Country Adventures

Yesterday we had a great time with our playgroup...it was a family outing at Country Adventures.  It's a nearby petting-zoo/hay ride/weenie roast/roasted marshmallow place.  It's basically a family "farm" that is open to groups for outings.  We've been there before, but the weather was much better this time and the fall setting was perfect.  Both boys had a great time...Jack liked the tractors more than the animals!  Ewan really wanted to get down on the ground and get dirty...things will be much easier when he finally starts to walk!!

Autumn in the Mountains

We just had a wonderful weekend up in the mountains.  We left Friday after Josh got home from work and hoped for the best...Jack's first road trip as a potty trained boy!  And all went well, no accidents, YEAH!!  When we arrived at the Deuce Friday evening it was cold and raining.  The boys enjoyed a fire in the fireplace, we kept busy keeping them away from it!!  Jack was actually pretty good, saying "hot" and telling Ewan to stay away!  Jack recognized where he was too, he kept asking where Oma was since it was her house!  Every now and then he would go look for her!

This time around the boys slept well up there too.  I think they finally recognize the house and feel at home there.  Great for us!  Satuday morning we drove through the state forest and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Unfortunatley it closed!  So we found another way and eventually got to Asheville....without any accidents for Jack!!  We went downtown and roamed around a little, enjoyed a yummy Thai lunch and Josh had fun at the high gravity beer store!  Then it was off to the corn maze. 

After giving Ewan his bottle and Jack staring at the dirt bikes we finally were off to the maze.  They have a 2 mile, 1 mile and kiddie maze.  We only did the kiddie maze...all we could handle with both boys.  We managed to come out with very little mud and everyone had fun.  The boys loved the toddler hay maze even more.  We let Ewan lose and he LOVED it....crawling through the paths and up and over the hay.  Jack loved watching the bigger kids and exploring.

Sunday morning we went for a hike.  The temp was great....in the upper 30s.  Finally not too hot to hike with two kiddos!!  Jack was on his own, no laziness this time around!!  Ewan was in the carrier with Josh.  I was in charge of Jack...helping him up the log steps and minimizing his time in the mud!  He did extremely well.  It was mostly and uphill hike and then back down.  Cosmo had fun too. 

Then Sunday afternoon it was off to home again. It was probably the most relaxing time we could have had with the kids in the mountains. They were both pretty good and everyone had fun!!!  Thanks Oma and Opa for letting us use the house!!  It's the perfect getaway for us since they have everything we need for the kids up there...booster seats, a crib, toys, kiddo dishes...  Makes life easier!

Jack running in the corn maze.

Jack posing at the maze entrance.

Ewan LOVING the hay!!

Is there something up my nose?!

Big boy hiker!

Family hike.

Halloween Party

Today the boys and I had fun at our playgroup's Halloween party in the park.  It's one of our favorite parks here in town.  Jack loves to play there...also get into trouble.  I lost him for a minute or two while feeding Ewan.  He ran off with Nicholas' hockey stick and was playing!  He does get the devil in him sometimes.  The food was all wonderful and the boys had fun playing with their friends.

In other news...Ewan still is not walking.  He is, however, taking up to 4-5 steps at a time.  So hopefully soon enough we'll have a walking little man.  Life will never be the same...I'm already running after Jack all the time!!!  Jack's potty training continues.  He's doing pretty well.  Since his birthday he does get to be a bit much sometimes though, doesn't want to put his toys down and go potty.  Today he went in a port-a-potty for the first time...two times actually.  Success!!

Pirate Jack having fun on the dinosaur.

Pirate Ewan having fun with the turtle.

Look Mama, I found a stick!!

Attempting to stage the kids for photos  (only some of the here)!

Jack and Ewan with their pal Nicholas.

Pumpkin Patch

OK...it's been a very busy weekend so enjoy these three posts.  The boys have enjoyed spending time with their Grandma and Grandpa.  We've been busy with fall and birthday festivities.  (Disclaimer:  I've been extremely busy the past couple weeks and am tired, so you must forgive any typos)!!

