Every Last Bit

I'm not sure what happened this fall but the weather has been so wonky and out of sorts that when we do get a decent day, we really have to take advantage of every minute.  Usually fall is the most beautiful time of the year here but the rain just won't let up.  Even though the temperatures have been holding steady on the warmer side, it doesn't mater if you can't get outside and enjoy it.

With that being said, a  few weeks ago we had one of those incredible fall days that you wish would never end.   We decided to head up to the beach for a little dinner picnic and  Big Boy had such a great time.  He and Lucy really are the best of friends!  He just adores that dog and she is so good with him.  Every picture we take of the two of then is cuter than the last.   One day I'll have to block out his face and put p the pictures of him riding Lucy like a horse.   That dog really is a saint and speaking of horses......

Big Boy went wild when he saw the horses!.  I always forget that you're able to take your horses on the beach in the off season.  Only about fifteen miles inland  from here there are loads of horse farms.  It's hard to explain other than fifteen miles is a world of difference.  Truthfully, hubby and I have talked about moving inland but........just can't do it.  Even though we're being property taxes out of here, I still don't think we can do it.

I love the pictures of Big Boy and Hubby standing at the water's edge together.  They look like they are having the best conversation ever.   This was just (in my mind anyway) the perfect fall day at the beach.  For the past week or so when I would be having a hard time at work or start stressing over bills or life in general, I would think about this day and immediately mellow out.

Sigh.  Only seven more months until summer.  I really hope we can make it that long.  We don't take fancy vacations, live in a ritzy house or buy expensive cloths.  We are thankful for what we have and we'll take a perfect day at the beach everyday.

Lovely

I've been bellyaching the past few days about having a family party to go to today.  It's only for a few hours and really shouldn't be bad EXCEPT....guess who decided to get up at 5:30?  Lovely.  I just don't understand why he feels the need to do this?  I live for the weekend.  If I could just sleep in for one morning I think my body would feel completely rejuvenated.  I guess this gives me more time to get things in order for a small party we are throwing for my father in law tomorrow.  Yup.  I think I forgot to mention that.

Big Boy just gave me a huge hug and he feels warm and the Hubby just called (he works OT on Saturday morning) to say he feels like he's coming down with something.   Normally,  I would think I had a house full of fakers on my hands but since everyone received their flu shot this week, I kinda expected a few minor "fluish" symptoms to kick it ut no one will ever believe this is all a coincidence.

I do have to laugh.  One of the benefits of being up this early is maybe we can get some of our errands out of the way bright and early...it's pouring out.   Hopefully it's just a quick thunderstorm and we'll be able to get moving in a bit.  Unfortunately, I do have to wait for the sun to come up.......   

A Little Change

I realized I hadn't done anything to my blog layout in a seriously long time.  I went with the fall theme...what do you think?  I figure since it's my favorite time of year, it's fitting.  Anyway, hope you like the new background.

It's That Time Of Year!

Tourist season is over and now the locals come out to play.  Obviously, if it weren't for the tourism, this area would be nothing but I have to say come September, we are ready to have out town back.  One thing about this time of year is all of the festivals.  There is something to do almost every weekend here through autumn.

Today was Sail Fest in Island Heights.  The last time we went I was about 34 weeks pregnant with Big Boy.   As much as we wanted to go the past few years it was just too overwhelming for me.  BB is finally getting to the age where he loves hanging out with Mommy and Daddy!  He was so stoked to be at Sail Fest today.  Of course we were running in to people we knew all day and they all just melted over him.  He also thinks it's cool to eat all the fun festival food!  One nice surprise was we saw his favorite teacher Ms. P!  She is such a wonderful woman and BB just adores her.  Ever notice how shy kids get when they see a teacher outside of school?  I honestly believe BB thinks his teachers live there.  Anyway, Sail Fest was a great time and even though the sailboat races were cancelled due to lack of wind (ironic) it was a blast and we are already looking forward to next year!

