Preschool Pumpkin Patch Predicaments

I realize "predicament" is probably a little strong for the subject, but I had to stick to the alliteration! :)
Today was Hannah's first field trip, and we got to go to a pumpkin patch that we've never been to! The weather was gorgeous, with temps probably in the 70s; in fact, all of us were hot and the kids were all red-faced. :) Amazing in October! One lady said that last year it was cold and rainy at this time--and even last WEEK could have been like that. Crazy.
Anyway, we met up with the teachers there, (Hannah rushed over to see her teacher as soon as she spotted her, she gave her a big hug, and then held her hand until we got going. So cute!) and proceeded to the animal area. Lots of farm animals to pet and feed--Gemma had a blast with that, too, and she makes the funniest pig noise. It sounds more like a grunt than an "oink."


Gemma really liked the animals, and Hannah was running from place to place, saying "Mommy, look at this!" She was very excited to be there with her friends and her teacher! :)

Next stop were the hay tunnels. This only made me a tad nervous, as I imagined Gemma getting lost in the middle of it somewhere, but when I saw a larger dad fit through to go after someone, I figured it would be okay. :) Both girls ran right over and started burrowing through the hay bales. Hannah's class took a really cute picture together.



Hannah and a friend checking out the hay tunnels before deciding that Yes, it was safe to go through! :)


Here's my brave girl! :) I was so proud of her going through there with the big kids!

After the hay tunnels, we loaded up onto the hay truck, and sat on the hay bales, pulling hay from our shoes & shirts. Notice a theme here?


Once we got into the pumpkin patch, we had a great time finding just the right pumpkin, and it was fun seeing Hannah run around with one of her friends. She was quite picky about it, so that was funny to watch. She found a really good one, and then it was time to load up again. Before we got on the hay ride, I suddenly felt this piercing pinch on my elbow. After seeing wasps & bees everywhere, and seeing one of the little boys screaming in pain, I knew I'd gotten stung. Fortunately, I'm not allergic or anything, but that thing HURT! It's still sort of sore, which is kind of amazing that a little tiny insect can cause that much pain.





At any rate, we then got back to the main part of the farm and the kids had a blast using a well to pump water to wash their pumpkins. Years ago, who would have thought that something like that would be fun for kids nowadays?



Hannah had a great time, and it was fun to watch her enjoy her very first field trip!

Date night

Last Friday night Keith and I got to go on a long-awaited date night. SO nice! My parents offered to watch the girls and keep them overnight, so we had over twelve hours of date time...some of which was spent...SLEEPING! (Sheesh, where are your minds?!) ;)
Anywhoo, after dropping the girls off while I got ready (so nice to take a shower, dress and do my makeup/hair in peace), Keith came home & we headed out. I didn't know where we were going, so I was happily surprised to see we were going to a restaurant called Salty's, which is right on the river. The atmosphere of the place is formal, but still feels like you could be there in jeans. Does that make sense? Linens on the tables, candles, the servers are dressed in black. etc. Very posh and adult. :) We even ordered an appetizer, which was a bruschetta platter (SO yummy--chevre, roasted hazelnut topping, sauteed local mushrooms, and roasted garlic & onions.) We cleaned that plate right up! For dinner, Keith had trout and I had cioppino. (sp?) It was the traditional seafood stew in a tomato base and it was DELICIOUS!! The funniest thing about that was that when the gal brought it over (not our server), she set it down and politely asked "Would you like me to tie your bib on?" I thought: "Bib...?" Not wanting to seem uncouth, I of course said yes, and then proceeded to eat with my bib on for the rest of the meal. I also had those weird tong-looking things on a plate, but I think they accidentally brought both items to me, thinking I was having lobster or something...? Anyway, that was weird, but fortunately, Keith still wanted to gaze at me across the table with a bib on. :)
For dessert we shared a white chocolate cake, which was very tasty. I haven't been eating much (if any) dairy in the last month and a half, trying to figure out if it bothers my face or health. At any rate, at the dessert point, I did have to indulge a bit, but I was pretty good the rest of the meal! It's amazing that a person still has choices without cheese in everything. ;)
All in all, the night was perfect, including (unbeknownst to Keith) a live jazz trio! When's the next date night, honey?? :)

Interesting place to hang out

Today after I got dressed & put my face on, I couldn't find Hannah anywhere. I had asked her to get dressed because she had preschool this afternoon. (In my mind, I knew we had lots of time before we needed to leave, but I wanted to be prepared for those last minute things that come up.) After calling for her a few times and looking in every room of the house, I realized the door to the garage was wide open. Upon going into the garage I saw the light on in the car and I found Hannah, sitting quietly in her BUCKLED car seat, dressed with shoes on and everything! She was patiently sitting there "snuffing" her froggie, and even when I explained it would be two HOURS before it was time to leave, she insisted she'd want to stay in there. She said, "I thought we were going to be a little late!" I said that she could stay in there, but that it would be about the same amount of time as a whole movie before we'd leave. To that she responded, "Could you bring me a snack, then?" I said that Gemma & I would be having a snack in the house if she wanted to join us. She decided that would be a worthwhile reason for getting out of the car...at least for a few minutes.