Today we all had a great time at the pumpkin patch at a local church.  They have great pumpkins and gourds etc.  Jack and Ewan each picked out their own pumpkins.

Birthday Fun

Today my little darling Jack turned two years old.  Where does the time go?!  He LOVED his bike he got from Mommy and Daddy.  He had a wonderful party with his friends, Oma, Opa, Grandma and Grandpa.  He got a little bit of toy overload, but that will resolve itself soon (especially when we put some away and take some to the Deuce)!  He enjoyed his bike cake as well.

Boo At The Zoo

The boys, Grandma, Grandpa, Josh and I all went to the zoo Saturday night and had a wonderful time enjoying Boo at the Zoo.  The boys wore their Irish pjs (thanks to Emmie M) as pirate costumes.  We bundled up a bit...it was actually cool here in South Carolina this year!! 
Jack and Ewan both had a blast, especially enjoying their first tastes of roasted marshmallows!!  Jack was somewhat indifferent, Ewan on the other hand thought it was tasty.

Hectic Week Antics

It's been a VERY BUSY week....getting ready for Jack's party and trying to keep the boys entertained so Josh can have some quiet time to study.  It's rather difficult keeping them quiet in the house, especially when Ewan starts his screaming matches with Jack.  He does so love to scream!!!  So that means we go out and about.  Well that gets tricky since Jack needs to be near a bathroom and Ewan still takes a morning nap.

Tuesday Josh had the day off to study....Oma had Jack for the morning and they had a great time as always.  He was a very good boy and didn't even have any accidents!  Ewan and I ran a couple errands and I got a haircut.  Then we all met Josh for lunch and had a fun time together.  The problem was that Jack nodded off in the car on the way home.  He didn't really wake up when we got home so I put him down for a nap.  Ewan got his bottle and then he didn't want to go down for his nap (didn't get his morning nap).  Josh is trying to study and I've got stuff to do...THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE NAPPING!!!  Jack wakes up, Ewan finally goes down.  So I started planting the flowers and Jack stayed in with Daddy for a while.  Then they come outside and Jack gets a thrill helping Daddy mowing the lawn.  Anyway, we finally get out yardwork done.  Josh has a dinner meeting so the boys and I have spaghetti for dinner.  BIG MISTAKE!!  Jack decides it is rather fun to play with and throw around.  Now I remember why I usually make another shape pasta!  After I clean up from dinner the boys and I go for a walk with Cosmo.  We have a pleasant time until Jack falls off the hitchhiker and wacks his head.  I have to carry him and push the stroller and hold the dog....luckily he decides to get back on the hitchhiker right before we go up a big hill!!  So we get home and Jack is grabbing himself...I try to get him  inside to go to the bathroom and he starts pitching a fit.  He won't go in the bathroom and when I take him in there he won't stand for me to pull is pants down.  When I finally get his pants down he decides that's the time to go.....you got it.....PEE EVERYWHERE!!!  That includes in my face, down my leg, puddling on my shoes, on the walls....  What a nightmare!  I clean the bathroom and try to keep Ewan out of the mess....luckily it's bathtime anyway.  So the boys get their bath...I'm still dirty from being peed on!  The boys play happily after their bath and I figure maybe I can sneak a quick shower in...so just as I'm about to turn on the water Ewan screams.  Scratch Mommy's shower!!!  The boys are fussy and eventually after Ewan's bottle they both go down to bed.  FINALLY I get my shower!!  Josh gets home.  Why is it he misses all the fun??!!  I'd like to say the theme to the story is....a good nap is VERY IMPORTANT! 

So hopefully you all enjoy this little story.  Many have asked how I do it with two boys so close in age and so young.  Does this answer your questions?!  Luckily it's not always that bad, but it can be!!!

Tomorrow Josh is off again to study.  Hopefully it will go better then!!!  Wish us luck.