Tomorrow is the Seafood Festival in the Heights, I could have sworn it was next week but...I wrong.  BB is going to love it.!  We are meeting some friends and their kids who are BB's age and I'm sure we'll all walk up to the boardwalk afterward.  There is so much yummy food to try.  Blackened scallops, crab cakes, fried oreos, you name it and they'll have it.  The vendors are fantastic too.  Today at Sail Fest I scored three hand knitted skull caps for $6 TOTAL!  I can't wait to see what vendors will be at this Festival.  I love this time of year!  Also, it's Mardi Gras and Clown Fest here so the boardwalk will be so much fun!  BB was punished from the boardwalk most of the summer for having a horrendous meltdown up there back in early June.  He has only been back up once so far this summer since the meltdown fiasco and he was on his best behavior.  I think it finally sunk in his public tantrums will not be tolerated anymore.  Next weekend is the Point Pleasant Seafood Fest.  It's pretty much the same as Seaside but the food is so good you just can't resist going back.

Next comes pumpkin and apple picking weekends.  We go to the same place every year and always have the best time.  BB loves to run through the corn maze and of course my favorite part is buying all different kinds of pie.  I just love this time of year.  There is nothing better than throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater and spending the day outside.   Tomorrow is another busy day and I'm falling asleep on my laptop.  Night.

The Smooth Transition

I am very happy to report Big Boy has fell right back in to the swing of things!  Yesterday when we arrived at school he was a little shy but as soon as he saw his favorite teacher, he went right up to her and gave her a huge hug!  His daily progress report  was rather amusing too.  His main teacher wrote he was nothing but smiles all day and kept calling everyone "honey."  I had to laugh at that one.  What can I say, I call him "honey" all the time so I knew it was just a matter of time before he picked up on it.

Back to school morning #2 did not go as smoothly as I had anticipated.  I think BB woke up the wrong side of my bed (notice I did not say his bed).  He was really pushing my buttons this morning and when it came time to get dressed, he decided it would be funny to throw himself on the floor and demand to wear his pj's to school.  Well, I went to pick him up and he lurched his body back smashing his head right on the bridge of my nose.  OH.MY.DEAR.LORD.  I can't even put into words how much pain I was in.  Of course to make matters worse since we were already running late, my nose exploded and there was blood everywhere.  I had just finished getting dressed for work so now, here it was about twenty minutes before we had to leave, BB was still in his pj's and I had to change my clothes and clean up what looked like a crime scene.  As an extra treat, I had a lovely throbbing pain directly inbetween my eyes for the rest of the day.  Super.

For some strange reason I started to feel really bad for him because he kept bringing it up all night.  He would point at my nose and say "Mommy has a boo boo on her nose.  No mommy don't cry."  He even told me he was sorry for hurting my nose and then told me he loved me.  Obviously, that made it all better.  I'm really hoping this morning was a fluke and we can get out of the house in one piece tomorrow because I don't think I can handle another morning like today.  Other than that, all is well and BB is right back on track for another great year!

Back to School for Big Boy!

It's that time again and BB is all set to head back to school tomorrow!  I can't believe how fast the summer has gone.  His clothes are all layed out and his lunch is packed.  I've labeled his lunch box and backpack, now the only thing that can go wrong is if BB decides to have a meltdown when I drop him off in the morning.  So far he seems really excited.  He will be returning to his "regular" classroom with his teachers from last year (thank goodness) and we are going back to our old routine of me driving him in.  The school bus was too overwhelming in the morning and this way allows us a few extra minutes of "what if " time.  Lord knows we can always use a few extra minutes when it comes to getting out of the house in the morning.

So wish us luck and let's all hope Big Boy has a smooth transition and falls nicely back in to the swing of things.  Personally, I'm ready to get back to the school year routine.  BB does best on a schedule and his days are extremely regimented this way.  I still can't get over he is already starting his second year in this program.  I swear it seems like only last week we were still trying to get him enrolled.   Time really does slip away...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful holiday!

Random Beauty

A friend of mine asked me if I could take some pictures of where she grew up. The town is only about ten minutes up the road from me and the pictures really are beautiful. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that places like this still exist. The world is so crazy now (and getting crazier by the day) that you need to stop and really enjoy the details.

This time of year really brings out the typical "sleepy beach town" feeling to the area. The beach is dotted with fishermen hoping to catch the big one and since there is always a brisk wind, it's perfect kite flying weather.

Hubby likes to talk about moving but I don't think he could do it. I really don't think there is anywhere else I would want to raise Big Boy. Hopefully, our property taxes won't push us out of here and all major storms decide to turn out into the ocean.

This will always be my favorite time of year. Everything seems so calm after a hectic summer. I hope Big Boy will appreciate the beauty in all this one day.

I Love A Productive Day!

