Pumpkin Patch, times 2!!!!

Let me start by saying, in case you didn't know, I love fall. :) Being the fact that today is Nov 1 and I heard (gulp) CHRISTMAS music on the radio this morning, I'm clinging to the sights of those beautiful colored leaves and crisp but not cold temps for just a few more weeks. That being said, we've had a glorious fall. One of our favorite things to do in fall is go to the Pumpkin Patch. Last year, Max was too little to really understand, but Miles had a blast and I swear he asked me about once a week for the past year when we could go back. We were going to go this year to a pumpkin patch in Tucson with my sister-in-law and her family, but due to some work commitments we had to change the weekend for our visit and sadly we missed the opportunity to go with them this year. :( But, hopefully we can do it together next year when there are five kids (INCLUDING MY NEW NEICE!!!). Hurray!!!! But I digress. Anyway, two weekends ago we went to McCall's Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty  NM. It is pricey but also worth every penny. It is a pumpkin patch and so much more. Its actually like a little fall carnival and the kids LOVED it. Unfortunately, I woke up early Saturday morning with the stomach flu, and so I spent the day walking from bench to bench and trying not to barf. It was really sad but I also had a blast watching the boys have a blast!!! :) Gma and Gpa Shiver (aka 'PapaGeez') joined us for the day, and, well, lets get right down to the pictures!

Fun in the corn bin! 

Miles leading us through the corn maze

Duck races!!! 

Petting Zoo! 

Boys love slides!!!! 

At McCall's, after you do all the fun stuff, you get to take a hay ride to pick out your pumpkin. This was one of the highlights for the kids! 

So many beautiful choices! 

Mom I want this one! 

 Mace was over it :) 

Our attempt at a family picture!

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Our church supports a local organization called the Galloping Grace Youth Ranch which does wonderful things for children with disabilities. Every year, Galloping Grace hosts a FREE Pumpkin Patch, and also a Christmas Corral where they have fun things for the kiddos to do (and a Christmas tree lot)! I've heard great things about their pumpkin patch, but this is the first year we tried it out. My mom and I took the boys there on Monday, and although it is much smaller than McCall's, given the fact that it is free admission and geared for toddlers and preschoolers, they boys loved it equally as much!

More corn bin fun!!

A tractor like Papa's!!! 

The mud cafe. The boys LOVED this place and spent most of our time here 'cooking' for Mimi and I! 

This will be fun to look back on! 

"Mr. Pumpkin Head!"

More duck race fun!

Mace was over it (and in the same outfit!!)--Again!!! 

These slides were cool and kinda slow, so Max loved them, and had a blast coming down on his belly!!! 

My cuties and I going through the hay maze! 

Fun times!!! 

 Yeahaw!!! 

Max's First Mommy Date!

You may remember my first post regarding a 'mommy date' that I took with Miles V. If not, here is a reminder. Anyway, since that last post, Miles V and I have been on a few more dates, and now it is Maxwell's turn. Daddy and I decided that I would start this tradition with each boy when they turned 2. I was a few months late with Max, but it was worth the wait. The only rule on the Mommy Dates is that there are no rules. Things that normally aren't allowed (i.e. chocolate milk or juice with dinner) are par for the course. I let the boys choose what they want to do, and we do it.

For Christmas last year, Miles V 'bought' me a giftcard to Applebees, and Max 'bought' me a giftcard to Chili's to use on a future mommy date. We used Miles's about a month before Mason was born when he took me to eat and then we went and made a Build-a-bear for his new brother. I was sad to realize that it was September and I still had Max's gift in my wallet. So this time, I told him we were going to go to Chili's to use the giftcard, and I let him choose what else we did. He wanted to go to McDonald's to play. So, off we went. We went to McD's first, where he ordered an apple juice, and a diet Coke for me, and Max LOVED playing on the toys there. He chatted almost non-stop to me and to the other kids playing.

Here we are on our way out the door:

After awhile he came out and and told me he was done, so off we went to Chili's. 

Here he is at the top of the 'tree' at McDonalds. 

At Chili's, I ordered fajitas, and Max ordered Mac & Cheese, French Fries, & Chocolate Milk (remember, no rules!!). We had fun coloring and talking while we waited for our food, and we took a few silly pictures:

Max wanted dessert, so we ordered the molton oreo chocolate cake. Calories don't count when you are out with your two year old, right?!?!

Daddy had talked to Max about paying for my dinner before we left, so he asked for the giftcard, and handed it to the waiter when he brought the check. It was a precious, wonderful night and I cannot wait until we can do it again!!!! 

 

2012 Fall Fun!

Ah yes, the best time of the year has arrived again! Fall is wonderful everywhere, but fall in New Mexico is absolutely breathtaking. The temperature is perfect, not too cold, not too hot, so of course we have been doing our best to enjoy the season that passes us waaaay too quickly (lucky for us, once fall is over that means Christmas is just around the corner!).