Big Boy Jack

So Saturday we started potty training AGAIN....and this time it's working!!!  It is still an adventure, but much better.  I left the boys with Josh late Saturday morning and Jack did well using the potty.  Unfortunately, Josh taught him all about privacy....so now Jack prefers to have the door shut and be in the bathroom alone.  Not a problem, IF his aim was good....or IF he didn't still have poop on his tush when he stood up!!!  The joys of boys!!!  So needless to say we've had our share of misses and plenty of cleaning to do.  Clorox wipes are our best friend right now.  He is getting better and having fewer accidents every day.  YEAH!!!  He does still wear a diaper at night; we'll work on that soon.  One step at a time.

Potty training with a baby is an adventure in and of itself.  Ewan gets extremely upset when he is locked out of the bathroom.  When he sneaks in all he does is get into trouble and create more messes to clean up.  And of course Jack likes to go at some of the worst times...when I'm in the middle of changing Ewan's diaper, feeding Ewan....  There is always some kind of action at the Dalrymple house!!!

Oma gets the pleasure of taking Jack for his first outing as a potty trained boy.  They just left for Panera and then they'll go play at Oma's house.  It's raining so the park is out of the question.  Works out well anyway, they'll be close to a bathroom!!  We'll see how it goes.  He is pretty good about telling me when he has to go, but who knows how he'll be when he gets distracted being with Oma!  He gets so excited when she comes to pick him up!!!

Ewan is napping now and I have my rare quiet time!!  So many projects and so little time!  Yesterday I finally finished putting all the photos in Jack's first year photo albumn (he's now nearly 2)!!! Oh well, hopefully I'll catch up soon!!  Photo albums to work on, Christmas photos to take, birthday party to plan, cleaning, laundry.....IT NEVER ENDS!!!

Fall is Here...Sort of!!!

Enjoying a birthday party at the park.

Just love this pose!!!

South Carolina has finally cooled off, for a few days anyway!  We're enjoying it anyhow!  The evenings are really cool and the mornings great.  We can finally play outside again without sweating the minute we walk out the door.  The boys and I have enjoyed several walks this week after dinner while Josh studies.  We've gone further than we were able to go when it was so hot!!

With the cooler weather comes new clothes.  The boys have enough clothes for several children I think!!!  Yesterday we just dropped off 3 trash bags of clothes we couldn't even use!!  Monday we went with Oma up to Charlotte.  The one thing we did need was shirts for Jack.  Jack enjoyed helping pick out his new clothes.  He kept saying "Jack's shirt" and wanting to hold them!!  It was so cute.  We nearly wiped out Oma's gift cards.  Oma also got Jack his first set of Legos (well the Duplos) for his birthday.

Wednesday we enjoyed a trip to the park.  We were there for over 3 hours and the boys loved it!  I'm so loving the cooler weather too!!!  Jack, however, is driving me a little nuts.  For some reason he has decided sometimes he doesn't need a nap.  Luckily he will at least stay in his crib for over an hour and be somewhat quiet.  He's also waking up at night sometimes.  Not sure what he is up to?!

Ewan tried climbing up the slide!

Exploring the playground.

Getting ready to slide.

Ewan is growing like a weed.  He looks even older in long sleeves and pants.  Somehow it ages him!!  He still has the cutest smile ever.  We enjoyed some time together while Oma took Jack for his weekly outing.  This week they went for bagels, to the park and shopping at Target.  Jack loves his Oma time.  So do I!!!  This week while they were gone I spent my "alone" time (while Ewan was napping) washing window screens.  How exciting!!!  Then while they both napped in the afternoon I cleaned all the downstairs windows.  We'll call it "fall cleaning"!!  Josh won't let me open the windows until I clean them because of his allergies.  BUMMER!  Still need to clean the upstairs.  Must admit, they sparkle and the view is great.

Leaving with Oma for their special time.

Enjoying some alone time with Mommy.

Jack wants to sleep in his toddler bed...he just won't stay in it.  So he is still in the crib.  We also plan on trying to potty train again very soon.

That pretty much sums up what we've been up to and more!  Not sure where all the time goes!  We've been to several birthday parties lately.  Now we're busy getting ready for the Jack's second birthday party.  He's looking forward to it!  We're practicing his cake and should be getting his bike soon.