I never thought we would accomplish so much this weekend but we did! Hubby and I both had to work yesterday and as usual it was raining all day so there was another day we couldn't get in the yard for the fall clean up. I did manage to deep clean a few rooms in the house last night. Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner I figure it's time to get going on some of these projects.

Today was a day to be proud of. There is always the usual list of chores to do. First we go grocery shopping and then all the bed linens are changed. All of the laundry in the house was washed and put away along with all the hand towels and bath mats. I know, pretty unbelievable! Next, it was time to tackle the yard. Compliments of a low that had been sitting off the coast for almost a week, the yard was a mess. The front yard wasn't too bad and hubby actually got that done while I was grocery shopping with Big Boy. The backyard on the other hand was a disaster area because the leaves were still wet and one side of the yard is rocks so the leaves kept sticking to them. Hubby let me play with the leaf blower! Then I got my scarf caught up in it and Hubby took it away. I did see one of the coolest things though. When we blew the leaves off the pool cover, they left these beautiful prints behind. Naturally, I had to grab my camera and Hubby though I was a weirdo taking pictures of the "dirty" pool cover. Did I mention BB ran across the pool cover? Yeah, good times. Thank goodness for the safety cover.


Big Boy was in heaven playing outside all day and I am in heaven right now because he was so worn out he went to bed nice and early. After the leaves we came in the house and gave BB a haircut, which he does not like what so ever. I then cleaned a bit more and cooked an awesome lamb chop dinner. Yummy! Now I am going to watch some TV with Hubby and possibly call it a day.

What a great weekend!

Best Weekend Ever

Just wanted to say that this was by far one of the best weekends I could have ever asked for. Big Boy was just thrilled with all the fun things we did! He loved all of his presents and his new bike. He especially loved his new sock monkey jack in the box. I am still oozing with smiles over how special it was for him! We went to a birthday party today for one of his friends and he just played with the other kids and laughed. Priceless. He even had a great time helping us carve the pumpkins this year.

We have decided to extend his birthday into his birth week. He deserves it! We have such a fun week planned for him too!

Birthday Cake Success!

The JoJo cake cake came out fantastic!!! At least I think it did. I have been so worried about it all day and I am just so happy and proud of myself!


I can't wait to see his little face tomorrow when he sees his cake!


Yay! I guess I should head to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day and I don't want to be tired on Big Boy's special day!

Happy October!

Yippy! I woke up this morning and it was actually chilly outside. Finally, the weather is breaking. To keep with tradition, I think we may take big boy to the pumpkin patch this weekend. We had so much fun last year chasing him through the corn maze!

My favorite time of year is here!

Real Clothes!!!

Finally! I know I am in the minority here but it is so nice to have on a pair of jeans and a light sweater. I am so sick of summer clothes. I'm just ready for the change of season wardrobe swap.
Even though I should be in bed resting, I guess I'll go clean out some drawers in big boy's room since I don't have to pick him up for a few hours. Or I could take a nap.
Decisions, decisions.

Not a Care in the World

If only life could be so simple. Big boy loves the beach and who can blame him. We all had a great afternoon. I wonder what he is thinking when he is staring out into the ocean?

I don't know what possessed us to bring him up to the beach AFTER his bath though.

Cool Weather Ahead

Alright, I have had enough of summer and the warm weather. I am ready to close the pool and break out the jeans and sweaters. I don't want to cringe in fear at the sight of my electric bill much longer either. I just love the fall. In a few weeks we will take big boy to this great pumpkin patch we found last year. I think we'll actually try the hay ride this time. I think he would get a kick out of it.

Bring on the cold weather and the foliage!

Here she comes...

So, Hanna is making her way up the east coast. Ugh. I know by the time she gets here tomorrow she will only be a tropical storm but again, ugh. Seriously, everything floods here if we get a twenty minute down pour so I can't image what is will be like after the 4-6 inches of rain which is forecasted.

Alright, I am done venting. I am off to spread my cheer and share my wisdom with others!

Finally....

The last weekend of summer. As much as I love the warm weather, I am ready to see it go along with all the nonsense it brings with it. It will be nice to be able to run out for a gallon of milk without it taking half an hour.
I am extremely excited for the fall. There is nothing better than cool crisp fall days and the evening smells of autumn. I can't believe how fast it is all going. It is almost time to go to the pumpkin patch. Can you tell I'm excited!