Halloween 2013

Our "Beggar's Night" was tonight - the night before Halloween.  For a couple days, the weather peeps have been teasing us with this 'rain storm coming through right when trick or treating was going to happen...' and it ended up being a beautiful night!!!  I was thankful, cuz I knew Kayson would have been really disappointed!

Anyway, we got home... ate something really quick, then we were off!  Ashley and her roommate joined us for trick or treating too...  and some of our neighbor friends too.  We always have a nice time.  The kids did great - K did really well this year - like a super star.  Last year, we had to kind of coax him (and Avery) to go to the doors, say trick or treat, etc... this year, they were all over it!  It was very much a success!  Cora did pretty well - Ashley held her for most of our walking, but she watched it all - soaking it all in!  :)

Enjoy the pics!

Our own Michaelangelo!!

K with Ash!

Our little friendly ghost!

Love it!

Pretty darn good to get 6 kids to stand in one spot - minus Cora.  :)

Cora checking out some of K's candy!

Um... ??

I don't feel like I have much to say... it's been awhile since my last post, and I guess I've just been busy.  Well, maybe?  Yeah...  I have, we have.  The week nights simply get away from me.  Kayson's been going to bed around 8:30 (like normal) - but sometimes it ends up being later, or he just gets out of bed a couple times and lolly-gags.  Monday and Tuesday I had to work after he went to bed, so those nights were shot for getting on the blog.  Wednesday Ryan got home from MN...  so we caught up on a few of our shows.  Then Thursday and Friday...  well - they are gone, over with, caput.  

Anyway, things have been fine.  Saturday, Ryan and Mike and several other Creston guys headed over to the football game.  The kids and I hung out...  not going to lie - it was a VERY long day.  Ryan returned after 12 hours and was more than wiped out... so it was a long evening as well!

Today we've been hanging out.  I was able to get away and do some shopping for myself.  I've needed new dress pants for a long time, and I got 3 new pairs.  Plus a few sweaters.  I'm pleased with them...  but then again, I always feel like I buy the same stuff.  I watch those 'make over' shows all the time...  and love them... and think - "I can do that".  and I don't.  Oh well!  Next on my list is riding boots.  I wanted some last year and never got them.  I WILL purchase soon.  :)

It's a beautiful day today...  the kids and I went for a walk a little bit ago.  Cora's been playing super nice... and Kayson's been pretty darn good too.  It's so unfortunate that the weekends go by quickly.  I say that every weekend.  :(

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Cora's Faces

When Cora is happy, she sure shows us her smiles.  Some of her smiles are pretty obnoxious.  :)  It looks like she's screaming, but she's not!!!  See below. 

Ignore the drool 'necklace' on her shirt!!

Our Saturday

Our Saturday is over already...  seriously.  Makes me mad. 
This morning we just hung out little...  Ryan had to work a little, then I said 'yes' to taking our neighbor's pictures which took about 10 minutes!  :)  The rest of the day we hung out at home... cleaning and playing.  Before we knew it, it was 5:00 and our friends, Jessica & Steve were coming over.  The weekend days just fly by.  

Jessica & Steve and their girls came over... we had dinner and hung out.  Presley and Kayson did pretty darn well together!  They played, talked, laughed and used their imagination... I'd say that's pretty good!  :)  Right Jessica!??!  

Such a nice picture.  :)

Cora went to bed right after her bath (bedtime has been going much better lately).  Ryan and Kayson played a couple games on the Wii (which we got out for the first time in 4 years!!!)  Kayson really likes it... well - REALLY, as he's the technology boy.  So when it's time to quit, he's pissed.  He was tired... so that equal crabbiness and talking back.  We've been kind of spoiling him on the weekends by letting him stay up a little later (9ish), and I personally think that's backfiring. 

Here's to Sunday... and having it go SLOW and with happy kids.  :)

Tuesday's Thoughts

• I'm tired.  Imagine that.
• Tonight we visited Lacey and Justin and the kids...  we had a nice time.  We need to do that WAY more often.
• I'm going through pictures tonight...  the Hardy grandkid pics, other random ones and trying to place an order.  I need some updated ones at home and my desk at work!
• The kids were good tonight...  Cora just walked around Lacey's and touched and looked at everything.  ha.  Kayson did well too - he played with Kipton pretty well, so that was nice.  
• I miss Ryan.  It's only Tuesday.
• My dogs drive me crazy.  I shouldn't be like that... but there's always something with them.  I guess that's part of having dogs, and having them get older!!!
• I just folded a load of laundry...  probably can pack away Kayson's shorts, huh?
• Speaking of clothes...  I think I need a whole new wardrobe.  I get sooooo bored with what I wear.  Same.thing.every.week.  Boring.  I'd like some riding boots...  some new tops...  I need a couple pairs of dress pants.  Ugh.  I hate money.  ha.  :)
• I'm looking forward to this weekend...  nice, open weekend...  AND having some friends over Saturday night.  Just what I like.  
• ... I'm still tired.  I'll go to bed.  :)

Weekend

It's Sunday night already... I swear it was just Friday at 4pm.  That's so disappointing!