Here is a look (in pictures) at what we have been up to this fall!

First off, we welcomed our 'old' friend Tonya for a visit, and we welcomed our 'new' friend 'Marv' to our lives (Thanks to TONYA for visiting, and donating Marv!!!) .

Hi Marv!!!! 

Since the temps have cooled off, we've been able to start walking after dinner again (we had to quit this summer due an overly pregnant mommy and 100+temps---not a good combination!). Here is my new most favorite picture of all time!!! 

The BEST guys in the WORLD!!! 

Thanks to pinterest, one afternoon while the brothers were sleeping, Miles and I made 'deviled spider eggs.' He put the legs on most of them, so they didn't turn out perfectly, but we had a blast making them (and enjoyed eating them) together:

He peeled the eggs:

Mixed the eggs:

Put the 'legs' on the spiders:

And enjoyed eating the eggs. MMMMMMM

Inperfectly, perfect! 

We enjoyed Saturday morning cartoons:

One morning, we had some painting & sandbox fun: 

We took a trip to the zoo with Grandma Geez, Grandma Mimi, & Great-Grandma Jean: 

We collected leaves at the zoo and when we got home we glued leaves to paper & laminated the paper. It is my new favorite piece of artwork!! 

Of course, we went to balloon fiesta!!!!: 

After balloon fiesta, daddy and I snuck away for a mini-date night!

And we sure have enjoyed watching Daddy play soccer again!!! 

It's been a busy fall, but a great one. This week, we are gearing up for Daddy's birthday (HURRAY!), and our annual fall-fest weekend this weekend. I owe you all a post about our trip last weekend to the pumpkin patch, and my first mommy date with Maxwell. But for now, I am glad that I managed to finish this one :)

'Smiles for Kids'= Smiles for the Shivers!

 Today the boys had their dental cleanings. It was Max's first and Miles's third cleaning. This was Miles's first cleaning with the hygienists actually using the dental tools. We found a new dental office as a result of suggestions from friends, and we absolutely LOVED it. Highly, highly recommend Smiles for Kids westside (we saw Dr. Rowan, but I'm sure anyone there would be awesome).

Here we are 'practicing' for the dentist on the way

Getting ready for X-Rays!                                                  

Both the boys were scheduled at the same time, and we were in and out in 30 minutes! No waiting to get called back (in fact, they called us before I was even done with the new patient paperwork), no waiting in a back room for X-ray, no waiting for the dentist. FANTASTIC!

Miles and Max both did fantastic with their X-rays.

               

The dentist had DVD players over each chair, so the boys got to watch Toy Story and Shrek while they were getting their cleanings done.

Time for Dr. Rowan

And of course, no dentist trip would be complete without a 'goodie' bag. New toothbrushes, toothpastes, floss, bubbles, & tattoos! 

The boys had a BLAST and we are so thankful for such a good experience for them!!!! 

                                                   

Mason's 4mo well check

Ahhhhh a month has passed with many thoughts of blogging... if only thoughts could write themselves! We've been super busy, having a GREAT time enjoying FALL, and I have a post in the works about all the fun fall stuff we have been doing. But that is for another day. I wanted to document Mason's 4 month 'stats' from his well check yesterday. It turned out to be a really fun day. Mimi came over to babysit since we had to leave during naptime, so it was awesome for Miles and I to have some alone time with Mason. We headed to the appointment and got to spend some time with our awesome pediatrician.

Here we are waiting to be called:

Miles and I think that Mason is a little bigger than the other boys, who have always been on the TINY side (off the charts small). He is the only one of our kiddos who has adorable little fat rolls on his legs. In reality, he is really in line with where both Miles and Max were at this age. Mason's height was 24 3/4 inches (50th percentile) and 13lbs exactly (12th percentile). We looked at Max's chart yesterday again and it wasn't until his 9 month well check that he 'fell off the charts'. So we will see where the next few months take us!

We also spoke with Dr. Koil about the fact that Mason went from waking up only two times/night to waking up every two hours on the hour the past two weeks. As I suspected, Dr. Koil recommended we start him on baby cereal. After putting Mason on his tummy, he said that he has the motor skills of a 6th month old (as evidenced by the fact that he can already 'scoot' himself a little bit when he is on his tummy). He thinks that maybe he is just hungry. So, we tried cereal last night, and maybe it was the shots, but I'm optimistic thinking that he only woke up twice last night as a result of the cereal. One can hope!!!

After his appointment daddy and I snuck away and took a quick walk at the mall.... and then had a quick dinner at Chipotle before heading back to our other boys. It was a fun day, and such a blessing to see how healthy Mason is! Thanks Mimi for your help!!

He was all tuckered out from his big day at the doctor!

What the heck is this you are putting into my mouth?!....? LOL