She is so funny! :)

A Very Quiet Weekend

This weekend, I am home alone! Agghhhhhh!!!! (Picture hands on my face, an open mouth, and wide eyes.) Keith decided to take the girls to see his parents this weekend because Patrick had surgery last week & he wanted to help them out a bit. Since I was supposed to sing at church tomorrow, I figured I would stay home & enjoy a weekend by myself to hang out with friends, get some reading done, and catch up on sleep! Sounds great, right? Well unfortunately, my weekend got off to a little bit of a rough start because I came down with a cold yesterday & was dealing with that all day, while also trying to get the stuff ready for the trip, go grocery shopping, and keep the girls from getting totally bored at home while I stared into space on the couch. :) Keith ended up not getting home as early as he thought he would, so by the time he did roll in, I was actually looking forward to some time to myself!
After they left, the silence in the house was kind of overwhelming. It's really strange to go from constant noise to complete quiet, and I was a little surprised! Fortunately, I had a plan for that evening--to have dinner with my friend Melissa--so I was able to take a non-interrupted shower, curl my hair, and put my makeup on for as long as I wanted. Later Melissa & I went out to eat and had a lovely dinner & visit. Although my voice was pretty hoarse by this point, it was still really a fun evening, and it was nice to have something to do. Although I didn't sleep too well (I never do when Keith is gone, and the cold didn't help), I woke up when I wanted to, which was a good feeling. My voice is still really hoarse today, so I'm bummed that I won't be singing at church tomorrow. :( The good news is that I can still worship Him, even without a voice! My friend Kim said today that the one person we can talk to without a voice is our God, and that is a huge comfort!
I spent most of today in my pj's and robe, which wasn't my original intention, but I just didn't have the energy or the need to get dressed. (Sometimes those little luxuries are the ones that feel the nicest on a weekend like this!) Throughout the day I felt so strange to be sitting at the computer or watching TV without having to worry about Hannah or Gemma. All day I've felt like I heard one of them, and I keep thinking "I should be doing something..." It's amazing how ingrained my role as a mother & wife is at this point, after almost 7 years of marriage and 4+ years of parenthood!
Tonight I was going to hang out with my friend Angela, but since I've got this nasty cold, she didn't want to risk it. I don't blame her, but I was bummed to not be able to hang out. I had a few moments of loneliness and sadness, at which point I called Keith and promptly started crying. I was definitely feeling sorry for myself, and generally wondering why I had decided to stay home after all! The thing is, I know God had a plan for this weekend, and I am trusting this is what He wanted for me...quietness, rest, and the option to NOT do anything! After I got off the phone with Keith, I headed to Trader Joe's to get a few more groceries I didn't get yesterday. Well, as I told Keith later, shopping at Trader Joe's is my kind of therapy shopping, and it would be dangerous for me to go there a lot in a blue mood. :) I got lots of snacks, and I picked out a yummy salad & some sushi for my dinner. (I went really low-key & easy for food this weekend, which has been super enjoyable! I may not have felt great, but at least I didn't have to cook!)
Tonight I'm watching some episodes of The Office, relaxing in my pj's (again!), and I plan to go to bed somewhat early tonight. Since I haven't slept that well the last few nights and some of my stuffiness is finally starting to wear off, I'm hoping I can make up for some sleep tonight!
Overall, I think it's been an okay weekend. It hasn't been exactly what I had planned or anticipated, but God works in those moments when we think we know the plan. :) In my bible study homework this week, we're learning about the sovereignty of God, and I am really clinging to that promise this weekend!
Anyway, that's how it's been so far. I still plan to go to church tomorrow, and even if I can't sing, I will still be worshiping!
When Keith and the girls get home, I look forward to hearing about their weekend with Grandma & Grandpa, and I want to really focus on the fact that although it has been nice to have some peace & quiet this weekend, it will be so great to hear their talk and laughter tomorrow! :)