Friday night we went out for dinner - our usual, El Rodeo.  After the kids were in bed, I cleaned a little and did some laundry.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to get much done Saturday morning with just the kids and me home.  Ryan needed to work Saturday morning... then we headed out to Clarion.  

When we first got to the farm, Kayson and Ryan found Papa Paul in the field.  They rode in the combine with him for about 2 hours.  K was in heaven!  They took a load of beans to the Co-Op and everything.  I think they had a good time!!  I know Ryan enjoyed himself.  After that, we got everyone together and did the Hardy Grandkid pictures.  As always, we have so much fun with this.  The kids are so great.  Unfortunately, my Cora was not having any of it. She had a super short nap in the car (maybe 50 minutes), then just was out of sorts... wanted only me (imagine that)... and wasn't going to smile.  We did the best we could - with the help of Uncle Greg jumping up and down and at least making her look in the right direction and not scream.  ha.  Oh well.  Good memories.  

Saturday night we ordered pizza in and just had a great time hanging out and laughing.  

Today we got ourselves up and went to church...  then had a quick lunch in town.  Kayson wanted to ride the 4-wheeler before we headed home, so we let him do that before we got on the road.  It was a beautiful day, so being outside was perfect for everyone.  

Thankfully the kids slept on the way home.  (Still not long enough, but better than 50 minutes!)  Ryan mowed when we got home...  Cora and I got groceries...  Kayson did a lot of playing the iPad...  more time outside...  and we are wiped out.  (or at least I am!)

Cora's been having trouble going to bed the last 4 or 5 nights... tonight was another rough one.  I'm hoping this is very short lived.  Ryan has to be in MN this week, so I would like things to go pretty smooth around here!  ha.  

Again, totally bummed that it's Sunday night already.  Man. Time just goes too fast.  

I took a ton of pictures, but wanted to show a few of the grandkid pics... and other randoms.  We had a really nice time.  

The best group picture.  Blessed.

Hope & Ash having fun!

1 picture of about 15 that was "okay".  :)

Papa Paul's 4-wheeler

Finally - a nice picture of her.  :)

Hardy girls.  Love them.

13 Month Comparison

The Kids Today

It was a rainy day today... so we stayed in (besides my run to HyVee) and we played, napped and snacked a lot.  :)  The kids did pretty well - sleeping in (I believe Cora slept nearly 13.5 hours).  We played, played some more...   That was about it for today.   It was a nice day to stay in!

Cora loved sitting in K's car seat!

Some tackling going on...

Cora wins!  :)

Kayson sporting Bronco colors - for Uncle Blair!

Oh that grin.  :)

Kayson & Cora

I keep a word document of milestones, routines, food and 'this and that' for the kids.  I've done this from day 1 for each of them... and it was a HUGE help when we had Cora.  Even though, the kids were completely different in many ways, it still helped us 'try' to figure out what was going on with Cora - or what to expect next.  I also like to compare the two.  

Anyway, I thought I would take the time to put this stuff on the blog, so others can read.  I mean, you already know most of the stuff, but it's a good 'tracker'.  

Kayson (almost 5 years old!)

• He's our technology boy - loves the iPad, loves cartoons, loves movies, loves the iPod.  That kid figures out those games in no time at all.  It's impressive.  
• He wants to do 1:1 things with us.  Whether it's reading, or coloring, or even just having us sit with him while he watches a cartoon.  This is where I feel bad b/c we don't sit with him enough.  
• Ryan and him wrestle a lot.  And we hear a lot of 'OUCH' from Kayson.  It's hilarious... he's such a wuss!  :)
• He loves board games - we do Candy Land and Chutes & Ladders a lot.
• He also has a new love for "Go Fish" and "Hangman" - he's learning fun things at school, so he's bringing those things home for us to remember and play!
• K still doesn't really play on his own... but he will play in the bathtub for a long time by himself.  It's so weird.  

Cora (13+ months old!)

• She's nearly running...  but it's wobbly.  It's pretty funny, she wants to go so fast, and sometimes she just stops and cries b/c she can't keep up.  ha.
• Loves to read books... she used to do this alone, now she wants us to sit with her.  
• Gives kisses and it's the sweetest thing ever.  She also gives head butts - to Daddy.  :)
• Plays "Peek-a-Boo" with her softie and her hands.
• She knows where her nose and ears are - but won't show you every time we ask.
• Cora hates, I mean HATES the carseat.  I'm guessing it's b/c she's constrained.  She'll be quiet for about 2 minutes, then do some screaming, then quiet... back and forth.  It makes for long car rides. 
• She still won't sit still for diaper changes... and getting dressed.  She's got places to be. 
• I found her walking backwards the other day.  I thought it was hilarious!
• She's eating better...  more table foods.  She really likes hot dogs and taco meat.  She does not like any type of noodle.  

The kids are fun...  and a lot of work, obviously.  Kayson does not like Cora touching his stuff - mostly when he's watching a movie or playing on the iPad.  She's interested and he hates that.  He can be so sweet to her at other times... when she's upset, he can go up to her quietly and gets down to her level and tells her that "it's okay Cora".   I just hope they grow up and love each other and have fun with each other.  

I love them so much.