong.

Breuklyn: NO WAY!

Brad: Oh yeah? Why not?

Breuklyn: (sounding shocked at his obvious lack of insight) Because mommy can count!!!

Maddux: (Not to be left out) YEAH!

The Adventures Continue

Yesterday we spent the day at the Nashville Zoo and we had so much fun! I am a huge big fan of the zoo and we finally bought a family membership this year. Finally! This year they opened up a new Alligator Exhibit and Breuklyn was so very excited to check it out. Even though it was 95+ degrees, the kids were amazingly well behaved and were so excited as we trooped along. I am still amazed that Maddux's little legs were capable of walking for the 4 hours that we were there. I thought for sure that he would ask to ride in the stroller, but he was in it for the long haul.

On the way home, we did the usual review of what was cool and what they didn't like. Breuklyn's favorite part was the carousel, which she got to ride twice. She didn't like the historic farm that they have there. In her words, "Why do they have a barn at the zoo? Those aren't zoo animals. And, I see barns all day night on the way to Nanny's house. I know what a horse looks like already." Apparently the zoo needs to step it up! She was also aggravated that they are housing the new giant anteaters off exhibit in the barn. "They don't live in barns, Mom. That's not real." I wasn't aware that we were raising a future zookeeper, but it seems that we are.

Maddux was much easier to please. He liked the, "Zebras, 'raffs, fontants, gators, meerCATS and the lions." In case you don't speak fluent Maddux, that was zebras, giraffes, elephants, alligators, meerkats and lions. There weren't any lions, so I am not so sure about that one. He didn't like the carousel because, "it was 'cary."

Paizlee loved the zoo because it was a new place to take a nap.

All in all, it was a successful adventure and we will be going back on August 11th because they are having a members night where you get to stay after everyone else leaves and the carousel rides are free. Surely, we must ride the carousel a million times!

Aquarium

Since Brad is on vacation for the first time ever, we have been all over the place doing all of the things that the kids love best. The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga recently added a new Penguin Exhibit, so we decided that since it a million degrees outside, an air conditioned aquarium would be the perfect place to spend the afternoon. I absolutely love this picture of Breuklyn being all excited and Maddux trying to hide from me. It makes me smile. :)

You will be thrilled to know, I am certain, that I touch a sting ray. They feel very squishy, like a sponge. Totally creepy. Breuklyn wasn't interested and Maddux wanted to know which one was Nemo, since there were orange fish swimming in with the sting rays and baby sharks of some sort. The lady with the microphone who was yelling out random facts and instructing everyone not to step on the butterflies in the butterfly room announced, "Now there is a mom with some courage!!" at which every woman within earshot stuck her hand in there, grabbed a sting ray and glared at me. Nice.

After three hours and two buildings, Maddux was still yelling, "Look!! More fish" everytime we rounded a corner. We saw fish (obviously), squid, alligators, snakes, sea otters, penguins, sharks and countless other animals that I have forgotten. There was even a fish that looked disturbingly like my great-grandfather which my sister and I refer to as the Grandpa Spangler fish. On the ride home we asked the kids what their favorite thing at the aquarium was and they gleefully announced, "Buying snakes at the gift shop!!" as they flung their five foot-long plush snakes all over the back seat. Well, at least I took lots of pictures to remember the day, even if they don't. :)